Congratulations to first year MOT student Erika Reinhardt who was awarded the Latino Center for Health Graduate and Professional Student Fellowship. As part of the fellowship she will join a cohort of 13 other student fellows from healthcare disciplines and training programs across WA state who are committed to the health of Latine communities.
For Erika, receiving the fellowship from the Latino Center for Health reinforces her desire to serve the Latine community in a healthcare setting as an occupational therapist. She feels a sense of hope knowing that there is a larger initiative to improve the health outcomes of Latine individuals. Before entering the UW MOT program, Erika worked with Spanish-speaking individuals to help make their treatment more accessible through breaking down language barriers. This included setting up interpretation services for appointments and communicating with Latine patients in Spanish and conveying information to their provider about their needs and concerns. While in the MOT program, she plans on taking a medical Spanish course that will prepare her to take the exam that allows providers to treat in other languages.