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Mayra O. Martinez, DScPAS, MS, PA-C, is a bilingual health care provider who has a background in rural medicine and family medicine. She has dedicated herself to the field of pediatrics in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas community for the last 9 years. Martinez is the President of the Society for PAs in Pediatrics (SPAP), president-elect of PAs in Virtual Medicine and Telemedicine (PAVMT), and past-president of the Rio Grande Valley PA Society (RGVPAS). "I am proud to represent and serve my community and work towards increasing diversity in health care,” Martinez said. “I hope to inspire other Latinx individuals to pursue a career as a PA and serve their communities with compassion, cultural competence and excellence." During a health care visit, Martinez is able to provide more culturally competent care to her patients and their families. This is especially important for the Latinx community, which is the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the U.S. “Speaking Spanish allows me to better serve children and their families during a healthcare visit. It provides a more relaxed and meaningful experience, and I can better communicate, assess their understanding, questions and needs,” said Martinez. There are many opportunities for physician assistants to learn more about Latinx culture and health disparities. For anyone interested in learning more about the PAs for Latino Health organization and their support for Pre-PA students and PA students, visit palh.mypanetwork.com. ¡Adelante, que juntos todo podemos! |
2022 UTRGV Physician Assistant Program ranked #2 "BEST WORKSHOPS"
2021 UTRGV Physician Assistant Program ranked #1
PA Foundation IMPACT Grant Recipients
2021 Recipients
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (project led by Christina Granado Gonzales, MPAS, PA-C, and Evelyn Jimenez, MPH, PA-S)
Grant Amount: $8,800
Project Name: Bridging the Digital Literacy Gap: Physician Assistant Students Teach Technology
Project Description: The Physician Assistant Students Teach Technology (PASTT) project is designed to bridge the digital literacy gap encountered in vulnerable populations. Over the past year, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an unprecedented shift from in-person care to telehealth in nearly every form of healthcare. This rapid transition has exacerbated healthcare disparities among the most vulnerable populations (low-income, uninsured, minority, elderly, etc.) due to lack of technology access and knowledge. The project team seeks to address this issue with a PA-led educational intervention to augment familiarity with and competency in the usage of a telemedicine platform to improve overall patient health outcomes in a low-income, primary care clinical setting. Through the tangible use of intentional education directed toward increasing patients’ digital literacy as well as the provision of self-care medical kits to monitor non-communicable disease status, the project is designed to improve the local population’s comfort level with technology and telehealth encounters, which will ultimately improve overall patient care access, quality, and outcomes.