Omaha medical center aims to reduce disparity of Latino doctors

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - All across the country and here in Omaha, many non-English speaking Latinos and Hispanics struggle to find a doctor that is bilingual.

Dr. Priscilla Correa is a physician and one of the founders of South Omaha Medical Associates. The clinic has been operating since 1991 and is one of the longest-established bilingual clinics in Omaha.

“We thought there was a lot of need for us,” Correa said. “We were one of the first ones that came to Omaha that spoke Spanish, there was no one else.”

Throughout the years, as an Ecuadorian physician, Dr. Correa has immersed herself in the local culture of Spanish-speaking Latinos to understand their unique healthcare needs and struggles.

“Meeting different doctors from different countries that speak Spanish, that’s a way we tried to refer patients that speak Spanish,” Correa said.

A roadblock they’ve overcome is the language barrier. They’ve started to increase the number of Latino Spanish-speaking physicians they have on staff.

Christian Correa, vice president of SOMA, says they’re actively recruiting bilingual medical students from Creighton University and the College of St. Mary.

“So much of that is just literally being available and being able to speak the language, but it’s been challenging finding providers that are multilingual,” Correa said.

Dr. Correa hopes more young Latinos develop an interest in becoming doctors. Latinos account for 7% of the overall physician and surgeon workforce in the country, according to a study conducted by Pew Research Center.

Staff hopes that more Latino and Spanish-speaking physicians can help attack conditions like obesity, asthma, diabetes, and mental health issues like depression that impact this community at a higher rate than other ethnicities.

“We are here to help them as much as we can,” Correa said.

SOMA also hopes to expand its clinic in West Omaha to reach more of the community.

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