The UVA Latino Health Initiative (LHI) is an organization of the University of Virginia that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the Latino community in the Charlottesville area and by doing this narrow the gap between the University of Virginia and this community. LHI is supported by faculty members from the School of Medicine other colleges and more than 50 graduate and undergraduate students. With an engaged community advisory board and a faculty advisory group, we run 5 different community health programs: The Latino Clinic, the Cardiovascular Initiative for the Latino Community Health, the Compañeros Training, and Empowerment Program, Family Health Evenings at Southwood, and an educational radio program.
UVA LHI Covid-19 Response
Latino Community Health Initiative During COVID-19
Like us on Facebook for the most up to date information.
UVA Covid-19 Response
UVA Health System Covid-19 Response (En Español)
COVID-19: Apoyo e Información (En Español)
Additional Resources
Thomas Jefferson Health District (TJHD-VDH)
Virginia Department Of Health
UVA Latino Health Initiative Newsletter
Latinx communities have suffered great losses in the COVID-19 pandemic. Cardiologist Max Luna, MD, speaks to the social inequities that have made Latinx communities more vulnerable to COVID-19, and the importance of access to vaccines as the communities begin to recover.
These podcasts were created by collaborating UVA undergraduate students with the support of their faculty professor Esther Poveda in her courses. They write for social justice and change and community conversations.
La Iniciativa para servir – epoveda
The community testing program began this summer, and more than 3,000 tests have been performed so far. On average, each site administers about 75 to 115 tests per outing, usually over about a two-hour period.
Spanish-speaking faculty and students from the UVA Schools of Medicine and Nursing launched the Latino Health Initiative (LHI) to bridge the gap between health care providers and our Latino neighbors here in Charlottesville. “Our community has a large proportion of folks who don’t have access to care or receive regular care,” explains third-year medical student Daniel Giraldo Herrera. Working with many committed and generous community partners, volunteers like Daniel provide a range of preventative and wellness education programs and services in addition to conducting research aimed at improving the health of the Latino community.
