José E. Rodríguez uses the power of media to bring important health news to the public

Over the past year, José E. Rodríguez, MD, FAAFP, associate vice president for Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (UHEDI) has been busy getting critical health messages out to the public. Since last fall, he’s appeared more than a dozen times on the Spanish language station, Telemundo Utah, answering questions and providing useful information in Spanish on a variety of topics—from coronavirus to heat exhaustion, to salmonella and mosquitos, or even on the opioid epidemic. Rodriguez has assisted local news agencies in getting the word to our communities that UHEDI and University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics are here to help.   

“I love to serve my Utah community, in whatever way I can,” Rodríguez says. But he also notes that trying to address serious health concerns through the media has its limits. For example, he says it’s much harder to deliver high-quality, individualized care over YouTube or even on the internet.  

“We need more diverse representation in our clinics and hospitals to help—more physicians, physician assistants, and nurses who come from these communities and speak the language.” Rodríguez points to the growing body of research that shows greater representation in the health care setting leads to better health outcomes for racial minority groups. While the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics and UHEDI lead the way in transformation across the state, the health care community needs to continue growing because Utah is continuing to grow.   

Rodríguez says he feels fortunate to be a trusted member of the Latino community, and he will continue to answer the calls to speak with the community on medical topics. To find more information about José Rodríguez’s many appearances on Telemundo, readers can use the index and links below.