For years, Andrea Barcenas feared missing a doctor’s appointment with her mother. Not just for emotional support — she was the translator. Without Andrea, Juana Garcia struggled to follow treatment plans, ask questions, or fully understand the very serious need for a kidney transplant.
The Spanish Language Kidney Transplant Clinic at UI Health, the University of Illinois Chicago’s nationally recognized health system, is one of the only U.S. transplant centers where the team of surgeons, nurses, social workers, and financial advisers speaks Spanish. It’s not just about language. It’s about quality patient care, trust, access, and improved health outcomes for an often underserved, unheard, and growing population.
“When you can communicate with your physician in your first language,” transplant outreach coordinator Samantha Mok said, “our stance is that your quality of care is going to be 10 times better.”
Health and wellbeing stand as a cornerstone of the University of Illinois System’s dedication to advancing the public good. The Spanish Language Clinic exemplifies what happens when healthcare meets real-life barriers with real solutions. The ripple effects extend beyond individual patients: better health leads to more stable households, reduced emergency care costs, stronger workforce participation, and a healthier Illinois economy.
Because when healthcare is designed for real life, real impact follows. That changes everything.
