Kristine McVea, M.D., has dedicated her work as a physician and public health educator to help those most underserved by health care in America – the uninsured, the working poor, the homeless, minorities and immigrants — many of whom don’t speak English.
Dr. McVea, associate professor in UNMC’s Department of Family Medicine, will be honored by the YWCA Omaha today as one of 10 Women of Vision. She will be recognized during today’s luncheon for her significant contributions in the Greater Omaha Metropolitan area.
Honorees are chosen in 10 categories, based on impact in the award category, community service and a demonstrated commitment to the elimination of one or more forms of discrimination. Dr. McVea is being recognized for her impact in the medical professions field.
Since she became medical director of OneWorld Community Health Center (formerly the Indian-Chicano Health Center) in 1997, Dr. McVea has treated thousands of patients as a doctor of internal medicine and pediatrics. She is known for her tireless follow-up to be sure patients get quality medical care.
Each year, OneWorld serves more than 8,000 patients, in more than 27,000 personal contacts.
Another aspect of her career as a faculty member at UNMC involves cross-cultural training of health professional students. Dr. McVea helped establish an “urban underserved and international health” training track for family medicine residents. Its purpose is to attract bi-lingual physicians to the community and involve them in practice with the medically underserved. She also teaches medical students how to work with interpreters and understand the complexities of cross-cultural care. A variety of health professional students rotate through OneWorld to learn first hand about cross-cultural health issues.
Many of Dr. McVea’s patients are from Latin America, and her spirit of service crosses borders as well. As part of a church project, she recently traveled to a remote Guatemalan village to provide medical care. During the trip she stayed in a simple adobe home belonging to the family of one of her OneWorld patients.
Beyond the clinic, Dr. McVea is involved in a variety of community projects, ranging from Cub Scout den mother to adviser to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. She also has participated in research studies on subjects as divergent as teen smoking cessation and breast cancer treatment.