Orthopedic Education and Care in the Latinx Community: A Culturally Tailored Outreach Initiative with the Charlottesville Latino Health Initiative

Limited English proficiency and unfamiliarity with the healthcare system limit access to specialty care and are significant barriers to orthopaedic care for the Latinx community. To address these disparities, we developed and implemented a community-based orthopaedic outreach program through the Latino Health Initiative (LHI) in Charlottesville, Virginia. Embedded within the LHI’s established Tardes de Salud Familiar framework. Tardes de Salud Familiar is a bilingual, community-based health education program. This specific initiative aimed to improve orthopaedic health literacy, reduce barriers to orthopaedic care, and strengthen trust between the Latinx community and orthopaedic providers. In June 2024, a culturally tailored educational session addressing common orthopaedic conditions was delivered by bilingual orthopaedic providers. Following the session, community members were offered free, private, individualized orthopaedic consultations and facilitated referrals to local care resources. Approximately 15 community members attended the in-person event and 8 were seen in consultation by orthopaedic providers. Additional outreach was achieved through a complementary virtual session that accrued over 500 views on social media platforms. Qualitative feedback from participants and community leaders indicated high engagement and perceived value of specialty access within this trusted community setting. This initiative demonstrates the feasibility and impact of integrating orthopaedic specialty outreach into community-based, culturally responsive health programs. Such models represent a scalable approach to improving equity in orthopaedic care among underserved populations.