Dr, Medina was named NASW Educator of the Year in 2018 and received the Puerto Rican/Latin America Cultural Center Outstanding Faculty Award, University of Connecticut, in 2013.
WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY, October 9, 2023, Catherine K. Medina, PhD, has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Celebrated for her decades of success in social work and higher education, is now an associate professor emerita at the University of Connecticut. As a faculty member in the School of Social Work, she taught, conducted research, secured grant funding, and published more than 24 papers, several chapters in her area of expertise--social determinants of health and their influence on Black and Latinx Communities. Dr. Medina served as Chair of the Policy Practice and as a Connecticut Commissioner of Health Equity. Her international expertise and collaborative practice was demonstrated in her integration of social work and case management in Vietnam healthcare system. Her sabbatical was teaching micro/macro social work practice at the National University of Vietnam in Hanoi and working within the UNAIDS office.
Prior to this experience, Dr. Medina was an Associate Clinical Professor at New York University Silver School of Social Work from 1993-2005. She was the Director of Field Education and Community Partnerships. Her international educational exchanges were with Taiwan and Puerto Rico. She is compassionate about mentoring students and other professionals nationally and internationally.
In the early 1980s, Dr. Medina began working on policies to increase health equity via leadership positions in healthcare settings, HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns, advocating for the right and access to healthcare, including mental health parity. Improving health literacy has always been an area of focus in her promotion of wellness. She is passionate about decreasing health disparities, especially in underserved communities and communities of color. One of her most notable contributions was an interprofessional medical collaborative practice to promote healthy aging by in-home assessments for older adults and veterans suffering with chronic illnesses. The goal of this federal and university project was to decrease emergency room visits.
In 2012, Dr. Medina was elected Vice-Chair of the Connecticut Commission on Health Equity, providing leadership and collaboration with community-based agencies to develop health equity models and identify health disparities in diverse populations. In retirement, Dr. Medina continues to give back, volunteering her time doing hospice work with the East End Kanas Center, Long Island, New York.
Her educational background includes earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1972 from Saint John's University, Queens, New York. She subsequently earned a Masters of Social Work at Fordham University in 1980 and a Master and Doctorate of Philosophy from Columbia University in 2002. For continued professional development in social work, Dr. Medina is a member of the Council on Social Work Education and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
For her success in the classroom, Dr, Medina was named NASW Educator of the Year in 2018 and received the Puerto Rican/Latin America Cultural Center Outstanding Faculty Award, University of Connecticut, in 2013. Dr. Medina attributes her success to her openness to creativity, cultural humility, and ability to communicate with others.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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