Gabriela Fuentes, medical assistant, Social Justice Award
This Bellingham caregiver helps patients feel understood when adjusting to life in a new culture.
Most of us have some anxiety in medical settings. Now imagine that you're at the doctor's office and they don't speak the same language as you. Gabriela Fuentes knows exactly how scary that can be, so she goes out of her way to help Spanish-speaking families.
As a child in Venezuela, Gabriela hoped to become a doctor. When her family moved to the U.S., she had to learn the culture and language of a new country. She's now a medical assistant at PeaceHealth Cordata Main Clinic in Bellingham, Washington.
Her background and skills help patients feel safe and comfortable talking about what they need to at their appointments.
“We’ve had a couple of families that when they met a crisis, they didn’t know where else to go," says Paul Homer, a pediatrician who works with Gabriela. "They showed up here. That’s a really powerful statement.”
Gabriela brings compassion and care to her interactions and communication with Spanish-speaking patients. Her empathy and advocacy for this community are why she is the recipient of PeaceHealth’s 2025 systemwide Mission and Values Award for Social Justice.
The Mission and Values Awards are PeaceHealth's highest honor. They recognize caregivers for living PeaceHealth’s Mission and Values of Social Justice, Stewardship, Respect and Collaboration.
Learn about the other 2025 award honorees:
- Overall Award: Floralyn Rodriguez, laundry/linen attendant, PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center, Alaska
- Respect Award: Charanya Sivaramakrishnan, MD, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, Vancouver, Washington
- Collaboration Award: Megan Massey, child life specialist, PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, Springfield, Oregon
- Stewardship Award: Jeremy Weintraub, supply chain contracts manager, PeaceHealth Shared Services Center, Vancouver, Washington
