Living Breathing Medicine Podcast 

Developing Cultural Humility with Dr. Maria Castillo-Catoni

On episode three of Living Breathing Medicine podcast, Dr. Natasha Beauvais and Dr. Cecily Havert talk with Dr. Maria Castillo-Catoni, a colleague of theirs at NVFP. Dr. Castillo-Catoni shares the stories of two patients who defied the assumptions she first had when meeting them– ultimately teaching her how to consider her own implicit biases in patient interactions.

Episode Highlights:

• • 0:08 – 2:45 – Dr. Cecily Havert and Dr. Natasha Beauvais begin episode three by introducing their guest and NVFP colleague, Dr. Maria Castillo-Catoni. Dr. Castillo-Catoni joined NVFP in May 2022, opening NVFP’s Washington, DC location.
  • 3:04 – 5:39 – Dr. Castillo-Catoni shares a story about a patient who appeared to be “non-compliant.” It wasn’t until after one particular office visit that Dr. Castillo-Catoni noticed that wasn’t the case at all.
  • 5:45 – 7:11 – How do providers identify barriers? What kind of questions do they need to ask in order to get the right information? The providers discuss.
  • 7:30 – 13:58 – The providers discuss the importance of creating a safe space for patients, understanding potential triggers, and asking for permission to perform routine medical exams/procedures.
  • 14:12 – 18:25 – “I think it’s so important to have that cultural humility – because that’s how we grow in all aspects of life. It’s always having that question; what is this about? What else is behind this?”
  • 18:39 – 21:30 – Dr. Havert asks Dr. Castillo-Catoni what the status of her relationship is with the patient she discussed at the top of the episode. “There was an improvement; his blood pressure did get a little better, and he started to come a little bit more regularly to his appointments. So, I did see some subjective changes or improvements.”
  • 21:34 – 24:08 – “When you said everyone has some sort of bias walking into every room, does that bring to mind any other ‘aha moments’ in your medical life?” Dr. Castillo-Catoni recalls a moment as a resident at Virginia Commonwealth University.
  • 24:32 -27:30 – “And I think, recognizing that if we try for even 10 seconds, to make that conscious effort that this is another person I can connect with because I am a person brings it down to a level that’s much different from doctor-patient. It’s just two humans in the room, reaching out for each other.”
  • 27:30 – 28:16 – The providers conclude the episode with final thoughts and thank Dr. Castillo-Catoni for joining them on this week’s episode.

Living Breathing Medicine is a podcast from Northern Virginia Family Practice. Find us on Facebook and LinkedIn, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also nominate health care providers for future interviews here.