The barriers weren’t philosophical—they were practical: logins in English, limited broadband or data, shared devices, lack of privacy, and no one available to coach patients through the first attempt.
No one told me this was an option!
I tried once and got stuck...
When I asked patients directly, I rarely heard “no.” I heard:
But in clinic,
that wasn't the story...
Patients don’t want telemedicine.
Digital health was just a phase.
I trained during the pandemic, when Telehealth scaled overnight and video visits became “normal” almost by necessity.
Then I returned to a safety-net clinic just as that momentum was fading. I kept hearing the same refrain:
How Did we Get Here
That experience shaped the question that has guided my work ever since:
How can digital health be positioned as an equalizer if it isn’t designed and implemented for the realities of the communities who need it most?
So Here's What I Am Doing About It
We needed to translate across tech and medicine. We didn't have a translator so I became one.
I launched a telemedicine clinic, built a digital navigator program, completed a concentration in digital health equity, spoke at leading national conferences including HLTH and ViVE, became an advisor to health tech startups, and co-founded Alma First, a nonprofit dedicated to training the next generation of clinicians in practical, equity-centered digital health.
All with the goal of bridging understanding of needs, language, limitations, and potential so we can have a meaningful conversation about creating better products and services for our patients.
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See what satisfied clients say about the transformative power of Dr. Jhaimy's message.
01
Elba Muñoz, M.A.
Manager, Medical Education, AltaMed
“Dr. Fernandez is an incredibly captivating speaker! She knows how to engage her audience and encourage rising healthcare professionals to use their personal experiences to develop patient-centered approaches for integrating technology into future patient care! Dr. Fernandez is the epitome of a true community physician leader!"
02
Martha Romero
Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science MS1
"Dr. Fernandez's charisma and enthusiasm for the future of family medicine is inspiring! She opened my eyes to the different avenues in digital health equity that a family medicine career can inform and enhance. Her presentation made me feel more confident in my decision to pursue family medicine and helped me see how a physician can be a leader."
03
Jen Rajchel
Senior Director, Experience and Digital Transformation University Science Center
"Dr. Fernandez's insights into how startups can support the next generation of healthcare providers while centering digital equity were valuable additions to the curriculum. It's critical to link emerging healthcare innovation with the realities of providers and patients, and Dr. Fernandez connects those dots."
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