Center of Deaf Health Excellence

09/19/2025

The DC Breastfeeding Coalition and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Breastfeeding Collective invite you to a one-hour livestreamed Q&A session designed to support you on your breastfeeding journey.

Date: September 20, 2025
Time: 3:00–4:00 PM EST
Where: https://bit.ly/DHHBFW25Panel

Bring your breastfeeding questions, from “Getting Started” to “Returning to Work," and get expert answers from International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) and a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC).

ASL interpretation will be provided.

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09/16/2025

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Deaf & Hard of Hearing men: join our virtual support group—every 3rd Thursday at 7:00 pm ET. Next meeting: Thu, Sept 18, 7:00 pm. Contact Adam Novsam at aslpcsg@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

09/12/2025

We’re hiring!

The Center of Deaf Health Excellence (CDHE) is seeking a Project Manager to coordinate and deliver evidence-based Community Health Navigator (CHN) training and services for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing communities.

Apply here: https://gallaudet.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/GUCareers/details/Project-Manager--Health-Navigation-_JR0000001123

09/12/2025

Exciting news! 🎉 The Center of Deaf Health Excellence (CDHE) is featured in Cancer Today magazine: “Improving Communication for Deaf Cancer Patients” (pp. 42–44).
Read here:

ImprovingCommunicationfor Deaf CancerPatients After a cancerdiagnosis,people whoare deaf orhave hearingproblems canstruggle whenaccommodationsdon’t meet theircommunicationneeds. BY ERIC...

08/06/2025

Yesterday, our team, DT Bruno, Kathy Manlapas, and Adam Novsam, presented at the Deaf Seniors Association conference, sharing information on how to access and use a Community Health Navigator and the role of shared decision-making in cancer screening. We’re grateful for the opportunity to support the Deaf senior community.

07/10/2025

We’re proud to spotlight another presentation led by DT Bruno on Materials and Methods for Recruiting Systematically Marginalized Deaf Youths and Young Adults.

Standing alongside this passionate and innovative team (pictured below) - united in our commitment to advancing Deaf linguistic rights and accessible health solutions worldwide.

07/09/2025

Proud to share that our team presented this week at the 24th International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED 2025) in Rome, Italy!

We advanced Deaf linguistic rights through our work on patient navigators supporting mental health literacy and AI-powered bilingual informed consent forms.

Together, we empowered Deaf communities with accessible, culturally relevant healthcare solutions.

06/10/2025

We’re excited to share that the Center for Deaf Health Excellence (CDHE) is featured in Cancer Today magazine!

The article highlights the critical need for better communication access in cancer care for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (DDBHH) patients and how CDHE’s work supports more equitable healthcare for the DDBHH community.

Read the article:

After a cancer diagnosis, people who are deaf or have hearing problems can struggle if accommodations don’t meet their communication needs.

04/30/2025

Wrapping up our AACR conference trip with one more special highlight…

Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar recently represented the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (DDBHH) community on a panel focused on inclusion in cancer clinical trials.

The session, “Bridging the Gap: Ensuring a Broad Representation of Patients in Cancer Clinical Trials,” explored barriers to accessing trials and highlighted solutions for greater inclusion. Dr. Kushalnagar presented on “Inclusion of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing People in Cancer Clinical Trials: Innovative Accessible Technologies.”

We’re inspired by her leadership and continued commitment to advancing accessible, inclusive research for the DDBHH community!

04/30/2025

Last day at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Chicago!

Our team—Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar, Erika Bergeron, DT Bruno, Hiruni Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne, and Ciara Luttrell—are grateful to have been part of this incredible gathering, working together to advance cancer research, education, and collaboration with a focus on access for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (DDBHH) community.

We wrapped up the day with an impactful workshop, “Addressing Cancer Health Disparities Among DDBHH Individuals,” led by DT Bruno and Kathy Manlapas for the Chicago Hearing Society.

04/30/2025

Meet DT Bruno, a dedicated team member at the Center for Deaf Health Equity! DT presented the poster, "Hearing Status and Colorectal Cancer Screening: Identifying Access Barriers," at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Chicago. We're proud of his contribution to advancing inclusive cancer research!

04/29/2025

Our CDHE team is at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Chicago!
Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar spent the evening mentoring our amazing Gallaudet student research assistants (Hiruni Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne, and Ciara Luttrell) as they prepared for their poster presentations. We’re so proud of their hard work and dedication!