Center of Deaf Health Excellence

05/29/2026

Aloha from Honolulu! 🌺 DT and Erika attended the 41st Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where they presented their poster, "American Sign Language–Fluent Patient Navigator Model to Reduce Cancer Screening Barriers for ASL Users."

05/15/2026

Join Disability Equity Collaborative (DEC) on Wednesday, June 3 at 12:00 PM EST for their second research presentation of 2026, "Advancing Cancer Screening Among Americans Who Use Sign Language" from Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar! Register here: https://lnkd.in/epyNwwzR

05/13/2026

Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar, Director of Gallaudet's Center of Deaf Health Excellence, kicked off the NIH Common Fund's Discovery Dialogues Webinar Series with a powerful message: compared to those receiving standard care, participants paired with an ASL-fluent community health navigator were more likely to complete cancer screenings and to report better overall communication with their doctors.

Read the full story here:

“We all know cancer screenings save lives,” explained Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar, ’93, as she started her presentation for the NIH Common Fund’s Discovery

05/04/2026

Sharing this! Erika Bergeron, MPH and Donalda Ammons, Ed.D. are presenting "From University-Community Discussion to Funded Project: When Community Drives the Research Needs" at the 58th Biennial NAD Conference! If you're attending, be sure to check out their presentation!

Full listings & CEU details: nad.org/sf26/workshops

From University-Community Discussion to Funded Project: When Community Drives the Research Needs, presented by Erika Bergeron, MPH, Donalda Ammons, Ed.D., at the 58th Biennial National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Conference. Image includes a presenter headshot with NAD and RID/ACET logos. Visit nad.org/sf26/workshops for full listings and CEU details.

04/27/2026

Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar will be discussing “Using Community Health Navigators to Advance Cancer Screening Adherence for all Americans who use American Sign Language” to kick off the new NIH Common Fund’s Discovery Dialogues Webinar Series on May 6 at 1 p.m. ET. Register [here](https://gallaudet.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f0db40762945b2d250fe7adc6&id=6c737b4db3&e=762670e453) to take part in the public event, which will highlight the NIH Common Fund Transformative Health Disparities Program.

04/15/2026

"DDBHH people deserve care where they're fully understood, not just accommodated. That's what we're building toward." - Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar, CDHE Director

When DDBHH community members become the health navigators themselves, that's not just research. That's transformation. As our 5-year NIH-funded cancer prevention project wraps up, the work continues. We're proud of the impact and excited for what's ahead.

Read the full story:

A patient is presented with a series of documents in dense English text. A rushed doctor may or may not explain how a preventive screening will benefit

04/06/2026

Happy !

At CDHE, we're committed to advancing public health for Deaf, Deaf Blind, and Hard of Hearing community every day.

Learn more about our work: deaf-health.com

02/02/2026

We’re excited to share that DT Bruno has expanded into a new role as Project Manager, supporting our health navigation efforts. DT has been a valued member of our team, and we look forward to his continued success in this role.

https://deaf-health.com/personnel/dt_bruno

01/07/2026

It’s Cervical Cancer Awareness Month!
Early screening saves lives. Watch our ASL video to learn information about cervical cancer screening.
Watch and share to raise awareness and support early detection!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

12/18/2025

Happy Holidays from the Center of Deaf Health Excellence!

As we close out the year, we want to express our sincere gratitude to our community, collaborators, and partners for working alongside us!

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year.