Lorena Alarcon-Casas Wright

File:School of Medicine of the Universidad Veracruzana in Mendoza City, Veracruz.jpg Facultad de Medicine (Faculty of Medicine) where Wright attended Medical School. |255x255px|left]]

Wright was born in Veracruz, Mexico{{Cite web|last1=Horne|first1=Deborah|title=Western Washington Gets Real: A critical lack of Latina doctors|url=https://www.kiro7.com/home/western-washington-gets-real-critical-lack-latina-doctors/KY7S6FAC2JFADMCDQ3OOS52S4M/|access-date=2021-04-26|website=KIRO 7 News Seattle|date=5 November 2020 |language=en}} and grew up seeing many of her family members suffer from diabetes in her home country.{{Cite web|title=New UW diabetes clinic could help bridge gap between Latinxs, health care|url=https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/new-diabetes-clinic-could-help-bridge-the-gap-between-latinxs-and-healthcare/281-90368a41-bef2-45a7-83b5-cd3909cadb51|access-date=2021-04-26|website=king5.com|date=28 September 2020 |language=en-US}} This motivated Wright at a young age to provide care for people in the LatinX community with diabetes.

In 1994, Wright moved to France and attended the Université Bordeaux Montaigne.{{Cite web|title=Dr. Lorena (Alarcon Casas) Wright, MD – Seattle, WA {{!}} Endocrinology on Doximity|url=https://www.doximity.com/pub/lorena-wright-md|access-date=2021-05-02|website=Doximity|language=en}} In 1996, she graduated with a Diplôme Superieur (Higher Diploma) in French studies.

Afterward, Wright moved back to her hometown in Mexico where she attended medical school at Universidad Veracruzana Facultad de Medicina (Faculty of Medicine). In 2004, she graduated with a medical degree (MD).

Following her MD, Wright moved to California and attended the University of Southern California,{{Cite web|last=Wright|first=Lorena|title=Lorena Wright - MD - University of Washington School of Medicine|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorena-wright-498b5791|website=LinkedIn}} where she completed her medical Internship at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in 2007. In 2009, Wright obtained her medical Residency at the same institution.

After completing her medical residency, Wright attended the University of Washington School of Medicine where she pursued her medical Fellowship under the Division of Metabolism/Endocrinology. Wright completed her medical fellowship in 2012 and has continued to practice medicine in the Seattle area.

Wright is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.

Outside of being a physician and scientist, Wright enjoys cooking and spending time with family, friends, and her pets. She also likes outdoor activities such as running and gardening.

Wright is a licensed physician in the states of Washington and California, and is a board certified physician in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. Wright has clinical experience and passions in Diabetes care and Transgender care. Currently, her most recognized work in the clinical setting is serving as a Clinical Director and physician at the LatinX Diabetes Clinic.

File:The UW Diabetes Institute.png is home to the LatinX Diabetes Clinic. ]]

Wright established the LatinX Diabetes Clinic in November 2020 at the UW Diabetes Institute, located in Seattle's South Lake Union.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-15|title=Making Cultural Connections to Help Diabetes Care|url=http://www.acceleratemed.org/stories/making-cultural-connections-to-help-diabetes-care/|access-date=2021-05-02|website=UW Medicine: Shortening the Distance to Healthier Lives|language=en-US}} The LatinX Diabetes Clinic creates culturally sensitive care for LatinX patients with Diabetes. The clinic welcomes all LatinX patients, including those without a referral from a healthcare professional. The clinic is composed of physicians, like Wright, nutritionists, patient care specialists, and a clinic manager who are all bilingual in Spanish and English. With bilingual staff, the clinic aims to bridge the language barrier between clinical staff and LatinX patients. As a Clinical Associate Professor at UW Medicine, Wright is also using the LatinX Diabetes Clinic as a learning opportunity for medical students and residents.{{Cite web|title=LatinX Diabetes Clinic {{!}} Department of Medicine {{!}} University of Washington|url=https://medicine.uw.edu/news/latinx-diabetes-clinic|access-date=2021-05-02|website=medicine.uw.edu}} The goal is to teach medical students and residents about culturally appropriate care and social factors affecting prevention and management of Diabetes in the LatinX community.

The LatinX Diabetes Clinic plans on expanding and providing additional resources to its LatinX patients in the future. Planned improvements include hiring social workers who can help connect patients to social, nutritional, and financial support services, along with cultural navigators, who can aid in scheduling, transportation, and completing health forms for patients. Currently, the LatinX Diabetes Clinic is only open on Tuesdays from 7:45 am to 4:45 pm, but there are plans for the clinic to open its doors longer.{{Cite web|title=Bilingual Care|url=https://www.discoverslu.com/story/bilingual-care/|access-date=2021-05-16|website=Discover South Lake Union|language=en}} Wright's future plan for the LatinX Diabetes Clinic includes connecting patients to clinical trials, which will help improve representation of LatinX populations in medical research. Another future plan for the LatinX Diabetes Clinic is creating community outreach.

Wright plans on using community outreach to expand the clinic's care to more LatinX people in Washington state. This plan comes at a critical time during the COVID-19 pandemic where people with Diabetes are more likely to suffer severe complications from COVID-19, and LatinX people are more likely to suffer from Diabetes in the United States. The LatinX Diabetes Clinic has started expanding to Harborview Medical Center and looks to reach rural communities in eastern Washington. Wright also plans on connecting the LatinX Diabetes Clinic with local churches and community leaders in order for patients to follow recommendations made by health professionals.

File:Migrant Clinicians Network logo.png

At the UW Diabetes Institute, Wright is member of the UW Diabetes ECHO Project, a partnership between the University of Washington and Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes).{{Cite web|title=UW Diabetes ECHO Project|url=https://uwmdi.org/uw-diabetes-echo-project/|access-date=2021-05-30|website=UW Diabetes Institute|language=en-US}} Wright is part of a team of Endocrinologists and physicians from different medical specialties like Psychiatry and Emergency Medicine to increase primary care provider and clinic access for underserved people with Diabetes in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region. The ECHO Project offers classes and trainings for primary care providers on the use of technology to strengthen primary care teams and centers in rural and urban settings. In May 2017, Wright and Dr. Maura Garcia hosted a webinar with Project ECHO and the Migrant Clinicians Network on the importance of clinical teams and community leaders to help control Hypertension, a major complication in Diabetes. The online course mainly focused on cases of Diabetes in rural areas of Texas.

In addition to serving people with Diabetes, Wright serves many transgender patients at Harborview Medical Center and UW Roosevelt.{{Cite web|title=LGBTQ+ Medicine {{!}} Department of Medicine {{!}} University of Washington|url=https://medicine.uw.edu/about/lgbtq-medicine|access-date=2021-05-30|website=medicine.uw.edu}} Wright provides gender affirming hormone therapy for transgender patients and teaches medical students, residents, and fellows about transgender care. Wright is passionate about serving the transgender community and is constantly inspired by her patients' courage and resilience throughout their therapy treatment. She finds supporting her transgender patients towards their identified gender as a humbling and rewarding experience.

As an associate professor at University of Washington School of Medicine, Wright is also an instructor for medical and health professional students. Currently, she teaches FAMED 556, Spanish for the Health Professional, which is a 1 credit course teaching students basic and intermediate medical terms in Spanish and skills when performing physical exams on Spanish-speaking patients.{{Cite web|title=FAMILY MEDICINE|url=https://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/WIN2021/famed.html|access-date=2021-05-30|website=www.washington.edu}}{{Cite web|title=FAMED 556 Spanish for the Health Professional {{!}} Center for Health Equity, Diversity & Inclusion|url=https://cedi-web01.s.uw.edu/pathways-electives/famed-556-spanish-for-the-health-professional/|access-date=2021-05-30|language=en-US}} The course also emphasizes cultural considerations when interacting with Spanish-speaking patients. This emphasis helps both the physician and patient feel more comfortable in a clinical setting.

In addition to Wright's health equity work at the LatinX Diabetes Clinic, she is also actively involved in increasing diversity in medical education. Wright does this by mentoring underrepresented pre-meds and medical students, and by serving as Chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at UW's Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition.{{Cite web|title=Diversity Resources {{!}} Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition {{!}} University of Washington|url=https://endocrinology.uw.edu/education/fellowship-diversity-resources|access-date=2021-05-30|website=endocrinology.uw.edu}} She is also a committee member of UW Medicine's Diversity Council. Wright has used her platform to speak on news outlets about the lack of LatinX physicians in Washington state and the lack of cultural awareness for LatinX patients. According to Wright, when it comes to eradicating health disparities that are disproportionately impacting LatinX communities in Diabetes care, knowledge of not just language but also culture is important. These inequities have led Wright to advocate for more LatinX Spanish-speaking doctors in the United States.

Wright is also involved in clinical research mainly related to Diabetes care. She has published work covering a number of topics in Diabetes care such as management{{Cite journal|last1=Wright|first1=Lorena Alarcon-Casas|last2=Hirsch|first2=Irl B.|date=2017-05-01|title=Metrics Beyond Hemoglobin A1C in Diabetes Management: Time in Range, Hypoglycemia, and Other Parameters|url= |journal=Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics|volume=19|issue=S2|pages=S–16|doi=10.1089/dia.2017.0029|issn=1520-9156|pmc=5444503|pmid=28541136}} and treatment{{Cite journal|last1=Wright|first1=Lorena Alarcon-Casas|last2=Hirsch|first2=Irl B.|date=2012-08-01|title=The Challenge of the Use of Glycemic Biomarkers in Diabetes: Reflecting on Hemoglobin A1C, 1,5-Anhydroglucitol, and the Glycated Proteins Fructosamine and Glycated Albumin|url=https://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/25/3/141|journal=Diabetes Spectrum|language=en|volume=25|issue=3|pages=141–148|doi=10.2337/diaspect.25.3.141|issn=1040-9165|doi-access=free}} of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, the impacts of pregnancy on patients with Diabetes, and Diabetes care for African-American and LatinX communities. Wright's scientific contributions to Diabetes care also includes research in health disparities. In 2018, Wright was the recipient of a $20,000 research grant by UW's Latino Center for Health for her pilot research titled, "Compañeros en Salud".{{Cite web|title=Small Grants Program|url=https://latinocenterforhealth.org/funding-opportunities/small-grants-program/|access-date=2021-05-30|website=Latino Center For Health|date=13 March 2020 |language=en}} The project tests the efficacy of a culturally sensitive Diabetes self-management program for LatinX patients in urban areas. Wright has shared her expertise in Diabetes care on various media outlets including U.S. News & World Report, STAT, and HealthCentral. On these media outlets, Wright has written about monitoring blood sugar levels in patients with Diabetes{{Cite web|date=2019-10-08|title=Time in range: a new blood sugar metric for people with diabetes|url=https://www.statnews.com/2019/10/08/time-in-range-new-metric-diabetes-blood-sugar/|access-date=2021-05-02|website=STAT|language=en-US}} and has offered advice to people with Diabetes.{{Cite web|last=Godman|first=Heidi|date=8 February 2019|title=Tips for Living With Type 1 Diabetes|url=https://health.usnews.com/conditions/type-1-diabetes/living-with-type-1-diabetes|access-date=2 May 2021|website=US News}}{{Cite web|last1=Barros|first1=Medical ReviewerRodrigo|last2=M.D.|last3=Ph.D.|title=Latinx Diabetes Educators Share Treatment & Lifestyle Tips|url=https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/hispanic-diabetes-educators-top-advice|access-date=2021-05-02|website=www.healthcentral.com}}

• Wei ET, Koh E, Kelly MS, Wright LA, Tylee TS [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32229089/ Patient errors in use of injectable antidiabetic medications: A need for improved clinic-based education]. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association 2020 Sep - Oct; 60; 5; e76-e80;
• Wright LA, Hirsch IB [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30801765/ Non-insulin treatments for Type 1 diabetes: critical appraisal of the available evidence and insight into future directions]. Diabetic Medicine 2019 Jun; 36; 6; 665–678;
• Howe CG, Eckel SP, Habre R, Girguis MS, Gao L, Lurmann FW, Gilliland FD, Breton CV [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30646156/ Association of Prenatal Exposure to Ambient and Traffic-Related Air Pollution With Newborn Thyroid Function: Findings From the Children's Health Study.] JAMA Network Open 2018 Sep 7; 1; 5; e182172;
• Wright LA, Hirsch IB [https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/dia.2017.0029 Metrics Beyond Hemoglobin A1C in Diabetes Management: Time in Range, Hypoglycemia, and Other Parameters]. Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics 2017 May; 19; S2; S16-S26;
• Ruzevick J, Koh EK, Gonzalez-Cuyar LF, Cimino PJ, Moe K, Wright LA, Failor R, Ferreira M [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28299533/ Clival paragangliomas: a report of two cases involving the midline skull base and review of the literature.] Journal of Neuro-Oncology 2017 May; 132; 3; 473–478;
• Wright LA, Hirsch IB, Gooley TA, Brown Z [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25786553/ 1,5-ANHYDROGLUCITOL AND NEONATAL COMPLICATIONS IN PREGNANCY COMPLICATED BY DIABETES.] Endocrine Practice 2015 Jul; 21; 7; 725–33;
• Faulenbach MV, Wright LA, Lorenzo C, Utzschneider KM, Goedecke JH, Fujimoto WY, Boyko EJ, McNeely MJ, Leonetti DL, Haffner SM, Kahn SE, American Diabetes Association GENNID Study Group. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23140910/ Impact of differences in glucose tolerance on the prevalence of a negative insulinogenic index.] Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications 2013 Mar-Apr; 27; 2; 158–61;
• Kahn SE, Suvag S, Wright LA, Utzschneider KM [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22928564/ Interactions between genetic background, insulin resistance and β-cell function.] Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism 2012 Oct; 14 Suppl 3; 46–56;
• Marina AL, Utzschneider KM, Wright LA, Montgomery BK, Marcovina SM, Kahn SE [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22446171/ Colesevelam improves oral but not intravenous glucose tolerance by a mechanism independent of insulin sensitivity and β-cell function.] Diabetes Care 2012 May; 35; 5; 1119–25;
• Smits MM, Boyko EJ, Utzschneider KM, Leonetti DL, McNeely MJ, Suvag S, Wright LA, Fujimoto WY, Kahn SE [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22361981/ Arm length is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japanese-Americans.] Diabetologia 2012 Jun; 55; 6; 1679–84;

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Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Health equity

Category:Diabetes

Category:University of Washington

Category:Physicians from Washington (state)

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Category:People from Veracruz (city)

Category:Universidad Veracruzana alumni

Category:Scientists from Seattle

Category:21st-century Mexican physicians

Category:Mexican endocrinologists

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Category:University of Southern California alumni

Category:LGBTQ and health care

Category:Transgender health care

Category:Race and health