Global Visionaries: Caleb Allred

The Office of Global Affairs is pleased to feature Caleb Allred for our May 2025 edition of the Global Visionaries series. The Global Visionaries series highlights the University of Washington’s global impact by featuring innovative, globally-engaged faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

Caleb Allred is a fourth-year medical student at the UW School of Medicine. Caleb was recognized as a 2025 recipient of the Husky 100. He is passionate about improving health care access for patients with language barriers and making pediatric specialty care more equitable and efficient. Caleb’s previous experience includes serving in global health initiatives in Ecuador and Chile, working as a Spanish medical interpreter, and publishing multiple peer-reviewed studies.

Originally from Rexburg, Idaho, Caleb was inspired to explore the intersection of medicine and service by his father who was an OB/GYN and his mother who was a nurse. During his time at the UW, he decided to specialize in otolaryngology after working on a project that involved immigrant populations, mentorship, and Spanish fluency. After graduation this June, Caleb will begin his residency in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Michigan this summer.

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As a medical student, I worked on projects to improve healthcare access for non-English-speaking patients, particularly Spanish speakers. At Seattle Children’s with Dr. Bonilla-Velez, we addressed scheduling disparities for Spanish-speaking patients in the pediatric otolaryngology clinic. We found that requiring patients to call for appointments created delays due to language barriers and confusion with interpreter services. Our intervention shifted the process: schedulers proactively called patients with interpreters ready. A pre- and post- intervention study showed a reduction in scheduling disparities, and the project was published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, earning the Health Equity in Otolaryngology research award from the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology in 2023. Another project explored shared decision-making, finding that language-concordant care (Spanish-speaking providers) improved patient engagement compared to interpreter-mediated care. We also studied adenotonsillectomy outcomes, noting that patients preferring care in a language other than English visited the ER more post-surgery, potentially due to confusing post-operative instructions. This led to efforts to improve post-surgical communication, highlighting the need for tailored materials. This work was a recipient of the Health Equity in Research award from the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology in 2024.

While working at my father’s OB/GYN clinic, I stepped in as a Spanish interpreter when no formal services were available. I learned that quality interpretation is critical for alleviating patient stress, especially during high-stakes situations like pregnancy complications. Accurate, empathetic communication built trust and ensured patients understood their care, reducing anxiety. However, I also realized the limitations of informal interpretation—relying on a single employee wasn’t sustainable.

This experience taught me the importance of systemic solutions, like dedicated interpreter services and language-concordant care, to ensure consistent access.

It also underscored how language barriers can exacerbate health disparities, inspiring me to advocate for equitable care in my research and future practice.

In Ecuador, as an Eagle Scout, I launched “Kicks for Ecuador,” a project combining my love for soccer with service. My father and I organized a soccer camp for youth, collecting shoes to donate to orphanages. We went with a non-profit group by the name of Dando Amor. We visited three orphanages to deliver the shoes. It was my first time serving in a foreign country. Though we couldn’t communicate with words, I fell in love with these kids and was touched by their gratitude and humility. Though rewarding, as time passed I came to realize the shoes were a small gesture in the grand scheme of things, sparking my desire for deeper impact. I took Spanish classes to prepare for future work.

After high school, I served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Santiago, Chile. There, in addition to proselyting work, I addressed the needs of Haitian immigrants facing language barriers to employment. With Creole-speaking companions, I co-created a Spanish course focused on job interview skills, visa applications, and citizenship processes. Starting small, it grew significantly, helping individuals like “Carlos,” who secured a job and moved his family to a two-bedroom home. We also organized food and clothing drives, making this one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

My inspiration came from personal and professional experiences. Growing up, I saw my father, an OB/GYN, use medicine to serve others, which planted the seed for my career. Additionally, my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave me a strong foundation in service and provided many opportunities to get involved with service. My international service in Ecuador and Chile showed me the power of addressing systemic barriers, like language and job access, to create lasting change. At my father’s clinic, interpreting for Spanish-speaking patients revealed how language barriers caused stress and miscommunication, particularly for pregnant patients. These experiences connected global service with healthcare, motivating me to pursue medicine and focus on health equity. In medical school, I saw quality improvement and health systems research as tools to identify and solve access issues, especially for non-English speakers, driving my commitment to this cause.

In Ecuador, I saw the limits of short-term solutions like shoe donations, which led me to focus on long-term impact. In Chile, designing a Spanish course for Haitian immigrants showed me how targeted interventions could empower communities. This global perspective shaped my health systems research by emphasizing access. At Seattle Children’s, I applied this lens to assist my team in improving scheduling for Spanish-speaking patients, enhancing shared decision-making in language-concordant care, and addressing post-surgical disparities for patients preferring care in a language other than English. Ultimately, I believe that small changes in how we provide care can often have large impact for patients with language barriers. I remember feeling very vulnerable in South America before I became proficient at Spanish. I believe the collective medical community should continue to work toward alleviating those feelings and barriers so we can focus on taking care of people! As I head to the University of Michigan for my otolaryngology residency, I plan to continue this work, exploring new research in graduate medical education, health systems improvement, and global health.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to several individuals who have played pivotal roles in my journey. To my parents, Nanette and John Allred, thank you for instilling in me a spirit of service and providing early opportunities to engage in global outreach. To my wife, Catherine—your unwavering support and grace while raising our three young children have been nothing short of extraordinary. To William, Eleanor, and Margaret, thank you for inspiring the best in me; becoming your father is the greatest honor of my life. Finally, I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Bonilla-Velez and the team at the University of Washington Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Department for their guidance, mentorship, and central role in my professional growth.