New Grants Expand Teledermatology Access in the Bronx and Los Angeles

Key Takeaways

• George Washington University (GW) and Pfizer Global Medical Grants awarded two grants to expand community-based teledermatology programs in the Bronx and Los Angeles.
• The funded programs focus on underserved communities, digital health equity, and access to dermatology education and care.
• A press announcement says initiative builds on GW’s existing teledermatology help desk model developed for underserved neighborhoods in Washington, DC.

The George Washington University School of Medicine (GW) and Health Sciences, in collaboration with Pfizer Global Medical Grants, has awarded 2 new grants to expand teledermatology services in underserved US communities, with 2026 programs set for the Bronx and Los Angeles.

According to the announcement, the grants were issued through the 2026 Quality Improvement Initiative: Bridging the Inflammatory Dermatosis Care Divide with Teledermatology Grant Program and are designed to extend GW’s community-based teledermatology clinic model. The release said the initiative aims to improve access to dermatologic care in areas where specialist availability, digital literacy, and health equity remain ongoing concerns.

One award will support a Montefiore-Einstein College of Medicine program led by associate professor of medicine Rithu Srikantha, MD, in the establishment of a teledermatology help desk within a federally qualified health center model, with support for high-quality skin image capture, upload assistance, synchronous teledermatology visits, and bilingual, low-literacy education materials focused on eczema care and telehealth use.

A second award will support the USC Dermmunity Telemedicine Initiative, led by Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc, professor of clinical dermatology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and founder and director of the USC Skin of Color & Pigmentary Disorders Program. Prior participants reported high satisfaction, improved comfort with telemedicine, and a better understanding of how to access future dermatologic care, according to the release. The new funding will enable the program will expand through additional grassroots partnerships across greater Los Angeles.

“Our ongoing free telehealth clinic and health fair program...has demonstrated that thoughtfully designed, community-based teledermatology can meaningfully improve patient access, digital literacy, and health outcomes,” said Adam Friedman, MD, chair of the Department of Dermatology and residency program director at GW SMHS, in the press release.