LGBTQ+ Council spotlight: Paula Carvalho

Dr. Paula Carvalho, professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, serves as the academic section head at the Boise VA Medical Center and is a valued member of the UW LGBTQ+ Council.

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Pulmonary Leadership

Originally from Oporto, Portugal, Dr. Paula Carvalho has spent her entire medical career within the University of Washington (UW) system. She earned both her bachelor’s and medical degrees at UW, completed her internal medicine residency there, and pursued a fellowship in pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine through UW and the Boise VA Medical Center.

Carvalho has been a dedicated faculty member in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine since 1990. Over the decades, she has built a reputation as a respected clinician, educator, and researcher. Since 2008, she has served as the section head for Pulmonary/Critical Care/Sleep Medicine at the Boise VA Medical Center. Working with veterans has been very rewarding and she feels that this is has been an effective way to offer service to the United States in return for being accepted here after immigrating to the US from Portugal.

At the VA, Carvalho also serves as the medical director for the intensive care unit, the bronchoscopy service, and the simulation training program, overseeing essential aspects of patient care and clinical education.

Excellence in Teaching

Throughout her career, Carvalho has been deeply committed to medical education. At the Boise VA, she routinely teaches residents on the critical care, pulmonary, and sleep medicine services. In addition, she leads coursework for third- and fourth-year medical students in critical care medicine and provides mentorship as they prepare for their medical internships.

Her educational contributions extend far beyond the classroom. Carvalho has lectured extensively at local, national, and international conferences in her fields of expertise. She is a UW Teaching Scholar and has received numerous accolades, including the WWAMI School of Medicine Teaching Award, the WWAMI Preceptor Award, and the Leonard D. Hudson Award for Contribution to Pulmonary Medicine and Education.

In 2023, she was honored with a Women of the Year award from the Idaho Business Review. This prestigious award celebrates women who have made significant impacts in their fields and communities across the state, recognizing their leadership, mentorship, and commitment to improving Idaho’s social and economic landscape.

Commitment to LGBTQ+ Advocacy

As a long-standing clinician-educator and leader, Carvalho brings her deep experience and perspective to the UW LGBTQ+ Council. She joined the Council to advance inclusive education and training initiatives and support the development of policies that serve to provide inclusion and protection of the LGBTQ+ community across the entire WWAMI region.

“We value our colleagues and trainees who are part of the LGBTQ+ community and want them to always feel a sense of belonging and unity in the UW WWAMI region,” Carvalho said.

Her work on the Council reflects her broader commitment to fostering equity, representation, and belonging for all members of the medical and academic communities.