By: Ernest Gurulé
Colorado has long been known as one of the healthiest states in the nation. Life expectancy in the state is 78.3 years. But, as we’re reminded of each day, no one gets out of here alive. And, in that case, Colorado does not escape the same health issues that plague the rest of the country.
In a normal year, heart disease would top the list of causes of death. Of course, since early 2020 and the pandemic that arrived with it, there have been far less things falling into what is considered normal. For the past two years, Covid-19 has led the state in deaths for both men and women.
In 2021, COVID killed 2,761 Coloradans followed by heart disease, lung disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s. Also included in the state’s leading causes of death by the Centers for Disease Control were hypertension, diabetes and suicide.
Since last April, Pueblo has had the benefit of a half-century old Denver mainstay in public health. That’s when Servicios de la Raza opened a satellite office on Pueblo’s lower eastside. An added plus is that services are provided at no cost, a boon since many of its anticipated customer base will be uninsured. “It will all be free to the community, and we are really excited to start building up that space in Pueblo and offer those services to the community,” Danielle Nachowitz, Servicios communications director, told the Pueblo Chieftain.
Like its counterpart in Denver, the Pueblo operation will screen for mental health issues, reentry for men and women recently released from prison, drug dependency and more. The site will also be visited on a regular basis by Servicios Mobile Health Unit.
Pueblo’s Servicios de la Raza will be regularly visited by the mobile unit where community members can go for basic screening issues. Servicios will also welcome new visitors for special events each year, like Prostate Awareness Week and Breast Cancer Awareness Month which is celebrated each October. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Latinas and the second leading cause of cancer death among all women. Also, on scheduled days each month, visitors will be seen by health care specialist, Dr. Ricardo Gonzalez Fisher, who, along with staff, will offer screenings for diabetes and cholesterol. Those who show concerning results will be referred to local health agencies.
While Dr. Gonzalez is a certified surgeon in Mexico he is only licensed as a health specialist in the United States. As such, he can only counsel and refer patients who show signs of more serious health issues.
“We have definitely had a warm welcome in Pueblo,” said Ana Vizoso, Servicios Vice President of Health and Wellness. The satellite operation has especially been a gift to Pueblo’s Spanish speaking and immigrant population, added Vizoso.
While the Servicios Pueblo branch at 805 West 4th St. will provide a wide variety of services, said Vizoso, “I would say in Pueblo our focus has been more mental health services.” But it also has a number of other planned events, including one that took place as Pueblo’s schools resumed just weeks ago.
Servicios treated a number of Pueblo families to a ‘back-to-school’ event in which families in this predominately lower income community were given school supplies for their young children. “We really heard the need from community members,” she said.
An important focus of Servicios in Pueblo will be providing information to customers—in both English and Spanish- –on how to get medical benefits, treatment for drug addiction and help them learn how to access virtual assistance for their own case management.
Servicios expansion into Pueblo, southern Colorado’s largest city, was made possible through grants from the Governor’s office as well as other health care providers.
