June 2, 2020
As a community health center, Mountain Family traces our origins to the civil rights and social justice movements of the 1960s. Internationally, community health centers were birthed in large part to tackle systemic racial and ethnic health disparities hard coded into the global healthcare practices.
As the United States, Colorado, and our local communities reel from the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and historic discrimination against people of color, Mountain Family Health Centers stands as an advocate for affordable healthcare access to all. We believe access to healthcare is a basic human right. We are committed to treating every person with dignity and care, regardless of the color of their skin, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, insurance status or income level.
Every day at Mountain Family, we see the heartbreaking impacts of historical racism and discrimination against people of color. In Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin Counties, the Hispanic population faces significant health disparities, including higher rates of diabetes, infant mortality, mental health issues, and higher rates of un-insurance.
We’re committed to changing these health and economic disparities by working towards improving health outcomes and affordable healthcare access in partnership with patients and our local communities. Over the past few years, we’ve seen some encouraging trends, as MFHC patients’ diabetic outcomes, early entry into prenatal care, and access to behavioral healthcare services continues to improve.
As an organization, we intentionally elevate leaders from the communities we serve. Today, more than 60% of the Mountain Family Health Centers Board of Directors are active patients of MFHC and half of our Board is led by local Hispanic leaders. Many MFHC staff are bi-lingual in both Spanish and English and we’re committed to continually improving our approach to providing culturally competent care.
Please join us in standing for access to healthcare as a human right and calling for an end to systemic racism in our nation. If you’re struggling to afford health insurance or access to affordable healthcare, please visit us online at: https://www.mountainfamily.org/affordability-options/ or call us at 970-945-2840 to schedule an appointment with our medical, dental, and/or behavioral healthcare teams.
For more information from our partners on racism as a public health issue and what we can learn from George Floyd’s death, visit the resources listed below.
Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN): Racism is a Public Health Issue.
The Colorado Health Foundation (TCHF): What George Floyd’s Death Can Teach Funders.
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC): Statement Regarding the Killing of George Floyd.
In solidarity,
Monica Perez-Rhodes, MFHC Board Chair
Ross Brooks, MFHC CEO, Patient