科罗拉多州丹佛市 -365bet官网中文登陆很高兴地宣布. 莉莉亚·塞万提斯作为接受者 2021 Dr. Virgilio Licona社区卫生领导奖. 以已故博士命名. Virgilio Licona, this award program recognizes one Coloradan annually who demonstrates distinguished leadership in the communities they serve 和 in the systems they are working to disrupt.
Dr. 塞万提斯的生活经历和长期存在, equity-driven career makes her a critical leader on the forefront of community- 和 systems-level change. 她毕生致力于解决结构性种族主义问题, 消除不必要和系统造成的健康障碍, 并为有最大需求的科罗拉多人争取权益.
值得注意的是,博士. Cervantes is recognized for spearheading the change to a Medicaid payment rule so undocumented patients with kidney failure can access live-saving maintenance dialysis. 这一努力是在一个名叫希尔达的病人去世后开始的, who was ineligible for Medicaid due to her undocumented status 和 therefore unable to receive regular life-saving dialysis treatments. Dr. 塞万提斯把这段经历描述为她的哨兵事件, in which she realized she could use her lens 和 power as a Latinx physician to engage in advocacy 和 policy development.
“We cannot ignore the plight for health 和 health justice for our Latinx community,” said Dr. 莉莉娅·塞万提斯, Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine 和 Office of Research at Denver Health Medical Center 和 the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. “我明白了每个问题都可能是一个机会. In the world of health policy, the fight is not always won by the loudest voice. 胜利属于那些不放弃的人.”
由于这一重大的卫生政策改善, she has removed other barriers 和 advanced equity for the Latinx community, focusing on improving the quality 和 cultural-responsiveness of care for individuals with end-stage kidney disease. Dr. Cervantes’ work to test community-based interventions to improve the well-being of Latinx individuals with kidney disease is funded by the National Institutes of Health 和 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Her established leadership at systems- 和 community-levels has undoubtedly created lasting impact – 和 her work continues. 自2019冠状病毒病大流行出现以来. 塞万提斯调整了优先事项，通过以下方式回应了社区的迫切需求:
- Providing clinical care as an internal medicine hospitalist to patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at Denver Health.
- Conducting multiple studies focused on the Latinx community 和 COVID-19, which documented the disparate experiences 和 harm faced by the Latinx community, 同时继续倡导公平获得护理和资源. 这些研究为科罗拉多州和全国的公共卫生项目提供了信息. A current study is looking at changes in vaccine deliberation following hospitalization for COVID-19 among Latinx unvaccinated individuals.
- Connecting with community-based 和 health policy stakeholders to advocate for access to outpatient COVID-19 care for undocumented Coloradans. The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy 和 Financing modified its Emergency Medicaid to include outpatient COVID-19 care for undocumented Coloradans.
- Providing guidance 和 launching community-based COVID-19 response programs – one of which supports community health workers by providing culturally 和 linguistically appropriate 和 accurate COVID-19 information. 除了, she is participating in two taskforces: the Colorado’s Champions for Vaccine 股本 Initiative administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health 和 Environment 和 Colorado Vaccine 股本 Taskforce administered by Immunize Colorado.
Dr. Cervantes continues to demonstrate a distinguished pattern of service 和 advocacy for the Latinx, 移民和难民, 无证件社区. 除了她的健康政策, 研究和基于社区的努力, 她致力于培养新兴的拉丁裔健康领袖. In 2009, she launched the Healthcare Interest Program at Denver Health in partnership with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She is actively involved in mentoring students in various levels of health care training to ensure their success, 和 continues to mentor students who have advanced to health programs 和 are conducting research 和 advocacy work at the Anschutz Medical Campus.
“博士的工作. Cervantes has poured her passion into demonstrates that those closest to the problem are also closest to the solution,凯伦·麦克尼尔-米勒说, 365bet官网中文登陆主席兼首席执行官. “她的社会正义精神深深打动了我们, her unrelenting advocacy for the Latinx community 和 her steadfast fight to break down barriers that keep health out of reach.”
的博士. Virgilio Community Health Leadership Award honors impassioned Coloradans who are finding innovative 和 effective strategies to overcoming health barriers within Colorado. It was design to recognize community health leaders leading impactful efforts to advance social justice 和 health improvements for Coloradans who have historically had less power 和/or privilege.
Dr. 塞万提斯将与家人团聚, 朋友, mentors 和 Foundation staff at an award reception in the spring of 2022 – recognizing her outst和ing leadership to advance health 和 health equity in Colorado. 为了纪念博士. 塞万提斯收到了这个奖, 基金会已经赚了20美元,向她选择的科罗拉多州非营利组织捐款.