State Health Department Awards Funds for Underserved
Populations in Colorado
Sept. 16, 2008 - DENVER - The Office of Health
Disparities of the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment has awarded 23 grants totaling $3.1 million to
organizations committed to reducing health disparities and
improving the health and wellness of people of color in
Colorado. The grant period for the projects began July 1
and will continue through June 30, 2009. The projects were
recommended for funding by the Minority Health Advisory
Commission and approved by the Colorado Board of Health.
For additional information, visit the Office of Health
Disparities Grant Program Web page at
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ohd/hdgp.html or call Twila
Martinez at 303-692-2102. The following lists the grantees
and amounts awarded.
Cancer Projects Center for African American Health
Prostate Health Initiative for African American Men
Amount Received: $79,000
Project Category: Cancer
Target Population: African-Americans/Blacks
Geographic Area: Metropolitan Denver
Project Manager: Grant Jones, 303-355-3423 This program is
designed by and for African-American men to help reduce the
high rate of death due to prostate cancer in the African
American community.
University of Colorado Denver
Colorado Campaign to Increase Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
Vaccination Use Among Latinas
Amount Received: $150,000
Project Category: Cancer
Target Population: Latinas/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Bent, Boulder,
Broomfield, Cheyenne, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla,
Crowley, Custer, Denver, Dolores, El Paso, Fremont,
Garfield, Gilpin, Huerfano, Kit Carson, La Plata, Larimer,
Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Mesa, Montrose, Morgan, Otero,
Park, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Miguel,
Teller and Weld counties
Program Manager: Patricia Alvarez Valverde, 303-724-0628
The overall target population of this project is Latino
parents of girls aged 9-26 for HPV vaccine awareness and
women of all reproductive ages for cervical cancer
detection. The outreach efforts will work to decrease the
main barriers to HPV vaccination among Latinos.
Cardiovascular Disease and Precursors Including Diabetes
University of Colorado Denver
Web-Based Nutrition Education for Low-Income Hispanics
Amount Received: $100,000
Project Category: Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease and
Precursors Including Diabetes
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Adams, Arapahoe and Denver counties
Program Manager: Robyn L. Wearner, RD, 303-315-2368
Hispanic adults in the United States and Colorado
experience significantly higher rates of diabetes and
obesity than other races and ethnicities. This project aims
to improve nutrition behaviors among Hispanics by increasing
computer technology and Internet usage skills among
low-income, Spanish-speaking Hispanic parents of
elementary-aged children in Aurora and Denver public schools
to improve diet quality through increased nutrition
knowledge, awareness, intentions and skills. Northwest
Colorado Visiting Nurse Association
Improving Access to Cardiovascular Care for Minority
Populations in Northwest Colorado
Amount Received: $100,000
Project Category: Cardiovascular Disease and Precursors
Including Diabetes
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Jackson, Moffat and Routt counties
Program Manager: Ilanit Kateb, 970-846-2822
This program aims to improve control of cardiovascular
disease, diabetes and related precursors, and overall heart
health behaviors in minority populations for people ages 18
and over in northwest Colorado. Pueblo City-County Health
Department
Neighborhood Approach to Reducing Obesity and Diabetes
Amount Received: $75,000
Project Category: Cardiovascular Disease and Precursors
Including Diabetes
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Pueblo County
Program Manager: Julie Kuhn, 719-583-4311 The Neighborhood
Approach to Reducing Obesity and Diabetes brings together
innovative strategies to reduce the incidence of two
cardiovascular disease precursors, diabetes and obesity, in
the Hispanic population in three at-risk neighborhoods
called the Y Zone in Pueblo County. The goal is to reduce
the risk of developing the chronic cardiovascular disease
precursors of diabetes and obesity by providing education
and opportunities for participants to eat better and move
more, thereby increasing their metabolic rate, losing
weight, increasing muscle mass, reducing stress and
increasing mental well-being.
American Diabetes Association - Colorado Area
Por Tu Familia: Soluciones Para la Salud de Corazón
Amount Received: $125,000
Project Category: Cardiovascular Disease and Precursors
Including Diabetes
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear
Creek, Douglas and Eagle counties
Program Manager: Julissa Molina Soto, 720-855-1102 ext. 7027
This program will promote culturally and linguistically
appropriate cardiovascular and diabetes primary and
secondary prevention activities to individuals and families
in the target Latino communities.
Bent County Nursing Service
Living and Learning to be Healthy
Amount Received: $125,000
Project Category: Cardiovascular Disease and Precursors
Including Diabetes
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Bent County
Program Manager: Gary Peterson, 719-456-1234 This program
will identify Hispanic children who are obese and enrolled
in the Las Animas and McClave school districts to work with
them to reduce the risk of diabetes and other cardiovascular
diseases through healthy choices.
Colorado Prevention Center
Community Heart Health Actions for Senior Latinos at Risk-CHARLAR
Amount Received: $150,000
Project Category: Cardiovascular Disease and Precursors
Including Diabetes
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Metropolitan Denver
Program Manager: Craig Kapral, 303-991-6058 This program
aims to increase awareness and build skills to lower
cardiovascular disease risk in older adult Latinos (>50 yrs)
and will emphasize involvement of the family.
Summit Prevention Alliance
La Vida Sana (“The Healthy Life”)
Amount Received: $150,000
Project Category: Cardiovascular Disease and Precursors
Including Diabetes
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Summit County
Program Manager: Liliana Meza, 970-668-2077 The vision of
the La Vida Sana project is to reduce health disparities in
Summit County by providing health education, exercise and
nutrition programs to prevent and reduce cardiovascular
disease and diabetes among the entire Latino population in
Summit County. Rural Solutions
Improving Access to Cardiovascular Care for Latinos in
Northeast
Colorado
Amount Received: $200,000
Project Category: Cardiovascular Disease and Precursors
Including Diabetes
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln,
Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Weld and Yuma counties
Program Manager: Maranda Miller, 970-526-3616 This program
plans to reduce personal barriers experienced by the Latino
population when accessing health care services in Northeast
Colorado.
Crosscutting Projects Larimer County Department of
Health and Environment
Addressing Health Inequities in Larimer County’s
Hispanic/Latino
Community
Amount Received: $50,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Larimer County
Program Manager: Janna West Kowalski, 970-498-6749 This
program will educate Larimer Co unty Department of Health
and Environment staff, key stakeholders and representatives
from the Hispanic/Latino community about the root causes of
health inequities and to elevate community discussions and
solutions beyond individual lifestyle interventions.
Native American Cancer Research Corporation
Native American Prevention of Obesity NAPO +
Amount Received: $100,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: Native Americans/American Indians
Geographic Area: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield,
Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties
Program Manger: Dr. Brenda Seals, 303-325-3377 This
program will promote healthy nutrition and physical activity
to prevent obesity among American Indians residing in the
Denver metropolitan area.
The Road Called STRATE (Society’s True Rehabilitative
Attitude Toward Ex-Offenders)
Project START: Support, Training, Advocacy, Referrals to
Treatment
Amount Received: $100,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: African-Americans/Blacks,
Latinos/Hispanics and Native Americans/American Indians
Geographic Area: Metropolitan Denver
Program Manager: James Thomas, 303-360-9176 This program
will address prostate cancer among African-American, Somali
and ex-offender communities by providing outreach,
education, health risk-factor screening, prostate cancer
informed decision making, education and referrals for
treatment.
Moyo Nguvu Cultural & Healing Arts Center
Healthy Youth, Healthy Futures Project
Amount Received: $120,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: African-Americans/Blacks
Geographic Area: Arapahoe and Denver counties
Program Manager: Stephen Meeks, 303-377-2511 This program
will emphasize health literacy, health care and self-esteem
enhancement and provide direct services to 1,270
African-American youth and 90 African-American adults, 26 to
60 years of age, who reside in Central Denver, Montbello and
Aurora.
The goal is to change attitudes and increase the
implementation of healthy lifestyle changes that directly
reduce the incidences of the aforemented diseases through
proven best practices.
Pueblo County Government
Salado No Mas - An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of
Cure
Amount Received: $125,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics, Native
Americans/American Indians
Geographic Area: Pueblo County
Program Manager: Mike Trujillo, 719-583-6320 The Salado No
Mas project brings health programs and services to residents
within the poorest and heavily minority (Hispanic) populated
areas in Pueblo County through the McHarg Park Community
Center (Avondale) and Fulton Heights Community Center (Salt
Creek/Blende).
El Paso County Department of Health and Environment
Faith/Health Connection: Evidence-Based Approach to Address
Health
Disparities
Amount Received: $150,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: African-Americans
Geographic Area: El Paso County
Program Manager: Ann Zielinski, RN, 719-578-3245 This
program will partner with faith communities to deliver
primary prevention services to African-Americans, with a
focus on promoting healthy cardiovascular and pulmonary
systems and general lifestyle risk-reduction behaviors. La
Clínica Tepeyac
La Clínica Tepeyac’s Heart-Healthy Community Program
Amount Received: $150,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics
Program Manager: David Lack, 303-583-0150 In collaboration
with Denver Area Youth Services, this program provides
community-based screening, early detection, treatment and
behavioral education for hundreds of Latinos at high risk
for diabetes. It engages youth in physical activities
throughout the year to create healthy habits to avoid
obesity and diabetes.
Salud Family Health Centers
Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease for a Population at
High Risk for Diabetes
Amount Received: $150,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanic,
African-Americans/Blacks, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders
and Native Americans/American Indians
Geographic Area: Adams, Boulder, Larimer, Logan, Morgan and
Weld counties
Program Manager: Gilda Salazar, RN, CDE , 303-833-2050 ext.
4739 This program’s goal is to decrease the risk of
cardiovascular disease among low-income and Hispanic
populations of central and northeastern Colorado.
Colorado African Organization
Colorado African Organization Health Awareness Campaign
Amount Received: $175,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: African-Americans/Blacks, African
Immigrants
Geographic Area: Adams, Arapahoe and Denver counties
Program Manager: Dr. Bakary Sonko, 303-485-8571 The
program aims to educate African immigrants in Adams,
Arapahoe and Denver counties. The African immigrant
community is distinct culturally, socially, religiously and
perhaps economically from the African-American community.
The goal is to increase knowledge about risk factors for,
and preventative measures that can be taken against,
cardiovascular disease, prostate, breast and cervical
cancers.
North Colorado Health Alliance
Improving the Cultural Competence of Cancer, Cardiovascular
and Pulmonary Disease Prevention and Detection Practices in
Integrated
Health Care Settings
Amount Received: $175,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: Latinos/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Logan, Morgan and Weld counties
Program Manager: Becky Marrujo, 970-397-1284 This program
will provide cultural competence training to nearly 250
health care providers who provide services to more than
20,000 Latino/Latina patients within integrated health care
settings (combined mental health and primary care services)
in Northern Colorado with the goal of improving prevention
and early detection of cancer, cardiovascular or pulmonary
disease as well as patient compliance with preventive
screening regimens among disparate populations.
University of Colorado Denver
Project T.E.A.C.H.: Teaching Equity to Advance Community
Health
Amount Received: $175,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: African-Americans/Blacks,
Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders, Latinos/Hispanics and
Native Americans/American Indians
Geographic Areas: Statewide
Program Manager: Angela Sauaia, MD, PHD, 303-315-0002 This
program will address health disparities in Colorado by
working with community-based organizations to empower them
to obtain the financial resources needed to develop,
implement and evaluate sustainable, data-driven,
evidence-based projects aimed at reducing disparities in
heart disease, cancer and lung disease.
Colorado NonProfit Development Center
Risk Reduction and Health Promotion in Multi-Cultural
Communities
Amount Received: $200,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders,
African-Americans/Blacks and Latinos/Hispanics
Geographic Area: Denver metropolitan area, El Paso, Logan,
Larimer, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington and Yuma
counties
Program Manager: Alok Sarwal, 303-521-7641 This program
will address the issue of adults in the community who have
stopped believing that people can control their own behavior
and reduce risk factors for the onset or reoccurrence of
cardiovascular, pulmonary and prostate diseases to reduce
health disparities. Denver Health
Reducing Health Disparities Through Community Outreach and
Patient
Navigation
Amount Received: $200,000
Project Category: Crosscutting
Target Population: African-Americans/Blacks,
Latinos/Hispanics, Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders and
Native Americans/American Indians
Geographic Area: Denver metropolitan area
Program Manager: Pedro Arevalo Rincon, 303-436-4182 This
program will address racial and ethnic health disparities in
underserved populations for cancer, cardiovascular disease,
pulmonary disease, diabetes and associated risk factors,
through patient navigation provided for individuals with
chronic conditions and/or associated risk factors to improve
diagnosis and treatment. The goal is improved outcomes for
patients with chronic diseases and associated risk factors. |
