Team Members
- Joe Sammen, MPH
- Karen Albright, PhD, MSW
- Maria de Jesus Diaz-Perez, PhD
Research Project Description
The health care systems is largely failing immigrants populations in Colorado. Patchwork coverage and care options exist for some immigrants, but not all. Without a comprehensive system, many do not get their health care needs met. For those living in rural Colorado, these challenges are often compounded by a fragmented health care system and significant deficiencies in the health care workforce. Couple these systemic challenges with the reality of most immigrants daily lives, including the unjust access to other basic human needs (e.g. access to quality housing, food, transportation, etc.), discrimination, being targeted by racially motivated immigration enforcement, and difficulty navigating other institutions and systems, and immigrants are among rural Colorado’s most oppressed populations.
This research project is rooted in a broader grassroots base building strategy working with immigrants in Fort Morgan, Colorado to develop and lead campaigns that win policy and systems change that advance health. Currently, the research informs the Nuestra Comunidad, Nuestra Salud campaign, which aims to put pressure on the health care system so that it better addresses the needs and priorities of the local immigrant population.
This study has the potential to positively influence the provider-patient interaction and system-patient interaction in ways that not only improve access to care, but also may help to alleviate some of the burden that social determinants of health places on immigrant populations seeking health care.
Team Members
Joe Sammen, MPH
At his core, Joe believes the desire for good health is the closest thing our society has to a universal goal, making the promise of health equity an incredible call to action for people from all walks of life. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Center for Health Progress. Joe earned bachelor’s degrees in biology and computer science at the University of Denver and also holds a master’s in public health from the University of Washington.
Karen Albright, PhD, MSW
Karen Albright is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Associate Director for Research at the Denver-Seattle Center of Innovation (COIN). A health services researcher, she seeks to understand health behaviors among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations and the barriers to their care. Her areas of expertise include the social determinants of health, qualitative methodologies, and implementation science.
Maria de Jesus Diaz-Perez, PhD
Maria Diaz-Perez, Director of Public Reporting at the Center for Improving Value in Health Care, is responsible for advancing health care performance measures to drive a healthier Colorado. Her long held goal is promoting immigrants’ successful integration by improving their access to a responsive, efficient, effective and equitable health system.
Issue Brief: Colorado
Research-Informed Community Organizing Model Helps to Assess and Address Needs of Rural Immigrants in Colorado
