Hats off to organizations involved in the successful development of the community! I am grateful to have worked with such wonderful community leaders. Together, we form community-building initiatives that have a positive impact on the lives of our communities. I think a lot of people succeed because they combine important professional skills with a passion for building a community based on hope. This hope for our ability to change the world for the better creates positive change, coupled with access to the tools, resources, policies and resources needed for long-term change in the community.
The test stones for me were the studies of the Happiness Project at the University of Pennsylvania and lectures by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in “The Book of Joy.” Both emphasize the importance of gratitude in building resilience and hope. My “spiritual mother” Maggie Kuhn, who founded Grey Panthers, spoke of hope as a deep belief that we can make life better. She said: ‘If there is an obstacle in your way, go round it or cross it. If you need to, shoot through or tunnel below. But don’t let him stop you.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that “the arc of the universe leans toward righteousness” and “everything that elevates us is of great importance.” Hope is rooted in this complex understanding of the many challenges we face and guides us as we move forward with the goal and the strengths we put into the common table. Joy comes from hope rooted in reality, which also has wings.
The Rio Arriba County Health Board (RACHC) and the Rio Arriba County Department of Health and Welfare are working tirelessly to establish and maintain a wide range of community mental health initiatives; drive out of prison and return to the community; Substance use disorder (SUD); disorder associated with opioid use (OLD), and more! For many years, the region has developed model initiatives recognized at the federal and national levels, and it continues to receive contracts and awards for network planning and development. Initiatives are intersecting networks in which hundreds of people make positive changes to the community.
She is an active advocate of marginalized people. In early November, she mobilized several to address the potential closure of a nursing home in northern New Mexico. So many leaders are shaping positive changes in the community in the NNM region. Among them are Lore Pease, CEO of El Centro Health and President of RACHC; Brenda Romero, Executive Director of Espanyol MSN Presbyterian Hospital and Vice President of RACHC; Michelle Pishna and Monica Griego, who along with Lauren are leading a slew of new initiatives. It has been and remains a privilege to work with Lauren and many others on a plan to assess community health needs, health profile and other issues. Lauren, you really are a health hero!
One of the most interesting and innovative ways to assess behavioral health for regions is economic development. The Economic Development Association of the Middle Rio Grande (MRGEDA) understands that our workforce is seriously affected by drug addiction and other behavioral problems. To address this issue, MRGEDA established the Health Committee (HCC) under the energetic, powerful and inspiring leadership of Sharon Finarelli, Chief of Staff of Sierra Vista Hospital. It includes suppliers from four countries that come together to address behavioural issues. It is a pleasure to work with people who are such qualified professionals who are equally passionate about building public health from scratch with the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders. MRGEDA’s new managing director, Kirsten Kelly, is already actively involved, along with MRGEDA Chairman Bruce Swing. Sierra Bruce County Director also is a visionary focused on positive systemic change. Predictably, the network brings together a wide range of mental health professionals. It also involved district administration, law enforcement, schools, legislators, lawyers, health authorities, government partners, etc.
Dan Otero, CEO of HMS, a man of boundless energy, experience and gift, able to manage a thousand and one project! I met him at a seminar I held at the New Mexico Public Health Association’s spring conference. I am amazed by his energy, his achievements and the way he has led many social initiatives. I am very pleased to work with Dan, Edith Lee, HMS Technical Support Manager, and the entire team. Earlier this fall. HMS and New Ventures have received a competitive contract from the Freeport McMoRan Foundation to lead Grant County in conducting intensive gap analysis and assessing community health needs to identify more needs, services, resources, assets and opportunities for the future of older people. . Along with significant community involvement, we are developing a community collaboration plan for older people. HMS is not only a health system in Grant and Hidalgo counties in southwestern New Mexico, it also manages nursing centers and opens a state-of-the-art mental health facility called Tu Casa. . They are also developing a single window model for integrated care for access to services. HMS is a great resource offering a wide range of services in this area, and Dan is a fireball that has managed to do so much that turns heads! As if that wasn’t enough, I’m also glad that local consultant and system change specialist Chris DeBolt is working with me on this project. We go up a notch and gladly solve one of the biggest problems of the modern world, which Ken Dichtwald calls the “Age Wave”. It’s a pleasure to work with dedicated professionals who are such effective community builders.
Investing and building communities is the raison d’etre of the Presbyterian Health Service (PHS). They connect with communities through their expanding statewide health care system, collaborate with community health boards (CHCs) and make financial investments in collaborative initiatives and local partnerships.
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