CEO Update: Remembering and Looking Forward
This month we recognize the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 and honor those that lost their lives, those that survived, and those that helped during and after these terrible events. You may not know, but my husband was one of those firefighters that was deployed and responded to Ground Zero as part of Colorado’s Urban Search and Rescue Team after the attacks. It was a scary time for all, and I respect every person’s dedication to serving and helping others when the need arises. One of the things my husband shared with me was the amazing amount of gratitude that they received while there in New York. And being the great guy that he is, he was humbled, not needing a thank you as this is his job, his calling, but appreciating it. One of the other things I remember is hearing and seeing the chefs and restaurants setting up to feed people. Wow, can you imagine you’ve likely known someone or lost someone, and you feel drawn to serve? That’s how I feel about our healthcare workers. You are drawn to serve, and I see you day in and day out carrying the tolls this work sometimes takes on you. Please know CRHC appreciates all that you do.
While they say 80% of a person’s health is based outside of the healthcare system, I draw attention to the need for healthy food. Many communities have community gardens that are open and free to community members as an innovative solution. Others offer healthy eating and cooking classes. These are amazing efforts and I hope these types of innovation continue! We are, however, facing cuts to SNAP through the passage of HR.1. These cuts impact the ability for not only people to have access to healthy food, but for them to have access to any type of food. I know that may not feel like your problem, but when people struggle to just afford food it impacts our ability to learn, to grow, and to offer a greater contribution to society.
Did you know that in rural Colorado 11.4% of people live in poverty? Of those in rural counties, 16.2% are under the age of 6 and 13.5% are under 18 and 8.2% are over 65. In frontier counties those numbers are even higher with 14.2% total poverty, 19.3% are under the age of 6, 15.8% are under 18, and 11.2% are over 65. In rural communities having access to healthy and affordable food is also a challenge due to lack of food retailers and limited supply of fresh affordable foods resulting in what we call food deserts. In rural communities in Colorado, 10% of people are on SNAP and in frontier communities 12.6% receive SNAP benefits. Of those households receiving SNAP, 81% of rural and frontier counties the two most vulnerable populations are individuals aged 60+ and those under 18.
The ability to have affordable access to healthy food impacts our health. In rural Colorado we have 8.4% of adults with diabetes, 25.7% with high cholesterol and 4.4% with heart disease. If you are a diabetic person or have high cholesterol it is imperative that you eat non processed food to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, keep blood pressure in check, and more. It is of course difficult to afford healthy food with the costs rising. This has always been true for rural communities, access to healthy foods is expensive and now even more so.
We are facing many challenges next year in rural health with the full impacts of HR.1 going into effect in 2027. I encourage you to stay or get engaged! Please join CRHC’s Policy and Legislative Committee and ensure your voice is being represented. To learn more visit CRHC’s website at www.coruralhealth.org
