Recognition for kindness & health justice
September 21, 2024
Thank you to CommonSpirit Health and the Lloyd H. Dean Institute for recently honoring us with their Human Kindness and Health Justice Award!
We were deeply honored to accept this accolade on behalf of our statewide network of partners who focus on food and health justice through the lens of equity, kindness, compassion, empathy, and trust. As part of our commitment to equity, we’ll continue to focus on ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of health and well-being.
Here’s our acceptance speech:
On behalf of the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger and our vast network of collaborators, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to CommonSpirit Health and the Lloyd H. Dean Institute for Humankindness and Health Justice for this tremendous honor.
We’re deeply heartened to accept this recognition on behalf of our network of statewide collaborators focus on food and health justice from an organization so profoundly dedicated to the principles of equity, kindness, compassion, empathy, and trust.
The Lloyd H. Dean Institute’s commitment to elevating these values in health care and beyond, fills me with profound inspiration. It’s clear that these values are not just lofty words for their work but a commitment to the very foundation upon which true health justice is built. By leading with kindness, Common Spirit is encouraging us to open doors to equity and fairness, ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of health and well-being.
It’s incredibly warming for these continual affirmations that we’re not alone in this work. Every day I see the incredible leadership and work by countless others who share this vision and are working tirelessly towards the same goals.
For what feels like the first time in my lifetime, I genuinely believe that we’re on the road to achieving food and health justice, and we’ll arrive their in our lifetime. I see the intersection where the myriad pathways we’re forging will converge into a shared solution—one that ensures justice for all, and it legitimately feels within reach with the support of partners such as CommonSpirit Health.
But we all know we are not there yet. We know there is still work to be done.
In Colorado, we still face challenges. For example, we’re one of four states for which Registered Dietitian Services are still not reimbursable by Medicaid. This is a significant health justice issue for our communities, because it means that people with low incomes lack access to this care and its tangible and necessary health outcomes. I’m proud to say that our Policy Director, Greta Allen, is actively working to change that.
And we also need improved data-sharing opportunities to ensure that every family is enrolled in the programs for which they are eligible from Medicaid to SNAP to WIC and beyond. The piecemeal approach we've used in the past is not enough to create a comprehensive resource network of care. We must ease the burden on our families and streamline access to critical resources, and to continue to work to ensure that our healthcare providers are a necessary asset in referring and accessing these services, and that they can understand the fruit of their labors in enrollment and continue to act as advocates for the families they support.
Yet, I remain hopeful because these conversations are happening—more frequently and at higher levels than ever before. We’re engaging with appointed and elected officials at the national level and in the White House, and these discussions are driving change.
At the heart of all this work is our shared vision for justice. We speak often of food justice—the belief that food is a basic human right. We recognize that health equity is not separate from this but is deeply intertwined with it.
We know that no amount of preventive care or high-quality medical services can undo the harm caused by under-nutrition during critical stages of myelin development in infants. And we all agree that no family should ever have to choose between food and medication. This is a choice no one should have to make, and it’s a tragedy that it still occurs.
And, so therefore, we’re deeply grateful to partners like CommonSpirit Health and the Lloyd H. Dean Institute, who stand with us daily to uphold justice. You’re pushing these vital conversations forward across your networks and on a national scale.
As we move forward together, we acknowledge the hard work we have done in protecting and promoting equity alongside the dedication of others working tirelessly to make this vision a reality. We appreciate your recognition of our work, but most of all we appreciate your commitment to our shared vision and your collaborative efforts in improving the state of health and food justice in Colorado.