Last Tuesday, Dec. 8, the newly hired CEO of the Colorado Health Foundation (CHF) visited Pagosa Springs as part of her tour throughout southwest Colorado.
Karen McNeil-Miller opened the meeting by sharing her vision to understand health in each localized context CHF aims to serve.
“It felt to me, that if I were to be a proper steward of that vision, that I needed to get out and talk to some individuals and families to understand what health looks like to you on the ground,” McNeil-Miller said.
The CEO was hired to her position in September, and is traveling to 11 different regions in the state, and attempting to set foot in all 64 counties.
While the CHF has an abundance of data on health in the southwest of the state, McNeil-Miller asserted that data is inadequate in fully understanding the meaning of health and the challenges to health outcomes on the ground.
“Data doesn’t tell the whole story. Data doesn’t know what it means to live, work, play and worship in this community — but you do,” she said.
The meeting was held at the Ross Aragon Community Center, where leaders and community members from across a variety of fields — including healthcare, education and the nonprofit sector — came together to lend their thoughts.
The conversation began with attendees listing what they felt were the most notable assets in the community, and how these assets apply to health.
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