New resources are bringing culturally relevant healthcare providers to Black Coloradan. It is called the Colorado Black Health Resources Directory. This is a collaboration between Colorado Black Health Collaborative and Connect for Health Colorado. The 108-page guide is Colorado’s most comprehensive source of black health information and offers a list for doctors and professionals from Fort Collins to Pueblo.
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“It’s all under siege,” said Dr. Terry Richardson, co-founder of CBHR. “We go to the grave badly. That’s what we say.”
Recently, she met with a group of fellow black women to celebrate the release of CBHR.
Richardson says the idea was first born in 2010. This is a response to a request for information from Black Coloradan, who wants to connect with healthcare providers who understand their own concerns. It is currently the fifth edition.
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“People said, ‘Do you know what we can use? A whole view of health.’ guide.
According to Colorado, in 2023, 4.18% of the population was only black or African-American. According to Richardson, these are the populations that need these resources.
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“Sometimes, it feels like only a small percentage of the population is lost here in Colorado, but our health disparities are at the top or bottom, as we always say.”
Lielt Bedilu is well aware of this struggle. She says she found Dr. Sofia Meharena, a current pediatrician. “You can walk around as a black individual you have to explain every day. You have to explain all these nuances like your culture, your story, your hair. Doctors and patients. I think the relationship is sacred, intimate, vulnerable and my hope is that we don’t have to do it in that space,” she said.
“That’s not about being a better doctor,” Meharena explained. “It’s about being able to connect with patients in the way they’re looking for.”
But the Directory, a doctor by doctor, is committed to making the office more welcoming. “It’s very important to have someone who has that experience. You don’t need to explain to me what it means to be black in America. I already know,” Richardson added.
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