网曝吃瓜

9 News Interview with Dr. Erin Seedorf

“Public health policy expert helps measure impact of government spending cuts”

Dr. Erin Seedorf, Public Health Expert and 网曝吃瓜 Health Professions’ Professor, speaks to the impact Medicaid cuts will have on the health of Colorado.

How overcoming cancer led Valeria Pernas to pursue a career in holistic medicine

She was diagnosed in her 20s. Now, she鈥檒l graduate with a degree in Integrative Health Care, so she can help others navigate treatment.

She was done with treatment by January 2020, and thanks in part to her cancer journey, Pernas reenrolled at 网曝吃瓜 in the聽Integrative Health Care Program.

鈥淭he Integrative Health Care Program is so diverse in how students learn in regards to health care,鈥� Pernas said. Traditional core subjects such as Biology and Chemistry are combined with topics such as Ayurvedic medicine and herbalism. 鈥淭he program gives you a wide perspective on how to approach health care in a holistic way.鈥�

鈥淚 got to share my story, which was a powerful and humbling experience in such a space,鈥� Pernas said. She also witnessed doctors advocating for change, something she admired greatly. 鈥淎dvocacy is a priority and passion of mine in my desire to pursue medicine,鈥� she said.

Closing the equity gap

After witnessing her family鈥檚 challenges, this student decided to be an agent for change in her community.

Montoya, a double major in聽Public Health听补苍诲听Biology, knew she was on the right path from the moment she took her first class with Erin Seedorf, Dr.PH, assistant professor in the聽Department of Health Professions. And connecting with numerous Health Institute programs further solidified her resolve. As a Healthcare Interest Program participant, Montoya shadowed practitioners at Denver Health鈥檚 Sam Sandos Westside Family Health Center on Federal Boulevard.

鈥淚t was striking 鈥� all of the patients looked like me,鈥� Montoya said. 鈥淓ven more so, I overheard moms telling their daughters, 鈥榊ou see her? That could be you someday.鈥� 鈥淭o be able to be in that space and help others see they belong 鈥� I鈥檓 just overwhelmed with gratitude.鈥�

Kris Geerken is a Master of Health Administration Alumna and co-director of , an organization that wants to end ageism. She says聽聽that negative beliefs about aging – our own or other people’s – are detrimental to our health.

“It actually can accelerate cognitive decline, increase anxiety, it increases depression. It can shorten our lifespans by up to seven-and-a-half years,” she says, adding that聽showed that discrimination against older people, negative age stereotypes, and negative perceptions around one’s own age, cost the health care system $63 billion a year.

Still, beliefs can change. “When we have positive beliefs about age and aging, those things are all flipped,” Geerken says, and we tend to age better.

Aging in place in Colorado; Colorado Wonders where does lottery money go?

Colorado is aging faster than most other states, and there’s a need to ensure aging in place — older people living wherever they want, regardless of health conditions or disabilities. There’s from Metropolitan State University of Denver designed to meet that need in many different ways. And, have you ever bought a lottery ticket and wondered where all that money goes? You’re not alone.聽 has answers. Professor Amy Dore is the Aging Services Leadership Program Coordinator for Metropolitan State University of Denver and Jackie Schwartz is a student in the program. The university recently launched an undergraduate program focused on building up a stronger workforce in Colorado equipped to support the ever-growing senior population.

Tech startup has prescription for ailing health care workforce pipeline

Kayla Wright-Jackson had moved to Atlanta to lead human resources at a home-health organization when she recognized a disconnect: Employers were having a hard time recruiting and retaining certified nursing assistants, or CNAs.

鈥淥ne person ends up taking care of more than twice as many people as they should,鈥� said the 2019 Metropolitan State University of Denver Master of Health Administration graduate. 鈥淭he equation was simple: People are overworked and underpaid. That鈥檚 a recipe for burnout.鈥�

So Wright-Jackson founded Transition, a tech platform built to bridge the gap between vocational training and employment opportunities and help fill entry-level front-line roles 鈥� such as CNAs and medical assistants 鈥� who are responsible for 85% of direct patient care.

鈥淭hese health care-training providers produce over 70% of the health care workforce but are overlooked,鈥� Wright-Jackson said. 鈥淲ithout the right tools and resources, it is challenging to reach future talent from the start.鈥�

网曝吃瓜 tackles critical shortage of elder-care workers

Colorado鈥檚 population is trending older. At the end of last year, the state was second only to Alaska for the fastest growth among the 65-and-older demographic. By 2050, Colorado鈥檚 number of older adults is expected to more than double to 1.7 million.

Yet there鈥檚 no sign of an end to the state鈥檚 alarming shortage of caregivers for its aging citizenry. To help meet the growing demand, Metropolitan State University of Denver will launch an undergraduate major in Aging Services Leadership this fall. The new degree鈥檚 emphasis on direct-care expertise and business management will provide students with an experience not found in the region or outside of graduate-level programs.

It鈥檚 a strategic move to answer a critical workforce need, along with an appeal to a sense of shared humanity.

鈥淓veryone has a right to a peaceful last season of their lives,鈥� said Amy Dore, professor in 网曝吃瓜鈥檚 Department of Health Professions. 鈥淲hen you have (an aging population combined with a staffing exodus), who鈥檚 left to care for folks? That鈥檚 what we鈥檙e hoping to answer.鈥�

Air Force lieutenant works toward her master鈥檚 while stationed overseas

Jessica Flores-Faisal never intended to go to college.

鈥淲hen I was in high school, I didn鈥檛 really think about pursuing higher education,鈥� she said.

The 28-year-old, who was born in Mexico and adopted and raised in Aurora, joined the Air Force Reserves at age 17. She has spent over a decade in the military.

Today, she has her bachelor鈥檚 in聽Health Care Management from Metropolitan State University of Denver and is working toward her master鈥檚 degree with the University while stationed in Germany. She credits 网曝吃瓜 for meeting her where she was: passionate about her experience in the military and looking for a career where she would be able to grow her service in new directions.聽So after finishing her bachelor鈥檚 degree in May, she immediately began the聽master鈥檚 program in Health Administration听(惭贬础).

Better ingredients for better health

This article features two of our health profession alumni, Thalia Rodriguez (right) and Ines Calvete Barrios, exploring better health through nutrition. Thalia Rodriguez is a Health Care Management Alumna and now Master of Health Administration student. Ines Calvete Barrios is an alumna of the Integrative Health Care program.

Trouble in the ozone: Denver鈥檚 declining air quality is a serious problem.

This year, Denver was ranked the seventh-most ozone-polluted city in the country. And in April, the Environmental Protection Agency admonished the city (for the second time in three years) as a 鈥渟evere鈥� violator of federal air-quality standards.

A recent study estimated that ambient ozone pollution, specifically, causes more than 800 deaths each year in Colorado. And as Denver once more starts to fall back to the notorious 鈥渂rown cloud鈥� days of the 1980s, the city鈥檚 pollution levels represent a growing threat to public health.

鈥淚 agree with leaders across the state, including from our state health department, that recent events indicate a clear need to start taking climate change seriously,鈥� said Erin Seedorf, Ph.D., assistant professor in 网曝吃瓜鈥檚 Department of Health Professions. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we push for bold climate-policy development.鈥�

Together We Can Combat the Devastating Effects of Ageism and Ableism

Article by by Dr. Amy Dore, CLC Board Chair, Metropolitan State University Professor and Maddy Chapman, MHA at 网曝吃瓜 Alum, Director of Community Life, Someren Glen

Did you know that ageism is learned and developed during early childhood and continued throughout adulthood? Did you know 61 million adults in the United States live with a disability? Ageism and ableism plague every aspect of our society, affecting how we view others and ourselves and triggering job loss, memory issues, health complications, decreased lifespan, and even impacts our national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Did you know that you can play a part in combating Ageism and Ableism?

Breaking barriers, saving lives

An 鈥楢fro-Latina, first-generation student, STEM enthusiast, proud immigrant鈥� and President鈥檚 Award winner perseveres to graduation.

Before Ines Calvete Barrios came to the United States, she lived in Barranquilla, Colombia, where she said she faced domestic violence, poverty and uncertainty.

Then, things got worse. In 2012, at age 12, she and her family came to Denver.

鈥淪oon after we arrived, we found ourselves in an abusive, controlling and dark place,鈥� said Calvete Barrios, the 2022 President鈥檚 Award winner for student achievement and聽Integrative Health Care聽major at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Vaccination challenges in the latino community

Health Professions Professor Ricardo Gonzalez-Fisher, MD speaks to 9NEWS about the low vaccination rate in the Latino community and the vaccine clinics offered by his organization.

First-Of-Its-Kind Survey Aims To Stop Exodus Of Health Care Workers

MHA Professor Ezekiel Peters is part of a disaster preparedness coalition of health organizations in Colorado that is taking action to prevent widespread staff shortages in health care.

MHA Alumnae Featured on PBS 12

MHA Alumnae have joined community leaders on public television to discuss ageism, the future of work, technology and more amid COVID-19.

Historic Implications of COVID-19

Dr. Seedorf, MHA Professor, interviewed by 9news to discuss the unprecedented timeframe鈥痠n鈥痺hich the COVID-19 vaccine was developed and approved.

Life expectancy in Denver varies depending on what part of the city you live in

MHA Professor and founding MHA Program Director, Dr. Amy Dore, speaks to why the differences in life expectancy are so stark in Denver.

COVID in Colorado: Stride Community Health Expands Vaccination Program

Professor Allison Draayer is leading聽the vaccine effort in the Denver Metro聽area in this聽CBS News Denver Article.

Cost of Care: Purchasing alliances for more affordable health care

Professor Chris Looby speaks to the importance of affordable health care in this Denver7 News story.

Families picking cost-sharing companies to save on health care

MHA Professor聽Jeff Helton, PHD聽speaks to聽the cost of health care in this 9 News Interview.