When the parishioners of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church launched Clínica Tepeyac, they knew it was the right prescription for uninsured metro-area Latinos in desperate need of quality, low-cost medical care.
And at Fiesta on the Plaza, a dinner celebrating Clínica’s 10th anniversary, board chair Brenda Vasquez announced that a major expansion is on the horizon, enabling staffers to accommodate the ever-increasing number of patients who seek clinic services each year.
Vasquez told the 300-plus attendees that the northwest Denver facility has received a $200,000 Community Development Block Grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to purchase a new site for its medical offices.
The money also will go toward increasing the clinic’s weekend and evening hours, adding support staff and recruiting new medical volunteers. The site for the new offices, Vasquez added, is yet to be chosen.
Clínica Tepeyac operates out of a two-story home at 3617 Kalamath St., offering basic health care, education and outreach services to some 5,000 patients a year.
“At Clínica Tepeyac, we are committed to expanding our capacity to fill the great health care void that exists in our community,” Vasquez said.
Denver City Councilwoman Judy Montero had a key role in securing the grant.
As generous as it is, Executive Director Rosanna Reyes said the grant alone won’t be sufficient to fund the entire expansion. “Because Clínica Tepeyac was created by and for the community, we’re initiating a capital campaign to enlist them in this new vision for Latino health,” Reyes said.
A trio of caring corporations presented the event – First Data Corp., Great-West Life and HealthONE North Suburban Medical Center. Additional contributors included American Family Insurance and the event’s media sponsor, Univision Colorado.
Denver Fire Chief Larry Trujillo and his wife, Michelle, were honorary chairmen of Fiesta on the Plaza.
Councilwoman Montero and her husband, former state lawmaker Nolbert Chavez, were among the guests – along with Denver Manager of Public Safety Al LaCabe; former state legislator Polly Baca, who is now executive director of the Latin American Research and Service Agency (LARASA); Adams County Assessor Gil Reyes; Marcela de la Mar and Fernando Lozano of the Mexican Consulate; Univision General Manager Mario Carrera and the station’s community relations director, Kathy Berumen; Jim Chavez, executive director of the Latin American Educational Foundation; and attorney Adrienne Benavidez.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
