SearchBlack History Month offers a meaningful opportunity to celebrate the strength and resilience of Black communities. It is also a time to focus on the importance of Black health and wellness, especially as conversations across the country continue to highlight the experiences of Black patients and the need for trust in health care.
Health Equity
Experts like Dr. TaRessa Wills, who shared her perspective through the CDC's Project Firstline, remind us that health equity begins with understanding the individual in front of us. She explains that when providers take the time to hear a patient’s story, it becomes easier to identify the real challenges that shape their care. These challenges may include transportation limits, financial strain, work schedules or previous negative encounters with the medical system. When these pieces are understood, care becomes safer.
Dr. Natalie Cort, featured in a conversation with William James College added another important insight. She describes the longstanding cultural mistrust many Black individuals feel toward mental health services, especially when vulnerability has historically been met with stigma or discrimination. She emphasized that many Black families have been taught to stay strong and to keep pain private, which can lead to reluctance around seeking help. She noted that the recent increase in Black therapists, mental health content and culturally-informed support has encouraged more people to take steps toward healing.
Why Black Health and Wellness Matters
Across the country, Black Americans experience higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and chronic stress. These outcomes do not occur by chance. They form through limited access to consistent care, fewer preventive screenings, financial strain, medical bias and the weight of multigenerational stress.
The pandemic also placed a spotlight on mental health. Dr. Cort shares that many Black families were forced to pause and face difficult emotions, grief and trauma that had been carried silently for years. For many people, taking the step to seek therapy became an act of courage and healing. Dr. Wills added that representation matters. Patients often feel safer and more understood when speaking with providers who share familiar cultural experiences. This connection supports better communication and helps patients feel seen.
Local Access to Health Care Services
Members of Denver Health Medical Plan have access to a broad network of services that support everyday wellness and long-term health.
- Primary Care and Family Health Centers
Denver Health offers primary care for both adults and children across clinics in Denver. Services include annual checkups, chronic disease management, physical exams, reproductive health care and vaccinations. - Mental Health and Behavioral Health Services
Denver Health provides therapy, psychiatry, substance use support and crisis services at multiple locations. DHMP members can also access counseling and behavioral health services through a robust network of in-person and virtual providers with no referral required. - Maternal and Women’s Health
Women’s Care Clinics offer prenatal and postpartum care, gynecologic services, lactation support and help for individuals experiencing high-risk pregnancies. - Preventive Screenings and Vaccinations
Members can receive mammograms, diabetes screening, heart health checks, immunizations and other preventive care at no cost. These visits help identify concerns early and support long-term wellness. - Community Resource Connections
Through denverhealth.findhelp.com, individuals can access food support, housing resources, transportation assistance, financial help and childcare services.