Okany Rivas (She/Her)

Okany Rivas is a Regional Health Connector (RHC) serving El Paso and Teller counties counties that make up Region 4 of Colorado’s Health Statistics Regions. She is hosted by the Front Range Area Health Education Center.

Okany Rivas’s current project focuses on immigrant and low-income families, addressing key health disparities such as chronic illness, lack of preventive care, and barriers to healthcare access. Following a community needs assessment conducted in fall 2023 highlighting the need for culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare services, the initiative includes partnering with CIRC and Health Care Policy and Financing to advocate for policy changes, starting with monthly meetings and quarterly events in September 2024. Collaboration with ACSCOS and El Paso County Public Health has also organized bi-monthly community support programs, beginning in September 2024, with a health fair in November and participation in events at Atlas School and Fiestas Patrias. 

To connect with Okany, reach out at okany@frhealth.org.

Areas of Focus

Communities across Colorado have unique public health needs.

RHCs live, work, and play in the communities they serve. Their lived experience and expertise, combined with local data and community partnerships, equip them to address the diverse social needs of their communities.

In Region 4, Okany focuses on the following key programmatic areas:

  • Behavioral and Mental Health

  • Access to Care

  • Asthma Managment

  • Immigrant and Marginalized Communities

  • Community Support Initiatives

Systems Partners

Regional Health Connectors are relationship builders.

Focusing at the systems level, RHCs build and bridge connections with primary care providers, public health organizations, social and behavioral health services, and other community resources to ensure that these partners have knowledge of and access to resources available within their region to meet the needs of their community.

In Region 4, Okany has fostered key relationships with:

About the Front Range Area Health Education Center

The Front Range Area Health Education Center provides opportunities for students, health care providers, and other professionals and community members to be part of long-term solutions to health and healthcare disparities. Visit their website to learn more.

Meet Other Local RHCs