“Access, access, and more access” is what Sen. Rhonda Fields told us is her highest priority for state health policy at last month’s Colorado State of Reform conference. As a representative of some of the state’s rural areas in Adams and Arapahoe counties, Fields is particularly focused on ensuring healthcare access for rural Coloradans. She said expanding telehealth capabilities and the scope of practice for providers are both key efforts that would accomplish this.
A longtime advocate for health equity, Fields is continuing to focus on ensuring equity is baked into every aspect of Colorado health policymaking.
“I think we have to make sure that we have a lens of equity in housing and we deal with housing crisis. I think it’s important that we have a health equity lens as it relates to policing because we can’t be policing people who are dealing with behavioral health issues, and we can’t think that our prisons are places to house people who have behavioral health issues, or even people who have substance abuse [issues].”