Julie works at an oral health program in Chaffee County.  She shares the story of the impact of oral health on one local woman’s life.

“Part of it was because she worked in the restaurant business, had been for a long time…and as her teeth got worse she was pulled out of the public’s eye and she became a dishwasher and made less money. And so, she was really wanting to get her teeth back so she could have a higher paying job.”

John, a resident of Chaffee County, discusses his son’s lifelong condition of cystic fibrosis.  He explains that while his son has not been able to receive a lung transplant he has been able to lead a fulfilling and active life.

“He has surprised [the doctors] a whole lot of times because he’ll get way down and then he’ll snap back up.  So, we’re hoping that that rubber band keeps on working and he stays alive for longer than the next year.”

Dr. John, of Grand Junction, shares a powerful patient story about the importance of mental health care. Despite a dedicated team effort, his patient took their own life after suffering from severe depression.

“It just reminded me of how BAD our mental health system really is… There was nobody who was at fault …”

Jennifer, of Westminster, shares her health story. After a car accident, Jennifer struggled with migraines, back pain, depression and anxiety. She describes the difficulties not being able to care for  her family and the impact integrated care had on her recovery.

“It was very very depressing for me to go from being very active to being … just … bedridden. It was debilitating.”

Sara is a family nurse practitioner in Denver. She talks about the challenges associated with serving a refugee population and the importance of cultural competency.

“We come from a perspective of Western medicine… [We have to] learn where they are coming from. What does hypertension mean to somebody from Nepal? We don’t really know.”

Pat, of Basalt, shares his health story. After a tragic spinal cord injury he became depressed and turned to alcohol. Under the careful eye of his primary care physician, Pat connected with a trainer, nutritionist, and behavioral health coach. The integrated approach helped Pat reach goals and set new sights for his future.

“I’ve gone from a single bike path where I would fall off every three steps, to now I feel like I’m navigating a six lane highway and the group is my bumper guards.”

Katie, of Lamar, shares her health story. After her husband’s passing, she struggled with grief, depression, and substance abuse. Fortunately, Katie now has an excellent relationship with her therapist and is doing much better.

“I got connected with my therapist, my substance abuse therapist, through my domestic violence therapist and my doctor… We’ve talked over some stuff I’ve never told anybody.”

Sarah, a behavioral health provider in Colorado Springs, describes integrated care in her geriatric clinic. At their clinic, they have worked to tweak the “co-visit” to help both patients and their families.

“Her family [wasn't] understanding how she was experiencing the world. And the provider and I were able to say medication isn’t going to do anything. And that united front really helped that family to understand.”

Cheryl describes her experience working with her two siblings to identify a quality long term health care facility for their mother who has dementia.  While there was information available to assist them, Cheryl and her siblings found themselves in a very demanding situation.

“What I think was sad about that, though, was that we were so inundated with the practical matters that it was difficult to deal with what was going on in our family, the dynamic of our family.  You know, our mother was, for all intents and purposes, gone.”

Jonathan, a young man living in Denver, describes his experience supporting his fiancé as she battled Lyme disease. It is a rare disease in the Rocky Mountain region and there are a limited number of providers able to provide adequate care for treatment.

“My perception was that the doctor would kind of control the path of the care…actually that was not the case.  Looking back at it now the doctor kind of took a stab at what what he thought was going on but didn’t really follow through on that.”