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January 31, 2022  

DominicDominicans In Meriden Honor Nuestra Señora De La Altagracia

The Dominican community of Meriden celebrated Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia — Our Lady of Altagracia — the “protector of the Dominican peopleâ€� earlier this month like millions of their compatriots in the island nation.

Parishioners walked through St. Rose of Lima Parish at a special mass on Sunday, January 23, carrying the image of the Virgin as the choir sang. Organizers made their way to the altar wearing Dominican national costumes. The church was decorated with flowers, highlighting the colors of the Dominican flag: red, blue and white.

The procession through the streets of Colonial Zoe to honor the Patron Saint Altagracia. (Picture courtesy: Colonial Zone-DR)

Hundreds of thousands of devoted visitors make the trip to the Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia in Salvaleón de Higüey in the Dominican Republic to see the painting of their patron saint.

The story of Our Lady de Altagracia dates back to when Spain first colonized the island of Hispaniola. Alonso y Antonio de Trejo, are said to have brought a painting of the Virgin to Hispaniola from their home in Placencia in 1502.

The legend states that the image of the Virgin mysteriously disappeared from the house of the brothers Trejo and later reappeared in an orange bush. The location of this bush is where the first church of Higuey was built.

The image of Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia is believed to have been painted in the late 15th century in Spain. It was mysteriously delivered by a shrouded elderly man who dropped off the painting and disappeared. The painting shows the scene of the birth of Jesus. 

Another miracle story tells how Dominican soldiers appealed to the Virgin to help them win victory over the French in the 1691 battle in La Limonade, near Cap-Haitien in northern Haiti. They won the battle.

The Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia located in Salvaleón de Higüey

Virgen de la Altagracia was crowned the spiritual mother of Higuey by pontificate of Pius XI in August 15, 1922. The ceremony was held in Santo Domingo at the Puerta del Conde. Later, President of the Dominican Republic, Doctor Joaquin Antonio Balaguer Ricardo declared that Día de la Altagracia would be celebrated on January 21 as a national holiday.

According to Colonial Zone-DR, 1in every 12 Dominicans are named Altagracia in honor of the patron saint.

Mass at St. Rose of Lima Church in Meriden on Jan. 23, 2022. | Devin Leith-Yessian/Record-Journal

“Personally, it has been an enriching experience for me,� Rev. James Manship said in an interview with the Record Journal’s Latino Communities Reporting Lab.

St. Rose of Lima started to celebrate a special Mass honoring Our Lady of Altagracia in 2018, as it recognized the growth of the Dominican community locally, Manship noted.

We invite you to read stories about Virgen de la Altagracia from parishioners: Dominicans in Meriden honor Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia. 

Publisher’s Notes: This story is an aggregate from Colonial Zone-DR and the Latino Communities Reporting Lab.

CTLatinoNews partners with the Latino Communities Reporting Lab in best serving the Hispanic-Latino communities of Connecticut.

January 27, 2022  

Maria Rivera: The Hands-on Mayor

The new year started how the old year ended for residents of Central Falls – under the figurative foot of COVID-19.

The working-class, Latino-majority city, which became the hardest-hit by the pandemic in Rhode Island at the start, was seeing daily positivity rates hovering around 20 percent when a former Rite Aid was converted to a new COVID-19 testing location on January 3.

The site, located at 1114 Broad St., is able to test up to 800 people per day, according to the office of Mayor Maria Rivera.

“The previous site had four windows,� said Rivera who was present, when the testing site opened. “This one, they have 10 lines, so we increased it by over 50 percent, and they do have a rapid line here.�

The state’s first Latina mayor began her second year in office, the same way she started her first year: hands-on and with the community.

“The biggest challenge has been coming into office in the middle of a pandemic – trying to figure out how I can get my community back to being healthy,� Rivera said in an interview with The Boston Globe.

“We live in a community of color, an immigrant community where there’s always lots of questions of trust,� said Rivera, who has gone door-to-door at local businesses to answer questions about the vaccine.

According to the most recent Department of Health data, more than half of city’s residents have received a vaccine shot.

Mayor Maria Rivera sworn in as the 33rd Mayor of the City of Central Falls, January 4, 2021

Mayor Rivera was born in Camden, NJ. She moved to Central Falls in 1987 with her parents who are originally from Puerto Rico.

Rivera was elected as the Mayor of Central Falls in November 2020 with 77 percent of the vote, she took office on January 4, 2021.

Prior to this role, Mayor Rivera was the top-vote getter in the 2018 election of all Central Falls City Council Candidates, and became the first female and first Latino Central Falls City Council President, a position she earned in just her second term as a council member.

She was named Rhode Island’s Woman of the Year for 2021 by GoLocalProv: “While some politicians seem more style than substance — Central Falls’ Mayor is in the midst of transforming the one square mile city block-by-block.â€�

Despite the accolades, Rivera is not resting on her laurels. Central Falls is facing both a public health crisis and a housing crisis.

The city is asking the state for $4.5 million so it can buy unused property to build about 200 apartments.

“To be able to give them the space where they can afford and have their own space, it’s going to make a huge difference with the health in the city,� she said.

January 27, 2022  

Bill criticized for “raising fear within immigrant communities”

The New Hampshire House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee is expected to soon vote on H.B.1266, which opponents say would jeopardize the relationship between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.

“This bill would undo almost 20 years of work that we have done to foster trust in our police department,” said Eva Castillo, director of the New Hampshire Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees, one of the nearly ten people testifying against the bill at last week’s hearing.

Representative Tony Piemonte, Republican of Rockingham, sponsor of H.B. 1266, said illegal immigration jeopardizes New Hampshire’s safety and drains its resources.

The bill if made into law, would make it illegal for state or local governments not to adopt or enforce federal immigration laws; undocumented immigrants could be reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement by police.

Representative Maria Perez, Democrat of Milford, is opposed to the bill expressing frustration at “the broken immigration system” and the language used by Shari Rendall, director of state and local engagement at the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a supporter of H.B. 1266.

“It will prohibit jurisdictions from employing dangerous policies that provide a safe haven or sanctuary inwhich illegal aliens can live or work without fear of apprehension,” said Rendall.

FAIR is designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a a hate group.

“It is unnecessary, confusing, and vague,” said Maggie Fogarty from the American Friends Service Committee. “If enacted H.B. 1266 would trigger the risk of increased racial and ethnic profiling, animosity, and distrust of those perceived to be immigrants.” Fogarty says people of color will be targeted by the bill.

Six percent of New Hampshire residents are immigrants, while 8 percent of residents are native-born U.S. citizens with at least one immigrant parent, according to the American Immigration Council. In 2018, more than 83-thousand immigrants comprised 6 percent of the state’s population.

The percent of the Granite State’s population identifying themselves as Hispanic-Latino increased by more than 60-percent (2010 Vs. 2020), and the population remains at 4.3 percent, reports the U.S. Census.

Immigration advocates are asking people against the H.B. 1266 to share their testimony online.

Cover Photo by Mitchel Lensink on Unsplash

January 26, 2022  

How Can We Break Barriers To Mental Health In The Latinx Community 

The Latinx community is one of the most diverse in the United States. The American cultural melting pot has always included those who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central American, and South American descent. Unfortunately, these communities do not always have access to the mental health care that they deserve. It is time to learn more about how these barriers can be broken so that all communities have the same access to mental health assistance.

There is no race or ethnicity that will find themselves immune from mental health issues. They significantly affect all walks of life, at all times. The statistics that have been compiled about the sheer number of Latinx community members who are currently suffering from mental illness are sobering. Over 18% of the US population is estimated to be Latinx or Hispanic. Of this population, 16% have reported having mental illnesses within the past year.

These numbers may seem small. But they number about the same as the population of New York City. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome these barriers but there are certain factors that need to be discussed before that can happen.

Massachusetts has a population of approximately 6.7 million people and is the 3rd most densely populated state in the nation. Close to 3.71% adults (according to SAMHSA) in Massachusetts live with serious mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression.

Obviously, mental health treatments, including substance abuse treatment, require communication between the patient and practitioner. If they can’t speak the same language, it’s next to impossible for the patient to get the help they need. Sometimes, the prospective patient is totally unaware that they can speak through an interpreter, which creates another barrier to care.

Challenge Family Stigma

Familial bonds play a key role when seeking mental health treatment. Latinx and Hispanic patients traditionally have strong family networks. That’s why it is important for these family members to help alleviate the stigma that surrounds mental health. If you come from a family that considers therapy a sign of weakness, for example, you’ll be less likely to seek help when you need it. There are also societal stigmas that surround mental health therapy that have to be eliminated before Latinx and Hispanic patients can seek treatment.

In many cases, friends and family members may believe in the power of prayer when they are advising a family member who is struggling with a mental health disorder. Religious institutions can fight back against these stigmas by encouraging their parishioners to seek out the necessary assistance in addition to religious traditions when it comes time to schedule treatment. Older family members can also help by removing the concept of shame from the equation. These are the types of protective factors that can cause more problems than they solve, from a mental health standpoint.

Desire To Handle The Problem On One’s Own

Studies have been conducted regarding the perceived barriers among first and second-generation Latinx people and one of the more common reasons that came to the forefront was a desire to handle the problem on one’s own. There is a great deal of uncertainty in other regards, which also contributes to this idea. This was actually the single most common barrier, accounting for over 60% of the respondents who were studied.

When a potential patient perceives that they do not have a need for professional assistance, they are also more likely to drop out when they have begun to receive treatment. The treatments are often perceived as ineffective, causing 39% of respondents to stop going once they have begun a course of mental health treatment. Of all Latinx people, women and younger patients who have mental health disorders were the most likely to recognize their need for treatment.

Logistical Difficulties

For patients who are willing to seek treatment and recognize its potential effectiveness, the primary barrier can be the logistics. Whether it’s a lack of transportation, inability to schedule an appointment, a lack of child care or a rigid school or work schedule, there are a number of legitimate reasons for Latinx patients to struggle with obtaining treatment. In other words, the current healthcare systems cannot be strictly relied upon without the same disparities continuing to show themselves.

In these instances, the Latinx population could be correct when it comes to their anticipation of substandard or unattainable care. While recent advances have been made as far as these discrepancies are concerned, the gaps between need and treatment still exist. Even after adjusting for various other factors, all minority groups with a 12-month depressive disorder were more likely to seek any mental health care. It is safe to say that many of these potential patients have correctly perceived various logistical difficulties.

Fear of Involuntary Hospitalization

While many strides have been made as far as the strategies for mental health care delivery are concerned, there is still a major fear of involuntary hospitalization among Latinx and Hispanic patients. Rules and regulations can differ greatly from location to location, causing many to remain fearful, even as advances take place. Yes, there has been a shift from hospital-based care to community-based care, but that does not mean that these fears have been alleviated completely.

Concerns of Poor Treatment Due To Ethnic Background

As mental health patients and the psychologists who are responsible for their treatment attempt to find common ground, there is one major issue that continues to arise. Each side of the equation speaks a different language. This is a natural side effect of more immigration to the United States, especially among populations that are less proficient English speakers.

Inadequate communication takes place because of these particular barriers, which only serves to fuel concerns of poor treatment due to ethnic background. Mental health professionals must learn Spanish as a means of minimizing this disparity. At the moment, 64% of United States patients who are limited English speakers are fluent in Spanish. As more psychologists learn Spanish, this is a form of medical intervention.

Sources

Mhanational.org â€“ Latinx/Hispanic Communities And Mental Health

Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov â€“ Barriers to and Correlates of Retention in Behavioral Health Treatment among Latinos

Journalofethics.ama-assn.org â€“ Should All U.S. Physicians Speak Spanish?

Mentalhealth.org â€“ For Friends and Family Members

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

Andrea Poteet-Bell is a journalist and editor. Her writing has appeared in local daily newspapers, alternative weeklies, and websites across the country. She graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a degree in print journalism and lives in Michigan with her husband and their dog, Charlie Brown. 

Do you have an idea for an opinion-editorial article? We want to hear from you! Send us your ideas at info@latinonewsnetwork.com

January 25, 2022  

“Me Mataron A Mi Bebé…They Killed My Baby”

The Little Village community is again mourning the death of a child due to gun violence.

Eight-year-old Melissa Ortega was running errands with her mother, Araceli Leaños, on West 26th street on Saturday when a gunman opened fire. Melissa was struck twice in the head and later died at Stroger Hospital.

“Me mataron a mi bebé. Me la mataron…mi princesa mi dulce niña,” wrote Leaños in a Spanish language statement released by the family. “They killed my baby. They killed her… my princess, my sweet girl.”

According to an internal police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, the intended target is a member of the Gangster Two-Six street gang. The report states that the suspect, being treated at Mount Sinai for gunshot wounds, has been arrested 13 times and convicted of two felonies. Investigators say Gangster Two-Six has been known to feud with the Latin Saints and Latin Kings gangs.

Melissa and her mother immigrated to Chicago from Mexico this past August, according to a statement in a GoFundMe fundraiser set up to help pay for the child’s funeral expenses and to bring her body back to her hometown of Tabasco. “They were both excited to start a new life in Chicago and build their American Dream,” the fundraiser organizer wrote.

A memorial for 8-year-old Melissa Ortega, at the scene of her fatal shooting in the 3900 block of West 26th Street in Little Village, Chicago. September 23, 2022 (Photo Credit: Lisa Fielding, WBBM)

Dozens of people gathered at a growing memorial near where Melissa was killed Sunday afternoon, leaving flowers, candles, and other gifts. “Por favor ya paren tanta violencia,� said Maria Monroy in Spanish at the rally. Monroy, whose 16-year-old daughter was shot and killed in Little Village in December 2019, said to please stop the violence.

“How many children must we lose before we change course?” wrote Representative Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a resident of Little Village, in a statement. Garcia called Melissa’s death “a senseless, heartbreaking casualty of the gun violence.

On March 29, 2021, a police officer shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo. Adam, investigators say, was with known gang member Ruben Roman Jr. the night of his death. Police were responding to gunshots being fired in the area.

SUGGESTION: Living (And Dying) In Fear

An impromptu mural in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood now commemorates the site where a police officer shot and killed teenager Adam Toledo.

“We simply must hold the shooters accountable for this horrific crime,� Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. “Please come forward so that Melissa [Ortega’s] family will know that there is justice for her.�

Lightfoot insisted the key to reducing gang violence must include her controversial plan to go after their assets. “If we go after the profit motive we’re going to reduce the incentive for the gangs, we’re going to reduce their ability to buy illegal guns and use their profits to continue to further other business.â€�

Last week, City Council members were presented with changes to the forfeiture ordinance that has come under fire since it was presented in September. “We believe that ordinance is just a PR move right now, so the administration can say that they are doing something about crime, but the reality is it’s not going to change much,” said Ald. Rossanna Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd Ward.

Although Lightfoot’s narrative is that gun violence and gangs are one and the same, data analyzed by The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence found that for nearly 34,000 shootings in the past decade, detectives labeled fewer than three in 10 of them gang-related. Police categorized the cases that way even in instances when they didn’t have enough information to make an arrest, according to the report.

“If in the course of the investigation of these shootings, CPD is looking in its own data for information about whether the people involved were gang-affiliated,� said Deborah Witzburg, former Chicago’s Inspector General for Public Safety, “it’s looking at the very same data that we identified as profoundly problematic and which the department acknowledged to be problematic.�

A follow-up analysis released last year of the 2019 audit by the then Inspector General Joseph Ferguson found that Chicago Police Department officials continue to use records that list approximately 135,000 Chicagoans as members of gangs and disproportionately target Black and Hispanic-Latinos. Approximately 95 percent of the more than 134-thousand Chicagoans listed as gang members by the CPD are Black or Latino.

Residents and community members gather to remember Melissa Ortega. If you have any information contact the @Chicago_Police or leave an anonymous tip at http://CPDTIP.com. January 23, 2022 (Photo Credit CPD)

While investigators looking into the shooting death of Melissa Ortega say they have strong leads, no one has been arrested.

Superintendent David Brown said at a news conference Monday that Chicago police will be increasing patrols in Little Village.

“We have to work together to make change,� Brown said. “Every effort we make today impacts the safety of our city tomorrow.�

ILLatinoNews partners with The Chicago Reporter in best serving the Hispanic-Latino communities of Illinois.

January 25, 2022  

“Me Mataron A Mi Bebé…They Killed My Baby”

The Little Village community is again mourning the death of a child due to gun violence.

Eight-year-old Melissa Ortega was running errands with her mother, Araceli Leaños, on West 26th street on Saturday when a gunman opened fire. Melissa was struck twice in the head and later died at Stroger Hospital.

“Me mataron a mi bebé. Me la mataron…mi princesa mi dulce niña,” wrote Leaños in a Spanish language statement released by the family. “They killed my baby. They killed her… my princess, my sweet girl.”

According to an internal police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, the intended target is a member of the Gangster Two-Six street gang. The report states that the suspect, being treated at Mount Sinai for gunshot wounds, has been arrested 13 times and convicted of two felonies. Investigators say Gangster Two-Six has been known to feud with the Latin Saints and Latin Kings gangs.

Melissa and her mother immigrated to Chicago from Mexico this past August, according to a statement in a GoFundMe fundraiser set up to help pay for the child’s funeral expenses and to bring her body back to her hometown of Tabasco. “They were both excited to start a new life in Chicago and build their American Dream,” the fundraiser organizer wrote.

A memorial for 8-year-old Melissa Ortega, at the scene of her fatal shooting in the 3900 block of West 26th Street in Little Village, Chicago. September 23, 2022 (Photo Credit: Lisa Fielding, WBBM)

Dozens of people gathered at a growing memorial near where Melissa was killed Sunday afternoon, leaving flowers, candles, and other gifts. “Por favor ya paren tanta violencia,� said Maria Monroy in Spanish at the rally. Monroy, whose 16-year-old daughter was shot and killed in Little Village in December 2019, said to please stop the violence.

“How many children must we lose before we change course?” wrote Representative Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a resident of Little Village, in a statement. Garcia called Melissa’s death “a senseless, heartbreaking casualty of the gun violence.

On March 29, 2021, a police officer shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo. Adam, investigators say, was with known gang member Ruben Roman Jr. the night of his death. Police were responding to gunshots being fired in the area.

SUGGESTION: Living (And Dying) In Fear

An impromptu mural in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood now commemorates the site where a police officer shot and killed teenager Adam Toledo.

“We simply must hold the shooters accountable for this horrific crime,� Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. “Please come forward so that Melissa [Ortega’s] family will know that there is justice for her.�

Lightfoot insisted the key to reducing gang violence must include her controversial plan to go after their assets. “If we go after the profit motive we’re going to reduce the incentive for the gangs, we’re going to reduce their ability to buy illegal guns and use their profits to continue to further other business.â€�

Last week, City Council members were presented with changes to the forfeiture ordinance that has come under fire since it was presented in September. “We believe that ordinance is just a PR move right now, so the administration can say that they are doing something about crime, but the reality is it’s not going to change much,” said Ald. Rossanna Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd Ward.

Although Lightfoot’s narrative is that gun violence and gangs are one and the same, data analyzed by The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence found that for nearly 34,000 shootings in the past decade, detectives labeled fewer than three in 10 of them gang-related. Police categorized the cases that way even in instances when they didn’t have enough information to make an arrest, according to the report.

“If in the course of the investigation of these shootings, CPD is looking in its own data for information about whether the people involved were gang-affiliated,� said Deborah Witzburg, former Chicago’s Inspector General for Public Safety, “it’s looking at the very same data that we identified as profoundly problematic and which the department acknowledged to be problematic.�

A follow-up analysis released last year of the 2019 audit by the then Inspector General Joseph Ferguson found that Chicago Police Department officials continue to use records that list approximately 135,000 Chicagoans as members of gangs and disproportionately target Black and Hispanic-Latinos. Approximately 95 percent of the more than 134-thousand Chicagoans listed as gang members by the CPD are Black or Latino.

Residents and community members gather to remember Melissa Ortega. If you have any information contact the @Chicago_Police or leave an anonymous tip at http://CPDTIP.com. January 23, 2022 (Photo Credit CPD)

While investigators looking into the shooting death of Melissa Ortega say they have strong leads, no one has been arrested.

Superintendent David Brown said at a news conference Monday that Chicago police will be increasing patrols in Little Village.

“We have to work together to make change,� Brown said. “Every effort we make today impacts the safety of our city tomorrow.�

ILLatinoNews partners with The Chicago Reporter in best serving the Hispanic-Latino communities of Illinois.

January 24, 2022  

More Women Than Men Put Off Medical Appointments Due To Pandemic, Survey Finds

Like many women throughout Connecticut, Isabella Vasquez of New Britain has missed or postponed health care appointments due to the pandemic.

For the 23-year-old house cleaner, postponing medical appointments became necessary when the COVID-19 crisis-affected childcare for her 2-year-old son.

“I would have to not go to my appointments sometimes because I didn’t have childcare,� she said. “When COVID struck, that’s when daycare became less reliable.� If her son sneezed or had a runny nose, daycare would not accept him, Vasquez explained.

More women than men have either missed medical appointments or postponed the care they thought they needed during the height of the pandemic, according to a DataHaven survey released in October of more than 5,000 randomly selected state residents.

The 2021 Community Wellbeing Survey found that 12% of women didn’t get the health care they needed in the last year, compared to 10% of men. Similarly, 34% of women postponed the medical care they thought they needed during the same time frame, while just 26% of men reported putting off care.

The numbers are higher than those reported in the 2018 community wellness survey, which found that 9% of women and men skipped medical care. More women than men, however, postponed the medical care they thought they needed, at 26% versus 20%.

“We as women tend to get everybody else taken care of and tend to neglect ourselves.�

Cara Westcott,  chief operating officer,
United Community & Family Services (UCFS).

UCFS operates five health care centers in eastern Connecticut. The higher numbers make sense, she added, as the pandemic brought increased childcare responsibilities and remote learning challenges often shouldered by women.

Nationally, Hispanic women have been disproportionately affected when it comes to accessing medical care, according to a women’s health survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which found that 40% of Hispanic women skipped preventive health services and 25% skipped a recommended medical test or treatment.

The report by DataHaven, a nonprofit, also found that Latinos and low-income adults are less likely to have insurance and more likely to skip or delay medical care.

Between May 24 and August 30, 2021, 32% of women with no health insurance said they didn’t get the health care they needed in the past 12 months, compared with 25% of uninsured men, the survey found. When it came to putting off medical care, 51% of uninsured women postponed getting the care they thought they needed, compared with just 38% of uninsured men.

At UCFS, Westcott said she saw a 25% decrease in the number of patients seen in 2020 among all populations compared with previous years.

“We saw a drop off in the number of unique patients seen from calendar year 2019 to calendar year 2020 of about 5,000 patients,� she said, “and we attribute that to people forgoing care during the pandemic, even though we did offer telehealth appointments.�

Fluctuating employment and health insurance status also played a role, she said.

The DataHaven survey, done in conjunction with the Siena College Research Institute, found that 24% of respondents reported losing a job in the past year.

UCFS, which offers medical, dental and behavioral health services, saw 20,000 unique patients each year pre-pandemic, according to Westcott. At the end of 2020,15,000 patients had been seen.

“When we started seeing those numbers dip, we put together strategies and work plans to get them back in,� she said, including launching social media and radio marketing campaigns. “Since the beginning of this year, we’ve been making a concerted effort to contact those patients we didn’t see in 2020 to get them back to care.�

Women who were forced to miss routine screening appointments like mammograms and Pap smears last year due to pandemic precautions in health care offices have all had the opportunity now to be seen, said Dr. Mark Silvestri, chief medical officer of medical and dental services at the New Haven-based Cornell Scott Hill Health Center.

“I definitely think our ability to provide telehealth services made health care accessible to women who were at home because of childcare reasons,� he said, “but for some health care needs, telehealth care is not suitable.�

Screening appointments scheduled for March to June 2020, when patients weren’t being seen in person, were rescheduled to a later date, he said.

“We kept track of all the women we were postponing at that time and immediately got them back in,� Silvestri said. The backlog in routine screening appointments evened out between late 2020 and early 2021, he added.

Vasquez was one of the women who missed her annual Pap test last year due to pandemic precautions. However, she rescheduled her appointment to nearly a year later and was seen in March 2021.

Little by little, Westcott said, she is starting to see more patients returning to health care. At the end of October, UCFS had seen 15,654 unique patients during the previous 12 months.

“We are making progress,� she said, “but it’s slow progress.�

Cover Photo by Francisco Venâncio on Unsplash

Publisher’s Notes: The DataHaven survey, done in conjunction with the Siena College Research Institute, found that 24% of respondents reported losing a job in the past year.

CTLN and c-hit.org collaborate to best serve the Connecticut Hispanic, Latino community.

December 29, 2021  

CTLN 3 Questions with… 2021 Recap

As the year comes to a close, the CT Latino News (CTLN) team is looking back at a year’s worth of producing content that provides greater visibility and voice of the Hispanic-Latino community. In 2021, CTLN introduced the “3 Questions With…” (3QW) podcast. 3QW is a public affairs program tackling matters most important to Hispanics-Latinos […]

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December 29, 2021  

RILN 3 Questions with… 2021 Recap

As the year comes to a close, the RI Latino News (RILN) team is looking back at a year’s worth of producing content that provides greater visibility and voice to the Hispanic-Latino community. In 2021, NHLN made its debut with the â€œ3 Questions With…â€� (3QW) podcast. 3QW is a public affairs program tackling matters most important to […]

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