Why These Heroes Still Love Their Jobs Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ask any of our amazing frontline workers at Denver Health – from the housekeepers and food service workers, to the doctors, nurses, techs and more – and they will tell you they know the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. While some members of the community are getting "fatigued" with the restrictions to stop its spread – such as mask-wearing, social distancing of six feet or more and limits on the number of people at gatherings – the heroic frontline workers know first-hand what it's like to deal with the virus.

As part of Denver Health's celebration of Black History Month, we asked a few of our employees to introduce themselves, tell us why diversity is important at Denver Health and what Black History Month means to them. Here is just one of those responses:

Hey y’all, my name is Joe Kanzangu. I am a Patient Navigator at Denver Health with the Healthy Communities Outreach Program. I have been working here for approximately nine months, give or take.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and in recognition of that, I want to talk about the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program at Denver Health and what a person can expect if they come in for treatment following an assault.

One day, I was walking down 6th Avenue and a woman shouted in Spanish, "Are you an interpreter?”

I said, "yes, I am, do you need help?”