WHAT
WHAT THE
WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE IN THE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. >> Reporter: NOT ALL COLORADANS
ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THE
PANDEMIC THE SAME.
IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES,
MORE HAVE FRONTLINE JOBS AND
LESS ACCESS TO TESTING AND
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE SEEING
CASES RISING.
CASES RISING. WHEN CORONAVIRUS HIT COLORADO,
IT SPREAD EVERYWHERE FAST.
NEARLY 132,000 TESTS LATER, WE
KNOW IT IS STILL SPREADING JUST
NOT EVERYWHERE EQUALLY.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE
NUMBERS AND WHAT WE KNOW FROM
COVID RIGHT NOW IS THAT PEOPLE
OF COLOR ARE THE ONES THAT ARE
BEING MOST EFFECTED BY THIS.
>> Reporter: FROM MOUNT BELLOW
TO ESTES PARK, THEY ARE CITY
WORKERS, HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONALS, PARENTS.
PROFESSIONALS, PARENTS. THEY ARE THE UNDERSERVED.
>> THE ONLY CHOICE WE HAVE IS
TO CONTINUE TO WORK AND PROVIDE
FOR OUR FAMILIES.
>> Reporter: THEY DIDN'T ALL
HAVE CORONAVIRUS, BUT THEY'VE
ALL BEEN IMPACTED BY IT.
>> POPULATIONS HAVE PREEXISTING
DISEASES AND CONDITIONS, SO IT
INCREASES THEIR RISK AND
VULNERABILITY FOR THAT
POPULATION.
POPULATION. >> Reporter: BEING UNDERSERVED,
THEIR PREEXISTING CONDITIONS
AREN'T JUST PHYSICAL.
TAKE A COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
IN GLOBEVILLE WHERE MOST
PATIENTS ARE BELOW THE FEDERAL
POVERTY LINE.
POVERTY LINE. >> WE'RE ABOUT 78% UNINSURED
WHICH IS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE
OUT OF ANY COMMUNITY HEALTH
CENTER IN THE STATE.
>> Reporter: THE CLINIC RELIES
ON STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING.
RESOURCES ARE ALWAYS TIGHT.
NOW DR. PAMELA VALENCIA SAYS
THERE IS ALMOST NONE.
>> TESTING HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE
CHALLENGE EVEN THE HEALTH CARE
WORKERS AT MY FACILITY.
I COULDN'T GET THEM TESTED.
>> Reporter: WITHOUT TESTING,
THERE ISN'T TRACING.
LOOK AT COLORADO'S POPULATION.
68% WHITE, 21% HISPANIC AND 4%
BLACK.
BLACK.
BLACK. CASE SPREAD SHOULD LOOK SIMILAR
TO THIS.
TO THIS.
TO THIS. INSTEAD EVEN WITH 2.7 MILLION
MORE WHITE PEOPLE IN
COLORADO,HISPANIC AND WHITE
CASES ARE ALMOST THE SAME.
>> WE ARE AT A POINT NOW WHERE
I FEEL WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO
OUR COMMUNITY TO STEP UP OUR
TESTING.
TESTING.
TESTING. >> Reporter: THE DOCTOR HAS
BEEN TRYING TO EXPAND TESTING
FOR THEIR 45
00 PATIENTS.
00 PATIENTS. SO FAR, THE HEALTH CENTER HAS
RECEIVED ONLY
RECEIVED ONLY 75 TEST KITS.
WOULD YOU SAY TESTING DESERT IS
A FAIR CONDITION?
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
>> Reporter: THE LACK OF ACCESS
HAS MADE SERVING THIS COMMUNITY
THAT MUCH HARDER TODAY.
AN HOUR AND A HALF NORTH,
ANOTHER UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.
THIS TIME IN THE MOUNTAINS.
>> I'VE NOT BEEN PAID SINCE
I'VE BEEN SICK.
>> Reporter: SHE IS A NURSING
HOME PHYSICAL THERAPIST.
>> I WAS ACTUALLY SCARED TO
DEATH EVERY DAY I WAS GOING TO
WORK.
WORK.
WORK. >>
WORK. >> Reporter: THE NATURE OF
LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK,
SHE COULDN'T AFFORD NOT TO
WORK.
WORK.
WORK. >>
WORK. >> YOU'RE NOT PHYSICALLY
DISTANCED.
DISTANCED. YOU'RE WITH YOUR PATIENT.
I WAS SITTING THERE TALKING TO
A LITTLE, OLD LADY LIKE THIS.
SHE DIED THREE DAYS LATER.
>> Reporter: IT DIDN'T TAKE
LONG FOR THE RISK TO OUTWEIGH
THE REWARD.
THE REWARD. BY EARLY APRIL, SHE STARTED
SHOWING SYMPTOMS.
SHOWING SYMPTOMS. IN A RURAL COMMUNITY LIKE ESTES
PARK, THERE WAS NO TESTING EVEN
FOR A SYMPTOMATIC HEALTH CARE
WORKER.
WORKER.
WORKER. >> YOU LIKELY HAVE COVID.
YOU DO THEY BASICALLY SAID.
HOW DID SHE PUT IT?
WE HAVE VERY LIMITED TESTS.
>> Reporter: SHE AND A LOT OF
SYMPTOMATIC WORKERS RELY ON
THAT POSITIVE TEST TO GET SICK
LEAVE.
LEAVE.
LEAVE. >>
LEAVE. >> THE CLOSEST PLACE SHE COULD
HAVE GOT ME TESTED AT THAT
POINT WAS IN WELLINGTON, HOUR
AND A HALF DRIVE.
I DIDN'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO
GET OFF THE COUCH LET ALONE
DRIVE THAT FAR.
>> Reporter: EVEN STAYING HOME
WAS A RISK WITHOUT THAT
POSITIVE TEST.
POSITIVE TEST. SHE HASN'T BEEN CALLED BACK TO
WORK IN SIX WEEKS.
LOW ACCESS AND LOW INCOME,
PREEXISTING CONDITIONS OF THE
UNDERSERVED THAT HAVE MADE
CORONAVIRUS MORE DIFFICULT AND
MORE DANGEROUS.
MORE DANGEROUS. HOW CAN WE KEEP CASES FROM
RISING FOR EVERYONE?
WE'RE TOLD THE ANSWER IS
TESTING.
TESTING.
TESTING. >> THE MORE WE TEST, THE MORE
WE KNOW.
WE KNOW.
WE KNOW. >> Reporter: A TEST DOESN'T
HOLD THE SAME POWER.
>> HOW ARE THEY GOING TO LIVE
IN A SMALL HOUSE AND OUR HOUSE
IS JUST TWO BEDROOMS, A SMALL,
LITTLE LIVING ROOM AND A
KITCHEN?
KITCHEN?
KITCHEN? I MEAN, WHERE DO I HIDE?
WHERE DO I GO IF I WERE TO GET
SICK?
SICK?
SICK? >>
SICK? >> Reporter: MORE ON THAT
TOMORROW IN PART TWO.
WITH