On a mission: Comtrea is working to boost community, too
Comtrea, which offers an array of health services in Jefferson County and beyond, also wants to bolster the community it serves, CEO Sue Curfman said.
To that end, the agency is taking steps to promote racial and social equity in-house and in the community in light of societal unrest ignited by the May death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Comtrea also is promoting passage of Amendment 2 (the Medicaid Expansion Initiative) on the Aug. 4 ballot, which would broaden eligibility for Missouri residents who need Medicaid health care coverage.
“A key principle of Comtrea’s mission has been the pursuit of stable, healthy and equitable communities, not only in Jefferson County, but across all of Missouri,” Curfman said. “As an agency, we are committed to elevating racial and social equity as a core value of our work and to be a powerful voice in our community.”
Comtrea’s board has authorized the formation of a work group for this purpose.
“The work group is going to look at our current processes in order to build a more diverse workforce, not just working for people who come to us, but to go to the community to ask, ‘What are your barriers? How can we help meet your needs?’” Curfman said. “We also are working at the state level.”
She said Comtrea will conduct training on racial equity and implicit bias, review human resources policies around racial equity and hiring practices, and collaborate with the Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Healthcare and the Missouri Primary Care Association to work at the state level for racial equity and health equity.
She said passage of Amendment 2 will boost health equity.
“I believe that voting yes on Amendment 2 will help bring health care to individuals who don’t currently qualify,” Curfman said.
Curfman invites those with questions about her agency’s efforts to contact her at 636-296-6206 or email her at scurfman@comtrea.org.
