MEET THE CHWs

The UT AHEC Program Office has engaged CHWs to teach UT AHEC Scholars and practicing clinicians culturally sensitive, high quality telehealth care for members of underserved urban and rural communities. Minority populations in Utah faced disparities in access to care prior to the pandemic, and are now even more severely disadvantaged due to lack of access to telehealth services. While the use of telehealth appears to be one answer to the challenges of quarantine, social distance, disinfection and hygiene, it must be done in ways that take into account the populations most affected, their technological and cultural barriers, as well as their excess incidence of infection. CHWs are uniquely suited to bridge the gap between services and need for care for diverse groups.

Coming from the communities, they serve, and bringing deep understanding both of the cultural needs affecting health in these communities, CHWs can help people access care, while also helping caregivers provide culturally competent health services with humility and respect. Telehealth services, in particular, raise special challenges for members of minority communities in trust, communication, and understanding, and challenges for health professionals to know how best to use telehealth in ways that are culturally appropriate and effective. CHWs can address this challenge by teaching health professions students and clinicians to work effectively with underserved patients of varying ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

 

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Valentine Mukundente, CHW

Originally from Rwanda, Agrica, Valentine Mukundente and her parents were relocated to Salt Lake City as refugees. Before they came to America, however, Mukundente and her family were sent to a refugee camp in Zambia where she spent her high school years.  In Zambia, Mukundente worked as a translator for the United Nations Hight Commissioner for Refugees while her family waited to be relocated to America.  She had learned French and Swahili as a child in Rwanda and English while in high school.  She is the founder of Best of Africa, and a founding member of Community Faces of Utah.  She resides in Salt lLake City with her husband and two children.  Valentine holds an MPA degree.

Valentine Mukundente, CHW 
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Feli Anne Soriano Hipol, PhD(c), MPH

Feli Anne Soriano Hipol, MPH, PhD(c) is a Filipino American student in the Division of Public Health researching Type II Diabetes in the American Indian/Alaska Native, Latino/Hispanic, and Pacific Islander communities in Utah. 

She currently works as a Health Equity Program Specialist for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, in the Office of Health Equity, and works to advance the CHW workforce through the implementation of CHW State Certification.

She represents and supports the Asian American community and was a Community Health Worker for the Covid Community Partnership Project with the OCA Asian Pacific Islander American Advocates Utah (2020-2021) and past board member 

for OCA Utah (2017-2021). She was a member of the Inter-Professional Education Pilot Team for the University of Utah (2016-2017), and was part of the Utah Department of Health Maternal Child Health Program Statewide Needs Assessment 

Team (2019-2020). She is passionate about practicing cultural humility and compassion, addressing health disparities through community-based participatory research, health equity, serving underserved and underrepresented communities, 

substance use disorder and mental health, maternal child health, and preventive health.

Feli Anne Soriano Hipol, PhD(c), MPH
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Ivana Holiday

Ivana Holiday is Diné (Navajo) from the Navajo Nation.
She works as a Community Wellness Liaison with the
Salt Lake City Public Library and Urban Indian Center
of Salt Lake and a member of the All of Us Community
Advisory Board. Ivana advocates for the needs of the
American Indian/Alaskan Native communities that she
works with. She also helps provide health information
and resources to American Indian/Alaskan Native
communities members.

Raised on the Navajo Nation, Ivana saw the problems
and obstacles that her Diné people faced. My passion
for community health work was fueled by the
challenges that her grandparents face when seeking
care for their diabetes and other health issues. She
studied Public Health and Environmental Policy at Fort
Lewis College in Colorado. She has coordinated
supply (food, cleaning supplies, and toys) distribution
in her hometown of Monument Valley, UT during the
pandemic to Navajo community members. She
believes everyone has a right to basic necessities of
food, running water, and electricity as well as
healthcare and resources to live their best life.
As a young Diné woman, Ivana feels for all the
underrepresented youth who strive to make a
difference in their communities.

Ivana Holiday, CHW
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Jeannette Villalta, CHW 

Jeannette was born in Guatemala and has lived in Salt Lake City for 22 years now. She works as a Community Wellness Coach for the Hispanic Healthcare Task Force, as a Community Health Worker and Outreach Specialist for Alliance Community Services and as a Community Liaison for Multicultural Counseling Center.

She studied Business Administration in Guatemala City. She is Certified Case Management and Health Coach from the University of Utah, Certified Peer Support Specialist by Utah State University, Certified Victim Assistance.

Advocate by the Office of Victims of Crime. Certified as a Sexual Assault Advocate by Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Graduated from Humanities course Westminster College, Humanities in Focus Filming and Westside Leadership. She is an active member of the Community working as a Promotora (Community Health Worker) for over 18 years and constantly learning new things in order to teach and train people around her. For her effort in 2016 she was honored with the Trailblazer Award by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Utah. In 2013 she participated as a panelist in a TV show, 2014–2015 hosted a radio show “Voces de la Comunidad” and “Somos Utah” in 2016, both programs were dedicated to inform the Latin Community members about non-profit organizations, health and social resources available and community events. She is married to Oscar Villalta and has two sons Christopher and Derek. Her hobbies are reading philosophy and watching science documentaries.

Her volunteer work in non-profit organizations includes, among others:

  • Community Health Workers certification with the Utah Health Department since 2012
  • UPHA/CHW Section Chair 2015/2017
  • PCORI Diabetes Co-leader Research Study University of Utah
  • Safe Kids from Utah County Health Department Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST)
  • HIV Prevention and Counseling program with the Utah Health Department
  • NAMI Utah “National Alliance for Mental Illness” as a board member and F2F State Trainer.

She believes that we all have rights and we all deserve respect and opportunities regardless of our creed, sexual orientation, age, language or cultural values. Our community needs representation, guidance and support to be able to assist its residence to recognize that they are an essential part of this great society, which in many cases is completely different from their places of origin.

Jeannette Villalta, CHW 
oreta

Oreta Tupola

Current EdD Organizational Leadership Student, Argosy University

Master Social Work, University of Hawaii Manoa

Bachelors Social Work, Brigham Young University of Hawaii

Oreta M. Tupola was born and raised in Laie, Hawaii and moved to Orem, Utah in 2015. Oreta has 25 years of experience in community outreach, advocacy and health working with underserved communities. Her love for community work started at a young age growing up in a small rural town in Laie, Hawaii.

Oreta obtained a bachelor’s in social work at Brigham Young University Hawaii with her desire to assist community members in navigating and accessing needed resources. Life has brought gratitude and blessings from serving community members, especially working within her own Pacific Island community. Oreta started as a volunteer working with the underserved communities in Hawaii and continues to serve in Utah to address to social needs, improve health equity and access and to facilitate change through “talk story” around cultural norms and behaviors attached to negative stigma that has contributed to many of the concerns the PI community is dealing with today. With the focus of building capacity and communities she believes that it is her responsibility to give back to her Pacific Island Village. She understands the value of reciprocity, respect and trust for her people and honors that in her work as she serves the individuals and families she works with.

Besides community work her passion is Polynesian Dancing, watching her boys play Football and playing with her grandsons Dallas and Tauhi. Words to live by “When you Learn, Teach. When you Get, Give.”

Oreta Tupola, CHW
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Cathy Wolfsfeld, CHW

Ms. Cathy Wolfsfeld serves as the CHW for the African American community at the Calvary Babtist Church in downtown Salt Lake City.  She mainly works with diabetes. prevention where she is certified as a “Life Coach”.  Cathy also works with women’s heart health with a focus on high blood pressure control.  In her community, comorbidities such as diabetes and high blood pressure are a common thread in the lives of many.  Being a CHW gives her community a familiar and trusted face and voice that will bridge the gap between physicians and their patients, so there will be mutual understanding and respect.  Cathy is currently serving her community by facilitating COVID-19 vaccination clinics at Calvary Babtist.  She and her colleagues are also working on a series of health fair initiatives for the well-being of our community, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Cathy Wolfsfeld, CHW
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Ryan Benally, AHEC Scholars CHW for Rural Utah

Ryan Benally is a member of the Navajo Nation living
with his wife, Genevieve Mitchell-Benally, and children
in San Juan County, Utah. Ryan is involved in civil
service projects and programs in Utah with
Navajo people to include the Utah Navajo Trust Fund,
the San Juan County Economic Development Board,
and is the “Commander” of the Red Mesa Chapter
House - Veteran Organization.

Ryan Benally, CHW