The Colorado Health Foundation is presenting the 2026 Dr. Virgilio Licona Community Health Leadership Award to Cinthia Saenz on October 9, 2026 in Gunnison, CO.
Cinthia was nominated for her work as Gunnison Valley Hospital's first Bilingual Patient Navigator as well as her work with Juntos por Gunnison, an organization bringing people together with respect for the language and culture of immigrants, newcomers, the established immigrant community, and the receiving community in Gunnison.
Cinthia immigrated to Gunnison from Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico more than 20 years ago and has spent many of those years as a grassroots community leader advocating, organizing, resource navigating, and supporting immigrant inclusion.
"When I got here, I saw so many barriers," Cinthia says. "Gunnison didn’t have a lot of bilingual people. I volunteered everywhere so people knew I spoke English and Spanish, and that’s how I started interpreting for people. Not as a professional, but as a friend and community member."
By advocating for her fellow immigrants, Cinthia is a part of Dr. Virgilio Licona's legacy of creating health equity for individual Coloradans and pushing systems forward.