Healing the mountain: Utah Navajo Health System ushers in a new era of care for Naatsis’áán, Paiute Canyon
Navajo Times | Krista Allen
At the Navajo Mountain Community Health Center, staff members Loretta Coleman (left), Roxanna Yazzie (center), and Eleanor Yazzie (right) stand in the space soon to be replaced by a new health care facility, a major step forward for medical services in this remote community.
NAVAJO MOUNTAIN, Utah
Five years ago, the coronavirus pandemic swept through this small, remote community, shuttering schools, closing the chapter house, and claiming the lives of at least 20 residents.
As businesses folded in larger towns, the roads here emptied and grim predictions loomed. But when the crisis finally subsided and life slowly returned to a semblance of normal, the staff, an all-women team – at the Navajo Mountain Community Health Center realized it had made it through – battered, changed, but enduring.
Today, the all-women team at the health center stands as a testament to resilience and strength.
“It’s women power,” said Eleanor Yazzie, the center’s patient transport technician. “We’re like a family here. We’re a small community. We know each other and we’re proud of what we’ve built together.”
To read the full article, please see the May 8, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.
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