The Miners Colfax Black Lung Team not only sees patients in Raton but also takes their services on the road to offer the same screenings and testing for miners across the state – and beyond.
The outreach truck and mobile unit team are made up of Miners Colfax respiratory therapists, nurses, audiometry (hearing), spirometry (breathing) and outreach and benefits specialists, as well as a nurse practitioner and a pulmonologist.
The outreach truck offers free screenings for miners monthly, while the mobile unit makes a scheduled trip in and outside the state every few months, said Kim Chavez, the Black Lung Outreach Program supervisor.
On a recent trip, the team included Miners Colfax respiratory therapists Stephen Deaton and Amber Logan, LeeAnn Dominguez, RN, Lisa Abeyta, RN, outreach specialist Rudy Dominguez, audiometry specialist Brent Clibon, outreach and spirometry specialist Linda Clibon, and Chavez. They were joined by UNM’s George Dresden, ACNP, and Akshay Sood, MD, MPH.
The team’s trips represent the commitment by Miners Colfax to do outreach for the many who worked in coal mines for generations across the Mountain West, said Roy Fernandez, who serves on its board of trustees and worked in the York Canyon Mine from 1976 to 1989. “We have a dedicated group of people who put in a lot of miles,” he said.
The caravan traveled seven hours to the northwest corner of the state to the communities of Kirtland and Shiprock, with a trip planned to Utah in April, said Chavez, whose father worked in the Allen Mine in Weston, Colo., for 21 years. During its last run, in November 2024, the team saw 45 miners.
The biggest reward is when the coal miners get their actual black lung benefits. But I love helping them through the whole process and making sure we track them, even if they don't qualify. We want them to come back and retry every year and not lose faith in the program.