Stories of Change

We are pleased to share that Joanna Sakata has established the Joanna Sakata Family Rural Health Endowment with a generous gift of $1 million.

Sakata Farms has been a family owned and operated farm since 1956 and is a leader in Colorado agriculture. For the past 69 years, Joanna has lived and worked on the farm and understands the challenges faced by rural communities. She recognizes that ensuring accessible, top-tier healthcare for the rural population is essential in maintaining the well-being of this vital community. 

Therefore, distributions from this fund will be used to support the Rural Program within the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The fund will provide flexible resources to advance strategic initiatives, strengthen core offerings and address the Rural Program’s greatest needs, including housing support for students conducting clinical rotations within the program.  

Joanna hopes the Rural Program will continue to cultivate influential leaders and innovators who advance rural healthcare.   

We offer a special note of gratitude to Mark Deutchman, MD, Melanie DeHerrera, EdD, MPA, and the team for their dedication to and passion for the Rural Program. Thank you also to Lauren Wise and Marti Laule in the Office of Advancement and Cheryl Kisling of the Office of the President for their efforts and involvement in securing this generous endowment.