Luis Aceves is the newest member of the Latino Leadership Council at Compassion & Choices, a group of leaders committed to advancing health equity and expanding end-of-life options within Latino and Hispanic communities across the United States.

As the marketing and business development lead at Research, Education, and Access for Community Health (REACH), he helps provide affordable, culturally competent health services, resources, and education to Latinos and the broader community in Las Vegas, Nevada. REACH is also a partner site for the Ventanillas de Salud (Windows of Health) pilot program — a public health initiative of the Mexican government in which Compassion & Choices is also involved.

For over five years, Compassion & Choices has proudly partnered with REACH, working together to provide end-of-life information and support to their community. Read on to learn about the local impact of this work, the health landscape in Las Vegas, and more.

What inspired REACH to start working with Compassion & Choices?

We began working together during the difficult days of the pandemic, and our partnership has continued to grow in the years since.

We wanted to partner with Compassion & Choices because we realized that Latinos in our community needed more guidance on end-of-life planning. Death is a topic that nobody wants to talk about but that everyone needs to address. We must approach our community about these issues in a culturally appropriate way, which Compassion & Choices has helped us do.

How has your partnership with Compassion & Choices made a difference in your community?

We are really grateful to have had Compassion & Choices’ support in developing culturally competent materials about the end of life. Through the years, we have been increasing the number of people that we serve — and having the right tools to use on the ground is key. Compassion & Choices has also helped provide training to our team so that we can better educate and serve our community about end-of-life issues.

Collaborating with Compassion & Choices has been beautiful because we have been able, with your support, to expand our work educating and empowering the Latino community in Las Vegas.

We serve around 120,000 people per year through our programs, including Ventanillas de Salud; La Ruta de la Salud, our mobile clinic; and Salvando tu Salud, a no-cost health program created with the government of El Salvador. Partnerships with groups like Compassion & Choices make this impact possible. But we’re not just focused on the numbers; what matters is how many lives we are changing through these efforts.

We at REACH are here for Compassion & Choices, just as Compassion & Choices has been there for us. Working together feels like a family, and we look forward to continuing this partnership.

What is the current landscape of health access and education in Las Vegas?

We need more doctors and mental health providers who are skilled in serving diverse communities. Access to healthcare has been getting more complicated for our community, too. Accessing health insurance and healthcare in general can be really difficult and expensive, and many people are overwhelmed.

There are some options, like Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which serve people regardless of their immigration status, insurance coverage, or ability to pay. But these organizations are often overwhelmed, appointments are frequently scheduled months out, and there can be a lack of culturally-informed providers. 

While our community needs to be educated about healthcare, they also need to be able to access it.

Especially right now, there is fear and misinformation and some people are afraid to access or apply for benefits, even if they are eligible for them. Thankfully, our community trusts REACH and that has made a huge difference. 

Things are challenging right now, but we are here. We never give up. And we’re going to continue serving our community.

How did REACH show up during the COVID-19 and how did the pandemic impact your work?

When the pandemic started, the Southern Nevada Health District didn’t have a mobile clinic — but we did. So we started to work together to offer COVID testing. For nine months, every day, even in 117 degree heat, we offered testing. After that, we worked with them on vaccination efforts.

We manage the Ventanillas de Salud program in Nevada, a public health initiative of the Mexican consulate in the United States. There are over fifty Ventanillas de Salud sites nationwide but we were the first to offer the COVID-19 vaccine and have a pop-up vaccination site.

One day, I remember one of the Las Vegas fire chiefs told me that their system was down and so we needed to cancel the vaccination clinic for the next day. But we already had 280 people scheduled. I just said, “No, we are not going to cancel anything… We’re going to make it happen. We’re Latinos. We’re going to make it work.” 

And the next day, everything ran smoothly. We made it happen because of our people — because we are a part of the community that we’re serving.

COVID-19 was one of the worst moments for everyone, but one of the most beautiful moments for us as a team and an organization because we were able to respond, to take the hand of each individual in our community, and let them know that we are going to get through this together.

Members of REACH with Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkle

Since the pandemic, we have seen a greater understanding of the healthcare system within our community. We’re not giving them a voucher for ice cream or tacos if they get a vaccine or get tested for HIV. If they do something for their health, it is because they want to and understand why it matters. We are helping generate this awareness and these lifestyle changes, and we are so proud of that.

Also in recent years, we have seen a growing diversity of people coming to REACH for support — including non-Latino immigrants. They feel comfortable coming to our locations and events. We have served people from Brazil, Ukraine, Israel… It is amazing that we have the privilege to serve our entire community through these efforts.

What are you most excited about in joining the Compassion & Choices Latino Leadership Council?

Joining the Latino Leadership Council is a privilege and an opportunity for me personally and for REACH as an organization. I look forward to learning how I can better serve my community and I hope I can bring my experience and expertise to the table, too.

Serving on the Latino Leadership Council is also a way to say thank you to Compassion & Choices for all the support we have received at REACH. Anytime we have a crazy idea, you say: “Yes, we’re going to support you. We’re gonna make it happen. We’re gonna work together.” If we really want a better world, we need to partner and collaborate in the way that REACH and Compassion & Choices are doing.

It’s a gift to me to serve on the Latino Leadership Council, to deepen REACH’s partnership with Compassion & Choices, and to help further our shared mission in this way.

For 10 years, Compassion & Choices has made an intentional effort to reach Latino and Hispanic communities with end-of-life resources and support. Through collaborating with partners like REACH, hosting events, creating free bilingual resources, and more, we aim to address inequities and equip all people to take charge of their end-of-life care. Learn more and get involved.

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