Deschutes County honors Lourdes Reyes, Volunteers in Medicine Clinic with 2025 Health Heroes Awards
Tyson Beauchemin
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners and the Public Health Advisory Board recognized the winners of the 2025 Health Heroes Awards at a special ceremony Tuesday at Ponderosa Park.
Every year, the County honors one individual and one organization with Health Heroes Awards for their contributions to promoting the mental, physical, spiritual and social well-being of Deschutes County citizens.
This year’s Individual Award winner is community health worker Lourdes Reyes, who serves as the Healthy Families Coordinator for the Latino Community Association.
Reyes uses a bilingual and bicultural approach to help her clients navigate the healthcare system. According to her nominator, Reyes’ work helps to reduce health care barriers, improve health literacy and build healthier futures for Latine families in Central Oregon.
The Organization Award winner is Volunteers in Medicine. Volunteers from a network of more the 300 dentists, counselors and doctors provide free and low-cost health care to the uninsured and underserved members of our community.
According to the group’s nominator, Volunteers in Medicine has provided over $155 million in medical treatment and services to more than 15,000 patients since 2004.