Nearly all of Colorado鈥檚 community health centers are receiving federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The $4.7 million will help expand primary care services for low-income patients at 16 health centers across the state.
Colorado has a network of 18 federally qualified health centers that aim to serve patients who otherwise could not afford health care services. In Colorado, centers get between 10 and 20 percent of their funding from federal grants, with the rest coming from various state and local sources.
in Evans will receive just over $304,000. Mitzi Moran, CEO at Sunrise, says the money will enhance services at their recently expanded clinic in Loveland.
"This funding will add a physician, a dentist, and several support staff members, both on the clinical side and the business side, to enable that team to see what we hope is 1,200 unduplicated patients by the end of 2016," Moran says.
Community health centers 鈥� the health insurance program for low-income adults. The funding, available through the federal Affordable Care Act, will help health centers statewide.
Moran says local support and partnerships 鈥� which played a large role in the center鈥檚 recent expansion 鈥� allowed Sunrise to compete for and receive the funds.
"Had we not expanded, I wouldn鈥檛 be in a position to say, 'yes 鈥� I can add on more staff to support this,'" Moran says. "We wouldn鈥檛 have been poised and ready for this opportunity."
