FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE		Media Contact: Bob Mook
May 4, 2010		Office: (303) 953-3686

 
Health clinics to receive $18 million in grants to help uninsured Coloradans

Funds will 'strengthen the safety net' of community health centers throughout the state

DENVER -- Colorado's 15 Federally Qualified Health Centers will receive nearly $18 million from the Colorado Health Foundation to cover expenses ranging from construction projects to simple operating costs. The money comes at a crucial time as health centers face increased demand due to the slowly recovering economy and the rapidly changing health care landscape.

"It's clear the need for high-quality, coordinated health care services that include mental health, physical health and dental care for low-income, uninsured and under-insured Coloradans is desperate and growing," said Anne Warhover, president and CEO of the Colorado Health Foundation. "It's also a fact that local community health centers that offer this full spectrum of care have proven to be cost-effective and high-quality care models upon which we can build."

The grants will provide the centers with grants ranging from roughly $300,000 to $3 million for both general operating expenses and capital support. The Foundation estimates up to 67,000 individuals will be served through the grants during the coming two years.  View a list of the recipient clinics.

"This generous investment by the Colorado Health Foundation will help community health centers strengthen their base to continue to serve the people of Colorado and will help set the stage for future growth under health care reform," said Ross Brooks, chief operations officer of the Colorado Community Health Network. "With the changing health care landscape, this investment will help community health centers offer high-quality primary care to Colorado's communities and to employ Coloradans in health care professions in their home towns."

CCHN's Brooks cautioned that while the Foundation's grants will give Colorado's community health centers a much-needed bridge to expand and continue operations, the centers won't be able to keep up with growing demand without support from multiple funding sources. But Brooks is optimistic that the centers will meet the challenges of the future.

"Under the health care reform law, during the next five years, the national community health center network has the great honor and obligation to expand capacity to care for nearly 20 million new patients," he said. "CCHN and Colorado's community health centers, through our Access for All Colorado plan, are working toward caring for a half million more people than today, doubling the number of people who call Colorado community health centers their health care home."

About the Colorado Health Foundation
The Colorado Health Foundation works to make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation by increasing the number of Coloradans with health insurance, ensuring they have access to quality, coordinated care and encouraging healthy living. The Foundation invests in the community through grants and initiatives to health-related nonprofits that focus on these goals, as well as operating medical education programs to increase the health care workforce. The Foundation's assets of more than $900 million include an investment portfolio as well as an ownership interest in Denver's HealthONE hospital system. For more information, please visit www.ColoradoHealth.org. 

About the Colorado Community Health Network
The Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN) is the collective voice for Colorado's 15 Community Health Centers (CHCs) and their patients. CHCs provide a health care home to more than 500,000 of their community members - one in 10 people in Colorado - from 55 of the state's 64 counties. Without CHCs, hundreds of thousands of Colorado's low-income families and individuals would have no regular source of health care. CCHN's mission is to increase access to high quality health care for people in need in Colorado. For more information about CCHN, please visit www.cchn.org.