The Colorado Health Foundation believes that all Coloradans should have access to high-quality, patient-centered, comprehensive primary care.
We envision a future in which all Coloradans, including those currently facing barriers due to race, income and geography, have access to culturally responsive, high-quality primary care.
Why It Matters
According to the National Academy of Medicine, primary care is “the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community.”
Primary care providers provide preventive care, help manage chronic conditions and detect serious illnesses. Access to primary care is related to lower rates of illness and death.
Some Coloradans, especially Coloradans of color, face barriers to accessing quality primary care. These barriers include discrimination in the delivery of services, a lack of providers who look like them and cost-related challenges. Because of this, Coloradans of color may face higher rates of illness and worse health outcomes. Rural Coloradans also face barriers to quality primary care, including a lack of providers in their communities and high health care-related costs.
How We Will Reach Our Vision
Our pathway to reaching a future in which all Coloradans have access to quality primary care includes:
- Strategically funding and supporting efforts by primary care clinics to implement practices that foster health equity
- Strategically funding and supporting primary care clinics’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts
- Strategically funding efforts to train and recruit a diverse primary care workforce
Resources
- Read a blog post about health care perceptions among low-income Coloradans
- Learn more about current open funding
- Access the latest information about Coloradans’ perspectives on health through Pulse, the Colorado Health Foundation Poll
- Apply for our annual Dr. Virgilio Licona Community Health Leadership Award
- Stay updated about our work by joining our mailing list