Colorado Rural Health Center

Colorado Rural Health Center State Office of Rural Health
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Last week, our CRHC workforce team attended the 3RNET Annual Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. This conference brou...
09/02/2026

Last week, our CRHC workforce team attended the 3RNET Annual Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. This conference brought rural and underserved healthcare workforce professionals and 3RNET Network Coordinators from across the country together to share ideas, build connections, and strengthen recruitment and retention best practices.

At the conference, our Director of Member Services, Sara Leahy, received the Kennedy-Kafer Service Award, which recognizes her dedication and contributions to 3RNET’s mission and rural healthcare workforce development. We’re so proud to see her work recognized alongside colleagues from across the 3RNET network!

Thank you for joining us for Safety Net Clinic Week!CRHC celebrated Safety Net Clinic Week this year by traveling to Del...
08/28/2026

Thank you for joining us for Safety Net Clinic Week!

CRHC celebrated Safety Net Clinic Week this year by traveling to Del Norte, Colorado to host a lunch for the Rio Grande Hospital and Clinics team. CRHC chose to honor the Rio Grande team for their participation in our recent video highlighting the importance of precepting in rural healthcare, as well as their recognition as a Top 10 Rural Healthcare Facility for Overall Performance in 2026.

The celebration lunch included a catered meal, a reading of the Governor’s Safety Net Clinic Week Proclamation by Arlene Harms, CEO of Rio Grande Hospital and Clinics, and a viewing of CRHC’s preceptor video. We were also joined by Dr. Mark Deutchman, Director of the School of Medicine Rural Track at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, who shared remarks about the importance of precepting and its role in preparing and encouraging the next generation of healthcare professionals to serve rural communities.

We are grateful for the Rio Grande team for welcoming our staff and celebrating Safety Net Clinic Week with us! Through their dedication to quality care and developing the future rural healthcare workforce, Rio Grande Hospital and Clinics continues to make a lasting impact in their community and beyond.

Earlier this year, the Colorado Rural Health Center team produced a video featuring Dr. J. Ely Walker, MD, MPH, at Rio G...
08/27/2026

Earlier this year, the Colorado Rural Health Center team produced a video featuring Dr. J. Ely Walker, MD, MPH, at Rio Grande Hospital and Clinics, and Jayden Frazier, a student in the Rural Track at the University of Colorado Anschutz, as they discussed the unique benefits of the rural preceptor-student relationship.

Precepting a student during a rural health rotation provides valuable hands-on experience for students while giving healthcare professionals an opportunity to help develop the next generation of the rural healthcare workforce.

In the state of Colorado, precepting can also provide a financial benefit. The Colorado Rural and Frontier Health Care Preceptor Tax Credit provides an annual state income tax credit of $2,000 per rotation for eligible primary care professionals who volunteer to mentor students in rural and frontier areas.

By serving as a preceptor, rural providers can support a student’s education, provide meaningful exposure to rural practice, and contribute to strengthening Colorado’s rural healthcare workforce.

Watch the video and learn more about the Preceptor Tax Credit at https://coruralhealth.org/preceptor-survey

To celebrate Safety Net Clinic Week this year, CRHC is hosting a luncheon for policymakers, funders, providers, and othe...
08/26/2026

To celebrate Safety Net Clinic Week this year, CRHC is hosting a luncheon for policymakers, funders, providers, and other healthcare partners in Del Norte today, August 26th.

CRHC chose to honor Rio Grande Clinic today for their dedicated service to rural Rio Grande County, their participation in CRHC’s recent video about precepting in rural facilities, and in light of their recognition as a Top 10 Rural Healthcare Facility for Overall Performance in 2026.

At The Colorado Rural Healthcare Conference in April, Rio Grande Clinic was one of the Top 5 Rural Health Clinic awardees, achieving the “Financial Navigator Award” specifically. The awards were determined using Stroudwater’s Rural Health Clinic Financial Dashboard, and based on five key criteria: preventive care and vaccination efficiency, overhead and administrative efficiency, clinical throughput, staffing stability and investment, and revenue cycle and reimbursement.

Safety net clinics play a critical role in making healthcare accessible to Coloradans who may otherwise face barriers to...
08/25/2026

Safety net clinics play a critical role in making healthcare accessible to Coloradans who may otherwise face barriers to care, including people who are uninsured, underinsured, or have limited incomes. Safety net clinics offer a range of services, including but not limited to, primary care, behavioral health, dental, vision, and specialty care.

These clinics rely on a variety of funding sources, including grants, patient revenue, in-kind donations, and volunteer providers. Many work to ensure that an inability to pay does not prevent someone from receiving care, offering reduced rates, sliding fee scales, or free services when possible. Despite serving some of Colorado’s most vulnerable populations, safety net clinics do not receive supplemental federal funding or enhanced Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates.

This Safety Net Clinic Week, we’re recognizing the dedication and resilience of these clinics and the people who make accessible care possible in communities across Colorado. Thank you to Colorado’s safety net clinics for being there when your communities need you most!

Happy Safety Net Clinic Week!Each August, the Colorado Rural Health Center celebrates Safety Net Clinic Week (SNCW) to r...
08/24/2026

Happy Safety Net Clinic Week!

Each August, the Colorado Rural Health Center celebrates Safety Net Clinic Week (SNCW) to recognize the vital role safety net clinics play in providing accessible, high-quality healthcare to rural communities across Colorado.

This week, we’re shining a spotlight on the people, organizations, and state wide programs that work every day to ensure every Coloradan can access the care they need, regardless of where they live or their circumstances. We’ll also be celebrating with a lunch at one of CRHC’s member facilities.

Stay tuned throughout the week as we celebrate our safety net clinics and the communities they serve!

The CRHC Programs team has been busy on the road this summer, bringing Quality Improvement workshops to our rural member...
08/19/2026

The CRHC Programs team has been busy on the road this summer, bringing Quality Improvement workshops to our rural members across Colorado.

Within the past few weeks, we've visited Rio Grande Hospital in Del Norte for a Quality Improvement Bootcamp and Regional QI Workshop, followed by another Regional QI Workshop at Wray Community Hospital. In these workshops, participants strengthened their quality improvement skills through hands-on learning focused on problem-solving, root cause analysis, data-driven decision-making, and creating lasting improvements within their organizations.

Participants of these workshops included the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center, Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center, Family Health West, Aspen Valley Hospital, Rio Grande Hospital, Wray Community District Hospital, Keefe Memorial Hospital, Haxtun Health Hospital District, and Yuma District Hospital.

While at Rio Grande Hospital, our team also had the opportunity to tour Arlene’s Greenhouse, where fresh herbs and vegetables are grown for the community, and see one of the hospital’s cottages, which provides lodging for traveling providers, patients, and their families.

Thank you to Rio Grande Hospital and Wray Community District Hospital for welcoming us and partnering with us to make these workshops a success! We’re grateful for the opportunity to learn, connect, and support continuous improvement in rural healthcare.

Do you have insights that could benefit rural healthcare professionals? The Colorado Rural Healthcare Conference speaker...
08/10/2026

Do you have insights that could benefit rural healthcare professionals? The Colorado Rural Healthcare Conference speaker portal is officially open for submissions!

We’re seeking passionate, knowledgeable speakers to present at The Colorado Rural Healthcare Conference, April 13th - 16th, 2027 in Englewood, CO. This conference features two tailored education tracks designed to address the unique challenges rural clinics and hospitals experience. We are looking for speakers to present on our clinic track, hospital track, or to both audiences as a keynote speaker.

Selected speakers will have the opportunity to connect with a diverse audience of healthcare professionals, partners, and advocates, and contribute to shaping the future of rural healthcare in Colorado.

Submit your proposal by November 20th, 2026 to be considered. Visit our event webpage to learn more: https://coruralhealth.org/the-colorado-rural-healthcare-conference

It's the most wonderful time of the year... peach season! Thank you to our friends at Contexture for the delicious gift....
08/04/2026

It's the most wonderful time of the year... peach season!

Thank you to our friends at Contexture for the delicious gift.

Address

6551 South Revere Pkwy, Suite 155
Centennial, CO
80111

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+13038327493

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