Safety Net Clinic Week Recap

Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 was a great success! There were 24 individual site-visits from elected officials and candidates for office, 4 open houses, and 5 proclamations announcing Safety Net Clinic Week 2014. In the latest ClinicNET Conversations blog post, Sharon Adams reflects on the week and the record number of site-visits and how it left her feeling particularly inspired. "I am confident that with so many leaders taking an invested interest in learning about the health care safety net, we are getting closer to achieving our vision that Colorado’s vulnerable populations participate in and are well-served by a health care system that promotes healthy individuals living in healthy communities." Click here to read more!

We want to extend a big thank you to our Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 Coordinator, Tom Crowe, who returns to Colorado College for his senior year next week! ClinicNET enjoyed having him with us for the summer! We will miss him!

Andrea Autobee-Trujillo from Congresswoman Diana DeGette's Office and Tom Crowe with ClinicNET visited Robin Dickinson, MD at Community Supported Family Medicine!

Cheers to a great Safety Net Clinic Week 2014! And of course, thank you to COPIC and Kaiser Permanente for your generous support. And last but not least... "thank you to everyone who supported and participated in Safety Net Clinic Week 2014, and for being an inspiration to me personally and to ClinicNET in our role as a centralized voice for the safety net. I’m already looking forward to next year!" - Sharon Adams. Don't forget to check out our Facebook page to see pictures from the week!

   

Highlights from Safety Net Clinic Week 2014!

We have had a very busy week! From the Kickoff Celebration at Inner City Health Center, to open houses, to site visits, to proclamations, this has been a Safety Net Clinic Week to remember! Here are some of our favorite photos highlighting the different activities taking place across the state.

Care Coordinator Stacia Rabith, CFO Wesley Sykes and Executive Assistant Cheryl King-Simmons from Inner City Health Center, smile for a photo during the 2014 Safety Net Clinic Week Kickoff Celebration.

Nurse Practitioners Deanna Tolmann (left) and Erin Bullock (middle) from Head2Toe HealthCare gave Priscilla Resendiz (right), Constituent Services Advocate for US Senator Michael Bennet's Office, a tour of their clinic as well as a run-down on the mission of the clinic and the scope of their practice.

State Senator Pat Steadman, Andrea Autobee-Trujillo from Congresswoman Diana DeGette's office, and fellows from Colorado Consumer Health Initiative visited the Kids In Need of Dentistry clinic at the Metro Denver Dental Society to celebrate Safety Net Clinic Week!

If you have any questions regarding Safety Net Clinic Week 2014, feel free to reach out to the 2014 Safety Net Clinic Week Coordinator, Tom Crowe at thomas.crowe@clinicnet.org or (720) 863-7805.

Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 Proclaimed!

The State of Colorado, the City of Westminster and the City of Aurora have all proclaimed August 18-22, 2014 as Safety Net Clinic Week, recognizing Community Safety Net Clinics and federally certified Rural Health Clinics across the state!

CONCERNING RECOGNITION OF SAFETY NET CLINIC WEEK 2014

WHEREAS, there are 38 Community Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs) and 51 federally certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) located in 43 counties throughout Colorado; and

WHEREAS, these clinics were created by civic-minded individuals, health care professionals and systems, churches and other community organizations who recognized that there are countless individuals, children and families in need of access to health care services; and

WHEREAS, Colorado’s CSNCs and RHCs provide an estimated 878,000 visits to approximately 332,000 Colorado residents annually, many in rural and underserved parts of our state; and

WHEREAS, these clinics provide essential health care treatment and preventive services to vulnerable populations in communities throughout our state; and

WHEREAS, CSNCs and RHCs are safety net providers, serving primarily low income, vulnerable, at-risk Coloradans who are uninsured, underinsured or insured through public programs like Medicare, Medicaid or the subsidized health plans purchased through Connect for Health Colorado; and

WHEREAS, CSNCs and RHCs receive very little, if any government funding; instead they rely on a complex and vulnerable funding streams; and

WHEREAS, CSNCs and RHCs often lack human and technical resources, but are creating innovative solutions to delivering patient-centered, high quality care in an efficient and effective manner to their approximately 332,000 unique patients by some 878,000 patient visits each year; and
Therefore, I, John W. Hickenlooper, Governor of the State of Colorado, recognize that Community Safety Net Clinics and federally certified Rural Health Clinics provide essential health care services to Colorado’s underserved populations and areas; and

Express my appreciation and gratitude to all these clinics who dedicate their time, energy and resources to serving their communities; and

Do hereby proclaim August 18th – 22th, 2014,

SAFETY NET CLINIC WEEK in the state of Colorado.

Open Houses and Site-Visits During Safety Net Clinic Week 2014

Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 is right around the corner! Only 9 more days! We are very excited that so many clinics are participating in Safety Net Clinic Week this year.

So far, we have three open houses scheduled:

• Open Bible Medical Clinic, Tuesday, August 19th from 3-5pm
• Kids First Health Care, Wednesday, August 20th from 11-2pm
• Colorado Primary Care Clinic, all week (Aug. 18-22)

In addition to the open houses, there are site-visits with elected officials or candidates for office planned (or in the works) at the following clinics:

• ACS Community Lift Medical Services
• Ardas Family Medicine
• Carin' Clinic
• Children's Hospital Colorado Child Health Clinic
• Clinica Colorado
• Community Supported Family Medicine
• Fort Collins Family Medicine Center
• Head2Toe Health Care
• Kids First Health Care
• Kids in Need of Dentistry
• Marillac Clinic-Palisade
• Middle Park Medical Center at Waldern (Federally Certified Rural Health Clinic)
• Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics
• SET Family Medical Clinics
• Sister Joanna Bruner Family Medicine Center
• Southern Colorado Family Medicine
• Swedish Family Medicine
• Trinidad Family Medicine Center (Federally Certified Rural Health Clinic)
• Yuma Clinic (Federally Certified Rural Health Clinic)

Questions about Safety Net Clinic Week? Contact the 2014 Safety Net Clinic Week Coordinator, Tom Crowe at thomas.crowe@clinicnet.org or (720) 863- 7805.

Safety Net Clinic Week Webinar

Safety Net Clinic Week 2014

ClinicNET hosted our first ever webinar yesterday! We talked about Safety Net Clinic Week, our Toolkit and how ClinicNET affiliates can participate in Safety Net Clinic Week 2014!

If you are a ClinicNET affiliate and you missed the webinar, don't fret. You can listen to it here, or take a look at the slides (it's only 20 minutes)!

Remember, utilize the Toolkit to have the most successful Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 as possible!

Contact the 2014 Safety Net Clinic Week Coordinator, Tom Crowe, if you have any questions at thomas.crowe@clinicnet.org or (720) 863- 7805.

Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 will be here soon!

We have been very busy! We invited all of the Colorado legislators and candidates for office to participate in site-visits at clinics in their districts during Safety Net Clinic Week 2014. We have already received responses from legislators and candidates interested in participating. We will contact you directly if they are interested in visiting your clinic!

SAVE THE DATE!

Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 Webinar

July 30th, Noon - 1:00 pm

We will be going over the toolkit, giving advocacy tips and speaking points for site-visits and highlighting past year's activities. Stay tuned for registration information!

We have created a “toolkit” to help clinics participate in Safety Net Clinic Week 2014. We encourage you to use the resources included in the toolkit to have the most successful Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 as possible! You can find the toolkit on the Safety Net Clinic Week event page. 

Our Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 Project Coordinator, Tom Crowe, is available to help you with Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 activities. Please let him know if you utilize any part of the toolkit above or if you need help in doing so! He can be reached at 720-863-7805 and thomas.crowe@clinicnet.org.

Thank you to Kaiser Permanente and COPIC for their generous support of Safety Net Clinic Week 2014!

Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 "Toolkit"

Celebrate Safety Net Clinic Week 2014!

CLINIC “TOOLKIT”

In an effort to celebrate, support and raise awareness of Colorado's health care safety net, we encourage your clinic to participate in the fifth annual Safety Net Clinic Week, August 18-22, 2014. Sponsored by ClinicNET & the Colorado Rural Health Center, with support provided by COPIC and Kaiser Permanente, the week is devoted to educating the public, policymakers and other community leaders about Colorado’s Community Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs) and federally certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).

We have created a “toolkit” to help clinics participate in Safety Net Clinic Week 2014. We encourage you to use the resources included in the toolkit to have the most successful Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 as possible! Included in the “toolkit” are many easily customizable documents. Click on each item listed below to open:

• Short Overview of Safety Net Clinic Week
• Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 Logo (use as content for your website, blogs, social media, newsletters, email signatures, etc.) 
• Sample Letter to the Editor (for submission to your local media)
• Governmental Proclamation or Resolution (request a proclamation from your city and/or county)
• Safety Net Clinic Week Invitation (consider inviting your city and/or county public officials, and local business and community leaders to visit your clinic during Safety Net Clinic Week. *see helpful links below)
• Open House Invitation template (consider hosting an open house so folks can see and hear firsthand about the important work you are doing!)
• Safety Net Clinic Week Fact Sheet (include with any invitation you extend and use, in addition to specific information about your clinic, as speaking points during Safety Net Clinic Week)
• Safety Net Clinic Week Press Release (submit to your local media) 
• Social Media Guidelines
• List of all Community Safety Net Clinics and Rural Health Clinics 

ClinicNET and the Colorado Rural Health Center have requested a Proclamation of Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 from the Governor and we will be disseminating a statewide press release announcing Safety Net Clinic Week 2014. Additionally, we will be extending invitations to the Governor, Colorado’s Congressional Delegation, and all State Legislators and major party candidates for office to visit clinics in their district during Safety Net Clinic Week. We will contact you directly if they are interested in visiting your  clinic!

Our Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 Project Coordinator, Tom Crowe, is available to help you with Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 activities. Please let him know if you utilize any part of the toolkit above or if you need help in doing so! He can be reached at 720-863-7805 and thomas.crowe@clinicnet.org.

*Links to identify your local Elected Officials:
Identify your County Commissioners
Identify the members of your local government municipalities

Meet the 2014 Safety Net Clinic Week Coordinator!

Tom Crowe is a senior Biology major at Colorado College. Originally from a small town on the coast of Maine, he has found a new life and home in the Rocky Mountains. Tom is passionate about improving the lives of disadvantaged people in Colorado by supporting the health care safety net. He hopes to use his experience as a member of GlobeMed at Colorado College and his time spent studying health care abroad for improving the lives and capacity of individuals around the state. He is extremely excited for the potential impact he will have as the Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 Coordinator.

A joint collaboration between ClinicNET and The Colorado Rural Health Center, the fifth annual Safety Net Clinic Week will take place from August 18th through August 22nd. This is the perfect opportunity for community safety net clinics to educate their community and leaders about their role providing access to care to low-income, often medically vulnerable, Colorado residents. With the current evolution of health care, and potential unintended realities that come with such monumental change, the importance of highlighting the diversity of the health care safety net in Colorado cannot be overstated. Seize this opportunity to highlight an aspect of your clinic such as your dedicated volunteers, new programs services or partnerships; celebrate successes and highlight your work in our Colorado communities. 

A “toolkit” will be posted next week, so stay tuned! The “toolkit” will include fact sheets, flyers, logo and templates for press releases, letters to the editor, invitations for site-visits, and governmental proclamations.

I look forward to working with you and seeing all that will come from the Safety Net Clinic Week 2014.

Tom Crowe
thomas.crowe@clinicnet.org
(720) 863-7805

Save the Date: Safety Net Clinic Week 2014, August 18 – 22

Save the date for the 5th annual Safety Net Clinic Week, August 18-22, 2014!  The week will be devoted to educating the public and policy makers about often overlooked, but vitally important Community Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs). With all the recent changes in health care, this year it is even more crucial to raise public awareness of CSNCs and the impact you have on the patients you serve.

It's time to begin thinking of ways your clinic can participate! Are you interested in hosting city and/or county public officials or business leaders for a site-visit? How about hosting an open house? Seize this opportunity to celebrate and highlight an aspect of your clinic such as your volunteers, new programs or services, back to school activities, etc. Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 Coordinator, Tom Crowe, starts with us on July 1st. He will be in touch to help you get the most out of Safety Net Clinic Week 2014!