Navigator - Provider Newsletter from Colorado Access

Dear Health Community Colleague,

Welcome to the second edition this month of the Navigator. In this issue, you’ll find a provider partnership story highlighting our collaboration with Colorado Primary Care Clinic, information related to COVID-19, and a deeper dive into social determinants of health.

If you want to learn more about anything in this issue of the Navigator or just have a question, please contact us. You can also follow us on any of our social media channels using the links below.

In good health,
Colorado Access

Colorado Primary Care Clinic delivers high quality and affordable care to metro Denver’s underserved population, with a focus of improving health care one patient at a time. Founded by nurse practitioner Dawn Fetzko in 2010, it is the only nurse practitioner owned and operated clinic in the state of Colorado with National Committee of Quality Assurance (NCQA) status.

Dawn and her team of nurse practitioners provide more than just primary care services. Dedicated to enriching the lives of their community, they often host events such as back-to-school backpack drives in the fall, and Santa programs in the winter, where children can meet Santa and receive some
Christmas presents.

It was this same dedication to the community that fueled Dawn’s mission to keep the clinic open when the pandemic hit, and her determination to get shots in arms as COVID-19 vaccines became available. “We didn’t know what we were facing, but we did it,” Dawn recalled.

She and her staff understood that being there for their patients was more critical now than ever before. In fact, within three days of the shutdown, Dawn and her team managed to fully transition from in-person care to telehealth services. “They could have quit, but they knew how important the work was and what it meant to the community, and so they stayed,” she added.

Dawn and her team were able to acquire funding streams from various organizations, including Colorado Access, and while most of the funds went towards keeping the clinic open, Dawn made sure a portion went directly to her staff as well. “They continue to stay, and to work. We still don’t know what the future looks like but we’re here, and it shows the level of commitment and fortitude that we have.”

When COVID-19 vaccines became available, Dawn received an invitation from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to participate in their vaccine program. Dawn worked with elected officials to navigate the logistics of operating a vaccine clinic, and soon nonprofit organizations and local businesses began contacting her with sponsorship requests. In fact, The Stampede, a country-western nightclub located in Aurora, offered to host the vaccination clinics.

As luck would have it, Colorado Alliance for Health Equity and Practice (CAHEP) had expressed interest in hosting health equity events at The Stampede as well. The two organizations joined forces and expanded the scope of the vaccination clinics to include a health equity focus. Through these partnerships, Colorado Primary Care Clinic and CAHEP have been able to vaccinate and provide resources for hundreds of individuals each week.

The vaccination clinics have become so successful that they have started to outgrow The Stampede. Dawn and Colorado Primary Care Clinic have hosted additional vaccination clinics at the Islamic Center and are currently in the process of organizing a large-scale drive-through vaccination clinic with the City of Aurora, which is poised to fully vaccinate upwards of 25,000 people in the coming months. Thanks to the support of Colorado Access and other local organizations, Colorado Primary Care Clinic has been able to continue to support the community through the pandemic.

To learn more about Colorado Primary Care Clinic, visit their website
at cpcci.net/
Do you have a story to share? We’d love to hear from you! Please email us
at stories@coaccess.com.

This new series will illuminate social factors that lead to health inequalities and disparities or help to decrease them. We hope this monthly series will support your existing efforts by providing resources and educational opportunities while exploring current trends and best practices. Click here to read this month's column, which highlights the work of The Center for African American Health and health disparities faced by the Black community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Equitable Vaccines: Ensuring equitable COVID-19 vaccine coverage is a Colorado and national priority.
Click here to learn more about the Me You Us Community Initiative.

Vaccine disparities: Experts attribute lower vaccination rates among Latinos in Denver to a few things.
Click here to read more.
Improving health equity across Colorado: The Colorado Equity Compass provides communities and organizations with the data and stories they need to achieve this goal.
Vaccine toolkit to help support vulnerable populations: Click here for a free toolkit from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help people with disabilities and those who care for or serve them.
The impact of COVID-19 on patient experience and satisfaction: New research from Medallia offers insight that may help meet patient needs. Click here to read the report.