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$1,000,000 in United Health Foundation Grants Expand Health Care Services for Residents in Rural Colorado

Posted on: Wednesday, 13 June 2007, 09:05 CDT

Grants totaling $1,000,000, provided by United Health Foundation to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, funded the Colorado Rural Mobile Health Project, bringing needed health care services to Colorado's rural population. These grants support eight health organizations in launching or expanding mobile health care projects in rural areas of the state.

The Colorado Rural Mobile Health Project was formed under the leadership of Colorado elected officials to address the need for more rural health care in the state. Working together with the Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC), the Office of the Governor and the Department of Local Affairs, the Project developed mobile medical outreach capabilities in the state as well as provided support for existing mobile medical units.

The criteria for the selection of the grant recipients was determined by a Steering Committee for the Colorado Rural Mobile Health Project, whose members included representatives of the Governor's Office, Division of Insurance, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and UnitedHealthcare of Colorado.

Overseen by CRHC, the Steering Committee's purpose was to develop a vision and strategic plan for the Colorado Rural Mobile Health Project. As a first step, the Committee commissioned and reviewed data from a 2006 study conducted by the Colorado Foundation for Medical Care to examine mobile delivery models in rural areas nationally and in Colorado, and to assess the feasibility of expanding mobile services to rural areas of the state.

Reed Tuckson, M.D., Member of the Board, United Health Foundation, said: "We at United Health Foundation were impressed by the partnership and collaboration demonstrated by the Steering Committee, and are confident that the needs identified represent critical priorities for the state of Colorado. We are especially pleased that our resources will support a comprehensive array of necessary health interventions including primary care, dental services and disease prevention-related services."

Colorado Rural Health Center Acting Executive Director, Lou Ann Wilroy, said: "A shared commitment between the public and private sectors better empowers CRHC to connect the people, facilities and government resources to effectively address rural health issues. There is a critical need for financial support for organizations providing mobile health services in rural Colorado, and the United Health Foundation grants will help thousands of rural Coloradans receive essential health care services."

Grants were awarded to the following organizations:

Valley-Wide Health Systems, based in Alamosa, will use the grant to help purchase a mobile clinic unit to provide comprehensive health care services to vulnerable populations in six San Luis Valley counties.

Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics will expand medical and dental services to low-income and at-risk youth in rural areas of northern Colorado, the Western Slope and the Eastern Plains.

Bent County Nursing Services will expand its current mobile health services to residents in Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero and Prowers counties.

University of Colorado School of Dentistry will deliver a broad scope of services with its recently purchased three-chair mobile dental clinic for children in both Eagle County and seven northeastern Colorado counties.

Kids in Need of Dentistry will expand its Miles for Smiles mobile dental program to the southeastern counties of Prowers, Bent, Crowley and Otero, and to provide dental services to low-income children living in or near the communities of Walsenburg and Salida.

Salud Family Health Center will purchase a cholesterol machine and bilingual education materials for its mobile health unit to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in rural areas of Adams, Weld, Boulder, Morgan, Logan and Larimer counties.

San Juan Basin Health Department will upgrade its mobile dental suite and acquire a second dental field unit for serving low-income children and pregnant women in La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan and Montezuma counties.

North Colorado Health Alliance will upgrade and expand various health services for low-income individuals in rural areas of Weld County.

About the Colorado Rural Health Center

The Colorado Rural Health Center was established in 1991 by members of the Colorado Rural Health Consortium with start-up support from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and several other public and private organizations around the state. CRHC was developed as a non-profit organization. The Colorado Rural Health Center remains a non-profit organization and is one of the few non-profit offices of rural health in the country. CRHC has a statewide membership of over 2,500 people and organizations.

Additional information about the rural mobile health initiative will also be available soon on CRHC's web site at www.coruralhealth.org.

About United Health Foundation

United Health Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit foundation funded solely by UnitedHealth Group. The foundation is dedicated to providing information in support of the health and medical decisions made by physicians and health professionals, individuals and community leaders. For more information about United Health Foundation and its work, please visit www.unitedhealthfoundation.org.

Source: Business Wire

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