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Member Spotlight

The mission of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is to work collaboratively toward the prevention of homelessness and the creation of lasting solutions for homeless and at-risk families, children, and individuals throughout Colorado. Since 1984, the Coalition has advocated for and provided a continuum of housing and a variety of services to improve the health, well-being and stability of those it serves. In 2016, the Coalition was able to serve over 15,000 individuals and families through supportive services, permanent housing and integrated health care.

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has been delivering health care for the homeless in downtown Denver for over 30 years. Our Stout Street Health Center provides integrated health care for more than 13,000 homeless individuals each year. Opened in 2014, the 53,192 square-foot Health Center replaced the former Stout Street Clinic, and operates under a unique model of integrated health care targeted to the needs of homeless patients. It fully incorporates patient-centered, trauma-informed medical and behavioral health care, substance treatment, dental and vision care, social services and supportive housing to more fully address the spectrum of problems homeless adults and children bring to their medical providers. Services are provided to individuals experiencing homelessness or at-risk of becoming homeless regardless of a person’s ability to pay or immigration status.

The Coalition joined MHHA with the desire to collaborate with community partners focused on improving the health care of those who have the most need. We are excited to have a Coalition staff member a part of each working group, as well as the board of directors. Our mission to provide the best health care to those experiencing homelessness has been lifted through the collaboration with the wonderful members of MHHA.

Denver’s Community Health Improvement Plan identified Access to Care as one of two top health priorities for the city to work on from 2013-2018, along with Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL). Some of the primary concerns related to Access to Care in Denver included the lack of health insurance coverage among residents, inadequate access to specialty care for uninsured and publically insured residents, inappropriate and excessive use of emergency departments in lieu of primary care, and the lack of coordination among health care providers in different organizations about the care of individual patients.

The CHIP outlined a five-year goal for Access to Care, namely that by 2019, 95% of Denver residents would have access to primary medical care, including behavioral health care. Objective A3 under this goal was to form an alliance of important stakeholder organizations in Denver, to increase access to care, better coordinate medical care and social services, and decrease health care costs. After a year-long collaborative planning process, the Mile High Health Alliance was officially launched in January 2015.

The Mile High Health Alliance is a membership-based organization, with both organizational and individual members. All regular organizational members have a seat on the Board of Directors, the central governing body of the Alliance, and are eligible to run for seats on the elected Executive Committee of the Board. As such, all organizational members actively participate in setting and implementing the priorities and strategies of the Alliance. Ex-officio organizational members and individual members do not hold board seats. Join the Alliance!

The Mile High Health Alliance has four active working groups that meet monthly to collaboratively address the Alliance’s four priority initiatives:

Job Opportunities:

No Current Positions Available

Upcoming Meetings:

Specialty Care Access Group – Tuesday, September 5th from 3:00-4:30 pm
Regional Health Connector Steering Committee – Thursday, July 13th from 10:00-12 pm
High Utilizers Group – Wednesday, August 16th from 10:30 am-12 pm

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