Community Health Centers (CHCs) located throughout Colorado strategically provide medical, dental and behavioral health services focusing on patient-centered care to people who have may not have another source of health care.
Some CHCs also focus on particular populations including people experiencing homelessness, migrant farmworkers, and/or youth. One of the innovative ways some CHCs reach young patients is through school-based health centers. School-based health centers (SBHC) are clinics located directly within a school building and provide primary medical and behavioral health care, and some dental care, to school-aged patients. CHCs operate 34 school-based health center sites that are located in nine counties in Colorado.
MCPN Dental Van travels to SBHCs to provide dental services.
SBHC’s health services may include well child/adolescent visits, immunizations, management of chronic conditions, sports physicals, mental health assessments and treatment, and preventative dental care among other care. Having these centers located directly within the school helps reduce health-related absenteeism, improves coordination of care, and increases early and periodic health screenings.
SBHCs are an extension of CHCs that value innovation by continually exploring new ways of doing things, striving to be ahead of the curve, and listening to and forecasting patients’ needs. Continually making health care improvements within their communities is a constant focus of CHCs and SBHCs.
For more information on the School-Based Health Center program visit: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDPHE-PSD/CBON/1251629854323.
Learn about the annual Colorado Association for School-Based Health Care Conference May 1-2, 2014, http://www.casbhc.org/2014_conference.html.
Learn more about working at Colorado CHCs and SBHCs by clicking here and selecting an individual website link, or check out the most recent job-postings at CHCs in Colorado here.
