School Based Health Centers Improving Integrated Health Care for Colorado Youth

Community Health Centers (CHCs) care for lower income people in many of Colorado’s communities. CHCs provide behavioral health, medical and dental care focusing on patient-centered care to people who 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 are clinics located directly within a school building and provide primary medical and behavioral health care to school-aged patients.

CHCs operate 29 school-based health center sites that are located in eight counties in Colorado. SBHC’s staff provide well child/adolescent visits, immunizations, management of chronic conditions, prescriptions, sports physicals, 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 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.

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