Colorado, known for its beautiful Rocky Mountain range, has the highest average elevation with more mountains reaching greater than 14,000 feet than any other state. Theodore Roosevelt perceived it as the Switzerland of America. The state was given the Spanish name for red which is the color of the Colorado River. Colorado covers 103,718 square miles, with a 2010 estimated population of 5,029,196 people – 687,293 living in rural Colorado (USDA-ERS). Denver, the capital, is located in the north-central region of the state. Colorado’s largest cities are Denver, Colorado Springs and Aurora. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 81.3% of the state’s population is white, 4.0% is African American/Black, 2.8% is Asian, 1.1% is American Indian and Alaska Native, and 20.7% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010).
There are 81 hospitals in Colorado, 40 of which are located in rural areas (Colorado Hospital Association, 2011). Colorado has 29 hospitals identified as Critical Access Hospitals by the Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC). There are 54 Rural Health Clinics in Colorado (CRHC), and 15 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 123 sites in the state (Colorado Community Health Network). Across the state, 13.5% of Coloradans lack any health insurance. However, in some rural counties the rate of uninsured is as high as 20% (Colorado Health Institute, 2008).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Coloradans in 2009 was $41,895 although rural per-capita income lagged at $35,912. 2010 estimates indicate a poverty rate of 13.8% exists in rural Colorado, compared to a 13.1% level in urban areas of the state. 2010 ACS data reports that 13.1% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 10.3% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural Colorado is at 8.6%, while in urban Colorado it is at 9.0% (USDA-ERS, 2010).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources
Colorado Community Health Network;
Colorado Health Institute;
Colorado Hospital Association;
Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC);
US Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts;
USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
Organizations
Association of Rural Health Clinics of Colorado (ARHCC)
State/regional organization
Works to advocate, support, strengthen, and promote Rural Health Clinics locally and nationally.
Caring for Colorado Foundation
Nonprofit/Foundation
Caring for Colorado Foundation's vision is to ensure that the people of Colorado are the healthiest in the nation. Its mission is to promote and serve the health care needs of the citizens of Colorado.
Colorado Area Health Education Center
State/regional organization
Works to improve the quality and accessibility of education for health care professionals in Colorado in order to enhance the delivery of health care services, with emphasis on frontier, rural, and urban communities and minority populations.
Colorado Center for Hospice and Palliative Care
Nonprofit/Foundation
Statewide, not-for-profit organization that advocates for palliative and hospice care through professional and lay education, legislative and regulatory advocacy, and technical assistance.
Colorado Child Support Enforcement
Assures that all children receive financial and medical support from each parent. This is accomplished by locating each parent, establishing paternity and support obligations, and enforcing those obligations.
Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved (CCMU)
State/regional organization
Committed to access to affordable, timely, quality health care for everyone in Colorado.
Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN)
State/regional organization
Represents Colorado’s 15 Community Health Centers that together are the backbone of the primary health care safety-net in Colorado.
Colorado Department of Education: Exceptional Student Services Unit
State government
A resource to teachers, administrators, and parents of students with exceptional educational needs due to disability, giftedness, unique talents, or English language learners who also have special needs.
Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (CHCPF)
State government
The state agency responsible for the administration of the Medicaid program, Child Health Plan Plus, and the Colorado Indigent Care program
Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS)
State government
The mission of the Colorado Department of Human Services is to design and deliver quality human services that improve the safety and independence of the people of Colorado.
Colorado Department of Human Services: Adult Protective Services
State government
Protects adults who cannot protect themselves.
Colorado Department of Human Services: Division for Developmental Disabilities
State government
Provides leadership for the direction, funding and operation of community based services to persons with developmental disabilities within Colorado.
Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA)
The state agency where local communities work in partnership with the state to strengthen Colorado communities.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
State government
Committed to protecting and preserving the health and environment of the people of Colorado.
Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment: Office of Health Disparities (CDPHE-OHD)
State government
Dedicated to eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities in Colorado, by fostering systems change and capacity building through multi-sectoral collaboration.
Colorado Division of Community Behavioral Health
State government
A resource for mental health providers, children, adolescents, adults and their families, policy makers, and all citizens of Colorado.
Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
State government
Assists individuals whose disabilities result in barriers to employment.
Colorado Health and Hospital Association
State/regional organization
Leads, supports, represents and advocates on behalf of hospitals and health systems to achieve improved health status of all Colorado residents.
Colorado Health Foundation
State/regional organization
A non-profit, tax-exempt organization devoted to improving health and health care in Colorado.
Colorado Health Institute (CHI)
State/regional organization
Works to support the health of Coloradans through analysis and research, information dissemination, and by offering an information clearinghouse.
Colorado Hospital Association (CHA)
State/regional organization
Provides advocacy and leadership; fosters communication, collaboration and consensus; provides technical assistance and information about emerging tools and trends to improve patient safety, hospital efficiency and effectiveness.
Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA)
State/regional organization
Provides funds to finance the places where people live and work throughout Colorado; focused on helping people and businesses succeed.
Colorado Neurological Institute Stroke Center (CNI Stroke Center)
Local organization
Emphasis is on prevention, education, risk factor modification, recognition of a stroke and post-stroke rehabilitation and support. CNI physicians provide acute treatment at the Swedish Medical Center utilizing diagnostic imaging techniques that provide diagnostic accuracy, helping physicians make rapid, well-informed treatment decisions.
Colorado Regional Extension Center (CO-REC)
State/regional organization
Colorado State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
Colorado Rural Development Council (CRDC)
State/regional organization
A private, nonprofit organization committed to influencing positive economic change in rural Colorado.
Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC)
State/regional organization
An independent, non-profit, membership-based organization that serves as the State Office of Rural Health for Colorado. Offers programs and services to ensure that rural communities have access to adequate healthcare.
Colorado State University (CSU)
Academic/Research
Colorado State University is a land-grant institution and a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University-Extensive.
Colorado Trust
Nonprofit/Foundation
A grantmaking foundation dedicated to achieving access to health for all Coloradans. To realize this vision, the Trust supports grantees in developing and implementing policies, programs and services that expand health coverage, and improve and expand health care.
Foothills Regional Emergency Medical & Trauma Advisory Council (FRETAC)
State/regional organization
Regulates the Colorado statewide trauma system.
Four Corners Telehealth Consortium
State/regional organization
Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) for New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (HICAHS)
Academic/Research
Works to improve the occupational health, safety, and well-being of the residents of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Colorado
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region (NN/LM-MCR)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health professionals, librarians, and members of the public in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. Also provides free training on using National Library of Medicine online resources.
Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association (NWCOVA)
State/regional organization
Promotes health, prevent disease and provide home health, public health and hospice services to residents the large rural area of the Yampa Valley.
Oral Health Awareness Colorado (OHAC)
State/regional organization
Coalition of professionals representing a wide range of public, private and non-profit organizations interested in advancing oral health care in Colorado. Its mission is to develop and promote strategies that achieve optimal oral health for all Coloradoans.
Proyecto/Project IDEAS
State/regional organization
Strives to improve HIV prevention services for Latino/Hispanic populations living in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming. Focuses on adapting and tailoring CDC-approved interventions that are culturally, linguistically and educationally appropriate. This is a capacity building assistance program for community-based organizations and state and local health departments.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Helps rural communities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming to improve community infrastructure. Offers numerous services including loans for housing and environment.
Southwest Telehealth Resource Center (SWTRC)
State/regional organization
One of five telehealth resource centers. Assists health care organizations, health care networks, and health care providers in the implementation of cost-effective telehealth programs to serve rural and medically underserved areas and populations. Includes Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Colorado
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Academic/Research
An academic institution that provides a variety of degrees and certifications in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, graduate studies and physician's assistant programs, and promotes research in the biomedical sciences.
USDA Rural Development Colorado State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Western Rural Development Center (WRDC)
State/regional organization
One of four regional development centers in the nation. Participates in rural development research and extension (outreach) projects cooperatively with universities in the West. Serves a 13 state area in the Western region and 4 U.S. Pacific Territories, which includes WA, UT, WY, NV, ID, HI, CA, AZ, AK, OR, NM, MT, and CO.
Tools
Colorado AgrAbility Project
Web site
Promotes success in agriculture for people in Colorado with disabilities or other physical challenges and their families.
Colorado Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Colorado KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Colorado QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Colorado State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
ERS State Fact Sheet: Colorado
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Colorado
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
NN/LM MidContinental Region: Colorado Resources
Web site
Overviews the state and provides links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for residents of Colorado.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
Adolph Coors Foundation Grants
Provides grants to support projects in health, education, youth, community & human services, and civic & cultural programs
Anna Keesling Ackerman Fund
Supports grants in arts and humanities, education, health, human services, and civic and community initiatives.
Boettcher Foundation
Grants to educational institutions, community & social services including health, civic & cultural programs.
Caring for Colorado Foundation Grants
Funds projects that improve community health programs and services, require medical equipment or capital construction to expand or renovate heath care facilities.
Cavity Free at Three
A three year, statewide effort to prevent oral disease in young children.
Colorado Health Foundation Philanthropy Program
Grants to advance a shared health policy agenda, improve access to quality health care, or empower people to take charge of their health.
Colorado Health Service Corps (CHSC) Loan Repayment Program
Helps health care professionals working in shortage areas repay their student loans.
Colorado Resource for Emergency Education And Trauma and Grants (CREATE )
CREATE assists private and public organizations in improving and expanding the emergency medical and trauma system in Colorado.
Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program
Funding for projects that support Colorado’s rural health infrastructure and strengthen the capacity of rural entities to provide primary care services.
Colorado Rural Health Seed Grants
Seed money is available for purposes or projects whose intent matches the mission of the Colorado Rural Health Center.
Copic Medical Foundation Grants
Provides grants to support health and medicine including education and expansion programs.
Daniels Fund Grants
Program areas eligible for grants through the Daniels Fund fall under the categories of: Aging, Alcoholism & Substance Abuse, Amateur Sports, Youth Development, Disabilities, Homeless & Disadvantaged, and Education.
El Pomar Foundation
Grant support to Colorado nonprofit organizations involved in health, human services, education, arts and humanities, and civic and community initiatives.
Emergency Medical and Trauma Service Provider Grants
Funding to assist private and public organizations in improving and expanding the emergency medical and trauma system in Colorado.
Environmental Infrastructure Loans
Loans to finance water and waste facility projects in the rural West.
Gannett Foundation Community Action Grants
Community action grant priorities include education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation and cultural enrichment.
Gates Family Foundation
Colorado only - Considers proposals from nonprofit dental clinics undertaking comprehensive capital campaigns, as well as supporting programs (capital campaigns) that encourage individuals to improve and maintain their good health and physical well being.
Helen K. and Arthur E. Johnson Foundation
Supports grants for community and social services, youth, health, seniors, education and civic and culture.
Humana Foundation Community Grants
The Humana Foundation supports charitable activities that promote healthy lives and communities.
Margaret McDonald Boss Living Trust
Grants for projects focused on aging, education, public administration, health care, residential care and/or hospice.
Marva Jean Jackson Rural Community Health Scholarship Grants
Small grants that help pay for the training and/or education of a local healthcare provider are available for rural facilities or community groups.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Community Facility Loans
Loans to help create and improve essential community facilities in the rural West.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Household Water Well System Loan Program
Low interest loans to lower income rural residents in Colorado and Utah to construct, refurbish or replace their household water well system.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Housing Loans
Loan program helps create, improve or expand the supply of affordable housing for communities in the rural West.
Schuss Family Foundation
Supports grants for community development, health care, and performing arts.
Wells Fargo: Community Assistance Fund Grants for Colorado
Grants for Arts & Culture, Education, Economic Development, Health Care and Human Services.
Western Colorado Health Fund
Supports grants for health and human services, education, environmental conservation and natural resources, arts and culture, and general community.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
2009 Colorado Rural Physician Workforce Survey
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Health Institute
Documents survey results and literature review findings that address the challenges of recruiting and retaining physicians in rural Colorado.
Date: 11 / 2008
2012 WICHE Workplan: It's All About Outcomes
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Discusses WICHE's focus in 2012 which includes finance, access and success, workforce and society, technology and innovation, and accountability. Highlights students exchange programs in rural and underserved areas, rural healthcare initiatives, and rural primary care clinics.
Date: 09 / 2011
Behavioral Healthcare Workforce In Colorado: A Status Report
Author(s): Mimi McFaul, Maureen Flory
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Details current behavioral healthcare workforce issues in Colorado and discusses how to capitalize on the existing energy and expertise in the state to develop a more coordinated and focused effort to enhance Colorado’s behavioral healthcare workforce.
Date: 2010
Case Studies on Transit and Livable Communities in Rural and Small Town America
Author(s): Sean Barry
Sponsoring organization: Transportation for America
Collection of 12 case studies providing examples of how small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities.
Date: 09 / 2010
Changing West: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Provides baseline data for identifying population changes in the western states for use in advancing rural development.
Date: 2008
Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access Program: Helping Pediatric Practices Become Medical Homes for Low-Income Children
Author(s): Sharon Silow-Carroll, Jodi Bitterman
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
An overview of the Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access Program (CCHAP), a nonprofit organization created to address barriers that have prevented private pediatric and family practices from accepting children enrolled in Medicaid and providing them with a medical home.
Date: 06 / 2010
Colorado Rural Oral Workforce Project
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Health Institute
Provides information on oral health topics as they relate to rural Colorado. Addresses workforce issues, health status and care, and the availability of oral health care. Offers policy options that may help address these issues.
Date: 04 / 2008
Community Paramedics Widen Medical Services in Rural Areas
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Highlights how rural communities in Colorado and Minnesota are training paramedics to also provide home care, immunizations, and other health services.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Volume 2010 Issue Fall
Date: 11 / 2010
Demographic and Economic Profile: Colorado
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, income, and more. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 02 / 2009
Education: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Explores education characteristics in the western states and examines how it impacts rural development.
Date: 2008
Employment, Income and Poverty: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines and compares employment and income in western states with both rural and urban data.
Date: 2008
Governor’s Dialogue on Health Care Vision and Values: Final Report
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Trust
Reports on the Governor's effort to engage leaders across Colorado in a discussion about their vision for health and health care in the state and the values upon which that vision is based.
Date: 02 / 2008
Health and Longevity: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines health and longevity for states in the western region.
Date: 2008
Improving Access to Health Care for Colorado's Underserved Populations: Recruitment and Retention of International Medical Graduates
Author(s): Kitty Stevens, Mathew Christensen, Kimberly Wagner
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Includes a program report and evaluation of Colorado's Conrad 30 J-1 Visa Waiver and National Interest Waiver Programs.
Date: 11 / 2006
Land Use and Resources: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines land use and resources in the western states.
Date: 2008
Moving Towards Substantial Reform: Health Care Coverage for All Coloradans
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved
Summarizes the work and findings of Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved (CCMU) as it continues to develop feasible solutions to address the medically underserved in Colorado.
Date: 02 / 2003
Opportunity Lost: When Hard Work Isn't Enough for Colorado's Families
Discusses how Colorado families who work hard still struggle financially, and ways in which the state could benefit economically if it did more to help.
Date: 04 / 2004
Rural Colorado - Real Colorado! 2008 Annual Report on the Status of Rural Colorado
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Rural Development Council
Demonstrates the impact of the rural economy on the state; identifies economic viability, workforce readiness, social and environmental needs; solutions to economic and workforce issues; and the interdependence of
Colorado’s urban and rural economies.
Date: 2009
Small Business Profile: Colorado
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 02 / 2011
Snapshot of Rural Health in Colorado
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Rural Health Center
Highlights rural health issues for Colorado that includes demographics, health care workforce, health facilities, health insurance, health disparities, and rural hospitals.
Date: 08 / 2011
Snapshot of Rural Health in Colorado - Maps
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Rural Health Center
Maps to accompany Snapshot of Rural Health in Colorado 2011. Thematic maps identifying rural health clinics, critical access hospitals, rural, urban and frontier counties, and health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).
Date: 08 / 2011
Streamlining the Health Care System: Options for Colorado: A Briefing Paper
Author(s): Nellie Hester, Dann Milne
Sponsoring organization: Caring for Colorado Foundation
Addresses opportunities to improve the efficiency of health care in Colorado.
Date: 12 / 2003
Student Exchange Programs: Statistical Report, Academic Year 2011-12
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Discusses WICHE's three student exchange programs: Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), and Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP). Covers Fall 2011 enrollment, discusses health workforce shortages, and the funds that flow between students' home states and the enrolling institutions in these programs.
Date: 01 / 2012
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Journals
Colorado - Special Delivery ONLINE
Quarterly newsletter which focuses on rural healthcare resources, funding opportunities,
center activities, and other news.
Community Connections
Published quarterly, Community Connections reports on research, programs, and emerging issues affecting low and moderate-income and small business communities. As a regional headquarters of the central bank, the Kansas City Fed seeks to link the communities of the seven-state region to the work of the Federal Reserve, including Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and portions of western Missouri and northern New Mexico.
Success Stories
Rio Grande Hospital and Shoshone Medical Center
HUD Secretary Mel Martinez today announced the first ever, $28.5 million commitments under the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Section 242 Hospital Insurance program for rural Critical Access Hospitals for the Rio Grande Medical Center in Del Norte, Colorado, and Shoshone Medical Center in Kellogg, Idaho.
Wray Health Initiative Project
A group of community organizations joined forces to create a health promotion and disease prevention initiative designed to provide enjoyable activities that encouraged physical activity and healthier living.
A Caring Country Community
The primary goal of the Caring Country Community project was to promote interaction between the community’s elderly and young residents.
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