La Plata Community Clinic Fact Sheet
La Plata Community Clinic Mission: "The La Plata Community Clinic provides quality, respectful, & integrated health care -- medical, dental, & behavioral health-- for those that are underserved and lack other access to health care in La Plata County."
We do this by mobilizing the community, empowering patients and building partnerships. Our goal is to create a healthier community, one patient at a time.
* The La Plata Community Clinic is a new service in La Plata County that opened in January 2013. The patients seen will meet eligibility criteria. In the start up phase, those served include adults who are uninsured and low income. We will begin by providing limited physical health and dental services. As the clinic grows, behavior health care and specialty referrals will be added.
* The Clinic is starting small and will be open the equivalent of one to two days/week. It will grow as resources, demand and capacity grow. Careful research has been done on other donated-care clinics in Colorado. These clinics also started small but after developing community support, the clinics expanded in services, funding and the number of patients served.
* The Clinic will initially utilize qualified volunteers to provide services including all categories of licensed health care providers (i.e., physicians,
physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants, dentists, dental assistants and hygienists, and licensed mental health
providers). In some cases, unlicensed providers can be used for basic levels of care such as providing information or doing initial screenings and referrals. Other non-medical volunteers will be utilized in reception and in other administrative capacities. Health care providers wishing to donate time should fill out the volunteer form under the Volunteer Tab.
* The LPCC is not designed to compete with current health care providers. In fact, the LPCC will complement and assist our area health care system(s) by helping those in greatest need who have no insurance and no “non-emergency” access.
* Patients will be required to contribute to their health care and encouraged to take personal responsibility for their health. A flexible sliding
scale fee schedule will be used. Everyone will pay something.
* The Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado is currently the fiscal agent but plans are underway to secure non-profit status. A volunteer working board is currently overseeing the LPCC’s start up phase. Harriet Brandstetter is the newly-hired Executive Director and she began October 8, 2012. The Clinic is located at 1800 East 3rd Avenue, Suite 103 in Durango.
* The Clinic is made possible because of the ongoing and multi-year work of the Citizens Health Advisory Council (CHAC) through its Donated Care Committee and a generous start-up grant from the Karakin Foundation. The benefactors of this foundation care deeply about the La Plata County and Durango community(ies) and especially about those who are the very least fortunate. Community support of all kinds will be absolutely necessary for the LPCC to succeed! Volunteers are vitally needed; positive word of mouth is helpful; and assistance with
resources is crucial (equipment, money and people power).
We do this by mobilizing the community, empowering patients and building partnerships. Our goal is to create a healthier community, one patient at a time.
* The La Plata Community Clinic is a new service in La Plata County that opened in January 2013. The patients seen will meet eligibility criteria. In the start up phase, those served include adults who are uninsured and low income. We will begin by providing limited physical health and dental services. As the clinic grows, behavior health care and specialty referrals will be added.
* The Clinic is starting small and will be open the equivalent of one to two days/week. It will grow as resources, demand and capacity grow. Careful research has been done on other donated-care clinics in Colorado. These clinics also started small but after developing community support, the clinics expanded in services, funding and the number of patients served.
* The Clinic will initially utilize qualified volunteers to provide services including all categories of licensed health care providers (i.e., physicians,
physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants, dentists, dental assistants and hygienists, and licensed mental health
providers). In some cases, unlicensed providers can be used for basic levels of care such as providing information or doing initial screenings and referrals. Other non-medical volunteers will be utilized in reception and in other administrative capacities. Health care providers wishing to donate time should fill out the volunteer form under the Volunteer Tab.
* The LPCC is not designed to compete with current health care providers. In fact, the LPCC will complement and assist our area health care system(s) by helping those in greatest need who have no insurance and no “non-emergency” access.
* Patients will be required to contribute to their health care and encouraged to take personal responsibility for their health. A flexible sliding
scale fee schedule will be used. Everyone will pay something.
* The Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado is currently the fiscal agent but plans are underway to secure non-profit status. A volunteer working board is currently overseeing the LPCC’s start up phase. Harriet Brandstetter is the newly-hired Executive Director and she began October 8, 2012. The Clinic is located at 1800 East 3rd Avenue, Suite 103 in Durango.
* The Clinic is made possible because of the ongoing and multi-year work of the Citizens Health Advisory Council (CHAC) through its Donated Care Committee and a generous start-up grant from the Karakin Foundation. The benefactors of this foundation care deeply about the La Plata County and Durango community(ies) and especially about those who are the very least fortunate. Community support of all kinds will be absolutely necessary for the LPCC to succeed! Volunteers are vitally needed; positive word of mouth is helpful; and assistance with
resources is crucial (equipment, money and people power).
