In an effort to raise awareness of Colorado’s healthcare safety net providers, the Colorado Rural Health Center encourages your clinic to participate in the fourth annual Safety Net Clinic Week (SNCW), August 19th – 23rd. Sponsored by CRHC and ClinicNET, the week is devoted to educating the public and policy makers about these vitally important healthcare clinics – federally certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Community Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs).

Why is it important to celebrate Safety Net Clinic Week? Because while safety net clinics have some similarities, they also look very different from one another and it is important to know where, why and how healthcare is currently being delivered. When it comes time for the federal, state, or even local government to make decisions regarding provider reimbursements, tobacco tax funds, Medicare or Medicaid payments, public coverage program eligibility, electronic health records (EHR) incentives, and other important policy options, the people making those decisions need to understand how they affect safety net clinics like yours.

The 2013 Safety Net Clinic Week toolkit is available on our event page to help clinics participate and raise awareness in a variety of ways. Included in the toolkit are many easily customizable materials. In addition to the toolkit, check out the event page for an update on activities, a schedule of activities and to connect with our SNCW project coordinator, Amber Burkhart. Please let Amber know if you want to host an event or if you need help using the toolkit. We’d also love to know if you utilize any part of the toolkit. That helps inform our work in order to continue to improve this important advocacy week. You may email Amber here, or she can be reached at 720-863-7805.