Safety Net Clinic Week (SNCW) is an annual week-long celebration of the rural safety net clinics in Colorado. Colorado’s healthcare safety net is comprised of a patchwork of diverse healthcare providers across Colorado’s vast landscape, including designated Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs), Community Safety Net Clinics (CNSCs) and others care settings. The clinics primarily serve Coloradans who are uninsured, underinsured or publicly insured through Medicaid, CHP+ and Medicare.
Colorado’s safety net providers are as unique and diverse as the patients they serve. Clinics fund their operations through various means including grants, patient revenue and/or in-kind donations and clinic staffing models often include volunteer providers. These clinics also provide a variety of services including primary care, behavioral health, oral health care, optical and/or specialty care. If possible, clinics will not turn patients away based on an inability to pay and some clinics provide services completely free of charge.
Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) were created by the Rural Health Clinic Services Act of 1977 to support and encourage access to primary healthcare services for rural residents. RHCs must be located in a federally-designated provider shortage area. The 56 RHCs across Colorado provide primary and preventative health services to an estimated 130,000 Coloradans annually.
Independent RHCs are paid an all-inclusive rate of $152 per visit provided by an eligible practitioner. Provider-based RHCs, or/meaning those associated with a hospital, are paid cost-based reimbursement with an annual increase not to exceed annual medical inflation. In either case, payments to RHCs often do not cover the cost of a visit, which impacts the clinic sustainability and leaves these facilities dependent on a patchwork of other funding sources such as grants, donations, or local support.
Safety Net Clinic Week 2025
August 17-23, 2025 in Naturita, CO
To celebrate Safety Net Clinic Week this year, CRHC hosted a luncheon for policymakers, funders, providers, and other healthcare partners in Naturita on Wednesday, August 20th.
CRHC chose to honor Basin Clinic for their dedicated service to rural Montrose County, and in light of their recent recognition as a CRHC Top 10 Rural Healthcare Facility for Overall Performance. Basin Clinic was chosen for this award based on their participation in quality improvement activities, excellence in innovation, and a commitment to the health of local communities.
Read more about the celebration in the press release here.
The Basin Clinic team poses with the Governor's Proclamation
Clinic Director Christina Pierce stands with Nucla Mayor Paula Brown as she reads the Proclamation
Stories from Rural Colorado Safety Net Clinics
In an effort to raise awareness of Colorado’s Healthcare safety net providers, the Colorado Rural Health Center has produced short videos to offer a special glimpse into rural life, and the unique challenges facing healthcare in rural Colorado. The videos are an opportunity for policymakers, healthcare advocates, and community leaders to engage with rural health providers, and serve as an educational tool to help viewers understand the fragile healthcare system in rural Colorado and why it is so important to support the clinics and communities they serve. Click below to watch these videos and access the full Safety Net Clinic Week playlist on YouTube.
