Health Care Provider Training Grant Program
Overview
The health care system is an essential support and service to communities across Colorado. Over time, it has become clear that the health care system has become inaccessible to underserved and marginalized communities across Colorado and the country. Beyond the systemic barriers to access to care, it is also known that access to care is impacted by the biases, implicit and otherwise, of health care providers. It is important to address these biases in a way that centers the needs of underserved and marginalized communities, and provides impactful learning opportunities for providers.
Established with funding through House Bill 22-1267, Colorado’s new Health Care Provider Training Grant Program is working to improve access to care and health outcomes for underserved and marginalized communities by providing funding to nonprofit organizations, health care providers and health care associations to develop culturally relevant and affirming trainings for health care providers.
The program aims to build the capacity of health care providers to provide culturally responsive care to priority populations including people of color, older adults, people experiencing homelessness, Indigenous groups, Veterans, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and other populations.
The grant program is administered by Trailhead Institute on behalf of the Office of Health Equity and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.
Program Awardees
In October 2023, Trailhead convened a multidisciplinary, community-centered review committee to review and score 16 applications from Colorado organizations, submitted as part of the RFA on the Health Care Provider Training Grant Program.
Based on the review committee’s recommendations, the Health Equity Commission approved funding to nine organizations to conduct training with healthcare providers across the state to deliver culturally responsive and affirming care. The awardees include:
Castillo Primary Care is a nurse practitioner clinic that opened in 2011 to treat the underprivileged and low-income people. Our independent practitioners are all experts in their fields and are committed to assisting you in living a healthy life.
Colorado Alliance for Health Equity and Practice (CAHEP) seeks to improve the health of Colorado’s immigrant communities through culturally and linguistically appropriate prevention, health education, wellness activities, early detection, and self-management of disease.
The LGBTQ+ community has long been underserved, grappling with trauma within environments and systems meant to offer support. These challenges are exacerbated by intersecting identities. Recognizing this urgent need, Envision:You is committed to addressing these disparities.
The Gyedi Project is a grassroots community organization centered in Aurora, Colorado, aimed at empowering minority and underserved communities to tackle health inequities and improve community well-being.
HealthTeamWorks, works collaboratively to transform healthcare through performance improvement, organization development, and training resulting in a strengthened community and culturally responsive high-quality care.
The I Am Well Foundation works to empower Americans to identify, achieve and maintain their own unique optimal health and wellness.
At Immunize Colorado, we work to protect Colorado families, schools, and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases. Immunize Colorado works with health care providers, public health departments, businesses, policy makers, and community organizations to fulfill our mission.
Southwestern Colorado Area Health Education Center (SWCAHEC) is a non-profit organization that strives to improve rural health in the eight SW counties of Colorado. SWCAHEC has a strong emphasis on supporting rural primary care, community health, and on developing a pipeline of students who will eventually be our region’s health professionals.
The mission of Youth Seen is to foster and empower the social and emotional well-being of LGBTQI youth and their families in all communities.
Questions? Get in Touch.
Trainings will run through summer 2024 and progress reports will be provided throughout the project period. For questions about the implementation of the training grant program, please contact Yuliza Hernandez, Projects Manager, at YHernandez@trailhead.institute. Questions about the role of the Office of Health Equity and the Health Equity Commission can be directed to Phuonglan.Nguyen@state.co.us.