Supporting Colorado’s Health Care Providers
Let’s help make Colorado one of the best places to practice medicine, access health care and lead a healthy lifestyle.
What is Health Care Aware Colorado?
Health Care Aware Colorado (HCAC) is a broad coalition of Colorado based organizations focused on the importance of access to quality health care throughout our state. As a united team, we work to ensure Colorado continues to be one of the best places to receive safe, quality care. HCAC is creating the best environment to practice medicine for providers.What is HCAC's focus?
HCAC strives to maintain Colorado’s position as one of the best places to receive safe, affordable, quality health care in a state in which doctors want to practice medicine.Why join HCAC?
Healthy people make for a healthy workforce, which creates a healthy economy. Organizations and individuals can make a difference to ensure that Colorado continues to be one of the best places to live and work in the country. Be a part of an effort that is dedicated to ensuring that access to quality care is available in all corners of our state. HCAC’s goal is to help health care providers manage the costs of providing and delivering care, allowing for increased investment in patient safety and quality improvements for our citizens.What does access to health care providers mean for me?
Every Coloradan needs a place to go for medical care, yet for some, access to health care is difficult due to a lack of providers, especially in rural and low-income, urban areas. Consider the following:- The U.S. will be short 200,000 doctors by 2020.
- Colorado needs at least 258 more primary care physicians in nine regions of the state to ensure all people have access to health care.
- Health professional shortages exist in more than two-thirds of Colorado communities, and the average age of a primary care physicians in Colorado’s rural areas is 55, meaning many of them will be hanging up their stethoscopes in as little as 10 years.
- As of 2015, more than 150,000 Coloradans are newly insured and are seeking access to health care, driving increased demand from a dwindling supply of health care providers.
- Low Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates and increasing operations costs are putting extreme pressures on health care providers, driving some clinics and medical practices to close, further adding to the provider shortage.
- Fewer than 29 percent of medical students are choosing to go into primary care (family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics), putting a bigger strain on already-stretched physician practices.
Who are HCAC's members?
Why should my organization join HCAC?
Your organization can make a difference to ensure that Colorado continues to be one of the best places to practice medicine in the country and to ensure access to quality care is available in all corners of our state. We are managed by a Board of Directors committed to transparent, regular communications and consensus-building among its membership. If you are interested in joining Health Care Aware Colorado, please contact Tamra Ward, executive director, 303.324.8021.What can I do to help?
Visit the Health Care Aware Resources page to learn more, submit your personal story about health care access, and tell your local, state legislator about the importance of accessing health care in urban and rural communities across Colorado. You can also support your local doctor’s office, safety net clinic and other medical practices so they continue to provide high-quality health care services to Coloradans.Contact Health Care Aware Colorado, and Sign Up for Updates
For more information, please submit the contact form or email us at info@healthcareaware.org, and get our regular Updates.