The future is bright for La Clínica del Pueblo as they enter their next phase of development to increase access to equitable healthcare for uninsured populations.
Located at the Third Street Center, La Clínica offers high-quality, bilingual healthcare to people who are uninsured, or cannot afford services. Patients pay what they can, including zero-cost. Current services include primary care, chronic disease management, lab work and acute medical appointments. Preventative care programming, such as cooking classes and Shop with a Doc, are also offered.
Recently, La Clínica was awarded over $750,000 in grants from various state and local organizations to expand upon these services. The money will be used to remodel a new space, provide behavioral services and women’s healthcare and to extend office hours by hiring Jenny Lang as the full-time nurse practitioner and medical director. The remodel is set to be complete in early 2025, and extended services will begin this October.
“It is a very exciting time for La Clínica,” said Amy Kimberly, La Clínica’s grant writer. “We have mostly focused on heart disease and preventative care, but now we can make a huge leap into more well-rounded care.”
Thus far, La Clínica has served nearly 600 individuals across Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin counties. With the expansion, La Clínica hopes to serve many more patients.
A vulnerable population
In 2016, while working as Valley Settlement’s health outreach coordinator, Dr. Judith Alvarez noticed a significant gap in care for uninsured, Spanish-speaking patients. She said many patients were at risk for diabetes or heart disease, but the patients did not have a physician for follow-up care.
“They said ‘no’ because of the cost or the language barrier,” Dr. Alvarez said. “What I hear from patients is that when there is a translator, they feel more comfortable speaking with doctors and have more commitment to attending appointments.”
To address this gap, Dr. Alvarez partnered with Dr. Michael Lintner and Mountain Family Health Center volunteers to create a monthly Saturday morning clinic. The program grew in popularity, but eventually Dr. Lintner moved back to Nicaragua and the need for additional support became apparent. Serendipitously, Dr. Greg Feinsinger, a retired family physician, was already offering pro-bono clinic hours.
“Judith found out about me and asked if I would run the clinic,” Dr. Feinsinger said. “She started bringing me patients on other days and came down the hall with them to translate. Judith felt we were filling a need, and eventually thought we should start our own clinic.”
In no time, Elaine Grossman, current board treasurer, joined the team and helped La Clínica gain substantial grant money to push the project forward. With the heart of the team forming, La Clínica stood out as a safe place for patients.
“We will see people that received a diagnosis of cancer, but don’t really understand what it means. La Clínica explained what was going on and then supported the patients,” Kimberly said. “La Clínica is the only clinic of its kind on the Western Slope. It is a deeply needed program for uninsured immigrants because it’s a really safe space for people to have fair access to healthcare.”
Setting the standard
At La Clínica, Dr. Alvarez said, patients can expect in-depth personal care during their one-hour appointments. Her gratitude for Dr. Feinsinger, who spent the vast majority of time with patients, was palpable when she told The Sopris Sun she is “so sad” he will be retiring from direct patient care.
Fortunately, Dr. Alvarez is committed to maintaining a team “that has heart and soul.” Lang’s extended hours, coupled with long-time medical assistant Isabel Almeida, means La Clínica can grow from its impressive foundation.
Currently, La Clínica is onboarding a bilingual mental health counselor made possible by a $160,000 grant funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder Renee Crown Wellness Institute. Noting the extraordinary stressors of patients, such as citizenship status, home and food insecurity, or sleep deprivation from working multiple jobs, Dr. Feinsinger said this is a critical component of La Clínica’s growth.
Dr. Alvarez added, “We have a lot of patients who need mental health support. We want to create this project Mente Sana, es muy importante.”
In an unjust healthcare system, La Clínica stands as a pillar of hope. Its dynamic team, led by an inspiring woman, has shown that access to equitable healthcare for everyone is a necessary and worthy cause.
IN A NUTSHELL
Website: laclinicadelpueblo.care
Phone: 970-948-1072
Upcoming event: La Clínica del Pueblo Health Fair, Oct. 19