• Colorado.gov

Primary Care Office

Access to primary medical, oral and behavioral health care is an important requisite for good health. Over 1 million Coloradans live in a community with less than half of the primary health providers needed to optimally deliver primary health services.  Lack of primary health providers creates high barriers to access for low-income, publicly insured, uninsured and geographically isolated Coloradans.  The Primary Care Office is charged with lowering the barriers that prevent Coloradans from accessing adequate high quality primary health services in their community.  Some of the known barriers to health services access in Colorado may include:

• Inadequate numbers of health professionals serving a community

• Limited services available to uninsured and publicly insured individuals

• Long distances to health care such as that found in many rural communities

• Disparities in health services availability because of ethnicity or socioeconomics

• Policies that inhibit access to health care

The Primary Care Office focuses on assessment for primary health professional workforce needs throughout the state and on directing incentives to those qualified professionals and clinics willing to care for medically underserved people in areas determined to have a provider shortage.  The following are key activities and services of the Office.

Services of the Primary Care Office

• Community support, assessment and evaluation

• Community guide to shortage designation

• Assessment and designation of health professional shortages

• State Health Profile for Primary Care

• J-1 Visa Physician Program Report

• Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions

• National Health Service Corps site designation and support

• Notice: Streamlined application process for providers

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act program expansion

• International Medical Graduate Waiver Programs

• J-1 Visa Waiver for foreign trained physicians

• National Interest Waiver for foreign trained physicians

• State Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program

• Health Care Community Board

• Access to Care Best Practices

Key Partners in Health Care Workforce Development Activities for Underserved Coloradans

• Area Health Education Centers

• Caring for Colorado Foundation

• Colorado Community Health Network

• Colorado Family Practice Residency Programs

• Colorado Health Foundation

• Colorado Rural Health Center

• The Colorado Trust

Primary Care Office
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246-1530
303-692-2470 or search employee directory

cdphe.psdrequests@state.co.us