Improving Healthcare Access Together

Northeast Park County lacks medical providers, forcing residents to travel for care. This creates challenges for seniors, veterans, and families. Local leaders have spent two years working to bring accessible healthcare to the community.

Conifer Medical Center does not accept Medicaid and is at capacity, rarely taking new patients.

STRIDE in Conifer has closed

Bailey’s Mobile STRIDE Unit is no longer coming to Bailey

Rural clinics struggle financially in large part because many of their patients rely on Medicare and Medicaid, which reimburse providers at rates well below the actual cost of care. Combined with high rates of uninsured or underinsured patients and low population density, this leads to significant uncompensated care.

Healthcare also comes with high fixed costs—staffing, equipment, utilities, and compliance—which are hard to cover with a limited patient base. Without additional funding, many rural clinics simply can’t stay open.

Patient Fees & Insurance Reimbursement – The clinic will generate revenue from appointments, but fees alone can’t sustain operations. Without stable funding, many rural clinics close within a few years — we need a sustainable plan.

Once formed, the HSD board could apply to the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) program and if accepted, could receive enhanced reimbursement for Medicare & Medicaid.

Successful rural clinics rely on grants, public funding, and community support to stay open and provide care for all.

1% Sales Tax – If approved by voters, this uniform tax will apply district-wide but will not be charged on groceries, utilities, or prescriptions.

• Adds only $10 on $1,000 of local taxable purchases — less than the cost of gas for one Denver trip

• Creates a long-term funding source to keep the clinic open and fully staffed

• Keeps healthcare dollars in our community instead of sending them to JeffCo or Denver

Grants & Donations – The district will actively pursue funding from state and federal grants, private foundations, and community donations to help offset costs.

Feb 5, 2026: Proposal Submitted to Board of County Commissioners

March 16th: BOCC Public Hearing. If approved, it goes to a public vote in November 2026

2027: If passed, the district will be officially formed, and the clinic planning will begin

2028: Proposed opening

The committee is a group of local volunteers comprised of healthcare champions, non-profit leaders, and community advocates who work for local non-profits and have seen how the lack of healthcare access has negatively impacted our residents. Collectively they give thousands of hours of their time each year to help our Platte Canyon communities through various non-profits.

No. Per state statute, the five member Board must be elected by the voters in the district. After the initial startup, future directors would be voted in on a rotating basis, so all terms do not expire in the same year. The voters elect the board.

No. The directors would be volunteers. State statute prohibits paying the directors of a Health Service District a salary. Directors may not receive any more than expenses for attending meetings. The statute allows up to $100 per meeting not to exceed $2000 per year.

Yes, there is a ten year sunset clause on the current Platte Canyon HSD plan.

Rural populations tend to be older, and have a higher number of people who use Medicaid and Medicare for their health insurance. Medicare and Medicaid fee reimbursement is set by the government and is often much lower than what the provider charges. Private health insurances also have “negotiated rates”. Perhaps you have seen this on your own insurance bill. While the costs of opening and maintaining a healthcare clinic have risen each year, American Medical Association research shows that Medicare physician payment, when adjusted for inflation, has dropped 33% since 2001.What business can stay open when customers only pay a portion of their bill? To keep local healthcare, rural areas have had seek additional support through grants, foundations, and local tax revenues.

The Conifer Medical Center is not accepting new patients and are at capacity. STRIDE has closed their clinic in Conifer and no longer comes to Bailey. The next available care is in the Denver metro area. Many residents in the proposed area must already travel to the Denver metro area, up to an hour away, to receive care.

A full time primary care clinic is the most efficient and cost effective way to deliver healthcare. Calling 911 (EMS) and being transported by ambulance to a hospital for health issues that could have been cared for at a local clinic is the most expensive way to deliver healthcare. Our tax dollars pay for it all- VA, Medicaid, and Medicare insurances are all paid by tax dollars. Even those with private health insurance pay for the lack of local health care when insurance carriers pass the cost of more expensive healthcare delivery models to consumers through higher premiums and deductibles. One person transported by ambulance could pay for more than twenty people seen in a clinic. What is the best use of your money?

No one likes taxes, including the HSD Committee members! Supporting the HSD saves tax money in the long run. A full time primary care clinic is the most efficient and cost effective way to deliver healthcare. Calling EMS and being transported one person at a time by ambulance to a hospital for health issues that could have been cared for at a local clinic is the most expensive way to deliver healthcare. Additionally, waiting to go to a doctor because it means driving up to an hour one way, means people delay care until they become more ill, thus driving up the costs of treatment. Our taxes and insurance premiums pay for it all. Establishing a clinic in the district would save wear and tear on EMS vehicles, supplies, and staff, would save gas money and time for patients, reduce the poor health outcomes associated with rural areas, and would potentially save lives. What is the best bargain for your money?

The district will potentially provide all of the services described in C.R.S. § 32-11003 provided, however, the District will not provide ambulance services as allowed by C.R.S. § 32-1-1003(1)(a) and (b), though the District will have the authority to cooperate with Platte Canyon Ambulance District which currently provides that service.

Platte Canyon had a record year in 2024 with 1,278 calls.  21% of the EMS calls denied to be transported to Denver. Per a Fire Department spokesperson, most of these are seeking currently unavailable medical care. EMS is a substitute for clinic care. The patient's concern needs to be seen by a medical provider, but a clinic could treat the level of urgency. Transport costs the patient and/or their insurance an additional $1000.00 and takes the EMS out of service to transport to an hospital emergency center. It is the most expensive and least efficient form of healthcare.

The plan, enclosed attachments, and conclusion section addressing each of the requirements in C.R.C.S.32 demonstrate irrefutable evidence that this HSD plan meets and exceeds Colorado statutory requirements to approve this plan. Therefore, it is requested that the Board of County Commissioners, which has jurisdiction to approve the Service Plan by operation of C.R.S. § 32-19-108, adopt a resolution approving the Service Plan for the Platte Canyon Health Service District as submitted.