Clear Creek County Health and Wellness Center
Improving access to quality healthcare in rural communities
The people of Clear Creek County, Colorado, had not had access to primary care for over a decade. The nearest hospital was 45 minutes away, and the community needed access to local healthcare. This started a 12-year journey to establish a health clinic placed in Idaho Springs, expanding the programs of the existing Clear Creek County Department of Human Services.
Clear Creek County’s proximity to Denver, although only 30 miles, may as well be 1,000 for some people who don’t have ready access to transportation. Thus, the vision for the Health and Wellness Center in Idaho Springs, Colorado, was to bring as many services as possible into one building.
Dr. Timothy Ryan, Deputy Medical Director at Clear Creek County
The new Clear Creek County Health and Wellness Center is home to the County’s Public Health Department, the Environmental Health Agency, and a primary care clinic provided in partnership with CommonSpirit. It combines a variety of healthcare and social services, including social services, clinical health, and behavioral health in one facility.
The success of this project relied heavily on the critical partnerships between the key stakeholders from the County, the public of Idaho Springs, hospital systems, and the design professionals. During the planning and design of the project, we helped the county conduct several community visioning sessions and assisted in interviews with the State of Colorado to secure two rural health grants.
With easy access for Clear Creek County residents along I-70 and walkable access for Idaho Springs locals, the design was guided by the historic architecture of the town and utilizes locally inspired materials and scale. It has a welcoming “front porch” and “living room” that help break down the stigmas that can go with social and behavioral health in a small town.
Podcast: rural health accessibility
We interview Dr. Timothy Ryan, the deputy medical director of Clear Creek County, and discuss the many facets of how this facility is helping its community thrive.
Making sure that we’re investing in our community by fully supporting an infrastructure to hold up the community will have a lasting impact for generations to come. Let’s connect these people to the services they need, the help they need, and the support they need. And we will make a difference in this community.
Dr. Timothy Ryan, Deputy Medical Director at Clear Creek County
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