In neighborhoods such as Commerce City, riddled with foreclosures
and home to poor working families, a disproportionately high number
of children do not have health care. So it is the task of
charitable institutions to provide essential services.
Fortunately, in this community, there is Commerce City Community
Health Services, celebrating 30 years of helping local kids.
Affiliated with Adams County School District 14, Community Health
Services offers low-cost, high-quality health care for young
children and teenagers year- round. The center offers pediatric
care at its main clinic, but also provides several school- based
health centers within the district during the school year.
Most services are delivered by pediatric nurse practitioners; a
pediatric doctor is on staff for consultation.
“Our mission of community is to improve the health and well-being
of infants, children and youth,” says Erin Todd, director of
development for the center. “We do that basically by partnering
with schools and other organizations to provide affordable health
care for children, birth to age 21.”
Not only has Community Health Services been able to offer
traditional services to the community, it also has been on the
forefront of innovative treatment and care. There have been many
exciting advances for the center.
A new clinic at Kearney Middle School has been a model for programs
around the state. The progressive school-based health program
integrates three vital aspects of care – mental, physical and
wellness programs – in one site so that children can benefit from
one or more programs in one location.
A tobacco-prevention program offers an array of activities for
children to engage in other than smoking. Nurse practitioners also
are on site with healthy eating programs to give children the
information they need to make nutritious decisions for a lifetime.
Community Health Services also offers the “Keep Me Safe” program
to help families check car seats to protect kids.
A community outreach program helps people fill out applications for
Medicaid and CHP+, a state health plan for children.
Children who are over age 4 but do not have health insurance can
receive immunizations at the walk-in immunization clinic.
The organization logs about 6,000 health visits from families each
year for roughly 3,000 children from Commerce City and the outlying
neighborhoods in Adams County. It relies on school funds,
government and private grants and charitable contributions. The
agency also is seeking funding from this year’s Post-News Season to
Share campaign.
In these economically troubling times, the work done by Commerce
City Community Health Services is heartwarming, but far more
importantly, it is desperately needed by so many.
David Harsanyi: 303-954-1255
or dharsanyi@denverpost.com
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Commerce City Community Health Services
Address: 4675 E. 69th Ave., Commerce City
In operation since: 1978
Number served last year: 6,000 visits for roughly 3,000 children
Staff: 30 Yearly budget: $2 million
Percentage of funds directly
to clients/services: 92 percent
