Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program - Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center (SPRHC) seeks HRSA Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program funding to establish the Rural Colorado Preventative Health Accessibility (RCPHA) Consortium. Through SPRHC and community partners, the RCPHA project aims to transform health outcomes in Huerfano and Las Animas Counties through standardized health screenings and robust referral systems. These efforts will be supported by mobile health services, certified peer support specialists (CPSS), and community health workers (CHWs), ensuring equitable, timely, and comprehensive care delivery. Both Huerfano and Las Animas Counties lag behind both state and national health care benchmarks, due their unique vulnerabilities in terms of health care access, chronic disease management, and social determinants of health (SDOH). Spanish Peaks as the lead applicant will work with Sangre de Cristo Community Care and the Las Animas-Huerfano Counties District Health Department for the duration of this program. This has 5 primary project goals: 1.) To expand access to preventative and primary care health services, 2.) Reduce chronic disease and substance use disorder prevalence in the service area, 3.) Enhance reproductive health services in the target counties, 4.) Strengthen community collaboration between the consortium and other community partners, and 5.) Improve health literacy and preventative behaviors through empowering individuals to take control of their health. The target population of the RCPHA project will be underserved individuals in Las Animas and Huerfano Counties, with an additional focus on specific subpopulations within this larger group. As can be seen in the SPRHC Community Health Needs Assessment, there was a clear emphasis on the needs of young adults, as they suffer disproportionately from behavioral and mental health issues. The teen birth rate in the service area is also much higher than state average. Another underserved subgroup amongst the target population will be Hispanic/Latino residents, who make over 30% of the population of both counties and are less likely to receive preventative health screenings. Finally, low-income residents will also be a priority given the regions above average poverty rate, especially amongst children. The RCPHA Consortium will utilize multiple evidence-based care models to inform project activities. These are: The Mobile Health Clinic Model, the Standardized Screening Tool model, the Community Health Workers In Rural Communities model, Addressing Social Determinants of Health with Healthy People 2030, and Certified Peer Support Specialist Programs. Through the utilization of these evidence-based practices, the Consortium expects to produce the following outcomes: 1. A 25% increase in preventative health screenings by the end of project year 1, and sustained engagement for years 2-4. 2. A 20% improvement in workshop participants’ understanding of preventative health practices, measured through pre- and post-workshop assessments. 3. A 5% reduction in obesity and diabetes rates over the 4-year project period. 4. Increased engagement in care supported by 300 annual Certified Peer Support Specialist referrals. 5. A 10% increase in the use of preventative reproductive health services by project year 2, and sustained growth in subsequent years. The SPRHC team has the necessary capacity to lead the RCPHSA Consortium and serve rural underserved populations. The staffs of the Consortium members, including clinical staff, executive team, and administrative members, reside and conduct their lives within its rural service area. They are acutely aware of the needs of rural Americans because it effects their own communities, ensuring that SRPHC serves rural populations to the best of their ability. Funding Preference 1: Both counties in the service area and all Consortium Organizations are located in a Health Professional Shortage Area for Primary Care, Mental Health, and Dental Care.
