Clinica Family Health: A Community Treasure
30 Jul 2020
Born in a Lafayette living room, Clinica Campesina met the medical needs of the underserved and continues to help more than 50,000 patients per year as Clinica Family Health
By Dell Bleekman Photos courtesy Clinica Family Health It’s no secret that Boulder and its surrounding communities are well known for world-class health care services. But what about the many who can’t access top-notch medical facilities? Decades ago, one woman asked that same question. Today, the answer is Clinica Family Health, a health care organization rooted in providing high-quality medical and dental care to the area’s underserved residents.
Humble Beginnings
In the early 1970s, the landscape of Lafayette and Louisville featured many commercial farms that employed Spanish-speaking migrant workers. Alicia Sanchez, a single mother of seven and afflicted with lupus, seemed an unlikely person to take on the role of health care provider to farmworkers who lacked access to medical care. Yet people came to her small Lafayette home when they were sick or injured. She drove workers to University Hospital in Denver, assisting with appointments, translating and helping them understand test results. Sanchez selflessly did this for years. Then, against all odds, she decided to start a clinic. Susan Wortman, Clinica’s vice president of development, says, “Sanchez rallied elected officials and hired health care workers. She became the point person, going from neighborhood to neighborhood to spread the word about this new facility.” In 1977, Clinica Campesina was born.
Clinica’s first health provider.
Early Years
At that time, the clinic operated on a shoestring budget with six staff members providing care to about 500 patients. Wortman, who has been with Clinica for 23 years, recalls, “In these early years, the clinic saw mostly low-income farmworkers for basic health care such as blood-pressure checks, wellness visits and acute care.” Later, the clinic expanded into prenatal care. With patient numbers rising, it was clear the need was there; in a few short years, Clinica’s practitioners were seeing 1,200 to 1,500 patients a year. And it wasn’t just patient numbers increasing — so too was the need for square footage. The clinic moved to a few different locations in Lafayette over the years, each time seeking out more space. In 1986, Clinica landed a federal grant, recognizing it as a community-based health care center that provides primary care services to underserved areas. Finally, the clinic had a steady flow of income and was able to add staff and provide more services. After a few more years, Clinica expanded into western Adams County and (what is now) Broomfield County.
