Building a Pipeline of Primary Care Providers to Serve Diverse Communities

_NOTE: We encourage all applicants to sign up in our grants portal to confirm registration is complete at least a week in advance of submitting a grant application._

Our Cornerstones

• We serve Coloradans who have less power, privilege and income, and prioritize Coloradans of color.
• We are informed by the community and those we exist to serve.

Focus Area: Maintain Healthy Bodies

This funding opportunity is designed to increase the number of individuals working within Colorado’s primary health care workforce who reflect the diverse patient population served by the state’s safety net system and/or who are committed to serving rural and frontier communities. We define primary health care workforce as those working to provide physical, behavioral or oral health within the integrated, team-based primary care setting.

This funding opportunity is focused on:

• Supporting high school graduates pursuing health care careers in the primary care setting who are not ready or do not want to attend college;
• Early career individuals working in the health care field who want to move into primary care and/or up the primary health care workforce ladder;
• Individuals not in the health care field but who want to transition into primary care.

Applicants may request a grant of up to $600,000 over three years.

Proposed program and/or projects must reflect the Foundation’s cornerstones. These outline who we serve, how our work is informed and our intent to create health equity.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• To be considered for funding, organizations must meet the following criteria:
  • Focus on recruiting people of color and/or people who are committed to working in rural Colorado.
  • People of color is defined as Arab/Middle Eastern, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous/Native American and multiracial communities.
  • Serving at least 40% Coloradans living on low-income.
  • Focus on training the following types of positions within the health care workforce who are committed to working in an integrated primary care setting:
  • Community health workers
  • Medical assistants
  • Physician assistants
  • Nurses including licensed practical nurses and advance practice registered nurses/nurse practitioners
  • Behavioral health providers including behavioral health assistants, behavioral health advocates and others
  • Dental hygienists
  • Dental assistants
  • Positions that are a springboard into one of the above positions such as a medical assistant
  • Demonstrate established partnership and/or a commitment to building relationships with Colorado’s safety net clinics, including for-profit primary care clinics that serve at least 30% of patients living on low income.
  • This can be demonstrated through Medicaid caseload, the number of patients who are uninsured, and/or the number of patients covered through Child Health Plan Plus or the Colorado Indigent Care Program.
  • Demonstrated commitment to recruiting participants from local communities who have a desire to serve their community after completing their training.
• Examples of Organizations Considered for Funding
  • Community-based organizations:
  • Operating workforce programs with demonstrated experience in running health care training programs; or
  • Community-based organizations with demonstrated experience partnering with or supporting health care training programs
  • Area Health Education Centers (AHECs)
  • Community colleges, universities or other accredited educational institutions
  • Partnerships between employers and schools/training programs
  • Safety net clinics including:
  • Federally qualified health centers
  • Rural health clinics
  • Community-based clinics
  • School-based health centers
  • Tribally-run or Indian Health Service clinics
  • Community mental health centers with integrated primary care services
  • Dental programs with integrated primary care services
• Funding can be used for the Following Activities
  • Dedicated staffing to support proposed program
  • Small capital expenditures such as equipment or technology to enhance the training program
  • Marketing outreach for recruitment
  • Paid internships
  • Subsidies for child care, housing or transportation costs
  • Funds can be used to provide incentives for individuals completing training programs with priority going to lower paying positions
  • Scholarships or tuition