On Saturday, October 15, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Clinica Family Health in Nederland hosted an open house for residents to meet the health care professionals who provide affordable medical, dental, and mental health at the brand new facility. The small team greeted visitors at the door with smiles and were prepared with pamphlets of information, COVID-19 testing kits, and flu kits full of digital thermometers, cough drops, and English Breakfast tea bags.
The warm welcome was supported by the comfortable feeling of the facility itself, which is not cold and clinical but instead feels like how a family practitioner’s office should feel; friendly and personal. The staff themselves are intelligent professionals who are also local, three-dimensional people with lives and hobbies, which provides to potential patients a sense of familiarity and understanding.
Clinica Family Health originated in Lafayette in 1977 with the goal of providing health care to all, from the rich to the poor, the insured and uninsured, as well as the homeless.
Clinica refers to itself as a “safety net,” serving those who may suffer most from the increasing wealth gap in Boulder County and who “might fall through the cracks of the American healthcare system.”
Their mission is to be the preferred medical and dental care for low-income and underserved people in Boulder, Broomfield, Gilpin and west Adams counties, believing all individuals, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or socioeconomic status, deserve affordable health care.
Clinica was founded by Alicia Sanchez, a single mother of seven children who suffered from an autoimmune disease, who dedicated herself to providing health services to the poor and underserved migrant workers of Boulder County’s commercial farms in the 1970s.
The first Clinica office was opened in 1977 in a small, wood frame house in Lafayette, with a budget of $75,000 for its first year and a staff of six providing basic health care to over 500 local residents.
Clinica today serves more than 54,000 patients a year with a dedicated staff of over 600 employees across six medical clinics and three dental clinics.
95% of these patients lived at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, with 35% being uninsured.
The Gilpin County Clinica is located at 972 Golden Gate Canyon Road, Suite 300 in Black Hawk and the HubNed location in Nederland are Clinica’s two newest facilities, providing medical care and mental health services to mountain communities. Dental care is provided at Clinica in Lafayette.
A comprehensive study conducted in the summer of 2021 helped to inform Clinica of service gaps in mountain communities as well as identified more than 1,000 potential patients eager for affordable health care services in the area.
“Mountain community members from across Boulder and Gilpin Counties strongly encouraged and supported us in bringing health care to their neighbors,” said Simon Smith, president and CEO of Clinica Family Health. “Increasing access to high-quality, affordable health care is a core part of Clinica’s mission and vision. We are delighted to partner with these communities to improve the health of their residents.”
Bringing the clinics to Gilpin County and Nederland proved to be a huge undertaking that took a remarkable grassroots effort from the communities in order for affordable medical care in the mountains to become a reality.
Clinica at HubNed on 80 Big Springs Drive, Suite 102 in Nederland had its grand opening on July 8, 2022 and is managed and operated by an accomplished and dedicated team.
Dr. Shivaun Hoyl, DO, grew up in Gold Hill in the kitchen at Gold Hill Inn where her father is the chef, and has worked at Eldora, having run a kids’ ski school. Dr. Hoyl studied at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine and, after having worked in family medicine in Golden and Idaho Springs, is Clinica’s primary health care provider for the mountain clinics. Hoyl currently resides in Rollinsville.
“Having a physician who is also a neighbor, someone who truly understands life in the mountain communities, is vital to connecting to patients,” said Dr. Lisa Winkler, Vice President of Medical Services - Strategic Programs. “Dr. Hoyl is an experienced, compassionate, holistic physician who will understand the needs of her patients much better than someone from outside of the area. We are overjoyed to have such an ally and partner join our team.“
Dr. Julie Hirman, DNP, began her nursing studies prior to joining the Peace Corps so she could work as a nurse with the organization. Hirman’s career brought her to Eswatini, Africa, where she taught nursing to nursing students, helping implement the country’s first nurse practitioner training program. Hirman also treated pediatric patients in Brooklyn, New York, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hirman has worked with Clinica for many years and enjoys the cultural diversity within the organization and their dedication to their patients.
Megan Goldkamp is a Registered Nurse, has been a nurse for over 12 years, having worked with the Boulder Community Hospital and the Boulder Medical Center before joining the team with Clinica in Nederland.
Clinica Family Health provides primary care for all ages, which includes flu shots, vaccinations, cancer screenings, senior care, and more. Clinica also offers health education, nutrition counseling, referrals to specialists, and telehealth care.
Patients will have access to dental care at Clinica’s Lafayette location on 1735 South Public Road, and also have access to pharmacy services at the People’s Clinic Pharmacy on 2525 13th Street in Boulder.
Clinica has also partnered with the Mental Health Partners organization, providing mental health care to patients of all ages. Patients can expect to receive help during a crisis, stress management, relaxation techniques, including telehealth care.
For more information on Mental Health Partners please read “Mental Health Partners: Help When You Need It” by Kirsten Springer in The Mountain-Ear at https://www.themtnear.com/ articles/mental-health-partners-helpwhen you-need-it/.
Clinica’s health services are provided in Nederland at HubNed at 80 Big Springs Drive, Suite 102, open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday (though closed for lunch from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
To register as a patient begin the process immediately by filling out the registration form on Clinica’s website at www.clinica.org/mnt-comm. The registration form can also be accessed using the QR code that is on Clinica posters, cards and advertising.
If patients need help or advice after regular business hours, they can call Clinica’s main number to be connected to the nurse advice line. For more information go to https://www.clinica.org.
Sponsored by the town of Nederland, with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
