Our History
In 1992, Prowers County was served by two primary care physicians with 2,000 more people than the 12,000 we currently have. Needless to say, they were overwhelmed and access was very limited. A community organization called Health Resources, Inc., whose mission was to facilitate the provision of health care services in the community, decided to bring a community health center to Prowers County. As a result of these community volunteers, High Plains opened in August, 1995, for primary medical care. Our first expansion was the addition of a dental program in December, 1995, hiring a dentist, dental hygienist and assistant to initiate that function. We added a local physician and support staff to the practice in 1996, an additional physician assistant in 1997, by which time we had grossly outgrown our 3,600 square foot office. We were able to purchase a retiring physician's office in 1998 and convert it to a three operatory dental office.Business was booming in the medical office by 1998, and we began making plans to build a larger medical and administrative facility. This came to fruition in 2001 when we built and moved into a state-of-the-art 12,500 square foot medical and administration building. This addition allowed us to add x-ray and lab services on-site.
We purchased additional space for the dental office in 2003, adding a second dentist and dental hygienist to staff the now eight dental operatories.
In 2004, we did some remodeling in the medical office to create an in-house pharmacy and in 2006 added digital x-ray capability to the dental office. In 2007, we upgraded our practice management system and implemented electronic dental and medical records.
In 2009, we remodeled our dental office to increase capacity to nine operatories. In 2011, we opened our new Adult Health Center to better serve our aging population and treat those with chronic conditions.
In 2013, we hired an OB-GYN, added a Pediatrics Clinic, purchased and re-opened the Wiley Medical Clinic, started our own in-house behavioral health program and added a team of employees to assist our community with enrollment into Affordable Care Act products.
We have a $9 million dollar annual budget and have grown from the original six staff in 1995, to a staff of about 120 including nine medical providers, four behavioral health providers, and four dental providers. In 2015, we purchased and re-opened the Holly Clinic.
High Plains is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization governed by a majority consumer Board of Directors and managed by a suite of officers: Chief Executive (CEO), Medical (CMO), Financial (CFO) and Compliance (CCO), as well as Directors of Clinical, Dental and Behavioral Health Operations, Financial Services, Data Systems and Human Resources.
This health center is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. 254b, and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n).
The whole purpose of High Plains is to provide quality health care that is made accessible by utilizing a sliding fee scale for all services, available because of predominately same day appointments, and reachable due to free transportation to the clinics. High Plains operates out of four sites including the Main Clinic, Family Health Center, a full-time clinic at Lamar Community College, and the Holly Clinic for a total of 4 patient sites and also an administrative Finance Services location downtown.
High Plains Community Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Patients are served from all over Southeastern Colorado including Prowers, Baca, Bent and Kiowa Counties.
In calendar year 2018, High Plains provided primary care services to 9,318 unduplicated patients during 41,349 visits. This included 31,138 visits from 8,367 medical patients; 5,000 visits from 2,660 dental patients; and 3,040 visits from 486 behavioral health patients.
We have full-time behavioral health clinicians stationed at our Main Clinic, Family Health Center with the purpose of integrating physical health and behavioral health. Comprehensive primary care services provided on-site include acute medical and dental care, well-child exams, OB care, delivery, pharmacy, health education, health coaching, case management, immunizations, x-rays, laboratory, preventive and restorative dental care, chronic illness care, well woman exams, and individual, group and family psychotherapy.
We are staffed with four physicians, three nurse practitioners, two physician assistants, four behavioral health clinicians, two dentists and two dental hygienists. We provide care to all ages in all three arenas of medical, dental, and behavioral health. All services are on an outpatient basis.
High Plains was recognized as a Level III Patient Centered Medical Home in February of 2011.
High Plains is a deemed health center through the Federal Torts Claims Act. Claims brought against High Plains for malpractice reasons should go through the following:
US Department of Health and Human Services
Office of the General Counsel
General Law Division
Claims and Employment Law Branch
330 C Street, SW
Attention: CLAIMS
Switzer Building, Suite 2600
Washington, DC 20201
Fax: 202.619.2922
Email: HHS-FTCA-Claims@hhs.gov
Service to Under-served Populations - Community Health Centers are only funded in Medically Under-served Areas (MUA's) and Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA's). Prowers County is designated as both with 48.7% of the population living in families with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. High Plains specifically targets under-served populations for access to care but serves all community members. The methodology utilized to ensure access includes a sliding fee scale based on income for all medical, dental and mental health services, Spanish competency including several providers fluent in Spanish, free transportation, eligibility workers to qualify patients for the sliding fee scale and assist with Medicaid and CHP+ applications, many free preventive services such as colonoscopies, paps and mammograms, evening clinics for migrant farm workers, evening and all day Saturday clinics, and affordable medications.