I want to invite you to learn about an exciting new initiative. In conjunction with our longtime partner Salud Family Health Centers, we are collaborating with community partners in Aurora to transform the populations who live around the campus into the healthiest in Colorado. [You can learn more about it at a Sept. 16 meeting – details below.]

 

The project, called the Aurora Community Health Commons, will be located at the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Airport Boulevard. Its goal is to develop a world-class, unified primary health care model integrating community, social, and clinical services that address all the influencers of health to increase health equity and improve health at lower cost. The Commons will also train the next generation of health care professionals in an interprofessional care delivery model.

 

“Interprofessional” is a key word here. We know that we are better together; the diversity of thought that comes from working in teams across disciplines invariably produces better outcomes. To that point, while the partnership with Salud is being led by the School of Medicine, we would like to bring all our schools and colleges into the project to give input on the best model for interprofessional care of our community.

 

We are at the front end of this project, so there are extensive opportunities for each school and college across the CU Anschutz Medical Campus to be involved. These opportunities will include student education in innovative collaborative practice models and service learning settings; workgroup participation to develop new models of team-based care, build momentum with the community, and study impact of the project; and certainly additional opportunities as the project is realized.

 

Whether it’s through these or other ways that you might come up with, we have an exciting chance to work together to build a healthy future for the community in which we live and work.

 

If you are interested in learning more, please attend the presentation by the Salud/CU team and join the discussion.

 

Date: Monday, September 16
Time: Noon – 1 p.m.
Location: Ben Nighthorse Campbell Building, Shore Family Forum (#110)

Please RSVP here​.

 

Best,

Don Elliman

Chancellor​