Northwest Colorado Community Health Partnership has won the first ever Colorado Collaboration Award for its work to develop a regional network of care for the underinsured and uninsured in Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Jackson Counties.

“We are so thrilled to be recognized by Colorado Nonprofit Association and its partnering foundations. This is a wonderful affirmation of five years of work as a community partnership. The award will go a long way in helping us continue the work of improving the lives of residents in Northwest Colorado,” said Diane Miller, Director of Clinical and Quality Services at Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association.

“By working together, nonprofits can make a greater difference solving community problems than working by themselves,” said Renny Fagan, President and CEO of Colorado Nonprofit Association. “The Colorado Collaboration Award recognizes nonprofits that collaborate to achieve outstanding results and serve as a model for other nonprofits.”

The Northwest Colorado Community Health Partnership consists of community and safety net organizations, health care providers and government agencies. Since 2005, their combined efforts have included:

• Establishing the Northwest Colorado Community Health Center in Moffat County that now provides care to more than 3,000 individuals per year.
• Developed an integrated behavioral health project between the Northwest Colorado Community Health Center and Colorado West Regional Mental Health, which has served more than 1,000 patients.
• Organized administration of the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey in Routt, Moffat and Jackson County middle and high schools and established stronger local ordinances to address youth access to alcohol.
• Developed a system to help low-income families gain access to discounted and sliding fee medical and behavioral health services.
• Created a local system of medical transportation financed by Yampa Valley Medical Center.

The Partnership is a collaboration between Colorado West Regional Mental Health, Independent Life Center, Northwest Colorado Dental Coalition, Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association, Routt County Department of Human Services, The Memorial Hospital and Yampa Valley Medical Center.

About the Colorado Collaboration Award. A group of Colorado foundations, in partnership with Colorado Nonprofit Association, created the Colorado Collaboration Award to recognize innovative collaboration projects with exceptional community results.

More than 170 Colorado-based collaborations applied for the 2011 award. The Northwest Colorado Community Health Partnership was selected for the $50,000 from among six award finalists: Boulder County IMPACT, Colorado Conservation Partnership, Denver Teen Pregnancy Prevention Partnership, Montelores Emergency Assistance Coalition, and Southwest Institute for Education & Conservation.

Colorado Nonprofit Association will present the award at its 2011 Fall Conference & Exhibition, October 10 and 11 in Denver.

Funding for the Award is made possible by grants from Anschutz Foundation, Anschutz Family Foundation, Boettcher Foundation, The Colorado Health Foundation, Community Shares of Colorado, Daniels Fund, The Denver Foundation, Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships, El Pomar Foundation, Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado, Gill Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, The Kenneth King Foundation, The LARRK Foundation, The Women’s Foundation of Colorado and Xcel Energy Foundation.