History Of Peak Vista

Mission: “To Provide Exceptional Healthcare for People Facing Access Barriers”

Peak Vista Community Health Centers began in 1971 as the Free Clinic of Colorado Springs. It was open two evenings a week at 722 South Wahsatch for walk-in patients, and was operated by volunteer physicians and nurses. The clinic hired its first full time staff and moved to a full time clinic in 1975 and in 1976 it received Federal funding through the Bureau of Primary Health Care. Between 1971 and today, the organization has also been known as the El Pomar Community Health Centers, Community Health Centers, Inc. and today, Peak Vista Community Health Centers.

Key Dates in Peak Vista Community Health Centers’ History:

1970-1979:

1971 Began operation staffed completely with volunteers
1973 Became a Community Health Center
1976 Received first federal grant

1980-1989:

1983 Began receiving United Way funding
1984 Began seeing dental patients with staffing from the Colorado Springs Dental Society
1986 Began Volunteer Physician Referral Program
1988 Began receiving El Pomar Foundation funding, and changed name to El Pomar Community Health Center
1988 Opened the Homeless Health Center as the Sierra Madre Clinic with Federal funding
1989 Opened International Circle site with Family Health, Women’s Health, pharmacy, lab, well child waiting area and administration

1990-1999:

1993 Changed name to Community Health Centers and expanded services to Homeless
1994 Dental Program became training site for University of Colorado School of Dentistry, the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, Pueblo Community College Dental Hygiene Program, and the Pikes Peak Community College Dental Assisting Program
1995 Became the first community health center in the state of Colorado to receive accreditation through the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO)
1997 Opened Teller County Health Center in Woodland Park three evenings per week. Expanded to five evenings in 1998
1999 Moved Woodland Park Clinic to Divide and changed name to Divide Health Clinic.

2000-2009:

2001 Opened Senior Health Clinic and Pediatric Health Clinic
2002 Opened Southern Teller County Health Clinic in Cripple Creek and relocated Dental Health Clinic to International Circle location
2002 Divide Health Clinic is named “Non-Profit of the Year” by Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce
2003 Opened the remodeled Women’s Health Clinic at Printers Parkway
2003 Community Health Centers, Inc. adopted FIRST VISITOR, and began contracting for Medicaid’s EPSDT program for El Paso County
2004 CHCs, Inc. changed name to Peak Vista Community Health Centers
2004 Received Diversity Award from the Pikes Peak Coalition of Chambers
2005 Peak Vista added a Senior Health Center to the north and adopted Second Sight Vision Services
2005 Became accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC)
2005 Broke ground, adjacent to the post office, on new Divide Health Center
2005 Received El Pomar Award for Excellence in large health care category
2005 Acquired Fountain Health Center providing medical and dental care for families
2005 Opened Peak Vista’s first school-based clinic in Harrison School District
2005 Held inaugural “Breakfast of Champions” fundraiser featuring Mary Lou Reton and honored Bishop Richard Hanifen as 2005 Champion of Community Health
2005 Established the Peak Vista Community Health Centers Foundation
2006 Expanded Fountain Health Center to include medical, dental and behavioral health to all ages
2006 Built new Divide Health Center to better serve all of Teller County
2006 Transitioned entire system to Electronic Health Records
2006 Signed agreement for a Family Health Center at Myron Stratton Home
2006 Received significant funds from Amendment 35 for patient services
2006 Purchased a 34,000 square foot building at 225 South Union to expand scope of Family Health, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Registration and Well Child Waiting services
2006 Hosted second annual Breakfast of Champions featuring Scott Hamilton and honored the Founders of the Free Clinic of Colorado Springs as 2006 Champions of Communtiy Health
2006 Honored as Non-Profit of the Year by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
2006 Awarded Project Status in the El Paso County Enterprise Zone
2007 Approved strategic Master Space Plan in January to set the course for Peak Vista’s facility utilization and future needs
2007 Included as a partner in the new Myron Stratton Consortium. With a $1.5 million donation from the Myron Stratton Foundation to renovate an existing structure on their property, the new Family Health Center at Myron Stratton was opened in July
2007 Enhanced partnership with Salvation Army that set in motion the 2008 relocation of Peak Vista’s Homeless Health Center to the New Hope Center.
2007 Expanded hours at Peak Vista’s Harrison School District 2 Entrada school-based health center
2007 Established a designated Outreach Department to support Peak Vista’s focus on working effectively with community agencies and helping individual patients navigate health care systems and processes
2007 Signed an agreement with Rocky Vista University under which Peak Vista’s providers will serve as preceptors for medical students and residents starting in 2010
2007 Hosted third annual Breakfast of Champions, featuring Jackie Joyner-Kersee and honored Dr. Thomas Theune as 2007 Champion of Community Health
2007 Enhanced scope of the Peak Vista Community Health Centers Foundation. Only in its second year of operation, the Foundation was instrumental in establishing an endowment fund with $50,000 in seed money, establishing a planned giving program, completing a planning study for its first capital campaign, and facilitating the donation of radiology equipment for the future development of on-site radiology services as space becomes available
2007 Increased recognition and support of Peak Vista by the community through being named the beneficiary of the Scott Building and Gerald Phipps Construction golf tournaments
2007 Received recognition of Peak Vista’s leadership credibility through CEO involvement on the 2008 Commission Provider Task Force, the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and recognition as the S. Jerrard Smith Award recipient
2007 Debuted the Refugee Health Center, located on the Myron Stratton campus
2008 Opened Family Health Center at 225 South Union
2008 Launched new website to better communicate with patients and partners
2008 Received re-certification from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc.
2008 BJ Scott, President and CEO, received the Executive of the Year award from the Pikes Peak Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals
2008 Governor signed an Executive Order nominating BJ Scott to serve as a member of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education from the 5^th Congressional District
2008 Contracted with HCPF to provide Medicaid and CHP+ determinations through Colorado’s second Medicaid Application Site
2008 In collaboration with many partners including Infectious Disease Specialists, SCAP and public health, established the Collaborative Clinic at Union for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS
2008 Hosted fourth annual Breakfast of Champions featuring Picabo Street and honored the Myron Stratton Home as 2008 Champion of Community Health
2008 Continued to grow the Peak Vista Community Health Centers Foundation, now in its third year and prepared to launch a capital campaign to equip and renovate healthcare facilities
2008 Established a Reach Out and Read Program, where physicians at the Pediatric Health Center give children with well child appointments a new book
2009 Opened Cripple Creek-Victor Mountain Health Center, a school based health center, in Cripple Creek
2009 Debuted Ronald McDonald Care Mobile in partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Colorado
2009 In partnership with the Salvation Army New Hope Center, established a new Homeless Health Center to provide medical, dental, behavioral health and chronic disease management for 1200 homeless patients
2009 Established an Audiology program housed within the Senior Health Center
2009 Received a block county grant for a Homeless Medical Van for homeless outreach into the county
2009 Hosted fifth annual Breakfast of Champions featuring Mark Spitz and honored Memorial Health System and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services as 2009 Co-Champions of Community Health

2010-2011:

2010 Launched an automated calling system, Televox, to provide patient appointment reminders
2010 Deployed electronic patient satisfaction surveys in all health centers
2010 Opened the brand new Colorado Springs Senior Health Center at 722 S. Wahsatch
2010 Peak Vista’s Entrada school-based health center in District 2 moved into its newly remodeled and expanded space
2010 Opened the newly remodeled and expanded Pediatric Health Center at the International Circle location
2010 Expanded our presence at the Myron Stratton Home with the opening of the Logan Center at Myron Stratton.
2010 Hosted the sixth annual Breakfast of Champions featuring Dr. Eric Heiden honoring Ronald McDonald House Charities as 2010 Champion of Community Health
2010 Peak Vista employees raised over $33,000 in the annual United Way Campaign, an all-time high
2011 Opened the new Developmental Disabilities Health Center at 2502 E. Pikes Peak Ave. in conjunction with community partners
2011 Opened the new Moreno Health Center at 875 W. Moreno Ave. in conjunction with community partners
2011 Opened the new Family Health Center at International Circle, 2828 International Circle, Suite 160
2011 Launched new electronic health record system, NextGen

For more information about Peak Vista Community Health Centers, contact Randy Hylton, Director of Communications & Outreach: (719) 344-6606. Donation opportunities are available online for your convenience through our Foundation page.