The Chaffee County Public Health (CCPH) office in Buena Vista will now be open every Tuesday (except on holidays) from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling 719-539-4510.
Starting in July, Buena Vista’s Chaffee Community Clinic (CCC) moved its location from the Community Center to the CCPH office at 112 Linderman Avenue to continue offering CCC services and other public health services.
Offered services include:
- vaccines,
- free sexually transmitted disease testing and connection to treatment (Gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis C),
- free blood lead testing for children starting in August,
- dental screenings and referrals,
- assistance with navigation to primary care and behavioral health care,
- education and overdose prevention,
- diabetes and cardiovascular screening,
- and other lifesaving services.
“We have seen a need in Buena Vista for expanded hours, and we are excited to combine the resources of the Chaffee Community Clinic with other CCPH offerings,” said CCPH Director Andrea Carlstrom. This change to our permanent office space in the north end of the county will allow for consistency and availability for community members to utilize public health services and supports in the capacity they need.”
In May 2022, CCPH began the CCC pilot program in Salida and Buena Vista. The inspiration for this initiative came from a recent Community Health Assessment, where access to basic medical and dental care and services for mental health and substance use disorders ranked high among concerned Chaffee County citizens.
The Chaffee Community Clinic, a free mobile health clinic, serves people who are unhoused, undocumented, and low-income. It also serves those who struggle with substance use disorders, others who traditionally have difficulty accessing healthcare, and any who are in need of services through a holistic approach to physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
The initiative has been a success in Salida and has served some of the community’s most vulnerable populations in areas where they desperately need care and connection. CCC has worked with clients on access to housing services, medical and dental care, and mental health services. It has also directly connected over twenty individuals to recovery services for substance use disorder.
From launch in 2022 to May of 2023, CCC conducted 48 STI panels (as well as testing done at raft guide dinners and testing at the office with additional hours), 45 medical encounter visits (several of which directly prevented unnecessary Emergency Department encounters), 194 vaccine encounters, 29 behavioral health navigation encounters, 17 referrals or connections to MAT or recovery treatment, 59 dental screenings, and 10 direct referrals to the Chaffee Housing Authority.
While the clinic in Buena Vista has been used less often, it has still served as a resource for community members seeking vaccination, free sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, dental health resources, and access to Narcan.
According to ChaffeeCounty.org, the hours and locations for the clinics are:
Salida
12:00 noon to 4:oo p.m. on Mondays at the Methodist Church
228 East Fourth Street, Salida
Buena Vista
12:00 noon to 4:oo p.m. on Tuesdays in the Linderman Office
112 Linderman Street, Buena Vista
The clinic is available to any resident in Chaffee County or surrounding areas who may have difficulty accessing medical care. The CCC celebrated its one-year anniversary in May 2023.
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