Got a health story to tell? The Colorado Rural Health Center, Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved, and ClinicNET are ready to hear it.CRHC, CCMU and ClinicNET will hit the road in April in search of Colorado health stories. “The purpose of Colorado HealthStory is to create an appreciation of our shared experiences of health, one conversation at a time,” said Alicia Haywood, policy analyst with the Colorado Rural Health Center. “We invite Coloradans to tell their own health stories to begin a dialogue about access to health in our communities.”
The three-year project was made possible through funding from The Colorado Trust and the Colorado Health Foundation. Over the next three years, Colorado HealthStory collaborators will engage existing and new partners to identify 250 storytellers and capture their stories. Personal health stories will be audio recorded with a family member, a friend, a care provider, a mentor or HealthStory collaborator. Each storyteller will be provided a CD of their story recording, and a second copy will be retained in the Colorado HealthStory archive.
Stories will be available on the Colorado HealthStory Web site, blog and other social media outlets, and news and media outlets will receive periodic project updates. In addition, once a body of stories is collected from each participating community, Colorado HealthStory will convene community forums known as “listening sessions.” Using information gathered from collected stories, listening sessions and local health data, the HealthStory team will create “community health profiles” for each participating community.
“Sharing your own health story is a great way to start, but there are lots of other ways you can help your family, friends and neighbors share their story,” Haywood said. “You can host a ‘HealthStory Day’ at your organization, co-author an op-ed in your local newspaper that encourages others to share their stories or link to the Colorado HealthStory site, (coloradohealthstory.org, but not yet launched) from your Web site.”
For more information on Colorado HealthStory, contact Alicia Haywood of the Colorado Rural Health Center at ah@coruralhealth.org or by calling 720.248.2748.
About The Colorado Rural Health Center
CRHC was founded in 1991 as Colorado’s nonprofit State Office of Rural Health. CRHC works with Federal, state and local partners to offer services and resources to rural healthcare providers, facilities and communities. CRHC has a diverse and inclusive statewide constituency of over 3,500 people and organizations. For more on the Colorado Rural Health Center call 303-832-7493 or go to www.coruralhealth.org.
About ClinicNET
ClinicNET affiliated clinics are Community-Funded Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) throughout Colorado. The clinics provide primary health care services to low-income, uninsured and underinsured Coloradans. For more information about ClinicNET call 720-233-7375 or go to www.clinicnet.org.
About the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved
Launched in 1997 by Dr. Gary VanderArk, and independently incorporated in 2003, CCMU has a diverse membership that includes health care providers, insurance providers, advocates and individuals. For more information about CCMU call 303.832.7727 or go to www.ccmu.org.
