Why do we believe that mapping is so important? Here are some quotes from mapping
experts…
·
A United States Colonel is quoted by saying “the
last thing you think of and the first thing you need is a map.”
·
And the Sonoma Ecology Center states on their
website that “maps are like campfires – everyone gathers around them, because
they allow people to understand issues at a first glance, and find agreement
and how to help.”
As one of our many resources presented to the public, we
want to continue to display landscapes that help explain the difficult problems
and the great successes in our rural communities. Here are a few of the new maps available.
All certified critical access hospitals in 2013 are
displayed on this
map. Rural hospitals have increasing
challenges that become more complex each day.
The map outlaying the hospitals may be used for multiple purposes to
educate legislators, to understand our facility landscape, in community
development planning, among others.
The safety net landscape, current as of August 2013, can be
found here. Federally-certified Rural Health Clinics and
other safety net clinics provide services to people who would otherwise go
without care. Their participation in the
medical community is imperative to accomplishing our state’s health goals,
especially in rural communities. Currently
CRHC is working with 52 Federally-certified Rural Health Clinics and 50
additional clinics located in rural Colorado.
Watch for an updated map.
As you know, many of our counties are without a hospital and
the recent threats and recommendations from the OIG Report are suggesting more
of our counties should have limited access to resources. This
map gives a graphical representation of these areas. With access to care as a primary concern in
healthcare, it is important to recognize the geographic representation of
hospitals is not equitable across the state.
Since the Colorado Rural Health Center began recruiting
healthcare professionals 2005 in rural and underserved areas, over 140 providers
have been placed by our program. A map
of all placements with the hot spots can be found here.
We’ve created separate maps for hospitals and clinics, but
it’s also important to gain a clear view of all rural healthcare locations. This
map clearly indicates the rural health clinics and critical access hospitals
across the state.
New maps are being planned and will be available on our
website every month in 2014. We
encourage you to use this information for as many purposes as possible. Maps will help to educate the public, make
program decisions, and give all of our work the credibility it deserves. Maps not only describe the healthcare
landscape, but also show the accomplishments that we’ve all achieved. Please let us know if you’d like to see any
additional information represented on a map.
You can find a list of all available maps, created by us and partners, here.
