School of Medicine Outreach Programs

This overview of some of our service programs, gives an indication that the University of Colorado School of Medicine is meeting and exceeding its potential to make a positive impact on the community we serve. 

The University of Colorado School of Medicine is located at the intersection of 9^th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Denver.  In terms of our sustained commitment to addressing community needs, our commitment to Colorado does not mean the street but rather our responsibility and desire to serve the state of Colorado.

As the only medical school for 500 miles, we have a unique sense of duty to serve all in our region.  Our long-time record of service reflects our commitment to serving the Colorado community in multiple ways and is deeply imbedded in the institution’s culture.  Over $60 million of care for the medically indigent was provided last year by University Hospital and our faculty physicians.  While this is often the most visible (and presumed) symbol of our long-standing community service, it does not stop there.  Here is a sampling of multiple programs that represent our far-reaching commitment to the broader community.  It is evident that none of this would be possible without the generosity and personal commitment of over 900 faculty members, 2500 volunteer faculty and 520 medical students.  For example, a recent survey of our medical students estimates that they volunteer over 22,000 hours to the community each year!

This amazing array of programs and projects assembled for the larger community is a testament to the integration of our service mission into all activities, including research, education and clinical care.  Strongly-held values of the campus are represented in the grass-roots initiation and involvement of our students and faculty.  These innovative programs are targeted to increase the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in the health professions, provide patient care and service to disadvantaged communities, garner university and community resources to respond to health needs, provide students with educational experiences in underserved areas to encourage eventual practice in such communities, meet the needs of isolated communities, and address social needs in a medical context.

The University of Colorado School of Medicine is strongly committed to community service.  We’ve listed dozens of programs and projects are in place to support diversity and to promote a better understanding of diversity.  Some of these initiatives are created or coordinated at programmatic or unit levels; many receive partial School financial support, in collaboration with other schools and community partners.  These programs are directed at supporting diversity from pre-college students to continuing education for physicians, from educating the general public to improving the health status of all Colorado citizens.