Patient-Centered Health Home

A medical or health “home” isn’t so much a place as it is a philosophy of care. As a patient-centered medical home, Clinica is committed to providing each and every person with comprehensive, coordinated, and collaborative care. We provide high quality care that respects your preferences and empowers you in your health and wellness journey.

Culturally Responsive Care

Equally important to us is developing a relationship with our patients and clients that encompasses the whole person. We want to understand and respect your unique needs, culture, values, identity, and preferences. At Clinica, we actively help you learn to manage and organize your care at the level you choose. Recognizing that individuals and families are core members of the care team, our health home practices ensure that you are a fully informed partner in your care plan.

Team-Based Partners

Often, a person needs more than one kind of care to achieve sustainable health and wellness. Our team-based model brings medical, dental, behavioral health experts together to support you and your family—all under one roof. Our teams consist of primary care providers, nurses, medical assistants, therapists, pharmacists, dieticians, dental hygienists, health coaches, and more.

You – the patient – are at the center of this care model. We are partners in your treatment, engaging you at every level, helping coordinate your health care needs and stay well.

Quality, Evidence-Based Care

Our community-based clinics are nationally recognized for excellence. Clinica is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). That means we’ve met the highest performance standards in delivering high-quality, safe care.

We’re also proud to be recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Level III Patient Centered Medical Home. That means we’ve met NCQA’s rigorous standards for quality care and commitment to improvement.

The care we provide is evidence-based and data-driven. We rely heavily on standards developed by nationally recognized groups to measure the quality of patient health outcomes. And we utilize data obtained from multiple trusted sources—including our own—to make health care decisions.

Local, Community-Based

Clinica offers evening hours and – in some cases – same-day appointments. We have community-based clinics located across our region (west Adams, Boulder, Broomfield, and Gilpin counties) to provide our neighbors with convenient access to care right in their backyard.

In 2022, we opened two clinics in Nederland and Black Hawk to better serve our rural mountain communities, which have historically had limited access to local health care providers and services. Learn more about our locations and hours.

Removing Cost as a Barrier to Health

As a nonprofit health center, we’re here to help make our entire community healthier and stronger by providing health care for people of all ages and backgrounds, whether they have insurance or not. While we accept most insurance plans and welcome Medicaid, CHP+, and Medicare, we also have discount programs for those who do not have insurance coverage.

The Story of Clinica

Clinica Family Health was founded by Alicia Sanchez, a single mother of seven children who truly understood the need for affordable health care. Although she never finished high school and suffered from an autoimmune disease that kept her from holding a regular full-time job, she had a huge heart and was known locally as was known as “la medica.”

Before the Lafayette/Louisville area had hundreds of doctors and two Joint Commission-accredited hospitals, south Boulder County was dotted with commercial farms that hired dozens of Spanish-speaking migrant workers. People turned to Alicia when they were sick or injured and had no money.

Every week, she loaded her car “Susie” with those in need and drove to University Hospital in Denver so people could get low-cost care. She spent days waiting with them, translating, and helping them understand test results. Alicia knew Lafayette and Louisville desperately needed affordable primary health care.

Through a true grassroots effort, Alicia, along with community leaders and health care providers, started Clinica in 1977. The first Clinica office was in a small, wood frame house in Lafayette. The primary bedroom was divided into two exam rooms. The living room served as waiting room, check-in, and medical records. The kitchen served as the clinic’s lab, complete with a chicken egg incubator in one corner that grew throat cultures. That first year, Clinica had a budget of $75,000, and our six staff members provided basic health care to about 500 Lafayette residents.

A vital part our early mission was providing care to the migrant farm workers in Boulder County. Every Friday, our staff would close the clinic early, load supplies into their cars, and head to the barracks where the farm workers lived. They couldn’t get to the clinic, so the staff brought the clinic to them.

A New Chapter for Clinica

In 2024, Clinica Family Health and Mental Health Partners (MHP) merged into one comprehensive healthcare organization – bringing together over 100 years of combined history. Together, we are a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and Comprehensive Safety Net Provider.

Today, Clinica Family Health & Wellness now sees over 60,000 patients and clients a year. With more than 900 employees, we operate 14 community-based clinics offering medical, dental, and specialty behavioral health services to residents of Adams, Boulder, Broomfield, and Gilpin counties. Clinica is recognized at state and national levels for our innovative care model and exceptional health outcomes.

From our humble roots, making health and wellness accessible for all people – regardless of cost, background, or identity – has been at the core of our work. Because of this decades-long advocacy, we have gained prominence in our community and state as a leading champion of healthcare access. Today more than ever, we continue to pursue the goals of our founders by listening, learning, and dismantling the flawed systems that cause inequities in healthcare and beyond.

As a federally funded health center, Clinica Family Health & Wellness is responsible for providing comprehensive, affordable primary care (medical, dental, and mental health) to communities that have been historically under-resourced, regardless of ability to pay. Our focus is on preventive care for children, adults, and families, with the goal of reducing hospital use and improving community health. We are a critical part of the safety net, bridging healthcare gaps to meet community need. 

In 2025: 

• Approximately 50% of our patients and clients were living at or below the federal poverty level (which is an annual income of $15,650 for a single person or $32,150 for a family of four 

• Around 30% were children and teens (17 and younger) 

• 31% were uninsured 

• 55% were enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare, or other public insurance programs 

• 35% were served in a language other than English 

View our most recent Annual Report to learn more about who we serve.