Clinica Family Health and Mental Health Partners Announce Intention to Merge in September
New, more holistic health care agency to be called Clinica Family Health & Wellness
From Our Leaders:
We are excited to share that Mental Health Partners (MHP) and Clinica Family Health (Clinica) intend to merge into one organization. The new organization will be called Clinica Family Health & Wellness. We will provide physical, mental, and oral health services from locations across Boulder, Broomfield, Gilpin, and Adams counties. We anticipate the merger to be completed in September 2024. More than anything else, this merger is about providing the highest quality, most comprehensive care possible for our patients and clients. By uniting, we combine the amazing talents and services of our two organizations to create a healthcare agency that further expands access to services and creates a whole-person care model capable of better serving those most in need across our communities.
The process of bringing two organizations together with such a diverse range of programs and services requires a considerable amount of time and diligent consideration. We will spend the coming months thoughtfully and intentionally engaging with our patients/clients, colleagues, and community partners to make this process as smooth as possible.
We thank you for your continued trust and support as the leading high quality, affordable healthcare providers in your community. As we take this next step together to best respond to and meet the evolving healthcare needs of our community, we are honored to continue forging the path ahead as healthcare leaders and innovators.
Onward!
Simon Smith, Jen Leosz, and Dixie Casford
Learn More About Mental Health Partners
Transforming health
and wellbeing through
holistic care
We recognize that the healthcare environment is rapidly changing and access to care in a fragmented system is a significant challenge. We often wish we could remove barriers in the health care system and bring together more resources to meet the unique needs of our patients and clients. For the past two years, MHP and Clinica have been thoughtfully discussing how we could better work together to address these realities. It became abundantly clear that merging—leveraging over 100 years of combined experience and expertise in physical and behavioral health—was the strongest way to effect meaningful change.
By merging a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC), Clinica Family Health & Wellness will be better positioned to provide the most comprehensive care possible for the populations we serve. When someone is seeking health and healing, they don’t want to navigate a difficult landscape of referrals, hunt for new providers, and explain their medical history over and over from the beginning. They want seamlessly coordinated care from providers they have built lifelong relationships with and better access to specialists when they need them . By creating a more integrated, collaborative, and team-based environment among your healthcare providers, we can better meet your health goals. In our history of doing this work together, MHP and Clinica have already seen measurable, positive results reported directly by our patients and clients.
Long-time partners
joining together
Clinica and MHP have built a strong partnership going back over three decades. Our two organizations share similar values, missions, and visions of access to high-quality, affordable health care for all income levels and regardless of insurance status. We care for our communities with cultural humility, and joining together enables us to advocate more effectively for health equity.
Simon Smith, the current President & CEO of Clinica Family Health, will be the President & CEO of Clinica Family Health & Wellness. The current co-CEOs of Mental Health Partners, Jen Leosz and Dixie Casford, have been appointed to new roles: Chief Integrated Health Officer and Chief Administrative Officer, respectively. As a combined entity, we aim to positively impact policies, systems, and funding structures in ways we could not do individually.
Leading communities into a stronger healthcare future
This merger aims to magnify the collective talents and skills of both teams in exciting and innovative ways. MHP and Clinica complement each other in many ways. By uniting, over time we will be able to expand our areas of expertise, offer more professional development and career advancement opportunities, enhance the ways we can support and meet the needs of our staff, and be even more attractive in recruiting and retaining staff—which is especially powerful as the healthcare industry continues to navigate a workforce shortage.
Merger FAQs
What is the proposed merger?
Clinica Family Health and Mental Health Partners intend to merge into one organization. By bringing together a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC), we are creating a healthcare agency that offers a holistic, whole-person care model to help us better serve those in need across our communities.
When will the merger be effective?
We anticipate completing this transition in September 2024.
What will the new organization be named?
Clinica Family Health & Wellness
Where will you be located?
We will have convenient locations across Boulder, Broomfield, Gilpin, and Adams counties.
What is whole-person healthcare, and what are the benefits?
A whole-person model gives healthcare providers better awareness of the full picture of an individual’s physical, mental, and social needs. This model aims to bring the right care to patients in a more comprehensive, prevention-focused, and person-centered way. By joining organizations, we are creating innovative spaces where your primary care provider can work right alongside your mental health and oral healthcare providers as one multidisciplinary team.
In our history of doing this work together, MHP and Clinica have already seen measurable, positive results reported directly by our patients and clients. This merger is about offering better access to seamlessly coordinated care for those who are too often neglected by the system.
How will clients and patients be kept updated and informed?
We will keep our patients and clients updated through a variety of methods – including email and direct mail. Patients and clients can also speak with their care team for more information and any specifics regarding their treatment plan.
Who will lead this new organization?
Simon Smith, the current President & CEO of Clinica Family Health, will be the President & CEO of Clinica Family Health & Wellness. The current co-CEOS of Mental Health Partners, Jen Leosz and Dixie Casford, have been appointed to new roles as Chief Integrated Health Officer and Chief Administrative Officer, respectively.
Will the Board of Directors also merge?
The Board of Directors for Clinica Family Health & Wellness will be comprised of Clinica and MHP board members. A majority of board members will continue to be patients who receive services, working alongside a talented and dedicated group of community volunteers. This valuable representation ensures those who utilize Clinica Family Health & Wellness’ services always have oversight and influence on strategic and governance decisions.
What does this mean for me as an MHP client/Clinica patient ?
Over time, this merger means you will have better access to more services, including physical, mental, and oral health care. More than anything else, this merger is about providing the highest quality, most complete care possible for our patients and clients.
You will still have the same treatment team. We recognize the value of the relationships you have built as you have been receiving care. We aim to make this transition as smooth as possible with minimal impact on you – including how you receive care and who you receive care from. Rest assured that your care team will support you through the process as we get closer to our official merger date.
To Our Donors
Dear Donors:
Today we are honored to share exciting news!
After careful consideration by the Boards of Directors for Clinica Family Health and Mental Health Partners (our community behavioral health partner), we are thrilled to announce that Clinica and MHP intend to merge into one organization. The merger should be completed in September 2024.
More than anything else, this merger is about providing the highest quality, most complete care we can for our patients. Our new organization will be called Clinica Family Health & Wellness. We will provide physical, behavioral, and oral health services from locations across Boulder, Broomfield, Gilpin, and Adams counties. Simon Smith, currently President & CEO of Clinica, will serve as President & CEO of the merged organization. Jen Leosz and Dixie Casford, currently co-CEOs of MHP, will become Chief Integrated Health Officer and Chief Administrative Officer, respectively.
Mental Health Partners and Clinica Family Health have built a strong partnership that goes back over three decades. We are both mission-driven and people-centered; we share a strong commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; and we passionately believe everyone deserves access to high quality, affordable healthcare. Yet we recognize that the healthcare environment is rapidly changing and access to care in a fragmented system is a significant challenge. With this merger, we have a powerful opportunity to remove barriers in the health care system, bring together more resources to meet the unique needs of our patients and clients, and practice a truly whole person healthcare model.
Your support and contributions continue to be vital to the work that we do, supporting the integrated care and services that we otherwise would not be able to provide. Rest assured you will continue to have control over how your contributions are used, either giving to the specific areas that are most important to you or providing us with the opportunity to allocate your funds where they are needed most. With this merger, your generosity can now make an even bigger impact in supporting the whole health of those who live, work, and play in your community.
The process of bringing together two organizations with such diverse programs and services requires a considerable amount of time and diligent consideration. Though this is the first of many communications to come, you can also find the most up-to-date information about this merger on our website at Clinica.org.
Thank you for your continued trust and support. With you, we are dedicated to forging a path towards the most innovative and comprehensive care possible for our patients and the community.