
By Garry Schalla, Development Director
Mountain Family Health Centers is pleased to announce it has received a $100,000 grant from the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation. These funds will support the new Basalt Integrated Health Center, a vital new medical center increasing access to integrated medical, dental and behavioral health care for all Roaring Fork Valley residents, regardless of ability to pay.
The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation’s generous grant to Mountain Family Health Centers is designated for medical equipment for the nine medical exam rooms in the new health center located at 123 Emma Road in Basalt. This will allow Mountain Family to increase the number of persons served annually to 3,700—this is a 75% increase.
The grant will go toward the final $3.2 million fundraising by Mountain Family Health Centers for the new Basalt Integrated Health Center.
The grand opening for the new Basalt Integrated Health Center was held on January 7th. The 9,000-square-foot facility has three dental operatories as well as two individual and two group behavioral health counseling rooms. That’s in addition to the larger medical space. This means for the first time in the mid-Roaring Fork Valley, persons of all ages can receive person-centered medical, dental and behavioral (mental) health services in one health care home.
New substance use disorder programs are also now available, including medication-assisted therapy (MAT) and enhanced intensive outpatient programs (EIOP).
Mountain Family serves all, regardless of insurance status, and has a sliding fee discount program for persons who otherwise could not afford their health care.
“At Mountain Family Health Centers, we believe health care is a basic human right. The support of the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation, along with that of our other generous supporters, will help ensure that all members of our community have access to high quality, integrated care,” said Ross Brooks, Mountain Family’s Chief Executive Officer.
The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation joins other lead donors for the health center, including The Colorado Health Foundation, Denver Foundation Colorado Health Access Fund, Aspen Skiing Company – Community Cares Fund, Caring for Colorado, Gates Family Foundation, and El Pomar Foundation, along with many generous government, business and individual donors.
The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation is located in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and is dedicated to transforming lives in profoundly positive ways through grants focused on health, youth and family and animal welfare. “Improving health care access and outcomes for vulnerable people is one of our priorities,” says Virginia Romano, Executive Director, “we are pleased to support Mountain Family Health Centers as they work toward this same goal.”For more information about Mountain Family Health Centers or the Building Health for All capital campaign, visit www.mountainfamily.org. For the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation, visit www.dresnerfoundation.org.