Recognizing the importance of Colorado’s safety net system and the challenges it faces, The Colorado Health Foundation provided a two-year grant to CHI in 2005 to establish a Safety Net Indicators and Monitoring System for Colorado. With this support, CHI has developed a data-driven reporting system that is identifying, describing and monitoring Colorado’s health care safety net providers and vulnerable populations on an annual basis.
The purpose of the monitoring system is to inform local communities and state policymakers about the changing dynamics of Colorado’s safety net. Specific objectives include describing and monitoring the characteristics of current and potential safety net users and the financial viability of safety net providers. Through the identification of a robust set of indicators, access to care and health status measures of vulnerable Coloradans will be monitored over time.