In 1966, Denver Health created the first Community Health Center west of the Mississippi River when it opened the Eastside Clinic in Five Points. In the years to follow, Community Health Centers—neighborhood clinics offering affordable care to patients regardless of their income level or background—became core to Denver Health’s mission.
In an effort to reach more residents, Denver Health opened the Westside Family Health Center in 1968 at 10th Ave. and Federal Blvd., one of the first clinics of its kind catering to Spanish-speaking populations. In 1984, as patient volumes rose, the clinic moved a block north to the location it still occupies today at 11th Ave and Federal Blvd. That clinic—which was later named after Sam Sandos, Denver’s first Latino city council member—quickly became one of the busiest clinics in the city, providing essential care to residents in Sun Valley, Barnum, Valverde, Villa Park, and beyond. However, over the decades the Westside Clinic has only grown busier, with more than 25,000 patients coming through its doors each year and more than 80,000 total visits annually.
Today, as Colorado’s primary safety-net health system, Denver Health now operates 11 Community Health Centers and 19 school-based health centers, making it the 5th largest federally qualified network in the United States. In 2024, these neighborhood clinics served over 203,000 unique patients, and Denver Health provided more than $155 million in uncompensated care as part of its commitment to serve populations with limited access to health care.
Denver Health Foundation has launched a capital campaign to rebuild the Sam Sandos Westside Family Health Center. A planned 82,500-square-foot facility will significantly increase the clinic’s impact, allowing providers to offer new forms of care while also expanding the onsite services that exist today. Once open, we will have the capacity to serve 33,000 patients, a 30% increase.
We have a tremendous opportunity to transform the health of our community. Philanthropy provides vital resources and inspiration as we work together to eliminate disparities, reduce costs, and improve access to quality care for all. Denver Health is intent upon much more than constructing a new building. Rather, we endeavor to continue a long tradition of providing critical care to Denver’s Westside residents. Join us!
When you give $250 or more to Denver Health Foundation for the Westside Capital Campaign, you may be eligible for a 25% tax credit on your Colorado state income tax.
Imagine a city where all individuals, families, and neighborhoods experience vibrant health. Envision a city that has overcome the economic and social barriers to health care that limit people and communities from reaching their potential. Picture a community of neighbors who celebrate and invest in their connections to one another, where philanthropy bridges gaps, accelerates proven solutions, and serves as a springboard to healing during life’s challenges.
This is Denver Health Foundation’s vision for the most ambitious campaign in our history — the Springboard for Solutions campaign. Now in the final year of this $80 million campaign, Denver Health Foundation is channeling Denver’s generosity to strengthen trusted care, extend access for those who might otherwise go without, and build a healthier Denver for the long term.
