About Us
Denver Indian Health and Family Services (DIHFS) is Denver's only Urban Indian Health Program providing culturally appropriate care for American Indian and Alaska Native adults, children, and families. We serve primarily the Denver Metropolitan area including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson and Weld Counties. We are uniquely positioned to meet the health needs of our patients in a culturally competent way.
Urban Indian Health Programs
Urban Indian Health Programs (UIHPs) are private, non-profit corporations that serve American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people in select cities with a range of health and social services from outreach and referral to full ambulatory care. UIHPs are a network of 41 independent health agencies funded in part under Subchapter IV (formerly Title V) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and receive limited grants and contracts from the federal Indian Health Service (IHS).
UIHPs are located in 22 states and serve individuals in approximately 100 U.S. counties where over 1.2 million AI/ANs reside.
UIHPs provide traditional health care services, cultural activities, and a culturally appropriate place for urban AI/ANs to receive health care. Comprehensive clinics provide direct primary care for at least 40 hours per week; Limited clinics provide direct primary care services for under 40 hours per week; and Outreach and Referral sites do not provide direct care services on site but refer patients to external health care providers.
Welcome to Betty Gress Clinic
Denver Indian Health and Family Services, Inc. (DIHFS) is an Urban Indian Health Program providing services to the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) community in the Denver area since 1978.
Denver was one of the original sites for relocation of Indian people from their home reservations and continues to be a nucleus of American Indian people. The population is comprised of people who have lived in Denver for over 40 years and produced second and third generation Denver natives as well as those who are transient and move to and from reservations on a regular basis. Although Denver is centrally located within “Indian Country”, it is isolated from tribal health and Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities. Over the years, our service area has grown to include the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metropolitan area.
We offer programs and services in the areas of basic primary care and referrals for advanced or specialty care; vision and dental care; behavioral health services, including substance abuse and mental health; family-planning, childbirth, newborn, and well-baby care; rapid HIV/AIDS testing; and, diabetes and wellness programs, including personal fitness assessments, tailored fitness and nutritional plans, and use of the gym. In 2004 we partnered with University of Colorado's Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science to open a 340B on-site pharmacy. We also operate a very successful program aimed to narrow the gap in Medicaid and CHIP coverage experienced by AI/AN’s.
Our Mission and Our Vision
The Mission of Denver Indian Health and Family Services is to provide a center of health and healing, rooted in Native culture and community for all American Indians and Alaska Native people across Colorado, and our Vision is the restoration of full health and wellbeing – physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually – to all American Indian and Alaska Natives.
The DIHFS Journey
More About Us
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While we can provide comprehensive primary care, we are not a full-service hospital. You can take a look under the Services tab to view our various programs. If we are unable to meet your needs at our clinic, we are happy to refer you to a community partner that accepts your insurance. You can take a look at the Community tab to see some of our preferred partners.
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Most of our medical services are available to tribally-enrolled American Indian and Alaskan Native clients at minimal to no cost. Be sure to bring your tribal enrollment card or Certificate Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) at your first visit. If you have insurance (private or public), we can bill your insurance to help support the care we provide in the clinic. Providing proof of medical insurance can help us better coordinate referrals should you need additional services at other facilities. Please
contact our dental clinic directly to determine any out-of-pocket costs or co-pays. Learn more about our eligibility criteria on our New Patient page.
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We welcome non-Native and non-tribally-enrolled patients. Children under 18 may use parental documentation along with the child's birth certificate. Payment for health care services will be required, either with insurance or on a sliding-scale fee structure. Please contact us directly to determine your out-of-pocket costs or co-pays. Providing proof of medical insurance can help us better coordinate referrals should you need additional services at other facilities.
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Getting to know you and your health takes time. We’ve put together a list of things to bring for your first visit at our clinic on our New Patient page. You are also welcome to print the new patient paperwork ahead of time and bring it with you on your first visit.
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We are an accredited clinic through Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Care (AAAHC). We work hard to serve our community with high-quality healthcare and patient safety in mind. AAAHC holds us to the highest standard that will support continuous quality improvement within our clinic. This is important because this type of community health center is a critical source of quality affordable care for people of minority groups. Our diabetes education program was accredited in 2016 by the American Association for Diabetes Educators. Stay tuned to see how we grow!
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While we receive some funding through Subchapter IV (formerly Title V) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, most of our funding is through state and local grants, and our amazing philanthropic donors! As a 501c3 non-profit charitable organization, we gratefully accept donations (CFC #47222). You can visit our Give page to learn more about charitable donations to DIHFS.
Research Partnerships & Community Collaboration
Denver Indian Health and Family Services has collaborated, successfully, with partners in health research for many years. Most of the work done has been community-based, socio-behavioral; such as diabetes maintenance research, weight loss research, mental health services utilization, and quality assurance/quality improvement, etc. Through the years, our participation has been based on trust with our research partners; and that has worked well to serve our community, our clinic, and most importantly, our patients.
We welcome thoughtful research partnerships that provide (or expand) healthcare services and improves the health of our community. No patient is ever pressured to participate in any study. Our patients' health and well-being, and respecting traditional Native ways, are always our top priorities.
Due to an increased number of requests for research participation, please read our Research Engagement Guidelines carefully before requesting a research partnership.