Pueblo — Julie Drake, a behavioral-health manager at Pueblo Community Health Center, told the Agriculture Behavioral Health Working Group that the center provides integrated primary care, mental-health services, dental care and a pharmacy to about 25,000 patients across multiple sites.

"We have 25,000 patients that we serve," Drake said. She described the center’s integrated-care model — primary care, behavioral health and dental services available at the same clinics — and said the center runs targeted programs for migrant seasonal farmworkers, people experiencing homelessness and people living with HIV/AIDS. Drake said the center has about 13 outreach sites in Pueblo county, including a site in the Avondale area dedicated to farmworker access.

Drake described the center’s pharmacy benefit under the federal 340B program, saying it reduces medication costs for patients. "Something that would cost $300 at a pharmacy, it might cost them $2 at our pharmacy," she said, illustrating how the subsidized pharmacy can lower medication costs for uninsured or underinsured patients.

Drake said the center bills a mix of Medicaid and other payers but also offers a sliding-fee scale and helps patients enroll in insurance, noting specialty care outside the center can still pose financial barriers. She also described case-management services that help patients apply for benefits and connect to housing, SSI and other social supports.

Why it matters: Pueblo Community Health Center’s network and programs were described as a resource for agricultural and seasonal-worker communities in Pueblo County and nearby areas, and the center offers on-site pharmacy and wraparound supports that some attendees said could be model elements for other rural communities.

Attendees asked about outreach and brochures; Drake said she would provide printed materials and follow up with the working group on referral pathways to the center’s programs.