ABOUT ESTES PARK SALUD FOUNDATION

A Brief History

In June 1992, Salud Family Health opened a one-exam-room clinic in downtown Estes Park. Initially operating at just 8 hours per week, the clinic was staffed by Eileen Flaherty, FNP, as the medical provider and a rotating list of volunteers filling in the administrative tasks. Still, the clinic provided much-needed relief to an overburdened hospital that had previously been seeing a number of patients who lacked a medical home for primary care.

It was the CFO of Knuttson Memorial Hospital (what is today Estes Park Health) who reached out to the executive director of Salud, a federally qualified health center based out of Ft. Lupton, to suggest a clinic be opened in Estes. After assessing the need to provide essential health care services for uninsured patients in the community, Salud agreed to open a part-time location.

However, due to the median income of the town being so high, the clinic was ineligible to receive federal status as a medically underserved area and the associated funding that came along with it (a designation that continues to this day). But the need for the clinic was evident as its demand continued to grow, increasing hours, patients, and eventually providers and other staff over the next five years.

As operations continued to expand, it became increasingly clear that something was needed to help support the clinic financially to make up for the lack of federal funding. So, in 1997, Doug Frisbie recruited a board of directors to establish the Estes Park Salud Foundation.

The Foundation has been raising funds to support the clinic—from staffing needs to buying office buildings to furnishing medical equipment—ever since.

Past Foundation Funding Initiatives

$1.9M to build the current 11,000-square-feet clinic

$75K to purchase an ultrasound imaging unit and new dental equipment
Essential contributions to the 2015 clinic expansion, including X-ray equipment, a fourth dental treatment room, a larger mental health area, a separate dental waiting area, and an additional medical exam room
Staff expenses, including housing, mileage reimbursement, benefits, and bonus contributions

Current Funding Initiative 2024 - 2025

$1M Fundraising Campaign

The Estes Park Salud Clinic is facing its most critical financial crisis in over 30 years. Rising health care costs, flat federal funding, and a reduction in Medicaid coverage have created a $1 million shortfall. This clinic serves 1 in 3 residents in the Estes Valley, providing vital services like pediatric care, diabetes management, behavioral health, and more. Without your support, the clinic could close, leaving thousands without access to affordable care.

Donate today to safeguard health care for all in our community.

Current Board Members

Doug Frisbie, President

Doug and his wife, Eileen Flaherty, the first Salud provider for the Estes clinic, moved to Estes Park in 1989. Seeing the clinic's need for additional funding, Doug recruited community members to create the Estes Park Salud Foundation in 1997, serving as the initial foundation president. Doug and Eileen raised two daughters in the Estes community, and Doug was elected to two terms on the Estes Park Board of Education. Doug retired in 2010, last working for Engineers Without Borders. He has continued to serve on the Salud Foundation for numerous terms in various capacities and is currently the foundation president.

Carol Arnold, Treasurer

Carol is a retired certified public accountant with over 40 years of management experience serving law firms and owning a subcontracting firm working on various large-scale commercial projects. Her volunteer experience includes being the treasurer of a non-profit preschool, a member of a church support group for the homeless, a worker in a women’s homeless shelter, a volunteer ranger for Rocky Mountain National Park, and, since 2019, treasurer of the Estes Park Salud Foundation.