Associates in Family Medicine, UCHealth expand partnership 

FORT COLLINS — UCHealth and Associates in Family Medicine, which previously have collaborated on health-and-wellness programs for employers,  today announced plans to strengthen their partnership later this year, creating a wider and more integrated network of health-care services for patients in Northern Colorado.

UCHealth is not acquiring AFM under the agreement — expected to be finalized later this year — but the two organizations will have a much closer partnership. Early next year, patients will begin to see both Associates in Family Medicine and UCHealth signage on clinic locations, according to a press release.

AFM providers will remain independent, but clinic locations and patient care will be more closely aligned with UCHealth, “ensuring convenient and streamlined care for patients,” according to the press release. UCHealth and AFM will also collaborate on administrative functions.

“AFM and UCHealth have benefited from a very close partnership for decades,” Dr. James Sprowell, AFM CEO, said in a prepared statement. “This new relationship will ensure our partnership continues for many years to come while guaranteeing our patients receive the very best primary, specialty and hospital care in the most convenient way possible.”

AFM was founded in 1962 and includes 63 providers and eight full-service office locations in Fort Collins, Windsor and Loveland.

The partnership with UCHealth is designed to more closely link primary-care providers with hospital and community-based specialists.

“AFM has been an anchor in our community for generations, and its expert providers have helped define how family medicine should take care of patients,” Deborah Chandler, CEO of UCHealth’s provider group, Colorado Health Medical Group, said in the press release. “We’re excited to strengthen our partnership with the AFM providers because we know it’s what is best for patients. Together, we’ll work to keep patients healthy, not just treat them when they’re sick.”

UCHealth and AFM already partner to offer health and wellness services for employers in Northern Colorado and will collaborate to provide services at Colorado State University’s new Health and Medical Center, now under construction at South College Avenue and West Prospect Road in Fort Collins.

UCHealth operates Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland and UCHealth Broomfield Hospital, among other facilities. It also is building a new hospital in Longmont and plans to build a hospital in Greeley.
 

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