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About the Health District

The Health District of Northern Larimer County has been meeting local healthcare needs since 1960. Today we provide dental, behavioral health, prescription assistance, cholesterol and blood pressure testing, quit tobacco, and health insurance assistance services to the residents of northern Larimer County. We also join with other local organizations to assess and plan for the larger health-care needs of our community.

The Health District is a special tax district — like a school, fire or water district — that was created by voters in 1960 to serve the health needs of our community. It is local government, operating under special district laws of the State of Colorado. The boundaries of the district encompass the northern two-thirds of Larimer County and include the cities of Fort Collins, Laporte, Timnath, Wellington, Livermore and Red Feather Lakes. View the Health District boundary map.

The Health District is primarily supported by local property tax dollars and is governed by a publicly elected, five-member board of directors that establishes the agency's priorities.

History

The Health District was established in 1960 as the Poudre Valley Hospital District. From 1962 to 1994, it owned and operated Poudre Valley Hospital (PVH).

In response to changing health-care needs, the district created a locally controlled private, not-for-profit organization in 1994 to take over the day-to-day management of the hospital under a 50-year lease agreement. That not-for-profit organization, Poudre Valley Health System, is now known as University of Colorado Health.

Over the years, many changes in state law took place that permitted hospital districts to offer a variety of other health services that help meet the unique needs of their community. Many of those former hospital districts are now called health service districts. As a result, in 1996 the Poudre Valley Hospital District became Poudre Health Services District. In September 2002, the Health District again changed its name to Health District of Northern Larimer County to better reflect what we do and whom we serve.

How we're funded

The Health District is supported by property taxes, lease payments from University of Colorado Health, interest income, and fees from clients. Lease payments cover a majority of the Health District's administrative and overhead costs, allowing most of the tax dollars to go toward providing services to district residents. The mill levy is 2.167 and cannot be raised without a public vote of district residents.

The Health District also seeks and accepts outside financial support for specific programs in the form of private, state and federal grants, in addition to contributions from individual donors.

For more information on Health District finances, see the Annual Report or Budget.