Boulder, Colorado is known for its scenic beauty, thriving arts and culture, forwards-thinking business environment, and healthy population. The city of Boulder is located where the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains, in in Boulder Valley. Just outside the city are found the iconic Flatirons, visually striking vertical slabs of sedimentary rock which have come to symbolize the city of Boulder.
Outside the city lie thousands of acres of outdoor recreational space, nature preserves, and conservation easements, and nature preserves, most of which is open to the public. With its temperate and sunny climate, and access to outstanding rock climbing, cycling, kayaking, and hiking areas, it’s no wonder that Boulder, Colorado is one of the most active places in the country. In fact, Boulder has been ranked as the healthiest and fittest city ion the nation by sources like Forbes, USA Today, and AARP Magazine. The city of Boulder, Colorado is also supported by excellent healthcare infrastructure, including excellent doctors and medical facilities.
Some of the most notable healthcare facts about Boulder, Colorado:
- 94.7% of Boulder residents have in medical insurance, a rate far exceeding the national average. About 56.6% are on employer-provided health plans, 8.03% on Medicare, 6.86% on Medicaid, 22.6% on non-group plans, and 0.618% on VA or military plans.
- There is one primary care doctor for every 1,243 patients in the state of Colorado, which is well below the national average.
- The average healthcare spending per person in Boulder was $6,804 as of 2014, which included the charges picked up by health insurance plans.
The following guide to health professionals in Boulder will introduce you to the city’s largest medical centers and the most popular doctors in Boulder.
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- Hospitals in Boulder
- Pediatricians in Boulder
- Family Practice Doctors in Boulder
- Internal Medicine Doctors in Boulder
- Specialist Doctors in Boulder
- The Most Popular Doctors in Boulder
- Telemedicine in Boulder
Hospitals in Boulder
Boulder is home to three major medical centers:
- Foothills Hospital
- Boulder Community Health
- Boulder Medical Center
Foothills Hospital is the city’s largest acute care hospital, with a total of 168 licensed beds. It is a nonprofit entity and a regional Level II Trauma Center. It is also a Nationally-certified Primary Stroke Center and offers the most comprehensive treatment for heart conditions in the county.
Boulder Community Health housed the facilities, staff, and services of Foothills Hospital up until 2014, when all acute care was transferred to the Foothills Hospital location. Foothills is now one of many medical centers that belong to the Boulder Community Health network. Other Boulder Community Health locations include:
- Anderson Medical Center (cardiology)
- Associated Neurologists
- BCH Imaging at Boulder Medical Center
- Beacon Center for Infectious Diseases
- Boulder Community Health Sleep Diagnostics-Boulder
- Boulder Surgery Center
- Boulder Women’s Care
Boulder Medical Center is a medical facility rather than a hospital, and is the parent institution of Foothills Hospital. Outside of the Foothills trauma center, Boulder Medical Center offers many of the other services patients seek from hospitals, including surgery, urgent care, cardiology, and other specialty care. Boulder Medical Center has a total of five locations throughout Boulder County, including 80 primary care providers, 300 support staff, and services in 22 medical specialties.
Pediatricians in Boulder
Pediatricians are physicians that provide primary care to children, from birth to adolescence. They handle routine care, monitor development, and can recognize, diagnose, and treat a variety of illnesses and conditions in children. Children tend to contract illnesses more frequently than adults, and need more checkups and vaccinations, so regular pediatric care is important. A pediatrician can also check to see if children are hitting physical and cognitive developmental milestones (such as first words or first menstruation) on a typical timeline.
There are a total of 43 pediatricians practicing in Boulder. Many practice in the pediatric wing of a hospital or a medical center, and others work in a private practice or group practice. Some of the most popular pediatric groups in Boulder are:
- The Pediatric Center of Boulder, Colorado, which has won multiple recognitions for excellence. There are five pediatricians and one nurse practitioner on staff at this large practice, and is open six days per week, with some evening hours for exams as well. The Pediatric Center of Boulder, Colorado has been in operation since 1982, and is a Certified Medical Home Practice endorsed by the Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy & Financing, a Patient-Centered Medical Home endorsed by the NCQA, and participates in the Colorado State Health Information Exchange.
- Mindful Pediatrics, which blends evidence-based Western Medicine with a holistic approach to the medical treatment of children. Mindful Pediatrics emphasizes traditional general pediatrics, mindfulness, nutrition, and holistic medicine to treat the whole patient. The practice has a pediatrician, nutritionist, and physician’s assistant on staff, all of whom have extensive clinical medical experience as well as natural medicine training.
Family Practice Doctors in Boulder, Colorado
Like pediatricians, family practice doctors have the training required to oversee the health of children, from checkups and immunizations to treating illness and injury. But family medicine doctors are also qualified to treat adults, so they can serve as primary care physicians to people and families across the lifespan. Most primary care doctors today are doctors of family medicine.
There are 127 family medicine doctors located in Boulder, Colorado. There are many family medicine doctors working in hospitals, but many others work in group practices. The most popular family doctor groups in Colorado include:
- Rocky Mountain Family Medicine, which has an impressive track record, boasting an average user rating of 4.6 stars based on 212 Google reviews. Conveniently, Rocky Mountain Family Medicine also offers occupational medicine, physical therapy, and urgent care services. Their family medicine practice has a strong emphasis on preventative medicine, providing routine physicals, well-child care, well-woman care, and sports physicals.
- Boulder Valley Family Practice, which has locations in both Boulder and Broomfield. This family medicine practice offers same-day appointments, online scheduling, and is open until 6 pm weekdays (an hour later than most practices). Boulder Valley Family Practice provides routine checkups, acute care, and sports medicine, plus Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. Boulder Valley Family Practice has one family medicine doctor, a physician assistant and nurse on staff.
Internal Medicine Doctors in Boulder, Colorado
Doctors of internal medicine (aka “internists”) are another type of primary care provider. Like family medicine physicians, they are trained to provide checkups, deliver vaccinations, and to diagnose and treat routine injuries and illnesses. But doctors of internal medicine, like pediatricians, work with only a specific age group- in this case, adults. Internists focus on the conditions of adulthood and the aging process. They are trained to manage conditions like gout, arthritis, and heart disease that affect adults. They can also monitor conditions related to the aging process, such as menopause, ED, bone density loss, and memory problems.
There are 149 doctors of internal medicine located in Boulder, both in hospitals and in private or group practices. Many of these internists have other specialties as well, such as pulmonary disease, endocrinology, and orthopedics. A few of the most popular doctors of internal medicine in Boulder include:
- Internal Medicine Associates of Foothills, which is part of the sizable Community Medical Associates, a group of clinics owned and operated by Boulder Community Health Network. Internal Medicine Associates of Foothills has three doctors on staff. The clinic won the Patients’ Choice Award from Vitals and is a designated NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home. In addition to regular office hours, Internal Medicine Associates of Foothills offers a free After Hours Nurse On Call for established patients.
- Boulder Internal Medicine, which offers advanced preventative care based on a concierge medicine model. By paying a periodic enrollment fee, patients can have enhanced access to their doctors and receive preventative imaging and testing services that are not covered in traditional internal medicine settings. Boulder Internal Medicine has three doctors on staff, as well as a physician’s assistant and nurse practitioner.
Specialist Doctors in Boulder, Colorado
Primary care doctors focus on routine care, so when they identify an issue that goes beyond the scope of everyday treatment, they will refer their patient to a specialist. Specialist doctors have general medical training, plus advanced training in caring for a specific system of the body, body part, or medical condition. Some of the most well-known specialty physician types are Hematologists (who treat conditions of the blood), Dermatologists (who treat skin conditions), Obstetricians (who handle pregnancy and childbirth), and Cardiologists (who treat the heart).
Boulder Medical Center is a major base for specialist doctors, as BMC offers 22 medical specialities, such as:
- Allergy
- Audiology
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- General Surgery
- Neurology
- Obstetrics
- Gynecology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopedics
- Otolaryngology
- Psychiatry
- Podiatry
Boulder Community Health also has many specialist doctors, who makeup the majority of the 400+ physicians with privileges at BCH. Boulder Community Health is particularly known for their excellence in:
- Cardiology
- Orthopedics
- Oncology
- Emergency Medicine
- Neurology
The Most Popular Doctors in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder Valley Family Practice is one of the city’s most popular location for doctors of both family medicine and osteopathy. The practice has three medical providers on staff, and has a location in Broomfield as well as one in Boulder. Many people turn to urgent care rather than seeing their primary care doctor because they can’t get same-day appointments, but Boulder Valley Family Practice reserves openings daily for established patients who need to be seen that day for an urgent medical issue. The office also specializes in sports medicine, and offers services that focus on athletes such as corticosteroid injections.Doctor at Your Door LLC is another very popular doctor’s practice in Boulder, and has earned a five-star average user rating on Google. Just as the name suggests, Doctor at Your Door LLC offers house calls by a holistic, board-certified pediatrician, with or without an assistant. Children who are too young, too sick, or too afraid of doctor’s offices to conveniently bring to a clinic can be quickly and conveniently treated through this service.
Just as Doctor at Your Door LLC focuses on the care of children, Wisdom Health focuses on the medical care of older adults at locations in Boulder and Louisville. Wisdom Health Boulder has been in operation for ten years and provides primary care, mental wellness and psychiatry, and geriatric medical consultations. The practice has two doctors, two physician assistants, and three nurse practitioners on staff, all of whom specialize in the care of adults aged 65 and up.
Telemedicine in Boulder, Colorado
If you’d rather not drive to a doctor’s office and spend time in the waiting room, you’re certainly not alone. Thanks to telemedicine, house calls are no longer a thing of the past. By seeing a medical provider through video chat, you can get routine medical services performed from the comfort of your home. Some of the services commonly provided through telemedicine are:
- Medical diagnosis of routine ailments
- Orders for lab work
- Refills or new prescriptions
- Nutritional consultations
- Mental health services
The following telemedicine providers are available to patients residing throughout the state of Colorado:
Care On Location works directly with Colorado-based medical providers to offer remote care. The service is available 24/7, though most providers schedule their hours between 10 am and 10 pm. Care on Location provides urgent care and medical care appointments with physicians, physician-assistants, and nurse-practitioners, including providers who are experienced in Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, and Internal Medicine. Care On Location was a 2018 Prime Health Challenge Winner for Innovation in Healthcare.
Tembihealth offers telemedicine throughout twelve states, including Colorado. The service provides consultations with doctors and nurse practitioners via video conference or telephone call. Providers can order new prescriptions and refill existing prescriptions, as well as emailing patients an order form to take to a lab or radiology center for tests. Tembihealth charges a flat fee of $49.99 per visit, which can be paid through FSA/HSA as well as credit card.
