UCCS will not renew contract with El Paso County

UCCS will not renew its contract with El Paso County to provide clinical and health promotion services to county employees, university officials announced Friday.

In place since 2004, UCCS, through the university’s Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences, has offered health and wellness services such as weight loss counseling, smoking cessation, and management of long-term disease such as diabetes to county employees. The services were provided by part-time advanced practice nurses who are members of the Beth-El faculty.

The current contract ends Dec. 31 and required 60 days notice of non-renewal. County officials and affected UCCS employees were notified Thursday. Patients at the clinic will be advised during follow-up visits over the next two months.

“We have valued our partnership with El Paso County and take pride in the nursing services provided to employees,” Nancy Smith, dean, Beth-El College of Nursing, said. “However, numerous changes since the original agreement went into place no longer make this arrangement viable.”

Smith cited changes in El Paso County employee health insurance coverage, as well as a severing of an agreement between the City of Colorado Springs and El Paso County, as examples of changes that led to the decision to not renew the contract. Previously, clinical services were offered to both El Paso County and City of Colorado Springs employees.

Approximately 10 part-time university employees assigned to the clinic will no longer be employed as result of the closure. UCCS will assist those employees in securing jobs at the university, at other state agencies, or within the private sector, according to Cindy Corwin, director, Human Resources.