Every Tuesday evening, the second floor of the CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center undergoes a transformation. What serves as a separate clinical space during the day becomes Dedicated to Aurora's Wellness & Needs (DAWN Health), a student-run, volunteer-powered clinic providing free care to uninsured adults in Aurora.
While patients quietly check in for their appointments, just inside the clinic doors, volunteers quickly prepare for the evening ahead. Medical students gather with preceptors to review patient schedules, lab equipment is set up, and computer screens flicker to life as teams settle into their roles. The atmosphere is one of energy, collaboration, and shared purpose—with volunteers from across the CU Anschutz community working together to provide accessible, high-quality care.
Although DAWN Health operates independently and is not formally part of the Department of Family Medicine's (DFM) clinic network, the Department has been a longtime supporter of DAWN’s important work since its founding. One of our very own co-founded the clinic with a former University of Colorado Family Medicine Residency (CUFMR) resident and current Adjoint Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Kari Mader, MD. DAWN Health holds a special place in her heart, and she is proud of what it represents for the community.
"For me, DAWN Health was a place where I learned about the power of that ethos to facilitate lasting change. It taught me that community health change is possible if you partner with others, integrate the voices of the people you are serving into your decision-making, and remain committed for the long run. Slow and steady is sustainable and wins the trust of the patients, the community, and your supporters."
DAWN Health's work extends beyond patient care. The clinic is also dedicated to educating future healthcare providers, partnering with the community, and advancing health parity work. None of this would be possible without the commitment of its volunteers and preceptors. In recognition of their impact, and to highlight opportunities for others to get involved, DAWN Health Clinic is the latest feature in the DFM's Clinic Spotlight series.
Free primary care appointments and lab services are offered at the clinic from 6:00-10:00 p.m. every Tuesday, and on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Tuesday evenings are the clinic’s foundational care hours, bringing together an interdisciplinary mix of primary care, behavioral health, psychiatry, nutrition counseling, and more—while Thursdays provide additional primary care appointment access.
DAWN's unique mentorship model gives medical students the opportunity to take an active role in patient care while learning alongside experienced clinicians. On a typical clinic night, four teams of medical students–including MD, PA, or NP programs—work alongside two preceptors, who split time mentoring the student groups. Appointments begin as students meet with patients independently, conducting intake, documentation, and initial assessments before reviewing each case with a preceptor. Together, they return to discuss the patient's care plan. Preceptors provide supervision and clinical guidance throughout the process, while DAWN staff coordinate patient follow-up and ongoing care.
“DAWN marries two of my favorite parts of medicine—serving a community in need and getting to educate medical students with a focus on equity,” said Lisa Estevez-Celi, DO, third-year resident in the University of Colorado Family Medicine Residency (CUFMR) and resident preceptor for DAWN. “Since DAWN serves an uninsured patient population, you get to not only help to meet a deep need within the community, but the patients themselves are so grateful to be seen. Working with the medical students, you can see such a passion and fire to serve the community they are learning in… In short, why choose to be a DAWN preceptor? Because the community and our students need you, and you will have such a fun and rewarding time both teaching our awesome students and treating this incredible patient population!”
Zoe Caswell, MSIV, fourth-year medical student at CU Anschutz and interpreter for the clinic, spoke on how her time at DAWN has helped her grow as a student.
“My biggest lesson from DAWN is learning that patients fall through the cracks because of small omissions. Scheduling a patient for telehealth follow-up when she is not comfortable operating a phone or computer; giving a patient a coupon for a mammogram without explaining how to schedule with radiology; telling a patient he needs meds for his high blood pressure without explaining what high blood pressure means. Working with under-resourced patients at DAWN, these things matter a lot, and I believe I will be a better doctor because of my exposure to this environment.”
Ryan Mockabee, Executive Director of DAWN Health, who helps oversee nightly clinic operations, described DAWN as a "safety-net clinic" because it can be the last opportunity for some patients to access healthcare, and volunteers recognize that.
“What makes the clinic special is its culture of service, energy, and enthusiasm. Everyone is united by a desire to make a positive difference in people’s lives, even through the smallest gestures,” said Ryan, “It’s a truly unique environment because people choose to be here and are dedicated to giving back to the community where they work and improving the quality of life for those around them."
The clinic's creation and increased volume of patients help address critical healthcare needs within the Aurora community.
Cleveland Piggott, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Family Medicine at CU Anschutz, and DAWN preceptor said, “DAWN makes the importance of subspecialty care access in the Aurora area very clear. As people become under or uninsured, the ability to have certain needed procedures of specialty visits becomes nearly impossible when I know it's already challenging for many of our insured patients for certain specialties. Additionally, though not new for my colleagues working in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), the need for integrated behavioral health and language justice when it comes to supporting our immigrant population is very clear.”
DAWN is different from other clinics in its services but also in its operation, as it’s set almost entirely by preceptor availability. The clinic utilizes roughly 400-500 volunteers a year and about 30 or 40 volunteers a night, including the required two preceptor/night requirement.
“I've been a preceptor at DAWN since 2018 and try to volunteer once a month,” said Colleen Conry, MD, Emeritus Professor of Family Medicine at CU Anschutz. “It is so rewarding to be a small part of something that matters. The students and residents who volunteer are amazing—they take time out their very busy lives to care for the uninsured. These learners are bright and committed and teach me something every session. Patients are very appreciative and delight in working with students. Yes, the process can be clunky and slow, but there is a warm feeling of caring that teaches us all about the magic of medicine.”
Unfortunately, due to the clinic’s late hours of operation and changes in residency rules, DAWN has seen a decrease in residency and faculty volunteers. In addition, changes to insurance and coverage programs across the state have led to an increase in patient volume at the clinic. With this community need in mind, the clinic is trying to push their open hours to every Tuesday and Thursday but are in need of Family Medicine and Internal Medicine physicians (MDs and DOs) and advanced practice providers (APPs), including nurse practitioners and physician assistants, to step in.
“One evening per quarter is enough to make a real difference, and many preceptors take one night a month. You choose your own dates, and there is no minimum beyond what you can offer,” said Deanna Schroder, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Board Chair for DAWN Health. “Every additional preceptor helps us expand care for uninsured patients in Aurora. We only ask for one night per quarter (but of course welcome more frequency!), so preceptors really can make a meaningful difference with a minimal time commitment.”
Jenna Kanner, MD, third-year resident in the Denver Health Track of the CUFMR and resident preceptor for DAWN, encourages others to volunteer as it is a unique experience that shows the promise of future physicians. “I chose to precept at DAWN because of the leadership and initiative demonstrated by its student-leaders as well as their centering of humanistic patient care. Students play an integral role in the clinic, taking ownership of patient care while coordinating interdisciplinary services and responding to the needs of the community. Precepting at DAWN is a rewarding opportunity to support students as they develop their clinical skills, clinical reasoning, and confidence.”
Dr. Estevez-Celi and Dr. Piggott (pictured left) had bright energy and smiles as they worked alongside each other at the DAWN Clinic. With a need for more volunteers, their advice for others is to “Just give it a try!” Dr. Estevez-Celi added that, “As a human, being able to provide much needed care to people in our own community is such an honor. I leave DAWN Health at the end of the night feeling a unique sense of fulfillment and pride in our students and patients.”
Don’t just take our word for it—listen to the inspiring stories behind the volunteers of DAWN. While we can’t feature every team member and their hard work, these voices help capture the spirit of what makes this clinic thrive. (Individuals are listed alphabetically by last name.)
What has your experience been like as a student volunteer at DAWN?
“I have been volunteering regularly at DAWN since the spring semester of my first year of medical school. I volunteer both as a medical student (conducting patient visits) and as an interpreter (facilitating visits with other medical students and Spanish speaking patients). Some stand-out aspects of my experience include: opportunities to work closely with really talented and driven faculty who care deeply about providing for under-resourced patients, which has led to a lot of great learning on my end; opportunities to take responsibility for patient care in a space where that is truly needed (as a student, you are generally a superfluous member of the team, but that is not true at DAWN); opportunities to get to know with patients from my community in Aurora who live very different lives and face very different challenges than I do, and to enjoy finding ways we can connect nonetheless. For example, I interpreted a visit with a young woman once who was working to become a doctor in her home country before political violence forced her to leave. We had so much and also so little in common, and our conversations made me reflect a lot on my own path.”
Why choose DAWN?
“It's really special as a student to make a genuine difference in the lives of people facing adversity. DAWN meets needs that would go unmet if it didn't exist. So, as a volunteer, you are providing care that your patient would otherwise not receive at all. These are not people who generally have other options. I took care of a young man once who was terrified he was having heart problems because of some intense chest pain he was experiencing. After talking to him for a bit, I got to be the person to say, ‘my friend I think your heart is totally fine. This sounds like really bad muscle cramps to me.’ As an undocumented, uninsured patient, he would have gone on being afraid for his heart without a free clinic to visit.”
What would you say to other students or volunteers who may be considering volunteering?
“Working at DAWN is always refreshing. It's one of the most chaotic clinics I've worked in as a medical student to be sure, but it's also a space where your work matters and where patients are deeply grateful for the help they receive.”
What has your experience been like as a resident volunteer at DAWN?
“In my role, I precept medical students once they see patients. Typically, the students will start with the patient and gather pertinent history before coming out to discuss the patient's symptoms and plans with me. Together we come up with a plan, then we go see the patients together. As a resident, I then will precept the patient after the fact with the attending preceptor that is on.”
Why choose DAWN?
“DAWN marries two of my favorite parts of medicine—serving a community in need and getting to educate medical students with a focus in equity. Since DAWN serves an uninsured patient population, you get to not only help to meet a deep need within the community, but the patients themselves are so grateful to be seen. Working with the medical students, you can see such a passion and fire to serve the community they are learning in. The medicine itself also challenges you to be creative especially working with medication affordability and other social determinants of health that impact how these folks can access care."
How has volunteering contributed to your growth as a physician?
“As a resident, it has helped me grow into a teaching role and prepare myself for becoming an attending who hopes to work with medical trainees. The cases also continue to grow my medical knowledge especially when you have to get creative, often working around the standard of care to find medication regimens that are affordable for patients or utilizing resources like discount programs or specialty cost pharmacies to facilitate these patients getting the care they deserve."
What would you say to other residents or preceptors who may be considering volunteering?
“I would say—just do it! There is so much support in the clinic, and you can always be paired with a resident/attending. Even just one night a month makes a huge difference! I guarantee after one night working with these awesome students and incredible patients will have you wanting to come back for more.”
What has your experience been like as a resident volunteer at DAWN?
“In medical school, I worked with my peers to develop an interdisciplinary clinic that served community members who faced barriers to medical, legal, and social care. Working to build the foundations of the clinic reinforced that good patient care is humble, accountable, and person-centered in evaluating medical and non-medical needs. I chose to precept at DAWN because of the leadership and initiative demonstrated by its student-leaders as well as their centering of humanistic patient care. Students play an integral role in the clinic, taking ownership of patient care while coordinating interdisciplinary services and responding to the needs of the community. Precepting at DAWN is a rewarding opportunity to support students as they develop their clinical skills, clinical reasoning, and confidence.”
What would you say to other residents or preceptors who may be considering volunteering?
“Volunteering at DAWN is a reminder that teaching, learning, and serving in the physician-patient or resident-student roles are truly reciprocal acts. Working with enthusiastic and curious medical students is a meaningful professional counterbalance to the demands of residency and is a valuable reconnect to the sense of purpose that can sometimes get lost in the busyness of training.”
Why is Family Medicine, in particular, important at DAWN?
“Our broad scope training, experience with interdisciplinary care, and understanding of the social determinants of health make us well equipped for helping not only the patients at DAWN but supporting the team. One of our former residents/faculty co-founded DAWN several years ago and it has evolved and grown over the years in large part due to exceptional family medicine leadership and service from this department over the years.”
What makes this clinic unique in its culture, community work, or teamwork?
“All the volunteers are excited to be there and passionate about the mission and patient population. It's incredibly interdisciplinary and a wonderful opportunity to work with pre-health and other health professionals across disciplines. Sometimes we have to get creative with our solutions for patients but it's nice seeing everyone come together to care for our diverse uninsured communities in Aurora.”
Can you share a moment from your time at this clinic that you’re especially proud of or felt most rewarding?
“I oriented the Director of DAWN on his first day in clinic years ago (prior to him being the director). He ended up re-orienting me a few months ago since I had been absent for a while. Nice full circle. It's also been great to see former pre-health students get into their health professional school here at CU. I love opportunities to work with our residents in DAWN as it's sometimes the only opportunity I get to work clinically with our Denver Health Track trainees.”
What advice would you have for preceptors thinking about volunteering?
“Just give it a try. The commitment being asked for is just 4x a year though they will certainly welcome if you want to come more often. I personally did DAWN for years then took a step back while I grew my family. Now that I’m a little more settled, it has been wonderful to come back. I love the patients, working with the students, and the DAWN leadership is an amazing group of humans.”
What makes this clinic unique in its culture, community work, or teamwork?
“DAWN Health is unique because it combines high-quality, patient-centered care with an extraordinary culture of service, learning, and community partnership. As a volunteer-powered clinic serving uninsured adults in Aurora, DAWN brings together physicians, advanced practice providers, pharmacists, behavioral health professionals, physical therapists, nurses, students, and community members in a truly interprofessional model of care. DAWN emphasizes 'humble learning, encouraging everyone, regardless of experience level, to learn from one another and from the community we serve. The result is a welcoming, mission-driven environment where patients are treated with dignity, volunteers feel connected to a larger purpose, and teamwork directly improves access to care for some of Aurora's most vulnerable residents.”
Why are preceptors so crucial for the operation of DAWN?
“Preceptors are the backbone of DAWN's clinical model. They provide expert patient care while mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals. Every clinic session depends on volunteer clinicians who are willing to supervise students, guide clinical decision-making, and model compassionate, evidence-based care. Without preceptors, DAWN would not be able to maintain the level of care our patients deserve or provide the educational experiences that help train future physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and other health professionals. As healthcare access challenges continue to grow, particularly with changes that may leave more individuals underinsured or uninsured, recruiting additional volunteer preceptors is essential to expanding clinic capacity and ensuring DAWN can continue meeting community needs.”
What are some of the great memories and benefits residents, students, and faculty will take away after volunteering?
“Volunteers consistently leave DAWN with meaningful memories of making a tangible difference in patients' lives. Students gain hands-on experience caring for underserved populations while learning alongside professionals from multiple disciplines. Residents and faculty often describe the satisfaction of reconnecting with the reasons they entered healthcare in the first place: service, teaching, and human connection. Volunteers build lasting professional relationships, strengthen their clinical and leadership skills, and develop a deeper understanding of social determinants of health and community-based care. Perhaps most importantly, they become part of a passionate community united by a shared commitment to health equity and compassionate care. Many volunteers come to teach or serve, but they leave having learned just as much from the patients, colleagues, and community members they encounter at DAWN.”
DAWN’s unique operation of providing fewer barriers to care for the community while nurturing changemakers, leaders and physicians is an inspiration to the DFM and others at CU Anschutz. It’s a reminder that access to quality care is possible when we come together with a shared goal of healing patients and our community. Thank you to all the faculty, residents, students, and alumni who shared their experiences and journey with DAWN Health.
For more information or to get involved, please visit www.dawnhealth.org or email Director of Medical and Educational Services Brian Wolfe at brian.wolfe@dawnhealth.org.