AURORA, Colo. (October 1, 2026) – Sheridan Health Services, a nurse-led clinic run by the University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing, will expand dental care access to young patients with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) through a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The clinic will develop support and resources for children with NDDs receiving dental care, which include autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disabilities. These resources include weighted blankets and TVs in dental exam rooms, painting dental exam rooms in relaxing colors, a wheelchair-adaptable system, and noise-canceling headphones.
The clinic will also implement a training program for health care team members to better accommodate and support families and children with NDDs.
“Children with NDDs need additional services and additional support when receiving dental care, so historically, this population underutilizes dental care because of the specialized care that is hard to find,” CU Anschutz Nursing Associate Dean of Clinical and Community Affairs and Interim Executive Director of Sheridan Health Services Jessica Anderson, DNP, CNM, WHNP, FACNM, says.
The Centers for Disease Control reports that about 1in 6 children aged 3 through 17 (about 17%) have one or more developmental disabilities. Nearly one-third of Sheridan’s patients are school-aged children, including 251 diagnosed with an NDD (about 7%), and of those, 28 had dental visits at Sheridan in the past year. Often, these patients are referred to providers outside the clinic.
“Few dental clinics in Colorado offer this type of specialized care, so this is a huge opportunity for us to serve the patient population in our community in a way that hasn’t been offered before,” Anderson says. “We already care for kids with NDDs in our clinic, but this funding will allow us to improve our care through building an evidence-based program. We’ll be able to expand our care to more patients in the community and meet a need for our patients with NDDs.”
The funding allows Sheridan Health Services to expand its dental team, offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas), and provide training for the clinic’s providers. Training will focus on supporting families with children who have NDDs through evidence-based practices, including coping support, sensory regulation, and caregiving coaching.
“Our reach will go even farther because we’ll be able to educate our providers and learners, and new providers,” Anderson says. “Our advanced practice nursing students or nursing students will be part of the education and training so they can carry that knowledge into their future jobs and positions as healthcare team members.”
Sheridan Health Services is collaborating with the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Family Voices, a Denver-based organization providing care to children with special health needs. The clinic will also partner with the Sheridan School District for dental care referrals.
“We’re well-positioned to launch these services and resources because we already have the dental infrastructure, offer integrated behavioral health care, and collaborate with our wonderful partners,” Anderson says. “This will have such an impact on the community with our specialized approach to care, serving the unmet needs in Colorado.”
Sheridan Health Services is one of 28 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded health centers in the country and one of three in Colorado to receive funding.
About the University of Colorado Anschutz
The University of Colorado Anschutz is a world-class academic medical campus leading transformative advances in science, medicine, education, and patient care. The campus includes the University of Colorado’s health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes, and two nationally ranked independent hospitals - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado - which see nearly three million adult and pediatric patient visits each year. Innovative, interconnected, and highly collaborative, CU Anschutz delivers life-changing treatments, exceptional patient care, and top-tier professional training. The campus conducts world-renowned research supported by $890 million in funding, including $762 million in sponsored awards and $128 million in philanthropic gifts for research.