Denver unveils health clinic air monitors

Patients, staff, and surrounding community members at 3 Denver health clinics will soon have more access to real-time local air quality information from the city of Denver’s Love My Air program. The Kaiser Permanente Community Health Fund at the Denver Foundation is funding the expansion.

The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment, Mayor Mike Johnston, Kaiser Permanente, and community partners unveiled Love My Air’s new air quality monitoring stations and educational kiosks in April 2025.

The new stations will be installed at Tepeyac Community Health Center, Inner City Health, and the Kaiser Permanente East Denver Medical Offices by Alameda Avenue and Havana Street.

“Monitoring air quality in real-time helps us better understand local environmental impacts and empowers communities to make informed decisions about their health," said Mayor Johnston. "Thanks to Kaiser Permanente, Tepeyac Community Health Center, and Inner City Health for partnering with us to bring air quality education directly into the spaces where people seek care and support.”

Love My Air uses cutting-edge air quality monitors to gather hyperlocal pollution data. Since it started in 2018, the program has used interactive educational kiosks inside schools and the Love My Air app to deliver air quality information across Denver neighborhoods.

The mobile app allows anyone to access Love My Air’s data and dashboard. The dashboard has simple guides and definitions in English and Spanish to help people plan outdoor activities and minimize their exposure to potentially harmful pollutants.

“Poor air quality has significant negative health impacts, and access to real-time air quality information will be a game-changer for communities who have long suffered the worst effects of air pollution in Denver,” said Mike Ramseier, regional president of Kaiser Permanente in Colorado. “Love My Air’s work aligns perfectly with Kaiser Permanente’s mission to provide high-quality, affordable care and improve the health of the communities we serve.”

Pollution’s impact on health

The expansion into health clinics was a natural next step for Love My Air.

“There has been research that shows that people are more likely to act on air quality advice if they receive it from a health care professional,” said Nancy Fitzgerald, a program specialist with Love My Air. “So, it is an evidence-based approach.”

Air pollution is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths annually in the U.S. It decreases lung function, causes heart attacks, asthma attacks, and bronchitis, and makes other health conditions worse. Children are especially susceptible to the long-term effects of air pollution — physically and developmentally.

Increased access to local information makes a difference, said Chris Fellenz, MD, Family Medicine, and director of safety net partnerships with Kaiser Permanente in Colorado.

“I'm an asthmatic. On the days when I'm working, if there's poor air quality from a wildfire or from ozone, I don't go for my lunch walk,” he said. “If patients have access to that information, then they can make informed decisions that are actually going to preserve their health.”

Check out Love My Air’s air quality dashboard.