Colorado SIM Awards Extension Services Contract to CHI
DENVER – January 12, 2016 – The Colorado Health Institute (CHI) has been selected by the Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM) Office to lead the creation of its extension service, a program designed to connect medical practices with local resources such as public health agencies across Colorado. The goal is for patients to get a full range of care and support.
The four-year contract calls for CHI to establish the SIM Extension Service and provide its governance, coordination and oversight.
The extension service will be staffed by a group of community-based workers called Regional Health Connectors (RHCs) who will serve as connectors between health care providers and local organizations. For example, an RHC may connect a physician with local programs to support patients who are trying to quit smoking.
Local public health agencies, health alliances, regional care collaborative organizations, area health education centers, or other community-based agencies will be able to apply to be a host organization for the RHCs. Organizations that are selected can reassign existing staff or hire new staff to serve as the RHC in their community.
“This model gives communities the flexibility to leverage local resources to meet local needs, while supporting coordination of efforts across the state” said Vatsala Pathy, Director of the Colorado SIM Office. “We are very excited by the various ways in which RHCs can improve access to integrated care in their communities.”
The SIM Extension Service will be a partner in the Colorado Health Extension System (CHES), a cooperative of multiple organizations working to create a statewide infrastructure to support and coordinate practice transformation and to connect and support practices, other health care providers, local public health agencies, and community organizations for local community health improvement initiatives.
Other CHES partners include the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Finance and the Colorado Foundation for Public Health and Environment.
Ashlie Brown, who served as the Health Care Innovation Program Director in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, has joined CHI to serve as director of the SIM Extension Service.
In her previous role, she oversaw the implementation of the Massachusetts SIM program, which focuses on Medicaid payment reform with multi-payer alignment, behavioral health integration in primary care practices, and clinical-community connections to support population health. Ashlie also led cross-agency strategic planning efforts for the Massachusetts Health Information Highway, the state’s health information exchange, to improve communication between providers as they adopt payment reform and care delivery transformation programs.
Prior to entering public service, Ashlie worked as a development engineer in both the nuclear power and medical device industries. As an engineer, she managed large multi-disciplinary development projects and used data-driven methodologies to analyze and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of complex systems. She also worked closely with both the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Food and Drug Administration in her engineering roles, which prepared her for close collaboration with state and federal health and human services agencies.
Ashlie holds two degrees in mechanical engineering: a master’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“The SIM Extension Model is a cornerstone to the success of the Colorado model,” said Michele Lueck, President and CEO of the Colorado Health Institute. “As we integrate behavioral and physical health, it’s imperative that clinicians have the tools and resources to connect patients to community-based services. CHI is honored to help support this work – and Ashlie is the perfect choice to lead those efforts.”
About the Colorado SIM
The Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM) touches nearly every aspect of our health system, setting the stage for a sweeping transformation that will help us accelerate our progress toward the Triple Aim of lower costs, better care and improved population health.
About the Colorado Health Institute
The Colorado Health Institute is a trusted source of independent and objective health information, data and analysis for the state’s health care leaders. We are a nonpartisan and nonprofit health policy research organization. The Colorado Health Institute is funded by the Caring for Colorado Foundation, Rose Community Foundation, The Colorado Trust and the Colorado Health Foundation.
Media Contact:
Deborah Goeken, Vice President of Communications, Colorado Health Institute
720 382-7094
goekend@coloradohealthinstitute.org
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