Governor's Report: The State of Health: Colorado's Commitment to Become the Healthiest State

"Gov. John Hickenlooper presented The State of Health: Colorado's Commitment to Become the Healthiest State today in Civic Center Park. The plan will create a comprehensive and person-centered statewide system to address a broad range of health needs, deliver the best care at the best value and help Coloradans achieve the best health possible."  Click here to view the full report and summary.  [Source: COPrevent]

Medscape Modules Available on ICD-10

"CMS, through Medscape Education, has released two ICD-10 video lectures and an expert article providing practical guidance for the ICD-10 transition. The video lectures are specifically for physicians, while the article covers more general topics for all health care providers. Continuing medical education (CME) credits are available to physicians who complete the modules, and anyone who completes them can receive a certificate of completion. The modules are free. You can use the links below to access them. If you are not a member of Medscape, you will first be prompted to fill out a brief registration form...For questions or technical assistance with the CME modules, please contact Medscape at CME@medscape.net."  [Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services]

Bending the Curve: Person-Centered Health Care Reform

"This report proposes system-wide health care reforms that could save the United States $300 billion dollars in the coming decade and $1 trillion over the next 20 years, as well as improve care quality and patient health. The report focuses on changes that will shift payment from the current fee-for-service payment models to models that are more person-centered."  [Source: State Coverage Initiatives]

[Webinar] Using an Electronic Health Record to Create Patient Problem Lists

When: Friday, May 17, 2:00 PM ET

"This webinar will focus on how safety net primary care providers can meaningfully use electronic health records (EHR) to create and maintain patient problem lists.  Created by EHRs, patient problem lists are a core requirement of Meaningful Use. This function serves as a powerful tool for maintaining a patient’s medical history while also helping to engage patients to better track and manage their health care.

Presenters will demonstrate how patient problem lists are created and maintained by EHRs, and share their strategies on how providers can use them for quality improvement and patient engagement.  Lastly, staff from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will discuss the importance of patient problem lists in achieving Stage 1 and 2 of Meaningful Use...."  Click here to register.  [Source: HRSA]

Affordable Care Act at 3: Federal investments in coverage, consumer protection and prevention

The Colorado Center on Law and Policy is marking the third anniversary of health care reform by exploring the various benefits and aspects of the law in a series of reports: The Affordable Care Act at 3. When fully implemented, the law will fundamentally transform the American health care system, providing affordable, quality health insurance to 30 million otherwise uninsured Americans....Part Four of the series highlights the investments in health care at the state and local level that Congress included as part of the ACA. In total, Colorado has received nearly $400 million in federal grants made available by the ACA. These investments are helping to expand coverage, protect consumers and promote prevention throughout Colorado...Click here to read the report.  [Source: Colorado Center on Law and Policy]

ACA Stakeholder Opportunities with HCPF and COHBE (Connect for Health Colorado)

"In partnership with COHBE [Connect for Health Colorado], the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing is convening a series of meetings with stakeholders to discuss the issues related to the movement between public and private coverage through these new programs.  Movement between the public and private coverage options can lead to disruptions in services in three major areas: providers, eligibility, and benefits.  Recognizing the importance of providing seamless coverage, COHBE and HCPF are engaging with stakeholders to promote alignment of the two programs to minimize these disruptions.  Interested stakeholders are encouraged to participate in these meetings."  Click here to learn more about the stakeholder opportunities, view past meeting presentations and learn about future meetings.  [Source: Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing]

Free Online Health Education Courses

The Colorado School of Public Health and 9Health Fair created two online modules (Improving Access to Health In Colorado and Taking Action to Improve Health in Colorado) regarding issues affecting access to healthcare.  Visit the 9Health Fair website to learn more and to take the modules.