Kathy Ciano-McGee RN, BSN founded a Home Health Agency in 2000 for her own disabled child and other disabled children. In 2002, Kathy was given a provider number by the State of Colorado to administer the Children s-home and Community Based Children s Medicaid Waiver C-HCBS Medicaid Waiver. Kathy has been administering the C-HCBS Medicaid waiver, formally the Katie Beckett waiver for over 12 years and feels that she has found her calling and given Kathy purpose for her daughter and other children with disabilities. In 2008, Memorial Hospital via Health Care Policy and Finance (HCPF) contracted exclusively with Kathy Ciano-McGee to provide case management to ALL children with special needs in El Paso County Colorado via Healthy Communities (EPSDT). Kathy left the Home Health Agency she founded in 2013 and started A Rise Above (ARA). It is Kathy s passion to assist ALL children ages 0-to their 21 on Medicaid with special needs. In 2014, Governor Hikenlooper appointed Kathy to the Colorado Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities. Kathy is relentless in her pursuit to assist all children and adults with special needs up to their 21st birthday in the State of Colorado. Families in Colorado have trusted Kathy and ARA with their precious children, therefore making ARA grow at a rapid pace. In addition to C-HCBS waiver services and Heathy Communities (EPSDT), ARA can also make the transition from the any Medicaid waiver to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Medicaid an easy transition at age 18. ARA case managers will go to Social Security Administration (SSA) with you and your child at any age to hand hold you through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) process for your disabled child/adult to their 21st birthday. All C-HCBS and Healthy Communities services are free of charge. Erin Collins is the Utilization Management and Business Analyst for Colorado Medicaid. She oversees the ColoradoPAR Program and Colorado Medicaid Nurse Advice Line. Her focus is to modernize both programs by incorporating state of the art system processes designed to improve provider experience as well increase Medicaid client s access to care. Erin holds a Master s degree in Public Policy and previous to Colorado Medicaid, worked with non-profit organizations in program development, implementation and management. This experienced has assisted her in the project management of the ColoradoPAR UM Vendor transition. Her counterpart Michelle Miller is a nurse and focuses on the clinical aspects of ColoradoPAR, while Erin focuses more on operations. Bob Davidson has over 30 years of experience in social work practice with emphasis on individuals, families, children and adolescents. Palliative care, school-based counseling, crisis intervention, addictions, family systems, group work, psychiatric evaluations, medical case management and consultation. Bob attended the University of Kentucky where he earned his Bachelor s Degree and Master s Degree in Social Work along with Alpha Delta Mu, and Social Work scholastic honorary. Bob holds the following licenses and certificates: Colorado Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Colorado Department of Education License, Counseling endorsement Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW), National Association of Social Workers (NASW),Certified Addiction Counselor III, State of Colorado.
Joe Farr is the Care Integration Manager with Community Care of Central Colorado (RCCO 7), a program of Community Health Partnership. He received his MBA from University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and joined the Community Care team in May, 2014. Joe is responsible for all aspects of Community Care s Care Coordination and oversees a staff of Patient Navigators and Care Coordinators. He is currently working to create a Case Management Tool as well as a process for streamlining assessments for the Medicaid and Medicare population of RCCO 7. Joe enjoys building strong relationships with community partners and is dedicated to serving others through volunteering. His hobbies include fishing and skiing. Eileen Forlenza is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare transition with specific expertise in the patient and family experience. For more than a decade, Eileen has developed expertise regarding healthcare transition, care coordination and the medical home model. As a parent of a young adult with disabilities, Eileen is credited for effectively communicating the realities of caring for an adult child with long term health needs. Eileen Forlenza serves as the Colorado Family and Community Engagement Specialist and was formerly the Director of the Colorado s Medical Home Initiative for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. She has served on state and national advisory councils including National Center for Healthcare Transition Got Transition, National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA), National Initiative for Child Health Quality (NICHQ), Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP), National Center on Cultural Competency, Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC), Multi-Stakeholder Patient Centered Medical Home Pilot Project, and Family Voices National and has served as faculty for the Institute for Patient and Family Centered Care and as a curriculum consultant for University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. In Colorado, Eileen has held Governor appointed positions on the Colorado Interagency Coordinating Council and the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council and served as a Colorado delegate to attend the national Family Policy Academy. Eileen holds credentials in family leadership development, including curriculum design and implementation and is a fellow of the Maternal and Child Health Public Health Leadership Institute as well as Colorado s Leadership and Education for Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND). In recognition of her achievements, Eileen received a personal invitation from the White House by President Obama in July 2010, and was also awarded the prestigious Woman of the Year Award from the National Association of Professional Women. Maripat Gallas has over 30 years of community-based experience in developing and managing adult programs in Wellness, Leisure Education and Community Services. She has worked on numerous community collaborations to design sustainable partnerships that focus on quality of life in the community. Currently, as the Director of Implementation at COAW, her focus is on evidence-based programs that bridge clinic to community. She embraces her own goals in healthier living and enjoys sharing her passion with audiences both small and large. B.S., Therapeutic Recreation.
Paula Jung is the Manager of ABC and ABC NE Care Management, oversees behavioral health care management for Colorado Access Medicaid members in Denver County as well as the 12 counties in the Northeast Colorado area. Lindsey Lambert is the Substance Use Coordinator of Access Behavioral Care at Colorado Access. She helps coordinate the substance use benefit for members and providers including access to care, complex care coordination and partnership relations. She received her Bachelors in Sociology and Psychology from The University of Florida, and her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Argosy University, and is a Licensed Addiction Counselor. Over the last 10 years she has worked in several non-profit settings ranging from criminal justice, community mental health and managed care. She has always kept a focus on improving the lives of individuals with behavioral health and substance use needs in underserved populations. Mary Louder DO, is the Regional Care Collaborative Organization (RCCO) medical director and provides clinical oversight to the RCCO program at Colorado Access. Dr. Louder is board-certified through the American Board of Family Medicine and through the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. She graduated from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM). Dr. Louder completed her family practice residency through Michigan State College of Human Medicine and St. Mary s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Throughout her career, she has practiced in a variety of settings that include private practice, hospital-owned practices, rural settings, and integrative holistic family practice. Dr. Louder has participated in telemedicine consults and has extensive experience in the urgent care setting. She has also served as the medical director for the Northern Michigan Physicians Network. Dr. Louder has established and helped establish a number of Patient Centered Medical Practices (PCMPs). Dr. Louder has been an assistant clinical faculty member through MSUCOM since 2001. Tom Massey is the Policy, Communications, and Operations Office Director at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. He is responsible for the management of government relations, internal and external communications, human resources, workforce development and facility operations. Prior to coming to the Department, Massey served as a state legislator representing Colorado House District 60 (Poncha Springs, Salida) for eight years. He was a member of the Health and Environment Committee and chaired the House Education Committee. He sponsored several pieces of health care legislation, some of which included prescription drug monitoring, home health care, health information technology and electronic prescriptions in Medicaid. He also received numerous legislative honors, including awards from the Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Leadership for Healthy Communities, Colorado Substance Abuse Peer Services, and the Colorado Home Health Care Network.
Massey has been a member of the Colorado Child Welfare Commission, served on the Health Information Exchange Board, the Health Information Technology Advisory Board and has been a Colorado Health Foundation Fellow. He served on the Board of Directors for the Children s Health Foundation. He also owned and operated four Coldwell Banker franchises in central and southern Colorado. Massey received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Texas. Lori McEnaney-Preble RN, BSN, CCM joined Colorado Access as a Clinical Trainer in March 2015. She came to us from Brookdale Senior Living where she worked as a Geriatric Care Manager for the last two years. With more than 15 years of nursing experience, Lori hopes to make an impact by educating families, caregivers, and providers about the many resources available to them. She is a pursuing her Master s degree in Nursing and hopes to one day become a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner. Sharon Medina received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Adams State University. Sharon has worked with Medicaid and providing Care Coordination since 1990; Processed Presumptive Eligibility (PE) for pregnant women, assisted them in care coordination, including working in Prenatal Plus. In 2004, Sharon began working for Healthy Communities, assisting the EBNE (Eligible but not enrolled) children through Addababies and PE, and providing care coordination for all children (0-21yo) and pregnant women of all ages that are on Medicaid and CHP+ in El Paso County, and providing assistance to all Providers in the Medicaid/CHP+ programs (including all hospitals in El Paso County). Lois Munson is president of Senior Health Care Professionals/Senior Counseling Group. She has managed clinical services to individuals living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities for over 25 years. One of her key functions is helping providers (counselors, social workers, psychologists and physicians) to recognize (and document) the techniques and skills that they have employed to help clients often facing devastating problems to reorganize their thinking and their lives. Beth Neuhalfen is the RCCO Manager of Care Coordination and System Transformation with Colorado Access. Beth has a B.S. in exercise physiology with an emphasis in cardiac rehab from Colorado State University and continuing education classes at University of Colorado, along with her license from ACE as a health coach. She has served various populations in cardiology, pulmonary rehabilitation, corporate health coaching, chiropracticrehabilitation, care-management, pediatrics, and as the project manager for the PCMH, medical neighborhood, Advancing Care Together behavioral health initiative, and integrated medicine. Beth has also done speaking engagements in many states on caremanagement, medical neighborhood specialist/hospital, care management, PCMH, and behavioral health. Beth was a reviewer for the Safety Net Medical Home Initiative (Continuous and Team-Based Healing Relationships). Recently, she was interviewed by a Policy Analyst at the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) on the medical neighborhood. She is particularly committed to developing and evaluating ways to integrate physicians, stakeholders, and patients to unite as a team in health care.
Steve Ochoa received his M.A. in Agency Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage & Family. He has worked with children, adolescents and families for twenty nine years. He is currently the Foster Care Coordinator / DHS Liaison with Community Reach Center. He also has experience working with consumers with alcohol and substance abuse and domestic violence issues.. Brian Park received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is the federally trained Disabilities Consultant with Colorado Access. Brian acquired his professional training as the Contract Compliance Officer, and Federal Civil Rights Investigator for the State of Colorado. In these positions he led a panel of thought leaders to develop and implement comprehensive statewide Civil Rights policies and procedures. Brian was ultimately responsible for administering these policies and procedures, and enforcing Federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status and national origin. Zach Pierce is the Human Services Policy Advisor for Governor Hickenlooper, where he provides policy and legislative analysis, press guidance, political strategy and general support for the Governor s human services initiatives, in addition to serving as the Governor s liaison to the Department of Human Services. Previously, Zach was the Drug Policy Coordinator for the Governor. In this capacity he supported the Governor s efforts related to Amendment 64 implementation and a strategic plan to reduce prescription drug misuse and abuse. Prior to joining the Hickenlooper Administration, Zach worked for a number of environmental non-profit organizations, including Trout Unlimited and the World Wildlife Fund. He graduated from Colorado College with B.A. in History and Political Science. Gina Robinson has been a demonstrated leader in advancing policies that promote health care access for vulnerable and underserved children for over twenty years. She currently serves as the contract administrator for the Early and Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) and Early Intervention program as well as the Help Me Grow program at the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. Gina serves on a number of statewide boards and committees that promote the coordination and provision of health care services for children and serve the disability community. Gina was recently awarded the Regional Commissioner Citation Team Award from the Social Security Administration for her work with the children of Colorado as well as a co-recipient of the Child Health and Welfare Award for 2009 from the Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Murielle Romine has spent the last twelve years working as a passionate and dedicated Health Systems Specialist, providing both technical support and field assistance to numerous public and private sector projects. Mrs. Romine has a Master s Degree in Public Health from St. Louis University School of Public Health and an undergraduate degree in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Tulsa. Currently, Mrs. Romine works for the Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing in the Program Innovation Section. As a program manager in the innovation section, Mrs. Romine is responsible for delivering innovative ideas to tackle the greatest problems within a growing healthcare system in Colorado. This work creates a focus on the whole patient, with consideration given to social determinants of health, applying multi-generational strategies, for the better of the community. Murielle is currently the lead for the Colorado Opportunity Project, a multi-agency collaboration of the Colorado Departments of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and Human Services (DHS), local community and advocacy groups as well as the Governor s Office, the Brookings Institution and other national partners in Washington DC. Cheri Skelding LCSW has a wide range of clinical experience which have all functioned to bring her focus to crisis work. Historically, she has worked with children, adults and families and has provided consultation to employers of people who have mental health or substance abuse issues. She has worked in inpatient and outpatient settings and has also worked as a victim s advocate and as an emergency psychiatric evaluator in the community mental health setting. Cheri began her role in 2010 as the first Clinical Director at Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners (RMCP), then known as Metro Crisis Services. RMCP offers 24/7 telephonic access to master s level clinicians for anyone in Colorado with question or concerns about behavioral health issues. The agency also offers a peer run support line and provides after hours telephonic crisis services for organizations across Colorado. As part of the original management staff, Cheri has developed and implemented clinical policy and procedures related to telephonic suicide assessment, substance use screenings, trauma informed care and follow up protocol. She has developed programing, recruited and trained peer specialists for the first ever state wide peer support services program. In early 2014, RMCP was chosen, through a competitive bid process, to be Colorado s first state wide crisis and peer run support line, The Colorado Crisis and Support Line (CCSL). Cheri has been instrumental in expanding RMCP s reach to all corners of Colorado. Melissa Simmons earned a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy. D.) in 2008 and a Masters of Science in Clinical Psychology in 2008 from Nova Southeastern University. Melissa has a wide range of clinical experience, working in various settings as therapist, psychometrician, psychologist, neuropsychology program coordinator, and psychology professor. She has worked with high-risk children, adults, and families, providing consultation and psychoeducation to individuals, families, and students struggling with mental health and substance use issues. Melissa joined Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners, formerly Metro Crisis Services, in December 2010 and maintains a strong role in the quality and sustainability of the crisis line
operations. Her expertise and active role as a teacher of Clinical Psychology also plays a key role in the effectiveness of internal staff training and development. Mark Wallace JMD, MPH serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of the North Colorado Health Alliance (NCHA). In 2001, innovating at a local level and acting with two other healthcare leaders, Dr. Wallace founded the North Colorado Health Alliance. Dr. Wallace has served as the Executive Director of the Weld County Department of Public Health & Environment since 2000. He also serves as a Colorado Access Regional Medical Director for Colorado s new Medicaid ACC project launched in May 2011. He has been active in family medicine and graduate medical education for over 25 years, serving twice as the Family Medicine Residency Program Director at North Colorado Family Medicine in Greeley and as the Director of Graduate Medical Education for Banner Health North Colorado Medical Center. As a board certified family physician he continues to see patients on a part-time basis. He attended the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, receiving his medical degree in 1984. Dr. Wallace subsequently completed a 3-year residency in Family Practice at the UCLA-Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center and then a 1-year postgraduate fellowship in Academic Family Medicine at the UCLA Center for the Health Sciences. He received his Masters in Public Health from the UCLA School of Public Health in 1989, and completed the Johnson & Johnson/UCLA Health Care Executive Program at the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA in 2004. Dr. Wallace gives generously of his time outside of work to serve the community, and is the recipient of multiple awards in recognition of his community service leadership. Dr. Wallace was the Vice-chair of Colorado s Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Reform, and also served on the Centennial Care Choices Program Panel. Starr Wedemeyer MD, is the Associate Medical Director at Mountainland Pediatrics Inc. which is a part of the Community Reach Center. She completed medical school at the University of Colorado and completed her residency training in Pediatrics at the University of California Davis. Starr is Board Certified in Pediatrics and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Wedemeyer has been practicing for 8 years.