Thank you to everyone who joined West Mountain Regional Health Alliance for our first Quarterly Meeting of 2026. This session focused on the fiscal challenges facing Colorado and the growing food security needs across our region. We are deeply grateful to our partners, members, and guest speakers who shared their expertise and helped us explore both the challenges and actionable solutions.
Organizational & Regional Updates
We opened the meeting with updates on regional initiatives and organizational milestones:
Strategic Planning: Following our 10-year anniversary in 2025, West Mountain has extended its strategic plan through 2028, reinforcing our commitment to long-term collaborative solutions for community health.
Homelessness Efforts: Progress continues through the Valley Alliance to End Homelessness, including a new regional homelessness dashboard, the start of a permanent supportive housing project with Health Solutions West, and the hiring of a new Regional Health Connector. Special thanks to Berta Rivera for her contributions as the previous Regional Health Connector and for establishing and maintaining the Community Resource Directory.
Food & Nutrition Security: The Mountain Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security continues to make strides, including advocacy for funding during SNAP cuts amid the federal government shutdown. Despite progress, food needs continue to rise in our region, highlighting the ongoing importance of support for these initiatives.
Fiscal & Policy Landscape
Our meeting featured in-depth presentations on Colorado’s fiscal environment:
Caitlin Schneider (Colorado Fiscal Institute) outlined the state’s projected $841 million budget cuts for 2026–27, TABOR revenue limitations, and the potential loss of up to $2.7 billion in federal Medicaid funding by 2032.
Joshua Mantell (The Bell Policy Center) discussed the implications of federal HR1 changes, which shift SNAP administration costs to the state and reduce Medicaid funding, and highlighted the planned Colorado Graduate Income Tax, which could raise $2–3 billion to support health care, mental and behavioral health, K–12 education, and child care.
Food Security in Colorado
Ron Meehan (Feeding Colorado) and Sue Ellen Rockwick (Food Bank of the Rockies) provided critical updates on food access in the region:
Federal SNAP changes, including work requirements, are expected to affect over 615,000 Coloradans.
Feeding America’s food bank network received $7 million to meet immediate needs—down from the originally proposed $10 million—while food insecurity continues to grow.
Advocacy opportunities were highlighted to encourage community members to engage in protecting access to food and nutrition programs.
Looking Ahead
This meeting reinforced the power of collaboration and the importance of staying informed, sharing resources, and engaging in advocacy. By working together, WMRHA and its partners can continue to support vulnerable populations and create stronger, more resilient communities across Western Colorado.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all our guest speakers—Caitlin Schneider, Joshua Mantell, Ron Meehan, and Sue Ellen Rockwick—for sharing their expertise, insights, and solutions. Their contributions helped ground our discussion in the realities of fiscal and food security challenges while highlighting practical steps for impact.
Save the Date: Our next Quarterly Meeting will be held on April 20, 2026, from 11:30 AM–1:30 PM.
Interested in being a speaker? Email info@westmountainhealthalliance.org or call 970-510-0186.
Together, we move forward—stronger, informed, and committed to the health and well-being of our communities.
