WMRHA Updates
The West Mountain Regional Health Alliance (WMRHA) Quarterly Meeting brought together healthcare providers, public health professionals, community organizations, and regional partners to share innovative approaches to improving health outcomes across Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin counties.
For more details, please check quarterly meeting notes.
Meeting attendees also received updates on several WMRHA initiatives:
- Community Film Screening: WMRHA will host screenings of Until We Are All Home, a documentary about ending homelessness, in Rifle, Eagle, and Glenwood Springs this September.
- Tri-County Resource Directory: The online directory has added a new disaster resources section and additional community organizations. The directory received more than 3,000 views in 2025 and continues to serve as a trusted resource for community partners.
- Membership Update: WMRHA will introduce a new membership fee structure in early September. Members are encouraged to reach out with any questions as additional information becomes available.
You may access WMRHA presentation here.
Addressing Latino Child Obesity Through Community Partnerships
WMRHA shared findings from a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)-funded project examining Latino child obesity disparities in rural communities. Led by Dr. Lisa DeCamp (CU Anschutz School of Medicine), Mari Plaza-Munet (WMRHA), and Jenifer Alvarez (CU Anschutz), the project gathered community perspectives on the barriers families face in supporting healthy lifestyles.
Using a Design Thinking process, the team identified a Youth Health Ambassador Education Program as the most promising strategy to address community-identified needs. The next phase will focus on refining the program design and pursuing grant funding to support implementation.
You may access PCORI presentation here.
Grand River Health Demonstrates Success with Care Coordination
Rebecca Schickling, Quality Assurance and Risk Management Director at Grand River Health, presented results from the organization’s Hospital Transformation Program (HTP), a Colorado initiative focused on improving care coordination for Medicaid patients.
By assigning a dedicated staff member to complete patient screenings and schedule follow-up appointments before discharge, Grand River Health increased successful follow-up connections from 51% in the program’s first year to 96% by year four.
Schickling also highlighted Grand River Health’s Alternatives to Opioids (ALTO) program, which equips providers with evidence-based pain management options such as physical therapy in the emergency department, TENS units, and lidocaine injections. The organization continues expanding specialty care services in Rifle to improve local access and reduce travel for patients.
You may access GRH presentation here.
Vail Health Shares Progress on Social Determinants of Health Screening
Alison Nieves, Director of Case Management at Vail Health, discussed the organization’s evolution in screening patients for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH).
After initially implementing the PREPARE screening tool in the emergency department, Vail Health transitioned to the WellRx SDOH screener for patients in intensive and progressive care units. The organization also expanded screening beyond Medicaid patients to better identify needs among self-pay patients.
These efforts increased screening compliance from 85% to 100% over four years, while strengthening partnerships to address barriers such as transportation, food insecurity, housing, and financial strain.
As Nieves shared during the meeting:
“Social determinants of health screening has driven us to see what the underlying causes are for patients that prevent good health outcomes. It has shifted our culture to think more about what someone’s actual barriers are and what we are doing about them when the patient is with us.”
You may access VH presentation here.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the quarterly meeting and for your continued commitment to improving health and well-being throughout our region. We look forward to seeing everyone at our next in-person quarterly meeting this October.
