GREETINGS FROM IRENE M. IBARRA With what I’ve learned to this point, I truly believe it is the ideal time to be stepping into my new role as President and CEO of The Colorado Trust. Many committed individuals and organizations have worked diligently over the past few years, and remain dedicated to improving health care access in Colorado. Their efforts have received a terrific boost with our new governor’s stated commitment to provide health care coverage for everyone statewide by 2010. Further contributing to this momentum is The Trust’s partnership with three other foundations – Caring for Colorado Foundation, The Colorado Health Foundation and Rose Community Foundation – to determine how we can best help to bring about improved health care access. Our study and resulting report, Kids’ Health Care Access: Diagnosis and Prescription for Improvement, was released in February and is being used to help inform thinking about how to make essential changes to provide all children with quality health care. I am optimistic about the possibility of achieving this goal. Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to be a part of leading community efforts to provide health coverage for all children in Los Angeles and Alameda counties in California. Some of the significant lessons we learned were that the involvement of a broad range of community leaders is essential; a streamlined approach to enrollment in public programs must be a focus of improving access; and policy solutions should include access to quality preventive care that will improve the health of all children. Together, with other committed partners across the state, we can make the vision of health care for all children a reality in Colorado. |
What a wonderful welcome back to Colorado and to The Colorado Trust I have received from so many people! Already I have had the opportunity to meet with many of our grantees, as well as community, business, foundation and government leaders. With the snows mostly behind us and spring in the air, my goal is to meet personally with many more people across the state over the coming months. I hope to learn first-hand about health needs, as well as the work that is taking place to address these needs.