Message from the Chairwoman & President and CEO

When The Colorado Trust announced its decade-long vision to focus solely on achieving access to health for all Coloradans, we offered a steadfast commitment, although no predictions on the road ahead. Indeed, we would not have guessed that federal health care reform was within reach. Yet today, the historic passage of federal health care legislation has been realized, offering the much-needed possibility of health coverage to hundreds of thousands of uninsured Coloradans and millions of Americans.

This milestone follows a tumultuous year of high unemployment, unprecedented numbers of people without health coverage and unable to afford care, and an often rancorous debate on the pros and cons of health care reform. Within this environment, our grantees – from health care advocates to government agencies to front-line health care providers – faced significant challenges in their efforts to provide services and to push for systems and policy changes. They are to be commended for their unwavering efforts to expand health coverage and to improve the health care system.

This resolve will be needed well into the future as the passage of reform legislation signifies another beginning in our collective efforts to improve access to health. Regulations will need to be written, organizations built, health care delivery systems redesigned, and payment and financing mechanisms fine-tuned. As well, revamping our complex health care system and directing scarce state dollars to implement reform will require public will and the engagement of the private, public and nonprofit sectors alike.

This annual report highlights the accomplishments of those we have the privilege to work with, and briefly outlines our work ahead. Along with ensuring that the gains we have made are sustained, we will support efforts to provide clear information on what the federal legislation will mean to Coloradans. We also will advance implementation efforts and expand innovative efforts underway to reduce costs, streamline systems and improve health outcomes. And we will seek to identify those who will remain without benefit of health coverage and access to care, even with federal reform.

Together with our many partners, we are committed to achieving access to health for all Coloradans by 2018.

Sincerely,