Our Accountable Community

Western Colorado has been an innovative region for many years, participating in various health care pilots and initiatives, but tracking an overall strategy that accounts for every member of our community. As new ways to pay for health care and innovative models to deliver care advance, we recognize that diverse entities are on a journey to reach the same goals. We are working to create a roadmap so that all organizations in the community can travel more closely together. We believe that no single organization can achieve broad-based transformation on its own. We invite stakeholders in the transformation – local, statewide and national – to partner with us as we move toward a more accountable health care community.

Our vision is to create an accountable community that empowers patients to take charge of their health. Health information technology, value-based payment models and improved coordination among multiple health, human services and provider organizations are all essential aspects of our strategy. Western Colorado leaders within our regional oversight structure have adopted the following core principles to guide our work:

• High-quality health care is affordable and accessible to all.
• Those who purchase health care are assured that care is effective, safe and appropriate.
• Patient care is a team effort, with roles that are well-defined, connected and collaborative.
• Patients have access to the support and information they need to take charge of their health and make their own decisions.
• Provider payments support accountability for population health and resource use.
• Information technology helps providers to predict outcomes, prioritize interventions and prevent disease.
• Health data is a community resource used in a secure way to support coordinated care at the population, practice and personal levels.
• Investments in information technology and system transformation will improve quality of life and economic well-being in the community.
• Health is a community resource that requires careful stewardship, individual responsibility, community support and ongoing maintenance.