The Joint Technology Committee unanimously recommended extending capital funding for the state’s rural health connectivity initiative so the program can onboard the remaining independent providers and continue drawing federal match.

Stephanie Pugliese, director of the Office of eHealth Innovation (OeHI), and Kim Bimstueffer, executive director of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), described the program’s work to connect rural providers to the state health information exchange and a complementary community analytics platform (CAP). They said 127 rural organizations and locations are connected, including all identified critical access hospitals and rural health clinics, and that roughly 40 independent providers remain to be onboarded.

Pugliese said the initiative supports access to lab results and other records for rural providers, reduces duplicate testing, and helps maintain local access to care. The project’s partners include Contexture (the statewide health information exchange), the Colorado Community Managed Care Network (which provides the analytics platform), and the Colorado Rural Health Center (which provides technical assistance). The CAP currently includes 13 reports and new additions such as an obstetric-desert report, a shared-populations report, and an out-migration overview.

Pugliese said previously approved capital funding is set to expire June 30, 2025, and the office requests an additional three-year extension (through June 30, 2028) to spend down remaining capital funds, complete onboarding of the roughly 40 remaining providers, and use state funds to draw additional federal match. She said the program has received a higher federal match than anticipated to date and has spent more federal funds and less state capital than planned.

Senator Bazely expressed concern on the record about state-level access to individual health information; HCPF director Bimstueffer responded that federal rules and program governance limit state access to clinical diagnoses and personal health data except for appropriate care-management uses and life-safety purposes. Senators asked about sustainability; Pugliese said the office is working with HCPF and federal partners to secure an ongoing federal match and minimize state carryover costs for long-term maintenance.

Senator Marchman moved to recommend funding of the HCPF supplemental request for the rural connectivity program; the motion passed unanimously on roll call. Committee members asked for continued attention to technical assistance, security and sustainability as the program transitions to operations.