For over 25 years, HealthTeamWorks has been a leader in health care transformation, consistently adapting to the evolving needs of health care providers, patients, and communities. From our origins as the Colorado Clinical Guidelines Collaborative to our role today as a national leader in promoting health, quality, and resilience, HealthTeamWorks has grown into a dynamic organization dedicated to transforming health care systems.
HealthTeamWorks: Driving Transformation through Quality and Resilience
HealthTeamWorks collaboratively transforms health care through performance improvement, organizational development, and training. Guided by our vision to Engage, Elevate and Empower and grounded in five core values, every initiative we undertake strategically aligns to enhance health care outcomes for all individuals.
Recent Achievements and Key Milestones
Over the past year, HealthTeamWorks has achieved several significant milestones, demonstrating our ability to adapt and lead in the rapidly changing health care landscape.
Kansas City Health Equity Learning and Action Network
HealthTeamWorks plays a pivotal role as a key partner in planning the next generation of the Kansas City Health Equity Learning and Action Network. This community-led initiative focuses on addressing health disparities in the Kansas City metropolitan area and is sponsored by Health Forward Foundation and administered by the KC Health Collaborative. HealthTeamWorks, alongside these key decision-makers, helps to identify regional gaps in equitable care access and delivery and develops innovative solutions to improve health outcomes in both the Kansas City region.
HealthTeamWorks will maintain our commitment to the Kansas City Health Equity Learning and Action Network and will continue to collaborate with partners such as the Kansas City Health Collaborative and the Health Forward Foundation. The organization is also steadfast in our commitment to increasing awareness and involvement in the Hospital Community Benefit process in the Kansas City metro area.
Expansion of Board of Directors
To support our innovate program and expanding geographic reach, we have strategically expanded our board of directors. The new board members are leaders from diverse sectors impacting health and wellness across the country and include physicians, non-profit leaders, community leaders, and public health officials. This expansion ensures HealthTeamWorks’ leadership reflects our strategic priorities and evolving role in health care transformation.
Strengthening National and Regional Partnerships
HealthTeamWorks has deepened our long-standing relationships with key Colorado-based partners, including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the University of Colorado, the Department of Family Medicine, the Practice Innovation Program, and the Colorado Health Extension System. These relationships have flourished over the past year, allowing HealthTeamWorks to continue advancing health equity initiatives, expanding training programs, and fostering integrated care models across the state.
At the national level, HealthTeamWorks has formed innovative collaborations with key organizations that have significantly contributed to our success. Notably, the organization has partnered with the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) to develop a toolkit for fostering equitable workspaces. Additionally, HealthTeamWorks collaborated with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) to make our Community Health Worker and Care Manager trainings available to numerous Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across the nation.
Advancing Health Quality Through Robust Training Programs
HealthTeamWorks has made significant strides in advancing health equity through our training programs. We invested in updating our core health equity training through a grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, in partnership with the Trailhead Institute. Our Culturally Relevant and Affirming Care training was refined by incorporating feedback from individuals with lived experience, ensuring that the content is both culturally relevant and impactful. By addressing the unique challenges faced by diverse populations, this training helps health care providers deliver care that is equitable and culturally appropriate.
Cecilia Saffold, CEO of HealthTeamWorks, emphasizes that health equity is not a standalone initiative but a thread woven through all of the organization’s work. “You can’t achieve high quality without striving for equity,” Saffold asserts. HealthTeamWorks will continue to advance the Culturally Relevant and Affirming Care training, ensuring that all health care delivery is equitable and tailored to meet the unique needs of diverse populations. This initiative will permeate every aspect of HealthTeamWorks’ operations, reinforcing the commitment to health equity in all projects and partnerships.
Merger with Iowa Chronic Care Consortium (ICCC)
One of the most notable achievements was the merger with the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium (ICCC), an Iowa-based nonprofit with a long history of commitment to health care workforce development. This merger has brought significant enhancements to HealthTeamWorks, introducing new training programs that expand the organization’s reach and impact.
ICCC’s emphasis on workforce development for individuals who support patients, caregivers, and providers in addressing chronic care needs and fostering collaborative goal-setting with clinical care teams aligns seamlessly with HealthTeamWorks’ mission. The merger has introduced two critical training programs:
Community Health Worker Training: Community Health Worker training equips participants with essential skills to enhance individual and community health while improving access to quality health care services. The training builds skills in cultural mediation, delivering appropriate health education, coordinating care, providing social support, and advocating for communities.
Clinical Health Coach® and Clinical Health Coach® v-Fusion Trainings: In the Clinical Health Coach Training program, care teams will develop motivational interviewing and coaching skills, learn to implement effective health coaching strategies, and master communication techniques to engage patients more effectively, all with the goal of facilitating behavioral changes that help patients achieve their health goals.
Maintaining Momentum through 2024 and into 2025
As HealthTeamWorks embarks on the next phase of our journey, our strategic vision is designed to guide the organization toward a future where health equity and resilience are realities for everyone. By continuing to advance value-based care, promote integrated care, enhance workforce development, and strengthen partnerships, HealthTeamWorks is poised to make a significant impact on the health care landscape.
By working collaboratively with stakeholders across the country, HealthTeamWorks is paving the way for a healthier, more equitable future—one where every individual can achieve their highest level of health and well-being.
As HealthTeamWorks looks to the future, it remains committed to continuous improvement. By cultivating knowledge, expanding capabilities, and fostering an environment of learning and sharing, the organization is well-equipped to navigate the complexities of the health care ecosystem.
Population Health Career Lattice
The Population Health Career Lattice (PHCL) by HealthTeamWorks advances Health, Equity, and Resilience by guiding Community Health Workers (CHW), Clinical Health Coaches (CHC), and Care Managers (CM) from entry-level to leadership roles. PHCL addresses health inequities through diverse workforce representation, workplace equity training, and comprehensive support for participants’ social and health needs. The program provides CHW Professional Skills, Registered Apprenticeship, Care Management, and Clinical Health Coach® Training, with tailored support including Spanish translation. It focuses on underrepresented groups (BIPOC, foster care youth, alternative school graduates, those living in poverty) and offers stipends, emergency funds, and wrap-around services. Our goals include training 65 students annually, ensuring they gain field experience, and fostering resilience through coordinated referrals for social and professional support. This initiative aims to diversify the healthcare workforce, promoting health equity and workforce development.
Advancing Care Excellence through Innovative Care Delivery Models
HealthTeamWorks contributes subject-matter specialization, facilitation and coaching to transformative initiatives designed to improve care quality, patient outcomes, and cost efficiency across the United States, aligning with HealthTeamWorks’ mission to drive value-based care through innovation and collaboration. We’ve done work in similar initiatives in the past including CPC, CPC+ and TCPi.
Whole Person, Fully Integrated Care
HealthTeamWorks will continue to promote the development and delivery of Whole Person, fully integrated care. This approach emphasizes wellness and the importance of building robust relationships between patients and their primary care teams, not just when they are sick but throughout their lives. The goal is to provide comprehensive care that includes robust preventive services and psychosocial assessments, ensuring that all clinical, dental, behavioral health, and social needs are identified and addressed.
A significant part of this effort is the ongoing promotion of behavioral health integration. HealthTeamWorks has played a vital role, particularly through the Regional Lead and Facilitator, Angela Schindler-Berg, in collaboration with the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network, in advancing behavioral health integration into primary care and vice versa, integrating primary care into behavioral health settings.
In Colorado, HealthTeamWorks will continue our work through the 1302 Behavioral Health Integration program, supporting practices in improving and expanding integrated behavioral health services in primary care settings.
Get Involved: Opportunities to Support and Partner with HealthTeamWorks
Individuals and organizations interested in supporting HealthTeamWorks have numerous opportunities to engage with us in advancing our mission of transforming health care. We welcome collaboration and support from those who share our vision of Health, Equity, and Resilience, and are committed to improving health care outcomes and promoting wellness for all.
Consulting and Transformation Support: Organizations navigating complex change can schedule investigative calls to discuss challenges and explore solutions. HealthTeamWorks helps in transformation, strategy, and payment alignment to enhance care delivery quality.
Partnerships: HealthTeamWorks welcomes meetings to discuss potential collaborations, share updates, and establish regular communication.
Funding Collaborations: Long-term partners interested in co-developing initiatives and seeking funding are invited to collaborate. HealthTeamWorks is eager to build and strengthen projects together.
Internships: For students and those starting their careers, HealthTeamWorks offers internships throughout the year. These can be tailored based on subject-matter specialist availability.
Donations: Individuals who value HealthTeamWorks’ mission are encouraged to visit our website and donate. Contributions are crucial for operations and service delivery, and we are open to discussing how these contributions are used to enhance our services, training, and support efforts.
Contact us at [email protected], and let’s discuss how we can work together.
For more information about our services, please visit our website at www.healthteamworks.org
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