The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing has appointed Colorado Rural Health Center CEO Michelle Mills as chairperson of the Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Committee, which will provide strategic direction for a program leveraging over $1 billion in federal grants from 2026 through 2031. The RHTP Advisory Committee will serve as an essential advisory body in the development, implementation and governance of the RHTP, according to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing. The committee's responsibilities include providing strategic direction and guidance for the entire program within federal grant guidelines, ensuring rural stakeholder representation, advising on funding distribution priorities and grant application development, reviewing statewide program progress and performance data, and coordinating with technical workgroups.
Colorado's successfully funded application will support work in all 52 rural and frontier counties and the two federally recognized tribes in Colorado. The program specifically aims to address access to specialty care including behavioral health and obstetric and gynecology services, combat the chronic disease epidemic, and meet the needs of Colorado's tribal communities. This work will be accomplished through fostering collaboration, innovation, and access to care, with the advisory council providing crucial direction and oversight. "I am proud to be named Chair for this important committee," said Mills. "Together the committee will help make sure that these funds are spent to benefit rural communities and facilities in Colorado by providing funding to assist with rural innovation and sustainability."
The Colorado Rural Health Center, established in 1991 as Colorado's State Office of Rural Health, serves dual roles as both the State Office of Rural Health and the State Rural Health Association. The organization's mission focuses on enhancing healthcare services by providing information, education, linkages, tools, and energy toward addressing rural health issues. More information about the organization is available at https://www.coruralhealth.org. The full advisory committee includes representatives from various healthcare organizations, county health departments, academic institutions, and state agencies. Members include Kari Snelson of Northeast Health Partners, Jania Arnoldi of Valley-Wide Health Systems, Camille Harding of Paragon Behavioral Health, Reuben Farnsworth of Delta County Ambulance District, Stephanie Sargent of Cedar Point Health LLC, Joni Reynolds of Gunnison County Health & Human Services, April Randle of Basin Clinic and Southwest Health Systems, Dannon Cox of Colorado School of Public Health at University of Northern Colorado, Lora Spradley as Citizen Liaison, Jack Devie as Certified Peer Specialist, Kevin Stansbury of Lincoln Health, Joe Theine of Southwest Health Systems, Konnie Martin of San Luis Valley Health, Stephanie Pugliese of Office of eHealth Innovation, Ned Calonge of CDPHE, the BHA Commissioner or Delegate from BHAC, and Cristen Bates of HCPF.
This appointment matters because it places an experienced rural health leader at the helm of a transformative $1 billion initiative that will shape healthcare delivery across Colorado's most underserved regions for years to come. The program's focus on behavioral health, obstetric services, and chronic disease management addresses critical gaps in rural healthcare infrastructure that have persisted for decades. With Mills' leadership and the diverse expertise of the advisory committee, Colorado has positioned itself to maximize the impact of federal funding through coordinated, community-informed strategies. The program's success could serve as a national model for how states can effectively leverage federal resources to address systemic rural health disparities while building sustainable healthcare systems that meet the unique needs of frontier communities and tribal populations.
