Colorado News

Featured articles include...Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding for Projects to Boost Rural Electric Grid Efficiency and Reliability... Transforming Health Research on the High Plains... Despite Outrage, Health Exchange Wants Additional $125 Million... New Colorado Medicaid Dental Benefit for Adults to Begin April 2014



Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding for Projects to Boost Rural Electric Grid Efficiency and Reliability
By RAC Online
Apr 30, 2013

Funding Includes more than $20 Million for Smart Grid Projects
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced funding for four rural electric projects in eight states to provide reliable, affordable electricity for rural residents. USDA remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant budget uncertainty. Today's announcement is one part of the Department's efforts to strengthen the rural economy. Vilsack made the announcement during the legislative conference of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Washington.

One of the rural electric cooperatives that will receive funding is Colorado's Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc., which serves 44 consumer-owned distribution cooperatives. It is receiving a $73 million loan to upgrade generation and transmission facilities, improve 50 miles of transmission line and build a substation. The loan amount includes more than $18 million for smart grid projects. Click here to read the full article.

Transforming Health Research on the High Plains
By News USA
May 13, 2013

(NewsUSA) - Ned Norman is a rancher. Maret Felzien is an English professor. And conventional wisdom says neither is likely to help healthcare research become more meaningful to patients and caregivers.

But Norman and Felzien, and their rural community in eastern Colorado, are doing just that through the High Plains Research Network (HPRN), a partnership of rural hospitals, clinics and primary care practices that are improving the care they provide to patients through research and quality improvement programs.

The network is one example of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute's (PCORI) vision for research that meaningfully engages members of the community. That's why PCORI (www.pcori.org) awarded the HPRN a Pilot Project contract in April 2012 to continue its community-based effort through "Boot Camp Translation." Click here to read the full article.

Despite Outrage, Health Exchange Wants Additional $125 Million
By Solutions
May 7, 2013

Despite outrage from some lawmakers who called review of Colorado’s health exchange a “mockery,” a bid for an additional $125 million in federal dollars is likely to move forward by next week.

“I would anticipate that we will sign off on this,” said Sen. Irene Aguilar, D-Denver. This (federal) money exists. If we don’t take it, we’re going to have citizens picking up the costs for their premiums. Our goal is to have the most successful exchange in the country and this is part of that.” To read more click here.

New Colorado Medicaid Dental Benefit for Adults to Begin April 2014

By Daily Dose

May 10, 2013

Colorado’s Medicaid office announced its new adult dental benefit, not offered before in the state, will begin in April of 2014.

Gov. John Hickenlooper is expected to sign the bill authorizing the new benefit this weekend. State health finance officials and consumer health advocates consider the new benefit big progress, as dental benefits have often been an afterthought in public health spending and are not part of the federally mandated minimums. Some states whose Medicaid programs were more flush had offered dental benefits, but Colorado before now had not found the money. For more information click here.

A Word from our Classic Sponsor: Peck Shaffer & Williams LLP

Tax-exempt finance is helping to build Healthcare and Infrastructure in Colorado
By Mary Groves

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center has been providing medical care in the mountains of central Colorado for more than 125 years. Today, it serves a region of nearly 20,000 people. Thanks to tax-exempt financing and the government status that it enjoys, Heart of the Rockies is providing that care in a new state-of-the-art facility offering advanced medical technology and practices.

In fact, Heart of the Rockies expects to save more than $16 million in interest payments over the 30-year period of the $30.2 million bond issue for the new facility, thanks to the lower interest rates made possible by the tax exemption on municipal bonds.

Throughout Colorado, health care facilities tell the same story. Rangely District Hospital and Yuma District Hospital both recently built new facilities, also with the benefit of tax-exempt financing. Senior living facilities, such as Christian Living Communities, Shalom Park, and Frasier Meadow have also completed building projects using tax-exempt bonds.

In fact, tax-exempt financing for local governments has helped build our nation’s hospitals, clinics, schools, roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, libraries, airports and other infrastructure for more than a century. It is a critical tool for the country’s economic development. Local officials, elected by local voters, driven by local concerns, are making the decisions about these local projects. And they are paying for them with local money.

However, as our nation’s lawmakers lurch from fiscal crisis to fiscal cliff – from debt ceiling debates to “fiscal cliffs” to sequestration – budget hawks are suggesting eliminating the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds. They view this tax exemption as a “loophole” depriving the U.S. Treasury of as much as $37 billion.

Tax-exempt municipal bonds finance infrastructure critical to our economy and communities. Basic utilities such as water and sewer are financed with tax-exempt bonds, as are public buildings, hospitals, clinics, schools, roads, bridges, jails, police and fire equipment (computers, fire trucks, emergency communications systems), libraries and airports. Three-quarters of the country’s public spending on roads, highways, water and sewer systems and other infrastructure is paid for by state and local governments, who are also solely responsible for building most of the country’s educational facilities.

As with Heart of the Rockies, government-owned healthcare providers and nonprofit institutions such as hospitals and museums also rely on tax-exempt bonds. Hospitals have tremendous capital needs to keep up with ever-changing technology, and most of that comes through tax-exempt bonds. The bond market provides access to the market that is not otherwise available. Taxable issues are too small to compete in the corporate bond market, leaving hospitals and museums with banks as their only other source for borrowing money, and banks generally have more difficult loan terms.

Tax-advantaged housing finance is one of the main sources of capital for “affordable housing,” another public benefit which should not be taken away.

Middle class, domestic households are the largest category of municipal bond investors, and retail investors as a whole own approximately 70 percent of municipal bonds. According to the IRS, in 2010 52 percent of all bond interest paid to individuals went to those with incomes of less than $250,000. Moreover, according to the same data, 57 percent of tax exempt income is reported by people over the age of 65, often on fixed incomes.

The real benefit of tax-exempt bonds is to state and local governments, including public hospitals, nonprofit healthcare providers and local taxpayers. If tax-exempt borrowing goes away, costs of local borrowing will go up and those costs are ultimately borne not only by local taxpayers, but also by hospital patients, renters, students and public utility ratepayers.

Tax-exempt finance is not a budget gimmick or a loophole. It’s essential for repairing, expanding and building the infrastructure our economy needs in the future.

Mary Groves is the managing partner of the Denver office of Peck Shaffer & Williams LLP, a national leader in public finance law. She has more than 30 years' experience in a broad range of traditional and conduit public financings, including projects for private schools, colleges, senior housing, healthcare providers, charter schools, cultural institutions and faith-based service providers. She is called on by many non-Colorado borrowers who use the multi-jurisdictional authority of Colorado's statewide health and education issuers.

Colorado News

Colorado Community of Immigrant and Refugee Support Services Collaborate to Re-Launch Congolese Refugee’s Career

Adelard Lilimo left war torn Democratic Republic of Congo with the dream of practicing his profession of surgical nurse in the United States. Now, thanks to his own determination and multiple people from many organizations in the refugee and immigrant services community, Adelard is working at the University of Colorado Hospital and is well on his way to realizing this dream.

Upon arrival in the U.S., Adelard faced a series of obstacles. In the DRC, where he had worked as a surgical nurse, Adelard spoke French, Lingala, Kiswahili and Kikongo, but not English. With the help of Emily Griffith Technical College, Adelard enrolled in ESL courses and was able to improve his English language skills. Soon, Adelard’s needs for income became very real, and he turned his focus to obtaining a paying job. Carrying a stack of photos, which graphically illustrated his experience caring for severely injured patients in a DRC Emergency Room, Adelard came to Colorado Welcome Back, a program of Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning. His passion to help victims of suffering was an obvious driving force in his career. Colorado Welcome Back helped Adelard develop a long-term plan for getting back to his profession of a surgical nurse. He was then referred to Goodwill Industries. Goodwill utilized their connections within the community to land Adelard his first paying job in the U.S. While this position was not in the healthcare field, it allowed Adelard to practice his English in the workplace and gain valuable customer service experience. Intent on furthering his professional skills, Adelard attended skills development workshops offered by Colorado Welcome Back and prepared himself to re-enter the healthcare field. Through a chance meeting with a local pastor, Adelard landed his first healthcare position as a Certified Nurse’s Aid (CNA) at a home health facility. However, Adelard’s dreams did not stop there. With the help of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), he was able to secure his current position as a Pre-Operative Service Assistant at the University of Colorado Hospital.

In just a few months, multiple organizations and individuals came together and invested in Adelard’s success. Still, none of Adelard’s progress would have been realized without his incomparable determination and fortitude. As Adelard says, “I know I have so much to offer as a surgical nurse. I hope that I will be able to do this work again in my new country.” Knowing Adelard, his path to success will continue and will inspire other refugees to hold on to their professional aspirations. We at Colorado Welcome Back look forward to continued collaboration with our partner organizations, to supporting Adelard on his professional journey and for many future success stories like his for refugees and immigrants in Colorado!

Volunteer Mentors are needed to help foreign-trained doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals in re-launching their careers

Who?
Experienced healthcare providers, currently employed or retired from their jobs (doctors, nurses, dentists, vets, lab technicians, social workers, etc.) willing to be mentors to their foreign-trained colleagues.

What?
Mentoring engagement with a carefully matched foreign-trained healthcare professional. What is requested is a time commitment of 2-4 hours a month, willingness to help, curiosity and openness to other cultures, patience and supportive attitude. Mentoring training will be provided. Many rewards include the immense sense of satisfaction in being a part of a team effort that gets a foreign-trained professional back on track to practicing medicine, meeting other volunteers, and learning about foreign cultures. Your knowledge of the US health care system, professional expectations and career options will help the fellow foreign-trained health professional reach his/her full potential in his/her new country.

Why?
Colorado is home to many highly skilled and educated refugees and other immigrants who are finding it very challenging to re-launch their healthcare careers in the US. Some of the barriers include lack of understanding of the US healthcare system, lack of access to professional networks, in addition to re-licensing requirements, essentially repeating the academic efforts they had already completed, an extremely competitive process of applying for residency programs, and/or other healthcare jobs.
Where?
Most of the Colorado Welcome Back participants reside in the Metro Denver area. We are looking to match a select group of them with mentors who also reside in the Metro Denver area.

COLORADO WELCOME BACK is a non-profit program helping foreign trained health care professionals re-establish careers in health care in Colorado. It seeks to build a bridge between the pool of internationally trained health workers living in our state and the need for linguistically and culturally competent health care providers. The program is managed by Spring Institute for Cultural Learning and is one of 10 Welcome Back Centers in the US. COLORADO WELCOME BACK is funded by the Colorado Refugees Services Program, Kaiser Foundation and the Colorado Health Foundation. There is no fee to the participants and the program helps them obtain the required licensing, evaluate options, assists in developing career plans, and helps obtain interim positions in the healthcare field while they are pursing their "bigger" career goals.

COLORADO WELCOME BACK offers foreign-trained participants from dozens of countries in the world free seminars, workshops, to prepare then for their career pursuit - training participants to successfully interview, write a professional resume, cover letter, etc.

Interested in becoming a volunteer mentor?

Please contact us by replying to enolan@springinstitute.org

For more information about the program, please visit www.coloradowelcomeback.org