And the (Health Policy) Oscar Goes To . . .

Never mind the Academy Awards.

Our best actors in a leading role this week are Director of Research on Coverage and Access Jeff Bontrager and Policy Analyst Natalie Triedman.

Jeff and Natalie are on the road  for our Highway to Health initiative in southwest Colorado, where they are scheduled to make presentations in Durango, Pagosa Springs and Cortez. If you’re in the area, you can join them today (Monday) at 1 p.m. for a meeting of the Community Health Action Coalition at First National Bank in Durango. The rest of their presentations are at invitation-only meetings.

Follow along with Jeff and Natalie during their road trip on Twitter: @CHI_Bontrager and @CHI_Natalie. And don’t forget to follow the Colorado Health Institute: @COHealthInst.

Highway to Health ensures that the Colorado Health Institute’s experts are presenting data and analysis across the state, not just in metro Denver. It is also an opportunity to see health policy decisions in action and to have in-person discussions with our stakeholders.

If you’re interested in a presentation, check out our new Highway to Health page (which we’d like to nominate for Best Animated Feature). Click on the virtual postcards we’ve already collected from around the state to see data for that region, or fill out the form to request a visit from a CHI expert.

Meanwhile, Policy Analyst Jessica Fern is spending Friday at the Colorado Healthy Schools Summit, where successful strategies for integrating healthy lifestyles and education into schools will be highlighted. We also nominate this for Best Original Screenplay. Presentation topics range from yoga and mindfulness for students, innovative food options, and brain development among adolescents.

Don’t miss the 2016 Health Report Card, which we have voted Best Adapted Screenplay for its informative compilation of data over the past 10 years. This decade-long collaboration between the Colorado Health Foundation and CHI covers five life stages, and grades each for their performance on 38 key health indicators. Check in on your age group, and see where efforts need to be focused in order to score straight A’s in 2017.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role goes to Legislative Director and Policy Analyst Allie Morgan for her ongoing coverage of the legislative session. Her most recent analysis, “The Health Policy Name Game: JBC, CDPHE FYI,” provides an update from the capitol, in addition to the acronyms seamlessly thrown around the health policy world.

Director of Community Health Policy Sara Schmitt receives Best Live Action Short for her insight on kids’ dental coverage in Colorado. While dental insurance among children has reached an all-time high, the number of kids going to a dentist hasn’t caught up. Learn about this discrepancy at our website. 

We hope you enjoyed the Oscars as much as we did! (Disclaimer: less than 15 percent of our staff watched, according to a show of hands at our Monday morning huddle. How does that compare with your staff?)

Have a great week!