Member Experience Advisory Council
Improving Member Experience
Health First Colorado and Child Health Plan Plus members, we need your voice!
At the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, we recognize the value of member and family participation and engaging the voices of those with lived experience in our programs. Engaging with our members is fundamental to our Department’s value of person- and family-centeredness.
The Member Experience Advisory Council (MEAC) is made up of people who are current Health First Colorado or Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) members or parent/caregivers of members. MEAC members come together monthly to learn, give input and ultimately affect positive change in our programs. Members share their honest experiences and provide feedback as a guide for the future.
Childcare, transportation costs and stipends for time well spent are offered for members’ participation.
Apply to MEAC Share your story!
Current MEAC Members MEAC Alumni Council
Mission and Objectives
- Engage members and family members of Health First Colorado and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) to improve member experience and deepen person- and family-centered practices and culture.
- Continue to build understanding and commitment for person- and family-centeredness, which means we respect and value individual strengths, preferences and contributions, and work with members, not doing things to or for them.
- Provide opportunities for collaboration between the Department and members with the goal of improving member experience and the relationship between the Department and all members.
- Provide a way for Department staff to test with members whether or not programs and policies are working as designed and having the desired outcome.
- Build staff empathy and skills by engaging with actual members and their lived experience, accessing meaning behind data, not just relying on what’s easy to collect and analyze.
History and Background
The Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care (IPFCC) was invited to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to conduct a site visit to evaluate the Department’s person- and family-centered policies and practices. We define person-centeredness as “thinking and behaving in ways that respect and value individual preferences, strengths and contributions”. In short, we design with our members, not to or for them. The top recommendation from the IPFCC was the creation of a member-only advisory council. The Person- and Family-Centeredness Advisory Council, Person-Centered Approach Core team and staff Person-Centeredness Champions group were created in April 2015.
The group was renamed the Member Experience Advisory Council (MEAC) in 2016, and has since driven cultural change within the organization toward member-centricity, plain language, language justice, and accessibility. The MEAC has also been a launching pad for several additional efforts including the Community-Based Organization (CBO) Ambassador Program to engage non-English speaking communities to make improvements to member communications. MEAC alumni members are involved in many areas of the organization, in other State agency efforts to improve access, services and benefits, and nationally as paid consultants in health care and public insurance.
MEAC Members
Our current MEAC includes representatives from the following counties:
- Alamosa
- Arapahoe
- Boulder
- Denver
- Douglas
- El Paso
- Jefferson
- Larimer
- Logan
- Pueblo
Jordan Hardy
Representing Colorado’s Northeast Region, this MEAC member offers lived experience as an adult Health First Colorado member and as a parent navigating care for a young child. |
Aurelia Holden
A wife, a mother, and a woman building the life she dreams of. |
Yasmine Khalil
Hello! |
Cloud Kline
Hello! My name is Cloud Kline, and I use they/them pronouns. I am originally from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and I moved to Colorado in 2022 to find work and a new place to call home. I’ve only been a Medicaid Member for a few months at this time, but it has changed my access to healthcare significantly. I am currently a student studying Automotive Collision Repair Technology, and I am so grateful I can bring the voice of a student to the conversations in MEAC! I grew an interest in healthcare when I started taking a preventative approach to my disabilities, and I want others of all walks of life to have healthcare they can depend on. |
Jeff Legins
Jeffrey Legins is a project management and operations professional dedicated to social equity, community empowerment, and sustainable impact. As co-founder of Pathways to Progress Workforce Housing and board member of Lower the Barrier, he works to expand access to housing and opportunity. A longtime leader at Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church, Jeffrey blends faith, service, and technical skill to uplift others. In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors, camping, and ATV riding. |
Mari Temmer
I am a single parent of 33 year old twin daughters and a breast cancer survivor. I serve on the City of Loveland Senior Advisory Board and the Disability Advisory Commission and am a board member of the Loveland Justice League. I have been a PTO President, and have worked as a Behavior Modification Specialist at a large teaching hospital in Chicago. I was a specialized foster parent for over 10 years, and also had a foster son on the autism spectrum. I have been on Medicaid since leaving the work force to deal with several disabilities and I believe everyone deserves to receive only the best health care, and to be treated with dignity and respect. I am excited to be able to make a positive contribution to the Medicaid experience. |
Joann Tenorio
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Jennie Yu
I had to set her up with an apartment and all the responsibilities and necessities that come with it. This also includes the daily visits to ensure her safety while living alone for the first time in her life at the age of 84. Navigating appropriate housing, medical and financial help for someone like mom was a tremendously daunting experience since I had never done anything that comprehensive before, it felt defeating. We have come a long ways in these two years but I know there is always more to learn and to share with others. During this journey I have always felt that there are others who may share the same path as mom and I, but our situation is also unique. I hope that we can help those that are in a similar situation and become a resource navigator for others. Now, two years later, I understand what advocacy and compassion mean. |
Health First Colorado Member
Greetings everyone, I’m very passionate about having health care for all. With that said, I’ve witnessed first hand how challenging that can be for an epileptic with five children who see their own specialty care doctors. When I came across this opportunity, I was so eager to submit an application. I come from various backgrounds in the healthcare field. I’m eager to collaborate with my fellow MEAC members and bring ideas that will not only help now but also will help the generation behind. |
Health First Colorado Member
This MEAC member is a Health First Colorado member from the San Luis Valley and contributes lived experience navigating health care as an adult in a rural community. |
Health First Colorado Member
This MEAC member brings lived experience as a resident of an assisted living facility on Colorado’s Front Range and as a Health First Colorado member receiving services through a Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver. |
Share Your Story
The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing wants to share your story!
If Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) or Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) has made a positive impact on you or your family, we want to hear about it. Your story will help other Coloradans better understand the benefits of health insurance coverage.
To share your story with us, please complete this form. We will not share your story with anyone else without your written permission first.
Check out the video below to experience how great it is to hear about other members.
See other member stories
Mary’s Story |
Cassie’s Story |
Beth’s Story |
Raina’s Story |
Emery’s Story |
Mike’s Story |
Maddie’s Story |
Stacy’s Story |
Jessica’s Story |
The Soto/Ynigo Family Story |
Jasmine’s Story |
Steve’s Story |
How else can I get involved? Find out more or email feedback@healthfirstcolorado.com
Contact
Have questions? Contact Chief Customer Officer Antoinette Taranto at Antoinette.Taranto@state.co.us
OR
Member Engagement & Advisory Council Specialist Thessica Covato at Thessica.Covato@state.co.us
