Staff

Kristin Paulson is the Chief Executive Officer and President at the Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC), the designated administrator of the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD). In this role, she oversees data submission, intake, processing, quality evaluation, reporting, and analytics, as well as compliance and data privacy, research, and community engagement. She deeply involved policy information and evaluation, and the advance of APCDs nationwide. Her work encompasses everything from establishing a reliable, high-quality dataset, to engaging our local providers and communities in evidence-driven improvement to the health and healthcare of Coloradans, to working with researchers, government, and other partners to identify new ways to use the data from the CO APCD to inform health care delivery and payment reform. In 2018-2019, Ms. Paulson was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy fellow, serving on the Ways and Means health sub-committee for the majority where she worked on improving data collection, quality, and access in the Medicare program and did significant work on reducing drug costs and supporting federal legislation to promote state development of APCDs. Ms. Paulson has her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and her Master of Public Health and Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She enjoys spending non-work time exploring Colorado and its beautiful outdoors, working in animal rescue, and planning post-COVID travels.

As the Data Quality Manager, Alice is responsible for ensuring that data in the CO APCD contributes to CIVHC’s Triple Aim by managing data intake, data processing, data enhancements and end-user documentation. Alice also works on developing plans for on-going data quality improvement. Prior to joining CIVHC, Alice has 25+ years of health care experience ranging from managing medical claims shops to billing, vendor management and analytics, and was most recently managing the Provider Data Team at Bright Health.

Emma Anderson provides Tableau data visualization and UX expertise in her role as Senior Health Care Reporting Analyst, Team Lead for CIVHC. Emma has over five years of experience in diverse research and data analysis roles, most recently working as a Data Analyst and Visualization Specialist for the University of Colorado’s Dept. of Family Medicine. She has created many reports that allow users to easily understand the underlying data contained within and make decisions based on the outcomes reported. Emma holds a Master of Arts in Sociology and Research Methods from the University of Iowa and a Bachelor of Arts from Augustana College.

As a Financial Analyst, Lauren works across several teams at CIVHC to ensure financial accuracy, optimize sales tools, and evaluate program impact. Lauren is passionate about economic justice and removing financial barriers to health care. They previously worked with United for a New Economy to pass the FAMLI ballot initiative in Colorado. Lauren holds a Master of Arts in Global Finance, Trade, and Economic Integration from the University of Denver, where they studied environmental and economic impacts on health and development. Lauren also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from Xavier University, Ohio.

As Director of Business Operations for CIVHC, Alice Louise handles human resources, IT support, accounting management, and executive administrative support. With a background in consulting, education, and the performing arts, Alice Louise joined CIVHC after working as an office manager and research associate at Rootstock Solutions. Other prior positions included working as a liberal arts administrator at Stanford University, helping students and faculty in their personal missions for social, intellectual and artistic advancement. Alice Louise holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University.

Jennifer Carpenter provides compliance and data release oversight in her role as Compliance and Data Privacy Manager for CIVHC. Jennifer has over 15 years of experience in varying compliance and risk management roles, most recently serving as a Senior Compliance Professional for the Humana Care Delivery Organization and Director of Compliance at Lone Star Community Health Center. She was an adjunct professor for her local paralegal programs for more than 10 years and enjoys being a mentor for paralegals starting a new career. Her key skills include compliance program development and management, corporate governance, policy development, risk management, and clinical operations oversight. Jennifer has a Master in Education from Western Governors University and received her Certification in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) from the Health Care Compliance Association.

Tonia specializes in data visualization and is passionate about bringing Health care Cost information to the forefront of health care discussions. As a Reporting Analyst at CIVHC, she works on the data team to ensure health data is accurate and presented in a clear and concise manner. Tonia has spent two decades in the IT health services sector, most recently at TriZetto/Cognizant, supporting development of healthcare software products that aim to reduce processing costs for Payers and Providers. Tonia holds a Bachelor of Science in Business as well as a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering from the University of Colorado.

As a data quality analyst, Cole will assess and test the quality of data submitted by health care payers once it has been processed, enhanced, and loaded into to CO APCD database. He will also work to improve quality by identifying best practices to ensure accurate, and well-documented information for a variety of innovative uses for cases. Cole has a bachelor’s in International Relations, as well an MA in International Security from the University of Denver. Professionally, Cole joins CIVHC with a health care background in billing, analysis and data management where he helped improve database functionality.

As a Health Care Data Analyst, Mohammad works on a variety of data and analytic projects, while developing reports for all CIVHC stakeholders and providing valuable insights from the CO APCD. Mohammad’s previous experience includes working on multiple lung cancer projects at Vanderbilt University and University of Colorado – Anschutz. Mohammad was also a Research Associate for Denver Health focusing on HIV and is currently an MPH candidate in Applied Biostatistics.

As an analyst for CIVHC’s Research and Innovation team, Chris supports conducting claims data analytics for public reporting and standard custom data requests. Chris worked with Kaiser Permanente as an analyst and quality assurance auditor prior to joining CIVHC’s team. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Colorado Denver.

As the Director of Health Care Programs at CIVHC, Kari convenes state and national partners to address key healthcare topics including Palliative Care, Advance Care Planning, Program Evaluation, and Older Adult Services. Under Kari’s direction, Advance Care Planning (ACP) has become one of the most engaged and robust workgroups at CIVHC. This group disseminates tools and education for improving use and understanding of ACP. Before coming to CIVHC, Kari held positions including Executive Director at Balfour Senior Living (Louisville, CO) and Care Center Administrator for Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Center (Brush, CO). Her passion for older adults continues by working closely with state and national leaders to establish supportive and engaging communities for older adults and those with serious illness to live and work. Palliative Care is a service that isn’t broadly understood or used, though it can be one of the most impactful services for those dealing with serious illness. CIVHC has been a frontrunner in Palliative Care since its inception in 2009 and continues today through this work. Kari plays a critical role in helping community partners to understand and access CO APCD data. Kari oversees CIVHC’s newest initiative for Program Evaluation and is excited to offer another tool to partners working to make a difference in their communities. Kari holds a Bachelor of Art’s Degree in Business- Healthcare Management from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, and an MBA from the University of Denver. Outside of the office, Kari loves to bake, crochet, volunteer and spend time with family.

Danielle Evergreen brings with her over seven years of experience in support roles across a variety of fast-paced industries. Danielle’s attention to detail and critical problem-solving skills have helped her excel in her previous roles as a Transition Coordinator for a national broker-dealer and an Office Manager for a commercial real estate firm. A published author holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, Danielle is passionate about impacting meaningful change in historically under-served communities

As a Compliance Specialist, Kelsey is responsible for ensuring the alignment of CIVHC’s work with data privacy, antitrust, and HIPAA regulations. She follows state and federal legislative initiatives to assess their potential impact on CIVHC operations and anticipate necessary changes to internal policy and procedure. With an extensive health insurance background, Kelsey has gained experience in improving service quality and patient satisfaction. She is also passionate about streamlining procedures and improving organizational efficiency at CIVHC.

As a Communication and Marketing Specialist for CIVHC, Sarah Ford works to generate awareness of CIVHC’s work towards achieving its mission to all relevant stakeholders. With a background in journalism, Sarah began her career with CBS4 Denver and the Denver VOICE. Her most recent employers were local non-profits, the CDC Foundation and Project Angel Heart, where Sarah was able to pair her love for writing with her commitment to service. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and International Relations.

As the Director of Research, Darcy is responsible for developing, executing, and expanding internal research activities for CIVHC while building research partnerships with other organizations and states supporting health equity. Darcy has over 15 years of experience in health research, behavioral health, and claims-based evaluation. Most recently, Darcy worked at Anthem Inc., developing clinical interventions and claims-based research in bariatric surgery, Neurodiversity, and eating disorders. Darcy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, a Master of Arts Degree in Community Counseling, and a Doctor of Health Psychology degree from California Southern University. Darcy is also a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Darcy has post-doctorate Health Economics and Outcome Research training from the University of Washington.

Spencer Fortier serves as a Communication and Marketing Specialist for CIVHC, where he is responsible for increasing awareness of CIVHC’s mission and the support provided to stakeholders. Previously employed at Craig Hospital, Spencer worked closely with internal and external stakeholders to increase brand recognition and improve existing or new relationships with referral sources. With over seven years of health care marketing experience, Spencer has a versatile skillset with strong leadership and a passion for creating innovative, powerful ideas that connect people in more intimate ways. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs.

Cari leads the Communication and Marketing team, dedicated to developing and implementing strategic outreach and communication efforts and public data to support and amplify Change Agents. As a member of the senior team, she helps set CIVHC’s strategic direction, leads all of CIVHC’s public analyses based on data in the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD), serves as a liaison for policy and legislative requests, and supports advancing CIVHC’s health equity work. Prior to joining CIVHC in 2012, Cari served as Director of Communications and Development at the Colorado Rural Health Center where she worked directly with rural hospitals and clinic and led communications, policy and advocacy, and new program development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in pre-med Biology from Colorado College, and has an MBA in Marketing.

Valerie blends her passion for service and improvement with a love of data to evaluate and inform health interventions. She holds a Masters of Environmental Science from Rochester Institute of Technology, and has 15 years of experience in nonprofit program management, community engagement, and program evaluation. As the Healthy Start Project Director in Rochester, NY, Valerie overhauled their Case Management database and reporting mechanisms to generate high quality data and inform program needs. Most recently, she engaged labor and delivery units throughout the state of Colorado to develop evidence-informed Quality Improvement initiatives to incorporate best practice guidance, monitor outcomes, and recommend trainings and program adjustments. She believes that access to high quality information – and the skills and tools to interpret and apply it – is critical for driving community change.

Asmita joins CIVHC's Analysis and Reporting team as a Health Care Data Analyst. She received her master’s degree in Public Health from Baylor University and has over 4 years of experience in Public Heath working with various sectors including non-profit, government, and universities. Prior to joining CIVHC, Asmita worked as a Program Research Specialist II at New York State Department of Health, on a breast and colorectal cancer project conducting data analysis and outreach support.

As a Data Quality Analyst, Trang is responsible for monitoring the quality of the CO APCD data, working with data submitters to ensure the data is reported correctly, and providing support to data users internally and externally with innovative data solutions. Previously employed at Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (AR APCD), Trang has developed a vast understanding of APCD processes and best practices. Trang holds a B.A. in Finance and an MBA from the University of Central Arkansas.