With my retirement approaching in December of this year, I’ve been reflecting on my time at CIVHC. To say my decision to step back is bittersweet may be cliché, but absolutely true. I’m excited to travel – one of my lifelong goals for retirement – but I’ll miss the staff Read more…
The way people access and utilize health care varies across age, location, race, and gender. Recognizing the recent men’s health awareness month, we investigated Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD) data to identify how men in Colorado access health care. In November 2021, CIVHC released an updated Community Dashboard Read more…
Impact of Marijuana on Opioid Utilization Early research shows that legalization of medical and recreational marijuana has led to lower opioid prescribing (e.g. Bradford et al.) and harms from opioids like overdoses (e.g. Powell et al.). However, findings using more years of data at the state level have produced mixed Read more…
The Ask the Analyst series is a deep dive into the data by those most familiar with the CO APCD – the analysts themselves. We’ll hear about their experiences with recent analyses and answer any pressing questions that come up. Have a question for the CIVHC Analyst Team? Email it Read more…
In a recent Data Dive, we looked at what the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD) tells us about treatment for people with mental health needs. Across all Coloradans, we found positive trends in access to mental health services and quality of care. But children generally face a unique Read more…
Landmark Legislative Year for the CO APCD In 2010, legislators and other supporters signed the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD) legislation to address the need for data to drive improvements in health care. When I started with CIVHC two years later, as the first test claims were coming Read more…
The Ask the Analyst series is a deep dive into the data by those most familiar with the CO APCD – the analysts themselves. We’ll hear about their experiences with recent analyses and answer any pressing questions that come up. Have a question for the CIVHC Analyst Team? Email it Read more…
Although the importance of addressing behavioral health, including mental health, has long been recognized, the onset of COVID-19 brought it into greater focus. This is also true in Colorado, where use of behavioral health services via telemedicine spiked rapidly and grew dramatically throughout 2020. In recognition of May being Mental Read more…
Incidence of Cancer Diagnoses in the Rocky Flats Region Following WWII, the United States and Soviet Union found themselves locked in a superpower dynamic, with each relentlessly battling for geopolitical and military superiority. The Rocky Flats plant near Denver, Colorado was constructed in 1952 to manufacture nuclear weapons parts and Read more…
Prescription drug spending is a leading contributor to rising health care costs across the United States. Increasingly, consumers, medical professionals, insurers, legislators, and other stakeholders are identifying rising prescription drug costs as a priority to address health care spending. According to a study released earlier this year, three in four Read more…