Michele At A Glance...Education: BA in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology from CU Boulder and MBA/MSHA from CU Denver.
Professional History: A decade learning the ropes in a health plan followed by consulting for military, government, public, and private health programs.
First Job in Healthcare: As a Research Analyst for Segue founder Claire Brockbank, in 1990.
Board Experience: Colorado Health Strategy and Management (Past President), Multi State Collaborative for Health Systems Change Steering Committee, Transplant Leadership Council
Personal Accomplishments: soccer mom, living kidney donor, gluten-free cooking aficionado
About Michele
Michele Patarino started her career in health care in 1990 at Colorado’s regional Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plan. She spent a decade learning nearly every area of health plan operations (including health services, medical management, network affairs, product development, claims, customer service, membership, sales, communications and compliance). A notable achievement was extensive work on the Strategic Plan in 1994 that led the company away from its indemnity roots and firmly into managed care.
In 2000, Michele ventured into consulting, working first for CNAC Inc. on behalf of the military health system, CMS and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In 2003, Michele started her own corporation and began consulting for the Colorado Clinical Guidelines Collaborative, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Policy Studies Inc. She found that her best work often leveraged her longstanding partnership and collaboration with Claire Brockbank at Segue Consulting.
Michele’s consulting work has included strategic planning, project management, research, product development, facilitation, and technical writing. She directed a health department-funded project to train health care providers about the clinical guideline to assist patients in quitting tobacco use for nearly ten years and has become an expert on integrating private health plans in state tobacco control strategies, especially post-Affordable Care Act. Michele has spoken at several national meetings on this topic (“Emory Institute 2010,” “Incorporating Tobacco into Health Systems,” “Cessation Policy and Health Systems Change”) and has authored several documents of interest (Lief, Joint Commission, NAQC, CTEPA). She is currently working with Segue to support the CDC and American Lung Association in tobacco control work. Other career highlights have included staffing Colorado’s Centennial Care Choices Panel (reports here), supporting Colorado Medicaid in their pediatric primary care medical home project, serving as the Project Manager for Colorado’s “Help Me Grow” Steering Committee (report here), and being “on call” to assist the Governor’s Health Policy Director with federal reform proposals and reports. A recent focus has been Medicaid managed care including facilitation and proposal development for several local and national managed care organizations and provider groups.
Michele attended CU Boulder and CU Denver on a Boettcher scholarship and believes strongly in the Boettcher Foundation’s charge to its alumni to give back to the community. She holds dual masters’ degrees in Business Administration and Health Administration, and is proud to be a founding member of the Transplant Leadership Council at the American Transplant Foundation. Hobbies include spending time with her husband of twenty-five years and eating his gourmet meals, keeping up with three exceptionally busy daughters, traveling and wine tasting.