In Good Health

This blog post was originally published on Sept. 9, 2020 on Pulse: The Colorado Health Foundation Poll website. 

When I joined The Colorado Health Foundation in November 2018, I started with three items on my “to do” list:

1. Figure out how to use public opinion research to better understand Coloradans.
2. Do that research in ways that are unbiased and methodologically rigorous.
3. Share what we learn openly and often to advance health equity.

It was a daunting list.

Fast forward almost two years, and here we are – releasing the first in an annual series of statewide polls of more than 2,000 Coloradans. Leading up to this, we’ve conducted focus groups, messaging analyses and media audits; but Pulse: The Colorado

As we celebrate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life, we are compelled to remember that we must continue working toward progress for and with people who have historically lacked power and privilege – even and especially in perplexing times like these. 

Serving on the United States Supreme Court for more than 27 years – only the second woman to serve – her unyielding commitment to justice leaves a lasting legacy as a trailblazer for equity and a model for what’s possible.
Born and raised in a Jewish household in Brooklyn, New York, “the notorious RBG” graduated from Cornell University and Columbia Law School, only to be turned away from one job opportunity after the other, simply because she was

Racism has everything to do with health, and everything to do with our work at the Foundation. We said this following George Floyd’s death earlier this summer, and today, we give the same resounding response to the recent racially-driven violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin – because we must keep bending the arc toward justice.

Last Sunday, in Kenosha, a police officer shot a Black father seven times in his back at close-range, in front of his three young children. His name is Jacob Blake, and he remains in critical condition. A few days into nightly protests following this deliberate use of excessive force, an armed, White civilian fired into the crowd, killing two protestors and injuring one. He was arrested

​​​​​​I remember it was a cold February evening. I was on an airplane about ready to disconnect for the flight when I noticed the Grantee Perception Report hit my inbox. I couldn’t resist quickly scanning the report on my tiny phone screen, eager to gather the major takeaways and begin thinking through how we could use the data to improve our philanthropy practice.

The world has changed so dramatically since that evening – it almost feels as though I’m recalling something from another era. Yet, while so much is different about our world and our work, our commitment to listening, building strong relationships and our intent to bring health in reach for all Coloradans remains constant. As part of that