Comagine Health Press Releases

SEATTLE, Washington — Comagine Health’s physician executive John Vassall, MD, was recently awarded the Steven E. Weinberger Award by the American College of Physicians (ACP), the national organization of internal medicine physicians. This prestigious award is bestowed upon a physician executive for distinguished contributions to internal medicine and improving health care.

As Comagine Health’s physician executive, Dr. Vassall provides strategic leadership, clinical insight and technical expertise for patient safety and quality improvement activities. Dr. Vassall’s career spans more than three decades. Before joining Comagine Health, he was a hospital MD surveyor for The Joint Commission, evaluating U.S. hospitals for safety and quality of care. At Swedish Health Services, he served as vice president for medical affairs and chief of staff before becoming chief medical officer, responsible for quality, safety, accreditation, research, medical staff services and risk and…

New Work Expands Access to Chronic Disease Self-Management Education in Oregon 

PORTLAND, Oregon — Comagine Health was recently awarded a contract with the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Community Living. The work will take place over the next three years and will focus on building a partner network to deliver evidence-based chronic disease self-management education (CDSME) programs in Oregon.  

Comagine Health has a deep history of collaborating with partners and stakeholders to build robust community programs. Currently, Comagine Health works closely with organizations in Oregon, New Mexico, Utah and Washington to build lifestyle change programs. Comagine Health also serves as the Oregon Self-Management Network convener and compass data system administrator for Oregon. This new contract will establish the Community Integrated Network of Oregon and focus on increasing capacity and coordination for program…

New Research Funded by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Portland, Ore. — Comagine Health, a leading national nonprofit health care consulting firm, received funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, in partnership with Vital Strategies, a global public health organization focused on supporting governments to strengthen public health systems. The work will focus on conducting a process evaluation of Oregon’s drug decriminalization legislation, Measure 110.

In November 2020, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize personal non-commercial possession of drugs, through the voter-approved Measure 110, Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act. The measure makes personal drug possession a Class E violation, subject to a $100 fine that is waived if the individual completes a substance use assessment, a goal to provide a public health-based response to drug use and addiction.

“Our Measure 110 process evaluation will provide critical…

Four Health Care Organizations Join Forces to Improve Population Health

BOISE, Idaho — Four health care organizations are partnering to create a new company focused on helping health information exchanges (HIEs) and their communities, payers and providers improve health outcomes. The newly formed partnership, known as BeyondHIE, will offer a comprehensive suite of services, technology and project management to support value-based care.

BeyondHIE, a nonprofit organization, will support health care organizations by bringing together health data partners and enabling that data to be scaled and enhanced. The four companies joining together are Comagine Health, Idaho Health Data Exchange (IHDE), Orion Health and the Utah Health Information Network (UHIN). These industry leaders offer deep expertise in the areas of data quality, utilization, support and delivery. Together, they will provide services that support health care organizations on their journey to…

New Roles Position Industry Leader for Future Success

SEATTLE — Comagine Health, a leading national nonprofit health care consulting firm, named three new board members and three new officers to its corporate board of directors. Following the merger between Qualis Health and HealthInsight, Marc Bennett, Comagine Health’s president and chief executive officer, and the board chair, Hugh Straley, MD, recognized that a broader range of diverse expertise is needed at the corporate board level to achieve the organization’s mission and vision.

“Comagine Health is committed to reimagining health care, together,” Bennett said. “In order to do this, we need the proficiency of visionary leaders. Our new board members and officers offer valuable perspectives, strategic leadership and many years of experience that will amplify our success. This combined with their in-depth knowledge of the health care industry will enhance our ability to transform the health care system…

New Research Contributes Significantly to Scientific Learning

SALT LAKE CITY — Comagine Health, a leading national nonprofit health care consulting firm, published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles in 2020 contributing to the impact on opioid prescribing, harm reduction and the substance use crisis. Comagine Health’s research contributions are critical to understanding the complex nature of addiction and its impact on communities.

“The potential impact and reach that these findings have on opioid prescribing, harm reduction and the substance use crisis as a whole is significant,” Marc Bennett, Comagine Health’s president and chief executive officer, said. “Our ability to quickly pivot our work to understand how COVID-19 has impacted the communities we work with has been especially impressive.”

The information gleaned from these studies will help inform safe use messaging for people who use drugs, understanding of perceived…

New Work Aimed at Reducing the Spread of the Coronavirus

SEATTLE — Comagine Health, a leading national nonprofit health care consulting firm, is partnering with Mathematica and Allegis to support the Washington State Department of Health to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Washington COVID-19 Contact Tracing Partnership will supplement a comprehensive contact tracing program by bolstering community-based response and enabling rapid and effective analysis of data collected through the effort.

“The coronavirus pandemic has illuminated the need for a comprehensive strategy to reduce its spread,” Marc Bennett, Comagine Health’s president and chief executive officer, said. “Contract tracing is a key part of this strategy and we’re proud to be able to offer our long-standing community relationships to support our partners in the effort to contain the virus.”

As a part of this effort, Comagine…

New Work Expands Infection Prevention Portfolio for the Company

Salt Lake City, Utah — Comagine Health, a leading national nonprofit health care consulting firm, received multiple new infection prevention contracts related to the coronavirus. The new work focuses on training, education and clinical consultation and is aimed at helping health care staff create an evidence-based approach to infection prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for comprehensive infection prevention across the health care spectrum,” Marc Bennett, Comagine Health’s president and chief executive officer said. “By working together to protect our patients and providers from the spread of infectious disease, we can create safe care environments and enable our communities to safely reopen.”

The new contracts include:

Utah Department of Health
Comagine Health is designing and delivering a training…

Contract focuses on improving the quality of life for Oregonians with mental health conditions

The Oregon Health Authority named Comagine Health as the new Independent and Qualified Agent (IQA) for the behavioral health support program contract. This three-year contract ensures that Oregonians with severe and persistent mental illness are actively involved in directing their treatment through person-centered care planning. Additionally, the work includes connecting individuals with necessary resources and developing a coordinated care approach to improving their overall health. Comagine Health is currently beginning implementation preparation, and will begin direct work with these individuals by July 1, 2020.

“We’re excited to engage in such vital work in our community. The Oregon Behavioral Health Support Program provides services to one of the most vulnerable populations in our society: people with…

New initiative is poised to transform the health care system

Comagine Health recently launched the Partnership to Reimagine Health Care and is inviting health care organizations in Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington to join this initiative. This 5-year program is focused on working with long-term and post-acute care providers, health systems, hospitals, primary care and specialty providers, community organizations, and patients and their families to improve care for people with Medicare and transform the health care system.

“We’re excited to launch the Partnership to Reimagine Health Care. This kind of partnership aligns perfectly with our vision of locally-led transformation,” said Marc Bennett, Comagine Health’s president and chief executive officer. “I want to extend an invitation to join us in this effort and work together to improve health and create a better health care system.”

The initiative seeks to achieve five…