Held on March 28-30 in Colorado Springs, CASCHEW 2025 welcomed over 100 attendees to focus on engaging Colorado communities to advance health by moving from dialogue to action. Attendees included project participants, community partners, public health departments/organizations, clinic staff, primary care clinicians and medical and academic partners. The overall goal of the conference was to celebrate achievements, foster meaningful connections, and increase and support attendees’ capacity to create change in their personal and professional lives with actionable strategies. This year’s conference was sponsored by the Colorado Community Engagement Alliance (CO-CEAL), the Alliance (State Network of Colorado Ambulatory Practices and Partners and the Practice Innovation Program), and the Peer Mentored Care Collaborative (PMCC).
The conference opened with a welcome reception and poster session where attendees could network and learn about research going on across the state focusing on patient and community engagement, practice-specific research and medical topics. For the keynote session attendees welcomed Al Richmond, MSW, Executive Director of Community-Campus Partnerships for Health. Al provided insights into the importance of community engagement in research and shared a model to build a national movement for improving health in all communities.
“Al Richmond was an excellent keynote speaker and then ‘weaver’ of conference experiences; he was approachable and engaging and very experienced with Community-Campus Partnerships,” said attendee and PMCC partner Sandy Fritsch, M.D., MSEd, DFAACAP, Medical Director, Pediatric Mental Health Institute, Children’s Hospital Colorado and Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine. “For me it was great to hear from the communities and their voices—this is powerful for folks who are more academically focused.”
Twelve sessions were held throughout the weekend that highlighted the work being done by groups that can benefit from greater collaboration and dissemination across sectors. Session titles included Behavioral Health and Health Related Social Needs: Health in Colorado Primary Care Practices, Bridging Gaps in Newcomer Health: Policy and Program Strategies to Improve Health, and Leveraging eConsults and ECHO to Strengthen Community-Academic Partnerships.
“CASCHEW offered a treasure trove of insights, invaluable resources and networking opportunities with key players dedicated to advancing health and wellness across Colorado,” said attendee Nate Koller, eConsults Manager, PMCC. “Despite the backdrop of uncertainty facing many of the organizations and programs represented, the conference radiated hope, reminding participants that progress can continue, even if it takes on a new form for a while.”
“This was my second time attending the CASCHEW conference, and it was even more insightful than my first experience,” said attendee and PMCC partner Jessie Henderson, CPFS, Peer Support Specialist, University of Colorado WORTH Program. “What makes this conference particularly valuable is the diverse cross-section of attendees—providers, legislators, workforce members and the very communities we’re trying to reach. These cross-sector relationships are especially crucial right now in healthcare. The thoughtfully curated content created space for different perspectives to be heard and appreciated. I’m grateful to everyone who organized this important event that continues to foster connections across our industry.”
