DENVER - Today, Governor Polis appointed Lieutenant Governor Primavera as Interim Commissioner of the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) following former Commissioner Dannette Smith's retirement. This appointment begins Saturday, February 28th and is expected to last until a permanent commissioner is selected.
“I’m focused on expanding access to the health care Coloradans need to live strong and healthy lives. Lt. Governor Primavera is one of the original visionaries for the BHA, and is the clear choice to step in and further BHA’s important work of providing mental and behavioral health care to Colordans while we conduct a thorough national search for the next BHA Commissioner. As the Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care and my trusted partner, Lt. Governor Primavera is more than ready to lead the BHA during this transition. I'm confident that her steady, experienced, and compassionate leadership will help ensure Coloradans have access to the care we need to live healthy lives,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.
“Strong mental and behavioral health care is the basis of a healthy life,” said Lieutenant Governor Primavera. “Expanding access to high-quality and affordable health care has been a lifelong passion of mine. Over the past seven years, I have heard firsthand from communities across the state about the importance of our efforts to ensure behavioral health care for all Coloradans. I am ready to continue supporting this vitally important work as Interim Commissioner of the Behavioral Health Administration, and I am grateful for the trust Governor Polis has in me to keep delivering for Coloradans in this additional role,” said Lieutenant Governor Primavera.
Lt. Governor Primavera is the second-in-command to the Governor and has a proven track record of leadership on important health care issues. As the Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, she leads the administration’s innovative work to expand access to high-quality and affordable health care for all Coloradans, including leading the Governor’s Health Cabinet, where the leaders of the BHA, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, the Department of Public Health and Environment, and the Division of Insurance coordinate on State-wide efforts to improve health outcomes for Coloradans, including in behavioral health. The Lt. Governor has also supported the work of the State Innovation Model, which advanced the importance of the intersection between physical and behavioral health care, and she has served as a key leader in the administration’s efforts to advance behavioral health care, including serving on the Behavioral Health Task Force and the Behavioral Health Interim Committee. She further brings a health care lens to the other programs within the Office of the Lt. Governor, where she oversees Serve Colorado, which is responsible for AmeriCorps State and National in Colorado. Under her oversight, Serve Colorado launched the nation-leading Youth Mental Health Corps, a model initiative that connects students to mental health care supports and creates career pathways to strengthen our behavioral health care workforce.
Lt. Governor Primavera is a lifelong health care advocate with significant lived experience - she has been diagnosed with cancer on four separate occasions. She is also a proven operational leader who has led organizations in the public and nonprofit sectors. She also served in the Colorado General Assembly, representing House District 33.
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