Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera Leads Roundtable Discussion on Long COVID Impacts and Tours UCHealth Long COVID Multidisciplinary Clinic
AURORA - Today, Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera toured the UCHealth Long COVID Multidisciplinary Clinic on the CU Anschutz campus and hosted a roundtable discussion on Long COVID, its impact, and ways to better address the impacts. The discussion also focused on strategies to continue to build partnerships between the state, health care providers, advocates, academic institutions, and others that will advance research efforts and further position Colorado as a leader in this initiative. Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera serves as the Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care (OSPMHC), which is leading the state’s efforts to research the long term effects of COVID-19.
"Long COVID is not only negatively impacting people's health, it is also impacting their ability to work, support their families, and enjoy their lives. The Office of Saving People Money on Health Care is focused on advancing research on this virus to ensure that the state can provide resources to those impacted, better support the health care system, and save people money on health care," said Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera. "Addressing Long COVID will rely on partnership and collaboration between many sectors, and I am grateful to all those dedicated to this important initiative."
The Office of Saving People Money on Health Care began its research on Long COVID in 2022 and in January 2023, released its first report on Long COVID. The OSPMHC is focused on researching the causes, symptoms, and effects this virus has on people, the healthcare system, and the state. Additionally, to ensure the virus is comprehensively addressed, the OSPMHC is working to build partnerships between the many sectors and organizations impacted by this virus. Partnerships between federal, state, and local governments, research organizations, educational institutions, health care providers, Tribal entities, patients, advocates, and more will support the state to efficiently and comprehensively address this disease.
“We are incredibly excited to partner with the state of Colorado on efforts to increase
recognition of Long COVID while expanding the access and reach of Long COVID care in
partnership with our state health systems,” said Dr. Sarah Jolley, UCHealth multidisciplinary Long COVID clinic.
The UCHealth Multidisciplinary Long COVID Clinic on the CU Anschutz campus was one of the nation's first Long COVID multidisciplinary clinics and one of three clinics in Colorado today. The clinic opened in 2020 to treat patients recovering from COVID-19 and has expanded its services to provide comprehensive treatment and recovery care for Long COVID patients. The clinic has consistently received an average of 15-20 new patient referrals every week, showcasing the need for multidisciplinary Long COVID clinics.
Colorado’s commitment to research and responding to the impacts of Long COVID was one of the many things included in “Colorado’s Next Chapter: Our Roadmap to Moving Forward,” released in February of 2022.
For more resources and information on Long COVID visit: https://ltgovernor.colorado.gov/programs/office-of-saving-people-money-on-health-care
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