Governor Polis and Lieutenant Governor Primavera Help Launch Governors Public Health Alliance to Strengthen Preparedness, Affordability, and Health Innovation

DENVER - Governor Jared Polis and Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera today announced Colorado's participation as a founding member of the Governors Public Health Alliance (GPHA), a new, nonpartisan coalition of governors working together to safeguard health, strengthen preparedness, and expand coordination across state lines. The Alliance will serve as a coordinating hub for governors and their public-health officials and a unified, cross-state liaison with the global health community. Participating states will share best practices, facilitate data exchange, and collaborate on emergency response, public-health guidance, and technical issues such as vaccine policy.

"Every American deserves access to health care and this alliance will strengthen public health for everyone. Colorado is proud to be a leader in healthy living, and with this new opportunity to work together, we can share our best practices and innovative approach to public health, while learning from our colleagues around the country. With regular uncertainty and less resources from Washington D.C., Governors are on the front lines of public health. This new partnership will help states deliver consistent, commonsense solutions that prevent the spread of disease, save lives, and protect our freedom," said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

"As a cancer survivor and lifelong advocate for patients and caregivers, I've seen firsthand how critical strong public health systems are to saving lives and supporting families," said Lieutenant Governor and Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, Dianne Primavera. "In Colorado, we've shown that when states lead with innovation and compassion, we can make healthcare more affordable, more connected, and more accessible for everyone. This alliance reflects that same spirit - a shared commitment to building healthier, more resilient communities across the country."

Colorado joins fourteen other states and territories in launching the Alliance, including: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Guam. Within Colorado, the Governor's Office and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will coordinate engagement and share lessons from Colorado's nationally recognized efforts to lower health costs, improve behavioral-health access, and expand preventive-care initiatives.

The Governors Public Health Alliance is a nonpartisan initiative supported by GovAct that helps governors coordinate and share expertise across states. The Alliance is guided by leading public-health experts, including Dr. Mandy Cohen, Dr. Anne Zink, Dr. Raj Panjabi, and Ambassador Nina Hachigian, along with GovAct's bipartisan advisory board of former governors and senior federal officials. By collaborating through the Alliance, Colorado and partner states will coordinate messaging on emerging health threats, explore secure cross-border data sharing with trusted partners, and work jointly on technical and regulatory public health issues such as vaccine policy.

Colorado's participation builds on years of work to make healthcare more affordable, equitable, and prepared for the future. Under the Polis-Primavera Administration:

• The Governor and CDPHE took swift action to ensure easy access to COVID-19 vaccines for Coloradans after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration limited its recent approval of updated 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines.
• The Office of Saving People Money on Health Care has advanced - and the Governor has signed - landmark laws such as Reinsurance, the Colorado Option, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, capping the cost of insulin, and hospital transparency, which have saved Coloradans billions of dollars.
• Lt. Governor Primavera's Office of eHealth Innovation launched the Colorado Social Health Information Exchange (CoSHIE), linking health care and social-service data to better address the social determinants of health and improve outcomes.

• The 2025 Colorado Health IT Roadmap continues this work with a ten-year vision to make healthcare more accessible and data-driven. Together, these efforts reflect the values at the heart of the Governors Public Health Alliance: evidence-based collaboration, equitable access, and readiness for the next challenge.

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