True North Political Solution's Ron Lanton - interviews Patient Advocate Champion Liz Helms - CEO of California Chronic Care Coalition.
Liz Helms has over two decades of experience in the public relations field including, coalition building, grassroots advocacy, strategic planning and policy development. Her vision and breathe of issues has made her a leader in the health care arena and a recognized advocate in California, nationally as well as internationally.
The California Chronic Care Coalition is an alliance of non-profit, social consumer and provider organizations united to improve the health of Californians with chronic conditions or diseases. Liz leads the National Stakeholders Specialty Medication Collaboratory, working to ensure access to affordable medications and advocates for the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws in the ACA. Liz was one of the implementation partners of the San Diego University of Best Practices where she coordinated and worked with all the medical groups and health systems working to make San Diego the first heart attack and stroke free zone. Liz was also instrumental in bringing the clinical pharmacist on the care team to the Right Care Initiative which won her the Michelotti Public Health Prize from the CA Pharmacy Foundation. She co-founded the TMJ Society of California, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to bringing about changes in health care practices and laws to improve treatment for TMJ sufferers.
In addition to her CCCC leadership roles, Ms. Helms has been the catalyst within the chronic disease community working with the California administration’s health policy division on health care reform, including implementation of prevention, wellness and coordination of care. In 2013 she was elected to the board of directors to the California Healthcare Performance Information System (CHPI) representing California’s consumers and serves on many advisory committees including: California Department of Public Health, Chronic Disease Division, Prevention 21, data working group and telecommunications working group; The CA Endowment, Health Happens Here Partnership; UC Berkeley, School of Public Health – PCORI grant: "The Comparative Impact of Patient Activation and Engagement on Improving Patient-Centered Outcomes of Care in Accountable Care Organizations”, and is a statewide steering committee member for the CA Right Care Initiative.
Liz lives in the foothills of Northern California, loves to spend time with her family, seven grandchildren and friends. She is an avid equestrian and part of a volunteer communications team for the Western States Trail Foundation.
Background
In 2007, at the request of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration, non-profit health advocacy organizations representing chronic conditions formed a working group. Our mission was to represent the voice of the chronic care consumer, as 2007 was named “The Year of Health Reform for California.”
The CCCC focused on the five key principles of health care reform listed below and launched a statewide push for comprehensive health care reform.
Liz Helms
President/CEO
California Chronic Care Coalition
909 12th Street, Suite 201
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.300.8687 direct
916.444.1985 office/fax
