From Isolation to Innovation:

The Challenge

One of the most immediate and complex tests came with the launch of the Colorado Hospital Transformation Program (HTP), a state Medicaid initiative linking reimbursement to performance on a slate of clinical and quality measures.

For EPHC’s member hospitals, each operating on a different EHR system, meeting the state’s rigorous HTP requirements would require unprecedented regional coordination, standardized reporting, and new analytical tools to identify and close gaps.

“I inherited the HTP program, and it was overwhelming, I knew what we needed to 
accomplish from a quality standpoint, but I didn’t have the time, or the technical 
support, to make full use of the data we had.”

Karma Wilson, MSN, RN, CPHQ, Informatics Nurse at Southeast Colorado Hospital

Without a centralized approach to data sharing and quality tracking, EPHC hospitals like Southeast Colorado, risked falling short on critical measures and incentive payments.

“As a group of 15 independent critical access hospitals, we were operating in a rural frontier environment with slim margins, no shared infrastructure, and very little IT support. Yet the regulatory burden kept growing,” said Zachary D’Argonne, CEO of EPHC.

The Solution

To build the data infrastructure needed for collaborative performance improvement across 15 independent hospitals, EPHC turned to i2i Population Health, an Azara Healthcare company. The consortium implemented both i2iTracks® and PRiZiM® to support 
data aggregation, quality benchmarking, and shared performance tracking across the network.

“None of our hospitals have the same EHR, even within their own walls, so being able to pull apples-to-apples data, and benchmark it regionally, was a game changer,” said Alexandra Mannerings, Data Advisor to EPHC. 

i2iTracks® is a real-time care coordination platform that integrates with each hospital’s local EHR and PM system, regardless of vendor. Tracks supports hundreds of clinical measures and registries tied to state and federal programs, and drives daily workflows 
by surfacing actionable insights, flagging high-risk patients, and helping frontline teams close care gaps 
more efficiently.

PRiZiM® provides advanced analytics and reporting capabilities, enabling hospital and consortium leaders to track trends, segment performance by site or population, and drill down into key metrics. With PRiZiM, EPHC can quickly identify variation, align best 
practices, and drive targeted improvements at both the site and system level.

The Results

With the right tools, data, and shared leadership in place, EPHC didn’t just meet the demands of the Colorado Hospital Transformation Program, it built a foundation for lasting regional improvement. By aggregating structured data from 15 independent 
hospitals, aligning on shared benchmarks, and fostering cross-hospital learning, the consortium turned its geographic isolation into a strength. 

Performance began to improve across key Medicaid quality measures, and previously siloed hospitals could now see (and learn from) each other’s successes in real time. The network’s progress is mirrored on the ground, where care teams are using i2iTracks® to turn data into daily action.

“We’ve been using the care huddle, which helps us meet several value-based payment measures for Medicaid.”
Jasmine Shea, Chief Nursing Officer at Keefe Memorial Hospital

“It gives us a quick way to see who’s due for annual wellness visits, health exams and other preventive screenings. Over the past year, more patients completed colorectal cancer screenings than in previous years, even though we ordered fewer tests 
overall. That tells us our outreach and follow-through are making a real difference.”

“i2i helped us spot outliers and opportunities,” said Mannerings. “Follow-up on depression screening was lagging across most hospitals, except one. We used the platform to surface that insight and then brought the successful team in to share what they were doing. That’s how you scale impact.”

“As quality leaders in rural hospitals, we’re stretched thin. With i2i, we finally had the infrastructure to see where we stood, track our progress, and take action,” said Karen Hooker, RN, MHL, CPHQ, Director of Quality and Risk at Keefe Memorial Hospital. “Being able to clearly identify care gaps and improve follow-up workflows didn’t just help our patients, it drove real financial impact. That kind of result is transformational for small hospitals like ours.” 

Looking Ahead

With a unified data infrastructure and a proven model for collaboration, EPHC is now positioned to expand its work beyond the Hospital Transformation Program. The consortium will continue leveraging i2i solutions to strengthen Medicaid value-based performance, advance collaborative reporting, and drive advocacy for rural health transformation statewide.

“We started EPHC to give rural hospitals a collective voice, and what we’ve built through data and collaboration is far more than compliance,” said D’Argonne.

“It’s a blueprint for sustaining high-quality care in the most remote parts of Colorado. 
The real transformation is seeing our hospitals thrive, not just survive.” 
Zachary D’Argonne, CEO of EPHC

EPHC’s partnership with i2i has also served as a proof of concept, demonstrating that with the right tools and shared governance, even small, resource-limited hospitals can achieve system-level change. Building on this foundation, EPHC is pursuing new collaborative opportunities, including the creation of a Clinically Integrated Network, rural residency programs, and other shared services designed to strengthen the future of care across Colorado’s Eastern Plains.