MEAC

Members who have completed two years on the Member Experience Advisory Council (MEAC) may apply to participate as liaisons between the MEAC and the Medical Care Advisory Committee (MCAC). This provides MEAC alumni with a natural next level of engagement and an opportunity to work alongside health care professionals to advise the Department on topics they decide upon related to:

  • additions and changes to services,
  • coordination of care,
  • quality of services,
  • eligibility, enrollment and renewal processes,
  • member and provider communications,
  • cultural competency, language access, health equity and disparities and biases in the program,
  • access to services, and
  • other issues that impact the delivery or outcomes of health and medical services.

MEAC Alumni Council Meetings

Alumni Council members spend between 4 hours and 7 hours on council activities each month. They attend the monthly MEAC meeting, with extra time scheduled after this meeting for the MEAC alumni to discuss feedback and prepare for the quarterly MCAC meetings. MEAC Alumni Council members also attend the quarterly MCAC meeting.

  • MEAC Meetings: Second Tuesday of each month. Three hour meeting beginning at 9 a.m.
  • MEAC Alumni Council Meetings: Second Tuesday of each month. One or two hour meeting beginning at 1:30 p.m.
  • MCAC Meetings: Quarterly meetings beginning in September 2025. Time TBD.

MEAC Alumni Council Meeting Summaries

MEAC Alumni Council Membership

Three MEAC Alumni are appointed by the Chief Customer Officer to serve on the council for a 1-year term with the option to extend the term for an additional 2 years. Selected members will:

  • Be a current Health First Colorado/CHP+ member, family member or caregiver
  • Have completed a 2-year term on the State Member Experience Advisory Council (MEAC)
  • Have the time and ability to attend the required meetings
  • Have an interest in advocating for positive change for all members.

If you are interested in becoming a MEAC Alumni Council member, please complete the application located on the MEAC google site or contact thessica.covato@state.co.us

MEAC Alumni Council Bylaws

Leslie Chouinard

Leslie Chouinard

I have dealt with sporadic and random access to health care for most of my adult life. I have also seen the effects that the lack of access to health care have had on my friends and family. I hope that by taking part in committees such as MEAC I can make a difference in these gaps in the health care system.

Samantha Fields

Samantha Fields

I joined the MEAC Alumni Council because I’ve seen how powerful it is when Medicaid members are truly heard. As someone living with multiple chronic and rare illnesses, I’ve used my experience to advocate for improvements in access, equity, and member experience across Colorado. During my time with MEAC, I helped shape conversations around food and health, accessibility, and transportation—issues that directly affect members’ ability to live safely and independently.

I keep coming back because MEAC created space for my voice when I felt invisible, and I want to help make sure others get that same opportunity. I’ve continued this work as the Team Lead for Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger’s Connecting Food and Health Project Team that allowed me to work directly with the RAEs.

My hope is that the MEAC Alumni group grows into a strong, collaborative network that champions real policy change, supports each other’s advocacy, and helps lift new voices so we’re never just reacting to systems—we’re helping build them.

Danielle Sondrol

Danielle Sondrol

I’ve lived across the country in various urban and rural communities, large and small. Growing up, my family experienced cyclical poverty and instability and did not have regular access to healthcare.

When I became a young mother, I quickly saw the impact Medicaid would have, so I enrolled.
My spouse and I now have four children, and I’m proud that I’ve been able to provide stability for them and raise them with Medicaid. Our family consists of many members with various complicated medical needs, and uninterrupted access to Medicaid has improved our quality of life significantly.

My interests in activism and advocacy have long been rooted in this work and have strengthened over time. Supportive services like Medicaid are fundamentally crucial to a healthy society. It’s an honor to be a MEAC alum, hear others share their lived experiences, and add my voice to a broader discussion that has the potential to benefit millions of residents in our diverse and excellent state of Colorado.

MEAC Alumni Council Member

Member of the Health First Colorado Buy-In Program for Working Adults with Disabilities

MEAC Alumni Council Member

Caregiver of children on the Health First Colorado Buy-In Program for Children with Disabilities