CASE STUDY: Coalition for Healthy Oregon (COHO)

In 2008 Pac/West began to assist the Coalition for a Healthy Oregon (COHO) in order to promote the delivery of accessible, high-quality, and cost-effective health care by community-based managed care delivery systems.

An association of seven Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) in Oregon, COHO serves the state’s most vulnerable populations through the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). Member organizations currently serve almost half of the state’s OHP population, the majority of which are children under 18.

Pac/West provides government affairs and lobbying, marketing, and public relations services to COHO. Over the past 4 years, Pac/West’s lobby team has accomplished a number of impressive results on behalf of COHO. Our accomplishments include advocating for the funding needed to ensure all Oregonians have access to health care, strengthening wrap around services for Oregon’s sickest citizens and increasing COHO’s profile with legislators make them the “go to” organization when it comes to Managed Care in the state.

During the 2011 Legislative Session, COHO was a leader in furthering Oregon’s efforts to transform its health delivery system. COHO shared its expertise every step of the legislative process. In particular, it consulted on House Bill 3650, the centerpiece of the state’s highly complex health care transformation efforts. Additionally, COHO was able to pass valuable transparency and cost saving bills which will benefit Oregon for years to come.

In order to realize COHO’s goal of becoming a trusted and invaluable source for health care information across the state, the Pac/West team developed a series of communication pieces on its behalf, including an updated logo, a new website and professional brochures.