Kaiser Permanente hosted the 2025 Colorado Community Health Summit, bringing together leaders from community health organizations, government, and health care.
Connection is everything — that was the key message at Kaiser Permanente’s 2025 Colorado Community Health Summit on November 6, 2025.
More than 80 people representing dozens of community organizations, governments, and health care organizations participated in the event.
“None of us alone can make the impact we want to have on the health of the community,” said Ellen Weaver, senior director of community health for Kaiser Permanente in Colorado and an event organizer. “The goal of this event is to hear what key organizations are doing, what their needs are, and how we can have the greatest impact together.”
The goal of this event is to hear what key organizations are doing, what their needs are, and how we can have the greatest impact together. Ellen Weaver, senior director of community health for Kaiser Permanente in Colorado
When people have unmet social needs like a lack of nutritious food to eat or a safe place to live, it can be harder to manage their health, said Jennifer Kelloff, MD, medical director for social health at Kaiser Permanente in Colorado.
At the summit, Dr. Kelloff participated in a panel on helping patients with social needs navigate a sometimes-complex network of assistance.
“For example, we screen for food insecurity in the clinic,” she said. “And we have great relationships with our food partners in the community, so that when we find someone having food insecurity, we can get them access to food.”
Organizations like Food Bank of the Rockies, Colorado Legal Services, Mile High United Way, and others talked about the ways they are working together with health organizations like Kaiser Permanente.
Jodie Asarch, director of development for the Colorado Soccer Foundation, talked about her organization’s journey. The organization recently piloted an anti-vaping campaign with its county health department, and is expanding the program with help from Kaiser Permanente.
“They're connecting health to something that kids love to do, like play soccer,” said Asarch. “It’s been a real blessing for them and us.”
Three keynote speeches covered different aspects of public health in Colorado.
Ned Calonge, MD, associate dean of public health practice at the Colorado School of Public Health, talked about the ways the state is bolstering its own public health resources.
Cori Canty, improvement planning and attendance systems manager at Denver Public Schools, talked about how kids missing school can be a warning sign of social health issues.
Kendall Stagg, national senior director of public health at Kaiser Permanente, held a discussion about how public policy affects health issues and access to health care.
He talked about Denver referendum 310, a vote to uphold the city council’s flavored tobacco restrictions. A coalition led by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and supported by Kaiser Permanente advocated for the referendum. It passed with more than 70% of people voting “yes.”
“No one organization can solve a community health challenge alone,” said Stagg. “It takes strategic partnerships, and that requires convening partners to identify priorities and strategic plans to tackle tough issues.”