Telluride Community Leader Named to Connect for Health Colorado Board

Contact: Ben Davis, 303-522-6790

DENVER (Monday, Oct. 13) – Davis D. Fansler of Telluride joins the Connect for Health Colorado® Board of Directors today following his appointment by Gov. John Hickenlooper as a representative of small employer health insurance.

Fansler is filling the seat of Richard T. Betts of Telluride, one of the original Board members appointed by the Governor in 2011 for the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange, now called Connect for Health Colorado. Betts, founder and President of ASAP Accounting & Payroll, Inc., served as Vice Chair of the Board and then Chair of its Finance Committee. He stepped down from the Board this summer.

“We’re pleased to welcome Davis to our Board,” says Board Chair Sharon O’Hara. “His vast experience in healthcare management, finance and small business will be a great contribution to Connect for Health Colorado as we develop strategies to grow the Marketplace and increase coverage in our state for individuals, families and small businesses.”

Adds O’Hara, “We’re also so thankful to Richard for the expertise, time and energy he devoted to help establish and launch Connect for Health Colorado, particularly his contributions toward developing and implementing the plan for long-term sustainability. We wish him all the best.”

Fansler brings more than 30 years’ experience in the healthcare industry. Currently he is a Director of the Healthcare Practice with the accounting and consultancy firm Wipfli LLP, working primarily with hospitals and health systems on physician integration.  He began his career in finance serving as lending officer at First Bank Minneapolis managing a large healthcare portfolio. He then became Vice President of Healthcare Management, serving as Vice President and Regional Director for the medical group contract management division. He later co-founded and was managing partner of Partners Consulting Group, Ltd based in Minneapolis, which provided strategic business development and ambulatory care management consulting services for hospitals, health systems, and medical groups. Fansler also helped found and manage a healthcare venture capital fund, the PSF Healthcare Fund.

Fansler is a former Mayor of Mountain Village, CO, and has served on many boards and commissions.  Currently he is a board member of the Tri County Health Network and is vice-chair and head of the grants committee of the Telluride Foundation, which donates nearly $1 million a year to non-profits.  He and his wife, Barbara, have five children.

About Connect for Health Colorado
Connect for Health Colorado is a public, non-profit entity established in law by the Colorado General Assembly in 2011.  A health insurance Marketplace built just for Colorado, it launched on Oct. 1, 2013 for individuals, families and small employers to compare and buy health insurance and apply for tax credits to help make their insurance more affordable. Customers can shop online; get help by phone or chat from expert Customer Service Center representatives; and find in-person assistance from certified brokers and agents, community based certified Health Coverage Guides or Certified Application Counselors.   The next open enrollment period for individuals and families is Nov. 15, 2014 through Feb. 15, 2015. For more information: www.connectforhealthco.com