New committee brings together diverse leaders from healthcare, policy, law, and community service

DENVER, CO – Healthier Colorado today announced the formation of its new Advisory Committee, a distinguished group of leaders whose breadth of experience and commitment to community will help shape the organization’s mission to ensure all Coloradans have the opportunity to live healthy lives and thrive.

The Advisory Committee reflects Healthier Colorado’s belief that meaningful, lasting progress advancing policies that make Colorado healthier requires voices from across the state with experience across sectors, and with an understanding that what is needed in Sterling may be different from what is needed in Denver or Salida. Committee members will provide strategic guidance, community perspective, and subject-matter expertise as the organization continues its work at the Capitol and beyond.

“Healthier Colorado exists to make sure every person in our state can live a healthy life, regardless of who they are or where they come from,” said Joshua Ewing, executive director of Healthier Colorado. “This Advisory Committee embodies that commitment. Together, their diversity of experience and perspective will strengthen and sharpen our work for years to come.”

Introducing the Advisory Committee Members

Katherine Mulready

“Healthcare systems are only as effective as how well they align policy, strategy, and operational reality around the people they serve. I’m honored to bring that perspective to Healthier Colorado’s mission to ensure every Coloradan can access the care they deserve.”

A healthcare strategist with more than two decades of experience, Katherine Mulready currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer at cliexa, an AI platform serving complex healthcare environments. She previously served as Senior Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer at the Colorado Hospital Association and as Senior Health Policy Advisor to Governor John Hickenlooper, where she helped design major Affordable Care Act reforms, including Medicaid expansion and Colorado’s health insurance exchange. Katherine is a recognized voice on healthcare AI governance, hospital strategy, and the future of clinical decision infrastructure.

Cole Wist

“Healthy communities don’t happen by accident. They’re built through effective, human-centered policy and sustained commitment to the wellbeing of each and every person. I’m glad to contribute to Healthier Colorado’s efforts to make that a reality for every community in our state.”

Cole Wist brings legal expertise and a deep understanding of Colorado’s policy landscape to the committee. Based in the Denver metro area, Cole contributes a practitioner’s perspective on the intersection of law, policy, and community well-being.

Karl Nieschburg, MBA, CHC, CHPC, CHFP

“In rural Colorado, the distance to one’s healthcare provider is often measured in hours not minutes.  I’ve seen firsthand the toll that can take.  That’s why I joined Healthier Colorado in 2020 to advocate for common sense solutions to the challenges Coloradans face.”

Karl Nieschburg serves as Compliance Officer for Prowers Medical Center in Lamar, Colorado, directing ethics and regulatory programs for a Critical Access Hospital, Rural Health Clinic, and home health agency. A native of Lamar, Karl brings a deeply community-rooted, rural perspective to health policy. His background as a health coach and patient navigator informs his commitment to dismantling systemic barriers to care. Karl also has over two decades of civic leadership, including service on boards overseeing substance abuse treatment and charter education.

Brigitte McClellan, PsyD (she/her)

“Mental health is health, and the earliest years of a child’s life can impact their mental health and wellbeing for decades to come. As our state continues to battle a youth mental health crisis, I’m deeply committed to ensuring that Colorado’s children and families have access to the support they need in their most challenging moments. I’m pleased to join Healthier Colorado in their ongoing work to make that goal a reality.”

Dr. Brigitte McClellan is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and a licensed psychologist in the Special Care Clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Her clinical and research specialties include medical complexity, infant mental health, and perinatal mental health — areas with profound implications for health equity and early childhood well-being across Colorado.

Dominick Moreno

“I grew up in a community where zip code and household income often determined whether you received the healthcare you needed. I’ve spent my career fighting for these same communities, because no one should have to choose between putting food on the table and paying for medicine. Healthier Colorado has always been a steadfast partner in that fight, and I’m proud to join them.”

Dominick Moreno is a lifelong Coloradan and dedicated public servant whose career spans city council, the Colorado House of Representatives, and the Colorado Senate, where he served as Majority Leader and chaired the Joint Budget Committee — overseeing Colorado’s $36 billion state budget. A proud product of Commerce City public schools who graduated valedictorian and went on to Georgetown University, Dominick currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, leading legislative and policy initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels.

Tista Ghosh, MD, MPH

“Public trust is critical to public health. At a moment when public trust in media and health professionals has eroded, we must work to make sure that health guidance is communicated in a way that is clear and truly designed to reach the people it is meant to serve. I’m excited to work with Healthier Colorado to help address this critical issue because when people have clear, trustworthy health guidance, they’re empowered to protect themselves and their communities.”

Dr. Tista Ghosh is a physician, epidemiologist and award-winning health journalist.  She has served as the Chief Medical Officer of the state of Colorado, an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, and an appointee to the U.S. Community Preventive Services Task Force. During the height of the pandemic, she advised multiple Fortune 500 companies on keeping their workers safe. As a health journalist, her writing has been featured in outlets like Fast Company, Business Insider, Inc., the HuffPost, and KevinMD. She has also appeared as a guest expert on various media platforms, including the Today Show, CNN, the NY Times, Forbes, NPR, USAToday, Healthline, and MarketWatch. In 2021, she was honored with a media excellence award for written health journalism by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Her latest book, Before the Next Crisis (Columbia University Press), captures powerful firsthand stories from everyday Americans navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.  From construction workers to police officers to pastors, these narratives lay bare the communication gaps and misunderstandings that shaped the pandemic.   After witnessing the toll of widespread confusion and misinformation through these interviews, Dr. Ghosh was inspired to found the Institute for Personal & Public Health Literacy (IPPHL), dedicated to translating health science into clear, trustworthy guidance.