Meet the Team
To learn more about the projects our team works on, check out the OeHI Projects tab on the main menu!
Stephanie Pugliese, Director
As the Director of OeHI, Stephanie leads the strategic planning, partnerships, and funding for the Office in collaboration with the eHealth Commission. She is passionate about leveraging data and technological capabilities to improve individual and public health. Prior to joining OeHI as the State Health IT Coordinator in 2020, Stephanie served as an Operations Advisor for the Governor's Office, where she led the training and implementation efforts for the state in Agile methodology. Previously, Stephanie was a Public Health Investigator for the City and County of Denver, where she led inspections and compliance for food safety. She holds a Master of Public Health from CSU and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Hanover College.
Fun Fact: Stephanie lived and taught English in Taiwan for a year and still misses the food and culture of that incredible home-away-from-home.
Karen Scott, Deputy Director
As OeHI’s Deputy Director, Karen provides strategic management and alignment across Colorado’s Health IT Roadmap projects, operations and initiatives as well as managing support on OeHI contracts and budgeting pieces. Karen is passionate about increasing access to healthcare and health outcomes for all Coloradans by maximizing data and technology innovations. Prior to joining OeHI, Karen spent a decade at CU Boulder in the student success and social justice spaces and then 5 years in the telemedicine space at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, developing and managing public health and clinical curricula for healthcare professionals across the state. She holds a Master of Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Fun Fact: Karen has been practicing and performing taiko, Japanese drumming, with Denver Taiko for over 20 years

Bianca Melancon, Operations and Special Projects Coordinator
As the Operations and Special Projects Coordinator, Bianca provides essential operational support to the OeHI team, ensuring the team runs efficiently and effectively. She is a champion of operational excellence, fostering a streamlined, organized environment that ensures the team is able to focus on their strategic goals without distraction. Before joining OeHI, Bianca spent seven years in the mental and behavioral health field, where she witnessed firsthand the deep-rooted disparities in healthcare across Colorado and beyond. Her experience fuels her commitment to improving systems that support equal care for all. Bianca holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Family and Child Studies. She is Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certified and is currently pursuing her Green Belt to further strengthen her process improvement expertise.
Fun Fact: Bianca enjoys reading Japanese fiction in her free time.

Michel Jurica, Contract Manager
As the OeHI Contract Manager, Michel serves as a resource for budgetary and contractual matters for OeHI initiatives. Her expertise is enriched by previous roles with CDPHE and as an Operations/General Manager for an Alaskan Native Corporation, where she managed government IT contracts nationwide. Michel’s academic background includes both a BA and MBA in Business Administration from the University of Alaska-Anchorage.
Fun Fact: Michel loves to hike and has a goal of visiting every U.S. national park.

Kimberly Taylor, Project Coordinator
As one of OeHI’s Project Coordinators, Kim is focused on supporting initiatives that advance healthcare technology and innovation. She is passionate about leveraging innovative solutions to ensure everyone has the access to the healthcare resources they need to thrive.
Before joining the OeHI team Kim worked in Public Health for eight years in the field of training and technical assistance. Kim holds a BS in Social Work from Metropolitan State University and is in the process of pursuing her PMP.
Fun Fact: Kim took full advantage of growing up in Colorado by playing on a competitive ice hockey team. She doesn’t play anymore but this comes in handy whenever she goes ice skating with friends!

Karen Haneke, Data Governance Sr. Project Manager
As one of OeHI’s Senior Project Managers, Karen’s work is focused on information/data governance. She has extensive experience in managing health care data and leading large scale IT solution development projects. Karen is passionate about the responsible use of data to improve health for all Coloradans, and making systems better.
Fun Fact: Karen loves adventuring in Colorado and beyond, and gets outdoors at every possible opportunity!

Ashley Heathfield, Telehealth & Digital Inclusion Sr. Project Manager
As one of OeHI's Senior Project Managers, Ashley's work is focused on telehealth and digital health projects. She is passionate about leveraging technology and partnerships to improve the healthcare landscape, and working collaboratively with local and state partners to decrease health and access disparities. Ashley has almost a decade of public service experience at the state level, and holds a Master of Public Health from Colorado State University and a Bachelors of Social Work from Grand Valley State University.
Fun Fact: Ashley lives in central Colorado , and loves to explore Colorado on foot or bike when out of the office.

John Kennedy, Rural Connectivity Sr. Project Manager
As one of OeHI's Senior Project Managers, John's work is focused on Rural Connectivity. He joins OeHI with a background as a HITECH Project Manager with Health Care Policy and Finance's EPMO and brings that expertise to bear on the health information exchange infrastructure, rural connectivity, and the sustainability of Rural Colorado’s Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Health Centers. John is passionate about making healthcare available for all Coloradans and bolstering our data infrastructure making it easier for members in rural areas to receive Medicaid services. John has spent many years in various roles in the Military, Private Sector, and State Government serving the public.
Fun Fact: John has a degree in Korean linguistics and spent a portion of his life interrogating and interpreting for the U.S Army.

Matt Arment, SHIE Sr. Project Manager
As one of OeHI's Senior Project Managers, Matt’s work is focused on the social-health information exchange. He joins OeHI with a background of over 6 years of project management work with Health Care Policy and Finance’s EPMO. Matt is passionate about ensuring seamless product delivery and utilizing data for better overall care. Matt has spent his entire career in the healthcare industry which spans both private and public sectors.
Fun Fact: Matt loves to fly fish and explore the beautiful creeks and rivers Colorado has to offer.

Melissa Gillespie, Social Determinants of Health Account Manager
As the Social Determinants of Health Account Manager, Melissa serves as the lead for OeHI's Colorado Social Health Information Exchange and related initiatives: Provider Directory, Community Resource Inventory, and the Regional SHIE Proof of Concepts Grant Program. She is passionate about health equity and leveraging technology to streamline workflows, reduce administrative burden, and improve people's access to whole-person care. Prior to this role, she served as the Colorado Social Health Information Exchange's Social Determinants of Health Business Analyst and spent nine years working at a case management agency supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Goshen College.
Fun Fact: Melissa is a member of a local treble voice choir called Safonia.

Amanda Smith, CoSHIE Proof of Concept Grants Manager
Amanda leads efforts on the CoSHIE Proof of Concept program, which provides funding to regionally based anchor organizations to pilot integrations with the Colorado Social Health Information Exchange. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and dedicated servant leader, she brings over eight years of experience managing healthcare technology projects and systems. Amanda is a passionate advocate for healthcare innovation, affordability, equitable access, and social justice. She holds both an MBA and an MS in Organizational Leadership from the Anderson College of Business and Computing at Regis University.
Fun Fact: Amanda loves the Colorado Rockies and has hiked sixteen "14ers".

Allie McGee, Consent Management Lead
As an OeHI Project Manager, Allie’s work is focused on the Consent Management and Information Governance initiatives. She is the Project Lead for OeHI's Consent Management initiative and is responsible for ongoing project management, strategic management, and implementation. Allie is excited about the opportunity to improve patient outcomes by allowing Coloradans to share information with their providers and help those providers paint a picture of whole-person care for their patients. She is passionate about the patient experience because improving the experience for the most impacted patients improves the outcomes for everyone. Allie comes to OeHI with a background in healthcare management and IT. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Scrum Master (CSM), and Product Owner(CSPO) and holds a Master of Healthcare Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies/Marketing/Management.
Fun Fact: Allie loves to travel, garden, and cook. She enjoys playing video games and curling up with her cats in her spare time.