In order to grow, local businesses must adapt to overcome challenges and ultimately meet the needs of the people they serve. Sometimes the best solution to problems can be found internally, among the talented, hard-working people on your team.

Grand Valley Connects, a homegrown resource-navigator program at Mesa County Public Health (MCPH), is a prime example. The program was created more than two years ago and is transitioning to a new platform called CRN to manage its work. In preparation for this change, we are reflecting on the innovative solution that allowed Grand Valley Connects to grow and thrive in its early development.

At the time, it was challenging to connect residents to critical resources. The complex system in place made the effort even more difficult. 

MCPH Senior Researcher Gary De Young had the solution: He created a software program called Connexa. The easy-to-use, adaptable platform managed the work, stored case information, provided robust data-reporting capabilities and served as a retrievable storehouse for local resource information.

“Grand Valley Connects has benefited immensely from launching an in-house system that could adapt and grow as we did,” said Michelle Trujillo, Health Promotion Division Director. “Connexa allowed us to prove that resource navigation is a valuable service in our community that can and does change lives.”

Connexa also helped launch another flagship county program, the Multi-Agency Collaboration (MAC). The county saved tens of thousands of dollars on software by building the MAC on Connexa. This cost barrier could have deterred the county from investing in this program in the first place. The new programs supported by Connexa immediately began changing lives and improving access to critical resources for our residents.

“It is a prime example of how local people have powered local innovation to meet our needs in Mesa County,” said Alli Howe, MCPH chief health strategist. “What Gary has created will shape the health landscape for years to come.”

Grand Valley Connects has grown during the past two-and-a-half years and is ready to expand into a more extensive system. The new platform will encompass the functionality of Connexa, and it also allows for sharing information between organizations and stakeholders in the community through a social information exchange. This change will enable Grand Valley Connects to serve more community members in new partnerships with resource organizations across the county.

Visit our website at mesacounty.us/public-health to learn more about Grand Valley Connects and the services our resource navigators provide. Visit Mesa County Behavioral Health’s website at mesacounty.us/departments-and-services/behavioral-health to learn more about the Multi-Agency Collaboration.