Annie Lee steps into role as President & Chief Executive Officer of Colorado Access Lee is the first woman and first woman of color to lead Colorado Access, the state’s largest Medicaid contractor. Learn more about Colorado Access at coaccess.com. By Annie Guo VanDan “If you don’t have all the resources to communi- you don’t have your health?” As a young child, Lee realized that you need basic cate your needs, while experiencing linguistic and cultural barriers and a whole confluence of chal- health and basic needs to live a fruitful life. While she did consider medical school and had an lenges, navigating the healthcare system is especially difficult,” said Annie Lee, CEO of Colorado Ac- affinity for math and science, college pushed her in cess. Colorado Access is a nonprofit health plan, and the direction of political science to make change. It contracts with the state for both Health First Colora- was also a time to find her identity and consider professions that would work towards the greater good do and Child Health Plan Plus programs. As a first generation Korean American, Lee expe- for others. Influenced by her parents’ compassion which rienced these difficulties during her adolescence as she tried to help her parents navigate the healthcare stemmed from their Christian faith, Lee valued connecting with others and system. thinking about how the Her dad served in the US world could be different. Army, which provided a path “My parents and grandparto citizenship for some Koents have a strong sense of reans. After Fort Carson, her service to your community parents poured everything and the greater good. They they had into their business want the world to be better that eventually would disfor all,” she said. solve. Thereafter, the famAfter graduating with a ily moved from Colorado political science degree Springs to Denver, where she from the University of Colgraduated from John F. Kenorado Boulder, Lee worked nedy High School. in management consulting “Watching your parents Lee and her husband, Eric Jaworski, and traveled to big cities give everything to realize the celebrate their son Elijah’s second birthday working with different cliAmerican dream and when as he wears a Hanbok, a traditional Korean that doesn’t come to fruition ents, which felt glamorized dress for special occasions and unfulfilling. the way it is mythologized, She said: “I’ve always wantyou see there are systems that our country has set up that don’t serve people ed to do something to contribute to the health system to make it work better for people like my family.” very well,” she said. So Lee decided to go to law school to learn about “What can you do to realize the American Dream if
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April 2022 | Spotlight