Cathy Barr Appointed to Minnesota Legislative Commission On Health Care Access

Cathy Barr Appointed to Minnesota Legislative Commission On Health Care Access St. Paul, MN (September 17, 2007) - Cathy Barr, currently Vice President of Community Based Services for HealthEast Care System, has been appointed to the Minnesota Legislative Commission on Health Care Access. One of the group's primary purposes is to bridge the gap on the health care continuum between acute care facilities and chronic care providers as part of a larger look into developing meaningful and feasible universal health care coverage.

Barr served HealthEast's Home Care division for nine years, then was named Vice President of Community Based Services in April 2007. That background gives Barr the knowledge and expertise to compare strategies for long-term care, health care for the elderly, health care for people with mental and physical disabilities, and mental health care. She will partner with other group members to identify potential conflicts and barriers between different health care reform proposals.

The work group will then provide information and recommendations to the larger legislative commission, the governor's transformation task force, and other government agencies and social coalitions working on integrating and coordinating health care reform strategies.

Barr is currently a member of the National Association for Home Care (NAHC) and was reappointed this year to its Government Affairs Committee. Barr also represents the Minnesota Home Care Association, its 250 providers and the Leadership Council on Aging. She has spent the past five years developing legislative priorities (on issues such as reimbursement rates and technology usage) that impact patient quality outcomes.

Barr holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas as well as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Niagara University in New York.

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