Case Study: Colorado Hospital Association reduces opioid administration by one‑third while maintaining patient satisfaction with Alteryx

Colorado Hospital Association Analytics Team Takes Opioid Epidemic Head On

The Colorado Hospital Association’s analytics team, led by Alexandra Mannerings, took on the state’s opioid crisis—at a time when one Colorado resident died every 36 hours from overdose in 2015. With a team skilled in scientific investigation but not heavy programming, they faced messy, fragmented data (joining emergency department and claims records, handling duplicates and inconsistencies) and needed rigorous, persuasive analysis to test alternatives to opioid use in emergency care.

Using Alteryx, CHA launched the ALTO pilot in January 2017 across 10 emergency departments, implementing alternative pain protocols and tracking outcomes and patient satisfaction. The analysis showed a one‑third reduction in total opioid administration with no measured decrease in patient satisfaction; the findings have been rolled out to 70 additional EDs and are being expanded to inpatient settings as part of CO’s CURE program.

Colorado Hospital Association

Alexandra Mannerings

Director of Analytics