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The Colorado Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) Program has entered a new chapter.
Effective this year, the program transitioned its administrative home from the Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) to the Center for Bioethics and Humanities (CBH) at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. This move brings the program into an academic environment deeply rooted in ethics, humanities, and patient-centered care—an ideal fit for its mission of honoring patients’ treatment preferences across care settings.
Why This Transition Matters
The MOST Program is designed for patients with advanced chronic illness, serious medical conditions, or significant frailty. It enables individuals to document their treatment choices—such as resuscitation, hospitalization, or comfort-focused care—in a standardized and portable medical order that follows them across care settings. For clinicians, the MOST form provides clear, actionable guidance to ensure patient preferences are honored in moments of crisis.
Bringing the program to CBH not only provides a sustainable academic home but also creates opportunities for growth.
“What excites me about bringing the MOST Program to the Center is that it’s such a natural fit,” said Chelsey Patten, DBe, HEC-C, Director of Clinical Ethics at CBH. “The MOST order is about making sure people’s voices are heard when it matters most, and this transition lets us grow in the areas we care about most.”
The MOST program will help the work of the Center grow in areas central to its mission: supporting patients, educating clinicians, engaging with communities, and advancing research.
"We’ll be able to help providers feel confident in delivering ethically sound care, strengthen our connections with patients, families, and communities across Colorado, and study how these tools work in real life so we can keep learning and improving," said Patten.
Welcoming Alissa Schramm
We are especially pleased that Alissa Schramm, MS, will continue to serve as State Leader of the Colorado MOST Program. Under her leadership, the program has grown into a trusted statewide resource for patients and providers alike.
“We are thrilled about the MOST Program's new partnership with the Center for Bioethics and Humanities. The association is a perfect collaboration, blending our volunteers' knowledge and efforts with CBH's resources and support," said Schramm. "We look forward to many years of advancing education about the MOST Program through opportunities that would not have been possible without CBH.”
As part of this transition, Schramm also joins CBH as an Affiliate Faculty member, strengthening the program’s academic and educational integration with the Center. Her expertise and long-standing commitment to the Colorado MOST Program ensure stability while opening new opportunities for growth in this next phase.
Looking Ahead
The transition of the Colorado MOST Program to CBH is more than an administrative shift—it reflects a renewed commitment to advancing ethical, compassionate, and patient-centered healthcare across Colorado. Together, we aim to expand the program’s reach through research, education, and statewide collaboration.
We invite you to visit the new Colorado MOST Program website to explore resources, educational materials, and updates about this important work.