Rachel Short

Rachel brings a unique blend of public sector insight and private sector expertise to her role at Ascendient. With experience spanning behavioral health integration, state Medicaid programming, and regulatory healthcare, she understands the complexities of the industry from multiple perspectives. During graduate school, Rachel supported Colorado's State Innovation Model efforts to integrate behavioral health into primary care, then worked at Texas Health and Human Services Commission managing statewide Medicaid waiver data and evaluation reporting. She later pivoted to the private sector, where she accumulated over six years of experience supporting certificate of need (CON) applications for clients nationwide.

Rachel is motivated by the unique demands of every CON application. No two projects are the same, and each presents complex challenges that require thoughtful and creative problem-solving. With each project, Rachel is motivated to expand healthcare access and strengthen communities.

When she is not working on CON projects, Rachel enjoys spending time in nature, exploring new beaches, going on long runs, and playing family board games with her daughter.

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“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”

– John Wooden