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COMMUNITY CLINIC VOICE NEWS DIGEST FOR JULY, 2007
** BUILDING CAPACITIES
** CLINICAL CARE
** COMMUNITY CLINIC VOICE NEWS
** FUNDING
** HEALTH POLICY & TRENDS
** HEALTH REFORM
** HIPAA
** IT & HEALTHCARE
** JOB POSTINGS
** MEDICAID
** MEDICARE
** QUALITY
** RESEARCH & DATA
** WORKFORCE
** UPCOMING EVENTS
** BUILDING CAPACITIES:
CCI RFP#10 AWARDS - This month the Community Clinics Initiative announced 20 grants awards for the Green Buildings Program, and ten Major Capital Campaign Gifts. Congratulations to all our grantees! For a full list of awards, see:
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8624
CALIFORNIA HEALTH FACILITIES FINANCING AUTHORITY'S HELP II FINANCING - Program provides 3%, fixed interest loans of up to $750,000 to California's nonprofit small and rural health facilities to purchase or construct new facilities, remodel or renovate existing facilities, and purchase equipment or furnishings. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8820
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IN SUSTAINABLE MEDICINE - The Green Health Care Online Program from Teleosis Institute is a first-of-its kind integral process for health care professionals, based on the understanding that human and environmental health are inextricably linked. Participants benefit from integral action that reconnects personal health with vibrant communities and a flourishing environment. Registration is now open for an 8-week online course that starts September 2007.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea7cb3
EXPLORING ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & CAPACITY IN CULTURAL COMPETENCE - New monograph series supported by The California Endowment examines a variety of frameworks for building culturally competent health systems to address the health needs of increasingly diverse communities.
http://www.calendow.org/
** CLINICAL CARE:
BUILDING TEAMS IN PRIMARY CARE: LESSONS FROM 15 CASE STUDIES - California HealthCare Foundation examines the approaches taken by 15 primary care practices across the United States. The case studies demonstrate that teams are a necessary and effective foundation upon which other innovations — such as the chronic care model, advanced access, group visits, and electronic encounters — can be pursued.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea886d
TREATING ADOLESCENTS WITH HIV: Tools For Building Skills In Cultural Competence, Clinical Care, and Support - Free interactive online training series supported by DHHS offers continuing education credits.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8859
NEW HRSA BOOKLET PROMOTES GREATER AWARENESS OF PERINATAL DEPRESSION - As many as 80% of women experience some type of depressive symptoms during pregnancy or soon after the birth of a child. The new booklet of tips on identifying the condition in mothers and six steps to help treat it successfully, and other resources, are available on a new Web site that provides easy-to-understand, downloadable tools for women, their families and health care professionals.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx?14@@.eea86e0
MANUALS ON SCREENING FOR PARENTAL DEPRESSION, CHILD DEVELOPMENT - Several Commonwealth Fund-supported manuals for pediatric providers are now available for free download on the Fund's Web site.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx?14@@.eea86b7
** COMMUNITY CLINIC VOICE NEWS:
CCV TIPS & TRICKS - Help on how to find and post information on our new site. There's now a way to search for new materials posted since a date you specify, try the recently added "New Since" Search function.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea74cc
SURVEY: HOW DO YOU LIKE THE NEW PLATFORM? - Please take this brief survey and give us feedback on what you like and what could be improved.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8199/
** FUNDING:
HRSA RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM & PLANNING GRANTS - Apply by Oct 15, 2007, for HRSA funding to support the development of rural health networks. One year planning grants also available, apply by Oct 5.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8865
IMPORTANT ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION INFORMATION FOR ALL HRSA GRANT APPLICANTS - To eliminate processing errors at the HRSA Grants Application Center and ensure that all applicants are treated equally, beginning this month, HRSA will only accept an applicant’s first electronic submission as the final and only acceptable submission of any competing application submitted to Grants.gov. You can sign up for e-mail notification each time a HRSA grant application becomes available.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea88a9
BLUE SHIELD OF CALIFORNIA FOUNDATION ACCEPTING LETTERS OF INQUIRY - Funds for projects that address one of the foundation's three program areas: to expand access to healthcare and coverage, promote the use of medical technology to increase the quality of patient care, and end domestic violence. The average grant size is approximately $55,000. Letters of Inquiry are accepted on a rolling basis; the next deadline is August 24.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea86b8
SIERRA HEALTH FOUNDATION ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT GRANTS - Grants of $10,000 to help health-related nonprofits improve their systems and infrastructure. Applications due Oct. 15; a conference call for potential applicants will be held on Sept. 6.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea86ce
USDA COMMUNITY CONNECT BROADBAND GRANT PROGRAM - Grant funds may be used to deploy broadband transmission service to critical community facilities in rural communities of up to 20,000 inhabitants. Apply by August 20, 2007.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8866
IMMUNIZATION GRANTS AND VACCINES FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM - CDC funding to increase access to vaccines for eligible children by supplying federal government-purchased pediatric vaccines to public and private health care providers registered with the program. Apply by August 15.
http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/IP08-803.htm
** HEALTH POLICY & TRENDS:
NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK: AUGUST 5-11 - Find an event near you, or post a notice of your planned event. On August 6, the first day of Health Center Week, National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) plans to release a new report. "ACCESS GRANTED: The Primary Care Payoff," showing how health centers produce both health care cost savings and jobs for America. NACHC requests participation in their Health Center Week petition drive: now is the time to put out the message that health centers are a good investment for America; both Senate and House Health Committees plan to begin work on the health center reauthorization bills when they return from the August congressional recess.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea87f3
USA TODAY: COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS KEY TO MEDICAL SAFETY NET - Several articles on federally funded community health centers note the rising demand for services and shortages of medical personnel. The articles point out that the national network of 952 federally approved community health centers performs effectively and efficiently, providing a vital and often overlooked health care safety net that serves more than 14 million poor and uninsured patients who otherwise might go without care. However, health centers can help less than one-third of residents who require their services because of a shortage of available physicians, according to USA Today.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea86bd
U.S. HOUSE PASSES FUNDING INCREASE FOR HEALTH CENTERS - The House on July 18, passed its version of the FY2008 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, which contains a $200 million increase in Health Center funding, with just short of the two-thirds majority needed to overcome an anticipated presidential veto. Nonetheless, the bill's passage was a major victory for health centers, says NACHC.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea862e
CONGRESS TACKLES SCHIP EXPANSION; BUSH THREATENS VETO - The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) now covers about six million kids, and health centers serve one of every eight low-income children in SCHIP. Popular with both Democrats and Republicans, SCHIP is expected to be reauthorized this year; however, lawmakers differ on expanding the program. House Democrats want to raise spending on the program by about $50 billion over the next five years; their bill would make FQHC and rural health clinic services a guaranteed benefit for children in SCHIP and reimburse FQHCs and RHCs for those services under a prospective payment system (PPS) based on the current health center payment system in Medicaid; it also would block a scheduled 2008 cut in Medicare payments to physicians. The Senate plans to start debate on its own $35 billion, five-year expansion. Both bills have drawn formal veto threats from the administration. Instead, Bush proposes to add $5 billion over the next five years to the program and reduce eligibility. In California, the president's proposal would terminate coverage for about 200,000 children.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea887f
CALIFORNIA'S STAKE IN THE SCHIP FUNDING DEBATE - New report from the California HealthCare Foundation finds that both The Children's Health First Act (Rep. Dingell, Sen. Clinton) and The SCHIP Reauthorization Act of 2007 (Sens. Rockefeller and Snowe) would do a better job than the current system of allocating resources and establishing funding levels that will be more responsive to state needs. Left unresolved is the issue of whether the federal government will make sufficient money available for California to cover all children in the state.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8610
MEDICARE ACCESS TO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER (MATCH) ACT - Bipartisan legislation introduced this month would create a Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) for America’s health centers struggling with an outdated Medicare FQHC payment cap, which causes nearly three fourths of health centers to lose over $50 million annually in providing care to Medicare patients. The bill also ensures that health center will be adequately reimbursed for primary and preventive health care services to the nation’s elderly.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea7bdc
STUDY: U.S. PATIENTS GET LESS TIME WITH PRIMARY CARE DOCS - The severe shortfall of available time in primary care for prevention and chronic care management in the U.S. could partially explain why the U.S. does not have health outcomes that correspond to its overall investment in health care, according to authors of a Commonwealth Fund-supported study.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea775c
HEALTH CENTERS ON THE FRONTLINES OF THE WAR AGAINST AIDS/HIV - HHS this month announced $22 million in grants for early intervention HIV/AIDS care and services to medically underserved populations; 53 community-based health centers, migrant health centers, hospitals, and other entities in 23 states and Puerto Rico will receive early intervention services grants under Part C of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8621
SAN FRANCISCO BEGINS WORK ON NEW HIV/AIDS STRATEGY - The San Francisco HIV Health Planning Work Group is developing a draft plan that will outline a new strategy for fighting AIDS in the city during the next 10 years.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea885b
CA BUDGET DELAY THREATENS PAYMENTS TO MEDI-CAL PROVIDERS - A safety-net fund created to continue paying Medi-Cal providers during a budget impasse has been depleted. If the Legislature by August 2 does not pass a budget, Medi-Cal will not be able to make an estimated $227 million payment to hospitals and nursing homes.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8887
CA RETURNS UNUSED DENTI-CAL FUNDS DESPITE SHORTAGE OF SERVICES - A recent transfer to the federal government of unspent funds for dental services drew criticism from dental health advocates and dentists, who are calling on the state to boost funding of Denti-Cal and incorporate measures to improve access to dental care into health care reform proposals under consideration.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea7761
HHS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON MINORITY HEALTH SEEKS NOMINATIONS - The ACMH advises the Secretary of Health and Human Services on ways to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority populations. The Committee is expected to meet four times a year. Nominations due Sept. 17.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea86df
** HEALTH REFORM:
OpEd: COMMUNITY CLINICS KEY ROLE IN HEALTH CARE REFORM - Expanding coverage does not equal access to quality care, and any health care reform proposal that goes to the governor's desk should find a way to take advantage of and maximize the potential of community clinics for providing cost-effective and high-quality health care, writes Carmela Castellano-Garcia, CEO and president of the California Primary Care Association.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8881
CALIFORNIASPEAKS: STATEWIDE CONVERSATION ON HEALTH CARE REFORM - Thousands of Californians from across the state will participate in CaliforniaSpeaks, a live, statewide conversation on Saturday, August 11, designed to give residents a direct voice into the health care reform debate.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea7bd8
HEALTH CARE '08 - Calling health care a top domestic issue in the 2008 presidential election, The Kaiser Family Foundation has launched a new Website featuring analysis of health policy issues, public opinion surveys, news, candidate interviews and campaign coverage.
http://www.health08.org/
AND SEE: CALHEALTHREFORM.ORG - Resources and analysis of state legislation, major proposals, news and more from California HealthCare Foundation and Center for Government Studies.
http://www.calhealthreform.org/
HEALTH REFORM 2007: IMPACT ON THE CENTRAL VALLEY - The Central Valley Health Policy Institute at CSU, Fresno, recently issued a San Joaquin Valley perspective on the various proposed health reform measures currently being debated in California. The San Joaquin Valley now has a unique opportunity to influence health policy and health care reform by giving a voice to the health disparities experienced by its residents and influencing the negotiations that are ongoing as the health reform debate heats up, say the authors.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea862a
OPINION: PREVENTION, POVERTY AND PLACE - The California Endowment's President and CEO Robert K. Ross, M.D., offers his thoughts on the PBS Presidential Forum featuring Democratic candidates in the race for the presidency. He writes that, as an advocate for the health and well-being of low-income and neglected communities, he was heartened by the collective show of commitment to these problems from the candidates. But no single candidate, in his view, was able to connect all the dots and see the big picture: we need a leader who can see how broad prevention efforts can simultaneously address many of our most pressing problems.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea7bd4
STUDY: EXPANSION OF HEALTH INSURANCE IN CALIFORNIA UNLIKELY TO ACT AS MAGNET FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRATION - As health insurance reform has risen to the top of California’s legislative agenda, the question of how such reform might impact undocumented immigration has become an important issue. According to a the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, any new expansions of health insurance are unlikely to attract additional undocumented immigrants, as both legal and undocumented immigrants are primarily motivated to come to the state by employment opportunities and family reunification.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea886f
** HIPAA:
BILL TO REVISE HIPAA PRIVACY WOULD GIVE PATIENTS MORE CONTROL - Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) introduced a bill to change current HIPAA language to give patients more control over health information and the right to sue violators for privacy breaches. If enacted, their Health Information Privacy and Security Act of 2007 would require the Secretary of HHS to revise the HIPAA privacy rule in many areas.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea86e9
** IT & HEALTH:
CalRHIO OFFERS FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SAFETY NET PROVIDERS - California Regional Health Information Organization offers safety net providers a total of 15 hours per month of technical consulting, free of charge, on issues such as IT infrastructure, vendor assessment, IT strategy development, and more.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea7743
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON HRSA ELECTRONIC HANDBOOK (EHB) TRANSITION - Beginning in August 2007, health center grantees will use new modules of the HRSA Electronic Handbook (EHB) to administer grants, record program changes and monitor program performance. The transition will be made in phases and is expected to be completed by January 2009. Effective August 1, 2007, Change in Scope applications and documentation will be submitted by uploading to EHB; email applications will no longer be accepted. Technical assistance and updates on the new procedures will be published at:
http://www.bphc.hrsa.gov/systemhelp/
RHIO LEADERS CRITICIZE NHIN EXPANSION CONTRACTS - DHHS in July issued a request for proposals for regional organizations to expand health IT exchange on the local level. In a letter to the Office of the National Coordinator, eight leaders of regional health information organizations (RHIOs) and others told ONC that they support expansion but do not endorse the contracts, which they feel do not reflect state needs. The leaders recommended ONC give RHIOs more flexibility and additional funding and time.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea86e7
eHEALTH INITIATIVE TO UNVEIL BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE - eHealth Initiative's Fourth Annual National Conference: Policies and Best Practices at the National, State and Local Levels for Improving Health and Healthcare Through Information and Information Technology, will take place October 11-12 in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, eHI will unveil its Blueprint for Improving America's Health and Healthcare through Information and Information Technology, a shared vision, principles, strategies and phased roadmap for achieving transformation in healthcare while leveraging health IT.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea6991
CMS PROPOSAL TO ELIMINATE FAXES FOR E-PRESCRIPTIONS - CMS has issued a proposed rule to require physicians and other providers to implement more advanced data transmission standards when sending electronic prescriptions, eliminating an exception to the technology rules HHS approved for e-prescribing in 2005 that allowed provider e-prescribing systems to transmit computer-generated faxes. Public comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until August 31, 2007. A final rule will be published later in the fall and will be effective January 1, 2008.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea775a
STUDY: EHR SYSTEM RECOUPS COST IN JUST 16 MONTHS - Health care providers frequently cite cost as a primary obstacle to adopting an electronic medical records system. Researchers at the University of Rochester analyzed the return on investment of an electronic health records system used in five ambulatory offices representing 28 health care providers, finding the medical center recouped its investment within 16 months. Nearly two-thirds of savings came from a drastic reduction in the amount of time required to manually pull patient charts.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8628
E-PRESCRIBING COULD SAVE MEDICARE BILLIONS, REDUCE RX ERRORS - Electronic prescribing could save the Medicare program as much as $29 billion over the next decade and prevent almost two million medication errors, yet many physicians are reluctant to adopt the practice, according to a new report and poll released by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. Two-thirds of the 407 physicians interviewed for the survey said implementing e-prescribing is not a priority, with most citing financial or administrative hassles as barriers.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8623
POLICY ISSUES, TECHNICAL CONCERNS AMONG IT BARRIERS - Adoption isn't the only issue slowing the momentum of health IT, says a report from iHealthBeat. At a July meeting in Washington, D.C., experts weighed in on what's holding health IT back, such as a lack of broadband access, training opportunities, consensus on standards and motivation to move health IT to the forefront.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8616
EHR SYSTEMS CAN CUT OFFICE VISITS, IMPROVE ACCESS - Electronic health record systems with secure messaging can reduce patients' primary care office visits and care-related telephone calls, a study in the July issue of the American Journal of Managed Care found. The authors conclude that the messaging system could help improve efficiency and access for patients and health care providers.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea885a
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE TAPS INTEGRATED PATIENT INFORMATION - IHS has launched a population management graphical user interface called iCare that lets providers search patient data by categories, such as community, age, gender and number of physician visits and compare patient data among communities. The service was designed to utilize the concept of community-oriented primary care.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea869f
** JOB POSTINGS:
New openings were posted this month for Social Worker, LCSW for LifeLong Medical Care, Clinic Manager, Associate Director of Clinical Affairs, Nurse Practitioner, Dentist, Outpatient Services Manager II, Clinic Administrator, and Dental Assistant. For details on all positions, or to post your own openings, visit:
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/Job%20Postings/
** MEDICAID:
STATES REPORT PROOF-OF-CITIZENSHIP RULES LEAD TO DROP IN MEDICAID ENROLLMENT FOR ELIGIBLE BENEFICIARIES - New Medicaid proof-of-citizenship rules have reduced the number of beneficiaries in many states. Most of those dropped from the rolls were eligible for the program but could not provide adequate documentation, according to a Government Accountability Office report released this month. Most studies have found that it is in fact not immigrants, but U.S. citizens primarily being adversely impacted. And, the rules are likely to cost federal taxpayers significantly more than they generate in savings" because of higher administrative costs. You can listen to recorded CPCA web trainings on how FQHCs perform an initial verification of citizenship and identity documents to expedite the application and renewal process.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8752
** MEDICARE:
PROGRESS REPORT ON MEDICARE PART D IN CALIFORNIA - California HealthCare Foundation reports about 2.9 million Medicare beneficiaries in California are enrolled in Part D; proportionally more than in the rest of the country. However, many low-income beneficiaries eligible for a subsidy have not enrolled. Average premiums have decreased for two of the three most utilized plan types, and the average number of covered drugs has increased. A second study in the American Journal of Managed Care finds the scope of retirees' prescription drug benefits greatly affects their use of essential medications; retirees with moderate drug coverage were significantly less likely to use vital cardiovascular drugs than those with the most comprehensive benefits.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea86cd
ENHANCING VALUE IN MEDICARE: CHRONIC CARE INITIATIVES - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services initiated the Physician Group Practice (PGP) Demonstration to provide participating practices the opportunity to earn performance payments for improving the quality and cost-efficiency of health care delivered to Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries. This month, CMS announced that, after one year, all 10 of the practices in the Physician Group Practice Demonstration have improved diabetes care for their patients.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8614
** QUALITY:
ASSESSING HEALTH REFORM PROPOSALS PART II: QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY - A new Commonwealth Fund analysis of major health reform bills before Congress concludes that while several could lead to significant improvements in quality and efficiency, each falls well short of a comprehensive strategy for overhauling the nation's health care system. Federal health IT bills do not provide the funding or central leadership necessary to make a significant impact, according to the report. The Commonwealth Fund says the federal government should subsidize health IT adoption for safety-net providers and the development of regional health information organizations.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8759
SURVEY: HEALTH CARE OPINION LEADERS' VIEWS ON THE QUALITY AND SAFETY OF HEALTH CARE IN THE U.S. - Respondents agreed that the current health system is not achieving and is not designed to foster high quality. Responses indicate strong support for greater government leadership; creation of a new public–private entity to coordinate quality improvement efforts and set a national quality agenda; changes in the way providers are paid; greater integration of providers; and reforms to promote medical homes. Two-thirds of all respondents said that IT and EHR adoption are the top priorities for improving efficiency.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea88a6
RESOURCE FOR CLINIC BOARDS ON OVERSEEING HEALTHCARE QUALITY - Sarah Stegemoeller of Public Counsel has posted "Corporate Responsibility and Healthcare Quality" an educational resource co-sponsored by the HHS Office of Inspector General and the American Health Lawyers Association that seeks to assist directors of health care organizations in carrying out their important oversight responsibilities.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx?233@@.eea8740!enclosure=.eea8741
MEDICAL HOMES COULD IMPROVE CARE FOR ALL - The Commonwealth Fund lays out steps needed to encourage primary care providers to become medical homes: reforming primary care payment, measuring and rewarding medical homes, testing care delivery models, and maximizing the potential of health information technology. The column cites examples of important initiatives around the country that are pointing the way to reform.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea86d7
SEARCHING FOR A BETTER WAY TO PAY PROVIDERS - Current payment reform proposals hold the potential to lower health care costs and improve quality of care by promoting increased collaboration among physicians, hospitals, and ancillary service providers and rewarding quality and efficiency, says an article from the Commonwealth Fund. Health care experts say the dominant fee-for-service payment system, which rewards physicians and hospitals for high volume and expensive care without regard to outcomes, also fails to reward preventive care, coordination among clinicians, and close management of patients with chronic conditions—the very services that could help contain spiraling health care costs.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea86c8
NEW AWARD FOR IMPROVING HEALTHCARE QUALITY THROUGH HEALTH IT - The non-profit eHealth Initiative (eHI) wants to encourage and recognize excellence and leadership in organizations and individuals that leverage information and information technology to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare. Nominations due August 15.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea86e6
CA PAY FOR PERFORMANCE PROGRAM RESULTS SHOW QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS - The more that California physician groups use information technology to support patient management and care, the better they score on average on a range of important clinical quality measures, according to the Integrated Healthcare Association. California physician groups participating in the P4P program (now in its fourth year of public reporting) continued to improve across all three areas of performance measurement: clinical quality, patient experience, and use of IT.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea874d
MAKING PAY-FOR-PERFORMANCE WORK IN MEDICAID - Financial incentives to providers through Medicaid pay-for-performance programs were not always a driving factor to improve care, a study published recently in Health Affairs found. By contrasting the experiences of plans with better and worse outcome trends, researchers identify key program features that did improve care, including strong communication with providers and placing enough dollars at stake to compensate providers for the effort required to obtain them. Researchers also found that low-income Medicaid beneficiaries had several characteristics that became barriers to improving care quality.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea861a
RESEARCH & DATA:
ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION 2007 KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK - National trends in child well-being taken together have improved slightly since 2000, according to an annual report that compares the health and well-being of children in each state based on several factors. Areas that saw improvement were the child death rate, teen birth rate, high school dropout rate, and teens not in school and not working. Four areas have worsened: low-birthweight babies, children living in families where no parent has full time year-round employment, children in poverty, and children in single-parent families. California dropped one spot to No. 19 among states; 13% of the state's children were uninsured, above the national average of 11%.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8751
AND SEE: AMERICA'S CHILDREN: KEY NATIONAL INDICATORS OF WELL-BEING 2007, also released this month.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea8874
** WORKFORCE:
LATINO HEALTH AND SCIENCE CAREER CONNECTIONS - With a grant from The California Endowment, the San Diego Science Alliance examined the needs, resources and untapped potential of health/medical academies in San Diego County to better understand the barriers and conditions that contribute to Latino participation and success in high school health/medical academies.
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx/.eea886e
** UPCOMING EVENTS:
For information on all events, or to post your own notice, see the CCV Calendar:
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx?dispCal@@.eea464e!m=7&y=2007
Webcast: Racial Disparities in HIV/AIDS - August 2
NACHC Operations Management Webcast Training Series - Revenue Cycle Reporting, August 2; Effectively Using Your Practice Mgt System, Sept 13; Denial Analysis, Sept 27
National Health Center Week - August 5-11
CaliforniaSpeaks: Health Care Reform Debate - August 11, Statewide
Clinical Measures Group Teleconference - August 15
Medical Spanish & Cultural Competency Workshop - August 17-20, Portland, OR
CSLC and AQIC Learning Summit - August 21-22, San Diefo
Agricultural Worker Health Initiative Conference, - August 22-24, Sacramento
Community Health Institute & Expo - August 24-28, Dallas, TX
California CFO Peer Network Meeting - August 29, Sacramento
Round Table Forum: Specialty Care Centers - Sept 6, So. Calif TBA
Pediatric Telehealth Colloquium - Sept 6-8, UC Davis
Consumer HealthTech Summit - Sept 24-26, San Francisco
CSLC Case Study #2 Teleconference - Sept 27
Managing Ambulatory Health Care - Oct 1-4, Portland, OR
CPCA 2007 Annual Conference - Oct 4-5, Sacramento
eHealth Initiative's Fourth Annual National Conference - Oct 10-11, Washington, D.C.
National AgrAbility Workshop - Oct 29-Nov 1, Sacramento
Round Table Forum: Telemedicine/E-health - Nov 5, So. Calif TBA
CSRHA’s 7th Annual Rural Health Conference, Rising to the Challenge: A Unified Safety Net - Dec 3-5, Sacramento
Managing Ambulatory Health Care - Dec 3-6, Boston, MA
For information on all events, or to post your own notice, see the CCV Calendar:
http://www.communityclinicvoice.org/webx?dispCal@@.eea464e!m=7&y=2007