September 2019

In this issue...

Leadership Retreat

CEO Connection

A Message from Your Board Chair

Director of Quality & Clinical Support

Deputy Director

Flu Shots

Charitable Health Care Symposium

Upcoming Events

Funding Opportunities

Quick Links

2018 Annual Outcomes Report - Updated

leadership

xxxxxxxxx retreat

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 2019

September 19-20

Registration Deadline: September 13

Final plans are being made for this year's retreat with new and interactive topics that you're sure to find useful. Keep in mind, the retreat is open to clinic leaders but also key staff members and volunteers.

Retreat Agenda

Registration Form

To make your hotel reservations, call the Brookstown Inn at 336-725-1120 and mention you are with the “NC Association of Free and Charitable Clinic’s Leadership Retreat.” 

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

Americares

Carolina Complete Health

Rx Outreach

TCI Software

Updox

See you soon!

Wake Forest Baptist Health Mobile Health Clinic

Congratulations to Rachel Zimmer, Director of the WFBH Mobile Health Clinic. Through her passion and vision, the new mobile clinic is a reality and ready to provide medical, nutrition, behavioral health and health education services to uninsured patients in Winston-Salem.

CEO Connection

Randy Jordan, CEO

Caregivers

 

This article may seem a little out of place, but due to some personal family history on the topic, I have been trying to learn more about dementia. One of the best resources I’ve found is a recent book entitled, “Dementia Reimagined” written by the physician and bioethicist, Tia Powell, M.D. Dr. Powell describes in personal terms due to the progressive dementia faced by her mother and grandmother, the challenges of being an effective caregiver to those we love. It turns out most caregivers are family members and that’s a potential problem for a Baby Boomer like me because we did not have as many children (potential caregivers) as our parents did, so the future demands on caregivers will be greater than ever. So, in a recent meeting with folks from DHHS’ Aging and Adult Services Division, I learned about a federally-funded program in North Carolina that provides relief to unpaid adult caregivers of children and adults with chronic conditions, disabilities and other special needs. Believe it or not, this program will provide qualified caregivers a $500 voucher each year to purchase adult day care, overnight respite in a facility or their home, home health care or the services of a private individual. The program is entitled, “Lifespan Respite Vouchers” and, if you’re interested either personally or professionally, a representative of this program will be available at an exhibit table to speak with you at the upcoming Leadership Retreat.

 

And that gets me to my other reason for writing. Those of us who serve in free and charitable clinics are all caregivers. Yes, in the professional sense, but also in a family sense as we welcome our patients each day to our medical home and caregivers need a respite from time to time to be able to keep giving. If you can join us at the Leadership Retreat on September 19-20, we promise to give you a brief respite from your daily caregiving. You will spend two days with some of the best people in the world who understand very clearly your daily challenges. We’ll share some good meals together and, thanks to Mark Scheerer, some excellent ice cream. It will also be a great learning experience – we promise!

A Message from Your Board Chair

April Cook

Lake Norman Community Health Clinic

This September, my clinic, Lake Norman Community Health Clinic, is celebrating 21 years serving the uninsured in our community. I call it “my” clinic, not because I was one of the founders, but because I feel shared ownership with the community, staff, volunteers and patients that use that same phrase as well. There is one story that always comes to mind this time of year that I would like to share with you. One evening at the clinic, I was summoned to deal with a patient that was getting angry and upsetting other patients and volunteers. No one mentioned to me beforehand that he was 6’7” and looked like Paul Bunyan with a long white beard and that he was very inebriated. When I rounded the corner in the hall, I was immediately gripped by fear. I knew there was no way I could defend myself or anyone else if he became violent. So, I took a deep breath and grabbed his hand and said, “let’s take a walk and tell me what is bothering you”. He proceeded to tell me that he was a veteran and was living under a bridge and was in terrible pain. He then pointed to the waiting room and commented very loudly that he didn’t know why we were taking care of “those people” which consisted of various nationalities. At the time, our clinic was in the basement of a church so I said to my new friend, “where are we right now and what do you think Jesus would want us to do?”; and this is the part that I will never forget. Homeless, in pain, drunk and lonely, he said, “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight”. In that moment and in his state of mind, he got our mission! We all have stories that we refer to when we are faced with burn out or just need to be reminded of our purpose and its impact on others. I would love for you to email me some of your stories that I could feature in upcoming newsletters. My email is [email protected].

I would also like to express my sincerest appreciation for all of you that are going to the National Symposium in October. This is by far the largest group that has ever attended a National conference from NC. Whether or not we beat Texas in attendance (I really hope we do!), I feel confident that each of you will come away with renewed energy, purpose and ideas.

I hope to see you all at the leadership retreat!

Quality and Clinical Support Updates

Cindy Jones, Director of Quality & Clinical Support

Field Test Report on Unmet Health-Related Resource Needs: Standardized Screening for Health-Related Resource Needs in North Carolina

This is a fascinating read detailing the impact and action on unmet health-related resource needs in North Carolina. To read the report, click here .  

DD Update

Mark Scheerer

Deputy Director

September and October...Exciting Times

This month and next are exciting times for the members of the Association and our staff. We look forward to these two months in particular because of our Leadership Retreat and the NAFC 2019 Charitable Health Care Symposium . Both conferences are bringing together people who are doing work just like each of you; and both meetings are providing content that is new, current and relevant to your work. We are pleased that so many of you are taking advantage of these opportunities; and look forward to seeing you at the meetings.

North Carolina Social Determinants of Health by Regions

To better understand SDOH in North Carolina, the NC State Center for Health Statistics has developed an interactive website based on the NC Association of Local Health Department Regions that looks at SDOH at a regional level. Much of the information found on the site can be useful as you write grants; as well as help you tell your clinic story to your communities. Click here to explore the website.

Three Important Announcements from the NAFC

Roadmap to Health Equity: Clinic Pilot Selection

T he Roadmap to Health Equity continues to work towards the goal of designing an infrastructure to enable clinics across the country to collect and report on quality measures.

Americares, Loyola University Chicago and The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics are pleased to announce the launch of the Roadmap Clinic Pilot Selection Application. Fifty free and charitable clinics from across the country will be selected to submit clinic- and patient-level process and outcome quality measure data into the first national free and charitable clinic data repository for our pilot period.

 What is Roadmap? Click here to view details on the initiative, including a 2-page summary .

View the pilot application here . Deadline to submit an application is September 13.

Advocacy Update - Public Charge

The NAFC thanks Kaiser Family Foundation for the briefing material on Public Charge.

 

In August 2019, the Trump Administration announced a final rule that changes the public charge policies used to determine whether an individual applying for admission or adjustment of status is inadmissible to the U.S. Under longstanding policy, the federal government can deny an individual entry into the U.S. or adjustment to legal permanent resident (LPR) status (i.e., a green card) if he or she is determined likely to become a public charge.

To learn more about the ruling please visit http://files.kff.org/attachment/Fact-Sheet-Changes-to-Public-Charge-Inadmissibility-Rule-Implications-for-Health-and-Health-Coverage

 

In-Kind Donations of Computers to USA Nonprofits to Improve Organizational Management and Capacity to Serve

DEADLINE: September 30, 2019

In-kind donations of up to 20 computers are available to USA nonprofit organizations to expand their capacity to address the needs of underserved populations. Donations are intended to help organizations improve their ability to provide services such as education, job training, technology training, and health care.



An InterConnection Technology Grant consists only of computers and peripherals (mouse, keyboard, etc). The awarded desktops are normally pre-installed with Windows 10 and Microsoft Office 2010, with the following minimum specifications: Core i5 processor / 4 GB RAM / 250 GB HDD.

 

To Learn more please visit: https://interconnection.org/computergrants.php

Flu Shot Vouchers

Walgreens returns for another year of support with free flu shot vouchers.

Here’s the process you should follow. Click here for a spreadsheet that shows locations for Walgreens throughout NC. Check the spreadsheet and contact the Walgreens that you have partnered with in the past. If you don’t already have a relationship with a Walgreens, simply get in touch with the store closest to your clinic. If you find a clinic has already contacted the Walgreens, reach out to another one that is in your area. Some Walgreens locations might have previously been Rite Aid pharmacies so even though you haven’t partnered with one of these sites, it’s still ok to reach out to them. Speak with the Pharmacy Manager or Store Manager when contacting the pharmacy.

 

Please note: It is very important for you to connect with a Walgreens pharmacy as early as possible headed into the flu season. If you haven’t already heard from your local pharmacy, you should call and introduce yourself so when vouchers are available you already have a relationship established. I know last year a few clinics waited and missed getting vouchers.  

Once you have arranged for the vouchers, please let me know and also indicate which store is helping you.

Primary Care Conference PowerPoint presentations are now available and can be viewed at https://www.ncchca.org/2019-primary-care-conference-presentations/

Some of the topics include,

* Providing an Integrated Dental Clinic in the Primary Care Setting 

* An Integrated Non-Opioid Pain Management Program in a Free Clinic Setting

* Dollars and Sense: Hospital and Free Clinic Collaboration with Real Results

* Hope and Healing: Healthcare for Domestic Violence Survivors

* Free Clinic Financial Sustainability: Making the Case for Medical Community Investment

Announcing a special deal for members of the Association.

As you are probably aware we are in a "friendly" competition with the Texas Association of Charitable Clinics to see which state will have the most attendees. Here's the special deal...the NAFC is extending the early-bird rate to both of our associations to encourage people to attend the conference. This is a special rate because of the contest taking place between our state associations. The rate is $350 to our members as compared to the current registration fee of $699. This is only applicable for the “NAFC Member Attendee” registration ticket. The code you need to use when registering is earlybird349. Keep in mind, o ne person from each clinic is eligible to receive, from the Association, $175 to help offset the cost of the registration fee. Once you register, email the Symposium confirmation to Mark and $175 will be sent to you. Click here to view the agenda .

Register here . Let's lead the country!

To date, the following people are attending the Symposium. If you have registered and your name is not on this list, email Mark so he can add you.

Leadership Retreat

September 19-20

Historic Brookstown Inn - Winston-Salem

National Health Care Symposium

October 27-29, 2019 / Atlanta

HealthConnex Deadline -- NEW

June 1, 2020

Read more .