May 2019 edition

Note from DCPCA CEO, Tamara Smith

Thank you to all who attended, sponsored, and prepared presentations for the DCPCA 2019 Health Summit and Annual Meeting. We brought together more than 100 individuals for a day of learning, networking, and recognition. Congratulations to United Health Foundation, who received the DCPCA Community Partnership Award, Mary's Center, who received the Health Center Quality Award, and Don Blanchon, who received the DCPCA Board Leadership Award. Special recognition was given to Victoria Roberts for her leadership of the launch of the DC Connected Care Network. We greatly appreciate the support of all of our exhibitors, sponsors, and particularly our lead supporters: Nonstop Wellness, CareFirst, and HealthEC. Our morning plenary session on Health Equity, presented by Dr. Anetta Arno from DC Health, provided a comprehensive understanding of the health inequities of our community and will better enable DCPCA's collaboration to reduce these differences. We had a glimpse of the future of health technology through remarks provided by Dr. Sanjay Seth. Our workshops were well attended with lively discussion. We are thankful to our presenters for the outstanding quality of the information shared. We look forward to continuing our work together to improve health outcomes, improve access to and use of technology, and to be better prepared to meet the needs of our workforce, patients, and partners.

Member Spotlight

Bread for the City: In Support of Racial Equity Achieves Results (REAR) Act CEO George Jones testified in support of the   Racial Equity Achieves Results Act introduced by Councilman McDuffie. Extract from his testimony: “ The job of achieving a racially equitable city is all of our responsibility. Achieving racial equity is a choice. So too, is not making racial equity a priority. This legislation is a good start, but still, more must be done, and my testimony today will include some proposed amendments to strengthen the bill. Prioritizing racial equity requires political will, progressive policy solutions, and a reimagining of society to eliminate the purposely constructed barriers of discrimination, segregation, and racism to truly give every resident a fair shot .” Read a full copy of his testimony.

Unity: Summary of Impact In 2018, Unity continued to make positive strides in providing our patients with high-quality, accessible healthcare.

DCPCA Department Round-Up

Annual Meeting Recap Thank you to all who participated in DCPCA’s Health Summit and Annual Meeting on May 16, 2019. With the theme of “ Using Technology and Health Information to Transform Health Care Systems and Impact Communities” attendees participated in the following learning sessions: Health Equity and the Intersection of SDOH and Race Building a Culture of Engagement and Satisfaction: Core Components and Key Takeaways Micro & Macro Response to Inequity: Organizations & Providers Take Action Paving the Way for Value-Based Pay The 100 attendees included health care providers, partners (government, academic, and private), and community members. Thank you to our guest speakers who presented during our opening session and workshops. Special thank you to our sponsors: AmeriHealth Caritas DC, CareFirst, Clinovations, CRISP DC, HealthEC, Kaiser Permanente, Non-Stop Wellness/Communiy Health Ventures, United Healthcare, Unity Healthcare, and Whitman-Walker Clinic.   For copies of all presentations shared during the summit, please see our website.

Opening the conference with a powerful call for greater health equity, was C. Anetta Arno, Ph.D., Director, Office of Health Equity at DC Heath. Thank you to Kellogg Conference Center for your hospitality.

United Health Foundation (UHF) received the Community Partnership Award. Tracy Malone, President of UHF, accepted the award. Victoria Roberts, pictured above, received the Community Service Award, in recognition of contributions to launching the DC CCN.

Mary's Center received the Quality Outcomes Award, presented by HRSA Regional Administrator, Region 3, Pamela Kania. CMO Dr. Tollie Ellott, CNO Dara Koppelman, and CEO Maria Gomez accepted the award.

Donald Blanchon CEO Whitman-Walker Health System and Chair, DCPCA Board of Directors received the Board Leadership Award, presented by Kelly McShane, President and CEO of Community of Hope.

DC Connected Care Network (DC CCN)

Overview of Primary Goals T he DC Connected Care Network (DC CCN) continues work to build partnerships with DC area hospitals, core services agencies, and payors to share in the accountability for the quality, cost and care for key populations in the District. The DC CCN aims to increase quality and decrease cost through key measures focus, health information technology, data analytics and a centralized continuum of care model. To achieve this goal, the DC CCN has outlined four primary objectives: Reduce disparities in health outcomes and improve the wellbeing of our patients using an integrated care approach; Improve patient engagement in care by reducing barriers and gaps in services through collaboration; Build shared, actionable data to guide care and improve performance; and Support a culture of accountability, improvement and effectiveness

Operations Update We have been meeting with health systems to discuss our plans for transitions of care and meeting with health plans to discuss contracting. Look out for future communication from our team regarding upcoming meetings with each FQHC partner to discuss CCN implementation plans and goals. Lastly, we are recruiting! Roles include Care Coordinators, ED Liaison, Health Center CCN Program Managers and a Population Health Director. Please contact CCN COO Brandon Batiste at bbatiste@dcpca.org for additional information.

HIT/Technology

eHealthDC Highlights Meaningful Use Champions Click here to read about how eHealthDC, a technical assistance program led by DCPCA, is helping health care professionals in the District of Columbia improve their use of EHRs and health IT to better serve patients. This quarter, we are featuring Demetria Broadnax, Quality Improvement Coordinator at Family and Medical Counseling Service, Inc., and Anna Abel, Director of Population Health at GW Medical Faculty Associates, who share their experiences about working with eHealthDC to adopt best practices that are improving clinical workflows.

DCPCA Supports United Medical Center’s eCW Optimization and User Adoption Effort In April 2019, DCPCA executed an agreement with United Medical Center (UMC) to provide optimization, user training and support services to ambulatory providers using the eClinicalWorks (eCW) electronic health records system. Since that time, our HIT team has been working with UMC to configure and test eCW ‘speech anywhere’ capabilities to enable clinical documentation using cell phones. To prepare eligible UMC providers for participation in the Promoting Interoperability (PI)/Meaningful Use (MU) program, we have also been assisting with the configuration and deployment of their patient portal to help providers meet PI/MU requirements for patient engagement. Further, we are helping UMC establish its HISP Direct account through eCW and enroll its providers for Direct addresses. This will allow UMC to establish an eReferral process and workflow that will allow its providers to satisfy PI/MU health information exchange (HIE) objectives.

Quality Improvement

Billing, Coding and Documentation On-Site Training DCPCA facilitated the “Billing, Coding, and Documentation On-Site Training” series the week of April 8, 2019. Five health center organizations received one-on-one onsite trainings (half-day or full-day) and an additional training was offered to all DCPCA members. The training series, facilitated by Coding and Compliance Initiatives’ Shellie Sulzberger, focused on effective provider billing and coding to support higher payments and reduced denials. Participants learned how coding supports transition to value-based payment through more effective capturing of information on patient risk and level of care provided. Another topic of interest was the link between coding practices and team-based care, in allowing staff to work at the top of their license. Due to the success of this series, DCPCA will be offering additional billing and coding trainings to further the impact on financial health, value-based payment, team-based care, and workforce development.

Cancer Screening Project Progresses to Year 5 Member health centers participating in the DC3C Cancer Screening project participated in DC Health’s DC3C Annual Meeting on May 9, 2019. After four years of piloting and implementing evidence-based interventions (EBIs), there has been a tremendous increase in cancer screening rates across participating health centers. For Year 5 of the five-year project which begins July 1, we are looking to support health centers in sustaining this change to create a documented system of cancer screening, including training, policies, and workflows.  Look out for Year 5 Kick-Off meeting requests from our QI team to discuss how we can help you achieve their cancer screening goals.

Expanded Emergency Preparedness Capacity We have exciting news to share regarding expanded preparedness supplies for our member health centers participating in our Emergency Preparedness Program. In May, DCPCA received notice that we have successfully secured funding from DC Health HEPRA to support the purchase of three critical supplies: Two-way radios Shelter-in-place kits Stop-the-Bleed Kits  On behalf of our members, we thank the HEPRA team for their support. Radios will allow health centers to communicate to personnel at their other sites and to District government personnel in the event that an emergency obstructs phone usage. Purchase of these supplies reflects health centers' critical role in the District's healthcare system and growing involvement in emergency preparedness plans. Look out for communication from our EP Program Manager, Michelle Ezeofer, regarding next steps for implementation (mezeofer@dcpca.org) .

Policy and Advocacy

Leadership Team Meeting for Maternal Health Equity Action Lab Front row: Fernanda Ruiz, Aza Nedhari, Ebony Marelle, Miriam Markowitz, Jennifer Jiggetts Back Row: Dominique Lowrey, Patricia Quinn, Jo Patterson, Faith Gibson Hubbard, Joan Yengo, Whitney Pringer, Tamika Auguste, Robyn Russell, Loral Patchen, Anne Eder Not shown: Carla Henke, Tamara Smith DCPCA hosted an inaugural Leadership Team meeting for our Maternal Health Equity Action Lab scheduled to Launch June 21. The brain power and the passion in the room for improving our maternal health system in partnership with District women impacted by inequity was off the charts! We are grateful for the energy and ideas shared, and we look forward to guidance from the Leadership Team in the weeks ahead. If you know a parent in Ward 7 or 8 who would be interested in joining the Maternal Health Equity Action Lab, please contact Patricia Quinn at pquinn@dcpca.org . DCPCA, through a partnership with Institute for Healthcare Improvement, will provide stipends for participants interested in bringing their own experiences to the effort to improve maternal health outcomes for women and families.

DCPCA Wants to Attend Your Next Meeting! Last month, DCPCA was awarded the Community Resource Information Exchange (CoRIE) Planning Grant from DHCF. Through this grant, we will develop a community resource inventory and sustainability plan, and gather requirements for potential technical solutions to facilitate Community Information Exchange. We want you and your teams to be part of this exciting next phase of information exchange in the District! Since April, DCPCA has been working with DHCF, grant partners, and the DC PACT coalition to develop a health and social service stakeholder engagement process that helps us understand how District organizations gather and share social needs data, what technical capacities should be considered for investment, how to govern the use and exchange of social needs data, and what benefits and challenges to standardization need to be addressed. We will conduct surveys, interviews, workflow assessments, and more. Contact David Poms at dpoms@dcpca.org to schedule a dialogue for your organization or team on Community Information Exchange.

Funding Opportunities

Select HRSA Funding Opportunities Please note the below funding opportunities of interest to our members: Maternal and Child Health Services Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) – Community Care Initiative For a full list of HRSA funding opportunities, go here .

LGBTQ Training and TA Opportunity We currently accepting applications for the  July 2019 - June 2020 program Transgender Health ECHO Deadline extended to June 5 th !  Through the use of the groundbreaking  Project ECHO model , TransECHO creates a network of health centers and faculty expertise to increase clinician access to knowledge and support needed to provide culturally responsible, comprehensive, primary care for transgender and gender non-binary patients. Thus far our TransECHO clinic has serviced over 100 health centers all who have come together to share cases, receive advice and learn from expert faculty. Highlights of the program have included didactic presentations on topics such as "Feminizing and Masculinizing Hormone Therapy," "Surgical Gender Affirmation," "Intersectionality," and "Provider Bias: Working with Transgender and Non-Binary Identified People." Who should participate? Providers who are providing care to transgender and gender non-binary patients. Health center staff with an ability to commit to 12 two-hour sessions in 12 months. Providers with an interest in the opportunity to tap into the collaborative power of health center teams and public health experts. Apply by June 5, 2019 to participate in TransECHO

News - District

Mandatory Provider Registration for DC Prescription Drug Monitoring Program It recently became mandatory for prescribers and dispensers who are licensed in DC to register with the DC Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. DC health professionals recently received an email notice, and they will be receiving the notice by mail as well in the coming weeks. The deadline for practitioners to register is July 31, 2019. The notice can be found on DC Health’s website . If you have questions, please contact doh.pdmp@dc.gov and you will be assisted by Joy Eckert, and fellow colleagues of the Pharmaceutical Control Division of the Health Regulation and Licensing Administration (HRLA).

Children’s National Health System and The HSC Health Care System Sign Agreement to Partner Children’s National Health System and The HSC Health Care System (HSC) have signed a definitive agreement to create an integrated partnership that will provide seamless care for children and young adults with complex medical needs in Washington, D.C. and across the region. The importance of delivering highly coordinated care to children with complex medical needs gained national attention when the bipartisan ACE Kids Act was signd into law this spring. Children’s National collaborated with HSC in a national pilot program that provided the foundation for this legislation. Our teams believe this is a great opportunity for both organizations to grow and better support individuals with complex needs in DC and the region. The agreement now goes forward for regulatory approval (SHPDA), a process that is anticipated to be completed by Fall 2019. R ead the full press release here.

Letter on United Medical Center Changes The Chief of Staff of United Medical Center recently sent a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser about concerns regarding cuts to the subsidy budget and providing more clarity regarding the quality of services at the hospital. Read the full letter here.

HRSA News and Resources

To download this infographic and to read about HRSA's plans moving forward, click here .

HRSA’s New Training and Technical Assistance Hub HRSA is pleased to announce the launch of a new Training and Technical Assistance Hub . The Hub is an easy way to find TA centers associated with many of HRSA’s programs and includes information of interest to safety net providers and education programs.

To catch up on HRSA news, check out the latest edition of the Bureau of Primary Health Care, Primary Care Digest.

Training and Events Spotlight

Partner Conference Save the Date: ACU Annual Conference July 28-31, 2019, Washington, DC The ACU Annual Conference will bring together hundreds of clinical leaders from across the country, all with an interest in expanding access and improving care for the underserved. Click here to register.

Mid-Atlantic Public Health Training Center (MARPHTC) DCPCA is a member of MARPHTC. Check out MARPHTC's online training library for informative and engaging content. Set up a free username to access training opportunities anytime, anywhere, and from any device. Trainings are available on the following topics: Continuous Quality Improvement Disease Prevention Diversity and Inclusion Community Equity Healthy Equitable Communities Introduction to Population Health from Clinical and Public Health Perspectives Managing Multiple Priorities Project Management Public Health Informatics Tools

DCPCA Upcoming Events and Trainings

For all events, trainings, and Peer Groups, check out our website at http://dcpca.org/events . The calendar includes group trainings, often available to all members. Trainings specific for a member organization will not appear on our website.

DCPCA offers an array of on-site trainings, customized to member needs, which include the following opportunities: Blood Pressure Control Billing & Coding Data Analytics via BridgeIT Data Visualization via Tableau EHR Optimization Emergency Preparedness, including active shooter/active threat, stop-the-bleed, de-escalation, and CPR/First Aid/BLS. Front Desk Excellence Meaningful Use PCMH Quality Improvement Techniques and Tools Trauma-Informed Care There are numerous ways for our members to engage in our ongoing trainings and technical assistance opportunities - so many that it warrants a separate newsletter! See the latest edition of our monthly Training and Technical Assistance Newsletter . For more information, contact Megan Loucks at mloucks@dcpca.org

We Want to Hear From You!

Do you have a great article, story, or health center highlight that you would like to be included in next month’s newsletter? Send to communication@dcpca.org . Seeking past editions of DCPCA Connections? Click here !

| DC Primary Care Association (DCPCA) | http://www.dcpca.org This publication is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $565,223. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

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