June 2024 Newsletter

New Format!

We have moved executive director Ann Heler's monthly newsletter to Constant Contact. There are many advantages to using this format. Please let us know what you think.

Annual Conference Wrap-Up

What a great conference! It was so good to see everyone. I am pleased to share that your conference evaluations were full of ideas for the office and for next years conference. Thank you! You will see some changes in what we do here and at the conference next year.

Right off, two priorities are moving the conference to a more central location and designing the networking periods with a more focused purpose, such as sharing resources and potential collaborations between clinics.

Documents & presentations from conference will be uploaded to: FCOMI.org

Clinics Publishing Research Studies

I sent out an email to all of the clinics with this wonderful news last month. If you did not get the email with the information on the research papers, please send me an email admin@fcomi.org. We use a listserve and all of the member clinics should be on that list. After that email went out, I received this from Tracy Martin, ED at HUDA clinic in Detroit.

“HUDA Clinic is actively working on creating a regularly published (aiming for quarterly) medical journal so our undergrads, med students, collaborative partners (such as UMich, MSU, WSU, etc) have a platform for their students & faculty to routinely publish, peer reviewed studies. While most of what we plan to include will be based on our in-clinic studies, we will be including all public health pertinent studies. Once we get all the details worked out, I will happily invite FCOM clinics to collaborate.”

Contact Tracy at tracy@hudaclinic.org

Hot News!!! Neighborhood Navigator

SDOH RESOURCES IN INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES IDENTIFIED BY ZIPCODE

This is an American Association of Family Physicians website project to help physicians and others readily find local social determinants of health (SDOH) resources in their own communities. Go to navigator@aafp.org, and the site will walk you through to resources by zip code.

I know you already have resource and referral information, but this may have different resources. I urge you to take a look.

More Connection with your

State & Local Elected Officials

What would help you or induce you to invite your local and state officials to come visit your clinic? Let me know.

Many clinics have a very comfortable relationship with their elected officials, including police and fire. FCOM needs this. When I talk to legislators who are not my own elected officials, having them say “in my district?” is okay, but it means that I have a lot more talking to do before I get to whatever the issue is…including an increase in the state appropriation. I will help if you would like……let me know.

Valuation Project

Melissa and Ariana certainly fired up a lot of clinics at the conference! WOW!

The clinic contact information of those who wanted to be part of the Project has been sent to Mary Lewis at Gary Burnstein Clinic. If you are interested and didn’t sign up at the conference, send a note to Mary at mlewis@gbchc.org.

Upcoming Conferences

NAFC’s National Conference

September 29 through October 1

Atlanta, Georgia--- Loews Atlanta Hotel

I will forward more information as I get it.

BCBSM Safety Net Conference

September 5, 2024 - Kellogg Center, Lansing

The registration form has been sent to the clinics by Kim Kratz and team.

If you did not get that email, contact Kim at kkratz@bcbsm.com. She will get the form to you quickly.

Legislative Updates

NEW Senate Bill 482 – Medical waste being able to be stored 90 days plus IF the sharps container is not filled to more than ¾ capacity. PASSED. Waiting for legislature vote.

Broadband expansion – We continue to support all the work to extend broadband capability across the state and financial assistance for those who cannot afford access to the internet. MIHI is laying more cable and increasing access. DEFINITELY CONTINUE to contact MIHI at help@mihin.org if your area still has spotty or little or no connectivity. On-going

House Bill 5114 – Carrie Rheingans (D) Ann Arbor -Expanding the definition of mental health providers to include Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. Waiting for legislature vote.

HB 4580 and 4131-- Human services; medical services; reimbursement rate for telehealth visits; require to be the same as reimbursements for office visits. Health insurers; coverage for health care services provided through telemedicine; modify. Waiting for legislature vote.