A weekly communication for BCHC employees

November 16, 2022 

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Internet at Rockland – we continue to experience issues at Rockland with our internet service. I want to thank our IT team for all they are doing continually to get a solution to the issue. These past weeks have been very difficult for you, and I truly appreciate your commitment to our patients. An Engineer from Verizon will be on site on Friday, and we are hoping that this is the final solution. We will keep everyone advised. And a special thank you to our Rockland staff for your patience and understanding. I know that it has been very hard for all of you. 

IT Survey – As you may recall, we have contracted with Hartman Executives, IT consultants. Hartman has been contracted for a grant to improve our IT processes. You will receive a survey within the next week from them to see if there are ways to improve our IT systems. As always, I encourage you to provide constructive feedback so we can make the most of this effort.  

I was recently informed that the HRSA survey will soon be sent out. HRTSA extended the survey period waiting for more FQHCs to participate. They now have approximately 51% of the centers signed up. The survey has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval. If you get a survey from JSI, it is the HRSA Wellness survey. Please complete it at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your support and commitment!  

From Our Chief Medical Officer

ABNORMAL IMAGES NEEDING FOLLOW UP STUDIES SCHEDULED

DEAR STAFF

Providers will often receive a radiology report that recommends additional imaging. Common examples are an abnormal Mammogram, or an abnormal Ultrasound for which additional imaging is recommended. See example below/

IMPRESSION:

Nonspecific hypoechoic, irregular mass in the subcutaneous tissues of the left upper back. Recommend further evaluation with pre and postcontrast MRi.

When this happens two steps need to be taken 

1.  the provider or their designee usually their nurse needs to inform the patients of the abnormality, sometime the mammogram report will document the patient was notified but most other imaging studies this is not done 
2. after it is documented, and the patient Informed then the phone note can be sent to the PSR for scheduling. Sometimes you may choose to route it to both your PSR And the nurse at the same time or the nurse may forward after informing the patient to psr to assist with scheduling 

It has been reported that the first step is sometimes skipped and when the PSR who are non-clinical go to schedule the appointment the patient gets upset as they have not been told about the original abnormality 

PSR: you should not reach out to patients unless you see documentation that they have been informed

I have created a quick text.image will insert pt. informed of abnormal finding and the need for additional imaging please assist with scheduling

​when you see this then and only then can the PSR reach out to the patient and assist with scheduling 

THANKS 

DR K ​

Know a College Student Interested in a Health Profession?

A free Robert Wood Johnson Foundation summer enrichment program, the Summer Health Professions Education Program, is designed to improve access to information and resources for college students interested in the health professions. Eligible students include, but are not limited to, individuals who identify as African American/Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Hispanic/Latino, and those who are from communities of socioeconomic and educational disadvantage. The application deadline is Feb. 5, 2023.

From Our Chief Community Relations Officer

Enabling Services Reminder

Research shows that enabling services Enabling Services improve access to care, preventive services, and satisfaction among health center patients. Enabling services address a combination of social determinants of health and barriers to access to primary care and are intended to reduce health disparities. They include care coordination; health education; transportation; and assistance with obtaining food, shelter, and benefits.

We appreciate all that you are doing to provide our patients with these services and wanted to clarify who the referrals should go to. 

Referrals for health insurance go to our Outreach Team which consists of:

               Jen Bauman, Manager

               Adalbys Ventura, Rockland

               Adriana Munoz, 838 Penn St

               Guadalupe Flores, Oakbrook

And all other referrals for other social determinants of health, including food insecurity, housing issues, etc, go to our Social Determinants of Health team which consists of:

               Nicole Belote, Social Worker (currently on maternity leave)

               Esmerelda Castaneda

Thank you,

Debbie 

Guadalupe Flores, Co-Chair

Debbie Hartranft, Co-Chair

Lydia Anderson

Nicole Belote

Erin Churico

Diane Fisher

Junelle Jacobs

Ramona Martinez

Lindsey Miller

Dr. Joan Mosley-House

Janice Provetti

Jesus Tavarez Rodriguez

Felicita Torres-Ayala

Adalbys Ventura

Jose Rodriguez, Consultant

Oakbrook lab has new hours:

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays

8:40-1220

12:20-1300- lunch

1300-1640

Thursdays-CLOSED

This is just a reminder that Thursday November 24^th is Thanksgiving Day and BCHC will be closed. If you are entitled to holiday pay and your normal day off is Thursday, please remember that you are required to take your holiday during the same pay period the holiday falls in (11/20-12/03). 

**Just a reminder to all supervisors** 

If you have an employee taking another day other than Thursday November 24^th as their holiday, please email myself or Jennifer Smith-Fantini jsmith-fantini@berkschc.org so that it can be entered into their timecard correctly. 

Thank you for all you do every day! 

Have a safe and wonderful holiday! 

The HR Team😊 

End of the year Items 

**PTO Rollover** - A maximum of two weeks of accrued PTO hours, based on regularly scheduled hours, may be rolled over from one year to the next. This applies to both full-time and part-time employees. 

Outreach @ the YMCA

The Outreach team is going to be launching the New Patient Orientation in December! We will be available at each location once a month and virtually to go through important things that our new patients should know about BCHC. We are currently finalizing the process for patients to register for the class and will have those details in the Weekly Pulse next week, but here is a preview of the flyer! 

It’s that time of year again for Open Enrollment for health insurance! It runs November 1 – January 15. The Outreach team are all Certified Navigators and can help patients and non-patients with getting insurance through the state- based marketplace, Pennie. We can also apply for Medical Assistance or CHIP for patients and non-patients throughout the year as well.  Please refer these questions to the Outreach staff at your location or me.

838 Penn – Adriana Munoz – ext. 4074

Oakbrook – Guadalupe Flores – ext. 2960

Rockland/2^nd Street – Adalbys Ventura – ext. 1211

Jen Bauman – ext. 4080

11/22 - Maria Bueno - PSR

     No Work anniversaries this week.

Joseph Sobotka -

Chief Information Officer -

 645 Penn St.

Melissa Castle -

Transition of Care Coordinator - 838 Penn St.

Archer Alexander was born on November 14 at 3:31 PM. He was 7 lbs, 12 oz. and 20.5 inches long. Mother and baby are doing well!

Great things happen when we LIVE UNITED. 

Your support of United Way is important as it allows the organization to invest in high performing programs to help children, families and older adults. BCHC and United Way of Berks County work side-by-side to help Oakbrook resident live healthier, fuller and stronger lives. United Way provides an annual grant to BCHC to support the Oakbrook Community Outreach Specialist focus on resident needs and tackle barriers around health, as well as provided a grant in 2022 to expand Alvernia’s physical therapy clinic hours at BCHC’s Oakbrook location. Together, we’re helping more people get – and stay – healthier.

Through Community Wide Care, your support helps fund over 80 programs, grants, community initiatives and much more. Together, we improve and change lives of local people 



Please support the 2022 United Way Campaign. Every act of caring and generosity makes a lasting impact. Thank you for making a difference. Please see the email that was sent to you directly on 11/4/2022 from “Your United Way Committee” and click the link to make a donation! 

Free Passes to the Reading Science Center are HERE!

Through our Employee Giving Campaign, we earned free passes to the Reading Science Center. We have one pass for each of our locations and each pass is good for four people and includes parking validation.

The Reading Science Center is located on the lower level of 645 Penn St and features more than 45+ STEM-themed interactive exhibits in a creative and fun space that is perfect for children to learn, explore and experiment. RSC’s mission is to foster the love of science through exciting and experiential STEM education for the Greater Reading community. Children will enjoy learning about electricity, light and sound, mechanics and much more. You can learn more on their website: www.readingsciencecenter.org

Reading Science Center hours are Tuesday 11-3 (last entry 1:45) and Saturday 11-5 (last entry 3:45). Dave Hershey will be coordinating with the Center. Click here to reserve the passes 

The deadline for reserving the pass is noon Monday (to visit center on Tuesday) and noon Friday (to visit center on Saturday). Passes are available for staff or patients on a first come, first serve basis. You will be contacted within 24 hours to confirm your reservation.

If you have any questions, contact Dave Hershey.

We were able to fundraise enough money through the Boscov's Friends Helping Friends sale to purchase a book cart for pediatrics. Our young patients will certainly appreciate this!

Free Yoga Classes Every Monday Night!

Today is Bhai Dooj, a prominent Hindu festival when women pray to the gods for long and prosperous lives for their brothers. It is celebrated two days after the popular festival of Diwali. It is known by various names in different parts of India like Bhau Beej, Bhai Teeka, or Bhai Phota. The festival is very similar to Raksha Bandhan, as it celebrates the love between a brother and sister. While sisters perform traditional rituals and pray for their brothers’ wellbeing, brothers vow to protect sisters. The underlying spirit of piety, love, and care is a unified notion that resonates throughout us all. 

Sunday is the Transgender day of Remembrance. "For generations, the transgender population has suffered various forms of abuse (and even death) for challenging the views, notions, and stereotypes around “male” and “female” identity. Every year we set aside November 20 as a Transgender Day of Remembrance. This holiday is meant to honor, commemorate, and memorialize those who face discrimination and stigma (often on a daily basis) across the nation. This holiday is also meant to advocate for transgender people’s rights as well as focus on the persistent struggles they face in their everyday lives, and how others can share their love, support, and hope."

Other Holidays coming up this week:

Tomorrow - National Baklava day - "This Mediterranean confection has been enjoyed for centuries, through invasions, economic woes, and even world wars, so we’re going to plunge into the history of this fascinating dessert on November 17. Learn about local baklava customs, how the ancients created the original versions, and how you can make your own baklava — sticky fingers and all. Opa!"

Friday - Mickey Mouse's Birthday! -

Saturday - National Have a Bad Day Day - We all have them from time to time.

Community Events