Happy Holidays from ClinicNET!

Your work inspires us and at the holidays, we are especially grateful for the quality care you provide to uninsured, underinsured and low income Coloradans.

It is an honor to advocate for your clinics and lend a collective voice to your efforts.  We wish you the happiest of holidays and look forward to working with you in 2011!

Regional Care Collaborative Organizations for the Accountable Care Collaborative

The State has announced the Regional Care Collaborative Organizations (RCCO) for six of seven regions. The RCCOs will partner with the State to control costs and improve the health of Medicaid clients as part of the Accountable Care Collaborative Program.

Region 1 - Rocky Mountain HMO

Region 2, 3, 5, & 6 - Colorado Access

Region 7 - Community Health Partnership

CORHIO Approved Technology and Business Services Vendor List

The Colorado Regional Health Information Organization has published an Approved Technology and Business Services Vendor List. Click here for the lists.

Why contribute to ClinicNET?

ClinicNET is not a membership or fee-for-service organization and does not require financial contributions from the affiliated clinics it serves, however additional funding helps us continue to:
Ø  Advocate for and increase the recognition of affiliate clinics as key safety net providers
Ø  Support clinic participation in strategic patient care initiatives such as patient-centered medical home and quality improvement initiatives
Ø  Inform state and national health policy and administration
Ø  Provide education, resources and technical assistance
Ø  Improve the HIT/HIE capacity of clinics
Ø  Facilitate improved clinic data collection
We hope you will consider a generous contribution in support of our valuable efforts. Click here for a contribution form.

US Dept of Health & Human Services Center for Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships flu resources

Seasonal Flu Guide for Faith and Community organizations and leaders  (4 page brief on flu facts, flu fighting action steps for leaders, ways to support vaccination)

Faith and Communities Fight Flu bulletin insert  (5 things community and congregational members can do to stop the flu, for bulletins, community notice boards etc.)

Free Patient Education Videos, Pamphlets in Spanish

AHRQ is offering health providers its 60-second patient education videos in Spanish for organizations to show on closed-circuit television or on their Web sites. These are:

• Taking Medicines - Conozca susmedicamentos
• Having Surgery - Consejos para la cirugia
• ER Visits - Consejos para cuando tenga que acudir a la sala de emergencia
• Gestational Diabetes - Diabetes gestacional
• Blood Clots - Los coágulos
• Osteoporosis - La osteoporosis

AHRQ also has new patient guides in Spanish or English on gestational diabetes, elective induced labor, cholesterol medications, breast biopsy methods, breast cancer risk-reduction drugs, premixed insulins, and other topics. Select to access the guides in Spanish and in English. You can also order a new bilingual guide, Como cuidarme: Guia para cuando salga del hospital/Taking Care of Myself: A Guide for When I Leave the Hospital.

Additional Funding Opportunities

Rural Emergency Responders Initiative
The Rural Development, through its community facilities program, provides funding for the Rural Emergency Responders Initiative to specifically strengthen the ability of rural communities to respond to local emergencies. The community facilities program funds are used to support rural emergency responder efforts by financing needed equipment and services. For more information, click here.

Respite Care Funding
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is offering grants to help alleviate the cost of respite care for families caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Funds may be used for in-home care, adult day programs or other types of respite. For more information, click here.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Community-Based Grants
Funding for breast cancer education, screening and treatment projects. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis. For more information click here.

CO Rural Healthcare Grant Program Intent to Apply Deadline Announced!

Grants will be funded for projects that support the rural health infrastructure and strengthen the capacity of rural entities to provide outpatient primary care services now and in the future. The maximum award amount is $50,000 per applicant. The Colorado Rural Health Center manages this grant program. For more information about the grant click here.
Important Dates

2011 RFA Posted: December 1, 2010
Intent to Apply Deadline: January 14, 2011
Application Deadline: March 9, 2011 at 12pm (noon)

For additional information, please contact Shelly Collings at the Colorado Rural Health Center: sc@coruralhealth.org
720-248-2742 or 800-851-6782

Fort Collins Family Medicine opens Walk-In Clinic

Congratulations to Fort Collins Family Medicine on the opening of their new walk-in clinic!

Health IT Stories

Interested in health information technology implementation stories? Click here.

Changes to Medical Practice Act and the "Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act of 2010"

New legislation is impacting a number of professions across the state with changes in licensing and registration requirements, responsibilities and deadlines. Affected professions include addiction counselors, advanced practice nurses, certified public accountants, electricians, licensed professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, physicians, podiatrists, social workers, surgical technicians and professions impacted by the Skolnik Transparency Act.  The Division of Registrations, part of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, is hosting informational sessions December 1 and 9 to address these changes. Each session will open with a brief overview of the division’s role in licensing and regulating more than 47 professions, occupations and entities, tools and resources available for professionals. Sessions specific to each profession will allow division staff to answer questions, distribute support materials and provide guidance on what is now required to do business in good standing in Colorado.

Specific impacts include:

·   Advanced Practice Nurses – new legislation resulted in changes to the Nurse Practice Act, including requiring renewal for Advanced Practice and Prescriptive Authorities in addition to each licensee renewing an RN license.

·   Health Care Professionals – Skolnik Transparency Act – requires additional healthcare professionals to meet new public profile disclosure requirements relating to licenses, affiliations, business ownership interests, disciplinary actions and other information, effective July 1, 2011. 

·   Mental Health Professions – Addiction counselors, licensed professional counselors, marriage and family therapists and social workers licensed or certified to practice in Colorado must meet new continuing competency requirements designed to ensure continuing professional development in order to renew, reinstate or reactivate their license after January 1, 2011.   

·   Physicians must understand the changes made during the 2010 legislative session by HB-10-1260 which continued the Medical Board and made changes to the Medical Practice Act.   

Questions may be submitted to Division staff at reglegislativeoutreach@dora.state.co.us. To register click here.

Interested in letting Govenor-Elect Hickenlooper know your thoughts and suggestions for healthcare in Colorado?

Submit your comments on his Partners for Colorado website. Click here.

Advocacy through stories!

As part of ClinicNET’s work to raise public awareness of the safety net scene in Colorado it is always helpful to have stories that can be conveyed to the public, government officials, media, etc., that illustrate and highlight the work of community-funded safety net clinics, your impact and insights and, of course, your patients personal perspectives and realities. To that end ClinicNET is interested in knowing if you would be willing to participate directly in some of our efforts, potentially being called upon to speak to the media, gov't officials, etc., and if you have any patients that would be willing to share their stories in person or with permission via you. Please email me directly if you are willing to be on our short list of go-to clinics. Thanks!   

Strategies to Improve the Infant Mortality Rate and Address a Health Disparity in Colorado

A Webinar Series For Providers: click here for more information.

Colorado Public Radio Survey

Colorado Public Radio (CPR) is asking professionals, executives, and volunteers in the health field to participate in a survey, to evaluate Colorado Public Radio’s health and health care coverage. The goal of this confidential survey is to understand how members of the local health care community feel about CPR’s coverage of health care issues, with the goal of improving the content. The survey can be found on www.CPRHealthSurvey.org.

Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program

Purpose: To support projects that support the rural health infrastructure and strengthen the capacity of rural entities to provide outpatient primary care services now and in the future. For more information about the grant click here.

Amount: Up to $50,000.

Dates: Grant guidance will be posted Dec 1, 2010. Applications will be due in early March.

Primary eligibility requirement: Project/Organization must be located outside of Colorado’s urbanized areas. Website to check for this is http://ims2.missouri.edu/rac/amirural/, click on the CMS – Rural Health Clinics Program. (You don’t have to be a  rural  health clinic, the 2 programs just use the same definition.) Places in urban counties are sometimes eligible, for example, Brighton and Fruita, so it’s good to double check.

Department of Health Care Policy and Financing October issue of At a Glance

This publication provides updates from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. October 2010 At a Glance

Kaiser Permanente Colorado and the Colorado Health Institute partner to conduct a first-of-its-kind state-level assessment of the magnitude and characteristics of this issue among primary care providers who serve low income and other vulnerable Coloradans.

Is lack of access to specialty services a problem for patients of your clinic? If you have not already responded, this is your opportunity to describe why or why not. This online survey is designed for medical directors of safety net clinics (including community-funded clinics, family medicine centers [residency programs], federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics) to help identify barriers to specialty care referrals as well as possible strategies for improvement. Other types of safety net providers may be included in future phases of the project.

The survey is administered on-line and consists of 31 questions. It takes about 20 minutes to complete. Results will be shared with survey respondents. Data compiled from the survey will also serve to inform stakeholders and community leaders, and may provide guidance for health care reform implementation. Although much of the survey is quantitative in nature, included are sections that allow you to describe the specialty care access challenges patients face in your own words, and they encourage you to take the time to provide us case examples as appropriate. Note that they will also follow up with a clinic administrator or data manager to ask four short items about patient and visit volume at your clinic.

Statement of Confidentiality

Your participation is voluntary and is critical to our understanding of access to specialty care issues in Colorado. All of your responses will remain confidential. They will combine your responses with the responses provided by others and report results in the aggregate only. They will first gain your permission if citing individual responses or quotations in future publications.

Please submit only one completed survey per clinical site. For example, if ABC Community Health Center operates two clinics, the survey would be completed by the medical director at each clinic. Although the decision of who responds to the survey is at your discretion, they request that it be a clinician (preferably medical or clinical director) who is knowledgeable about clinical referrals at your clinic. Feel free to solicit input from your colleagues to inform your responses to the survey.

Instructions for completing the survey:

To begin taking the survey, click on this link or paste it into your browser:

http://www.keysurvey.com/survey/329822/1d08/

At the end of the survey, click the Submit button.

If you are completing the survey for an additional clinic(s), click on the appropriate link below:

Second clinic link: http://www.keysurvey.com/survey/334254/3153/

Third clinic link: http://www.keysurvey.com/survey/334255/21e8/

Fourth clinic link: http://www.keysurvey.com/survey/334256/19f3/

Fifth clinic link: http://www.keysurvey.com/survey/334257/156e/

They request that you complete the survey by COB on Monday, November 15, 2010 as the results are due to Kaiser Permanente in early December. 

New website for ClinicNET!

Although still in need of a little fine-tuning (I think that never actually ends) ClinicNET is pleased to announce its new website! Please have a look and let us know if information related to your clinic requires any editing/updating.

ClinicNET is now also on Facebook and we have a blog, the Safety Net Scene! We are super cool!   

Maximizing Outreach, Retention, and Enrollment (MORE) Grant

If your clinic provides eligibility and enrollment assistance for Colorado Medicaid and the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) programs, you can apply for funding from HRSA, through the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.  The Maximizing Outreach, Retention, and Enrollment (MORE) Grant will fund outreach activities from January 1, 2011 through August 31, 2011 and awards range from $5,000 - $99,000.  Applications are due November 12 at 3pm MT, and award announcements will be made on December 17.

Interested in learning about Amendment 63?

For information visit:
http://www.amendment63.org/
http://www.coloradodeservesbetter.com/

Health Reform Hits Main Street

Confused about how the new health reform law really works? This short, animated movie -- featuring the "YouToons" -- explains the problems with the current health care system, the changes that are happening now, and the big changes coming in 2014.

Doctors Care and Mtn Resource Center Pediatric Clinic Physicians Recognized by CCMU!

On Friday Anne Nagashima, MD, volunter provider with Doctors Care and Ken Kutalek, MD, with Mountain Resource Center Pediatric Clinic (Conifer) were both awarded "Physician of the Year” by the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved.

Dr. Nagashima and Dr. Gary VanderArk, CCMU

Dr. Nagashima has logged more than 350 volunteer hours in the Doctors Care Clinic. In addition to providing expertise in female reproductive health issues, she seeks resources for her patients (prescription assistance, health maintenance screenings and mental health support) and resources for the staff by bringing in speakers on varied topics. In addition, she has acquired equipment for the clinic including a new exam table, colposcope and ultrasound machine. 



Dr. Ken Kutalek

Dr. Kutalek owns the Evergreen/Conifer Pediatric practices and has been caring for children and teens in the Evergreen/Conifer area for 25 years. In January 2009 Dr. Kutalek partnered with Mountain Resource Center to start a clinic funded by The Colorado Trust in order to realize his dream of being able to give all children top quality medical care regardless of income or insurance status. Dr. Ken, as he likes to be called, devotes all of his waking hours to running both his regular practice and the MRC Pediatric Clinic.

Grantwriting Service Available to Community-Funded Safety Net Clinics!

As part of the Colorado Rural Health Center’s continuing commitment to safeguard and expand rural healthcare, they provide a grant writing service, GROW (Grants: Research, Opportunities & Writing) available to individuals, groups, organizations, and communities. The GROW service’s overall goal is to provide grant writing resources to help ensure that comprehensive, affordable, high quality healthcare services are available at the local level in the state of Colorado. This service is available to all ClinicNET affiliated clinics. For more information click here.  

Undergraduate Pre-Health Program (UPP)

University of Colorado Denver – Anschutz Medical Campus & Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente Colorado partners with the University of Colorado Denver - Anschutz Medical Campus – Office of Diversity and Inclusion to manage the Undergraduate Pre-health Program (UPP); which provides summer internships for undergraduate students interested in pursuing the health care professions of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, research, and nutrition.

The program offers a paid internship for 10-12 weeks of the summer, education & training for 2 weeks of the summer to focus on health disparities that disproportionately affect the community, research opportunities, and access to simulation and cadaver labs.  Interns also attend Saturday Academies throughout the school year that included an array of topics from test preparation, and mock interviews, to writing personal statements required for application to the professional schools.

For more information, please contact:
Kaiser Permanente Office of Diversity Development - Andréa Law, 303-614-1524 or Andrea.N.Law@kp.org
Anschutz Medical Campus Office of Diversity & Inclusion -  Christian Valtierra, 303-724-8002 or Christian.Valtierra@ucdenver.edu

Community Medical Leadership Quality Improvement

~~SAVE THE DATE~~

For Medical Directors, physicians and mid-levels interested in organizational leadership
Topic:  Community Medical Leadership Quality Improvement
Date: Wednesday October 20, 2010
Time: 8:30 : 5:00 pm
Facilitators: Jan Ground, PT, MBA; R. Sam Larson, PhD; Jennifer Bajaj, MD, MPH
Location: Kaiser Permanente Regional Office, VOHS conference room
Attendance is free of charge
sylvia.kamau-small@kp.org or (303) 344-7304

HHS Launches Consumer Focused Website in Spanish

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled CuidadodeSalud.Gov, a website to help consumers take control of their health care by connecting them to new information and resources that will help them access quality, affordable health care coverage.

www.CuidadodeSalud.Gov

Partner site of HealthCare.gov

Kaiser Permananente's Healthy Choice Hotline

The Healthy Choice Hotline is a series of seven automated calls provided through an interactive voice response system.  It was developed by the Kaiser Permanente Pediatric Nutrition Services in collaboration with the actor/educators from Kaiser Permanente's Educational Theatre Programs and employs a creative "theatrical" presentation style.  The calls connect your families to a personal family coach, Jumpin’ Jack Johnson. Each week your families will spend about 5 minutes with Jumpin’ Jack setting family health goals for healthier eating and a more active lifestyle. These entertaining calls are designed for the whole family.
Register to participate  
Interested adults call the automated line from the Denver metro area at 720-857-7907 or outside the area at 1-866-868-7116. Participants do not need to be Kaiser Permanente members.  For more information visit www.HealthyChoiceHotline.org or call 303-239-7435.

The Healthcare Quality Coalition of Colorado (HQCC) presents:

Colorado Health Care: Linked Up and Plugged In

Friday, October 22, 2010, 8:30 – 4:30

Gallery @ Driscoll University Center, University of Denver

2055 East Evans, Denver, CO 80208

For more information and registration visit The Healthcare Quality Coalition of Colorado website  

EHR Vendor Symposium: Register now! Scholarships available!

ClinicNET and the Colorado Rural Health Center are hosting a one-time-only, one-of-a-kind, EHR Vendor Fair and Educational Symposium on October 13-14 at the Red Lion Hotel (Denver Southeast.) Vendors will each provide a one-hour demonstration of the key functionalities of their software using a “scenario driven” approach specifically tailored to rural hospitals, Rural Health Clinics and Community-Funded Safety Net Clinics. The vendors provide a range of options designed to fulfill the needs of small clinics and hospitals, and they've been gathered together so you can make a fully-informed decision. In addition, education on meaningful use criteria, vendor selection, contracting, and negotiation will be provided in our opening education session. We will have several additional educational sessions including workflow analysis, best practices for Compliance Officers and a special technical session for IT professionals on encryption!

Thanks to the generosity of COPIC Insurance, we are able to offer 20 scholarships for $50 each to help Rural Health Clinics and Community-Funded Safety Net Clinics cover half of the registration fee to attend. Scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis by emailing your name and organization to Sarah Mapes at sm@coruralhealth.org.

More details will be available each week, but REGISTER NOW to reserve your place--only $99 for a two-day event!

Custer County Clinic & Safety Net Clinic Week 2010!

On Monday, August 30 Gloria Stultz, state senate District 2 candidate, visited Custer County Clinic in Westcliffe. Terry Nimnicht, clinic administrator, and the staff welcomed Ms. Stultz with a tour of the clinic and a lively conversation about the challenges and rewards of the rural safety net clinic environment. Custer County Clinic is a Rural Health Clinic with a 24 hour emergency department, and is located in one of Colorado’s 14 rural counties that does not have a hospital.

Community Health Services and Safety Net Clinic Week 2010!

Community Health Services in Commerce City welcomed a visit from Kaarl Hoopes (State House District 32 candidate) during Safety Net Clinic Week. Pictured from left Dr. Andrew Halpern, Norma Portnoy, Executive Director Community Health Services, Kaarl Hoopes.

Also check out an article posted on the Denver Post's YOURHUB.COM!

Marillac Clinic & Safety Net Clinic Week 2010!

Please visit KJCT to view a piece about Marillac Clinic and Safety Net Clinic Week 2010.

Open Bible Medical Clinic and Safety Net Clinic Week 2010!

Open Bible Medical Clinic in Colorado Springs welcomed a visit from Pete Lee (State House District 18 candidate) during Safety Net Clinic Week 2010. From left Rev. Jeff Martin, Executive Director, Open Bible Medical Clinic and Pete Lee.

Chaffee People's Clinic & Safety Net Clinic Week 2010

Chaffee People's Clinic, Executive Director Cara Russell with a proclamation issued by the City of Salida recognizing Safety Net Clinic Week 2010.

Summit Community Care Clinic & Safety Net Clinic Week 2010!

Please visit the Summit Daily News for an article about Summit Community Care Clinic and Safety Net Clinic Week!

Welcome to the Safety Net Scene!

The Safety Net Scene is a new way for you to get the latest healthcare information!  We invite all safety net clinics to visit regularly, post questions and comments, and read past articles.  Everything is organized and archived to make it accessible and useful!  Take some time to check out the format, and let us know what you think.

If you have questions, please email sharon.adams@clinicnet.org. Enjoy your reading!