NGA names four states for chronic care collaborative

The National Governors Association (NGA) announced Tuesday that Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon and Pennsylvania have been selected to participate in the NGA's new learning collaborative on integrating chronic disease prevention services.

According to NGA, chronic disease is a major contributor to rising healthcare costs in the United States, accounting for 84 percent of healthcare spending. To address one of the root causes of rising costs, state public health officials focus on preventive care by promoting physical activity and better nutrition, smoking cessation, screenings for cancer and diabetes and programs to help people control their blood pressure and asthma.

For more information, click here.

New web resource for tracking public policy

The Colorado Trust launched a new section of its website dedicated to tracking and informing public policy issues that could affect the health and well-being of Coloradans. The new section of the site includes information about federal, state and local  laws, regulations, bills, judicial decisions and political events. It  highlights information about Colorado health and fiscal policy, federal health care reform and national health policy, and provides daily news updates, links to key publications and health policy-related websites.

Building Medical Homes: Lessons From Eight States with Emerging Programs

The Commonwealth Fund reports on eight states that are at different stages in the development and implementation of a medical home program and have relied on different strategies to encourage primary care providers to adopt the model, including developing state medical home qualification standards instead of  adopting national standards. Click here to read the full report.

State Health Spending Gap Widens

Kaiser Health News reports that a state-by-state breakdown of estimated health care spending found that the  gap is broadening between the highest-spending and lowest-spending states. Click here to read the complete article.

Update to the Colorado Medicaid EHR Incentive Program

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing continues to work on implementing the
Colorado Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, through which eligible health care
professionals and hospitals can receive incentive payments for adoption and meaningful use of certified EHR
technology.

> Medicaid Program Status Update

Mental Health Care in Colorado

In 2003, the Mental Health Funders Collaborative, a group of eight Colorado grantmaking foundations, commissioned TriWest Group to conduct an assessment and critical analysis of the public and private mental health systems in Colorado. The Status of Mental Health Care in Colorado was published that year and revealed alarming data about the lack of mental health care funding and access to care for people in the state. It also published, for the first time, information about Colorado’s many overlapping and fragmented systems for providing mental health services.

In response to these findings, four Colorado foundations partnered to create Advancing Colorado’s Mental Health Care (ACMHC). Visit the ACMHC website for more information about the project.

CICP Proposed Rule Changes

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing has submitted a draft proposed rule concerning the  Medical Assistance Rule Concerning the Colorado Indigent Care Program.

A hearing on the proposed rule is set for Friday, January 13, 2012 at 09:00 am at The Capitol Center, 225 E. 16th Ave., 6th floor, Denver CO 80203. For more information about the proposed rule, you can contact Judi Carey, MSB Coordinator at 303-866-4416 at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

If you want to provide feedback on the proposed rule or amendment to help us make that determination, please email opr@dora.state.co.us before Tuesday, December 20, 2011.

Announcing Medicaid.gov

The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) has launched http://medicaid.gov, the first Federal government website devoted to the policies and the people of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This website is the culmination of efforts at the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services to revitalize and reorient the information the Federal government makes available about these programs. Medicaid.gov brings to the forefront the items that States, the health policy community and other stakeholders have said they care about most, including: Federal policy guidance; lists of pending and approved waivers; highlights of our Affordable Care Act implementation efforts; State-specific program information and data; and improved search capabilities.

OHAC! is now OHCO

OHAC! has evolved into Oral Health Colorado (OHCO). Visit their new website for more information.

Healthy Communities Update: Mental Health & Substance Abuse

Through its Behavioral Health Initiative, the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance is working to advance the diagnosis and treatment of depression for clients on Medicaid and CHP+. Medicaid now covers depression screening for adolescents aged 11-20, using a screening tool (questionnaire) at the child’s periodic well child visits. This screening gives health professionals an indication of a possible problem and a reason to do further evaluation either by the primary care provider or a mental health specialist. More than one million teens in the U.S. suffer from depression, yet less than one-third of those teens receive help. If you would like more information, please contact Lisa Waugh, lisa.waugh@state.co.us.

Health Information Technology and Quality Webinar

"Tips for Overcoming the Gray Areas of Meaningful Use Stage 1 for Safety Net Providers"

Tuesday December 13, 2011, 2pm EST

This webinar provides tips and guidance of how safety net providers, such as health centers, critical access hospitals, and rural health clinics can overcome common gray areas of meeting Meaningful Use Stage 1 objectives. Gray areas are objectives within the final rule that are still not clear to providers.  Presenters from the Regional Extension Centers (REC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will review these problem areas based on previous comments and questions directed to HRSA, CMS, and ONC staff from safety net providers. These areas include: dealing with vendors and other EHR issues; attesting data to CMS and State Medicaid programs; troubleshooting quality measures; and other Meaningful Use Stage 1 problems that safety net providers have encountered.  In addition, this webinar will include a presentation by CMS Staff on "Adopt, Implement, and Upgrade" (AIU) of electronic health records. Presenters include staff from both the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Regional Extension Centers.

Questions to presenters are welcome ahead of the event and may be emailed to healthit@hrsa.gov To register:  http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=84138124

 
Email questions or comments to HRSA's Health IT mailbox at: healthit@hrsa.gov<mailto:healthit@hrsa.gov>
 
Previous HRSA Health and Quality Webinars are available at: http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit

Eligibility & Enrollment Quarterly Work Group Meeting

December 15, 2011; 10:30am-12:00pm

The Colorado Eligibility and Enrollment Medical Assistance Program Quarterly Work Group Meeting will be held at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, 225 East 16th Avenue, Denver CO, 80203 in the First Floor Conference Room.

• Call in Number: 877-820-7831
• Passcode: 439283#

Agenda Items:

1. Interfaces - IEVS and Auto Re-Enrollment
2. Pre-HMO
3. Cost Sharing
4. Manual Enrollment Update
5. Open Discussion

Questions Can Be Sent To: Workgroup_COEEMAP@maximus.com
Early Questions Are Encouraged

BHH Learning Collaborative Webinar: Changing the way we deliver and pay for health care in Colorado

Date: Friday, December 16, 2011
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM MST
Presenter: Edie Sonn, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC)

Americans pay about twice as much for their health care as citizens of most other industrialized countries, yet our health ranks lower than many of these nations. A large part of the problem is that our health system compensates providers for volume of services provided, rather than making people well. CIVHC, in collaboration with a diverse group of stakeholders, is working to change this. This webinar will focus on CIVHC’s initiatives to improve outcomes and control costs through payment reform.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/304715561
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

The Health Care Innovation Challenge

On November 14, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services released a funding opportunity announcement for the Health Care Innovation Challenge. Under this Challenge, up to $1 billion dollars will be awarded to innovative projects across the country that test creative ways to deliver high-quality health care services and lower costs to people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, particularly those with the highest health care needs. 

The Health Care Innovation Challenge will support public and private organizations including clinicians, health systems, private and public payers, faith-based institutions, community-based organizations and local governments. Innovative approaches from these organizations that can begin within six months of award and demonstrate a model for sustainability post-award will also be given priority. 

ClinicNET Affiliate Survey!

ClinicNET is honored to serve Colorado’s community-funded safety net clinics! This affiliate clinic survey will help us understand our impact, your needs and how we can improve our work. We greatly appreciate your feedback by Friday, December 16^th.

Dec. 8th Conf. Call on the Affordable Care Act and Behavioral Health

Hosted By the HHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Conference Call on the Affordable Care Act and Behavioral Health (Mental Health and Substance Abuse)

Thursday, December 8 at 12:30pm EST

PowerPoint slides will be available on Wednesday by clicking here.

Please submit any questions you have advance of the call to ACA101@hhs.gov.

Updates from HCPF

Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing's November At a Glance

Webinar: Introduction to PEAK for County and Community Partner Staff

The PEAK Outreach Team is offering 1.5hr Introduction to Peak webinars that explains why PEAK was created, what functionality is available in it, ways it can be used to assist clients, and what resources are available to you.

These webinars are open to any staff. Webinars will occur from 9:00 - 10:30AM on the first Wednesday of every month.

• To join the Introduction to PEAK webinar on December 7, 2011, please click HERE and then enter the password: peak
• To hear the audio portion of the presentation, call (712) 432-0220 and enter the access code: 5642211#

Additional Introduction to PEAK webinars will be offered on the following dates from 9:00 - 10:30AM:
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

Check on the PEAK Training Calendar for details on how to log into these additional webinars.

December 8 Webinar on 2011 Colorado Health Access Survey

Register now for a free webinar on the 2011 Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS), hosted by The Colorado Trust and the Colorado Health Institute, on Thursday, December 8, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. The CHAS is the most extensive survey in Colorado of health care coverage, access and utilization. A follow-up to the 2008-2009 Colorado Household Survey, this survey is administered every other year via a random sample telephone survey of more than 10,000 households across the state. Click here for more information and to register for the webinar.

Ready for AwDC?

Medicaid expansion to Adults without Dependent Children (AwDC) who earn incomes up to 10% of federal poverty level is launching in March 2012. First come, first serve up to 10,000 will be enrolled. Only those between the ages of 19 and 64 who earn single incomes of less than $91 a month will qualify for this first round (10% of poverty for a family of two is $123 a month). What does your clinic and staff need to be ready? Based on your responses the Connect Campaign is working to put together toolkits and webinars to prepare folks for the expansion. Please let me know your thoughts…

brooke.powers@clinicnet.org

Making Sense of Multiple Delivery System Reform Efforts

The following is an excerpt from an article by The Commonwealth Fund. The complete article is available on their website.

The list of delivery system reform efforts that are currently being designed, planned, and implemented, in both public and private sectors, is impressive. We have patient-centered medical homes, health homes, accountable care organizations, initiatives to reduce avoidable rehospitalizations, programs to improve transitions to and from nursing homes, and health information exchanges, to name just a few. Considered individually, many of these efforts may potentially both improve health care and bend the health care cost curve. But how do we view, reconcile, or make sense of these, as a whole? Are they competitive? Duplicative? Counterproductive? I would say no. Instead, I believe that they are synergistic strategies to move us toward the higher goal of a more "organized delivery system."

Click here to access the rest of the article.

Colorado Voices for Coverage Conference

December 1, 2011; Doubletree Denver
The Colorado Voices for Coverage will be focusing on Colorado's Health Benefits Exchange, and will feature lessons learned from other states and speakers from the Exchange's Board of Directors and the Legislative Implementation Review Committee.

Conference Details:
Thursday, December 1st, 2011
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Crystal Ballroom Doubletree Hotel Denver
3203 Quebec St, Denver, 80207

> Register Now

New IHI Course

The IHI Open School for Health Professions is now offering MHO 101: Achieving Breakthrough Quality, Access, and Affordability. The course presents a basic framework for designing, operating, and improving complex systems of care that can be applied for rapid gains in performance.

IHI offers additional courses in quality improvement, leadership, patient safety and patient- and family-centered care. The entire course catalog is available online.

Courses are free for students, residents, and university faculty who teach courses. All other IHI Open School resources, including videos, case studies, and the Chapter Network, are available to anyone free of charge.

NEW! Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS)

The Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS), a program of The Colorado Trust and administered by the Colorado Health Institute, is the only statewide survey that focuses on Coloradans’ health insurance status, access to care, usage of health care services, and affordability. The 2011 CHAS found that an increasing number of Coloradans (more than 1.5 million) are uninsured or underinsured. Click here to visit the CHAS website and download more information, reports, and briefings.

Colorado Health Benefits Exchange Website

The Colorado Health Benefits Exchange has launched its new website: www.getcoveredco.org. This is an informational website to help the public stay informed about the Exchange and participate in the planning process. A new website will be built for the Exchange when it opens for business in October 2013.

CICP Proposed Rule Changes

The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing is considering changing rules that will impact both CICP providers and clients and would like to solicit feedback from advocates and stakeholders before pursuing any changes. Stakeholders were presented with the proposed rule changes at the October 27th Stakeholder Forum and based on discussions, the Department has determined further analysis will be needed. A follow-up to those proposed rule changes is available for download.

Please respond to cicpcorrespondence@state.co.us by December 8, 2011 with your feedback. Thank you for your continued participation.

2011 General Session Recap

The Colorado Health Institute recently published a look-back at Colorado’s 2011 General Session activities and a brief look-forward to the upcoming session.  It is available online.

PAP Application Software Demonstrations

The Pharmacy Connection is software to help in obtaining free medicines from the pharmaceutical companies' Patient Assistance Programs. It is intended to reduce the amount of time it takes to complete PAP applications.

A series of online demonstrations are being offered if you are interested in learning more. They will be offered live at 10am on November 18th, 21st, 29th and December 2nd, 7th, 13th, and 16th, or they are available anytime at www.vhcf.org. To register for one of the live demonstrations, email juliet@vhcf.org with the date you are interested in.

Health Care Innovation Challenge

The Health Care Innovation Challenge will award up $1 billion in grants to applicants who will implement the most compelling new ideas to deliver better health, improved care and lower costs to people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, particularly those with the highest health care needs. Click here for more information including a Nov. 17th webinar.

Health insurance estimates available from the US Census

The US Census released small area health insurance estimates for 2009.  View insurance status estimates by income, age and sex in every county in Colorado, as well as throughout the country.

Proposed changes to CHP+ cost-sharing

New cost-sharing changes are being proposed for the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+). Upon final approval on November 18, there will be changes in both the annual enrollment fee and copayment structure. This factsheet from Health Care Policy & Financing describes the changes.

PEAK Webinars

PEAK is an online service to screen and apply for medical, food, and cash assistance programs.

Introduction to PEAK Webinars for County and Community Partner Staff
1.5 hour Introduction to PEAK webinars, covering the rationale behind why PEAK was created, what functionality it has, what support materials and other resources are available, and how you can use PEAK to assist clients.

Open to any staff. Webinars will be held from 9:00-10:30AM on the first Wednesday of every month beginning in November.

To join: click HERE and then enter the password "peak"
To listen: call 712.432.0220 and enter the code 5642211#

Additional Introduction to PEAK webinars will be offered on the following dates from 9:00 - 10:30AM:
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

PEAK Support Calls
Monthly support call for PEAK, covering questions from organization staff, best practices, and collaborating to improve the system. Due to the nature of the issues discussed on past calls,  the first half hour will be reserved to talk through county and the medical assistant site concerns and observations and the second half hour will be used to address questions from community partners.

Calls will be held on the first Thursday of each month from 9:30-10:30AM.

To join: call 712.432.0220 and enter the code 5642211#

Application Walk-through Webinars
1.5 hour session covering the PEAK screener and a portion of the application so that you can familiarize yourself with the questions being asked. These sessions will provide plenty of time to ask questions and discuss how best to utilize PEAK to assist clients.

Application Walk-throughs will be held from 1:00-2:30PM on the second Monday of each month beginning on November 14th.

To join: click HERE and then enter the password "peak"
To listen: call 712.432.0220 and enter the code 5642211#

Check on the PEAK Training Calendar for details on additional webinars.

Updates from CHP+ and HCPF

Child Health Plans Plus: Quarterly Newsletter

Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing's: At a Glance

ICD 10 Billing & Coding Webinar

Thursday, November 10; 9am-12pm MT
Susan Whitney with R.T. Welter & Associates, Inc. will be leading a webinar on ICD 10 Billing & Coding. Participants will learn about ICD 10 Documentation as well as Billing & Coding updates. Susan will identify practical ways to be proactively prepared for the future and discuss the November Coding Bootcamps scheduled around the state. This educational activity is geared towards clinicians, billing and coding staff at rural hospitals and clinics. Registration is now open for this educational opportunity. For more information and to register please contact Courtnay Ryan at the Colorado Rural Health Center at cr@coruralhealth.org or by phone at 303.309.6807. All healthcare providers, particularly physicians, are invited to attend.

Senator Bennet Releases ACA Grant Guide

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet has released a comprehensive collection of information on the pilot projects, grants, and workforce development initiatives available to Coloradans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Check out the Guide to Grants resource.

Job Listings: Medical Director & Practice Manager

The Marillac Clinic in Grand Junction has two open positions: Medical Director and Practice Manager

Practice Manager: Works under the supervision of the Executive Director in regard to clinical issues and supervises the Medical & Dental Front Desk Supervisors. Duties include: oversee the daily administrative front office operations while coordinating with back office clinic functional needs; analyze day-to-day processes & procedures to develop most efficient and effective work flow and workloads for highest level of patient care; oversee compliance with Medicaid procedures, processes, and practices; oversee financial data related to clinical administrative functions; maintain continuing relationship with clinical Directors to ensure effective policy & program development and implementation and initiate change where necessary; work with providers and staff to implement clinic goals and objectives; serve as an internal resource center for Medicaid and overall administrative clinical functions; serve as primary contact for inquires of staff and patients; address problematic situations; serve in a leadership capacity for department; implementing and analyzing strategic goals; troubleshoot billing errors and is a point of contact for patients with concerns in this area; work closely with Finance Manager around areas of billing and data reporting; exhibits understanding of financial goals and monitors daily flow of patients and patient schedules.

Medical Director: Provides clinical leadership to the integrated medical care team of Marillac Clinic. Responsible for the delivery of professional integrated primary medical care services, both acute and chronic, to patients. Manages administrative functions of the medical department, such as QA projects, team meetings and oversight of midlevel positions. Works in alignment with the clinic administration and clinical directors to achieve strategic planning goals. Oversees dept budget and fiscal management. Leads change management in the medical integrated care dept. Colorado licensed, more than five years experience in primary care or internal medicine, prior administrative experience preferred. Generous benefit package.

More information and application instructions are available at www.marillacclinic.org.

Save the date for The Forum 2012

April 11-13, 2012; Denver, CO

The Forum 2012: Essential Perspectives for Safety Net Providers will be co-hosted by ClinicNET and the Colorado Rural Health Center. The conference will be held at the Denver Sheraton West Hotel. Please save the date and watch for more details to come!

Free Download: EHRoutlook's Guide to EHR Adoption

EHRoutlook.com is offering a free white paper download of useful sites and articles offering tools for EHR success.  This document includes where to find general EHR background and information, how to build a medical home, security and privacy resources, and helpful sites for practice managers and physicians.  Resources are offered by stage of EHR adoption, including for the still-learning physician, for the ready-to-buy physician and for the EHR-using physician.

What do Coloradans Want from Colorado’s Health Benefit Exchange?

CCHI, the Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP) and the Colorado Public Interest Research Group (COPIRG) conducted focus groups around the state in order to find out what consumers understood about, and wanted from Colorado’s exchange. They recently released the report of their findings.

Read the executive summary and/or full report from the focus groups

EHR Incentive Program Resources

Transcripts, presentations, and audio files on calls about the EHR Incentive Program are now available online.

CMS’ National Provider Call on July 14, 2011, “Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Basics for Eligible Professionals,” provided basic information on the Incentive Programs for eligible professionals.

CMS’ National Provider Call on August 18, 2011, “Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program: Understanding Meaningful Use,” provided information about the meaningful use requirements of the EHR Incentive Programs.

Materials from both of these calls can be found under the Presentations for Providers section on the Educational Materials page of the CMS EHR Website. More information on the EHR Incentive Programs is available on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs website.

CMS Webinar on Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records

The CMS Kansas City Regional Office, in collaboration with the CMS Denver Regional office, is offering Webinars / Teleconferences pertaining to the Electronic Health Records Incentive Program.

This session will begin with a brief presentation followed by time for participants to ask questions. Registration is not required. The session will accommodate 100 webinar participants and 200 teleconference participants on a first come, first served basis.

Understanding the Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records
Friday, November 18, 2011 – 12:00-1:00 PM MT
Audio Conference Line: 877-267-1577
Meeting ID: 5452

Upcoming CICP Stakeholder Forum

Thursday, October 27, 2011; 9am-12pm

The CICP Stakeholder Forum will be held next Thursday morning at 225 E. 16th Ave., 9th Floor, Conference Room 9A/B.  If you would like to call in, instructions are below:

Access number: 1-877-820-7831 or 1-720-279-0026
Room number: 496143#

HRSA Webinar: Tips for Going Live with a Health IT System

Friday, October 21, 2011; 12:00-1:30 PM MDT

This webinar will explore the experiences of safety net providers who have gone live with a health information technology (IT) system in the last 18 months. Even with much preparation, it is difficult to prepare for all the unexpected bumps in the road. Speakers will present lessons learned and provide tips for successfully planning and triaging problems during the first weeks of going live. Topics include:

• The impact on a provider’s clinical and business workflow;
• Making critical changes with your health IT vendor;
• Meeting meaningful use stage 1 functionality; and
• Identifying useful resources and/or training.

Speakers will also provide advice on change management and how to ensure that this period does not affect patient care. The webinar will cover both primary and inpatient care for rural and urban safety net providers.

Click here to register.

Consider attending the Accountable Care Collaborative Program Improvement Advisory Committee!

As the Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC) Program launches through the Regional Care Collaborative Organizations (RCCO) please consider attending the ACC Program Improvement Advisory Committee. These meetings are open to the public. The next ACC Program Improvement meeting will be held on October 31, 10AM to noon. Additionally 4 Subcommittees are being established: Quality Health and Improvement; Payment Reform, Delivery System Integration; and Provider Outreach. Intererested in serving on a subcommittee? Contact Kathryn Jantz with CO Dept. of Health Care Policy and Financing at 303-866-5972 or Kathryn.Jantz@state.co.us

Open Forums - Community Clinic Licensure

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is hosting two open forums to hear comments regarding community clinic licensure.

Date and Location of Open Forums:
Friday 10/14, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
4300 Cherry Creek Drive, South 80246, Building C, Conference Room CIE

Friday 10/21, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
4300 Cherry Creek Drive, South 80246, Building A, Board Room, 5th Floor

Background: The Board of Health conducted a rulemaking hearing on the proposed community clinic regulations on September 21, 2011 and granted a continuance until November 16, 2011 to allow CDPHE to take additional stakeholder input. Click here for more information including the draft of the proposed regulations deliberated by the board.

Check out Updates from CDPHE and HCPF

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s: Healthy Communities Update (HCU)

Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing's: At a Glance

Archived Webinar: Leveraging the Social Determinants of Health

This course, sponsored by the Institute for Alternative Futures & Kresge Foundation, is now available for safety net clinics.  It has been reviewed and accredited for up to 1.50 Prescribed credit(s) by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).  Upon completing the webcast, please submit the evaluation for this course which will appear at the end of the session.

Click here to access the classroom.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Safety net clinics routinely go beyond providing only clinical care to individual patients, to “leverage the social determinants of health” (SDH) on behalf of their patients and communities. Yet little is known systematically about this. And much of the differences in health outcomes and health disparities are shaped, not by health care, but by other factors, particularly from the social determinants of health, such as education, jobs, housing, transportation, access to nutritional foods and neighborhood safety.

This Webcast will feature a panel of leaders and directors who are active in leveraging the SDH, describing their activity and preliminary lessons along with perspectives from The Institute for Alternative Futures (IAF), along with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and Clinical Directors Network (CDN).  It will present examples and insights on current developments and will engage participants to describe and enter their examples onto the IAF project’s webpage. For example, your clinic probably has a WIC program. Do you have job training or education efforts, build schools, enable septic tanks and wells in rural settings, work with police to enhance neighborhood safety, build bike trails and parks, low income housing, skilled nursing facilities, childhood development centers, provide parenting education, foster farmers markets and community gardens? What other activities could your clinic do? How are these supported, staffed, made effective, and measured? Please join us and share your experience and your plans!

Costco Wholesale Corporate Contributions Program

The Costco Wholesale Corporate Contributions Program supports nonprofit organizations in company operating communities throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as international locations. Grants and product donations are provided to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions that address the areas of children's issues, education, and health and human services. Local organizations should submit requests to the Warehouse Manager at the nearest Costco. Grant or donation requests which impact a broader region should go through the appropriate regional office. Requests may be submitted throughout the year. Visit the company’s website to review the donation and grant eligibility guidelines.

Class: Managing Ongoing Health Conditions

This FREE Healthier Living Colorado class is being offered to anyone 18 or older who would like to gain control over ongoing health conditions.  The class will be held Tuesdays for six weeks.

When: 6-8:30pm every Tuesday for six weeks, October 11 - November 15
Where: AdvocacyDenver office, 1905 Sherman St. #300, Denver, CO 80203
How Much: FREE
Other Info: Snacks and drinks will be provided; child care will not be provided; one workbook per group (if you bring a family member or a friend, you will share one workbook)

To enroll or to ask questions, contact Alex Andrews at 720.841.8326 or aandrews@advocacydenver.org.

Latest Estimates of Colorado’s Uninsured

Earlier this month, the U.S. Census Bureau released information on Americans’ income, poverty, and health insurance coverage for 2010. Nationally, median household income declined and the poverty rate increased. While the number of Americans without health insurance increased, the overall percentage was not statistically different from the previous year. The Colorado Health Institute (CHI) released a report on state-level findings, noting that Colorado was the only state that recorded a statistically significant decline in the number of uninsured individuals between 2007-08 and 2009-10. Read CHI’s report.

Free Clinic Establishes Home Base

St Benedict Health and Healing Ministry has established a home base for its offices and free clinic operations, which serve East Boulder County.  Although they have been in Boulder County for six years, this is the first time they have had a central location.  They intend to increase the number of free clinics they provide to serve the medically underserved individuals in the area. Read more in a recent Boulder Daily Camera article.

Proposed Changes to CHP+

The Medical Services Board is proposing new cost sharing requirements for the Children’s Basic Health Plan (CHP+). As outlined in the proposed rules released on Monday, the annual enrollment fee for families with incomes between 200 and 250% of the federal poverty level would be $75/ year for one child and $105/ year for two or more children. The proposed rules would also increase co-payments based on family income. The initial approval date and public comment hearing on these proposals is October 14. Please click here for more information about the meeting and contact Alicia Haywood if you have any questions or feedback.

Get Fit: A Rocky Mountain Youth Program to Reduce Childhood Obesity

This article is an excerpt from an article in Health Policy Solutions, written by Katie Kerwin McCrimmon.

Group appointments represent one of the newest trends in health care. They help medical practitioners save time and create support communities for patients. Dr. Kim White and nutritionist Beth Ondrako found that they could give the same information to multiple people at once. And, if some “no shows” forget to come, the providers haven’t wasted their time. On this day, the turnout is great and the conference room is packed. Organizers have encouraged family members to attend since getting fit is a family affair. The group meeting also helps take away the stigma of coping with weight issues.

Welcome to cutting-edge care in the escalating war on child obesity.

“It lets the kids be in an atmosphere where they understand that there are a lot of kids who struggle with the exact same thing,” Ondrako said. “You touch more people’s lives in a group,” said White. “They get to interact with each other. It’s more fun. We want them to follow through. These kids are not thinking, ‘Oh, I have to be worried about diabetes someday.’ We try to find what inspires them. Why is this better for me? Maybe it’s so I can run faster.”

Dr. Cheryl Saipe, a pediatrician at Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics, created the Get Fit Clinic in 2006 because she and other providers were seeing so many children who were overweight and obese. Ondrako later came up with the idea of giving kids a written prescription to get fit. Now, during well-child visits, providers can give any family the prescription and invite them to join the Get Fit Clinic.

Nearly 650 children have participated in Get Fit since 2007 and another 147 have enrolled so far this year. Interest has been so high recently that Ondrako, the nutritionist, has doubled the time she spends each month at clinics in Denver, Thornton and Aurora. Organizers hope to expand funding next year to reach children at their mobile and school based clinics.

Altogether, the nonprofit provides care for more than 35,000 children during 55,000 visits a year. There are traditional pediatric clinics like this one in Denver along with non-traditional sites throughout the Denver area.

Most of the patients – 85 percent – come from low-income families whose children qualify for public health programs like Medicaid and CHP+. White estimates that more than half of all the kids she sees are obese. Among children ages 10 to 15, the numbers are even more staggering. “My guess is that over 85 percent are obese. It’s an epidemic,” White said. “Patients and parents are finally beginning to realize it’s a problem. In the past, we’d hear, ‘He’s fine. He’ll outgrow it.’” Yet, even when parents are willing to tackle obesity, they need help. And medical providers can’t do much to reverse the complex problem in short annual well-child visits.

Without intensive follow-up care, children and families stick with the same old patterns and come back year after year with ever-increasing weights that forecast lifelong health problems from diabetes to heart disease.

Childhood obesity in Colorado is increasing at the second fastest rate in the country. And the epidemic is especially pronounced among children of color and low-income kids.

In order to succeed, the Get Fit program very deliberately does not focus on weight loss. Rather, it’s much more about making incremental changes that promote a healthy lifestyle. “They’re not going to change because we tell them to do it. No one can do it for the child. You want them empowered with knowledge to change their lives,” White said. Lasting results are measured in small steps. Providers at Rocky Mountain tell children that every person’s body looks different and that’s fine. They encourage family members to focus on maintaining their current weight. Then, over time, as children grow taller, they will almost certainly grow leaner. And, healthy habits can last a lifetime.

To read the complete article, click here.

Hunger Free Colorado Summit

October 5, 2011; 7:30am-4:45pm; Doubletree Hilton Denver Tech Center
Registration is now open for the Hunger Free Colorado Summit 2011. Click here to view the agenda and register.  This one-day event will unite nonprofit organizations, faith community leaders, government representatives, and foundation and corporate leadership for a full day of cross-sector learning.

Grant Opportunity

The Breast and Women’s Reproductive Cancers Fund Advisory Board has announced a grant opportunity resulting from the 2010 Colorado income tax checkoff program. Grants are capped at $5,000 and the work must be completed by June 30, 2012. Proposals are due on September 30, 2011 by 10:00 pm. For more information and the application, go to: http://coloradocancercheckoff.org/grants

Colorado HealthStory completes pilot phase!

ColoradoHealthStory, a three-year project of the Colorado Rural Health Center, ClinicNET and the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved, recently completed the pilot phase of their story collecting project. Modeled after the award winning StoryCorps, Colorado HealthStory invites Coloradans to tell their own health story and begin a dialogue about health care across our communities. Colorado HealthStory, funded in late 2010 by The Colorado Trust and The Colorado Health Foundation, is working to create an appreciation of our shared experiences of health, one conversation at a time. Everyone has a story to tell, whether it be the joyous birth of a baby, the moving experience of sitting with a dying parent, a journey of remarkable healing, the perspective gained from providing care or struggling to navigate our complicated healthcare system.

Colorado HealthStory staff began gathering audio recordings this summer in three focus communities: Rocky Ford, Summit County and Aurora. After collecting and editing a body of stories in each community, HealthStory gathered community members together for a local forum and listening session. During the forums, storytellers, providers, elected officials, advocates and other members of the community were able to listen to collected stories and speak about local shared health issues. Health profiles for the region were presented at each forum which highlighted recorded stories and local health data. This fall, HealthStory staff will hit the road again to record stories in three additional communities.

Advocacy-Focused Lunch and Learn: Patient Safety and Quality

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011

Children's Hospital Colorado is hosting a Lunch and Learn on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at their facility in Aurora, which will feature leading local experts who will discuss how to serve as a child's number one advocate when it comes to health care.

Often, parents and caregivers don’t know how to efficiently and effectively participate in the process so that their voices and concerns are addressed as decisions are made. This event will teach parents and caregivers how to communicate with health care providers to receive the information they need to make important and informed decisions for their kids. Children’s Hospital Colorado’s chief quality officer, Dan Hyman, M.D., and Family Voices’ executive director Christy Blakely will provide useful information about available resources as well as helpful tips and tools so that families can get the safe and quality care they need, when they need it.

For more information or to sign up, please visit: Children's Hospital Colorado.

HIT & Quality Webinar: Impact of ICD-10 on Safety Net Providers

Friday, September 23, 2011; 2:00-3:30 PM EST

Are you aware that there are ICD-10 conversion activities that need be completed by January 1? Do you understand how ICD-10 will impact you?

This webinar will provide technical assistance and examples of how safety net providers from various settings have begun planning to comply with the health industry’s conversion to a greatly expanded and fundamentally new coding system for the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10).

As a prerequisite to ICD-10 compliance, healthcare organizations are also required to adopt updated electronic transaction standards, known as HIPAA 5010, by January 1, 2012. Failure to address this issue in a timely manner may lead to an inability to bill Medicaid and Medicare. Providers who have not begun the planning and budgeting process need to become more proactive and work with their billing and health information technology providers/managers to assess where their operations stand relative to the ICD-10 final rule. Developing strategic plans and taking action now will help to mitigate late-stage rushes for compliance during the last months of this year.

Webinar presenters will discuss the ramifications of failing to meet compliance deadlines, and highlight ICD-10 resources that are available to safety net providers. In addition, they will touch on the strategies to avoid implementation bottlenecks.

Registration Link: http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=50985353

WebEx Meeting on Medicaid Expansion

September, 27, 2011; 3pm MDT

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing will be hosting a WebEx meeting to discuss the Adults without Dependent Children Expansion and the proposed 1115 Demonstration Waiver, to be submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. During this session Department staff will share lessons learned from other states, updated information about the AwDC population in Colorado and information about benefits, eligibility and timing. Prior to submission of the section 1115 Demonstration Waiver, the Department is interested in your feedback regarding the approach.

To join the online meeting

1. Go to https://acs-inc.webex.com/acs-inc/j.php?ED=156888052&UID=1163348452&PW=NNGVmMmYxYWJi&RT=MiM2 
2. If requested, enter your name and email address.
3. If a password is required, enter the meeting password: awdc1
4. Click "Join".

To join the teleconference

• Call-in toll-free number: 1-866-581-1933 (US)
• Call-in number: 1-517-876-5009 (US)
• Participant access code: 747 030 5

For assistance

1. Go to https://acs-inc.webex.com/acs-inc/mc
2. On the left navigation bar, click "Support".

Meeting information
Meeting Number: 794 080 175
Meeting Password: awdc1

Colorado Health Foundation Public Comment Hearings

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers is reviewing the Colorado Health Foundation's proposal to sell its interest in the HCA-HealthONE hospital system to its joint venture partner, HCA Holdings Inc. The Attorney General has determined that the proposed $1.45 billion transaction does not fall under the Colorado Hospital Transfer Act, which means that if he ultimately approves the sale, proceeds would be obtained and managed by the Foundation.

This sale is being evaluated carefully since it could have significant ramifications on Colorado health care.  Among the criteria being considered:

• The transaction must serve the public interest.
• The Foundation must receive fair market value for the sale of its 40 percent interest.
• The Foundation must maintain its historic charitable mission and function.

To ensure public comment on this important matter, the Attorney General has scheduled hearings regarding the proposed sale on the following dates, times and locations:

• Monday, Sept. 26, 6-9 p.m. at Rose Medical Center, 4567 E. 9th Ave. in Denver
• Tuesday, Sept. 27, 9 a.m.-noon at Skyridge Medical Center, 10101 Ridgegate Parkway in Lone Tree

If you cannot attend one of the meetings but would like to contribute comments to the Attorney General's Office concerning the hospital transfer, you can do so via hospitaltransfer@state.co.us or by sending a letter to 1525 Sherman St., 7th floor, Denver, CO 80203.

To learn more about the Attorney General's analysis of the proposed transaction and the upcoming hearings, read this news release from the Attorney General's office.

HCPF and MAXIMUS Workgroup Meeting

September 22, 2011; 10:30 AM to 12:00PM
This workgroup meeting will cover CHP+ manual enrollments, the volume coming into MAXIMUS, the top five reasons community partners contact MAXIMUS, PEAK, and the interfaces.

Teleconference Information
Participant Dial-in Number 877-295-0961
Event Pass Code 99877563

Questions can be sent before and during the meeting to workgroup_coeemap@maximus.com.  The PowerPoint presentation will be sent September 20.

HCPF Information for Safety Net Clinics

Governmental departments publish regular newsletters containing valuable information.  Click on the link below to access this recent publication from the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing:

• At a Glance

KPStep program now open to new enrollment

The KPStep program provides Kaiser Permanente benefits at greatly reduced rates for up to 24 months to eligible individuals who otherwise could not afford health care. Monthly premiums are based on family size and income. The coverage includes a FREE health risk appraisal, preventive services, hospitalization, and pharmacy benefits. Some benefits are limited and this plan may not meet all your health care needs if you have a complex health condition or suffer a catastrophic event.

To be eligible for KPStep, applicants must meet certain criteria:

• Must live within Kaiser Permanente Denver/Metro service area
• Must be between the ages of 0 and 34
• Must be income eligible - see chart to the right
• Must not be eligible for an employer-sponsored health plan where the employer pays at least 50% of the cost of coverage
• Must not be pregnant at time of application
• Must not be in a hospice, nursing home, or other institution
• Must not be in need of a transplant referral or evaluation, on a transplant list, have end-stage renal disease, or had a transplant
•  Must not have coverage under a Kaiser Permanente Charitable Health Coverage Plan, unless coverage was as an underage or student dependent on a parent’s plan

Monthly premiums start at $18.15 for one person, and $36.30 for a family, based on family size and income (Premiums are subject to change). If you failure to send in your monthly payments, your coverage will end and you will be unable to re-apply.

For more information or to apply please contact Kaiser Permanente Community Information Line at 303-338-3490 (TTY for the deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired: 1-800-659-2656), weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Download the KPStep materials:

• Application (Spanish application coming soon)
• Brochure
• Flyer
• Premium & Income Chart 

New resource for health insurance education

The Colorado Division of Insurance has launched a new website and education campaign to help consumers better understand their health insurance.  This is an excellent resource to which you can direct patients who have questions.

You can also download the related materials for distribution:

• Press release
• Brochure (printed versions available)

If you have feedback or ideas for the website, please contact Marianne Goodland at marianne.goodland@dora.state.co.us.

DOI is planning two webinars in September and three town hall meetings in October (Denver, Greeley, and Grand Junction).  More information about these events will be coming next week.

Connecting Health Education to Service: A Networking Event Oct. 13th

Thursday, October 13, 2011; 3 - 7 p.m.
University of Colorado at Anschutz Campus in Aurora, CO

This event is an opportunity for your organization to directly recruit physician residents and health care professional students as well as network with Colorado health care professional school staff and faculty. Health care professional students and residents will be able to learn about your site and explore the options available to them within the safety net clinics. The goal of this event is to encourage innovative solutions to the workforce issues facing Colorado, specifically within unique rural and urban communities where safety net clinics are located.

Free to attend, food and drink will be provided.  Travel reimbursement will be available for safety net organizations coming from at least 50 miles away.  Registration is required. Please RSVP here!

CommunityConnections Blog Highlights

These two blog posts from The Colorado Trust are worth a read!

Health Reform from the Perspective of the Business Community
by Kelly Brough, President & CEO, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Insights from the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce's 8th Annual Health Care Policy Breakfast

The Role of Patient Navigators in Decreasing Health Disparities
by Chris Armijo, Program Officer, The Colorado Trust
The Affordable Care Act offers the opportunity to reduce health disparities through patient navigators

ClinicNET talks Patient Centered Medical Home

ClinicNET and the Colorado Rural Health Center have released a brief on the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model to support the model and provide services to assist clinics in pursuing certification or designation.

We believe that health information technology, health information exchange, and the use of registries and other tools help to assure that patients in PCMH model get quality care when and where they need it.  Quality care is culturally and linguistically appropriate, and is provided at an appropriate health literacy level.  Download the PCMH brief to learn more.

› PCMH Landscape Brief

IMPORTANT: 2011 Salary & Benefits Survey

ClinicNET is thrilled to announce the 2011 Salary & Benefits Survey for community-funded safety net clinics.  Support and technical assistance for this opportunity has been made available to ClinicNET by the Colorado Provider Recruitment program, a service of the Colorado Rural Health Center. We hope that your clinic will participate in this valuable project. The deadline for completing the survey is September 19, 2011.  The report based on this survey, to be available in early 2012, will be:

• A valuable component for evaluating existing salary and benefits structures for selected employees
• Useful when addressing compensation questions
• A component for determining the economic impact of your organization
• Completely CONFIDENTIAL; all reported data will be in aggregate, and no one other than ClinicNET and CRHC will have access to individual health clinic information

Survey Document
The 2011 Salary & Benefits Survey is an Excel document; please note that this document includes four spreadsheets:

• TAB 1 contains the instructions for the contact information portion of the survey
• TAB 2 contains the survey tool for contact information
• TAB 3 contains the instructions for the salary and benefits portion of the survey **
• TAB 4 contains the survey tool for the salary and benefits information

**Many clinics utilize volunteer clinicians, administrators, etc.  Please place a “V” in the salary and benefits columns for those individuals and indicate in the FTE column if their volunteer work is fulltime (1.0), part-time (.5), quarter time (.25), etc. Aggregate information on the number of volunteers providing services is helpful to ClinicNET as we continue to provide education about the health care safety net in Colorado.

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CLICK HERE to download the survey

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Important Notes

• Please have one person at your clinic complete the survey. If you are not the appropriate person to complete this survey, please ensure that the appropriate person receives the survey.
• You may either complete the survey as an electronic Excel document (preferred), or print it out and fill it in by hand.
• Completed electronic surveys should be emailed to Brooke Powers at brooke.powers@clinicnet.org.
• Completed paper surveys should be faxed to Brooke Powers at (303) 832-7496. 
• NOTE:  If you receive a security warning about macros when opening this document, please choose “Disable Macros”.  You will not lose any functionality with your spreadsheet.

Participation Incentives
We understand that completing the survey will take time, and that you all are very busy.  As incentives for participation:

• Persons submitting surveys by the September 19th deadline will be entered in a drawing to win one of four $25 gift certificates from Amazon.com.
• The 2011 Salary & Benefits Report is scheduled to be released in early 2012.  All organizations that submit a completed survey will receive one free copy of the report.

What Will Be In the Final Report
The final 2011 Salary & Benefits Report will contain:

• Average salary and salary ranges by position title
• Average dollar amount of benefits, plus the average benefits as a percentage of the average salary
• Salary and benefits information for executive level employees (Executive Director, Fiscal Director, etc.) and for clinical providers and clinical mid-level staff broken down by years of employment
• Information based on (4) Regions; Front Range, South Central, Eastern & Western Colorado

ICD-10 Webinar

September 20, 2011; 12-3pm

Register now for a webinar offered by the Colorado Rural Health Center, covering ICD-10, documentation, billing and coding updates, as well as identify practical ways to be proactively prepared for the future.  All health care providers, particularly physicians are invited to attend.

Click here for more information and to register.

Eligibility Verification Interfaces are Live as of August 29th

To make it easier for applicants for public programs, CBMS (Colorado Benefits Management System) will interface with other systems to receive information about the applicant's income and citizenship.

Covering Kids and Families has information on these interfaces, which will be of interest for those who do application assistance as well as public policy staff.  Please contact Christy Trimmer if you have questions.

Clinics celebrate Safety Net Clinic Week!

Highlights of Safety Net Clinic Week 2011 include:

• Chaffee People's Clinic in Salida was featured in an article in The Mountain Mail and the Chaffee County Times.
• Community Health Services in Commerce City hosted a visit from Congressman Perlmutter staff members, Jerry Pifer and Jose Rodgriguez. Additionally, the Commerce City Sentinal ran Community Health Services letter to the editor!
• Congressman Coffman staff member, Jennifer Creager, & State Rep. Gerou visited Mtn Resource Center Pediatric Health Clinic in Conifer.
• Congresswoman DeGette staff member Andrea Autobee visited Rocky Mountain Youth Denver Clinic.
• State Rep. Kefalas visited Fort Collins Family Medicine.
• Congressman Gardner staff member, Maria Secrest visited North Colorado Family Medicine.

Update on State Medicaid Expansion to Adults without Dependent Children

The Colorado Dept. of Health Care Policy & Financing has made decisions regarding expanding Medicaid coverage to adults without dependent children (AwDC), including when and how the expansion will begin and who will be eligible in the first phase. Please click here to read the update provided by The Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved's Connect Campaign. ClinicNET participates in the Connect Campaign and other efforts to educate and help inform policy decisions. We would love to hear your concerns about the expansion and ideas for how the expansion can best move forward. Please email Brooke Powers at brooke.powers@clinicnet.org with your thoughts.

Webinar for Potential Colorado Health Foundation Applicants

Thursday, September 8; 12-1pm; Register Now

The Colorado Health Foundation is hosting an application information webinar for prospective grant applicants.  The webinar gives representatives from health-related nonprofits a chance to learn about the Foundation's grantmaking program.  During the webinar, Foundation staff will provide a concise overview of the application process, including:

• How to prepare applications
• Important proposal requirements
• A step-by-step walk-through of the online application process

Staff also will review the Foundation's funding priorities and take questions about any part of the process.

This webinar requires advanced registration, so please register now.  Please note that participation in the webinar is not a required part of the application process.

IHI National Forum Funding Available

Kaiser Permanente has generously awarded a grant to ClinicNET, allowing us to offer funding to help safety net clinic leaders travel to and attend the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) conferences and seminars, including their National Forum in December. IHI is world-renowned for their work to improve healthcare and patient safety, and helps accelerate improvement by cultivating concepts for improving patient care, and helping health care facilities put those ideas into action. For more contact Brooke at brooke.powers@clinicnet.org.

Interested in saving money on supplies and services?

Endorsed by COPIC and the Colorado Medical Society, GroupSource CO-Power group purchasing program will provide a free, no obligation analysis that compares the prices you currently pay to CO-Power’s negotiated price. They currently service over 5,000 physicians in private practice. Local and national references available at your request. Contact Taylor at 720.858.6179 or tschierburg@groupsourceinc.com for more information.

All About ACCs and RCCOs

Interested in knowing more about the Accountable Care Collaborative and the Regional Care Collaborative Organization?  Read CCHAP’s August 2011 Newsletter.

Happy Safety Net Clinic Week 2011!

Doctors Care kicked off Safety Net Clinic Week 2011 with a visit from State Representative Kathleen Conti!

CDC Outpatient Infection Prevention Guide & Checklist

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a guidance document and checklist specifically highlighting basic infection prevention practices in outpatient settings.

Key points from the outpatient infection prevention guide and checklist include:

• Safe medical injection practices must always be followed.  Health care personnel should use aseptic technique when preparing and administering medications.  Syringes and needles should not be reused either from patient to patient or to reenter medication vials.
• Procedures for the safe handling of potentially contaminated medical equipment - reusable medical equipment should be cleaned and reprocessed appropriately prior to use on another patient.
• Good hand hygiene, including use of alcohol-based hand rubs and hand washing with soap and water, is critical to reduce the risk of spreading infections in outpatient settings.

New Opportunitites

Funding Opportunity
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has released the RFA for the People's Garden Grant Program (PPGP).  The program is designed to facilitate the creation of produce, recreation, and/or wildlife gardens in urban and rural areas, which will provide opportunities for science-based informal education. Successful applicants will provide micro-subgrant support to smaller local projects. Applications must be received by Grants.gov by 5pm EST on Friday, August 26. The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA-NIFA-OP-003503.

Board Service Opportunity
Board members are being sought for Unidos por la Salud-United for Health (Unidos), a non-profit organization with a mission of maximizing Latino health and reducing disparities by accelerating strategic partnerships in advocacy, leadership, best practices, and research.  Representation from the Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest regions are needed (Front Range region is full).  If you are interested in serving on the Unidos Council, please complete this form and submit it to Cathy Garcia, c/o Action 22, PO Box 697, Pueblo, CO  81002, cathy@action22.org.

Learning Opportunity
Registration is now open for Raising the Bar 2011: Elevating Adolescent Sexual Health and Promoting Social Justice conference on October 19 and 20.  Click here to register for this two day conference. Check out more details about the conference including the schedule at a glance, details on pre-conference institutes, and information about the venue at the Raising the Bar conference website.

Ethics Symposium: Ethical Relationships in Times of Limited Resources

Friday, September 16, 7:30am-4:00pm
Arvada Center
6901 Wadsworth Blvd.
Arvada, CO 80003

Keynote Speaker T.R. Reid will be speaking on moral issues in health care from a national and international perspective, and many other distinguished speakers will cover topics from patient safety to evidence-based medicine. Click here for more information.

$75 fee includes registration, educational credits, breakfast and lunch.  Call 303-689-4595 to register.  Please register by August 31.

Fit and Healthy Families

Kaiser Permanente Nutrition Services has developed a new resource with tips and resources for families related to healthy eating and active living  Feel free to download them and distribute them to patients, or contact Michele Gilson, Lead Pediatric Nutrition Services at 303-614-1072 or Michele.Gilson@kp.org with questions or for free copies of the English version.

Fit and Healthy Families
Fit and Healthy Families (Spanish)

"Implementing Person-Centered Care in the Primary Care Setting" Free Presentation Aug. 29th

What does person-centered care look like in a primary care setting? Why does it matter? And finally, how can you partner with the Colorado Health Foundation to advance the practice of person-centered care? For answers to these questions and more, attend a special presentation from the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care.

"Implementing Person-Centered Care in the Primary Care Setting"
Monday, August 29, 2011
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Denver Botanic Gardens
Gates Hall
1007 York Street
Denver, CO 80206

The Event is FREE
RSVP to Sara Overby

Why should you attend?
Experts from the Institute will give an up close and personal look at what person-centered care looks like in the real world of health care from the perspective of patients, families, staff, physicians and administrators. In addition, you will have an opportunity to provide input for how this practice should look in Colorado. Following the presentation there will be a question and answer session. This is an excellent opportunity to establish a relationship with the Institute to brainstorm projects.

What will they discuss?

• How to define person- and family-centered care
• How to recognize what person- and family-centered care looks and feels like
• Why it is important
• What are the benefits of providing person- and family-centered care
• What tools should be used to create effective partnerships
• How to identify consulting, training and technical assistance opportunities

In 2012, the Colorado Health Foundation will be funding organizations and projects that advance the practice of person-centered care. Brenda Sears, program officer for Health Care, will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about applying for grants in this area.

HCPF Information for Safety Net Clinics

Governmental departments publish regular newsletters containing valuable information.  Click on the links below to access these publications from the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing:

• At a Glance
• CICP Communicates (Colorado Indigent Care Program)

The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program is now offering SAVE Webinars.  Attend a 90-minute training webinar on Tuesday, August 23, 12pm MST, to see a live demonstration of the web-based method for accessing the online SAVE system.  Participants will understand how to log into the online system, run a SAVE query, and review case statuses.  It also provides participants an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the program. Pre-registration isn't necessary, just enter your name and email on the "Attend Session" page.  All questions and inquiries can be addressed via email to SAVE.help@dhs.gov.

Governor proclaims 8/22-26 Safety Net Clinic Week!

Governor John Hickenlooper has proclaimed August 22-26 to be Safety Net Clinic Week for the State of Colorado!  In an effort to raise awareness of Colorado's health care safety net providers, we encourage your clinic to participate in this second annual event, which is being sponsored by ClinicNET and the Colorado Rural Health Center.  This week is devoted to educating the public and policymakers about these vitally important health care clinics - Community-Funded Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs) and federally certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).

For information on how your clinic can participate, click here.  To view the official proclamation, click here.

Free healthy eating/active living resource for kids

MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it) is a FREE healthy eating, active living resource for kids 7-13 years old and their families.  The program is designed to teach kids in this age group about exercise and nutrition through fun activities such as games and cooking classes.

Classes are twice a week, last 10 weeks, and begin on the day listed:

• Denver: Southwest YMCA, 5181 W Kenyon Ave.
• Starts Sunday, September 11
• Every Sunday 3-5pm & Tuesday 6:30-8:30pm
• Denver: Manual High School, 1700 E 28th Ave.
• Starts Tuesday, September 13
• Every Tuesday & Thursday, 6-8pm
• Lafayette: Arapahoe/Boulder Valley YMCA, 2800 Dagny Way
• Starts Tuesday, September 6
• Every Tuesday 5:30-7:30pm & Sunday 2-4pm
• Boulder: Mapleton YMCA, 2850 Mapleton Ave.
• Starts Wednesday, September 7
• Every Wednesday 5:30-7:30pm & Sunday 2-4pm
• Lafayette: Angevine Middle School, 1150 W South Boulder Rd.
• Starts Monday, September 12
• Every Monday & Thursday, 5:30-7:30pm
• Longmont: YMCA, 950 Lashley St.
• Starts Tuesday, September 13
• Every Tuesday 6-8pm & Saturday 10am-12pm
• Frederick: Carbon Valley Rec Center, 7021 5th St.
• Starts Tuesday,September 20
• Every Tuesday 6-8pm & Saturday 10am-12pm
• Pueblo: Pueblo YMCA, 3200 Spaulding Ave.
• Dates and times to be determined
• Colorado Springs: Southeast YMCA, 2190 Jet Wing Dr.
• Dates and times to be determined

To register someone in the class, the attached two forms will need to be completed with the family, and will require a primary care provider's signature.  If you have questions about MEND or would like to sign up, please call Michele at 303-614-1072.