Clinic "Toolkit" for Safety Net Clinic Week 2011

Celebrate Safety Net Clinic Week 20ll!

CLINIC “TOOLKIT”

In an effort to raise awareness of Colorado's health care safety net providers, we encourage your clinic to participate in the second annual Safety Net Clinic Week, August 22-26, 2011. Sponsored by ClinicNET & the Colorado Rural Health Center, the week is devoted to educating the public and policy makers about these vitally important health care clinics - Community-Funded Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs) and federally certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs.) We have created a “toolkit” to help clinics participate in Safety Net Clinic Week 2011. Included in the “tool kit” are many easily customizable pieces, click on each to open:

·        Safety Net Clinic Week Short Overview and Logo (content for your website, blogs, social media, newsletters, email signatures...)

·        Letter to the Editor (for submission to your local paper)

·        Safety Net Clinic Week Invitation (consider inviting city, county, or state officials and local business and community leaders to visit your clinic during Safety Net Clinic Week. *see helpful links below)

·       Safety Net Clinic Week Fact Sheet (include with any invitation extended and in addition to specific information about your clinic, use as speaking points during Safety Net Clinic Week)

·        Safety Net Clinic Week Press Release (submit to your local media.)

·        Governmental proclamation (request a proclamation from your city and/or county)

ClinicNET and the Colorado Rural Health Center will be doing a general statewide press release and extending invitations for site-visits to our congressional delegation and targeted outreach to certain state legislators and other officials.  Please let us know if you do schedule any visits for Safety Net Clinic Week. We would like to provide you with further support for visits.

*Links to Identify your Elected Officials:

Ø  Identify your U.S. Representative, State Senator, and State Representative

Ø  Identify your County Commissioners

Ø  Identify your members of local government municipalities

If you have any questions, concerns or ideas please contact Brooke Powers at brooke.powers@clinicnet.org

Behavioral Health Care Workforce Summit August 4th

Thursday, August 4 ~ 8:30am-4:30pm

PPA Event Center   2105 Decatur St., Denver, CO 80211

Think you have something to say about our behavioral health care workforce? Then register now for Mental Health America of Colorado's upcoming INTERACTIVE Summit! Learn about projects from around the state, but most importantly, come be a part of the discussion to shape the future of our workforce!  To see the detailed agenda for the day, please click here.  Highlights will include: Dennis Mohatt, member of The Annapolis Coalition on the National Behavioral Health Workforce Steering Committee and Director of WICHE's Mental Health Program, will discuss national trends;  The emerging role of consumers and families in mental health care; Networking with state departments, behavioral health providers, advocacy groups, community health organizations, consumer and individuals in recovery and their familes; Innovative programs and ideas around integration and training in Colorado!

BHH Learning Collaborative: Building Public Will to Achieve Access to Health July 25 Webinar

Title: BHH Learning Collaborative: Building Public Will to Achieve Access to Health
Date: Monday, July 25, 2011
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM MDT
Presenter: Scott Downes, Senior Project Director, The Colorado Trust

The Colorado Trust, in partnership with The Colorado Health Foundation, recently launched a grant strategy aimed at increasing the awareness, understanding and support necessary to help achieve access to health for all Coloradans. A core component of this public will-building strategy is effective messaging and communications about health coverage and care in a persistently challenging environment.

Scott Downes will share learnings from the early stages of the public will-building strategy, including an overview of the project, a look at who’s involved and what they’re doing, and a summary of findings from public opinion research.

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/22390220

Facilitating Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition Seminar Sept.13-14 in Denver

Taught by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) staff that developed the new standards, NCQA's Facilitating Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition Seminar in Denver Sept.13-14 will present tools to help your clinic become a recognized patient-centered medical home. Their program staff will be available to assist with questions participants may have regarding the application process, ISS tools, etc.

Shortage of Family Doctors in Colorado Intensifies

According to a recent story on KUNC, Colorado doesn’t have enough primary care physicians and the shortage is expected to worsen in coming years. Read more and listen here.

National Library of Medicine launches MedlinePlus Connect

The National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library and a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has formally launched MedlinePlus Connect. This free service allows health organizations and health information technology (HIT) providers to link patient portals and electronic health record (EHR) systems to MedlinePlus.gov, a trusted source of authoritative, up-to-date health information for patients, families and health care providers.

Primary Care Fund Award amounts

According to HCPF, the Primary Care Fund Applications have been reviewed and award amounts are awaiting final approval. Notification of award amounts has been pushed back to the week of July 25th.  

Colorado Oral Health Network Meeting Friday, July 22

Oral Health Colorado invites you to participate in a COHN (Colorado Oral Health Network) meeting on Friday, July 22 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. The meeting will be held at the Rose Community Foundation, 600 South Cherry Street, Suite 1200, Denver.  This will be an opportunity to get together to discuss issues that pertain to the oral health safety net in Colorado.  Click here to review the agenda. Please let Karen know if you are planning to attend. A light lunch will be provided.

Karen Cody Carlson, Executive Director, Oral Health Colorado
executive.director@oralhealthcolorado.org
www.beasmartmouth.org

HCPF Provider Bulletin

Click here to read HCPF's latest Provider Bulletin.

"Tips for the Safety Net Community on Using Health IT within a Patient Centered Medical Home"

On Friday, June 24, 2011, HRSA Health IT and Quality hosted a webinar "Tips for the Safety Net Community on Using Health IT within a Patient Centered Medical Home" to provide technical assistance examples of how safety net providers can successfully use health IT in transforming a health center or rural health clinic into a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH). Colorado’s very own (Bill Bolt), CIO/Practice Administrator from the Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center, a rural health clinic in Walsenburg, CO, was a presenter. He discussed the experience within his practice of becoming an NCQA recognized PCMH and how “meaningful use” facilitates a PCMH’s objectives. To view this or other past webinars, or to register for upcoming webinars, please click here. (This webinar will be available on the website soon.)