Diabetes Prevention Program: CAAH New Class Schedules

“Live Well 4 Diabetes Prevention Program: FREE classes, hosted by the Center for African American Health, starting this fall in your neighborhood- contact Michele Duvall at (303) 355- 3423 ext. 113 to register or for additional program information. Click here to view the schedule of new classes.” [Source: COPrevent]

Articles and Publications

Through A Client’s Eyes: 10 Findings from the 2013 Survey of Clients in Colorado’s Medicaid Accountable Care Collaborative Program
August 28, 2014 – The Colorado Health Institute

For more Articles and Publications, visit the ClinicNET website.

Safety Net Clinic Week Recap

Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 was a great success! There were 24 individual site-visits from elected officials and candidates for office, 4 open houses, and 5 proclamations announcing Safety Net Clinic Week 2014. In the latest ClinicNET Conversations blog post, Sharon Adams reflects on the week and the record number of site-visits and how it left her feeling particularly inspired. "I am confident that with so many leaders taking an invested interest in learning about the health care safety net, we are getting closer to achieving our vision that Colorado’s vulnerable populations participate in and are well-served by a health care system that promotes healthy individuals living in healthy communities." Click here to read more!

We want to extend a big thank you to our Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 Coordinator, Tom Crowe, who returns to Colorado College for his senior year next week! ClinicNET enjoyed having him with us for the summer! We will miss him!

Andrea Autobee-Trujillo from Congresswoman Diana DeGette's Office and Tom Crowe with ClinicNET visited Robin Dickinson, MD at Community Supported Family Medicine!

Cheers to a great Safety Net Clinic Week 2014! And of course, thank you to COPIC and Kaiser Permanente for your generous support. And last but not least... "thank you to everyone who supported and participated in Safety Net Clinic Week 2014, and for being an inspiration to me personally and to ClinicNET in our role as a centralized voice for the safety net. I’m already looking forward to next year!" - Sharon Adams. Don't forget to check out our Facebook page to see pictures from the week!

   

Nominate a Community Champion!

“The CCMU Annual Luncheon will be held on September 23rd at 11:00am-1:00pm at the Space Gallery (400 Santa Fe Drive in Denver). The theme this year is Health is Connected, highlighted by our keynote speaker Liz Baxter. We aim to inspire change in the health care system with the power of a diverse range of stakeholders since we believe that health is connected. Investing in health helps communities flourish, and its role as a key part of our civic and social infrastructure is absolute. We often say that policy change accompanies community change in order to create more lasting, holistic change, and this event will focus on the collaborative, collective approach to health care systems change. Register here!

Liz Baxter is a seasoned leader and advocate for health and health care. She is currently the executive director of the Oregon Public Health Institute and board chair of Cover Oregon. Throughout her career, Liz has been a leader in recognizing and convening a diverse range of stakeholders to ensure that policy making is the result of valuable public engagement and different perspectives.

Each year, CCMU honors different members of the community who have been champions for the underserved. The Community Champion Awards can be for physicians, non-physician providers, and community advocates. Nominate those you work with who deserve to be recognized and celebrated! Click here for the nomination form. [Source: CCMU]

Request for Proposals: The Raising of America Mini-Grants

“The Early Childhood Colorado Partnership welcomes applications from individuals, organizations, and networks desiring to deepen conversations and take action to prevent adversity and buffer the impact of toxic stress in young children through hosting discussions using The Raising of America documentary series. Please review the Request for Proposals (RFP) which outlines the project scope, background, application details, project requirements, and selection criteria. Available funds, intended to defray convening costs, may apply to an array of events and convenings, ranging from living room conversations to multi-partner community events.

This RFP was informed by the discussion at the July 16th Progress & Possibilities event that included the identification of what supports and resources would help maximize the impact of the documentary statewide. Additional supporting tools will be made available to the Partnership network, including grant awardees. The Raising of America documentary series will be available for viewing this fall. Proposals are due Sept. 8.” [Source: COPrevent]

HCPF Updates and ACA Implementation News

"Register now to attend Colorado’s Building Better Health: Enroll 2015: Join hundreds of health coverage guides, assistance site navigators, certified application counselors, brokers, agents, community-based organizations and health advocates Oct. 14-15, 2014 as we rally together at “Building Better Health: Enroll 2015” — Colorado’s kick-off conference for the 2015 health coverage open enrollment period, beginning Nov. 15, 2014. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis so act now. Together, we will begin building better health for all Coloradans. Register now at: www.ColoradoHealth.org/betterhealthCOreg.

Training for County Eligibility Workers and Medical Assistance Sites: The Department will be delivering training to County Eligibility Workers and Medical Assistance (MA) Sites through Train-the-Trainer sessions and Regional Trainings.  In addition, an Online Training course will also be available. Additional information regarding the instructor led and online trainings will be available on TrainColorado.com. For more information about this training, please contact the Staff Development Center at SOC_staffdevelopment@state.co.us

From Coverage to Care: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created a series of videos to walk you through the basics of health insurance and health care. The “From Coverage to Care” videos have been added to Colorado.gov/Health. You can watch them in either English or Spanish.

Click here to view the latest issue of ACA Implementation News." [Source: HCPF]

Two grant opportunities for safety net clinics!

“The AMA Foundation and AmeriCares have both released Requests for Proposals for two separate grant programs supporting safety net clinics. Both grant programs will provide two-year grants of $10,000 to clinics to implement the CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). The goal of these programs is to increase the identification of prediabetes among clinic patients and improve their health-related outcomes.

Please note that while these programs are similar, they have separate application processes, implementation requirements and eligibility guidelines:

• AmeriCares Transforming Prediabetes Care Initiative grant application
• AMA Foundation’s Healthy Communities/Healthy America grant application
• Chart comparison of both grant programs

Interested clinics should carefully review both organizations’ programs to determine which opportunity is the best fit for them. Clinics will only be accepted into one of these two programs. The deadline for submitting your application/ proposal to both programs is September 22, 2014. We encourage you to consider applying for one of these grant opportunities. Contact information is provided on each organization’s web site should you have any questions.” [Source: AmeriCares and AMA Foundation]

Register for CIVHC’s Colorado Health Data Day

“If you had access to data, how could you improve the health of fellow Coloradans while lowering costs and improving the health care system? Learn what resources are available and engage in exciting discussion with like-minded attendees. Registration is now open for CIVHC’s first Colorado Health Data Day on September 26th, 9am-3pm. Click here to get more information. Please contact Stephanie Spriggs at sspriggs@civhc.org with any questions.”  [Source: CIVHC]

SIM Management Team Updates

• “The SIM Management Team will be hosting an all-day summit on November 20, 2014. More details to follow.
• The team organized the SIM plan into six “workstreams” to tackle the work ahead: (1) HIT and quality measures, (2) Payers and payment reform, (3) Data and evaluation, (4) Consumers and purchasers, (5) Provider and workforce, and (6) Service delivery and practice transformation.
• Each workstream will be led by individuals with specific and relevant expertise, and meetings will begin in September. If you are interested in participating please contact Connor Holzkamp at: connor.holzkamp@rootstocksolutions.com.” [Source: Colorado SIM]

Tobacco RFA Live Question and Answer Session 9/2/14 from 2:00-3:00pm

“Please join us for a live webinar on Tuesday, September 2 from 2:00-3:00 pm. We are holding the webinar to be responsive to the needs of our applicants and alleviate some of the confusion arising from the initial written question and answer process. During the webinar, CDPHE staff will be present to answer questions regarding the Request for Applications (RFA).  To join the meeting: https://cdphe.adobeconnect.com/tobacco_rfa/.” [Source: COPrevent]

Patient Navigator training fall schedule

“The Patient Navigator Training Collaborative announces new dates for various workshops. All Patient Navigator Training Courses are free to Colorado residents and new workshops are added regularly.

• September: Level 1 Patient Navigator Fundamentals; Level 2 Care Coordination; Level 1 Basic Motivational Interviewing
• November: Level 2 Advanced Health Literacy; Level 2 Bridging Theory and Practice
• December: Level 2 Facilitation Skills
• February: Level 2 Social Determinants of Health” [Source: COPrevent]

CCHAP Updates

“Medicaid Fee for Service Provider Rate Increases: REMINDER: Make sure your billing rates for Medicaid services are at appropriate levels based on these higher reimbursement rates while also keeping in mind the supplemental payments up to MEDICARE rates for E&M codes and vaccine administration codes. Medicaid will reimburse the LESSER of fee schedule rate (or applicable MEDICARE rate) or billed charges.

Medicaid provider rate increases were approved during the 2013-2014 legislative session and are effective for dates of service beginning July 1, 2014. Click here to access Medicaid fee schedules. The new July 1st, 2014 fee schedule will be available when approved by CMS. There is a 2% increase for most of the fee-for-service benefits. Click here to read more.

Click here to view the CCHAP Practice Manager Newsletter to see more on:

• Dental (Cavity Free at Three) Coding Changes
• Next CCHAP Practice Manager Meeting
• ColoradoPAR Prior Authorization Request (PAR) Denial Options
• CDPHE Maternal and Child Health Program
• Interactive Workshop for Practitioners” [Source: CCHAP]

Connect for Health Colorado Updates

• “The Connect for Health Colorado Board of Directors named Gary Drews as interim Chief Executive Officer.
• According to a recent analysis by The Urban Institute found Connect for Health Colorado to be “very competitive.” Read more.
• Save the date for the Open Enrollment Kick-off October 14 - 15 at the Crowne Plaza DIA (available via live streaming as well). The event will bring together health coverage guides, brokers and agents, carriers, community-based organizations and advocates for training on technical aspects of enrollment, as well as marketing, messaging and outreach. Mark your calendars and look for more information to come soon!
• Connect for Health Colorado customers will soon receive information about 2015 health insurance renewals from us and the health insurance carriers. For coverage beginning on January 1, 2015, that renewal will need to be completed by December 15th.” [Source: Connect for Health Colorado]

Highlights from Safety Net Clinic Week 2014!

We have had a very busy week! From the Kickoff Celebration at Inner City Health Center, to open houses, to site visits, to proclamations, this has been a Safety Net Clinic Week to remember! Here are some of our favorite photos highlighting the different activities taking place across the state.

Care Coordinator Stacia Rabith, CFO Wesley Sykes and Executive Assistant Cheryl King-Simmons from Inner City Health Center, smile for a photo during the 2014 Safety Net Clinic Week Kickoff Celebration.

Nurse Practitioners Deanna Tolmann (left) and Erin Bullock (middle) from Head2Toe HealthCare gave Priscilla Resendiz (right), Constituent Services Advocate for US Senator Michael Bennet's Office, a tour of their clinic as well as a run-down on the mission of the clinic and the scope of their practice.

State Senator Pat Steadman, Andrea Autobee-Trujillo from Congresswoman Diana DeGette's office, and fellows from Colorado Consumer Health Initiative visited the Kids In Need of Dentistry clinic at the Metro Denver Dental Society to celebrate Safety Net Clinic Week!

If you have any questions regarding Safety Net Clinic Week 2014, feel free to reach out to the 2014 Safety Net Clinic Week Coordinator, Tom Crowe at thomas.crowe@clinicnet.org or (720) 863-7805.

Apply Now for Amendment 35 Grant Funding

“The Amendment 35 Grants Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is pleased to announce the coordinated released of the following Requests for Applications (RFA’s):

• The Cancer Cardiovascular Disease and Pulmonary Disease Competitive Grants Program
• Health Disparities Grant Program
• The Tobacco Education, Prevention and Cessation Grant Program

We have aligned each of the three application packages to look similar, and created digital application folders which include all the required documents for each RFA. Please note that agencies must apply individually for each grant program in accordance with the guidance outlined in each individual RFA. All applications must be received by the Department by 5:00PM Tuesday, September 30, 2014.” [Source: COPrevent]

New Funding Opportunity from The Colorado Health Foundation: Infrastructure for Physical Activity

“The Colorado Health Foundation is excited to announce the opening of a new funding opportunity within the Health Living outcome area. In Health Living, the focus is to ensure every kid in Colorado has the opportunity to eat healthy and engage in physical activity.

The goal of this funding opportunity, Infrastructure for Physical Activity, is to provide convenient access to playground equipment for underserved kids in the K-5th grade age group in Colorado and foster community pride and spirit around the community playground. To be considered for funding, applicants must meet specific criteria and associated measureable results. Deadline is October 15, 2014.” [Source: The Colorado Health Foundation]

ICD-10 “Road to 10” Training

“Taking advantage of the extended ICD-10 implementation timeframe gives you even more control over your practice’s ICD-10 transition. To help your practice make the best use of this extension, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is excited to offer FREE ICD-10 training: Road to 10: A Small Physician Practice’s Route to ICD-10. The training is August 28th, 12:00-1:00pm at COPIC | 7351 E. Lowry Blvd. | Mile High Room | Denver, CO 80123. Click here to register.

• Study the basics, differences, and benefits of ICD-10
• Explore common codes, primers for clinical documentation, and clinical scenarios all broken out by specialty
• Create a customized Action Plan, personalized by specialty and practice details” [Source: CMS]

MAXIMUS Quarterly Work Group Meeting – Sept. 4th

“MAXIMUS’ and the Department’s quarterly workgroup meeting is September 4th, 10:30-11:30am. It will be held at 4500 Cherry Creek Dr. S. Suite 200 | Glendale, CO 80246 | Second floor conference room.  Click here to view the agenda. If you plan to attend in person, please let Tamara Paul-Reeff Tamaraapaul-reeff@maximus.com know by Friday, August 29th so we can ensure adequate seating.” [Source: MAXIMUS]

What Works in Colorado: The Center for African American Health’s Just Check It Program

“In Colorado, Just Check It is an evidence-based program that is designed to assist people who want to monitor and better control their blood pressure. Just Check It reaches out into the community at various events and through The Center for African American Health to connect with people who have high blood pressure and who want additional tools to help them control it. During a 2-hour orientation, The Center for African American Health staff discuss what hypertension is, how it affects the body and, most importantly, how to control it. In addition, the programs provide a tote bag full of information and materials to empower people to take control of their blood pressure and this includes a state-of-the-art blood pressure monitor, nutrition resources and other tools for getting healthy. For more information contact: Wendy Smittick at 303-500-2085 or visit our website at: www.caahealth.org.” [Source: COPrevent]

New Tools and Patient Resources on Hypertension

“The AHA has created these new tools to assist in the treatment and education of patients:

• Controlling Hypertension in Adults
• Understanding and Managing High Blood Pressure

These tools and a link to order free copies of the patient resource are available here.” [Source: COPrevent]

Medicaid now pays for post-partum depression screening in the child’s medical home – recommendations

“A medical home for children is the place that post-partum women covered by Medicaid are most likely to be seen by professionals able to administer and respond to pregnancy-related depression screening within the critical first two months after birth. This may provide a critical lifeline to women struggling with this treatable condition and help prevent potential negative effects of maternal depression on infants. So, the child’s health care providers are in a unique and key position to identify and treat post-partum depression, now more commonly referred to as Pregnancy-Related Depression (PRD). Click here to read more about screening tools, reimbursement, and implementation.” [Source: CCHAP]

Articles and Publications

The Enduring Importance of Colorado's Safety Net Clinics
August 20, 2014 - Sharon Adams, The Colorado Trust Blog

Obamacare Creates ‘Upheaval’ At Free Clinics
August 7, 2014 – Kaiser Health News

2014 Safety Net Primer
August 2014 – The Colorado Health Institute

How Many Uninsured Adults are Eligible for Medicaid?
July 9, 2014 – The Colorado Health Institute

For more Articles and Publications, visit the ClinicNET website.

Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 Proclaimed!

The State of Colorado, the City of Westminster and the City of Aurora have all proclaimed August 18-22, 2014 as Safety Net Clinic Week, recognizing Community Safety Net Clinics and federally certified Rural Health Clinics across the state!

CONCERNING RECOGNITION OF SAFETY NET CLINIC WEEK 2014

WHEREAS, there are 38 Community Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs) and 51 federally certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) located in 43 counties throughout Colorado; and

WHEREAS, these clinics were created by civic-minded individuals, health care professionals and systems, churches and other community organizations who recognized that there are countless individuals, children and families in need of access to health care services; and

WHEREAS, Colorado’s CSNCs and RHCs provide an estimated 878,000 visits to approximately 332,000 Colorado residents annually, many in rural and underserved parts of our state; and

WHEREAS, these clinics provide essential health care treatment and preventive services to vulnerable populations in communities throughout our state; and

WHEREAS, CSNCs and RHCs are safety net providers, serving primarily low income, vulnerable, at-risk Coloradans who are uninsured, underinsured or insured through public programs like Medicare, Medicaid or the subsidized health plans purchased through Connect for Health Colorado; and

WHEREAS, CSNCs and RHCs receive very little, if any government funding; instead they rely on a complex and vulnerable funding streams; and

WHEREAS, CSNCs and RHCs often lack human and technical resources, but are creating innovative solutions to delivering patient-centered, high quality care in an efficient and effective manner to their approximately 332,000 unique patients by some 878,000 patient visits each year; and
Therefore, I, John W. Hickenlooper, Governor of the State of Colorado, recognize that Community Safety Net Clinics and federally certified Rural Health Clinics provide essential health care services to Colorado’s underserved populations and areas; and

Express my appreciation and gratitude to all these clinics who dedicate their time, energy and resources to serving their communities; and

Do hereby proclaim August 18th – 22th, 2014,

SAFETY NET CLINIC WEEK in the state of Colorado.

Rocky Mountain Association of Diabetes Educators Conference on September 12

“Register now for the Rocky Mountain Association of Diabetes Educators Annual Conference on September 12, 2014. It will be held at the PPA Event Center | 2105 Decatur Street | Denver, CO 80211. Register today! Click here to view more information and the conference agenda.” [Source: COPrevent]

Check out the PEAK Outreach Team’s Outreach & Training site!

“You now have any-time access to community partner resources on the PEAK Outreach Initiative’s Outreach & Training site. To access the PEAK Outreach & Training site, click here or visit: www.sites.google.com/site/peakoutreachinitiative.

The site hosts a variety of outreach and training resources for community partners, including: important PEAK announcements and news; PEAK View newsletters; live webinar and training calendar; PEAK on-demand recorded webinars; PEAK user guides; and PEAK support call schedule.” [Source: Colorado PEAK]

Colorado Neurological Institute is now accepting applications for Associates

“The Colorado Neurological Institute (CNI) has undergone many changes over the past couple of years. We no longer have physician members and are now welcoming Physician, Research, and Allied Health professionals the opportunity to become associates of CNI. There is no charge. Slowly, we are gaining momentum and spreading our reach across the entire front range. We are breaking myths that we are associated with only one hospital. We are a stand-alone 501-c-3. We want our resources available to practitioners and researchers all across the state. More importantly, we want our services, our educational programs and our clinics trials to be available to patients and caregivers across the entire nation.

There is no charge to become an associate and any neurological patient across the region is welcome and eligible for our services and programs, regardless of who their doctor or provider is. All CNI Associates – regardless of where you practice – are encouraged and welcome to become a part of one of our active committees in research, education or patient services.” [Source: Colorado Neurological Institute]

2014 Corps Community Day Award Nomination Form

“Please join the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in recognizing outstanding National Health Service Corps and Colorado Health Service Corps participants and alumni. Nominate a NHSC or CHSC provider for an award to be presented at Corps Community Day, a celebration of loan repayment and primary care in Colorado. You may also nominate a student involved in a rural or urban track who has shown leadership and collaboration. The Corps Community Committee will review all nominations, and awards will be presented at the Corps Community Day and Awards Ceremony on October 10, 2014.

Nominations can address (but are not limited to): Exceptional Service to All, Outstanding Primary Care Provider, Community Leadership, Extraordinary Rural Provider, Connecting Public Health and Clinical Care, Exemplary Teaching, and Innovative and Creative Leadership. Please submit your nominations by Friday, August 29, 2014.” [Source: CDPHE]

Save the Date for OHCO’s Fall Conference

“Save the date for Oral Health Colorado’s fall conference, A Whole Child Approach for Health, November 13-14, 2014. Registration is $25. The conference will be held at the Sheraton Denver Tech Center | 7007 South Clinton Street | Greenwood Village, CO. Systems change doesn't happen with solo voices—many voices are needed to build a chorus in which everyone plays a part. Join us for this exciting conference where the "Smart Mouths Smart Kids" toolkit will be unveiled and participants can discover ways to implement school-linked oral health in their communities. The conference will focus on the whole child across the ages and stages of development, and is sponsored by Oral Health Colorado.” [Source: OHCO]

CU offers online motivational interviewing course

“The University of Colorado College of Nursing offers online training in Motivational Interviewing for Healthcare Professionals. Develop an in-depth understanding of motivational interviewing as an evidence-based approach to support client health behavior changes. All health care professionals who work directly with patients on issues related to health promotion or chronic disease management will benefit from this program. CME and CNE Credit offered. Click here for more information. Click here to view a sample video.” [Source: COPrevent]

New Fluoride Tools for Health Professionals and Parents Now Available

“The Campaign for Dental Health has shared five new fluoride resources for health professionals and fluoride advocates. In collaboration with the National Network for Oral Health Access, they have developed three guides for health professionals and two companion handouts to give to patients, parents, and caregivers. Links to the tools can be found on the Health Professionals page of the website http://www.ilikemyteeth.org/. They can be used separately or as a kit.” [Source: COPrevent]

Connect for Health Colorado Updates

• “A new Kaiser Family Foundation report considers the Colorado marketplace a success. The full report is now available.
• If you are receiving a tax credit for your health insurance plan, it’s time for a midyear checkup. If your income, family size or job status has changed, the IRS is urging people to report it to avoid any confusion come tax time. How you’re receiving your tax credit and any income fluctuations may require you to do some reconciliation on your 2014 taxes. Call our Customer Service Center, 1-855-757-6749, to report changes or find your information online.” [Source: Connect for Health Colorado]

Open Houses and Site-Visits During Safety Net Clinic Week 2014

Safety Net Clinic Week 2014 is right around the corner! Only 9 more days! We are very excited that so many clinics are participating in Safety Net Clinic Week this year.

So far, we have three open houses scheduled:

• Open Bible Medical Clinic, Tuesday, August 19th from 3-5pm
• Kids First Health Care, Wednesday, August 20th from 11-2pm
• Colorado Primary Care Clinic, all week (Aug. 18-22)

In addition to the open houses, there are site-visits with elected officials or candidates for office planned (or in the works) at the following clinics:

• ACS Community Lift Medical Services
• Ardas Family Medicine
• Carin' Clinic
• Children's Hospital Colorado Child Health Clinic
• Clinica Colorado
• Community Supported Family Medicine
• Fort Collins Family Medicine Center
• Head2Toe Health Care
• Kids First Health Care
• Kids in Need of Dentistry
• Marillac Clinic-Palisade
• Middle Park Medical Center at Waldern (Federally Certified Rural Health Clinic)
• Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics
• SET Family Medical Clinics
• Sister Joanna Bruner Family Medicine Center
• Southern Colorado Family Medicine
• Swedish Family Medicine
• Trinidad Family Medicine Center (Federally Certified Rural Health Clinic)
• Yuma Clinic (Federally Certified Rural Health Clinic)

Questions about Safety Net Clinic Week? Contact the 2014 Safety Net Clinic Week Coordinator, Tom Crowe at thomas.crowe@clinicnet.org or (720) 863- 7805.

Two grant opportunities for safety net clinics!

“The AMA Foundation and AmeriCares have both released Requests for Proposals for two separate grant programs supporting safety net clinics. Both grant programs will provide two-year grants of $10,000 to clinics to implement the CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). The goal of these programs is to increase the identification of prediabetes among clinic patients and improve their health-related outcomes.

Please note that while these programs are similar, they have separate application processes, implementation requirements and eligibility guidelines:

• AmeriCares Transforming Prediabetes Care Initiative grant application
• AMA Foundation’s Healthy Communities/Healthy America grant application
• Chart comparison of both grant programs

Interested clinics should carefully review both organizations’ programs to determine which opportunity is the best fit for them. Clinics will only be accepted into one of these two programs. The deadline for submitting your application/ proposal to both programs is September 22, 2014. We encourage you to consider applying for one of these grant opportunities. Contact information is provided on each organization’s web site should you have any questions.” [Source: AmeriCares and AMA Foundation]

Reaching Our Peak – Report on State of Health in Colorado

"This Colorado Health Institute project is an annual analysis of the impact of policies, programs and politics on statewide efforts designed to make Colorado a healthier state. Progress is measured in five important areas – schools, the workplace, communities, the health care delivery system and the places where we age. Grading is based on key informant interviews, a review of the data, a thorough review of the literature and on-site visits to promising programs across the state.

Its analysis of where Colorado stands in its journey to better health uses a familiar image: A hiker heading toward the top of a mountain. In 2014, Colorado improved in the communities and schools categories, stayed the same in aging and the workplace, and moved lower in the health care delivery system.  Click here to read the report. For more information about wellness promotion and other wellness related issues, contact daniel.mckenna@state.co.us." [Source: COPrevent]

HCPF Updates

“From Coverage to Care Resources: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created a series of videos to walk you through the basics of health insurance and health care. The “From Coverage to Care” videos have been added to Colorado.gov/Health. You can watch them in either English or Spanish.

SAVE THE DATE: Colorado Health Foundation 2015 Open Enrollment Kick-Off: The Colorado Health Foundation is hosting a statewide kick-off training event October 14-15 in preparation of the 2015 open enrollment with the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, the Colorado Division of Insurance and Connect for Health Colorado. The 2015 open enrollment period is November 15, 2014 – February 15, 2015. The event will bring together health coverage guides, assistance sites, brokers and agents, community-based organizations and advocates for training on the technical aspects of enrollment as well as capacity-building for marketing, messaging and outreach. The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza DIA | 15500 E. 40th Ave. | Denver, CO 80239.” [Source: HCPF]

PEAK Update

“PEAK Outreach & Training Information: Coming soon in August, you will have any-time access to community partner resources on our PEAK Outreach resource site. This site will be available for accessing PEAK Outreach & Training resources for community partners while we work on improving the process for posting items to the PEAK website.

Application Walk-Through: On the second Monday of every month, the PEAK Outreach Team hosts a live Application Walk-Through webinar. The next Application Walk-Through will be on August 11 at 1:00pm. Click here to register.

Request a PEAK Outreach Training: If you have specific training needs, please email us at PEAKOutreach@bouldercounty.org to request a training for your organization.  

Support Call Update: Support calls for Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) will now be held every third month following major PEAK updates to discuss system performance and known issues. If you are a CBMS user, please refer to the Web Portal for support call information.  With the new support call schedule, there will not be a PEAK Support Call in August or September.

PEAK Support Call: Wednesday, October 22, 12-1pm, Dial-in: 1-712-432-0220 | Passcode: 5642211#” [Source: Colorado PEAK]

Release of health care price information enables consumer shopping

“A groundbreaking consumer health care shopping tool is now available to compare price and quality information for hospital procedures. Colorado Medical Price Compare (www.comedprice.org) provides public access to price and quality information for select services performed at hospitals allowing consumers to make more informed health care decisions. The site currently offers information for four services – total knee joint replacement, total hip joint replacement, uncomplicated vaginal birth, and cesarean birth. However, plans are in place to add nine additional services and ambulatory surgery center prices by the end of 2014 and over 25 additional services across a variety of facility types in 2015. Click here to view the full press release.” [Source: CIVHC]

July edition of At a Glance

Click here to view the July edition of At a Glance. [Source: HCPF]

Registration open for Strengthening Colorado Families and Communities Conference

“Colorado’s Office of Early Childhood and Office of Children, Youth, and Families invite you to attend the inaugural child abuse prevention conference promoting well-being for all of our children. The Strengthening Colorado Families and Communities Conference will be held Sept. 15 & 16 at the Keystone Conference Center in Keystone, CO.

There is no registration fee to attend. There will be some scholarships available to cover travel and lodging. Click here to register. Continue to check back at http://www.coloradoofficeofearlychildhood.com/ for information coming on speakers, agenda, scholarships, and how to reserve lodging.” [Source: COPrevent]

Just Check It: August Workshops

“The Center for African American Health has announced a series of upcoming new member orientation dates for its popular, “Just Check It,” home blood pressure monitoring program. “Just Check It,” provides participants vital self-management tools, including blood pressure cuffs, information on lifestyle choices, and a system to track and share home blood pressure results with a doctor or pharmacist. The program is completely FREE of cost and any individual with hypertension or prehypertension is eligible to participate.

Encourage your patients, friends and family members to take control of their blood pressure today with “Just Check It.” To learn more about the program or to inquire about future orientations, contact Wendy Smittick at wendy@caahealth.org or 303-355-3423 ext. 110. There are four August workshop dates offered: August 8, 1-3pm; August 12, 3-5pm; August 20, 6-8pm; and August 26, 6-8pm.” [Source: COPrevent]

Articles and Publications

Reaching Our Peak: Creating a Healthier Colorado
July 24, 2014 – Colorado Health Institute

The Role of Faith Leaders in Building a Movement
July 17, 2014 – The Colorado Trust

How Many Uninsured Adults are Eligible for Medicaid?
July 9, 2014 - The Colorado Health Institute

Health IT Summit Report and Executive Summary
July 2014 – Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

The Future of Health Policy in Colorado
June 204 – The Colorado Health Foundation

For more Articles and Publications, visit the ClinicNET website.

New Tobacco and Well Body resources for Health Care Professionals

“The Behavioral Health and Wellness Program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine has released new priority population supplements for the DIMENSIONS: Tobacco Free and Well Body Toolkits for Healthcare Providers. Supplements for Young Adult and Low-Income priority populations have been published in addition to the previously published full toolkits and Behavioral Health supplements. The supplements provide a deeper look at the specific needs and wellness barriers faced by priority populations, and are designed to be used in concert with the full toolkits, which contain education and evidence-based strategies for counseling patients on tobacco cessation and weight management. These materials are available in both English and Spanish and are designed to be used by direct providers as well as healthcare administrators, public health professionals, and healthcare organizations.” [Source: COPrevent]