CATCH THE VISION ISSUE 02 / July 2014
Dear HRHCare Staff: January 2014 started out with a bang, and the year hasn’t slowed down one bit! The Kraus Family Health Center of the Hamptons opened in Southampton on March 15th; the Maxine S. Postal Tri Community Health Center opened in Amityville on June 16th—and we are in discussions with the Suffolk County Department of Health and elected officials to take on four more health centers in the county by year-end. None of this would be possible without the dedication, passion, and tremendous hard work of HRHCare employees—thank you, each and all! To support our organization’s growth as we evolve to meet the challenges facing community health care, I am very pleased to announce a key appointment: Roberta Leiner as Executive VicePresident of Strategic Planning and Community Development. Roberta previously served HRHCare for 10 years in the area of behavioral health services, and we are thrilled she has returned to us. I also want to highlight the transformational work of Allison McGuire, Executive Vice-President of Strategic Initiatives, as she continues to build our Health Home and ACO services.
provides information on three newly reorganized departments: Facilities, HR, and Communications—what they do, how they can help, who to go to, and how to get things done. Finally, we have honors to celebrate: Heritage Scholarship recipients, the Geiger Gibson Capstone Fellowship, and our Planetree Award winners from the first half of the year— employees nominated by their co-workers for the extraordinary effort they put forth each day. Thank you again everyone for all you do to make HRHCare a true and caring community, and a great place for our patients!
Sincerely,
Anne Kauffman Nolon President & CEO
This issue of the employee newsletter
This issue of the employee newsletter provides information on three newly re-organized departments: Facilities, HR, and Communications—what they do, how they can help, who to go to, and how to get things done.
Inside this Issue News from departments
Honors: Award Winners
Events: Winterfest
News of key appointments
New Health Centers
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Department Updates
Facilities: FYI on the most FAQs 1. What is the role of facilities staff? The facilities department and staff are responsible for overseeing all building maintenance. We schedule weekly visits to each site, conduct visual inspections, and complete a checklist report to be sure we’re maintaining NYS Department of Health and Joint Commission standards on staff and patient safety.
4. How do I put in a request for help from the facilities department? Work order forms can be downloaded from the intranet, filled out, and faxed to 914-7348967. For our expanding Long Island locations, please scan work orders to Gabriel Rivera, grivera@hrhcare.org. We are working towards an electronic work order system.
2. What is beyond the scope of facilities staff? Facilities staff are not the cleaning crew! Cleaning companies are contracted for each site. Therefore, on-site staff may have to respond to issues during the day. For example, if something gets spilled at a site, on-site staff are responsible for cleaning it up. For bigger problems, for instance if a restroom becomes excessively soiled during the day, it should be placed out of service and the cleaning crew will attend to it that evening. Our facilities team is made up of staff with varying levels of expertise; if a task is beyond one member’s capability, a more advanced staff person can be scheduled.
3. What should we do if the cleaning company is not doing a thorough job?
5. When a facilities staff member arrives to do the requested service why can’t I ask them to do a couple of other things needed while they are here? Facilities’ workload and schedule is based on the type and geography of the request. We plan for the time allocated for each request and the equipment and supplies needed. Additional on-the-spot requests are difficult to accommodate because the time, equipment, and supplies are not factored in. To enhance everyone’s productivity, please submit a comprehensive work request for your site!
Please report poor service quality to Jonna Granata, jgranata@hrhcare.org. She will work with the cleaning supervisor to resolve concerns.
“We pride ourselves in helping you keep our health centers beautiful.”
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CATCH THE VISION ISSUE 02 / July 2014
Lauro Uruchima, Daniel Otero, Mariano Marrero, Raymond Rodriguez, Charlie Rojas, Jonna Granata, Alvaro Silva
Your Facilities Team
Not Pictured: Gabriel and Nelson (LI), Tony (Amenia), Lonnie, Theodis and John.
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Department Updates
HR Update: Who’s Who and How We Can Help! There have been a number of changes in HR to help streamline our operations. Who should you contact for what? See below!
Thomas Cathcart Esq., VP of Legal Affairs, Corporate Administration and Chief Compliance Officer: Thomas oversees the Human Resources Department, providing services for HRHCare’s nearly 800 employees. As VP of Legal Affairs, he is also actively involved in preparing and reviewing leases, affiliation agreements, grants, memos of understanding, and contracts (including physicians’ contracts); He serves as advisor and counsel to management, employees, and executive staff. As Chief Compliance Officer, he investigates compliance concerns, conducts audits, and formulates corrective work plans when necessary. He also conducts on-site compliance training for all of HRHCare, and serves on the Corporate Compliance Committee.
Marian Kozlowski, MBA, PHR, HR Manager, & Long Island Expansion: We would like to thank Marian for seven years of dedicated service to HRHCare and warmly wish her well in her new position as the Human Resources Director for a bank. HR will be hiring a new point person to handle all job postings, new hire applications, background verifications, interns, volunteers and new hire orientations. In the meantime, please direct these inquiries to Cynthia Santiago.
Cynthia Santiago, HR Assistant: Cynthia will support the new HR manager with new employee orientations, PPD compliance monitoring, NYS Wage Notice compliance, and professional license compliance. She provides general HR administrative support, and assist Thomas as VP of Legal Affairs with all bankruptcy notifications, garnishments, and unemployment hearings attended on behalf of the organization.
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CATCH THE VISION ISSUE 02 / July 2014
Jennifer Maine, MPA, HR Coordinator: Jennifer handles all status change requests, FTE switches, annual increase requests, and all labor relation issues that affect your staff on a daily basis. She works with Thomas to review all labor issues to ensure legal compliance and fairness for employees.
Erin Walker, HR Benefits Administrator: Erin handles all benefits questions, including Fidelity 403(b), loan requests, hardship withdrawals, Domestic Partnership requests, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Flexible Spending Account questions, FMLA leave requests, leaves of absence, Disability and Workers Compensation claims, and staff incident and injury reporting. Send all retirement celebration requests to Erin as well!
Jose Perez, HR IT specialist:
“Do you have a HR question and not sure whom to contact? Email: HR@hrhcare.org
and the right HR staff member will get back to you.”
Jose handles all FTE tracking and reporting, premium billing, and vacancy reports. He is responsible for all the data reporting needs for grants, staff recognition events, and data statistical requests from all departments including but not limited to Administration, Billing, Public Relations, and Federal and State Department of labor census reporting. Jose also manages the Taleo inbox, and troubleshoots with the IT Department on all on-line applicant issues.
Ruth Otero: Ruth provides administrative support for the HR Department as well as scheduling all site compliance presentations and investigations involving Thomas as Compliance Officer. She also monitors the HR inbox, assists visitors to the department, and produces all employee photo IDs.
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Department Updates
Communications/Marketing: We’re Working for YOU
Introducing a new line of HRHCare materials. The New Patient Handbook incorporates all
Health Center stationery and envelopes in
the CareSolutions material. This comprehensive handbook is designed for current, new, and potential patients.
our new regional color scheme and logo, specific for each health center. New administrative and executive stationary is available too.
Regional outreach cards great for outreach
And yes! New signage is on the way for all of
events, and they also replace site brochures.
our health centers that have the old logo. Please remember that signage is a process which includes city or town and landlord approvals before production and then installation. We appreciate your patience!
Pocket outreach cards you got it—pocket sized, and perfect for when someone just wants HRHCare contact information.
Welcome Flyers site-specific, these flyers are great outreach tools, and perfect to have in the waiting room.
Community brochure that explains who we are and what we do--geared for community partners, organizations, and elected officials.
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New business cards All employees are ambassadors for HRHCare, and Anne would like everyone to have a business card. Please check to see if you have the current version, and order new cards if needed.
CATCH THE VISION ISSUE 02 / July 2014
How can you get all this new material?
We have a new on-line ordering system! Our new system streamlines the process to get you what you need quickly and efficiently! The operations manager at each health center (and designated Brown Street department staff) are the point people for putting in orders on the new on-line ordering system. The new system integrates with the Purchasing Department where Waykme Butler gives final approval and provides the PO. You can also order forms and documents related to billing and other departments. If you have additional documents that require regular ordering, please let Lauren know—we can add it to the online ordering system.
Coming up next! You suggested, we heard, and we’re working on a host of new projects: • Redesigning the Intranet
The new website is officially launched! Please check it out at www.HRHCare.org, and give us your feedback—we want to know the good, the bad, and what we can improve! E-mail us at communications@hrhcare.org, where your feedback will join that from patient focus groups to continuously refresh, update, and highlight the mission and work of HRHCare on the website. Check out the website from your smartphone too! We are mobile friendly.
• Revitalizing the UPWORDS website • Creating a variety of departmental brochures • Exploring advertising strategies • Assessing internal brochure, flyers and poster displays at health centers and developing tailored systems for each site • Launching a robust social media strategy • Planning for the 40th anniversary of HRHCare in 2015
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Department Updates
Our Communications Team: we’re here to help! Lauren Candela-Katz, VP Communications & Development: Lauren oversees and manages the whole kit and caboodle: whether you need a new product, have an idea for marketing, advertising or fundraising, are looking for a gift for an employee retiring, want to issue a press release, or are contacted by the media – please call Lauren. And anything you don’t see covered below—please touch base with Lauren!
Mycalia Reynaud, Executive Assistant: Mycalia is our go-to gal for just about everything! She’s responsible for keeping the new website updated—except for the calendar—so please keep her informed and current about your activities. Mycalia also is the keeper of give-aways: this year we have hand sanitizers, pens, toothbrushes, and tote bags that help spread the HRHCare name. She is the point person for all requests for charitable support; please get these in as early as possible.
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CATCH THE VISION ISSUE 02 / July 2014
Nicholas Cannell, Director of HRHCare Productions: Nick is our go-to guy for video productions. He’s also been instrumental at setting up new technology allowing us to scan 40 years of photos for tagging and categorizing— so if you have any photos of HRHCare events and activities please send them to Nick labeled with the date, the people, and the activity, and we’ll include them in the archive.
Emily Fetteroff, Director of Advocacy: While not technically part of the communications team, Emily has provided extraordinary help developing the new website and creating patient portal materials. In our book, that makes her an honorary member of our team! Emily is responsible for coordinating all HRHCare advocacy efforts: please notify her if you receive a request from an elected official for a meeting or site visit and she will help coordinate the visit and provide tailored press kits.
“We love to create best practice materials to engage, inform and inspire our patients.”
Steve Hanisch, Social Media Assistant: Steve is our point person for social media, working on creating a robust strategy to complement the new website. Whether you have an event at your health center or are partnering on a community happening, please send Steve all the event information and he will post on Facebook and the website calendar. He is also coordinating programming for Everwell, a pilot program taking place in Monticello, Amenia, Haverstraw, and Spring Valley. An alternative to Access TV, Everwell carries no advertising, and the programs can be tailored to meet each site’s needs.
Vilma Velez, Director of Administrative & Immigrant Initiatives: Vilma is our logistical expert for HRHCare staff recognition, ground-breaking and grand opening events. She also interviews and writes awesome bios for Planetree Award winners, so if Vilma contacts you for your information, be sure to respond—we want to brag about you in the community! Vilma also assists with capital projects, and in developing programs targeting immigrants.
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Honors / Awards
Planetree Winners: The Employee of the Month is recognized for excellence in providing care and service to patients of HRHCare, in the spirit of Planetree philosophy
January: Rocio Sharrock Rocio was nominated by Kathy Brieger for her work both in the Training Department and in Human Resources, where she brings new ideas to the Planetree programs and infuses workshops with great enthusiasm. “We appreciate her work and care of the staff!” Currently Staff Training Coordinator for the entire organization, Rocio has been with HRHCare for 12 years, beginning as an administrative clerk. A nanny prior to her employment at HRHCare, Rocio earned an AAS, Bachelor’s and Master’s in HR Management all while working full time and caring for her own children, eight and four years old.
February: Elaine Leffert Nominated by Zakia Akhtar, Elaine is an employee who “completely embraces the Planetree Model in daily practice,” standing out for her desire and determination to help anyone in need. Elaine is a Staff Assistant with SUNY, and has been with HRHCare since May 2012—assisting patient, staff, operations—anywhere she is needed. Prior to coming to Coram, she spent two years working at the Stony Brook Campus as secretary for the Operations Department. She also worked at the Elsie Owens Center from its inception. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Secretarial Science from Suffolk Community College.
March: Rosemary Ivarone Rosemary was nominated by Mrs. Phillips for her warm care of each client: “This calming approach lessens their fears; without judging she assures them that things will get better, and makes sure they have the help that they need.” Rosemary, a Program Assistant in Peekskill in the Community and Patient Relations Department also works with the Preservation Company. She has been with HRHCare for 20 years in departments ranging from patient rep, billing coordinator, and patient care partner. Before coming to HRHCare, she was a lab technician and a certified medical assistant; she has an Associate’s Degree from WCC.
April: Mark Berman Nominated by Kathy Brieger, Mark “is all about access to care for our patients, throughout the network.” He has worked at New Paltz, and is currently in Monticello; at both sites he was faced with the challenge of building a practice from the ground up. His success in doing so is based primarily on his patient-centered approach to schedule, and his insistence on creating access to care for all, including our most vulnerable.
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After attending Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania, Mark was in private practice in the Peekskill area when he took on the mission of community health centers, joining Hudson Headwaters CHC for 19 years—the last 12 as dental director— before coming to HRHCare in 2000.
May: Ting Ke Ting Ke, a clinical assistant at 2 Park Avenue-Park Care, was nominated by Carlos Ortiz for always going above and beyond her regular duties in service to HRHCare patients and communities: “We told her of the need, and she immediately told us ‘I will be there.’” Ting worked at St. John’s Hospital in labor and delivery for 12 years before coming to HRHCare two years ago. She appreciates the opportunity to deliver comprehensive services for patients: “It is beautiful when I see the family grow from prenatal care, to birth, to pediatrics.” A graduate of BOCES and WCC, Ting plans to go back to school for a nursing degree, with the ultimate goal of teaching in the clinical setting.
June: Melissa Brougton Melissa was nominated by Aimee Chevere for meticulous attention to patients: “Melissa has always gone the extra mile for our patients her smile and compassion are a part of her everyday function. Her ability to connect to our patients in many different levels is a gift. Melissa embraces the mission of HRHCare, and great customer service.” Melissa is a Patient Rep who has been with HRHCare for three years, enjoying interacting and assuring a positive experience for patients. Previously an employee at Wingate Nursing Home, Melissa received training in medical coding and billing. She was an HRHCare patient before becoming an employee; her positive experience led her to apply for a position!
Innovation Awards 1st Quarter: Giselle Posada As a new staff member at HRHCare, Giselle brought a fresh set of eyes to the integrated practice (dental/women’s health) in Monticello. The dental service at this location was experiencing a high no show rate. Giselle raised the question as to whether the dental department would benefit from a missed appointment protocol similar to that used in medicine. Ultimately, the letter was uploaded into eCW for use by all teams, and the noshow rate dropped significantly!
2nd Quarter: Phylis Hodges Phylis received the award in the area of Patient Safety for updating the Visit Status colors in eCW, thereby letting staff know when patients have checked out and left the building. “In our previous visit status codes, we did not mark a patient as checked out until the scrubbing was complete. If there were a fire or other emergency in the building, we would have had no way of knowing who was still in our care.”
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Honors / Awards
Congratulations to the 2014 Reverend Mrs. Jeannette Phillips Heritage Scholarship Winners!
Tiffanie Depew, Health Choices Program Specialist: “HRHCare has a long history of supporting and nurturing its community and staff. I’m proud to have joined this team as an AmeriCorps member and grateful that the Heritage Scholarship Committee has seen to it to support me in my path toward a career in public health. Thank you.”
Johnnie Alexander: “This award is important to me because it will provide the financial assistance to help me continue fulfilling my dreams to become a therapist. Aside from the financial assistance, the honor of the award holds more importance to me because it reflects someone that I admire and hold in great regard.”
Edit Zapata LPN: “I’m excited and grateful, for the opportunity to be considered for this great honor. As an employee at Hudson River Health Care, I have done what I love the most, work with different people and at the same time, build a family bond with my co-workers. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help me further my education; and to better myself and to better serve HRHC patients. Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.”
Carmen Reich: “I was very happy to learn that I was a recipient of the Rev. Mrs. Jeannette J. Phillips Heritage Scholarship. Thank you for your generous financial support towards my higher education. Your financial generosity will allow me to be one step closer to my goal and has inspired me to help others by giving back to the community.”
Stacy Paar: “My experience at HRHCare was pivotal in my decision to apply and ultimately be accepted to medical school, and I am honored to receive this scholarship to help achieve my goal of becoming a primary care physician.”
Spotlight Daniela Ducasse As some of you may know, I am very active in community based activities throughout New York, particularly Rockland, Nassau, Suffolk and Brooklyn Counties, where the Haitian Population is massive. It gives me great pleasure to share with you one of the most important moments of my journey as a philanthropist. Friday, April 20th I received a Citation from Legislator Carrie Solages of District 3, Nassau County for my services as an Ambassador for MILEVA (Military and Law Enforcement Veterans Association). Those of you that have known me for a long time know how much community means to me and how I strive to help those less fortunate.
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Diana Faustino: “The HRHCare Heritage Scholarship will help me complete my Master’s program and become a certified nurse midwife and provide care to the patients of community health centers that took care of me my entire life.”
Jennifer Yanes: “To me this award as well as my service with AmeriCorps and HRHCare symbolizes the dedication I am willing to give to my career goals and the people who I will in the future give care to. It is important to never drift away from your dreams and with awards such as this one, it serves as a reminder that I am on the right path.”
Amelia Kelly: “Receiving this scholarship means I will be better equipped to achieve my goal of helping medically underserved communities gain access to health care, and overcome disparities. Thank you HRHCare for recognizing and investing in my commitment to these matters.”
Paola G. Diaz: “Today as a proud HRH employee for over ten years I would like to thank the organization for allowing me to grow not only as a person but also as a professional. With the Heritage Scholarship I will continue the journey of pursuing my educational goals and serving our communities.”
Kenney Gould: “I am grateful for the scholarship and HRHCare to achieve both personal and professional advancement while remaining a full-time employee. I will advance the goals and mission of HRHCare with particular concern for the underserved and vulnerable through a Master’s degree in social work. I hope to have a positive affect on our patients to improve their quality of life and recognize how we are entrusted to serve and in doing so improve the condition of health and well-being of the community.”
Zaida Chasi Community Care Partner in Monticello for close to 10 years, received the Sullivan County NAACP Service award on Saturday, May 30th. She attended a dinner for all awardees with her family and several colleagues from HRHCare. Zaida was awarded a plaque and a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of her “extraordinary dedication to the well-being of others and compassion and caring for them.”
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Honors / Awards
Geiger Gibson Capstone Fellowship in Community Health Policy and Leadership: Emily Fetterhoff Earlier this month Emily Fetterhoff, HRHCare’s Director of Advocacy (and Special Advisor to the President & CEO), attended the Geiger Gibson Fellowship in Community Health Policy and Leadership at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The program is designed to provide participants a better understanding of U.S. health policy trends, and their implications for health centers. Fellowship participants convened from health centers and primary care associations across the country, providing a fantastic opportunity to share best practices and learn from colleagues nationwide. The program met with senior leaders of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the federal agency responsible for administering the Health Center Program to learn more about current priorities and the vision for the future of community health centers. Emily had the additional opportunity to meet with key Congressional staff members of the Senate Finance Committee /Subcommittee on Health, and House Committee on Energy & Commerce/ Subcommittee on Health to learn more about the current political climate and health policy developments.
Emily
“The Geiger Gibson Fellowship took my knowledge of health policy and community health centers to a whole new level. I look forward to bringing back this valuable knowledge and overall experience to my role in advocacy and beyond at HRHCare.”
Winterfest As part of the HRHCare 40th Anniversary Celebration we are creating a new signature event:
Winterfest Craft Beer and Food Benefit!
Events
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Our goal is to invite members of our communities to become involved with HRHCare, and to cultivate new and additional support for our work. The event will be designed to cover all expenses, and raise some modest charitable dollars for the HRHCare Foundation that helps enhance our patient care. All HRHCare employees are invited to volunteer on this awesome committee! Your input is needed to create a fun, unusual, delicious event—and to help HRHCare make new friends! Contact Lauren Candela-Katz at lcandelakatz@hrhcare.org to volunteer. The next meeting is on Tuesday, July 22nd at 5:30pm in the Brown Street 1st Floor Conference Room.
Key Appointments
Introducing Roberta Leiner What are the specific challenges HRHCare faces at the moment, and what can be seen of the future? What should our organization look like now, and how should it evolve both to meet developing needs and to be ready to answer the unknown? HRHCare’s capacity for strategic planning and community development is strengthened with the appointment of Roberta Leiner as Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning and Community Development.
Some of you may remember Roberta from when she worked at HRHCare (1990 to 2000) developing and championing our community initiatives work from Americorps to ECHO, to RAP, to HUGS and more, and leading our charge in grant writing while additionally overseeing a behavioral health division that cultivated an expanded approach to social work services. Roberta is excited to be back at HRHCare, an organization to which she sought to return after 14 years in a senior executive and planning role at UJAFED of New York. Her new HRHCare role is as Chief Of Strategic Planning and Community Development—in practice, that means a very full plate! Roberta lists the areas of her immediate attention: cultivating new and expanded directions in healthcare delivery to support our most vulnerable members, exploring strategies and new portals to increase access to care, strengthening the integration of behavioral health and primary care; tracking, measuring and ensuring quality standards and strong clinical protocols and practices to improve health outcomes, testing best practices in service delivery models, and establishing exemplar and innovative community services and cultivating networks commensurate with the changes driven by healthcare reforms while building strong ties to the diversity of local communities. Roberta was lauded by UJAFED of New York as providing “incredible leadership” in developing local and international service initiatives and community
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building endeavors that sought to address both personal and major communal crises of profound consequences, including 9/11 and the 2008 economic downturn. She was also recognized for allocating millions of dollars to support a network of affiliated service organizations aligned with the strategic priorities of UJAFED, and working to strengthen their organizational capacity to be collaborative, efficient, and effective accountable organizations. Roberta’s work in trauma treatment and spiritual care has also been highly touted and she gives HRHCare full credit for planting the seeds of that passion, as it grew out of her work with peers in Genesis, and chairing a spirituality committee of Planetree. “I recognize that in addition to the powerful bio/ psycho/social interventions needed to achieve wholeness, even at life’s end, the spiritual domain is an area from which people can also draw healing.”
“I recognize that in addition to the powerful bio/psycho/social interventions needed to achieve wholeness, even at life’s end, the spiritual domain is an area from which people can also draw healing.”
CATCH THE VISION ISSUE 02 / July 2014
Allison McGuire HRHCare’s capacity for developing our strategic initiatives has been further enhanced by the work of Allison McGuire. Allison has worked in the health care field for over 25 years, focusing on ambulatory care service delivery within community-based settings and policy initiatives impacting the care of medically underserved populations. Her most recent area of attention at HRHCare has been programmatic development of initiatives related to care coordination, primary care, behavioral health care integration, and value based contracting. In this capacity, Allison oversees HRHCare’s ninecounty Health Home, which serves over 9,000 members in the Hudson Valley and Suffolk County, our participation in an FQHC-governed Accountable Care Organization (FamilyHealth ACO), and our collaboration with networks of behavioral health care providers to develop clinically integrated behavioral health/primary care networks.
Allison’s newest strategic endeavor is an initiative known as the Delivery System Reform Incentive Program, or DSRIP. This is a groundbreaking waiver allowing New York State to reinvest $8 billion in federal savings that were generated by Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) reforms. DSRIP promotes community-level collaborations working toward a goal of achieving a 25% reduction in avoidable hospital use over five years. Safety net providers like HRHCare have the opportunity to collaborate on innovative projects focusing on system transformation, clinical improvement, and population health improvement. HRHCare is currently working with DSRIP Performing Provider Systems (PPSs) across its entire service area.
New Health Centers
Meet our newest Health Centers!
Southampton
Amityville
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