Your Patient Centered Medical Home
Newsletter July 2014
The NACHC P&I Forum A Look Back at OHI’s visit to D.C.
(Page 7)
Pharmacy and 340B
(Page 12)
OHI School Based Wellness Programs (Page 2)
Staff Newsletter
Your Patient Centered Medical Home
In this issue: 2
School Based Health Centers
3
Spring/ Summer Cleaning
4
ICD-10 Extension
5
The CornerStone
6
Photo Gallery
7
2014 NACHC Policy & Issues Forum
9
Fundraiser “Flash” Back
10
“The Code Corner”
11
Enrollment Closing
12
OHI’s Pharmacy and 340B Drug Discount Program
13
The Other Gallery
OHI Spotlight Theresa Berger, MD - CEO
During the summer of 2014 OHI is on a building spree. We have four construction projects, which will allow us to further expand access to healthcare in Ocean County. The projects include: OHI “On the Circle” in Manchester an almost 3,000 square foot Family Practice Site including a pharmacy; New school wellness programs at the George J. Mitchell Elementary School in Little Egg Harbor and the Lakewood High School and last but not least, adding a pharmacy to our Lakewood site. OHI will be sponsoring our Annual Family Health Awareness and Activity Fair (Saturday, August 16th at the Lakewood Town Square) for National Health Center Week (NHCW). During the week of August 10th -16th, there will be other events so please check our website for full details. Our Board of Directors is very excited and looking forward to spreading our Mission throughout additional sites in Ocean County. We are enthusiastic in meeting and collaborating with new partners to provide additional services to members of our shared community. We are looking forward to all the positive things coming to OHI, for our community. As always, in a partnership for healthier lives. Have a safe and wonderful Summer.
Your Patient Centered Medical Home
Douglas Clark - Marketing
Ocean Health Initiatives has introduced its School Based Wellness Programs to Ocean County, NJ School Districts. The programs are designed to not only keep students in school while continuing their essential education, but to keep kids healthy and well! OHI Wellness Programs provide students and families access to OHI Doctors, with sites located inside the schools. Services include pediatric and OB/GYN practice; while routinely promoting health awareness, along with nutritional education and obesity prevention.
update
School Based Wellness Programs
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Our Clifton Ave. Wellness Program, which opened in November of 2013, is located inside the Clifton Ave. Grade School (625 Clifton Ave., Lakewood, NJ 08701). This Program is open to all students and their families in the district. Specializing in Pediatrics, OHI offers a provider and their team on-site to assist in primary medical treatment and prevention.
The Lakewood High School Wellness Program will be located inside the Lakewood High School (855 Somerset Ave., Lakewood, NJ 08701). Construction begins this summer. The space will contain 5 patient exam rooms to accommodate all student needs. The OHI team is working hand and hand with the Lakewood School District to accomplish the opening and promotion of these Wellness Programs. In late May, we came together to establish a “Steering Committee” that collaborates on plans for the High School Program. We continue to meet bi-weekly to discuss updates and details on the project. OHI Marketing and Outreach have also attended many events in the district to promote the programs; such as the High School Art Show and Fashion Show, the Middle School Curriculum Day, and the 2014 Middle School 8th Grade Graduation which took place at the High School on June 23rd. There is much excitement building for these programs, as their impending success will serve as a great accomplishment for our organization!
A little seed For me to sow… A little earth To make it grow… A little pat A little wish... And that is that. A little sun A little shower A little while… And then a flower! ~Edwin Oda
Spring/ Summer Cleaning Shelley Benson - Housekeeping
If you are not
a stay at home mom or dad; and work all day, have a family to nourish physically and emotionally at night, have some kids who play sports, or a dog or cat (who need love too)…it’s safe to guess that your house gets pretty dirty. Here’s a cleaning list to make your home clean, happy and space efficient!
For Your Kitchen: • • • • • • • • • • •
Open your windows and clean the glass, sill, and screens Remove window coverings and wash Remove items out of cabinets, drawers and place them back neatly Wash cabinet doors and knobs Clean and organize pantry * Check food expiration dates Clean oven Clean stove top Clean and organize fridge and freezer Clean under fridge and stove Vacuum refrigerator coils Clean microwave
For Your Bathroom: • • • • • • • • •
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Open your windows and clean the glass, sills and screens Empty all cabinets and vanity and clean, discard expired medications\cosmetics Clean tub and drain Clean toilet inside and out, clean bolts with Q-tip Clean sink and drain Clean mirror and frame Dust light fixtures Clean switch plates, walls, trim, doors, knobs Clean vent, flooring and grout
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For Your Bedroom: • • • • • • • • • • • •
Your Patient Centered Medical Home
Open your windows and clean the glass, sills and screens Dust furniture For each drawer remove items, clean drawer place items back neatly Remove everything from closets, sweep and mop floor, no storing items on floor Move bed, sweep and vacuum Freshen mattress by sprinkling with baking soda, let sit and vacuum Launder bedding and curtains, wash pillows in hot water, air out mattress pads Dust lights and clean lamp shades Wash walls, switch plates and trim Clean mirrors and dust art Clean doors and knobs Clean, sweep or vacuum flooring
Reminder: • Clean blades of ceiling fans • Sort through and organize family photographs • Clean linen closets, utility closets and office spaces
Lastly: Have a Garage Sale with all unwanted or unused items!
Bob La Forge - Director of Informatics
B
oth chambers of the U.S. Congress have passed legislation that would result in an extension of the ICD-10 implementation date by one year to October 1, 2015. The result for OHI is that all training will be likewise be moved back one year. If you have any questions then please contact me.
update
ICD-10 Extension
Ken Waller - Practice Director
T
he ever increasing access to healthcare, and growing disparities in care have forced our nation to change how healthcare services are delivered. One of the first major initiatives was the HITECH Act. This created the implementation and use of electronic health records. Second, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, which serve to encourage provider organizations to begin taking responsibility for the cost and quality of patient care. These legislative acts, subsequently lead to the formation of the patient centered medical home model (PCMH) and ultimately to the creation of the accountable care organization (ACO). This whirl of activity supported by third party payers has motivated many provider organizations to start preparing for the reimbursement changes that loom ahead. This will certainly involve increased financial and clinical accountability. To respond to these new demands, healthcare organizations and physician groups are moving towards an approach known as “Population Health Management” (PHM). The overarching objective of (PHM) is to keep a patient population as healthy as possible to reduce the need for expensive interventions; such as emergency
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room visits, hospitalizations, and other clinical related procedures. This approach does not only lower cost, more importantly redefines healthcare as an activity that encompasses far more than sick care; it systematically address the preventive and chronic care needs of every patient on a physician’s panel.
Hospitals eventually will become increasingly under utilize as admissions and procedures decrease. And health and ambulatory medical care centers experience exponential growth and will submerge as the dominant market player throughout our nation’s future healthcare services delivery environment.
Primary care is at the heart of PHM, because primary care physicians (PCP) supply the continuity required ensuring that patients receive appropriate preventive and chronic care services. Moreover PHM will force significant change in the way physicians think and how they practice. Physicians will be forced to adapt and think in terms of caring for an entire population and, not just for those individuals actively seeking care.
While hospitals will have some opportunity to share in capturing revenue through the formation and efficient alignment of a healthcare system accountable care organization (ACO), but the post-acute service delivery model will rule the day. And while providers and provider organizations will continue to compete with one another, they will also have to work together to coordinate care and to exchange health information in a culture of shared responsibility. So I concluded defining PHM as the fundamental element to the transformation of healthcare delivery in the United States.
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Your Patient Centered Medical Home
Events
gallery
(con)
Every provider and provider organization should begin working and learning to use community resources, such as public health agencies, social services, schools and other relevant local organizations to improve the overall health of their patient panel.
The call center enjoys St. Patrick’s Day
Although, this kind of aggressive collaboration is still in an emerging stage, there has been demonstrated evidence to combine healthcare with social service to improve population health. This opinion editorial would not be completed, if I did not remind all of us about the Triple Aim, which is champion by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement: • Improve the patient experience
Lakewood Middle School PTO Presentation
New Egypt Day
• Improve the health of populations • Lower the per- capita cost of care
OHI walks for Autism (Seaside Hts.)- Go Team Myckey!
2014 NACHC Policy & Issues Forum: “You change the trajectory of people’s destinies” Kimberly Tozzi - Executive Assistant
On Wednesday March 19 and Thursday March 20, the OHI management team went to Washington D.C. for the 2014 Policy & Issues Forum, which is organized by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). This conference is the best opportunity to hear the inside track about the impact of the November elections on Community Health Centers. OHI uses the opportunity to go and have face-to-face meetings with the current and new Members of Congress and key Congressional staff on Capitol Hill. We work with the New Jersey Primary Care Association (NJPCA) to see where our presence is needed the most and go and meet with those legislators over a two-day period every March. This year, Senior Management brought the whole management team to share in this experience with them. Once we arrived in Washington, we sat in on the Opening Session. Now normally these sessions can be long and a little tedious to sit through, but I think every single person there was shocked at the impassioned and uplifting message the NACHC honorees delivered to everyone in that ballroom.
The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings U.S. House of Representatives
The main person I am speaking of is U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), who was honored for his passionate leadership on behalf of health centers. He spoke of his support of affordable healthcare and Medicaid expansion and delivered a quote that I think stuck with everyone is the room:
“You may never appear on the front page of the Washington Post,” he said. “No one may ever say, ‘thank you.’ You probably won’t even make the local super market tabloid but remember this: you change the trajectory of people’s destinies.” We also heard a great presentation from Guest Speaker Carolyn McClanahan who is a certified financial planner, physician and Forbes contributor on economic savings and the big impact health centers provide to the healthcare system. Dr. McClanahan’s presentation provided education on the interplay between health and financial issues and how the blending of these fields can cohesively empower patients and strengthen health centers. Lastly, Jack Cradock, President of the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center was honored with an Excellence in Leadership Award. 7
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Your Patient Centered Medical Home
We followed the Opening Session by meeting with the NJPCA, where all representatives from the health centers met and reviewed what information we needed to discuss the following day at the hill visits. We knew going in that we would be meeting with Christopher Smith Staff Assistant Bob Angelini and Robert Menendez Health Aide Michael Barnard. We focused our visits on discussing the importance of signing the Bilirakis-Pallone Health Centers Letter and an impending funding cliff for all Health Centers in FY2016 if the mandatory funding that Health Centers receive is not reauthorized. In addition, we discussed OHI and what we have been struggling individually with since our last visit. We took home with us the information on the new campaign that NACHC rolled out, “Access is the Answer”. I am sure you all remember signing a petition back at the end of March/ early April. This petition is part of a national movement to campaign to fight health center funding cuts. Each health center was asked to collect 500 signatures, which will amount to around 600,000 when the petition is presented to Congress and the President. This trip really brought into perspective the magnitude and scope of work FQHC’s do as a whole, and how much work it takes to be able to provide the services that we do. For me, it put OHI into a broader perspective and reinforced how much work we still have to do. Working at an FQHC takes so much work, effort and let’s face it, stress. But, we are changing the trajectory of people’s destinies; and that is what I remember most when I think back on the trip.
fundraiser
“flash” back
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Your Patient Centered Medical Home
“The Code Corner” Tracey Owens - Director of Human Resources
We developed The Code values as they embody our commitment to provide exceptional customer service to our patients, while also promoting very favorable interactivity among our staff, as we accomplish our work together in support of OHI’s goals. There are eight corporate values The Code represents and employees are accountable for demonstrating them when working with patients and coworkers. We have developed the acronym “PRACTICE”, so that it is easy to remember what The Code stands for: • • • • • • • •
Professionalism Respect Accountability Compassion Teamwork Integrity Communication Enthusiasm
“The Code” peer-to-peer recognition program award is given to an employee who exhibits a positive attitude toward work, continuously works toward accomplishing the organization’s goals or who makes the special effort to assist coworkers/patients. The person excels at promoting an atmosphere of professionalism, respect, accountability, compassion, teamwork, integrity, open communication, enthusiasm, congeniality, friendship, exceptional customer service and superior results that promote a better work environment. He/she is a person who exemplifies and demonstrates a model work environment and consistently upholds OHI’s corporate values and behaviors. The Code peer-to-peer program embodies our commitment to provide meaningful recognition to employees. You can find all the code recognitions in a monthly email and on the ADP employee website. Top monthly winners to date: • • • •
January and February - Amy Ramos - Patient Care Director March - Lizette Rosado - Call Center Representative April - Krystal Meadows - LPN May - Israel Arroyo - Patient Care Navigator
Enrollment Closing Beatriz Patiño - Outreach and Enrollment Coordinator
Open Enrollment has closed. Now what?
March 31st marked the end of the Open Enrollment for the Marketplace for 2014. With a surprising 8.5 million people enrolling in a health plan in the United States, we find ourselves thinking of what worked, and did not work, in our first Open Enrollment Season. New Jersey enrolled 161,775 people; 2,918 were enrolled at OHI. Great numbers, right? Yes, they are, but we still have a long way to go. There are 831,410 that are still not insured in New Jersey. Being a Federal Facilitated Marketplace, NJ did not promote the Marketplace as other State Facilitated Marketplaces; it was really up to CAC’s like OHI to promote. As CAC’s we did a tremendous job with outreach and in-reaching to our Ocean County population. Our department did close to 85 events before and during the open enrollment period. For our closing enrollment event we had 21 CAC’s and they enrolled a total of 98 individuals in less than 8 hours! So, now what? Our Outreach and Enrollment team (no longer Health Exchange) is helping clients with SEP (Special Enrollment Periods), outreaching at all different events (an average of 6 events per month) and still helping past clients that have issues with their health insurance plans. Open Enrollment will begin November 15 and continue until February 15. I have to say that I feel so proud of being part of this success in NJ. We were projected to enroll 96,000. We actually enrolled 161% more of what was projected by the country. We were successful because of people like our CAC’s at OHI; staying after hours, weekend hours, and going the extra mile to help clients with so many complex questions. Our department became income tax experts, immigration experts, as well as social workers. We are not just enrolling for health care, we are changing lives and in 100 years we will be in the history books!
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OHI’s Pharmacy and 340B Drug Discount Program
12
Your Patient Centered Medical Home
Ocean Health Initiatives provides patients a unique advantage in gaining control of their overall health. OHI has incorporated clinical pharmacists in the primary care setting to provide patients with medication counseling and disease state education. As an organization, OHI strongly feels this relationship between patient and pharmacist will positively impact the patient. Our pharmacists also help manage a 340B drug discount program. The 340B program provides access to reduced price prescription drugs to health care facilities certified by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HRSA). Patients can receive up to 50% off of the retail price of medications. As a leader in community healthcare, OHI recognized the importance of providing these substantial savings to patients. Our goal is to get patients healthy; and supply them with all the tools necessary to achieve this. Currently, OHI patients can receive these tremendous savings at Taylor’s Drug located in Lakewood, NJ. We are also bringing the program to our Toms River site. Soon, those patients will be provided the benefits of discounted medications. We have partnered with Medical Mall Pharmacy, which is only a short drive from our Toms River health center. We know this synergistic relationship between OHI and Medical Mall Pharmacy will increase compliance and encourage people to be part of their own healthcare. To qualify for these prescription savings, you need to be an established patient of OHI
and your prescriptions need to be written by a provider employed by OHI. In the very near future, OHI will be building an in-house pharmacy at our Lakewood location with additional sites proposed. The Lakewood pharmacy is expected to be completed by the summer of 2014.
health
Vijay Vohra - Pharmacist
OHI senior management felt the need to offer patients the “one stop shop” experience in which they can be seen by a provider and pick up their medications in the same building. This is a great opportunity for our clinical pharmacists, providers, and patients to be part of health and wellness and better understand therapeutic goals.
the other gallery Would you like to contribute to the Newsletter? Photos and accomplishments?
Have a topic you would like to write about?
Let us know! Email Promotions@ohinj.org