MPCA eUpdate
February 2018
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What is Integrated Data and What’s the Big Deal?
In a world where patient outcomes are intrinsically linked to up and coming value-based payment reform with a heavy focus on reducing costs, health care providers have to look at communities — not just individuals. That means everyone needs data. Good clinical and social determinants data.
Successfully analyzing it can illuminate true gaps in care and identify trends that, once addressed, will help make health center operations more efficient and improve patients’ lives.
At health centers, collecting, documenting, and reporting on data is part of everyday life. It’s how payment is received and trends are monitored. And for years now, electronic health records (EHRs) have been the primary means at collecting data. As a data collection tool, EHRs are useful. However, their ability to provide useful, actionable reports on the fly or a user-friendly mechanism to validate data is limited.
That’s why integrated data is so important—and it’s why the Michigan Primary Care Association contracted with Azara to develop an integrated data system (IDS) that addresses the unique needs of Michigan’s health centers. The IDS combines data from a variety of sources within the EHR into a single, unified dashboard for the user, giving them the instant ability to view, filter, and validate data.
And here’s the critical part: that data can be used immediately. It’s actionable. It can help provide a needed service to a patient, such as following up on an out-of-range lab value, or suggest workflow changes within a health center. That data can even highlight places where health centers maximize their schedules to improve access to care, address patient utilization, and create economies of scale.
The IDS also demystifies data, helping users understand exactly what they’re looking at when they receive a report. There’s no confusion about where data are being pulled from or whether the data accurately capture the true quality of care. The IDS gives users the opportunity to see exactly what data elements make up a report, regardless of how big or small the patient population. As a result, reports from the system are more likely to be acted upon. This high-level view of specific data elements allows users to identify and focus on the people and populations with the poorest health outcomes and drill down to individual gaps in care.
Right now, 12 of Michigan’s health centers are using the IDS to transform the ways they provide care, and eight more have signed on to participate. The MPCA is excited about progress to date and plans to leverage positive results and experiences to build momentum in 2018.
After all, the future of population health is data driven.
For more information about how the IDS can benefit health centers and patients, contact Cheryl Gildner at cgildner@mpca.net. You can also register for the Azara Annual conference, which will be held from April 30 to May 2 in Boston, Massachusetts.
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NEW Grant Opportunity to Develop and Expand SUD Services
New, creative approaches to providing substance use disorder treatment to the most vulnerable communities across the nation are necessary — and health centers are uniquely positioned to play a critical role. That’s why the MPCA applied for — and received —a $5 million, two-year grant designed to grow substance use disorder treatment programs and deliver care to the people who need it most.
The Health Center Innovations in Substance Use Disorder grant is made possible by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Recovery Oriented Systems of Care, and it will be used to develop, implement, and monitor an innovative, evidence-based treatment program piloted by five of our member FQHCs, FQHC Look-Alikes, and Tribal Health Centers throughout the state. The project will combine treatment with recovery services, prevention, and intervention activities using a proven approach. As a condition of participation, each health center must employ a clinical team with members representing three health disciplines, plus a community health worker or health coach.
For more information or to apply, click here. Sara Coates, our director of integrated health and programs, is also available to answer your questions.
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MI Care Team Update
If you haven’t heard of MI Care Team, you should. The program first launched as a collaborative effort with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services in July 2016 at 10 member health centers. The goal? Help patients manage their conditions through an intimate level of care management and coordination. Since then, more than 3,500 patients have been enrolled in the program, each with a personalized health action plan.
In 2018, MPCA is working hard to take the program to the next level by preparing health centers to work toward value-based outcomes with two different types of ongoing training. The first involves a collaboration with the Michigan Center for Clinical Systems Improvement (MI-CCSI) to provide online and in-person training. Topics include basic self-management training for care coordinators, team-based care approaches for patients with multiple chronic conditions, motivational interviewing, and more.
The MPCA is also working with each participating health center to onboard new staff onto MI Care Team, with the goal of providing a clear understanding of the MI Care Team care model and ensuring that knowledge is among all staff.
We’ll continue adjusting our plans to best support our health centers and enable them to continue providing high-quality care — all while keeping them competitive among other health systems.
To learn more, contact Jessica Bautista at jbautista@mpca.net.
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MPCA Spring Clinical Conference Seeking Your Expertise
Our annual clinical conference will be here before you know it, and we're looking for your expertise! Follow the link below to submit a presentation application on quality improvement and data, infectious disease, or integrated health. The conference planning committee is looking for presentations that document specific strategies or tools that may be applicable within other communities or other health care organizations.
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School’s in Session — SDOH Academy Holds Kick-off Meeting
On Monday, January 29, the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Academy held its kick-off meeting in Lansing. Participants got the conversation started with sessions on defining SDOH and assessing an organization’s ability to respond, workforce development, and data-driven SDOH decisions. Dr. Michael Klinkman, a professor with the University of Michigan Medical School, also presented on SDOH screening efforts in Jackson County and how those lessons can be applied to everyone’s work.
The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Academy is a six-month HRSA-funded virtual training series designed to help staff from health centers, health center controlled networks, and primary care associations develop, implement and sustain SDOH interventions in their organizations and communities. Designed and led by staff from 14 organizations, the coordinated curriculum exposes participants to a range of SDOH strategies and community-based interventions in a single place, and covers everything from screening to implementation and practice transformation.
Future sessions will include a four-part webinar series that will promote peer-to-peer learning. Faculty will present on specific topics related to SDOH and participants will have an opportunity to share best practices and facilitate a discussion on barriers to addressing SDOH to improve community health outcomes.
To learn more, contact Jaspreet Malhotra at jmalhotra@mpca.net.
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Advantage Tackles Hep A at Homeless Memorial Event
Michigan’s health centers continue to tackle the hepatitis A (HAV) outbreak in unique ways. At the end of 2017, Advantage Health Centers in Detroit hosted a Homeless Memorial Event and invited the Detroit Health Department, led by Dr. Kenetra Young, to attend and provide HAV vaccinations to individuals experiencing homelessness.
As we noted in an earlier article, certain people carry additional risk factors for acquiring the disease, including people with a history of substance use, people who are homeless or in transient living, men who have sex with men, incarcerated individuals, food handlers, health care workers, and people with underlying liver disease. That’s why it’s so important to provide vaccination opportunities to people experiencing homelessness in the community.
At the event, attendees received lunch provided by the Dorsey Culinary Academy and an opportunity to make dental care appointments with Waller Dental. In addition, everyone who opted to receive a vaccine from the Detroit Health Department received a hygiene kit with warming items (such as hats or socks) from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Fifty-five people got vaccinated, making it the Detroit Health Department’s largest HAV clinic in 2017.
The success of the event highlights the importance of coalition building between organizations dedicated to improving population health. By working together, Advantage Health Centers, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the Detroit Health Department, Dorsey Culinary Academy, Capuchin Soup Kitchen, the Michigan Veterans Foundation, and Wayne State University Medical School volunteers were able to help fight the HAV outbreak while building trust and keeping residents safer and healthier.
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Center for Family Health Partners with Legal Services Under New Grant
As part of a partnership with Legal Services of South Central Michigan (LSSCM), the Center for Family Health (CFH) will pilot an innovative program to provide legal representation as part of the process of promoting good health. But what does that mean? LSSCM explains:
"For example, a child and his mother visit the local health center for treatment to address the child’s chronic asthma. The child receives excellent medical care, but returns to his home, a substandard apartment with significant mold infestation. His asthma does not improve. The mother approaches her landlord, but the landlord does not remedy the mold problem. In this situation, the child’s medical condition is unlikely to improve unless his housing conditions improve. The child needs more help than health care providers and caseworkers alone can provide; he also needs a lawyer."
Thus, in many cases, legal assistance is necessary to fully address the social determinants of health and reverse health inequality.
Moving forward, an LSSCM attorney will be onsite at CFH to address patients’ health-harming civil legal needs. This partnership is made possible by a $20,000 grant from the Jackson Community Foundation.
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Cherry Health Receives Patient-Centered Care Recognition
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recently certified nine Cherry Health sites as Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs)—the highest level possible. The NCQA is one of three national organizations (which also includes The Joint Commission and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care) that provides PCMH accreditation to health center organizations.
PCMH is an approach for providing comprehensive, coordinated primary care to adults, youth, and children. It facilitates partnerships between individual patients and their personal physicians, and when appropriate, the patient's family. To learn more about what it means to follow a PCMH approach to care, click here.
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Red Alert for Community Health Centers
It’s been more than four months since health centers lost 70 percent of the federal funding they need to care for millions of people. But on February 8, Congress has an opportunity to fix the funding cliff as part of a government spending package. That’s why today we’re celebrating as a Day of Demonstration for America’s Health Centers.
Health center advocates from across the country are in Washington, D.C., right now attending emergency meetings with their members of Congress. We need you to show your support right here at home by wearing red, posting your pictures on social media using the hashtag #RedAlert4CHCs, and taking action through HC Advocacy! Make sure you tag the Michigan Primary Care Association on Facebook and Twitter so that we can share your stories, too.
You can access templates for social media posts, shareable images, printable signs and flyers, and more at the HC Advocacy website.
Your collective voices and advocacy are making a difference, and persistence is key to driving our cause. Let’s give Congress a visual reminder of who we are and why the 27 million patients who rely on community health centers need them to take action!
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CDC Reports Show Mobile Health Platform Secures Medication Adherence
In December, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published two reports highlighting the success of video Directly Observed Therapy from emocha partners:
Both reports demonstrate that video DOT can effectively help providers and patients.
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MDHHS Releases RFI for Section 298 Initiative
The Section 298 Initiative is a statewide effort to improve the coordination of physical health services and behavioral health services in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will implement and test up to three pilot projects and a separate demonstration model in Kent County to test the integration of publicly-funded physical and behavioral health services. Interested applicants must submit their proposals by Feb. 13, 2018.
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For more information about all of MPCA’s trainings and events, please visit our website.
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Register Now — MPCA’s Legislative Forum is Coming!
Get your hats and mittens ready — it’s almost time to head to Lansing to tell our elected officials why Michigan’s health centers are so important! MPCA’s annual Legislative Day will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, following the MPCA annual board meeting and all-members meeting and dinner on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018. Check back for more updates!
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Enroll Now in the Federal Tort Claims Act University
On May 16 and 17, MPCA will host the Federal Tort Claims Act University (FTCAU) in Lansing, Michigan. The FTCAU is an innovative, two-day training event designed to give health center personnel a broader understanding of the Federal Tort Claims Act. The training will include interactive presentations and exercises from experts, leaders, and government officials.
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Learn More About Medical-Legal Partnerships During Office Hours
Interested in learning more about Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLP) or considering implementing a program? The MPCA will be hosting office hours so that you can talk to experts from the National Center for Medical Legal Partnerships. Your team will be able to ask questions and learn from the experiences of others in the MLP field.
- February 14, 9:00–10:00 a.m. ET
- March 14, 9:00–10:00 a.m. ET
There is no cost to attend. More details will be available soon!
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Save the Date and Call for Presenters: Michigan LGBTQ Health Summit
The Michigan Primary Care Association is excited to announce the dates for the 3rd Annual LGBTQ Health Summit, which will be held at The Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, Michigan, on June 18 and 19. The agenda will focus on meeting the primary care needs of the LGBTQ population in Michigan and will include topics relevant to all health professionals with an emphasis on primary care, infectious disease, and behavioral health providers, as well as executives, public health specialists, and community-based organizations. Any organization is welcome to attend! For more information or to submit a poster or presentation for consideration, contact Lindsey Naeyaert at lnaeyaert@mpca.net.
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Save the Date – FREE NCQA PCMH Recognition Program Training
The MPCA, in collaboration with HRSA’s Quality Improvement Division, the Illinois Primary Health Care Association, the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association, and the Midwest Clinicians Network, are hosting a two-and-a–half-day training on the NCQA’s 2017 Standards Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition Program. Training material will be identical in content to the beginner and advanced trainings that NQCA holds year round—a $2,250 value—and will be held in Chicago on April 9 through 11. You’re only responsible for a nominal registration fee and the cost of your hotel. (A block of rooms will be reserved.) Stay tuned for more information! For more information, contact Simmi Isaac at sisaac@mpca.net.
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Take Your Voices to the Capitol at NACHC’s Policy and Issues Forum
There’s no better time than now to show leaders in Washington, D.C., just how important community health centers are to the future of our nation. Your voices and participation are key to making the case for continued investment in a health center program that has been delivering results for more than 50 years. We hope to see you there!
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Trauma Informed Care Education Conference
The Western Regional Area Health Education Center and Western Michigan University’s College of Health and Human Services is hosting a one-day conference on Friday, May 18, on the role of trauma in substance use disorders. Continuing education credits for physicians and social workers are available!
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Registration Now Open for the 2018 Conference on Adolescent Health
Join colleagues from around the country for two days of breakout sessions, oral sessions, poster presentations, and networking events related to all aspects of adolescent health. The conference will be held from April 23 to April 24 at the Ann Arbor Marriott in Ypsilanti, Michigan. You can view the tentative agenda here.
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Find MI Care
Did you know all MPCA member health centers are listed in Find MI Care? Find MI Care is a website and free smartphone app created and maintained by the Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC) that helps direct people to free and low-cost care at a convenient location. Find MI Care can be searched by location, including by city, ZIP code, street address, cross-streets or region, and an advanced search allows a user to search for a specific clinic by name.
GDAHC encourages all Michigan health centers to check their listing in Find MI Care to make sure all information is accurate. If you have questions or need to make changes, contact Andrell Sturdivant at 248.282.607 or asturdivant@gdahc.org. You can also offer updates directly on your health center’s page by clicking on, “Does the information about this clinic need to be updated? Click here to let us know.”
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International Federation of Community Health Centres Release Global Survey Results
Last year, the International Federation of Community Health Centres (IFCHC) conducted an online survey open to all staff and board members from community health centers and associations around the world—all with the goal of identifying top knowledge-exchange priorities. They received 862 responses from 448 organizations in 24 countries. Respondents were asked to identify the top three areas of activity on which IFCHC should focus global knowledge-exchange efforts in the near future:
- 63 percent said, “The work of Community Health Centres in improving access to appropriate and respectful health/social services for individuals and groups that face discrimination and marginalization due to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, citizenship status, language or other factors.”
- 60 percent said, “Direct services/programs delivered by Community Health Centres in the local community that reduce the negative impacts of social factors such as poverty, lack of housing, unemployment and other social factors (i.e., Social Determinants of Health).”
- 50 percent said, “Research and evidence on the health and economic impact of Community Health Centres.”
You can review the full results of the survey here.
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GWU Cancer Survivorship E-Learning Series
Interested in obtaining FREE continuing education credits? If so, check out George Washington University Cancer Institute’s “Cancer Survivorship E-Learning Series for Primary Care Providers.” The “Cancer Survivorship E-Learning Series” is a great opportunity for primary care professionals to learn about cancer survivorship care — a growing concern in the United States. This online training module was created in collaboration with the American Cancer Society, with funding through a five-year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It contains 10 modules covering a range of topics, including general survivorship care, late effects of cancer treatment, and clinical follow-up care guidelines for several different cancers. For more information or to start learning, click here.
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Every month we’ll be featuring an MPCA employee so that you can learn a little more about the people who are working for your success — and find the help you need, when you need it.
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Cheryl Gildner, Clinical Data Manager
These days, everyone’s always talking about data — and there’s good reason! Health information technologies can optimize quality improvement and lead to innovations in population health.
As our clinical data manager, Cheryl’s manages our statewide integrated data system and data assets. That means developing reports, measures, and registries, as well as working with the rest of her team to maximize how we use data to identify grant and research opportunities.
Cheryl has more than 20 years of experience in health care delivery in areas including behavioral health, HIV/AIDS, primary care, oral health, and women’s health. She was a direct service provider for a partial hospitalization program that worked with patients who have mental illnesses, an HIV care manager for a community based organization, and, most recently, an FQHC supervisor and compliance manager. There, she oversaw daily operations for clinics, medical records, the electronic health records, and quality. It’s safe to say that Cheryl knows what’s important to keep health centers running smoothly.
When she’s not neck deep in health information technology, Cheryl spends her time riding motorcycles, kayaking, and Jeeping (yes, that’s a verb!) with her kids. To get in touch with Cheryl and learn more about the integrated data system, email cgildner@mpca.net or call 517.827.0870.
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