Primary care under pressure

Recent health Articles, Events, Jobs, and Resources.

CONTENTS

1. DCPCA News: Congrats to our 2010-2011 HealthCorps volunteers
2. DCPCA News: Meet the 2010-2011 Future EDs Fellows
3. CHC News: CRHS /Unity Health Care merger announcement
4. CHC News: Check out Bread for the City's expansion
5. Article: Primary care under pressure
6. Article: Midlevel providers fill primary care doctors' shoes
7. Article: Bucking the trend: Primary care doc practices solo
8. Article: Medical informatics combines health care and technology
9. Article: EHR market presents significant opportunities, risks
10. Commentary: CHC videos, voting, and visibility via social media
11. Update: DOH receives $270,000 to improve health surveillance
12. Update: DHCF awarded funds for EHR incentive program

ARTICLE SUMMARIES

1. DCPCA News: Congratulations to our 2010-2011 Community HealthCorps Volunteers
DC Primary Care Association, August 30, 2010

For more than three years, DCPCA has led the effort to improve the lives of DC residents by placing Community HealthCorps members in health care settings across the District. On Tuesday, September 7th, DCPCA will introduce its newest cohort of HealthCorps volunteers to the community. Comprised of individuals from DC and around the country, this year's volunteers brings a diverse set of skills and life experiences to the program. For one year, HealthCorps members will engage in direct outreach within the community at each of our nine host sites in an effort increase access to and utilization of primary health care. Congratulations to our 2010-2011 Community HealthCorps volunteers and our CHC members! For more info, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , DCPCA's Community Health Access Program Coordinator, at (202) 638-0252, extension 203, or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , DCPCA's Senior Community Relations Manager, at extension 221.  |  Read more on Community HealthCorps  & Community Health Centers

2. DCPCA News: Meet the 2010-2011 Fellows
Future Executive Directors Fellowship, Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington, August 2010

Summary: The Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington announced the second class of the Future Executive Directors Fellowship at their June 22 Annual Meeting. These 25 emerging nonprofit leaders represent the diversity of our region -- from Ward 8 in Washington, DC to Montgomery County and Northern Virginia, and from direct service nonprofits to advocacy and grantmaking organizations. Fellows were competitively selected and will participate in an intensive year-long leadership development program designed to prepare them for future leadership opportunities. A 2009 Bridgespan Group report identified two of the top barriers to finding suitable nonprofit leaders: difficulty finding executives with specialized skills and lack of resources to find or cultivate new leaders. The Roundtable's Future Executive Director Fellowship program addresses both of those issues by developing new talent for the nonprofit community. In 2008, the Roundtable launched the inaugural class of Future Executive Directors Fellows as the first program of this focus and intensity specifically for aspiring CEOs. This fellowship program's impact is seen in part through the six fellows from the first cohort of 25 who have already reached their goal of becoming a nonprofit executive director. Meet the 2010 Fellows, including one from DCPCA.  |  Meet the 2010 Fellows

3. CHC News: Columbia Road Health Services/Unity Health Care Merger Announcement
By Dr. Janelle Goetcheus, Founding Medical Director, Columbia Road Health Services, June 2010

Summary: Since 1979, Columbia Road Health Services recognized that each person's health needs are linked to his/her individual circumstances, and served each patient with personalized medical care and the support of their mental health counseling and social services staff as needed. CRHS has grown since its origins in a two-bedroom apartment. Their change in status to a federally qualified health center look-alike in the 1990s, and then to an FQHC in 2003, enabled them to reach more patients as they qualified for federal grants and higher reimbursement rates for their services. But the administrative requirements of maintaining their FQHC status were disproportionate to their small size. CRHS believed it would be in the best interest of their patients to become a part of a larger community health center network -- Unity Health Care. The histories of CRHS and Unity are intertwined. When the District began the Health Care for the Homeless project in 1985, CRHS housed the project's offices and leadership. As the years passed, the HCH project expanded and changed its name to Unity Health Care. Now Unity encompasses a large network of community health centers scattered throughout DC, as well as health centers in homeless shelters, mobile vans, schools, and the DC jail. Like CRHS, Unity is an FQHC and a nonprofit. By joining the Unity network, CRHS will have much of the labor-intensive federal grant requirements lifted from their shoulders so that they may concentrate on direct patient care. Unity's mission and values reflect those of CRHS, which will be able to continue for years to provide health care for the poor. CRHS and Unity merged on July 1, 2010.  |  Read announcement letter

4. CHC News: Check out our expansion!
By Erin Garnaas-Holmes, Bread for the City, Beyond Bread, July 19, 2010

Summary: Bread for the City's expansion is well underway, and will be finished this fall. Their medical clinic is in for a major upgrade. They'll have more exam rooms, a larger dispensary, a new lab and a dental suite. The new facility will allow them to triple their capacity to provide free health care to the community. Their social services department and legal clinic will expand into the space previously occupied by the medical clinic, providing more privacy for client visits. Once the wall between their new and old buildings gets blasted through, their food pantry will be re-organized to accommodate Client Choice, the successful new way of distributing food. With the help of DC Greenworks, they'll build a 3,500 square foot green roof, which will reduce storm water runoff, reduce heating and cooling costs, and reduce their input to the urban heat island effect. It'll eventually host a garden where they can grow herbs and vegetables. The new entryway to their building will be spacious and inviting, with a staircase, elevator, and open hallways. Other features of their new expansion include a wider reception area, a larger conference room, more bathrooms, and office space for administrative and development staff. The construction of the building has been made possible by DCPCA, through its Medical Homes DC capital initiative. With this support and gifts from several individuals and private foundations, Bread for the City secured more than 97% of the $8.3 million that the expansion will cost. But the remaining 3% (just over $120,000) is what will make the new facility operational. You can make a donation to Bread for the City's Capital Campaign.  |  Read the blog

5. Article: Series Overview: Primary Care Under Pressure
By Julie Rovner, National Public Radio, August 26, 2010

Summary: Fewer medical students than ever are choosing primary care as their profession. Of the 24,000 medical students who entered residency programs this year, 16-18% are likely to end up practicing primary care, which includes general internal medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine. Money is obviously a big reason medical students opt to become specialists rather than generalists. But there are other reasons medical students shy away from primary care. When you survey medical students when they enter medical school, a very high percentage are interested in primary care. Then they lose that interest over that four years because they're not exposed to it. They don't have the role models, and the payment system is geared toward specialty care. There's also the perception that primary care doctors work longer hours and have less job satisfaction than other types of doctors. Health policymakers are now trying to address all of those factors in efforts to reinvent primary care around the nation. The new health law boosts payments for primary care -- not just for doctors, but also for nurses and physician assistants who are also key primary caregivers, particularly in rural areas. It also expands programs that help repay student loans for health professionals who agree to practice in areas with shortages of health personnel. Many states and health organizations are also experimenting with new ways to organize primary care practices. One that is gaining popularity is known as the patient-centered medical home. The idea is to have health care providers -- doctors, nurses, social workers, and nutritionists -- work in teams to give patients a single place to get most of their medical needs tended to and coordinated. The idea is to take some of the pressure off overworked doctors and make care more efficient, cheaper, and more pleasant for the patients.  |  Read the article

6. Article: Midlevel Providers Fill Primary Care Doctors' Shoes
By Julie Rovner, National Public Radio, All Things Considered, August 27, 2010

Summary: Increasingly, the doctor isn't in when it comes to delivering primary care. But the nurse practitioner or physician assistant is often taking the doctor's place. It's so cost-effective compared to any other form of medical provider. We're going to see more nurse practitioners and physician assistants taking care of our primary care needs. Unlike physicians in primary care, the number of physician assistants and nurse practitioners are on the rise. There were 74,100 physician assistants in practice in 2008. It's projected to be the second-fastest-growing health profession, after home health aides, in the coming decade. As of 2010, there are 135,000 practicing nurse practitioners, with an additional 8,000 being added to the ranks each year. Only 10% of the doctors practice in rural areas, where 21% of the nation's population lives. Many health experts are predicting a major shortage of primary caregivers in the near future. Yet fewer medical students than ever are choosing primary care as their profession. Midlevel health professionals are trained to know their boundaries and know when to turn to one of the practice's doctors for help or advice. Extra practitioners helps patients get access to care and provide good quality medicine. And it's easier to recruit midlevel practitioners to the practice than doctors.  |  Read the article / Listen to audio [8 min 11 sec]

7. Article: Bucking The Trend: Primary Care Doc Practices Solo
By Julie Rovner, National Public Radio, All Things Considered, August 25, 2010

Summary: Conventional wisdom is that the age-old model of a single doctor serving patients out of a small office is rapidly going extinct. Doctors need to evolve or die. That means fancy new computerized medical systems and bigger groups to handle the overhead. Patients believe that it's better service to go to the same physician all the time and have one person overlooking them. The doctor knows them and their problems better. Patients don't have to remind them of everything each visit. And patients seem to like the atmosphere of a small practice better. The doctor and his/her staff know them on an individual basis. And it just makes them feel that much better than if they just sat in a room full of people and had someone call their name that doesn't know them. A small practice is a juggling act without having the overhead of a larger practice helping out. It's a game every week, making sure the office has got enough patients on the schedule. Small practice doctors wish their staff could spend less time on insurance company bureaucracy. They spend a tremendous amount of time on the telephone with prior authorization for medications, which is medical speak for getting permission to prescribe specific drugs. And small practice physicians wonder what will happen to their practice -- and their patients -- when they retire. So, they spend some of their time trying to recruit their replacement.  |  Read the article / Listen to audio [8 min 0 sec]

8. Article: Medical Informatics Combines Healthcare and Technology
By Carol Sorgen, The Washington Post, August 30, 2010

Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor forecasts that the two fields projected to have the most jobs are technology and health care. In the developing area of biomedical and health informatics, you can get the best of both worlds. Medical informaticians apply the principles of computer and information science to the advancement of life sciences research, patient care, health professions education, and public health. Informaticians are responsible for effectively organizing, analyzing, managing, and using the complex and increasing amount of health care information necessary in both health care delivery and research. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in medical and health informatics will increase by a faster-than-average rate of 18% through the year 2016. One reason for the rapid expansion of the field is the increasing number of medical tests, treatments, and procedures that need to be evaluated by health insurance companies, regulators, courts, and consumers, resulting in a growing demand for electronic record-keeping and qualified professionals to interpret and manage those records. The University of Maryland School of Nursing offers the first established master's degree in the field of nursing informatics. The 2009 federal stimulus package targets millions of dollars of funding for informatics development and deployment. The package includes a goal of an electronic health record for every U.S. resident by 2014 in order to increase efficiency, decrease costs and medical errors, improve communication across providers and care settings, and to facilitate health care research.  |  Read the article

9. Article: U.S. Ambulatory Electronic Health Record Market Presents Significant Opportunities and Risks for Vendors, Finds Frost & Sullivan
PRNewswire, August 30, 2010

Summary: The rate of electronic health record adoption among U.S. physicians expects to increase over the next two to five years due to a combination of changes caused by health care reform. Financial subsidies provided by the U.S. government's HITECH program have also boosted the prospects of this market. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, U.S. Ambulatory EHR Market, finds the market earned revenues of $1.3 billion in 2009 and estimates this to reach $2.6 billion in 2012. If you're interested in more information on this study, send an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Corporate Communications, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state, and country. Growing complexities in managing the reimbursement process with both government and commercial payers who reward quality over quantity in the care provided will increase the use of EHRs and related solutions for physicians and other clinicians. HITECH has significantly increased public awareness around the issue of EHRs. In addition to direct payments to physicians and hospitals for the meaningful use of EHRs, HITECH will indirectly stimulate the market by enticing additional stakeholders like commercial payers, professional medical societies, health care manufacturers, and various nonprofit organizations to help physicians and other providers successfully adopt information technology in their practices. Revenues expect to fluctuate considerably over the next five to seven years, resulting in significant year-over-year shifts. This fluctuation happens as the market matures and increased competition comes into play, causing a decrease in pricing.  |  Read the article

10. Commentary: Videos, Voting and Visibility via Social Media
By Lindsey Ruivivar, National Association of Community Health Centers, Health Center Advocacy in Action, August 27, 2010

Summary: Community health centers embraced using video to tell their story during National Health Center Week this year, as evidenced by the more than 40 videos added to the NACHC YouTube "National Health Center Week 2010" Playlist. You can also view these videos on the Community Health Center Facebook page "NHCW Videos" tab. Does your health center have a video from Health Center Week? Send it to NACHC. Whether your video is on YouTube or another video sharing site, e-mail the link to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Making a video and uploading it to a web site doesn't ensure that anyone will ever see it. You can help people find your video by using tags. When you upload a video to a video sharing site, such as YouTube, you have the opportunity to add descriptive word tags. Don't lose this important opportunity to make your video easier to find. For example, if you search "National Health Center Week 2010" on YouTube the entire first page of search results lists videos with descriptions or titles using key descriptor words for NHCW. Other key words you may want to consider always including in your health center video tags include FQHC and health center. Have you seen the new Vote! tabs on the NACHC and Community Health Centers Facebook pages? Community Health Vote, an initiative of NACHC, offers free, health center-specific materials and resources to assist your health center in promoting voting and voter education. Also check out Facebook's Places feature.  |  Read the blog

11. Update: DOH Receives $270,000 in Stimulus Funds to Improve Health Surveillance
DC Department of Health, News Release, August 24, 2010

Summary: The DC Department of Health Center for Policy Planning and Evaluation received $270,311 to enhance its Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System program. BRFSS is the largest state-based telephone health survey administered by DOH. The project is already funded by the CDC. DOH will utilize these additional grant funds to supplement the existing BRFSS survey with questions related to the goals of the District's new "Live Well DC" project, an initiative supported by more stimulus funds under a CDC Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative grant. The survey allows DOH to make better decisions about how to target their health and wellness education efforts, and health policy initiatives. DOH wants to be able to help make healthy choices the default choice in our health disparate communities. The CPPW initiative is a part of the $650 million provided to HHS for chronic disease and prevention efforts under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to improve the health outcomes of millions of Americans. The BRFSS system collects information on health risk behaviors, preventive health practices, and health care access primarily related to chronic disease and injury. The DOH BRFSS and "Live Well DC" program joined forces under the CPPW to collect data targeting individual behaviors that result in poor health outcomes interrelated to social determinants of health, including physical environment that are directly related to the individual's capacity to make healthy and informed choices. The District's CPPW program will use evidence-based community approaches to chronic disease prevention to focus on: Increasing levels of physical activity; Improving nutrition; Decreasing overweight/obesity prevalence; Decreasing tobacco use; and Decreasing exposure to second-hand smoke. To facilitate these efforts, the BRFSS developed a survey that will be conducted to 1,500 District residents 18 years of age and older in all eight wards in DC over the period of 33 months that encompass components of the focus areas.  |  Read DOH release

12. Update: CMS Awards DHCF with Funds for Electronic Health Record Incentive Program
DC Department of Health Care Finance, News Release, August 6, 2010

Summary: HHS, CMS, awarded the DC Department of Health Care Finance $817,000 to develop the District's Medicaid Health Information Technology Plan, including the plans for the administration of an incentive program to assist for the adoption of electronic health records. The incentive program, established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, provides payments to Medicaid providers when they adopt, implement, or upgrade to a certified EHR and demonstrate meaningful of the EHR. Eligible Medicaid providers can receive as much as $63,750 over six years. The planning funds will be used to assist DHCF in analyzing the current status of health information technology in use by District providers, assess the barriers to EHR adoption, and establish the policies and procedures for the administration of the incentive program. DHCF will submit its plan to CMS in the fall and expects to begin the incentive program in early 2011. Formerly DOH's Medicaid Assistance Administration, the DHCF became a cabinet-level agency on October 1, 2008. The mission of DHCF is to improve health outcomes by providing access to comprehensive, cost-effective, and quality health care services for DC residents.  |  Read DHCF release

EVENTS

DCPCA 13th Annual Meeting
"Eyes on the Prize: The Road to Health Equity"
Save the Date: Thursday, October 7th, 9 am - 5 pm
Kellogg Conference Center
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Avenue NE
In our thirteenth year hosting distinctive, change-making conferences that are free and open to all, DCPCA invites you to join us for our 2010 Annual Meeting. Let DCPCA take you on a journey; travel with us on the road to health equity. This year's historic health reform legislation brings expansions in coverage, investments in health information technology, and a new emphasis on quality care for all people. The District is miles ahead on this journey and DCPCA is leading the way. On October 7th, join us to see where we are and how far we have come on the road to health equity. Our event theme -- "Eyes on the Prize: The Road to Health Equity" -- symbolizes our long-term commitment to realizing a health care system with guaranteed access to primary care and no disparities in health outcomes for anyone in our city. This year, we will showcase our groundbreaking work in health care quality, technology, capital development, and workforce initiatives that make us a leader in the movement to achieve health equity for all in the District. Our keynote speaker and panelists will be experts and thought leaders in the area of health care reform and health equity. We are also delighted to have legendary blues and gospel singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples perform for us this year. For more info, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at (202) 638-0252, extension 246.

Treatable Chronic Health Conditions and Pregnancy Effects on the Fetus Symposium
Wednesday, September 29th, 9 am - 1 pm (on-site registration day of event, 8 - 8:45 am)
Old Council Chambers, 1st Floor
441 - 4th Street NW
Topics include: Asthma, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS and Hyptension. Symposium goal: To increase the awareness of the effects of chronic health conditions on the fetus. Hosted by the Perinatal and Infant Health Bureau. For more info, call (202) 442-5842. Please register early - seating is limited. Pre-register online.  Continuing Education Units will be offered for Social Workers ($10 fee, to be paid by check or money order), No Fee for Registered Nurses.

More Events...

JOBS

Public Health Advisor (CS-685-13)
DC Department of Health
The Public Health Advisor position is located in the DC Department of Health (DOH), Community Health Administration's (CHA) Primary Care Bureau. The mission of CHA is to improve health outcomes for all residents of the District of Columbia with an emphasis on women, infants, children (including children with special health care needs), and other vulnerable groups such as those with a disproportionate burden of chronic disease and disability. Salary Range: $77,884 - $100,357. Applicants must apply online and reference job ID #16635. Closes September 18, 2010.

Health Quality Improvement Manager, DCPCA

More Job Postings...

RESOURCES

Health Center New Access Points Funded Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010
The Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Primary Health Care is pleased to announce the release of HRSA-11-017: New Access Points grant competition. An important element of HRSA's commitment to improving and expanding access to needed primary health care services is the support of new access points for the delivery of primary health care services for the underserved through operational support under the Health Center Program (i.e., Community Health Center, Migrant Health Center, Health Care for the Homeless, and Public Housing Primary Care Programs) authorized under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. Organizations eligible to compete include public or nonprofit entities, including tribal, faith-based, and community-based organizations. Visit www.grants.gov to access the HRSA-11-017: New Access Points funding opportunity announcement detailing the eligibility requirements, review criteria, and awarding factors for organizations seeking a grant for operational support of new access points in fiscal year 2011. For more info, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it in the Office of Policy and Program Development at (301) 594-4300.

More Resources...

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Medical homes are the future of primary care

Recent health Articles, Events, Jobs, and Resources.

CONTENTS

1. DCPCA News: SOME's New Dental Clinic
2. CHC News: CRHS joins Unity's network of community health centers
3. Article: What's the future of primary care? Some say 'medical home'
4. Article: Potential private sector buyer for UMC steps forward
5. Article: Children's Hospital expansion wins DC green light
6. Article: Charles County clinic Health Partners gets dental grant
7. Article: DC candidate calls for putting HIV status on driver's licenses
8. Article: An interview with Vincent Gray about HIV/AIDS
9. Article: Adrian Fenty interviewed about HIV/AIDS
10. Article: Weight Loss -- Carbs vs. Fat
11. Article: Fed's $2B boost to help local vaccine, biodefense companies
12. Article: USDA grants plant seeds of good nutrition in school gardens

ARTICLE SUMMARIES

1. DCPCA News: Visit to SOME's New Dental Clinic
DC Primary Care Association, May 14, 2010

DCPCA staff members Karen Williamson, Robin Halsband, and Anastacia Arons toured five community health centers in May to see the final renovations that had been made using DCPCA's Medical Homes DC grant funds. So Others Might Eat was founded in 1970 to help feed the city's destitute citizens. SOME offered hot nutritional meals, launched a substance abuse program, and began a program for the homebound elderly. Since the late 1990s, SOME has offered medical services, jobs search assistance for the homeless, housing programs for homeless single adults and families, and a job training program. SOME is best known for food; more than 1,000 meals are served each day. Today, SOME continues to offer comprehensive programs that meet a full spectrum of needs while giving a sense of dignity to the District's poor and homeless. Through MHDC funds, SOME expanded and upgraded its dental clinic, furnishing it with top-of-the-line equipment, and allowing for a totally paperless operation. With the expansion, along with additional funds from DOH, SOME was able to add staff members and increase patient visits. Since the renovation, SOME has seen an increase in patients that return for follow-up care. This type of ongoing care can have a significant impact on patient's overall health. View photos from DCPCA's visits to La Clínica del Pueblo, Perry Family Health Center, Family and Medical Counseling Service, Inc., and Community of Hope.  For more info, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , DCPCA's Medical Homes DC Program Assistant, at (202) 638-0252, extension 217.  |  View photos

2. CHC News: Columbia Road Health Services Joins Unity's Network of Community Health Centers
Unity Health Care, Inc., News Release, August 26, 2010

Summary: Unity Health Care expands its network of services by merging with Columbia Road Health Services. By joining the Unity family, CRHS will belong to a larger federally qualified health center that has the infrastructure and capacity to support the overall administrative needs of this longstanding organization. As a result, CRHS will continue to focus on the mission, operations, and dedication to providing direct quality care to all its patients. Unity is DC's largest non-profit health care and social service organization serving more than 81,000 individuals and families annually. Unity operates medical homes in all eight wards of the District, serving the most vulnerable residents of the District including, the under/uninsured, working poor, homeless, the incarcerated, and formerly incarcerated. Unity is hosting a ribbon cutting at 11 am on Monday, August 30th, 11 am, at 1660 Columbia Road NW. Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) is confirmed to attend the event.| Read article

3. Article: Future Of Primary Care? Some Say 'Medical Home'
By Julie Rovner, National Public Radio, All Things Considered, August 26, 2010

Summary: The idea of patient-centered medical homes is spreading around the nation. Veterinarians are very good at delivering patient-centered care. They know when the shots are due. They call you ahead of time. They greet you warmly when you arrive. They coordinate your needs. The expectations for primary care and the expectations and needs for people in our health care system have changed. The expectations of people in primary care are that they'll do a great job caring for people with chronic disease, and they'll identify and know everybody for whom they're responsible. But in the medical home, doctors are also supposed to be able to hand off some of the less specialized -- and often time-consuming -- tasks to others. The idea is to have everyone practicing at the top of their license, or doing what they're most trained to do. That should best serve the patients and the health professionals. For some patients, the medical home means access to services they didn't have before -- such as health educators and nurse practitioners. What will really determine the success or failure of the medical home in the long run is whether it actually saves money. But in order to make quality, efficiency, and lowered cost happen, there's going to have to be serious attitude adjustments on the part of both doctors and their patients.  |  Read article/Listen to audio [7 min 45 sec]

4. Article: Potential private sector buyer for United Medical Center steps forward
By Ben Fischer, Washington Business Journal, August 27, 2010

Summary: George Chopivsky is the only person with any interest in owning the United Medical Center -- and the DC government has shown little desire to grant his wish. Chopivsky, a little-known medical entrepreneur whose companies started and operated psychiatric hospitals for three decades nationwide is pressing for more access to hospital records before firming up his initial $100 million proposal. He says he can turn a profit at the hospital -- something two private companies failed to do in the last decade. Chopivsky assembled a team of tentative partners -- including lobbyist David Carmen, lawyer Scott Morrison of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, and potential financiers at Bethesda-based EagleBank -- to get the attention of DC policymakers. But his company, Capital Behavioral Health LLC, is embroiled in a $225M lawsuit with the hospital's former owner, Specialty Hospitals of America LLC. The suit claims Specialty evicted Capital Behavioral Health's psychiatric units from the hospital after an alleged 2007 deal unraveled. Also, Chopivsky has never run an acute-care hospital. His final offer to buy the hospital is contingent on a situational analysis and due diligence. Chopivsky believes he can make money by creating a series of psychiatric services at the location, insulating the money-losing general hospital unit. Such higher-revenue services could help a beleaguered hospital that has nearly collapsed several times in the past five years and now, under public ownership, has Wall Street bond-rating agencies concerned about its impact on District finances. Councilmember David Catania said Chopivsky is a non-starter because he's expressed interest, but there's no proposal. As far as Catania's concerned, he's wasting people's time. According to Chopivsky, the underlying reason for UMC's troubles isn't the economics of health care delivery in an impoverished neighborhood; it's just been underutilized. He would operate an inpatient psychiatric unit, a partial hospitalization psychiatric unit, an adolescent mental health unit, and a geriatric unit.  |  Read article

5. Article: Children's National Medical Center expansion wins D.C. green light
By Ben Fischer, Washington Business Journal, August 26, 2010

Summary: Children's National Medical Center received the go-ahead from DC health regulators this week to begin work on its first major expansion since its current hospital was built in 1976. According to a letter dated Aug. 23, the District's State Health Planning and Development Agency granted the pediatric hospital a certificate of need for renovations to its original building, which will create an intensive care unit specifically for children born with serious heart defects. Department Director Amha Selassie said Children's made a compelling case for its expansion, saying the combination of Children's position as the dominant market leader in inpatient pediatric hospital admissions and its steady growth in demand justify the growth. Work will be complete by fall 2011. The project will be slightly larger than originally described by Children's officials. Workers will renovate 33,000 square feet at a cost of $33.7 million, up from the 32,000 square feet for $30 million initially announced. Children's will cover ~80% of the cost through operations and is issuing bonds for the remaining $7 million. Children's also informed the District that it plans further significant capital investments through 2015.  |  Read article

6. Article: Charles County clinic Health Partners gets dental grant
By Alan Brody, Maryland Independent, The Washington Post, August 19, 2010

Summary: Health Partners, a Charles County volunteer medical clinic, received a two-year dental grant that'll enable it to more than double its capacity to care for uninsured residents. The $120,000 grant was announced during a news conference this month at Health Partners' office in Waldorf. The money will be used to hire a part-time dental hygienist and a dental assistant/administrator, which will allow three volunteer dentists to focus more on restorative oral health than preventive care. It's not known how many Charles County residents lack dental insurance, but the grant will enable the clinic to increase the number of low-income patients it serves from about 175 to 430. Health Partners focuses on providing care to children, but hopes to reach more adults through the grant. Founded in 1992, the nonprofit charitable organization also works with two Charles County elementary schools -- Mount Hope/Nanjemoy and Gale Bailey -- to identify uninsured children who receive dental checkups at their schools. Health Partners fills an important gap in coverage, particularly in a down economy when high unemployment led to more people without health insurance. The award issued by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission is one of 14 grants for fiscal 2011 that are projected to serve more than 76,000 low-income, uninsured Marylanders. The grant money totals about $1.3 million in fiscal 2011 funds, which is slated to increase to $3.1 million if multiyear grant awards are handed out.  |  Read article

7. Article: Mayoral candidate calls for putting HIV status on driver’s licenses
By Lou Chibbaro Jr., Washington Blade, D.C. campaign notebook, August 26, 2010

Summary: Mayoral candidate Leo Alexander startled some attendees of an Aug. 11 candidates' forum focusing on HIV/AIDS when he said he's considering pushing a requirement that the HIV status of DC residents be disclosed on their driver's license. We have to treat this as an epidemic and do what's necessary to address it, Alexander said. Two other mayoral candidates present when Alexander raised the issue, Sulaimon Brown and Ernest Johnson, didn't comment on the proposal. About 100 people attended the forum, which was organized by local HIV/AIDS groups DC Fights Back and AIDSvote.org. Christine Campbell, vice president for national advocacy and organizing for AIDS group Housing Works, and Ron McInnis, an official with the International AIDS Society, moderated the forum and asked the candidates questions before opening the event to questions from the audience. Existing District law prohibits DOH from publicly disclosing test results for any sexually transmitted disease -- including HIV. All four mayoral candidates present, including Vincent Gray, expressed strong support for strengthening the District's programs combating HIV/AIDS. When one questioner asked the candidates how they would implement the District's participation in President Obama's recently released National HIV/AIDS Strategy, Johnson said that he didn't even know what it is, but that he'll make it better in DC. Gray said he would build on the DC HIV prevention and testing strategies developed by Dr. Shannon Hader, former director of DC's HIV/AIDS Administration, saying the epidemiological tracking Hader developed for HIV in the District worked well. Hader resigned from her post earlier this year, triggering speculation that she had irreconcilable disagreements with DOH Director Dr. Pierre Vigilance and that Fenty sided with Vigilance. Hader left the agency to take a new job with an international health foundation. Hader attended the forum, but didn't speak. Campbell felt that while the candidates knew something about HIV/AIDS, there was no real depth and they don't have a lot of plans. According to Campbell, Gray was probably more well-versed in the issues simply because he had to deal with it in some of his previous positions.  |  Read article

8. Article: An interview with Vincent Gray
By Lou Chibbaro Jr., Washington Blade, August 26, 2010

Summary: Council Chairman Vincent Gray said that, if elected mayor, he would make HIV/AIDS prevention efforts one of his highest priorities. As director of Human Services, Gray created the first agency on HIV/AIDS, which created the first five-year strategic plan. As Ward 7 councilmember, Gray was responsible for developing the Ward 7 Initiative (which became the East of the River Initiative and now the Effi-Barry Initiative), which focuses on putting more resources into east of the river communities where the epidemic -- or pandemic -- is growing the fastest. This initiative built the capacity of organizations that aren't traditionally known as HIV/AIDS agencies so that we increased the arsenal of organizations that focused on this issue. DC doesn't have a permanent HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Disease & Tuberculosis Administration director now. Gray would get the best person we possibly can get into that job and make it clear that it's a priority of the Gray administration. Gray said that we need to do more in our schools to educate our kids. As we talk about health issues in the schools, we need to help kids understand what the virus is, how it's transmitted, and the reality of the situation. People coming out of correctional institutions return to relationships and can transmit the virus. Gray was a huge proponent of condom distribution and a needle exchange program. By withdrawing support from efforts to educate people and provide counseling and testing and treatment, there are more people getting sick, and the public winds up paying because many of the people are part of publicly supported insurance.  |  Read article

9. Article: Mayor promises greater visibility in LGBT community
By Lou Chibbaro Jr., Washington Blade, August 19, 2010

Summary: Mayor Adrian Fenty said his administration has a strong record of support on a wide range of LGBT issues, including marriage equality, but acknowledged he has not done as good a job as he should have in speaking out in public forums on issues of concern to that community. Fenty and others point out the reforms and improvements at the District's HIV/AIDS Administration under the direction of Dr. Shannon Hader. Has Fenty had a chance to assess how the HASTAH is doing since Dr. Hader resigned earlier this year to take another job? The mayor thinks that most of the reforms that Hader put in place continue, pretty seamlessly so far. What's the status of the search for a new permanent HASTAH director? Has a decision been made on whether to retain the current interim director? According to Fenty, there hasn't been a decision yet. That'll happen after the election. In DCPS, HIV/AIDS is part of the existing curricula on health-related issues.  |  Read article

10. Article: Weight Loss -- Carbs vs. Fat
By Linda Searing, The Washington Post, Quick Study, August 24, 2010

Summary: Over the long run, how do the results of low-fat and low-carbohydrate weight-loss efforts compare? Limiting carbs rather than fat may have a heart benefit for those who are obese. Millions of Americans are obese: 34% of adults, about 20% of kids 6 years and older, and 10% of younger children. The extra weight and fat makes an obese person more likely to have heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.  |  Read article

11. Article: Fed's $2B boost could help local vaccine, biodefense companies
By Emily Mullin, Washington Business Journal, August 27, 2010

Summary: A new federal plan provides nearly $2 billion in biotechnology funding to produce medications, vaccines, and supplies necessary for a health emergency, likely helping some local biodefense-related companies grow. Under the HHS plan, about $170 million will help strengthen the FDA's regulatory process to expedite products crucial in a national emergency. The HHS plan also provides $822M to ramp up influenza vaccine manufacturing with new technology -- money that could directly affect such local entities as Rockville-based Novavax Inc., which is creating vaccines for infectious diseases, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Technology.  |  Read article

12. Article: USDA grants help plant seeds of good nutrition with school gardens
By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY, August 25, 2010

Summary: Since first lady Michelle Obama planted a garden at the White House in the spring of 2009 and invited schoolchildren to help tend and harvest the produce, more school gardens sprouted up across the country. The USDA will award $1 million in grants for eligible high-poverty schools to start community gardens. The goal is to teach students about gardening and nutrition and to provide fresh produce for school meals. Some of the harvest may also be given to students' families, as well as to local food banks and senior-center nutrition programs. Improving nutrition in schools is part of the first lady's Let's Move! initiative to fight childhood obesity. School gardens give kids exposure to where food comes from and encourages them to try foods they might not otherwise try. They give teachers an opportunity to talk about soil, water, sun, health, and science, and the gardens can be used for math and art programs. Estimates suggest that about 15% to 20% of schools across the country have gardens.  |  Read article

EVENTS

DCPCA 13th Annual Meeting
"Eyes on the Prize: The Road to Health Equity"
Save the Date: Thursday, October 7th, 9 am - 5 pm
Kellogg Conference Center
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Avenue NE
In our thirteenth year hosting distinctive, change-making conferences that are free and open to all, DCPCA invites you to join us for our 2010 Annual Meeting. Let DCPCA take you on a journey; travel with us on the road to health equity. This year's historic health reform legislation brings expansions in coverage, investments in health information technology, and a new emphasis on quality care for all people. The District is miles ahead on this journey and DCPCA is leading the way. On October 7th, join us to see where we are and how far we have come on the road to health equity. Our event theme -- "Eyes on the Prize: The Road to Health Equity" -- symbolizes our long-term commitment to realizing a health care system with guaranteed access to primary care and no disparities in health outcomes for anyone in our city. This year, we will showcase our groundbreaking work in health care quality, technology, capital development, and workforce initiatives that make us a leader in the movement to achieve health equity for all in the District. Our keynote speaker and panelists will be experts and thought leaders in the area of health care reform and health equity. We are also delighted to have legendary blues and gospel singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples perform for us this year. For more info, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at (202) 638-0252, extension 246.

"Labor" Day Party and Health Fair
Saturday, September 4th, 11 am - 4 pm
801 - 17th Street NE
The Family Health and Birth Center will be honoring those women who labor to bring us the next generation. Free HIV and pregnancy tests, condom and dental dam education sessions, hip-hop dance class, jump bunch for kids, seated massages for adults, sign-up help for getting health insurance, healthy snack preparation, face painting, moon bounces, snow cones, popcorn, pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs, a deejay, distribution of free school supplies and backpacks, facility tours, and presentation of the First Annual Stork Award for a community member who has been especially supportive of women and babies by Councilmember Harry "Tommy" Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5). Come one, come all!

Lupus Support Group
Thursday, September 9th, 6 pm
Sibley Memorial Hospital
Physician's Dining Room 1 and 2
5255 Loughboro Road NW
Led by a trained professional, the meeting is for lupus patients in the DC area. Free. For more info, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (202) 349-1167 or 1-888-349-1167.

More Events...

JOBS

Public Health Advisor (CS-685-13)
DC Department of Health
The Public Health Advisor position is located in the DC Department of Health (DOH), Community Health Administration's (CHA) Primary Care Bureau. The mission of CHA is to improve health outcomes for all residents of the District of Columbia with an emphasis on women, infants, children (including children with special health care needs), and other vulnerable groups such as those with a disproportionate burden of chronic disease and disability. Salary Range: $77,884 - $100,357. Applicants must apply online and reference job ID #16635. Closes September 18, 2010.

Health Quality Improvement Manager, DCPCA

More Job Postings...

RESOURCES

Health Center New Access Points Funded Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010
The Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Primary Health Care is pleased to announce the release of HRSA-11-017: New Access Points grant competition. An important element of HRSA's commitment to improving and expanding access to needed primary health care services is the support of new access points for the delivery of primary health care services for the underserved through operational support under the Health Center Program (i.e., Community Health Center, Migrant Health Center, Health Care for the Homeless, and Public Housing Primary Care Programs) authorized under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. Organizations eligible to compete include public or nonprofit entities, including tribal, faith-based, and community-based organizations. Visit www.grants.gov to access the HRSA-11-017: New Access Points funding opportunity announcement detailing the eligibility requirements, review criteria, and awarding factors for organizations seeking a grant for operational support of new access points in fiscal year 2011. For more info, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it in the Office of Policy and Program Development at (301) 594-4300.

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How to Submit a Post:
Send a brief summary (100 words or less) to HealthNewsAlert (at) dcpca (dot) org. Include links for fliers and/or your organization. If you don't have a Web site or immediate posting capabilities, send an attachment. In the subject line, write HNA POST and the event's DATE. The District of Columbia Primary Care Association is a nonprofit health care reform organization founded in 1996 to improve the health of DC's vulnerable residents by ensuring that they receive high quality primary health care -- regardless of their ability to pay. The DCPCA Health News Alert is prepared to share with colleagues news about health reform efforts, DC politics, local events, jobs, and resources. The summaries are provided for your information only and do not necessarily reflect the views of DCPCA. The circulation for the alert is over 5,000 recipients. Click to Join DCPCA or Donate to DCPCA.

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Recent health Articles, Events, Jobs, and Resources.

CONTENTS

1. DCPCA News: Save the Date - October 7th - for our annual meeting
2. DCPCA News: Thank you to our Ward 8 Community Day sponsors!
3. CHC News: 13 HIV/AIDS orgs are AIDS Walk Community Partners
4. CHC News: Bread for the City's Parking Lot Picnic 2010
5. Article: DC is in front of the health care reform curve
6. Article: What every patient should ask (and tell) the doctor
7. Article: Obesity rates higher among minority girls
8. Article: Federal changes promise better access to health care
9. Article: Children's National Medical Center unveils $30M expansion
10. Article: CareFirst says no talks with Delaware
11. Article: Inova pilots electronic records program
12. Obituary: Peter Cohen; physician and professor

Click to read SUMMARIES of all the articles.

ARTICLE SUMMARIES

1. DCPCA News: Save the Date: October 7, 2010
DC Primary Care Association, Save-the-Date Announcement, August 2010

In our thirteenth year hosting distinctive, change-making conferences that are free and open to all, DCPCA invites you to join us for our 2010 Annual Meeting -- "Eyes on the Prize: The Road to Health Equity." Let DCPCA take you on a journey; travel with us on the road to health equity. This year's historic health reform legislation brings expansions in coverage, investments in health information technology, and a new emphasis on quality care for all people. The District is miles ahead on this journey and DCPCA is leading the way. On October 7th, join us to see where we are and how far we have come on the road to health equity. Our event theme -- "Eyes on the Prize: The Road to Health Equity" -- symbolizes our long-term commitment to realizing a health care system with guaranteed access to primary care and no disparities in health outcomes for anyone in our city. This year, we will showcase our groundbreaking work in health care quality, technology, capital development, and workforce initiatives that make us a leader in the movement to achieve health equity for all in the District. Our keynote speaker and panelists will be experts and thought leaders in the area of health care reform and health equity. We are also delighted to have legendary blues and gospel singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples perform for us this year. Please join us from 9 am to 5 pm on Thursday, October 7, 2010, at the Kellogg Conference Center at Gallaudet University, located at 800 Florida Avenue NE. For sponsorship opportunities, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at (202) 638-0252, extension 246.  |  Read save-the-date announcement

2. DCPCA News: Thank you to our Ward 8 Community Day sponsors!
DC Primary Care Association, August 14, 2010

On Saturday, August 14th, DCPCA delivered on our promise to bring a fun celebration of health and wellness to Ward 8.  We couldn't have accomplished an event that was so much fun without the help of many organizations who joined us at Ketcham Elementary School and/or donated items to share with residents.  Bread for the City donated over 500 ears of corn from their "Glean for the City" project for folks to enjoy and Forrester Construction Company provided bottled water for everyone.  Our dancing demonstrations came from Thomas House at Spirit Anacostia Health & Wellness Center, Mesi Walton from Diaspora Dance, and Josefina Giron from Providence Hospital.  The DC Farm to School Network's Emmy Schneider demonstrated how to make fresh gazpacho using local produce donated by the Ward 8 Farmers' Market.  Other fresh fruits and vegetables were donated by the Washington Youth Garden located in the National Arboretum and the GLUT Food Co-op located in Mt. Rainier, Maryland.  In addition, DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services brought a huge inflatable slide for kids and adults alike to enjoy, as well as a fire truck and ambulance for everyone to explore while being informed about fire safety. Other organizations that we were delighted to work with included:  CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield; the Community Education Group; DC Water; the Frederick Douglass National Historical Site; KEEN Greater DC; SHARE Food Network; the Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc. (SHIRE); Unity Health Care, Inc.; and the Washington Seniors Wellness Center from the East River Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc.  And Ward 8 Community Day would not have been possible without the help of all of those lovely blue-shirted volunteers.  Thank you one and all!  |  View photos (by DCPCA staff photographer Saida Durkee) 

3. CHC News: Thirteen Community Partners and Counting
Whitman-Walker Clinic, News Release, August 25, 2010

Summary: Whitman-Walker Clinic extended an invitation to DC-area HIV/AIDS service and advocacy organizations to join AIDS Walk Washington 2010 as Community Partners. Each organization would form a team and keep half the money their team raised. To date, 13 organizations have become AIDS Walk Community Partners including: AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families; Andromeda Transcultural Health; The Cherry Fund; CMS Health Initiatives; Cornerstone Community; Inova Juniper; Joseph's House; Miriam's House; Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care; Serenity, Inc.; START at Westminster; Teens Against the Spread of AIDS (TASA) - Children's National Medical Center; and Unity Health Care, Inc. The response to the Community Partners program has been tremendous, said Don Blanchon, executive director of Whitman-Walker. These organizations see AIDS Walk as not just an opportunity to raise needed funds for their services, but also as an opportunity to show that we are all in this fight against HIV/AIDS together. This year's AIDS Walk is truly a community event, not just one for Whitman-Walker Clinic. Organizations can still apply to be a Community Partner. All organizations must be approved by Whitman-Walker Clinic to participate. For more info on application guidelines, call (202) 332-WALK or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  |  Read release

4. CHC News: Bread for the City Parking Lot Picnic 2010
By Nathan LaBorie, Bread for the City, Beyond Bread, Burgers and Hot Dogs and Corn – Oh My!, July 27, 2010

Summary: On July 22nd, clients, volunteers, supporters, and staff of Bread for the City gathered for their Third Annual Parking Lot Picnic. They grilled out, chilled out, and celebrated their shared passion for the work of Bread for the City. Major props go out to their two event sponsors: B.K. Miller Meats & Liquor and Giant Food. Without their generous support, this event wouldn't have been possible. On their video recap of the event, you can get a glimpse of how far Bread for the City's facility expansion -- one of DCPCA's Medical Homes DC Initiative's 12 capital projects expansions -- has come! View the entire photo album on Bread for the City's flickr page -- Parking Lot Picnic 07/22/2010. You can see (former Community HealthCorps volunteer and) Bread for the City's Glean for the City Program Coordinator Jeffrey Wankel serving as the grillmaster and explaining the concept of gleaning. Shari Curtis, DCPCA's Director of Community Health Access, and Eric Vicks DCPCA's Senior Community Relations Manager, can be seen in one of the photos, too. Bread staffers hope to see you again next year!  |  Read blog

5. Article: D.C. In Front Of The Health Reform Curve, Officials Say
By Jessica Marcy, Kaiser Health News, August 24, 2010

Summary: As states across the country scramble to meet the requirements for national health reform, the nation's capital is way ahead, according to Dr. Julie Hudman, director of the Department of Health Care Finance and a member of the District's Health Reform Implementation Committee. The District's uninsured rate of 6.2% of residents is the second lowest in the country. DC has already expanded Medicaid coverage, a key component of the new health care reform law that'll be required in four years. The District embraced an invitation by federal administrators to make people eligible for the program at up to 133% of federal poverty guidelines. DC officials successfully converted 32,000 residents from the DC HealthCare Alliance into the program on July 1. Now, 188,220 residents are covered by Medicaid while 29,280 are covered by the Alliance. The DC government also sought federal permission to transfer an additional 4,000 residents who fall between 133-200% of the poverty level into Medicaid. The District and Connecticut are the only two jurisdictions to expand Medicaid coverage early. The District heavily relies on public programs to provide insurance to poor and disadvantaged residents. More DC residents receive public coverage -- including through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Alliance -- than other areas in the country and the DC government picks up a large portion of that cost. Approximately 32.8% of DC residents receive public coverage, 55% receive employer coverage, and 6% access it through individually purchased plans and military, veteran, and student health programs. But some of DC's poorer residents still have difficulty getting access to doctors and health care facilities. We need to be pushing for greater access to care, said Department of Health Director Pierre Vigilance. He emphasized the need for more access in emergency rooms, school-based health programs, and primary care clinics and doctors' practices.  |  Read article

6. Article: What every patient should ask (and tell) the doctor
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, USA TODAY, August 20, 2010

Summary: Do a little homework before you go to see a doctor. Appointments aren't very long, and physicians talk a lot and don't always listen. Organize yourself in a way that you maximize the chances that the questions you have will be heard and answered. Write down as many details as you can about what's wrong with you, and then take that sheet of paper with you to the doctor's appointment. What the patient tells the doctor is 70% responsible for a correct diagnosis. How you describe your symptoms is beneficial in terms of enhancing your outcome. Note any symptoms, medicines you're taking, relevant family history; any recent lifestyle changes, and any health concerns you've had on your mind. If you have some idea of why you're ill, you also should try doing some research on your own, using either online resources or a medical guidebook. The more you know about your symptoms or your diagnosis, the more likely it'll be that this will be a meaningful visit and you'll be satisfied. The less you know, the less basis you have for evaluating what the physician is saying to you. Write down all the questions you need answered about your illness or condition. Patients who write down their questions are 90% more likely to get them answered.  |  Read article

7. Article: Obesity rates higher among minority girls
By Serena Gordon, HealthDay, USA TODAY, August 20, 2010

Summary: The incidence of childhood obesity may be leveling off, but a new study finds that for certain racial groups the rates may actually be getting higher. Black, Hispanic, and American Indian girls have two to three times higher odds of having a high body mass index compared to white girls. Rates of obesity peaked for Hispanic girls in 2005, but they kept on rising for American Indian and black girls. The study saw an increase in the racial disparities. Today's policies may be increasing the disparities in childhood obesity, and we need to target the communities that get left behind. Research on health disparities is very important in figuring out how we need to tailor our interventions to best meet the needs of different races and cultures. The messages were originally developed for middle-class Caucasian populations, and the same messages won't necessarily work for all populations. In some areas, it's difficult to regularly find affordable fresh produce, and it's not safe for kids to exercise outside. Parents can suggest that children dance around the house for an hour instead. Sleep plays a role in a child's weight. Young children should get 10 to 11 hours of sleep; school-aged kids need 10 hours; and teens need at least nine hours. Without enough sleep, it may be hard to be active or to make good food choices.  |  Read article

8. Article: For the homeless, federal changes promise better access to health care
By Mary Agnes Carey and Andrew Villegas, Kaiser Health News, The Washington Post, August 20, 2010

Summary: Beginning in 2014, Medicaid greatly expands under the new health care law to include adults without children, who generally have been excluded. The Medicaid expansion also will enable agencies that serve the homeless to divert resources now spent on medical care to other services such as finding housing and jobs. The new law provides another boost through a five-year, $11 billion expansion of the community health center system that treats many in this population. These benefits and President Obama's recently announced plan to prevent and end homelessness mark a watershed moment in federal efforts on this issue. The plan calls for greater coordination among housing, medical care, and behavioral health programs to help end chronic homelessness in five years and homelessness for families and children over the next decade. But the new health law won't eliminate some daunting obstacles to improving health care. Locating and enrolling homeless people in Medicaid will be a challenge. Many also suffer from chronic, complex medical conditions, including mental illness and addiction. Low reimbursement rates for some services may lead to access problems. The District already extended its Medicaid programs to cover childless adults, which include some homeless individuals. In DC, many homeless people who don't qualify for Medicaid get medical care under a program that covers residents who earn up to 200% of the federal poverty level, about $21,600 for an individual.  |  Read article

9. Article: Children's National Medical Center unveils $30M expansion
By Ben Fischer, Washington Business Journal, August 20, 2010

Summary: Children's National Medical Center is launching a $30 million, 32,000-square-foot renovation to add 20 beds. The expansion would be the first major increase in beds at Children's -- the only freestanding pediatric hospital in the region -- since the hospital opened in 1976. The project, subject to regulatory approval, would double Children's cardiac intensive care unit, dedicated to caring for very young children born with serious heart defects. The unit would grow from 13 to 26 beds. Officials also plan new uses for some existing regular ICU beds and gain more space for equipment upgrades and visitors. Expansions of DC inpatient units are rare because medical improvements allow more procedures to be done without overnight stays and patients who do stay overnight are covered by insurance plans that seek to keep stays short. Pediatric care, though, is a major exception. Children's will finance the project through a combination of bonds, revenue from operations, and philanthropy. A small part of the funding could come from a $1 million congressional earmark put in a Senate appropriations bill by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.). The work could be completed about a year after receiving approval from DOH, which must authorize an adjustment to the hospital's license, and DC's State Health Planning and Development Agency, which is deciding whether to issue a certificate of need.  |  Read article

10. Article: CareFirst says no talks with Delaware
By Ben Fischer, Washington Business Journal, August 19, 2010

Summary: BlueCross BlueShield of Delaware is searching anew for a strategic partnership with a larger insurer, and it may be talking to CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield -- the dominant medical insurance provider in the Washington area. Not true, said CareFirst spokesman Kevin Kane. "No," was his one-word answer when asked whether there were ongoing discussions with the Delaware Blues plan. Officially, there's no comment, but there's also nothing to comment about, Kane added. The speculation is grounded in some history, though. The Delaware insurance company, with ~400,000 subscribers, is a major force within that state, but small compared to other insurance giants. (CareFirst covers 3.4 million in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.) Health care reform laws are expected to squeeze the administrative budgets of health insurance companies, and the rest of the industry has been consolidating for years. Also, Delaware and CareFirst have history -- from 1998 to 2006, Delaware was an affiliate of CareFirst, before then-Delaware Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn refused to amend an affiliation agreement. CareFirst and BCBC of Delaware are both independent licensees of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. As such, they both use the well-regarded brand in their respective service territories, but are independent of each other and the association.  |  Read article

11. Article: Inova pilots electronic records program
By Ben Fischer, Washington Business Journal, August 20, 2010

Summary: Inova Alexandria Hospital's emergency room began accessing patient prescription records electronically Aug. 23 -- the first step toward creating a network of shared medical data in Northern Virginia. The Northern Virginia Regional Health Information Organization created the pilot program, dubbed the Meds-EDS Link program. It's the first initiative for the 4-year-old group. Inova Health System, based in Falls Church, volunteered to host the pilot because of the program's potential to cut down on medical errors and weed out unnecessary or contradictory prescriptions. Instead of relying on a patient's memory in the middle of an emergency, nurses and doctors can now access complete records of the person's prescription history with patient consent. They'll connect to systems developed by GE Healthcare, which queries databases compiled by SureScripts LLC, an Alexandria and St. Paul, Minn.-based tech company that compiles prescription histories through pharmacies. The doctors will see a record of all prescriptions purchased by the patient, which will give them an accurate recounting of current and previous medications, as well as a hint of the overall medical history. Patients will be asked for their consent every visit, and the data is stored by SureScripts, not the hospital. Inova Alexandria, which averages ~5,000 patients a month in its ER, will pay a per-search fee of less than a penny. The project is scheduled to last two years. If it's successful, officials will work to expand it before the end of the pilot period.  |   Read article

12. Obituary: Peter J. Cohen Physician, Professor
By Lauren Wiseman, The Washington Post, August 21, 2010

Summary: Peter Cohen, 75, an anesthesiologist who became a law professor and expert on the medical use of marijuana, died Aug. 14 at Georgetown University Hospital. He had pancreatic cancer. Dr. Cohen, who during the 1970s and 1980s chaired the anesthesiology departments at the University of Colorado and University of Michigan medical schools, became an outspoken supporter of the legalization of medical marijuana. He published articles in legal and ethical journals and gave television and radio interviews on the subject. He parlayed his medical career into advocating for the research and testing of medical marijuana when he earned a law degree from Georgetown University in 1995. During the mid-1990s, he worked as a policy expert for the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Since 1998, he was an adjunct law professor at Georgetown University teaching public health law and a course that explored the legal, medical, and ethical issues surrounding alternative medicine. He wrote, "Drugs, Addiction, and the Law: Policy, Politics, and Public Health" (2004), as well as books and articles about the effects of anesthesia on the brain.  |   Read obituary

EVENTS

DCPCA 13th Annual Meeting
"Eyes on the Prize: The Road to Health Equity"
Save the Date: Thursday, October 7th, 9 am - 5 pm
Kellogg Conference Center
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Avenue NE
In our thirteenth year hosting distinctive, change-making conferences that are free and open to all, DCPCA invites you to join us for our 2010 Annual Meeting. Let DCPCA take you on a journey; travel with us on the road to health equity. This year's historic health reform legislation brings expansions in coverage, investments in health information technology, and a new emphasis on quality care for all people. The District is miles ahead on this journey and DCPCA is leading the way. On October 7th, join us to see where we are and how far we have come on the road to health equity. Our event theme -- "Eyes on the Prize: The Road to Health Equity" -- symbolizes our long-term commitment to realizing a health care system with guaranteed access to primary care and no disparities in health outcomes for anyone in our city. This year, we will showcase our groundbreaking work in health care quality, technology, capital development, and workforce initiatives that make us a leader in the movement to achieve health equity for all in the District. Our keynote speaker and panelists will be experts and thought leaders in the area of health care reform and health equity. We are also delighted to have legendary blues and gospel singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples perform for us this year. For more info, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at (202) 638-0252, extension 246.

9th Annual Ronald D. Paul Companies Kidney Walk
Saturday, October 2nd (registration = 8 am, walk = 9 am)
The Georgetown Waterfront
The Kidney Walk, benefitting the National Kidney Foundation Serving the National Capital Area, is an inspiring and fun way to raise funds to help the 26 million Americans with kidney disease and 108,000 people on the transplant waiting list. Register online or call (202) 244-7900.

More Events...

JOBS

Public Health Advisor (CS-685-13)
DC Department of Health
The Public Health Advisor position is located in the DC Department of Health (DOH), Community Health Administration's (CHA) Primary Care Bureau. The mission of CHA is to improve health outcomes for all residents of the District of Columbia with an emphasis on women, infants, children (including children with special health care needs), and other vulnerable groups such as those with a disproportionate burden of chronic disease and disability. Salary Range: $77,884 - $100,357. Applicants must apply online and reference job ID #16635.  Closes September 18, 2010.

Health Quality Improvement Manager, DCPCA

More Job Postings...

RESOURCES

Pepsi Refresh Project: Vote for the Starlight Children's Foundation
Transform children's hospital treatment rooms from scary to friendly. Goals include: Transform scary hospital treatment rooms into friendly spaces for kids; Calm children's worries, reduce fears, and provide a distraction from pain; Increase children's cooperation during the treatment process; and Make the entire hospital experience less stressful for families. Starlight hopes to renovate five pediatric hospital treatment rooms: UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center, University Hospitals - Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Los Angeles Co. - USC Medical Center, Maricopa Medical Center, and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. Many very seriously ill children undergo procedures in treatment rooms and return home immediately thereafter. Though some of the child's most difficult and painful experiences occur here, the rooms are often dreary and intimidating as they are overlooked when patient rooms and other hospital areas are renovated. For more info, read about the Starlight Children's Foundation MidAtlantic.

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The District continues to close the uninsured gap

Recent health Articles, Events, Jobs, and Resources.

CONTENTS

1. DCPCA News: Sharon's opening remarks at Ward 8 Community Day
2. CHC News: Who should receive the AIDS Walk Courage Award?
3. Announcement: District continues to close the uninsured gap
4. Announcement: FMAP extension could help stave off budget cuts
5. Article: More Medicaid patients going to the emergency room
6. Article: Healing rural patients with a dose of broadband
7. Article: Cancer is the world's costliest disease
8. Article: End to COBRA subsidy means higher health insurance bills
9. Article: Employee health care costs going up
10. Article: Doctors, small hospitals race to merge into larger orgs
11. Article: Fitness begins with an attitude makeover
12. Letter to Editor: Defund Planned Parenthood

ARTICLE SUMMARIES

1. DCPCA News: Sharon's opening remarks at Ward 8 Community Day
Remarks by CEO Sharon Baskerville, DC Primary Care Association, August 14, 2010

Sharon welcomed hundreds of people to Ward 8 Community Day. DCPCA promised to host a fun event for kids and families in Ward 8 -- and we delivered! Ward 8 is one of the more underserved areas for health care in the District of Columbia. Since 1996, DCPCA has been helping to build a health care system that makes sure that everyone in the District gets health care where they need to get it in their neighborhoods and the kind of high-quality health care that they want. DCPCA is working to create a well community. Right now, people east of the river get sicker and die younger than everyone else in DC. Sharon asked attendees to help DCPCA bring the message of health and wellness to the community. We need to learn how to protect ourselves, teach our children, and do a better job staying healthy for the long-run. The new community health center will replace the Anacostia Health Center on W Street SE. Unity Health Care, Inc. will also operate the new health center. Sharon introduced Vincent Keane, the president/CEO of Unity Health Care, who is very excited about the brand-new center. Vincent said that the old World War II Quonset hut served the community well, but promised that we'll serve our neighbors better at the new state-of-the-art facility. Vincent thanked all the DCPCA staff and volunteers for making Ward 8 Community Day happen. Ground will be broken on the new health center on Galen Street SE in September 2010.  Even more pictures will be forthcoming!  |  View photos (by DCPCA staff photographer Cathie Reid)

2. CHC News: Who Should Receive the AIDS Walk Courage Award?
Whitman-Walker Clinic, News Release, August 17, 2010

Summary: It's the most prominent annual award given by Whitman-Walker Clinic. This year, for the first time, the DC community will be able to submit nominations for the Courage Award presented at AIDS Walk Washington 2010. Guidelines and nomination forms are available on the AIDS Walk Washington 2010 and the Whitman-Walker Clinic Web sites. Nominations are due Sept. 13. The clinic presents the Courage Award annually at AIDS Walk to a person living with HIV or AIDS who has shown remarkable courage and leadership in the fight against the disease. Past recipients include the late Bob Hattoy, Patricia Nalls, Ron Simmons, Brent Minor, and Shawn Decker. The Courage Award has a long tradition with AIDS Walk, said Don Blanchon, executive director of Whitman-Walker. In the past, the recipient has been chosen without input from the community. This year, the clinic wants to modify the tradition and give the DC area community a chance to make their voices heard on who should be honored. For more info on AIDS Walk, or to register, call (202) 332-WALK.  |  Read release

3. Announcement: District Continues to Close the Uninsured Gap
DC Department of Health Care Finance, New Release, August 18, 2010

Summary: DHCF is joining 25 states to opt into the federal Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (High Risk Pool) administered through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This will assist the District to further decrease the number of its uninsured --which at 6.2% of the population is the 2nd lowest in the nation. After carefully examining costs associated with running the program and the federal timeline for implementation, the District determined that the best way to serve this population was to provide access to the most comprehensive and cost-effective option available, which for District residents is the federal High Risk Pool. The District joins the three states with the lowest uninsured rates (Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Minnesota) in opting into the federal program to help cover their remaining uninsured residents with coverage. Earlier this summer, DHCF opted for early implementation of options available under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. On July 1st, DHCF successfully moved ~32,000 Alliance beneficiaries into the Medicaid program. On July 23rd, DHCF submitted a request to DHHS' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand Medicaid coverage to individuals with incomes between 134 and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. This waiver will provide Medicaid coverage to over 3,000 District residents. The second expansion is pending approval from CMS. These two expansions together provide more extensive coverage to beneficiaries and save the District tens of millions of dollars. Once more information is available from DHHS, the District will notify residents how to apply, the premium costs, and when health coverage will commence with the High Risk Pool. DC residents that have questions about health insurance can get answers from the District's Health Care Ombudsman at 1-877-685-6391. For more info about covered benefits, visit Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan Administered by GEHA.  |  Read release

4. Announcement: Enactment of FMAP Extension Could Help Stave Off Devastating State Budget Cuts
By Robert Kidney, National Association of Community Health Centers, Health Centers on the Hill, August 17, 2010

Summary: $16.1 billion in extended Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages funding was signed into law by President Obama last week, providing much needed fiscal relief to states. Approximately 30 states already assumed the originally proposed $24B in extended FMAP funds in their SFY2011 budgets, and would have faced even larger budget gaps, if Congress failed to act. While the six-month extension may not completely make up every last penny, it's a relief for these states to have the federal dollars to help fill those gaps although some additional budget cutting measures may be necessary. The additional federal aid also provides a cushion to those 20 states that didn't assume that FMAP would come through which could help them fill gaps or stave off cuts. According to a recent update on state budget cuts by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 31 states made cuts to health programs and services as a result of continuing state fiscal crises. These cuts could negatively impact access to health services for health center patients and health centers' bottom lines. The FMAP extension should help states avoid further cuts, and possibly even restore cuts made. Preliminary findings of a recent NACHC survey of primary care associations indicate that 22 states decreased funding to health centers for SFY2011 and in at least three states (MA, MI, PA), critical health center funding was contingent on the availability of the enhanced FMAP extension. The much-needed extension of enhanced FMAP will likely prevent even deeper cuts to Medicaid and other critical health programs and services than might otherwise have been made.  |  Read blog

5. Article: More Medicaid patients going to ER, study finds
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, USA TODAY, August 13, 2010

Summary: Emergency rooms are increasingly serving as safety nets in American health care, because by law they must treat all patients regardless of insurance or their ability to pay. Many visits by Medicaid patients were for conditions that could have been managed in a primary care clinic. Researchers classified emergency departments as safety net facilities if more than 30% of all visitors were on Medicaid; if more than 30% of visits were by people without health insurance; or if more than 40% of visits were by Medicaid and uninsured patients. The number of emergency departments designated as safety net centers increased from 1,770 in 2000 to 2,489 in 2007. During the time period studied, annual emergency department visits went from ~94.9 million to 116.8 million, an increase of 23%, which is almost twice what was expected based on population growth. The biggest increase in ER visits was seen in people 18-44 years old and those 45-64. At the same time that ER visits mushroomed, the number of emergency departments fell by 5%. Median wait time for treatment increased from 22 to 33 minutes during the study period. Access to primary care is a key problem. Whether primary care physicians aren't accepting new patients with Medicaid or that there aren't enough primary care physicians, we need to dig deeper. And with more people on Medicaid, the future is uncertain. Even increasing reimbursement for doctors may not solve the problem.  |  Read article

6. Article: Healing Rural Patients With A Dose Of Broadband
By Laura Sydell, National Public Radio, All Things Considered, August 17, 2010

Summary: Millions of Americans who live in rural areas travel long distances to get health care, or they may go without it. But high-speed Internet connections now make it possible to bring a doctor's expertise to patients in far-off places, if those places are connected. As part of its National Broadband Plan, the Federal Communications Commission pledged $400 million a year to connect nearly 12,000 rural health care providers. If you have rural connectivity for health care, then patients don't have to drive two or three or four hours for their treatments -- instead, they can stay back where they live, and consult with a medical professional remotely. The FCC has had a pilot program for several years. Money is already available through the Universal Service Fund, which provides telephone service to rural communities. By transferring the money to broadband, a lot of savings in health care can be provided.  |  Read article/Listen to audio   [5 min 34 sec]

7. Article: Report: Cancer is the world's costliest disease
The Associated Press, USA TODAY, August 16, 2010

Summary: Cancer is the world's top economic killer as well as its likely leading cause of death, the American Cancer Society contends in a new report. Cancer costs more in productivity and lost life than AIDS, malaria, the flu, and other diseases that spread person-to-person. Chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes account for more than 60% of deaths worldwide but less than 3% of public and private funding for global health. Money shouldn't be taken away from fighting diseases that spread person-to-person, but the amount devoted to cancer is way out of whack with the impact it has. Cancer's economic toll was $895 billion in 2008 -- equivalent to 1.5% of the world's gross domestic product. That's in terms of disability and years of life lost -- not the cost of treating the disease, which wasn't addressed in the report. The World Health Organization has long predicted that cancer would overtake heart disease this year as the leading cause of death. About 7.6 million people died of cancer in 2008, and about 12.4 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Tobacco use and obesity are fueling a rise in chronic diseases, while vaccines and better treatments led to drops in some infectious diseases.  |  Read article

8. Article: End to COBRA subsidy means higher health insurance bills
By Andrew Villegas and Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News, USA TODAY, August 18, 2010

Summary: Deficit-conscious lawmakers haven't renewed a subsidy that helped many jobless Americans afford health benefits. A longstanding federal law called COBRA requires employers to continue insurance for former employees, typically for 18 more months, if they pay the entire premium plus a 2% administrative fee. Last year, Congress approved a 65% COBRA premium subsidy, but it ended May 31. People who started on COBRA before May 31 can still get the aid. But those who had exhausted the 15-month subsidy, and the newly unemployed, aren't eligible. There's little chance that the subsidy will be renewed this election year, because Congress is in recess and little time remains in the session. But with the economy still struggling and layoffs continuing, hundreds of thousands of Americans may face a tough decision: Pay high COBRA premiums or drop coverage if they can't get cheaper individual policies. Finding affordable insurance can be tough. The average price for family coverage is about $1,100 a month, according to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. With the subsidy, COBRA coverage costs $385.  |  Read article

9. Article: Employee health care costs going up
By Jeff Clabaugh, Washington Business Journal, August 18, 2010

Summary: More than two-thirds of large employers surveyed by the National Business Group on Health plan to increase employee contributions to health care plans next year, and most are making changes to health plans in advance of federally mandated health care reform. The Washington-based group's survey found 53% of employers will make changes to their benefit plans despite uncertainty about compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Among biggest changes, removing lifetime dollar limits on benefits, removing annual dollar limits on benefits, and removing pre-existing condition exclusions for children. Employers expect their health care benefit costs to increase an average of 8.9% next year, compared to 7% this year, and 63% will increase employee contributions to premiums. Health care reform will also increase Medicare Part D benefits, and as a result, 5% of companies surveyed plan to drop retiree health coverage next year with another 60% considering it.  |  Read article

10. Article: After health care reform, physicians and small hospitals race to merge into larger, more efficient organizations
By Ben Fischer, Washington Business Journal, July 30, 2010

Summary: One overarching goal of the complex 2,400-page health care reform law is to weed out inefficiencies in the health care system. For many medical providers, it's likely to mean lower reimbursement from Medicare and private insurers and an unpredictable revenue stream based on amorphous concepts like quality and results instead of volume of work. The law requires Medicare to establish a pilot program that by 2013 will pay groups of providers for the totality of their work treating a patient's condition, rather than paying individual providers for their work piecemeal. In addition, the 2009 stimulus package includes eventual penalties for those who don't invest in costly electronic record keeping technology. People who own their own practices are feeling like dinosaurs, and if they don't do something they're going to be extinct fairly soon. Discussions of partnerships skyrocketed since President Barack Obama signed the legislation. The cost of this new health care law that will provide coverage for at least 30 million Americans. A large way that's going to be paid for is by hospitals getting paid less.  |  Read article

11. Article: Fitness begins with an attitude makeover
By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY, August 16, 2010

Summary: No one said getting in shape is a cakewalk, but many readers say you can make great strides if you simply put your mind to it. Whether physical activity is fun rests entirely on your attitude. If you think playing tennis in 90-degree heat is fun, then it is. USA TODAY's Family Fitness Challenge was designed to encourage families to try some new activities this summer so everyone becomes healthier. The activities were created by five top national health and fitness experts. Getting in shape is hard for most people, but once you get over the mental barrier, you're halfway there. It's a constant battle to stay motivated, but the way you feel after a workout is such a rush that it brings its own reward mentally as well as physically. Families learned other valuable lessons from the Challenge this summer: Plan ahead; Build on activities you enjoy; Get extra motivation; Think outside the box; Use the time to reconnect as a family; and One change may lead to others.  |  Read article

12. Letter to Editor: Defund Planned Parenthood
By Mike Rachiele (Pittsfield, Mass.), The Washington Times, August 16, 2010

Summary: What will it take for Congress finally to defund Planned Parenthood for repeated violations of state laws ("Planned Parenthood's missing millions")? Recall how the community-organizing group ACORN was hammered in the media after it got caught red-handed urging illegality in several undercover videos? Rachiele is left wondering where similar outrage is over the handful of undercover videos (most recently in Indiana) showing this "baby-killing giant" coaching clients on how to break laws and circumvent parental-consent laws. Has nobody in Congress seen the undercover videos produced by the pro-life group Live Action? Memo to pro-life members in Congress: It's time to come forward and lead the defunding of Planned Parenthood. The evidence against the group is overwhelming. You have no excuse to let this slide if you really are pro-life - and not just so for political expediency.  |  Read letter

EVENTS

Vote for Mental Wellness Programs in New Orleans
Every day until Tuesday, August 31st, 2:45 pm
YOUTHanasia Foundation, Inc. is a finalist to win a $250,000 Pepsi Refresh the Gulf Coast grant, which will be used to fund mental wellness programs for young hurricane survivors in New Orleans. You can help them by casting a vote -- and you can vote everyday until the 31st. YOUTHanasia Foundation, Inc. is led by 2006 Gulf Coast community health leader Kimberly Byas-Dilosa. 

2010 NACHC Community Health Institute & Expo
Friday, September 10th - Tuesday, September 14th
Hilton Anatole, Dallas TX
The National Association of Community Health Centers' Community Health Institute and Expo is the largest and most important annual conference of CHC professionals. America is calling on CHCs to lead the way in defining the future of primary care with passage of the landmark health care reform law. Health center leaders are charged with the responsibility to lead and show the way forward. NACHC is working diligently to provide CHI attendees with the tools necessary to succeed in this unprecedented and challenging period of growth and opportunity. The 2010 CHI will offer participants many new educational sessions tied to health reform. Participants will hear the latest developments on workforce issues, succession planning, staff retention and recruitment, and negotiating the new consumer marketplace as implementation unfolds. This year's conference will also include a special gala event celebrating health care reform and the 35th anniversary of NACHC President/CEO Tom Van Coverden. Register online. View the Education Sessions At-a-Glance and the Preliminary Schedule. Visit NACHC's LiveLEARNINGCENTER for the full committee schedule and workshop details.

DCPCA 13th Annual Meeting
"Eyes on the Prize: The Road to Health Equity"
Save the Date: Thursday, October 7th, 9 am - 5 pm
Kellogg Conference Center
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Avenue NE
In our thirteenth year hosting distinctive, change-making conferences that are free and open to all, DCPCA invites you to join us for our 2010 Annual Meeting. Let DCPCA take you on a journey; travel with us on the road to health equity. This year's historic health reform legislation brings expansions in coverage, investments in health information technology, and a new emphasis on quality care for all people. The District is miles ahead on this journey and DCPCA is leading the way. On October 7th, join us to see where we are and how far we have come on the road to health equity. Our event theme -- "Eyes on the Prize: The Road to Health Equity" -- symbolizes our long-term commitment to realizing a health care system with guaranteed access to primary care and no disparities in health outcomes for anyone in our city. This year, we will showcase our groundbreaking work in health care quality, technology, capital development, and workforce initiatives that make us a leader in the movement to achieve health equity for all in the District. Our keynote speaker and panelists will be experts and thought leaders in the area of health care reform and health equity. We are also delighted to have legendary blues and gospel singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples perform for us this year. For more info, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at (202) 638-0252, extension 246.

More Events...

JOBS

Family Medicine Physician (Full-Time)
Community of Hope is a nonprofit federally qualified health center serving the uninsured and underinsured populations in the District of Columbia. Clinical Responsibilities: The Family Medicine Physician (Full-Time) is accountable directly to the Medical Director. The position is responsible for providing primary medical care to patients, following approved protocols, maintains the required productivity numbers expected by Community of Hope, as set by the board, maintains consistent chart documentation, has an appropriate clinical knowledge base for specialty, is able to make independent clinical decisions with limited assistance from colleagues as required, provides care efficiently, cooperates with clinical and office policies, participates in quality improvement activities, does follow–up on labs, and reviews results with patients in a timely manner, refills prescriptions requests in a timely manner, shares on-call responsibilities with other providers, participates on Quality Assurance Committee and in quality assurance activities, communicates with other medical providers on issues of patient care, is compliant with federal regulations, HIPPA, OSHA etc., is current with on-going training requirements and CMEs as required for licensing, and performs all other duties as assigned. Qualifications Required: Medical Degree (MD/DO, Board certified) with specialization in family practice and/or internal medicine required. Possess all needed certification including CLEA and DEA required. Continuous medical education and experience in infectious disease and HIV/AIDS, with a minimum two years experience practicing in a inner-city setting. Salary: Will discuss with applicant. To Apply: E-mail resume and cover letter to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , including "Family Medicine Physician (Full-Time)" in the subject line.

Health Quality Improvement Manager, DCPCA

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RESOURCES

CREATE A 30-SECOND PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
The AIDS Walk Washington video contest is open to anyone in the DC metropolitan area. Videos must be submitted along with an application form by Sept. 3 with the winner announced Sept. 13. The winning video will be used on the AIDS Walk and Whitman-Walker Clinic Web sites and social media sites, along with other promotional opportunities that may arise. The winning video producer will also receive a $100 gift card. For more info, read about the guidelines and fill out the application form. While this event primarily benefits Whitman-Walker, it's an event for the entire community. This video contest is a way to involve more people in this event, spur some creativity, and produce a video that'll encourage even more people to get involved. Register for the AIDS Walk online or by calling (202) 332-WALK. For more info, read: Lights! Camera! Action! AIDS Walk Announces Video Contest, Whitman-Walker Clinic, News Release, August 9, 2010.

More Resources...

How to Submit a Post:
Send a brief summary (100 words or less) to HealthNewsAlert (at) dcpca (dot) org. Include links for fliers and/or your organization. If you don't have a Web site or immediate posting capabilities, send an attachment. In the subject line, write HNA POST and the event's DATE. The District of Columbia Primary Care Association is a nonprofit health care reform organization founded in 1996 to improve the health of DC's vulnerable residents by ensuring that they receive high quality primary health care -- regardless of their ability to pay. The DCPCA Health News Alert is prepared to share with colleagues news about health reform efforts, DC politics, local events, jobs, and resources. The summaries are provided for your information only and do not necessarily reflect the views of DCPCA. The circulation for the alert is over 5,000 recipients. Click to Join DCPCA or Donate to DCPCA.

Get informed. Stay involved. Take action.

Everyone Covered.

Everyone Cared For.

Anyone Can Help.