Resource Search Results

Survey Report: Meeting the National CLAS Standards amongst Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander (AA&NHPI)-Serving Health Centers: Cultural Language Access Standards in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA&NHPI)-Serving Health Centers: 2016 Survey Report (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This survey is designed to assess the specific cultural and language access policies, practices, and services provided by health centers. Primary Care Associations (PCAs) working with AA&NHPI or other limited English serving health centers, can use this report to assist in the prioritization of health center trainings and resources for policies across the 4 CLAS areas: 1) Governance, Leadership, and Workforce, 2) Language Access Services, 3) Data Collection and Assessment and 4) Community Engagement and Partnership. More Details...

Virtual Training- Webinar Series, contains archived webinars on Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, Colorectal Cancer Screenings, Trauma and Youth, Fostering Trauma-Informed Leadership Skills for Consumers, UDS Secondary Data Analysis (2017). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This series contains archived webinars on Trauma-Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, Colorectal Cancer Screenings, Trauma and Youth, Fostering Trauma-Informed Leadership Skills for Consumers, and UDS Secondary Data Analysis. More Details...

Nicotine Anonymous Peer Support Groups: Can They Work in the Homeless Service Settings? (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This enterprising study features results from three participating HCH sites, finding that NicA meetings are feasible given the capacity of support staff and health centers to reduce barriers to participation. More Details...

Advancing Health Care Through Care Coordination (2017). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Care coordination emphasizes collaboration between providers to increase quality of care and ultimately improve patient outcomes. In addition, this model can help reduce the overall cost of care by reducing medication errors, repetitive tests, and prevent hospital admissions. During this webinar, panelists share information about their care coordination efforts and offer important considerations for health centers hoping to start, improve, or expand care coordination programs. More Details...

Prioritization Matrix: A framework for selecting QI activities or project (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: It is sometimes difficult to know what target metric to focus on when beginning a quality improvement project. A prioritization matrix is a management tool that uses a simple framework to compare multiple options side-by-side using standard criteria. This version includes four criteria and can be adapted for your purposes. What is it and how can it help me? It is sometimes difficult to know where to start when approaching several opportunities to improve care process that emerge from a quality improvement project. A prioritization matrix is a management tool that uses a simple framework to compare multiple options side-by-side using standard criteria.   Download one of the prioritization matrix tools below. One is for selecting a target for a QI Project (e.g., hypertension control, colorectal cancer screening, immunizations, etc.) The other is for selecting among potential improvements identified. These are word documents that you can further edit for your own purposes.   Prioritization Matrix for Selecting Target for QI Project Using the Guide to Improving Care Processes and Outcomes in Health Centers or beginning another QI project, a number of potential targets will be identified (e.g., hypertension control, diabetes control, colorectal cancer screening, no show rate, etc.) List those potential enhancements in the Opportunities to improve target performance column in this matrix. Rate each possible target according to the scale provided. You can also leave a column blank if you don’t find it relevant, just be sure to leave it blank for all options. When rating External requirement consider whether this target metric is related to required reporting, such as UDS, or even more that one reporting requirement? If yes, rate it a 3, otherwise, rate as a 2 for something that is desired or is tangentially related, or a 1 if it is not required for external reporting. When rating Cost consider how substantial the financial investment would be for addressing the target being considered? If the financial investment is relatively low, then rate it a 3. Rate a 2 if a moderate financial investment would be required, and rate a 1 if the activity would require a substantial financial investment, (i.e., the cost is high). When rating Difficulty, you may consider whether you currently have the staff, referral relationships, or other key components that are critical to addressing that target. For example, if you do not have an OB/GYN or someone appropriate to conduct pap tests on staff, and you don’t have an existing referral relationship with a provider who completes pap tests in your community, then targeting cervical cancer screening for improvement would be difficult. When rating Impact, consider how large of an impact addressing the target could have. For example, are there a large number of patients with the condition or in need of the screening? Is current performance particularly low such that a change could result in significant improvement? Once all potential enhancements are listed and ratings are in each column, add all columns together to identify the items that are likely to have the biggest greatest impact with the most efficiency. Those potential enhancements that have the highest score (=external requirement + cost + difficulty + impact) may be the best enhancements to try first.   Prioritization Matrix for Selecting Improvement to Test Using the Guide to Improving Care Processes and Outcomes in Health Centers or beginning another QI project, a number of potential targets will be identified (e.g., hypertension control, diabetes control, colorectal cancer screening, no show rate, etc.) List those potential enhancements in the Opportunities to improve target performance column in this matrix. Rate each possible target according to the scale provided. You can also leave a column blank if you don’t find it relevant, just be sure to leave it blank for all options. When rating External requirement consider whether this target metric is related to required reporting, such as UDS, or even more that one reporting requirement? If yes, rate it a 3, otherwise, rate as a 2 for something that is desired or is tangentially related, or a 1 if it is not required for external reporting. When rating Cost consider how substantial the financial investment would be for addressing the target being considered? If the financial investment is relatively low, then rate it a 3. Rate a 2 if a moderate financial investment would be required, and rate a 1 if the activity would require a substantial financial investment, (i.e., the cost is high). When rating Difficulty, you may consider whether you currently have the staff, referral relationships, or other key components that are critical to addressing that target. For example, if you do not have an OB/GYN or someone appropriate to conduct pap tests on staff, and you don’t have an existing referral relationship with a provider who completes pap tests in your community, then targeting cervical cancer screening for improvement would be difficult. When rating Impact, consider how large of an impact addressing the target could have. For example, are there a large number of patients with the condition or in need of the screening? Is current performance particularly low such that a change could result in significant improvement? Once all potential enhancements are listed and ratings are in each column, add all columns together to identify the items that are likely to have the biggest greatest impact with the most efficiency. Those potential enhancements that have the highest score (=external requirement + cost + difficulty + impact) may be the best enhancements to try first. More Details...

Health IT enabled Quality Improvement Project Charter: The first step in a QI project. (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description:  A Project Charter serves as a reference of authority for the future of the project. Creating a Project Charter and getting sign off from all participants gives all involved the authority to begin the work outlined therein. The task of developing the Project Charter builds understanding, consensus, and clarity about purpose, expectations, roles and responsibilities, and communications. Why develop a Quality Improvement Project Charter? Formalizes authority to dedicate resources (such as staff time) to the QI project Defines the purpose and expectations for the QI project Identifies key stakeholders to engage in QI project Clarifies roles and responsibilities of the QI Lead and QI Team members Assures commitment and support for QI project from leadership and QI Team members Provides a sustainable framework for any QI Project A Project Charter serves as a reference of authority for the future of the project. Creating a Project Charter and getting sign off from all participants gives all involved the authority to begin the work outlined therein. The task of developing the Project Charter builds understanding, consensus, and clarity about purpose, expectations, roles and responsibilities, and communications. Download the Project Charter (Word document) below to use with your QI team. It is important that this be completed with your QI team and leadership. Also, be sure to be as specific as possible when completing your QI charter, as this will be your reference for all things related to your project.  For example, rather than say you will hold monthly meetings, be specific that meetings will be the third Wednesday of the month at 9am. Another example, for the communication plan, be specific as to exactly who needs to be communicated with at what frequency, and through what channels. More Details...

On the Ground Floor: Housing First Frequent Users of Health Systems Initiative Common Challenges & Promising Community Practices: Common Challenges and Promising Community Practices (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: On the ground communities are building the right partnerships to address the housing and health service needs of their frequent users of crisis care systems. This report summarizes the discussions and lessons learned from four communities implementing health and housing partnerships for frequent users. More Details...

Emergency Department Care Coordination: Targeted Strategies to Improve Health Outcomes and Decrease Costs (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This issue brief outlines strategies to achieve emergency department (ED) care coordination, summarize important legal and policy issues, and provides case studies of health centers that have implemented successful ED care coordination. More Details...

Outreach and Enrollment Case Study #3: Borinquen Medical Centers of Miami-Dade (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Since 2013, over 1,300 health centers nationwide have received federal funding to conduct outreach and enrollment (O&E) activities. This case study - the third produced by the National Association of Community Health Centers - examines how Borinquen Medical Centers, a federally qualified health center in Miami, FL, transformed their practice operations in order to conduct outreach and enroll uninsured community members into health insurance coverage. This case study examines the impacts that these activities had on the health center's finances, operations, and social determinants of health. More Details...

Examples of Technical Assistance Provided by Primary Care Associations and Health Center Controlled Networks: How HCCN’s and PCA’s can be helpful to Quality staff at a Health Center (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Examples of Technical Assistance Provided by Primary Care Associations and Health Center Controlled Networks This document showcases Primary Care Associations (PCAs) and Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCNs) for five states, highlighting their work in Quality and Health IT.  These are examples of the types of assistance any health center may find from their own PCA and HCCN. HRSA provides funding to PCAs and HCCNs to provide state and regional resources to assist health centers. More Details...

Staffing Models, Program Elements, and Performance Expectations: A HITEQ Center Resource (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The following document describes Quality and HIT staffing models for a low, middle, and high resourced health centers.  These models are intended to be both normative (e.g., How does my middle resource health center compare? Do I have all of these positions covered?) and aspirational (e.g., What benefits could we get if we move to the next level?).  The following document describes Quality and HIT staffing models for a low, middle, and high resourced health centers.  These models are intended to be both normative (e.g., How does my middle resource health center compare? Do I have all of these positions covered?) and aspirational (e.g., What benefits could we get if we move to the next level?).  Each model includes: Descriptions of staff Critical quality program elements at each stage How incentive payments could be allocated, and Performance expectations.  The model includes factors to consider when moving between stages and a staff position glossary to help define the different positions. As anyone who has worked in health centers knows, health centers are highly variable.  For this reason, this document is meant to help executives and quality staff think more deeply about their quality program.  It is not intended to be a literal guide. More Details...

Understanding And Combating Stigma: A Toolkit For Improving Care And Support For People Affected By HBV (2017). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: This toolkit is written for health care providers and community health advocates who want to improve the care and support for people affected by HBV. The aim of this toolkit is to support you and anyone you are working with to confront and reduce the stigma associated with HBV, and to promote increased prevention, care and treatment of hepatitis B. Anyone can get HBV. We need to work together to promote understanding and action to combat HBV-related stigma and discrimination to combat this disease. More Details...

Sliding Fee Discount Program (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: NCFH and Farmworker Justice have created this customizable, low-literacy tool for all Migrant & Community Health Centers to help explain your patients' financial responsibility - how and what patients should expect to pay during their visit - focusing on the sliding fee scale discount program. More Details...

Promising Practice: Ohio Hills Dental Program Redesign (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Ohio Hills Health Services is a FQHC in Eastern Ohio. In 2014, Ohio Hills underwent a comprehensive evaluation of its dental program. They were given a dental performance improvement plan. This promising practice outlines their dental program redesign and lessons learned. More Details...

Health Center Stories (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: To give health centers insights on the capital development process, Capital Link regularly profiles health centers that have successfully completed their capital funding strategy. These client stories illustrate how health centers are striving to expand to meet the needs of their communities, using a wide variety of financing structures to achieve the goal of moving ahead with their capital projects. More Details...

Financial Responsibility Tool (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This resource is a low-literacy tool for all Migrant & Community Health Centers on your patients' financial responsibility. The tool covers how and what patients should expect to pay as well as an easy-to-understand infographic on the Sliding Fee Scale. More Details...

Dental Dashboard User's Guide (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This User's Guide is a companion to support the implementation and use of the NNOHA Health Center Dental Dashboard. This document will give details about how to collect data, instructions for the online dashboard, and specifics of the measures. More Details...

Dashboard Collaborative Pilot Change Package (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: NNOHA launched the Dashboard Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative to enhance the quality of oral health services in health center dental programs. The health centers in this learning collaborative utilizes the Health Center Dental Dashboard measures. This change package shares the ideas and promising practices tested to improve on these dashboard measures. More Details...

Contracting for Dental Services In Health Centers: Implementation Strategies (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Health centers may contract for dental services as a way to increase access to care. NNOHA conducted interviews with health centers that are sustainably contracting for dental services. This publication shares those promising practices. More Details...

Contracting for Dental Services In Health Centers: A Checklist for Planning (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Contracting for dental services is one service delivery method that may be used to provide and/or increase access to dental care for health center service area populations. This checklist will assist health centers in determining if contracting is an appropriate strategy for them. More Details...