Category: Events and Webinars

The DC Prevention and Medicaid Financing Taskforce held its third meeting on August 26^th.  Discussions focused on the progress of the two workgroups that were formed at the second Taskforce meeting: the CHW Workforce Development and the Financing Workgroups. Workgroup members addressed topics including workgroup structure and technical needs. Participants discussed recommendations for a potential credentialing model and a sustainable reimbursement model that aligns with the Medicaid State Plan Amendment and planned their next meetings. The next meeting of the DC Taskforce is expected to be in mid-October and the schedule for upcoming workgroup meetings will be announced shortly.

The Institute for Public Health Innovation and Washington AIDS Partnership, together with the D.C. Department of Health, is hosting a follow-up to the Spring 2014 roundtable conversation between senior leadership of HIV/AIDS service providers and the Senior Deputy Director of HAHSTA, D.C. Department of Health, Michael Kharfen. This is an opportunity to receive updates on current HAHSTA priorities as well as to provide the perspective of service providers working on the ground on where they are and where the District should be headed in its response to HIV/AIDS.

This event is invitation only due to limited space. If you have any questions, please contact Christine Stewart at [email protected].

The next  DC Prevention and Medicaid Taskforce meeting is scheduled for August 26th, from 9:30am to 11:30am at IPHI.  All who attend will be asked to participate in one of two workgroups: the CHW Workforce Development Work Group, which is focused on formulating recommendations on community health worker scope of practice, standards, core competencies, and credentialing, or the Financing Work Group, which is charged with formulating recommendations for a Medicaid State Plan Amendment related to financing preventive health services provided by non-licensed professionals.  All are welcome! For more information contact [email protected].

IPHI Recognizes 22 HEAL Cities and Towns in Maryland and Virginia

HEAL Cities & Towns have publicly recognized, through adoption of a resolution or policy that municipalities have a role to play in creating a community where residents and municipal employees can make healthy decisions about nutrition and physical activity.

To date, 22 cities and towns from across Maryland and Virginia have joined the Campaign, including:  Bel Air (MD), Bladensburg (MD), Colmar Manor (MD), College Park (MD), Cottage City (MD), Charlottesville (VA), Crewe (VA), Dumfries (VA), Edmonston (MD), Forest Heights (MD), Gaithersburg (MD), Greenbelt (MD), Haymarket (VA), Leesburg (VA), Lovettsville (VA), Middleburg (VA), Petersburg (VA), Salisbury (MD), Somerset (MD), Staunton (VA), Sykesville (MD) Williamsburg (VA). (See map of HEAL Cities & Towns below.)

These municipalities have taken advantage of resources made available to them through the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign, including: quarterly webinars, technical workshops, and staff assistance with policy development and implementation.

June was a big month for the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign. On June 10, 2014, IPHI’s Marisa Jones had the opportunity to speak before Maryland’s local elected officials to present plaques recognizing the Inaugural Class of HEAL Cities & Towns in Maryland at the Maryland Municipal League Annual Convention.

Also at the Maryland Municipal League Convention, the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign led two workshops. The first was a mobile session on walking meetings, answering: what are they? How can they promote the fiscal and physical health of municipalities? The second workshop highlighted the Economic and Health Benefits of Walkable, Bikeable Communities, and featured Maryland examples provided by Mayor Randy McClement, Frederick, MD, Councilwoman Nicole Wagoner, Cumberland, MD, and Matt Drew, Bike Salisbury. To view each presenter’s slides, please click on their name.

IPHI’s Marisa Jones had the opportunity to speak before Maryland’s local elected officials to present plaques recognizing the Inaugural Class of HEAL Cities & Towns in Maryland at the Maryland Municipal League Annual Convention. As of June, there were a total of 22 cities and towns in the regional campaign.

The Inaugural Class of HEAL Cities & Towns have publicly recognized that, through adoption of a resolution or policy, municipalities have a role to play in creating a community where residents and municipal employees can make healthy decisions about nutrition and physical activity. These municipalities have taken advantage of resources made available to them through the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign, including quarterly webinars, workshops, and one-on-one staff assistance with policy development and implementation.

Also at the Maryland Municipal League Convention, the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign led a mobile session on walking meetings: what they are and how they promote the fiscal and physical health of municipalities, as well as a workshop on the economic and health benefits of walkable, bikeable communities, featuring Mayor Randy McClement from Frederick, MD; Councilwoman Nicole Wagoner, Cumberland, MD; and Matt Drew, Bike Salisbury.

The Prevention and Medicaid Financing Task Force welcomes others who may be interested in participating as a collaborative working partner at the next Task Force meeting on July 11, 2014, 9:30-11:30am at IPHI.  The DC Primary Care Association (DCPCA) and IPHI led the formation of the Task Force to help lay groundwork to facilitate future Medicaid financing of preventive health services offered by non-licensed providers.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created a new rule, which took effect January 1, 2014, that allows state Medicaid agencies to finance preventive health services provided by professionals that may fall outside of a state’s clinical licensure system, as long as a licensed practitioner, such as a physician, nurse or social worker, recommends such services.  With this new rule, the DC Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) has the option to cover more community-based preventive services, including but not limited to, those provided by community health workers (CHWs).  The rule defines preventive services as those which: prevent disease, disability, and other health conditions or their progression; prolong life; and promote physical and mental health and efficiency.

Before DHCF can expand the financing of preventive health services in the District of Columbia, significant work will need to be done to determine eligible providers; ensure definition of scope(s) of practice, qualifications and standards; institute processes for ensuring those qualifications and standards are met; and structure payment mechanisms.  This Task Force will organize community stakeholders so some of that work can be done in preparation for a possible State Plan Amendment.

If you are interested in participating in the Task Force, email [email protected]  and identify in the email the organization you work for and how you would like to contribute to be involved.

On June 4, 2014, IPHI and Washington AIDS Partnership convened Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and HIV service providers serving the District of Columbia. Key objectives of the session were:

• to give HIV organizations an opportunity to learn what it takes to contract with an MCO and corresponding expectations;
• for MCOs to learn more about the system of HIV providers in DC and the opportunities they see; and
• to provide an opportunity for HIV organizations and MCOs to build direct relationships and explore different ways of working together.

The meeting was a productive first step, and participants unanimously agreed that a follow-up meeting should be planned to continue networking and exploring partnership opportunities. The second session will be scheduled for September 2014. Participating MCOs included AmeriHealth DC, MedStar Family Choice, and Trusted Health Plan, joined by over a dozen HIV service providers.  The meeting was part of the Capacity for Change series of forums and trainings, designed to help HIV service providers navigate changes in the health care system and position themselves for more effective and sustainable services. Capacity for Change is coordinated by IPHI, in collaboration with Washington AIDS Partnership and with support from the DC Department of Health and MAC AIDS Fund. For more information about the Capacity for Change series or the second meeting for MCOs and HIV service providers to take place in September, contact Christine Stewart, [email protected].

In May 2014, IPHI and organizational partners from the DC, MD and VA regions participated in UNITY 2014, the only national CHW conference designed for and about community health workers. Aptly themed “Community Health Workers – Innovative Solution to Addressing the Triple Aim (Access to Care, Reducing Costs, and Promoting Healthy Communities),”  UNITY 2014 provided opportunities for community health workers, policy makers, and other public health professionals to share knowledge, information, and expertise about the role of CHWs in transforming the health of the nation.

By all accounts from IPHI staff, Unity 2014 was a success. “It seemed to me that at least 85% of the participants were new attendees who had never heard of the conference before this year. This is a significant success. There have been major policy changes affecting CHWs in the US and globally, and it’s clear that there are new people interested and involved in this CHW movement,” said Dwyan Monroe, CHW Program Coordinator at IPHI.

CHWs shared that they were impressed that there was a conference of this nature, which brought together policy makers, clinicians, public health leaders and other supporters to strategize about the CHW profession. Some CHWs said that although they knew their role was important, they felt further validated after participating in this conference that highlighted their valuable role in the overall health system.

Ms. Monroe highlighted that the DC, MD and VA region was well represented at UNITY. While, IPHI had one of the largest representations at the conference, there were CHWs and staff in attendance from many partner organizations and groups including Healthy Howard Inc., the Health Enterprise Zone projects in West Baltimore and St. Mary’s County, DC Primary Care Association, The CHW Professional Association of DC, and the Virginia CHW Task Force, among many others.

IPHI facilitated four presentations at the conference – three sessions were led by CHWs and one roundtable on the Center for the Community Health Workforce was led by Ms. Monroe. More details on these workshops can be found here.

For Ms. Monroe, A key highlight of the conference was the recognition of Zee Turner, a dedicated IPHI CHW who died on December 29, 2013. Ms. Turner was awarded the first ever Special Recognition Award by the Esther M. Holderby Dedicated CHW Award Selection Committee at a touching evening reception at the conference. The award was accepted by two of Ms. Turner’s family members, with support from IPHI staff and Zee’s peers.

Another highlight was a special session to garner interest in revitalizing the Maryland CHW Association. Facilitated by Ms. Monroe, the session attracted 43 interested participants from across the state. More information about next steps with the MD CHW Association will be disseminated in the coming months.

From Ms. Monroe’s perspective, UNITY 2014 was beneficial to all in attendance. She shared, “specifically for IPHI, we were able to highlight our programs that feature CHWs, connect with partners, meet new potential partners, and garner interest in some of our programs such as CHW competency training. UNITY also provided us an opportunity to assess how our regional CHW work aligns with national efforts to advance CHW policy and facilitate effective health system integration.”

Coming out of UNITY 2014, Ms. Monroe said that some CHWs recommended that future conferences provide more opportunities for CHW training and skills development. They also hope to see more CHWs included in plenaries and high-level presentations at the conference in the future. Ms. Monroe said that she is proud, excited and energized to move forward to advance CHW policy in the DC, MD and VA region. “We have a lot of work to do, but we’re ready.”

IPHI sends sincere thanks to The CHW Professional Association of DC for providing scholarships for four IPHI-affiliated CHWs to attend and present at UNITY. We also congratulate the organizers, the Center for Sustainable Health Outreach (CSHO), Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care, Central Massachusetts AHEC, Inc., and Community Resources, LLC., on a successful conference.

For more information, please contact the IPHI CHW Program Team at  [email protected] or 202-747-3512.

In May 2014, IPHI and many organizational partners from the DC, MD and VA region participated in UNITY 2014, the only national CHW conference designed for and about community health workers. Aptly themed “Community Health Workers – Innovative Solution to Addressing the Triple Aim (Access to Care, Reducing Costs, and Promoting Healthy Communities),”  UNITY 2014 provided opportunities for community health workers, policy makers and other public health professionals to share knowledge, information, and expertise about the role of CHWs in transforming the health of the nation.  See this special interview with IPHI’s Dwyan Monroe about the Unity Conference.

Special congratulations go to the following IPHI staff and partners for presenting at this year’s conference:

• Brian Diaz, CHW, IPHI, Breakout session: Treatment Adherence – There’s an App for That
• Khadijah Abdullah, Leslie Demus, Reginald Jackson, and Lenora Wright, CHWs with IPHI, Breakout session: CHWs on the Move, Striving to Make a Difference
• Shari Curtis and Fernanda Azucena, DC Primary Care Association, Roundtable Session: Prevention Empowers Me
• Vernita Perry, Ronnette Moton, Lonita Sheppard, and Sabrina Heard, CHWs with IPHI and The Women’s Collective, Roundtable Session: Help, I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Back Up
• Tilli Williams, Healing Our Village, Inc., Roundtable Session: Diabetes Education and Medication Therapy Management Using Community Health Workers
• Dwyan Monroe, IPHI, Roundtable Session: The Center for the Community Health Workforce: Creating a DC, MD, and VA Regional Workforce Development Center to Support Policy, Practice and Program Technical Assistance for CHWs
• Rosalind Oden, Elsa Morales, and Fernanda Azucena, DC Primary Care Association, Roundtable Session: Building a CHW Professional Association

Honoring the Life of Zhilphia “Zee” Turner”

On Thursday, May 22, 2014 at the Unity Conference, the life and service of Zhilphia “Zee” Turner was honored, as she was selected for a Esther M. Holderby CHW Special Recognition Award. As a CHW in the DC area for over 15 years, Zee helped people living with HIV/AIDS link to and stay engaged in life-saving medical care by offering education, encouragement, and support. She most recently served as a Positive Pathways CHW with IPHI. Zee’s impact on the DC region was immeasurable and profound. Read more about Zee.