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Trainings/Webinars

Medical Assistant Training Series

Posted: February 21, 2023

The objective of the Coleman Associates approach is to find new ways of working that improves productivity (i.e., the capacity to see patients), increase patient access, reduce patient waiting time, develop teamwork, improve staff satisfaction, develop patient-centered medical homes, and optimize the use of technology wisely. The DPI™ program is a cutting-edge collaborative training approach that teaches best practices of work processes. To improve the patient experience, to truly feel the effects of Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition and to stay successful in the ever-evolving and competitive health care market a clinic must provide access to primary care providers for patients, facilitate continuity of care, continually reassess roles and responsibilities in the clinic workplace and improve office efficiency dramatically. However, systematic barriers as well as staff training inconsistencies allow the organization to perpetuate a dis-jointed, retrofitted approach to care and leads to dramatic waits for patients, staff frustration, and decreases patient satisfaction as well as health outcomes. The challenges dramatically decrease the efficiency and satisfaction of the staff and providers often leaving them feeling “besieged” by patients and overworked by the system. 

All of the planned topics for the webinars will focus on in-office and remote tactics but the emphasis for each session will be on telehealth and the changes required to make an effective telehealth system work within the care team and the practice as a whole.  The webinars will provide care team members greater confidence in the job expectations and their own ability to meet those expectations such that they can competently follow the model of care seen in outstanding practices in supporting the provider and the Patient Care Team. 

Objectives 

  • Learners will learn how to apply best practices for team-based care with a focus on telehealth visits. 
  • Learners will apply best practices to their own visit preparation processes. 
  • Learners will learn how to ramp up communication among Patient Care Team Members. 
  • Learners will apply a methodology for testing and evaluating new ideas. 

The intended audience of these workshops is to reach MAs, however, RNs, PAs, NPs, clinic managers/other leadership, or physicians may benefit. 


Resources

Coleman Innovation Podcast
Coleman COVID-19 Resources
Trainings and Links

Week 1: Introduction and the Art of Preparation 
Video | Slides

Week 2: Telehealth – Role of the MA
Video | Slides
Robust Confirmation Call | password: Colem@nDPI20

Week 3: Telehealth – Dancing as a Patient Care Team – Part 1 
Video | Slides
Jockey-ing the Schedule | password: Colem@nDPI20

Week 4: Telehealth – Dancing as a Patient Care Team – Part 2 
Video | Slides

Week 5: Dancing as a Patient Care Team – Part 3
Video | Slides
CDC communication signs
Principles of Redesign
Team Dance video | password: T3amD@nce
Team Dance Article

Week 6: Searching for Demand
Video | Slides
Outreach Opportunities Tool | Polishing the Schedule Telehealth Considerations
Patient Visit Mapping
Patient Visit Tracking
Walkie Talkie Primer

 

AFS 101: Introduction to the Benchmarks Webinar

Posted: December 5, 2019

On November 19th, CCALAC hosted a webinar that provides participants with an introduction to the Advancing the Financial Strength of Los Angeles Clinics program and curriculum. It covers the concepts essential to clinic financial strength, including current industry trends and challenges, the importance of benchmarking, and key financial and operational performance indicators to track and include on dashboards. This session also highlights real-world connections to operations planning. The webinar, slides, & materials are available below:

AFS 101: Introduction to the Benchmarks Webinar

AFS 101: Introduction to the Benchmarks Webinar Slides

CA Toolkit Nov 2019

 

18th Annual Health Care Symposium Presentations – 2019

Posted: March 18, 2019

Morning Session (10:00am – Morning Break with Exhibitors)

Enlightened Leadership
Jeffrey Ring, PhD, Principal Consultant, Health Management Associates

If Aesop Told Data Fables: Telling Meaningful Stories with Data to All Levels of Your Organization
Meghan Powers, Director of Quality Improvement, Venice Family Clinic
Heather Budd, Vice President of Clinical Transformation, Azara Healthcare

Integrated Behavioral Health and Trauma Informed Systems of Care
Roger Peeks, MD, Medical Director of Strategic Development, Valley Community Healthcare
Jeanette Hernandez, LMFT, Behavioral Health Clinician II, Valley Community Healthcare
Griselda Vargas, LCSW, Behavioral Health Clinician II, Valley Community Healthcare

Timely Utilization Data on High Utilizers: A Data Sharing Pilot Between Los Angeles County FQHCs and the Local Health Plan
Rachel Proud, MPH, Quality Improvement Consultant, Elevation Health Partners
Saikiran Vodela, MS, Senior Data Program Manager, L.A. Care Health Plan
Matthew Pirritano, PhD, Director, Population Health Informatics, L.A. Care Health Plan
Oscar Arellano, Patient Navigator, Harbor Community Clinic

1:15pm – Sessions

The Use of Co-Design Sessions to Inform Treatment Interventions
Jennifer Covin, MPH, Director of Programs, Health Partners of Southern California
Marty Adelman, MA, CPRP, Behavioral Health Program Manager, Health Quality Partners

Acting Your HRSA Operational Site Visit (OSV)
Jackie Provost, MPH, Senior Director, Greg Facktor and Associates

A Tool Box: Addressing Patient Needs Through Empathic Inquiry
Carol Bernstein, MPH, LCSW, Senior Integrative Health Consultant, Elevation Health Partners
Stella Gukasyan, EdM, Quality Improvement Consultant, Elevation Health Partners

Creating Interoperability: Breaking EHR Barriers
Aisha Iqbal, MSHIM, Director of Health Information Technology, Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County
Ben Pierson, Interoperability & Health Information Exchange Program Manager, OCHIN, Inc.
Sandra Jaime, CHTS, Health Information Technology Manager, St. John’s Well Child and Family Center
Stephen Gutierrez, CIO, Northeast Valley Health Corporation

3:15pm – Sessions

Evaluating the Efficacy of the “Improving Mood-Programming Access to Collaborative Treatment” (IMPACT) Program Among Underserved Community Health Center Patients with Depression
Laura Stanley, PhD, Program Evaluator, Health Center Partners
Marty Adelman, MA, CBRP, Behavioral Health Program Manager, Health Center Partners

Mobile App-based Access to Better Care in Venice Family Clinic’s Street Medicine Program
Margarita Loeza, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer, Venice Family Clinic
Coley King, DO, Director of Homeless Services, Venice Family Clinic
Wendy Cervantes, BA, Electronic Medical Records Trainer, Venice Family Clinic
Laura Garcia, BS, Electronic Medical Records Trainer, Venice Family Clinic

The ROI of QI
Bridget Cole, MPH, Executive Director, Institute for High Quality Care
Ellen Silver, RNP, MSN, Chief Executive Officer, ParkTree Community Health Center
Anita Zamora, RN, MSN, CNS, Deputy Director & Chief Operating Officer, Venice Family Clinic
Meghan Powers, Director of Quality Improvement, Venice Family Clinic

Beyond Meaningful Use: Patient Portal Adoption Strategies to Engage and Partner with Patients
Chad Vargas, MSHA, Chief Operating Officer, QueensCare Health Centers

Advancing Financial Strength (AFS) 102: Using Performance Evaluation Profiles/County Aggregates

Posted: December 4, 2018

On November 9th, CCALAC hosted a webinar which provided a review of 2016-2017 aggregate financial and operational trends and metrics from AFS participant data compared to statewide, national, and recommended ranges to better understand how Capital Link’s performance evaluation profile measures financial and operational performance and highlights strengths, weaknesses, and potential opportunities for improvement. The webinar, slides and materials from this presentation are below:

AFS 102 Webinar Presentation Slides

National Trends Summary

California Performance Benchmarking Toolkit

AFS 102 Webinar

 

Using Data to Drive Improvement: Ongoing Monitoring to Inform Actions for Board Members Webinar

Posted: April 23, 2018

This webinar will describe the most important data and information for health center Boards to monitor to identify warning signs and opportunities to strengthen their operations. Building on the prior sessions, we will review key metrics to track and provide guidance on specific information Board members should request regularly from health center leadership.  We will also discuss best practices for performance improvement.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand early warning signs of financial, operational, or clinical weaknesses to boost health center sustainability and ensure access to high quality community based care.
  2. Access resources and samples to assist in tracking of financial and operational metrics, and developing actions from this information.
  3. Use information based on metrics from management and financial reports to boost strategic and operational agility.

17th Annual Health Care Symposium Presentations – 2018

Posted: March 16, 2018

Keynote

Policy Enablers for Transforming Care for Underserved Communities – Janet Marchibroda, MBA
Director of Health Innovation Initiative & Executive Director of the CEO Council on Health and Innovation, Bipartisan Policy Center

SESSION 1 WORKSHOPS • 10:30am – 12:00pm

Social Determinants of Health
Wendi Vierra, Neighborhood Healthcare
Bessie Mathew, Venice Family Clinic

Pay for Performance: Navigate the Risks, Maximize the Benefits and Prepare for the Future & Best Practices for FQHC Incentive Programs Resource Sheet
Meaghan McCamman, California Primary Care Association
Michele Lambert, Vista Community Clinic
Lawrence Garcia, Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard
Steven Rousso, Wipfli/HFS

Creating an Advanced Medical Assistant Workforce to Promote the Transformation of Healthcare
Teri Brogdon, National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement
Mark Splaine, National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement and the Weitzman Institute
Mary Blankson, Community Health Center, Inc. and National lnstitute for Medical Assistant Advancement

Care Coordination Project: Improving Care Coordination for Patients Diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes and Hypertension
Bob Quarfoot, Dignity Health – California Hospital Medical Center
Roberto Vargas, David Geffen School of Medicine University of California, Charles Drew University, RAND
Bryan Lang, Trans World Health Services, Inc.
Andrea Williams, Southside Coalition of Community Health Centers

SESSION 2 WORKSHOPS • 1:15 pm – 2:45 pm

Engaging Patients from Underserved Populations through Technology
Edith Gurrola, Integrative Behavioral Health Research Institute
Joshua J. Matacotta, Integrative Behavioral Health Research Institute
E. Lorena Navarro, CSU-Northridge
Aldo Baylon, Private Practice

Partnering for Success in Care and Payment
Rachel Tobey, John Snow, Inc. (JSI)
Karen McGlinn, Share Our Selves
Lisa Abdishoo, Los Angeles Christian Health Center

Increasing Performance and Problem Solving Effectiveness through Tiered Huddles
Bob Plummer, Honsha
Matt Wehr, Honsha

Improving Clinic Operations Using Time and Motion Study Methodology & Study Template
Lauren Richard, CCALAC
Deena Pourshaban, Elevation Health Partners

SESSION 3 WORKSHOPS • 3:15pm – 4:45pm

Culturally Informed Practice: Understanding LGBTQ Patients, Formerly Incarcerated Individuals and Explanatory Models of Illness
Estrella Lucero, Equality California
Chelsea Mottern, Equality California
Anna Steiner, Transitions Clinic Network
Josephine Servin, Family Health Care Centers of Greater Los Angeles

Analyzing Federal Funding Changes
Curtis Degenfelder, Curt Degenfelder Consulting Inc.

Enlightened Leadership and High Functioning Teams: You Can Do This!
Jeffrey Ring, Health Management Partners

Strategic Planning for Value(s)-Based Care using Design-Thinking
Jay W. Lee, Venice Family Clinic
Anita Zamora, Venice Family Clinic
Stacey Scarborough, Venice Family Clinic

16th Annual Health Care Symposium Presentations – 2017

Posted: March 16, 2018

Keynote Speaker: Susan Dentzer, President & CEO, Network for Excellence in Health Innovation
Speaker Bios

Melissa Barajas, RN, BSN, PHN – Melissa Barajas, Director of Population Health, is from Neighborhood Healthcare in Escondido. Melissa has a BSN and has held numerous clinical roles in primary care and at Neighborhood. In her current capacity, Melissa leads her centers’ numerous population health programs.

Bertha Becerra – Bertha Becerra joined South Bay Family Health Care (SBFHC) in February 2006 as Clinical Operations Administrative Assistant.  Her passion and commitment to quality service evolved during SBFHC’s transition to the Patient Center Medical Home model, which required implementation of structured processes and workflows. During this process she became engaged and determined to assist SBFHC in implementing operational changes that would support the patient’s needs.  As the QA/QI Manager, she has taken responsibility and devotion in raising inspiration and awareness among the SBFHC’s staff in providing quality service.  To this date she continues to partake in pioneering ways to improve the experience and the health care service being offered to SBFHC patients.

Laura Blumenthal, MPA – Laura is Program Manager for Innovation at the Center for Care Innovations (CCI), an Oakland-based nonprofit that brings people and resources together to accelerate health innovations for vulnerable populations. As program manager, Laura designs and manages a portfolio of programs grounded in human-centered design & innovation methodologies. Her programming offers safety net leaders the space and resources to spark ideas and seed projects in which impacted stakeholders become co-designers in the transformation effort. Before joining CCI, Laura was special assistant to the president and CEO at Blue Shield of California Foundation. At the Foundation, Laura managed grant opportunities exploring and testing innovation in the safety net, collaborated with grantees and partners on national projects. Laura is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Senegal. Laura holds a master in public affairs from Princeton University and a bachelor of science from the NYU Stern School of Business.

Cynthia Carmona, MPA – Cynthia Carmona, MPA, is Director of Government and External Affairs at the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC). Ms. Carmona oversees and conducts the development, implementation and evaluation of CCALAC’s advocacy and government/public relations activities. Prior to joining CCALAC in 2008, Cynthia was a state legislative analyst on health issues for the California Public Employees Retirement System and Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, where she monitored SCHIP reauthorization and other state legislation. Ms. Carmona received her Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Davis and her Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

Rosy Chang Weir, MD – Rosy Chang Weir, PhD. as Director of Research at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), Dr. Weir oversees the research department including its Community Institutional Review Board and Data Warehouse. Her research interests include racial/ethnic disparities in health, culturally and linguistically appropriate enabling services, social determinants of health, and community-based participatory research. She leads and collaborates on national projects including the development of a standardized health risk assessment tool that addresses social determinants of health in PRAPARE (Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences), Community Health Applied Research Network national safety net data warehouse, NIH Hepatitis B technology innovations, and the impact of enabling services. She has also served as an expert advisor on HRSA and PCORI initiatives. Dr. Weir received her Bachelor’s Degree and PhD in Psychology at the University of California, San Diego and Santa Cruz, respectively.

Gilmore Chung, MD – Gilmore received his MD from the University of Kentucky, and completed his residency in Internal Medicine – Pediatrics at Los Angeles County – University of Southern California Medical Center. He stayed at LAC-USC as an attending, and then spent a year at the Dimock Center in Roxbury, MA, doing outpatient medicine, started working in addiction medicine, as well as working in their inpatient detox facility. He has been at Venice Family Clinic since 2015, and currently serves as the site director for the Rose Avenue clinic. He plans to sit the boards for the American Society of Addiction Medicine in October. He also volunteers at Homeboy Industries and works for the LAPD jail dispensary clinics.

Kaleigh Cornelison, MSW – Kaleigh Cornelison is currently the Training Coordinator for the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC). Kaleigh is responsible for the coordination and implementation of training opportunities for 59 Community Health Centers across Los Angeles County. Kaleigh obtained her Masters degree in Social Work from Washington University in St Louis with a specialization in Nonprofit Management and her Bachelors degree in Communication Studies from the University of Michigan. Kaleigh’s background is in youth services and professional development. She has managed a variety of youth-focused programs focusing on teen dating violence prevention, sexual health education and social and emotional learning. She has developed and implemented a variety of Professional Development trainings including Considering the Effects of Trauma: Caring for Your Patients while Caring for Yourself, Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work with Youth and Teens, Technology & Relationships. Her personal mission is to make professional development experiences engaging and practical for all types of learners. Kaleigh is also one of the co-facilitators for Facilitating.XYZ which is a free online resource that seeks to support and encourage all facilitators to navigate the world of facilitation with confidence and community.

Jennifer Covin, MPH – Jennifer Covin is the Director of Programs with Health Quality Partners of Southern California.  In collaboration with a team of Program Managers, she oversees many grant sponsored programs and services aimed at meeting the needs of patients in the Health Center Partners member organizations.  Prior to joining HQP, she worked in the academic arena for 20+ years managing federal and state funded public health programs aimed at preventing the leading causes of disease and managing chronic health issues in the primary care setting.         

Susan Dentzer – Susan Dentzer is the president and CEO of the Network for Excellence in Health Innovation, a non-profit, non-partisan health policy institute focused on enabling innovations that improve health, boost health care quality and lower costs.  She’s also the senior policy advisor for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest philanthropy focused on U.S. health and health care, and is one of the nation’s most respected health care journalists and thought leaders. Prior to joining the RWJF, Dentzer served for five years as editor-in-chief of Health Affairs, the nation’s leading journal of health policy, which she transformed from a bimonthly academic publication to a topical monthly journal. She served as on-air health correspondent for the PBSNewsHour from 1998 to 2008 and remains an on-air analyst on health policy for the show. She is also a frequent guest on a number of National Public Radio programs, including The Diane Rehm Show. Today, Dentzer is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences and the Board on Population Health; an elected member of the Council on Foreign Relations; a fellow of the National Academy of Social Insurance; a fellow of The Hastings Center, a nonpartisan bioethics research institute; a member of the board of directors of the International Rescue Committee, a leading humanitarian organization; serves on the board of directors of Research!America, an alliance working to make research to improve health a higher priority. She is also a public member of the board of directors of the American Board of Medical Specialties, which assists 24 medical specialty boards in the ongoing evaluation and certification of physicians; a member of the board of directors of the Public Health Institute, the nonprofit organization addressing public health issues and solutions nationwide; a member of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, the RAND Health Board of Advisors, the March of Dimes national advisory board and the national advisory committee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows. She graduated from Dartmouth, is a trustee emerita of the college, chaired the Dartmouth Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2004 and currently serves as a member of the Board of Overseers of Dartmouth Medical School.

Diana Feliz Olivia, MSW – Diana Feliz Oliva has worked in the field of social services and public health for over 20 years. Her work began in 1994 with the County of Fresno – Department of Social Services to her new helm as the Transgender Health Program Manager at St. John’s Well Child & Family Center in 2015. In addition, Ms. Oliva has more than 15 years of experience in working with the transgender population, which include, HIV + positive individuals, sex workers, mentally ill, substance users, homeless individuals, incarcerated adults, youth, elderly, people of color and undocumented individuals. A graduate of Columbia University with a Masters Degree in Social Work in 2005, her particular interest has been advancing the development of public policy that addresses community-level health and social problems. Turning her daunting personal challenges and barriers into the very basis of her activism, Ms. Oliva has become an effective social advocate and role model. Her work is shown giving voice and visibility to not only the Transgender community, but also to the multiple, overlapping communities her life has touched.

Kristan Gross, BA – Kristan Gross was named Global Executive Director for the Vision Impact Institute in January 2017. In this role, she will lead a global team of experts to create expanded awareness, through evidence-based research, of the global need to prioritize vision health. Since 2015, Gross has served as Global Director of Content and Communications for the organization and successfully led traditional and social media expansion and advocacy initiatives in countries around the world. She is an expert storyteller in the global need for vision care and is dedicated to truly Giving Vision a Voice. Gross earned her BA in English and Psychology from East Texas Baptist University. Gross was appointed Vice Chair of Vision 2020 USA in 2016, and is a member of the Optical Women’s Association. She was listed in Jobson’s 2014 Most Influential Women in Optical in the Innovation category and has received countless accolades and awards, including a Golden World Award for Excellence from the International Public Relations Association and the Mercury Excellence Award from Mercomm, Inc.

Louis Guitron, RN, FNP, PHN – Louis Guitron is from the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Case Management Department.  Louis is a FNP and Public Health Nurse (PHN) and the Director for Case Management.

Chinhnam Hathuc, MD – Chinhnam Hathuc, D.O. was born and raised in Southern California where he lived with his family in the Inland Valley. At the age of 16, he received a scholarship and left home to attend Simon’s Rock College of Bard in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He graduated college at 19 years old and took a research position at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. After two years of Neuroscience research, and a good amount of soul-searching, he decided to pursue a career in medicine and attended Touro University in Northern California.  After graduating medical school, Dr. Hathuc returned home to Southern California and completed his Family Medicine residency at Pacific Hospital in Long Beach, California. Upon completion of his residency program and board certification in Family Medicine, Dr. Hathuc joined East Valley Community Health Center- a federally qualified health center that serves the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys. He currently works there as a lead physician and the Chief Medical Officer for their five community health centers.

Andrea Haymore – Andrea leads Partnerships at Essilor Vision Foundation and has been with the organization since 2012. Andrea previously worked at the American Heart Association’s National Center leading programs to reduce cardiovascular risk factors and enhance healthcare provider quality improvement.

April House, LVN, MHA – As a leader on the forefront of transformative change, April supports the advancement of the enterprise vision by directing the charge as a change agent through collaborative implementation of strategic initiatives. She has a track record of guiding operational excellence, maximizing revenue, minimizing risk exposure, and bolstering organization performance portfolios resulting in financial and membership growth, competitive viability, and market expansion. Prior to her position at San Ysidro she served as a Clinical Program Manager for HealthNet; Regional Operations Manager for United Healthcare and a Senior Business Intelligence Analyst for Sharp HealthCare. She received her Master’s Degree for University of Southern California and her Six Sigma Master Black Belt Certificate from Villanova University in 2015.

Noah Kaplan, MSW – Noah Kaplan is from the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Case Management Department. Noah is a social worker Managing the Psychosocial Case Management Unit.

Craig Kennedy, MPH – Craig joined ACU in 2013 after many years in leadership positions on Capitol Hill and in non-profit association management. He has management responsibility for all aspects of the Association and reports directly to the Board of Directors. Craig previously served as the top lobbyist for the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) during the 2009 Stimulus and 2010 Affordable Care Act negotiations. He also led the negotiations on the 2008 reauthorization of the National Health Service Corps and the Health Centers’ programs. He began his tenure at NACHC working to double the Health Centers program (the REACH Initiative) and subsequently drafted the current growth plan, ACCESS for All America. Prior to working at NACHC, Craig worked on Capitol Hill and in the Oregon State Legislature. He received his Masters in Public Health from the George Washington University School of Public Health in Washington, DC, and has a Bachelor’s of Science from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Craig currently serves on the governing boards for First Focus Campaign for Children, the National Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Consortium and the Coalition for Health Funding.

Wayne Larsen, OD – Dr. Wayne Larsen has been with Community Health Systems, Inc. since 2003, as an Optometrist.    Dr. Larsen received his Doctorate in Optometry from the Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton. His previous experience includes serving 6 years as a Medical Section Chief in the Army and Army Reserves, working at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and running a private practice for over 40 years, covering Los Angeles and Rancho Palos Verdes. At CHSI, Dr. Larsen has utilized his fluency in Spanish to provide care to patients of all ages. Dr. Larsen’s experience and drive provide quality care to patients has contributed to the organization’s success in optometry.

Michele Lambert, MBA – Michele Lambert has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Vista Community Clinic (VCC) since January 2005. She holds an MBA from San Diego State University and previously held positions in the service and manufacturing industries as CFO and Vice President Finance/Controller. Ms. Lambert oversees the finance, accounting, revenue cycle and facilities functions for VCC, a $53M eight-site FQHC based in north San Diego County which serves over 60,000 patients per year.  Her achievements at VCC include assisting the organization to become the first Community Health Center in San Diego to implement Electronic Health Records, and expanding VCC operations to communities in need in Riverside and Orange counties.

Melissa Mendez – Melissa Mendez is a grant writer for La Maestra Community Health Centers in San Diego County, California. In Melissa’s current role she is an integral part of the development team, which is in charge of designing, implementing, and reporting on all funded projects across the organization. Before becoming a grant writer, Melissa was a paid, Health Career Connection (HCC) intern at La Maestra. HCC is a nationally recognized program that selects top students from across the nation to pursue healthcare and public health careers at partner organizations.   Melissa has a variety of public health experience including volunteer work in health education, and working with Breathe California of Los Angeles County and the UCLA Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders which led to co-authoring a publication in the journal Cognition and Emotion on the relationship between youth’s resolutions of ambiguity and physiological arousal during acute stress.   Melissa has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology and Society with a concentration in Medicine and Public Health from UCLA and looks forward to pursuing her Master’s in Public Health and continuing to serve medically underserved populations.

Brendan Mull, MD – Dr. Mull is the Director of Quality Improvement at South Central Family Health Center. His responsibilities include quality improvement, data analytics, population health and patient satisfaction. He supervises the clinic’s Disease Management, Patient Navigator and Mammography programs. Prior to joining the medical administration at SCFHC, Dr. Mull was a staff neurologist at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center. He received his M.D. from the University of California, Davis, and completed a pediatric neurology residency at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Marla Potter, MD, MPH – Dr. Marla Potter holds an MD, MPH from the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix. She completed her residency training in June 2015 at Resurrection Family Medicine in Memphis, TN, with a focus on providing comprehensive primary care to patients living in low-resource, underserved, urban communities.  Dr. Potter is board certified in Family Medicine and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.  She has been practicing at the Los Angeles Christian Health Centers’ Joshua House Clinic since August 2015, and she has served as the clinic’s lead physician since June 2016. The clinic is located in Downtown Los Angeles in the Skid Row community where they serve a primarily homeless population.

Bob Plummer, MBA – Bob began his career with 15 years of experience leading manufacturing operations, including Toyota experience at NUMMI, followed by 15 years of experience as Division President and CEO of both manufacturing and service companies.  He has a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from Kettering University and a MBA from Harvard Business School. While in the roles of Division President and CEO, he implemented TPS in several businesses.  Two of his larger implementations include Portola Packaging, a $200 million global plastic packaging manufacturer and Siegel-Robert Automotive, a $450 million automotive components manufacturer. When implementing TPS and kaizen, he emphasizes the important role of leadership, meaningful metrics, building kaizen skill and ability, and cultural transformation. As Managing Director of Honsha, he works with clients to improve the ability of their operations and extended value streams to meet customer needs for delivery, quality, products, and services in the most effective and efficient ways possible.  Industries where he is currently focused include manufacturing, health care, and distribution.

Tracy Ream, MPH – Tracy Ream has spent the last 30 years of her career at Neighborhood Healthcare, creating access to healthcare for those in need of affordable services.  As CEO of a 48 year-old nonprofit community health center system, she has partnered with her Board of Directors to grow the organization from a single point of service to eleven health centers that provide medical, dental and behavioral health care in San Diego and Riverside counties to more than 67,000 individuals.  She thrives on the challenges of assuring that those without affordable health insurance can receive excellent health care.  She has a Master’s in Public Health (Health Services Administration) from San Diego State University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh.  Previous experience includes establishing maternal and child health clinics on four Indian reservations in the state of Washington and community health administration in Seattle. Tracy has served on numerous boards and advisory groups and just completed her term as the chair of CPCA, California’s state primary care association.

Jeffery Ring, PhD – Jeffery Ring is a Clinical Health Psychologist, Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, at University of Southern California. He is also Principal Consultant at Health Management Associates, working on a variety of projects: Eliminate health inequities, Practice coaching toward fully integrated whole-person care for complex patients, Medical education and adult learning, Mindfulness and health empowerment in Spanish for farm and agricultural workers, Enhancing relationship-centered care delivery, Motivational Interviewing Training and Empathy, Leadership coaching with individuals and dysfunctional teams and Practitioner vitality and wellness. For 19 years, he served as Director of Behavioral Sciences and Family Medicine, White Memorial Medical Center. Jeffery is an author of a book, articles, and many presentations/workshops. His wife, Beth, is a family doctor. His kids are high school jazz musicians.

Debra Rosen, RN, MPH – Debra Rosen, RN, MPH is the Director of Quality and Health Education at Northeast Valley Health Corporation, a non-profit federally qualified community health center serving the medically underserved population in Los Angeles County.  She began her long career at NEVHC in 1988 and has had a variety of positions initially in Health Education, and then in Public Health Programs and Services including immunizations, tuberculosis and childhood lead poisoning.  She is currently the Director overseeing Health Education, Chronic Disease Divisions, Public Health and Quality Improvement at Northeast Valley Health Corporation.  She has extensive experience in the implementation of self-management strategies for chronically ill patients, and has led efforts to improve the Patient and Family experience at NEVHC.  Debra Rosen has presented on a variety of topics including Patient-and Family-Centered Care and improving organizational performance.  She is also a facilitator for three communication training programs through the Institute for Health Care Communications including; CARE, Coaching for Impressive Care, and Choices and Changes.

Deizel Sarte, RN, BSN, MAS – Deizel Sarte is the Chief Operations Officer at North County Health Services and boasts a 25 year-long career as a healthcare professional. True to her motto, ‘once a nurse, always a nurse’ she began her healthcare path as a nurse’s assistant at the early age of 19, and by 21 became an RN for Children’s Hospital. After over a decade of serving children and families in the hospital setting she decided to bring her compassion and expertise to NCHS – and has never looked back. In just a few short years Deizel not only earned the honor of Nurse of the Year but in her time at NCHS, she grew from overseeing the health centers to taking a lead role in Administration. Deizel now leads the Clinical Operations for the entire organization and has directed projects and initiatives that have solidified NCHS as an innovative healthcare leader. In her spare time Deizel enjoys time with family, traveling, concerts, reading novels and dancing.

Kim Schuy, MBA – Kim was named President of Essilor Vision Foundation in January 2016. In her role as President, Kim leads EVF’s 2016 efforts to expand vision services by providing more than 200,000 pairs of glasses to individuals across the U.S. She joined EVF from Essilor where she previously worked as the Vice President of Global Marketing, Sunwear, leading the innovation pipeline, while developing branding and product portfolio strategies to increase regional growth efforts. She had previously held the position of Varilux Brand Manager for EOA Marketing and Marketing Director for the Lab Channel. Kim brings more than 20 years of experience and expertise in the optical industry, and holds an MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in Marketing, and an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Richard Seidman, MD, MPH – Dr. Seidman serves as the Chief Medical Officer of Northeast Valley Health Corporation.   In this role, Dr. Seidman is responsible for the quality and safety of clinical care and has played a lead role in the adoption and implementation of a certified EHR.   Dr. Seidman is also responsible for optimizing clinical and EHR incentive earnings.  Dr. Seidman first joined Northeast Valley Health Corporation as a staff Pediatrician in 1993.   Until 2004, Dr. Seidman served as a Pediatrician, Medical Director, and CMO at NEVHC before joining L.A. Care Health Plan in 2005 where he served as Senior Medical Director and was responsible for Quality Improvement, Health Education and Incentive Programs, and worked to develop innovative programs to improve outcomes and promote Health Information Technology adoption.   Dr. Seidman returned to NEVHC in November, 2011.

Tobin Shelton, LCSW – Tobin is a clinical social worker who has worked in the criminal justice system, school system, and in health care. Tobin has worked at the Venice Family Clinic since 2013 where he has focused focused on harm reduction, HIV and addiction. Tobin will receive his MPH in 2017. He takes care of himself by doing ceramics.

Vernita Todd, MBA, FACHE – Vernita Todd joined Health Center Partners of Southern California in 2016. In her role as senior vice president, her priorities include developing actionable relationships among both elected officials and their staffs at all levels of government and ensuring members have a seat and a voice at the table for emerging policy discussions and issues impacting primary care with the California Primary Care Association and the National Association of Community Health Centers.  Ms. Todd is a member of the National Association of Community Health Centers, and in 2014, she won its Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Award. Previously, Vernita served 10 years as CEO of the Heart City Health Center in Elkhart, Indiana, and is the President/Founder of the Human Capital Group, which works with nonprofit organizations in strategic planning and change management. Vernita holds a master’s degree of business administration from Davenport University, a master’s degree in organizational communication and behavior and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Murray State University, KY. Vernita is also Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).

Myrna Torresdey, MPH, PCMH-CC – Myrna Torresdey is from San Ysidro Health Center, which has many sites are just over the border and across San Diego County.  Myrna is the Director of Quality and has served in many operational roles previously; she holds a MPH and Patient-Centered Medical Home Certified Content Expert (PCMH-CCE) directly from NCQA.

Patricia Viscovich – Patricia Viscovich has been employed by Community Health Systems, Inc. (CHSI) since 2012.  Patricia was a major contributor in developing CHSI’s current optometry model of care.  Dr. Larsen and Patricia traveled between 3 optometry clinics during the beginning stages of the program’s restructure.   As a team, they grew the program to include one optician per optometrist, per site. Prior to Patricia’s employment with CHSI,   Patricia worked for one of America’s leading prescription eyewear retailer and optical chain for 9 years,  becoming the top sales person in San Diego County.

David Vliet, BHA, MBA – David B. Vliet came to the San Francisco Bay Area by way Austin, Texas, in 2012 with more than 19 years of experience in practice management and health services administration to join Tiburcio Vasquez Health Centers (TVHC) as Chief Executive Officer. For 10 years prior to joining TVHC, David served as the CEO of Central Texas Community Health Centers, Inc., (aka CommUnityCare), a federally qualified health center managing 22 delivery sites, more than 500 employees, and overseeing a $65 million budget. He also initially served as Chief Operating Officer for the Centers for three years, leading the significant expansion of the organization and implementation of the practice’s Electronic Health Record and Electronic Practice Management systems. He currently serves on two local boards – as current chair for the Community Health Center Network (CHCN), a partnership of Alameda County based community health centers and A Better Way, a nonprofit serving foster children and their families – as well as state and national boards of directors –  the California Primary Care Association (executive committee member) and the Centers and the National Cooperative Bank (NCB), a national financial institution that provides banking and financial services to cooperatives and community based organizations. He also served on the National Association of Community Health Center (NACHC) Board for three years. He holds Bachelor’s Degree in Health Services Administration from Florida Atlantic University, and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University.

Matt Wehr, MBA – Matt designs and leads implementation of lean organizational transformations in manufacturing, healthcare and other clients. He facilitates creation of learning organizations that deliver improved employee engagement, customer satisfaction, operations and financial results. Matt is a former Toyota executive, trained by TMC’s top senseis. A graduate of Harvard Business School with a general management focus, Matt brings an extensive breadth of experience leading the use of Toyota Lean as a business system.

Rachel Wick, PhD – Rachel Wick is a senior program officer at Blue Shield of California Foundation. In this role, she advances grantmaking and programmatic strategies designed to support care integration and value-based care in the California safety net, including behavioral health integration, electronic consultation between primary care and specialty care systems, and accountable communities for health. Prior to joining Blue Shield of California Foundation, Ms. Wick spent eight years at the Consumer Health Foundation in Washington, D.C., implementing and evaluating a health equity and advocacy strategy, first as a program officer and then as director of policy, planning and special projects. Ms. Wick was selected as a 2010 Terrence Keenan Emerging Leader in Health Philanthropy Fellow by Grantmakers in Health. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the College of St. Benedict and an MPH in health management and policy from the University of Michigan.

Anita Zamora, RN, MSN, CNS – Anita Zamora, RN, MSN, CNS is the Chief Operations Officer at Venice Family Clinic, which is an FQHC serving the Westside of Los Angeles. She has a keen interest in quality improvement, innovation, and leveraging data as a resource.  Anita is a nurse by training, and a graduate of the Clinic Leadership Institute.  She has a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science and a Master’s degree in Community Health Nursing. Anita is committed to reducing health disparities, increasing access to care, and improving the health care system and sees her role as a nurse leader as integral to that.  In her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her husband and two boys.

15th Annual Health Care Symposium Presentations – 2016

Posted: March 16, 2018

Keynote Speaker

Tonya Bowers
Acting Associate Administrator,Bureau of Primary Health Care, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Slide Deck)

SESSION 1 WORKSHOPS • 10:30 a.m. – Noon

Preparing for PrEP: Understanding Access and Clinical Practice (Emerald I)
Speakers:
Janie Caplan, MD, Academic Research Track Fellows in Infectious Diseases, UCLA
Gifty-Maria Ntim, MD, MPH, Medical Director, AIDS Project Los Angeles
David Evans, Director of Research Advocacy, Project Inform
(Full Slide Deck)

Reimagining Your Workforce: Using MAs as Health Coaches (Emerald II)
Speakers:
Karissa Moreno, MA, Chief Operation Officer, Livingston Community Health Center (Slide Deck)
Mary Renner, BA, Chief Operation Officer, Central Valley Health Network (Slide Deck)
Mike Witte, MD, Chief Medical Officer, California Primary Care Association (Slide Deck)

Addressing Toxic Stress and Childhood Adversity Using a Trauma-Informed Approach (Emerald III)
Speakers:
Elisa Nicholas, MD, MSPH, Pediatrician & Chief Executive Officer, The Children’s Clinic (Resource List)
Leon Altamirano, PsyD, Director of Integrated Behavioral Health, North County Health Services (Slide Deck)

Undiagnosed Hypertension: How to Fix Your “HIPS” Problem (Balboa I & II)
Speakers:
Melissa Barajas, RN, BSN, PHN, Director of Population Health, Neighborhood Healthcare (Slide Deck)
Meg Meador, MPH, C-PHI, Director of Clinical Integration and Education, NACHC (Slide Deck)
Sonia C. Tucker, Quality Improvement Director, La Maestra (Slide Deck)

Enhancing Practitioner Vitality: Tangible Strategies for Providers and Teams (Laguna I & II Banquet 1 Level)
Speakers:
Jeffrey Ring, PhD, Principal, Health Management Associates (Slide Deck)

SESSION 2 WORKSHOPS • 1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Preparing for the Future of FQHC Finance: From Legislation to Implementation of FQHC Payment Reform (Emerald I)
Speakers:
Rachel Tobey, MPA, Director, John Snow International (Slide Deck)
Ralph Silber, MPH, Executive Director, Alameda Health Consortium (Slide Deck)
Robert Young, MD, Associate VP of Patient Financial Services, AltaMed Health Services (Slide Deck)

Working with School Aged Kids and Teens: Understanding Consent and How School-Based Health Centers Effectively Operate (Emerald II)
Speakers:
Taylor Dudley, Esq, Attorney & Manager of Medical-Legal Partnerships, The Alliance for Children’s Rights (Slide Deck)
Steve Perez, BS, Clinic Service Manager, San Ysidro Health Center (Slide Deck)
Raul Trejo, MD, Clinical Faculty, Scripps and Physician, San Ysidro Health Center (Slide Deck)

Working to Deliver Better Health Outcomes and Healthier Lives: Lessons Learned from a Clinically Integrated Network (Emerald III)
Speakers:
Sabra Matovsky, MBA, Executive Vice President, Integrated Health Partners
Jessica Savage, MBA, Director of Performance Improvement, IHP
Patrick Tellez, MD, MPH, MSHA, Chief Medical Officer, North County Health Services
(Full Deck)

What is Medication Assisted Treatment? Why is it an Important and Necessary Treatment Option for Some? Who is Appropriate for it and Who Isn’t? (Balboa I & II)
Speakers:
Ako Jacintho, MD, Director of Addiction Medicine & Medical Director, HealthRIGHT360, (Slide Deck)

Ransomware and Other Cyber Attacks: The Threat is Real, Are You Prepared? (Laguna I & II Banquet 1 Level)
Speakers:
Dayna Nicholson, JD, MPH, Attorney, Pepper Hamilton LLP
Mark Kadrich, Chief Information Security Officer, San Diego Health Connect
(Full Slide Deck)

SESSION 3 WORKSHOPS • 3:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Can We Improve Health By Collaborating Across Systems? The Results of Two Pilots Between Primary Care and Mental Health (Emerald I)
Speaker:
Marty Adelman, MA, CPRP, Behavioral Health Program Manager, Health Quality Partners (Slide Deck)

Caring for the Expanding Patient Population: Treating Transgender, Geriatric and Recently Incarcerated Patient Groups (Emerald II)
Speakers:
Katheryn Howell, BA, Project Director, Partners in Care Foundation (Slide Deck, Handout 1, Handout 2)
Ward Carpenter, MD, Associate Chief Medical Officer, Los Angeles LGBT Center (Slide Deck)
Michelle Monroe, BS, Chief Operations Officer, Vista Community Clinics (Slide Deck)

Innovative Approaches to Controlling Diabetes and Hypertension in the Community Health Center Population: Results from the ALL HEART Pilot Projects (Emerald III)
Speakers:
Debra Rosen, RN, MPH, Director, Quality and Health Education, Northeast Valley Health Corporation (Slide Deck)
Cathy Sakansky, RN, BSN, Quality Improvement Director, North County Health Services (Slide Deck)

Specialty Care Collaborative (Balboa I & II)
Speakers:
Milton Allione, President, Brilogy Corporation
Ed Gerber, Chief Executive Officer, Lestonnac Free Clinic
Rosa Martinez, Referral Coordinator & Surgery Scheduler, UCI Family Health
John Kim, Director of Grants, Illumination Foundation
(Full Slide Deck)

Best Practices to Maximize Your UDS QI Incentives (Laguna I & II Banquet 1 Level)
Speakers:
Jim Schultz, MD, MBA, FAAP, Chief Medical Officer, Neighborhood Healthcare (Slide Deck)
Mary Ann Huntsman, PharmD, Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services, Share Our Selves (Slide Deck)
Despina Kayichian, MD, Chief Medical Director, Venice Family Clinic (Slide Deck)

14th Annual Health Care Symposium Presentations – 2015

Posted: March 16, 2018

Keynote Speaker: Melissa Stafford Jones, US Department of Health and Human Services Regional Director, Region IX. Symposium Keynote Presentation

AFS 101: Introduction to the Benchmarks Webinar

Posted: October 9, 2017

Cyber Security Series – Cyber Insurance

Posted: February 15, 2017

Cyber Security Series: Cyber Security

Posted: February 1, 2017

Cyber Security Series: HIPAA Privacy & Security – Part 2

Posted: January 31, 2017

Improving Patient Experience Project (IPEP) Kick-Off Materials

Posted: January 25, 2017

Cyber Security Series: HIPAA Privacy & Security – Part 1

Posted: January 18, 2017