2015 the 50th Anniversary of the
Community Health Center Program
In 2015, Community Health Centers celebrated 50 years of success in expanding access to quality and affordable primary and preventive healthcare services to millions of uninsured and medically underserved people across the country. Our strong and enduring Health Center mission is a testament to the important past, present and future roles of Community Health Centers in the healthcare system.Community Health Centers faced one of the biggest challenges in the history of the Program in 2015 - a funding cliff which would have reduced the Program's federal support by 70%. It was all hands on deck, and YOUR VOICE made the difference and ensured the extension of Health Center mandatory funding for an additional two years via H.R. 2!
While 2015 was a challenging and ultimately successful year for Community Health Centers, 2016 and beyond will surely be no less challenging. We hope you have paused to celebrate the successes of the past year and are ready for the opportunities and challenges to come for Ohio’s Community Health Centers, and the patients and communities so well served!
Thank you once again for your continued commitment to OACHC, and best wishes for a bright and healthy 2016.
Member Landscape
- 45 FQHCs across the state of Ohio with 250 care delivery sites, serving 575,000+ Ohioans.
- Patient Centered Medical Homes – 34 FQHCs and 126 Sites have achieved national PCMH status.
- Quality Improvement Awards: 34 awards totaling $1,654,147.
- Ohio FY2015 Expanded Service Awards: $10,266,473 to serve 28,230 new patients for comprehensive health services.
- New Access Points: 20 awards totaling $12,614,102 to serve 75,293 new patients.
- Outreach and Enrollment Assistance: 6 awards totaling $417,958.
OACHC Staff
- Marie Grady hired as OPCWI Program Coordinator to help develop and implement the new program.
- Samantha Porter accepted a new title as the Communication & Design Coordinator, bringing all OACHC graphics and marketing pieces in-house and allowing for more cohesive branding.
- Dr. Ted Wymyslo, CMO recipient of the 2015 American Academy of Family Physicians Public Health Award.
- Julie DiRossi-King, COO, recipient of the 2015 Betsey K. Cooke Grassroots MVP Award.
Top Achievements
- Created the Ohio Quality Improvement Network (OQIN), an IPA (Independent Practice Association) messenger model to allow Ohio’s FQHCs to come together to negotiate managed care contracts while adhering to Anti-trust laws. Once operational, its QI initiative will be at the foundation and allow Ohio’s FQHCs to use data to show value to payers, policy makers and health care partners alike.
- Development and kickoff of the Ohio Primary Care Workforce Initiative. Ohio’s FQHCs have proposed to increase student teaching by 52% through the implementation of this new program.
- FQHC CenteringPregnancy Demonstration, born out of SB 279, was funded by the Kasich Administration. Four Community Health Centers were selected through a competitive grant process to implement the two-year, FQHC CenteringPregnancy Demonstration project. Initial training was completed in October with the health centers and the Centering Healthcare Institute.
2015 OACHC Achievements
Advocacy & Outreach
- Ohio was 5th in the nation in grassroots advocacy, reaching 97 percent of its target provided by NACHC.
- NEW OACHC Day at the Statehouse (over 24 CHCs led 65 meetings spanning 37 House districts and 25 Senate districts).
- National Health Center Week: more than 50 events across 30 CHCs | 99 CHC Hero nominations.
- Formed a new resource for ongoing Presumptive Eligibility (PE) & Medicaid guidance resulting in specific member trainings, education and resources.
- Partnerships with Ohio Medicaid systems experts yielding more efficient and effective Ohio Benefits and PE portal solutions.
State Policy
- House Bill 64 [state biennial budget bill].
- Maintained Medicaid Expansion with “optional” adult services like dental, vision intact.
- Restored Medicaid coverage for pregnant women back to 200% FPL.
- Repurposed General Revenue Funds (GRF) to create and support the Ohio FQHC Primary Care Workforce Initiative.
- Worked with the Ohio Department of Medicaid to develop and include FQHC provisions in the new Ohio Medicaid Telemedicine Rule.
- Meaningful participation in the Children’s Oral Health Action Team (COHAT) in advancing state policies to increase access and strengthen the oral health safety net.
Clinical
- Increased QI technical assistance through the development of the Clinical Quality Measures Crosswalk, 16 UDS Best Practices, Quality Peer Network monthly calls, and EHR User groups.
- First institution of annual OACHC Board approved Clinical Focus Measures - Colorectal Cancer Screening & Infant Mortality; supported through trainings, webinars, and educational sessions.
- Partnership with Ohio Academy for Family Physicians to provide training and education for Million Hearts Program and Colorectal Cancer Screening.
- Medication Therapy Management program was expanded and will be reaching an additional 7 FQHCs in Ohio.
Oral Health
- TWO NEW Oral Health grants - $ 75,000 DentaQuest Grant: National Oral Health Innovation and Integration Network’s Learning Collaborative (NOHIIN) and HealthPath Foundation's 2015-2016 Oral Health Grant.
- Implemented the partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to provide Maintenance of Certification (MOC) to FQHC physicians who included oral health screenings and fluoride varnish applications into the children’s well child check-ups – first of its kind in the country!
- Held five free Regional Oral Health Workshops on Treating Children Under Three, The Prenatal Patient and Baby Clinic/Days, and supported 14 member Health Centers, resulting in implementation of Safety Net Solutions’ recommendations in their Enhancement Plans!
Marketing & Communications
- Created the new OACHC communication Weekly Update, a quick email detailing the coming week’s events and top stories. It arrives in your inbox every Friday morning. Not signed up? Get informed here!
- OACHC social media: 30.3% growth in Facebook likes; 23.6% growth in Twitter followers; 34.2% growth in LinkedIn followers.
Conferences & Trainings
- Overall conference attendees increased by 15.7% from 2014 with overall conference exhibitors increasing by 10.8%, triggering the relocation of both conferences to accommodate continued growth. Annual UDS Training also increased attendance by 12.9% with 44 out of 45 member health centers represented.
- In response to a significant increase in new membership and new leadership, OACHC added a “FQHC 101” special add-on session to the Fall Conference. This session was designed to bring new members up to speed prior to the kick off of our conference. 67 community health center leaders were in attendance.
Other
- Through successful relationships with our Corporate Partners we will experience a projected growth in corporate partner income of 31.4%.
- AmeriCorps program placed 6 members at 4 Community Health Centers.
