This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Waco Hoover, co-founder and CEO of the Institute for Health Technology Transformation. They discuss the Institute’s recent report, “Analytics: The Nervous System of IT Enabled Health Care” which explores the impact big data analytics is having on health care delivery, outcomes and costs.
Waco Hoover, CEO of the Institute for Health Technology Transformation [ 25:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1)Below, you’ll find the post-event press release from the first annual CHC Meriden 5k: Race for Mental Health. Photographs from the event can be found on our Facebook page!
Written by Pat Wildes
FIRST ANNUAL 5K IN MERIDEN A GREAT SUCCESS
Thousands Raised for Improvement of Mental Health Care in Connecticut
Meriden, CT (May 20th, 2013): On the morning of Saturday, May 11th, 2013, hundreds got together at Hubbard Park in Meriden, Connecticut to exercise for a great cause. The event – titled the CHC Meriden 5k: Race for Mental Health – was presented by the Community Health Center, Inc. and sponsored by nine local business and organizations including lead sponsor Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Those in attendance persevered through inclement weather, with just under 150 finishers between the 5k run, Health Walk, and Superhero-themed Kids Fun Run. In the end, over $5,000 was raised to improve mental health care in Connecticut.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 1 in every 4 adults (26%) suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. This number – which is estimated at 58 million people aged eighteen and older – makes mental disorders the number one type of disability in the United States.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the week leading up to the event was Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, making the event incredibly relevant at a time when both state and national efforts are being made to address mental health, the stigmas attached to it, and improving the quality of treatment that is being delivered by caregivers. One-hundred percent of the proceeds are being distributed by the United Way of Meriden and Wallingford to local organizations dedicated to mental health care. The planning committee for the event was recognized at the recent United Way Annual Awards Ceremony, a nice achievement after the positive impact the CHC Meriden 5k: Race for Mental Health has already had in the community.
Following all of the physical events, an awards ceremony took place to honor the top male and female overall finishers in addition to the three fastest competitors in each age category. Spiderman was in attendance and cheered the Kids Fun Run participants through their half-mile race, with face painting and superhero cape decorations also available for children on hand. A considerable number of volunteers allowed the CHC Meriden 5k: Race for Mental Health to run smoothly throughout and a great time was had by all. The event is poised to become an annual occurrence in the greater Meriden community, with excitement already generated for next year’s race.
“The CHC Meriden 5K: Race for Mental Health was a collaboration where the partners worked to raise funds for an issue larger than themselves…community awareness and care for mental health,” said James J. Ieronimo, Executive Director of the United Way of Meriden and Wallingford. “Programs to provide mental health first aid training as well as family support will be funded to benefit not simply the professionals who work in the field but also the individuals and families who need their help.”
Meriden Mayor Mike Rohde had this to say about the event: “The first CHC 5k Race was a great success. This was an extraordinary effort by race organizers who collaborated to make this event truly memorable and awesome. CHC has set a high bar for next year!”
Other sponsors included:
City of Meriden: Mayor’s Office, Greater Meriden Chamber: Health Wellness Council, Hunter’s Ambulance, Meriden Department of Health and Human Services, Meriden YMCA, MidState Medical Center, Ovation Benefits, and Rushford Center.
Race results can be found online at http://startlineraceservices.com/results.htm.
The following is an email, modified for the blog, sent from our President and CEO Mark Masselli about improvements to our smart scheduling system.
Today, after months of preparation with hundreds of staff members engaged we launched NOVO, a smart scheduling system. NOVO, is a Latin word that means to make anew, refresh, revive, change, alter and invent. It nicely captures all of the elements that have been key to bringing about this process change. Perhaps, the only word missing is inspired – that’s what I felt this morning listening to our receptionists, Access to Care, Medical Referral, Patient Accounts and Nursing staff as they handled a new system with such class.
Like all new processes we have bugs to work out, but one of the big picture metrics that we are tracking, telephone access, looked remarkable. Compared to last Monday we had a significant increase in the number of incoming phone calls that we were able to answer in less than thirty seconds.
CHC is building a world class primary care organization and we are doing it with world class staff – thank you all; Onward!
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality at the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Clancy discusses AHRQ’s recent report: Making Health Care Safer II – which offers evidence-based analysis of a number of patient safety practice recommendations intended to improve patient safety and reduce costly and deadly errors in health care.
Community Health Center of Waterbury to Host Open House Promoting HIV/AIDS Services
HIV Tests will be performed at the facility and tours will be available
WHAT: The Community Health Center of Waterbury is excited to spread awareness about the HIV/AIDS services it provides to members of the local community as part of its Ryan White Program. CHC’s Waterbury site is just over a year old and this open house will look to show guests the quality of the care provided at the facility and the expertise that our providers have in treating patients with HIV/AIDS. HIV testing will be administered throughout the event, and staff will educate people about the risks for acquiring HIV and the prevalence with which it exists in Connecticut’s urban areas. Tours of the state-of-the-art facility will be available, and the event is free and open to the general public.
WHO: The general public, including agencies dedicated to HIV/AIDS care
WHEN: Wednesday, May 15, 2013, from 9:30am to 5pm
WHERE: In the lobby area of Community Health Center of Waterbury, 51 North Elm Street, Waterbury, CT.
WHY: According to Aids.gov, someone in the U.S. is infected with HIV every 9.5 minutes. Additionally, one in every 5 people living with HIV is unaware that they have the infection. Today, there are over 10,500 people in Connecticut living with HIV, and the time is now for people to get educated, tested, and treated. HIV testing has become much more efficient in recent years, and CHC of Waterbury wants members of the community to be comfortable with coming in for any questions or concerns about the infection. Attendees of this event will get the chance to meet with Dr. Rebecca Eleck and Ryan White Program Coordinator Doug Janssen to learn more about what CHC has to offer in the way of these vital services.
MEDIA CONTACT: Pat Wildes of Community Health Center, Inc., (860) 262-2546, wildesp@chc1.com
Though it may seem commonplace for many people, the concept of having a yearly medical checkup with a health care provider is not always at the top of an individual’s to-do list. Sometimes, it’s because there are more pressing issues that require immediate attention, and before the person knows it they’ve gone several years without seeing a primary care provider. In other cases, a person may want to have a checkup, but financial constraints, a lack of transportation, or other issues may stand in the way of making it a reality.
The truth is that it’s very important for all people to see a medical provider at least once a year. A routine physical exam can confirm a person’s good health, detect a potentially challenging medical issue, or even – in the most severe of cases – help an individual avoid death if it results in identifying a life-threatening problem that would have gone untreated otherwise. Starting with the Mother’s Day theme from this past weekend ,the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health is presenting National Women’s Health Week from May 12th to May 18th. Today, in particular, is designated as the 11th annual National Women’s Checkup Day, a day dedicated to informing women about how vital it is that they be seen by a health care provider each and every year.
CHC is committed to the saying that “health care is a right, not a privilege” so please do not hesitate in contacting our staff if you know you need to have a physical but are unsure about how to proceed in making it happen.
For more information on National Women’s Health Week and National Women’s Checkup Day, go to http://womenshealth.gov/nwhw/check-up-day/
We have a saying here at the Community Health Center, that what the eye sees, the heart feels and we try to make our sites as visually pleasing and welcoming as possible. This weekend, we are reminded of other senses as well. CHC is excited to participate in MiddletownRemix: Hear More, See More, celebrating the city’s acoustic identity at a festival featuring four world premieres of works commissioned for the festival.
We have our own acoustic identity. It includes the sound of our receptionists greeting patients and setting up appointments. We are all reminded so smile when we answer the phone. You can hear the difference in voice when a person is smiling.
It can be challenging to keep that smile in your voice when you are helping meet the needs of sick and suffering patients and we are always trying to find new ways to help keep our receptionists smiling. This includes coming updates to our phone system and lunches that senior leadership are having with receptionists and our access to care team thanking them for the work they do.
Let’s all find ways to bring smiles to the faces of those around us.
Below is a message that CHC President and CEO Mark Masselli distributed to our receptionists to celebrate National Receptionists Day!
This is a day of recognition for our Receptionist – you are the Directors of First Impressions. You help create the favorable image that CHC has with its patients. We celebrate you today! And every day we are thankful that you are at CHC and appreciative the difference you make in the lives of people we care for – Peace and Health
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Roni Zeiger, CEO of Smart Patients, a clinical trials search engine and online community for cancer patients, their caregivers and clinicians to share information about best practices in cancer treatment. Dr. Zeiger is the former Chief Health Strategist for Google.
Rachel Schindler, the HealthCorps Navigator serving as Program Coordinator for Recess Rocks, wrote the following update on CHC’s involvement in the March of Dimes.
Last Saturday, April 27th, CHC employees and HealthCorps Navigators supported the March of Dimes by participating in their March for Babies walk in Middletown. On a beautiful Saturday morning they got the crowd warmed up with some Recess Rocks routines, and then volunteered to help with all of the kids’ activities, like the bounce house and cotton candy machine, both of which were a huge success!
Everyone had a great time supporting the March of Dimes in preventing babies from being born too soon, too small, and very sick. This Sunday, CHC employees have another opportunity to support the March of Dimes at the March for Babies walk of Central CT, held at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. Registration starts at 8am with the walk stepping off at 9am. Join your fellow CHC staff at a family-friendly event, which is sure to be a great time!
For more information, check out our team page at http://www.marchforbabies.org/s_team_page.asp?SeId=2038361
Quick Info –
March for Babies of Central CT
When: May 5, 2013
Where: Central Connecticut State University
1615 Stanley St.
Athletic Fields
New Britian, CT
Registration Time: 8:00am
Start Time: 9:00am
Walk Distance: 2.5 miles
