Sample records for uconn health center

  1. UConn Hosts IACLEA for 50th Annual Conference

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudd, Robert S.

    2008-01-01

    The decision that led to the 1992 opening of the University of Connecticut's new public safety complex was excellent timing. Three years after the complex opened, complete with a state-of-the-art Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), an emergency operations/training center and an indoor firing range, the quiet, nearly 4,000-acre UConn campus…

  2. [Health behaviors between a health promotion demonstration health center and a general health center].

    PubMed

    Lee, Taewha; Lee, Chung-Yul; Kim, Hee-Soon; Ham, Ok-Kyung

    2005-06-01

    The purpose of the study was to compare community residents' perceptions, participation, satisfaction, and behavioral changes between a health promotion demonstration health center and general health center. The design of the study was ex-post facto that compared community residents in demonstration health centers and general health centers. The sample included 2,261 community residents who were conveniently selected from demonstration (792 participants) and general health centers (1,496 participants). The results of the study were as follows: 1) Perception and participation rates of exercise, nutrition, and hypertension management programs were significantly higher in the participants of demonstration health centers than those of general health centers.; 2) Satisfaction rates of all programs except the smoking cessation program were significantly higher in the participants of demonstration health centers than those of general health centers. However, only the exercise rate among risk behaviors of participants was significantly higher in demonstration health centers than general health centers. Systematic efforts for health promotion were effective not only in improving the community's awareness, participation, and satisfaction of the program, but also in changing health behaviors. This evidence should be used to foster and disseminate health promotion programs to other health centers to improve community residents' health status and quality of life.

  3. National Health Information Center

    MedlinePlus

    ... About ODPHP National Health Information Center National Health Information Center The National Health Information Center (NHIC) is ... of interest View the NHO calendar . Federal Health Information Centers and Clearinghouses Federal Health Information Centers and ...

  4. SLAC Occupational Health Center

    Science.gov Websites

    Images ESH Home > SLAC Occupational Health Center SLAC Occupational Health Center Medical Emergency After Hours Care Services at SLAC Wellness Programs SLAC Occupational Health Center Monday - Friday 8:00 nearest emergency department to SLAC is the Stanford Health Care Emergency Department, open 24/7, located

  5. School-Based Health Centers

    MedlinePlus

    ... care group, such as a community health center, hospital, or health department. A few are run by the school district itself. Centers often get money from charities and the government so they can give care ...

  6. 42 CFR 124.515 - Compliance alternative for community health centers, migrant health centers and certain National...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Compliance alternative for community health centers, migrant health centers and certain National Health Service Corps sites. 124.515 Section 124.515 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEALTH RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT...

  7. Issues faced by community health centers.

    PubMed

    Grover, Jane

    2009-05-01

    Federally qualified health centers face numerous issues with regard to marketplace competition, staffing, and reimbursement streams that assure financial viability. Positioning the dental department of a health center to a high community profile strengthens the health center in professional educational development leading to a pipeline of workforce members, effective dental directors, and innovative fund-raising. A new dental team member developed by the American Dental Association can be utilized in health centers to make all traditional auxiliaries more productive.

  8. Rethinking the Health Center: Assessing Your Health Center and Setting Goals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMillan, Nancy S.

    2001-01-01

    Camp health center management begins with assessing the population served, camp areas impacted, and the contract of care with parents. That information is used to plan the size of the center; its location in the camp; the type of equipment; and considerations such as medication management, infectious disease control, size of in- and out-patient…

  9. Utilization of Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bains, Ranbir M.; Cusson, Regina; White-Frese, Jesse; Walsh, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    Background: We summarize utilization patterns for mental health services in school-based health centers. Methods: Administrative data on school-based health center visits in New Haven, Connecticut were examined for the 2007-2009 school years. Relative frequencies of mental health visits by age were calculated as a percentage of all visits and were…

  10. Medical Waste Management in Community Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Tabrizi, Jafar Sadegh; Rezapour, Ramin; Saadati, Mohammad; Seifi, Samira; Amini, Behnam; Varmazyar, Farahnaz

    2018-02-01

    Non-standard management of medical waste leads to irreparable side effects. This issue is of double importance in health care centers in a city which are the most extensive system for providing Primary Health Care (PHC) across Iran cities. This study investigated the medical waste management standards observation in Tabriz community health care centers, northwestern Iran. In this triangulated cross-sectional study (qualitative-quantitative), data collecting tool was a valid checklist of waste management process developed based on Iranian medical waste management standards. The data were collected in 2015 through process observation and interviews with the health center's staff. The average rate of waste management standards observance in Tabriz community health centers, Tabriz, Iran was 29.8%. This case was 22.8% in dimension of management and training, 27.3% in separating and collecting, 31.2% in transport and temporary storage, and 42.9% in sterilization and disposal. Lack of principal separation of wastes, inappropriate collecting and disposal cycle of waste and disregarding safety tips (fertilizer device performance monitoring, microbial cultures and so on) were among the observed defects in health care centers supported by quantitative data. Medical waste management was not in a desirable situation in Tabriz community health centers. The expansion of community health centers in different regions and non-observance of standards could predispose to incidence the risks resulted from medical wastes. So it is necessary to adopt appropriate policies to promote waste management situation.

  11. 75 FR 48853 - National Health Center Week, 2010

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-11

    ... Part IV The President Proclamation 8545--National Health Center Week, 2010 #0; #0; #0..., 2010 National Health Center Week, 2010 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation America's community health centers are a vital component of our health care system, providing underserved...

  12. 77 FR 47765 - National Health Center Week, 2012

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-09

    ... Health Center Week, 2012 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation For nearly half a century, health centers have helped make primary care services available and affordable for... lives. During National Health Center Week, we recognize the professionals who power our Nation's health...

  13. School Based Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Children's Aid Society, 2012

    2012-01-01

    School Based Health Centers (SBHC) are considered by experts as one of the most effective and efficient ways to provide preventive health care to children. Few programs are as successful in delivering health care to children at no cost to the patient, and where they are: in school. For many underserved children, The Children's Aid Society's…

  14. Implementation of Health Insurance Support Tools in Community Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Huguet, Nathalie; Hatch, Brigit; Sumic, Aleksandra; Tillotson, Carrie; Hicks, Elizabeth; Nelson, Joan; DeVoe, Jennifer E

    2018-01-01

    Health information technology (HIT) provides new opportunities for primary care clinics to support patients with health insurance enrollment and maintenance. We present strategies, early findings, and clinic reflections on the development and implementation of HIT tools designed to streamline and improve health insurance tracking at community health centers. We are conducting a hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial to assess novel health insurance enrollment and support tools in primary care clinics. Twenty-three clinics in 7 health centers from the OCHIN practice-based research network are participating in the implementation component of the trial. Participating health centers were randomized to 1 of 2 levels of implementation support, including arm 1 (n = 4 health centers, 11 clinic sites) that received HIT tools and educational materials and arm 2 (n = 3 health centers, 12 clinic sites) that received HIT tools, educational materials, and individualized implementation support with a practice coach. We used mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) to assess tool use rates and facilitators and barriers to implementation in the first 6 months. Clinics reported favorable attitudes toward the HIT tools, which replace less efficient and more cumbersome processes, and reflect on the importance of clinic engagement in tool development and refinement. Five of 7 health centers are now regularly using the tools and are actively working to increase tool use. Six months after formal implementation, arm 2 clinics demonstrated higher rates of tool use, compared with arm 1. These results highlight the value of early clinic input in tool development, the potential benefit of practice coaching during HIT tool development and implementation, and a novel method for coupling a hybrid implementation-effectiveness design with principles of improvement science in primary care research. © Copyright 2018 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  15. Implementing health management information systems: measuring success in Korea's health centers.

    PubMed

    Chae, Y M; Kim, S I; Lee, B H; Choi, S H; Kim, I S

    1994-01-01

    This article analyses the effects that the introduction and adoption of a health management information system (HMIS) can have on both the productivity of health center staff as well as on user-satisfaction. The focus is upon the service provided by the Kwonsun Health Center located in Suwon City, Korea. Two surveys were conducted to measure the changes in productivity and adoption (knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation and confirmation) of health center staff over time. In addition, a third survey was conducted to measure the effects of HMIS on the level of satisfaction perceived by the visitors, by comparing the satisfaction level between the study health center and a similar health center identified as a control. The results suggest that HMIS increased the productivity and satisfaction of the staff but did not increase their persuasion and decision levels; and, that is also succeeded in increasing the levels of visitors' satisfaction with the services provided.

  16. Marketing and Community Mental Health Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferniany, Isaac W.; Garove, William E.

    1983-01-01

    Suggests that a marketing approach can be applied to community mental health centers. Marketing is a management orientation of providing services for, not to, patients in a systematic manner, which can help mental health centers improve services, strengthen community image, achieve financial independence and aid in staff recruitment. (Author)

  17. 78 FR 42788 - School-Based Health Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration School-Based Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health... Gadsden County. SUMMARY: HRSA will be transferring a School-Based Health Center Capital (SBHCC) Program...

  18. 42 CFR 124.515 - Compliance alternative for community health centers, migrant health centers and certain National...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ..., migrant health centers and certain National Health Service Corps sites. 124.515 Section 124.515 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEALTH RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT... certain National Health Service Corps sites. (a) Period of effectiveness. For each fiscal year for which a...

  19. 42 CFR 124.515 - Compliance alternative for community health centers, migrant health centers and certain National...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ..., migrant health centers and certain National Health Service Corps sites. 124.515 Section 124.515 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEALTH RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT... certain National Health Service Corps sites. (a) Period of effectiveness. For each fiscal year for which a...

  20. 42 CFR 124.515 - Compliance alternative for community health centers, migrant health centers and certain National...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ..., migrant health centers and certain National Health Service Corps sites. 124.515 Section 124.515 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEALTH RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT... certain National Health Service Corps sites. (a) Period of effectiveness. For each fiscal year for which a...

  1. 42 CFR 124.515 - Compliance alternative for community health centers, migrant health centers and certain National...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ..., migrant health centers and certain National Health Service Corps sites. 124.515 Section 124.515 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEALTH RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT... certain National Health Service Corps sites. (a) Period of effectiveness. For each fiscal year for which a...

  2. Clinical Quality Performance in U.S. Health Centers

    PubMed Central

    Shi, Leiyu; Lebrun, Lydie A; Zhu, Jinsheng; Hayashi, Arthur S; Sharma, Ravi; Daly, Charles A; Sripipatana, Alek; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2012-01-01

    Objective To describe current clinical quality among the nation's community health centers and to examine health center characteristics associated with performance excellence. Data Sources National data from the 2009 Uniform Data System. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Health centers reviewed patient records and reported aggregate data to the Uniform Data System. Study Design Six measures were examined: first-trimester prenatal care, childhood immunization completion, Pap tests, low birth weight, controlled hypertension, and controlled diabetes. The top 25 percent performing centers were compared with lower performing (bottom 75 percent) centers on these measures. Logistic regressions were utilized to assess the impact of patient, provider, and institutional characteristics on health center performance. Principal Findings Clinical care and outcomes among health centers were generally comparable to national averages. For instance, 67 percent of pregnant patients received timely prenatal care (national = 68 percent), 69 percent of children achieved immunization completion (national = 67 percent), and 63 percent of hypertensive patients had blood pressure under control (national = 48 percent). Depending on the measure, centers with more uninsured patients were less likely to do well, while centers with more physicians and enabling service providers were more likely to do well. Conclusions Health centers provide quality care at rates comparable to national averages. Performance may be improved by increasing insurance coverage among patients and increasing the ratios of physicians and enabling service providers to patients. PMID:22594465

  3. 75 FR 2549 - Health Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-15

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive Replacement Award to Regional Health Care Affiliates. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services...

  4. Community health centers tackle rising demands and expectations.

    PubMed

    Hurley, Robert; Felland, Laurie; Lauer, Johanna

    2007-12-01

    As key providers of preventive and primary care for underserved people, including the uninsured, community health centers (CHCs) are the backbone of the U.S. health care safety net. Despite significant federal funding increases, community health centers are struggling to meet rising demand for care, particularly for specialty medical, dental and mental health services, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2007 site visits to 12 nationally representative metropolitan communities. Health centers are responding to these pressures by expanding capacity and adding services but confront staffing, resource and other constraints. At the same time, CHCs are facing other demands, including increased quality reporting expectations, addressing racial and ethnic disparities, developing electronic medical records, and preparing for public health emergencies.

  5. 78 FR 24756 - Health Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-26

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive Replacement Award to Genesee Health System. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA...

  6. 76 FR 1441 - Health Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive Replacement Awards to Sunset Park Health Council, Inc. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services...

  7. 76 FR 17139 - Health Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive Replacement Awards to Sunset Park Health Council, Inc. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services...

  8. Toward a statewide health information technology center (abbreviated version).

    PubMed

    Sittig, Dean F; Joe, John C

    2010-11-01

    With the passage of The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 that includes the Health Care Information Technology for Economic & Clinical Health Act, the opportunity for states to develop a Health Information Technology Center (THITC) has emerged. The Center provides the intellectual, financial, and technical leadership along with the governance and oversight for all health information technology-related activities in the state. This Center would be a free-standing, not-for-profit, public-private partnership that would be responsible for operating one or more (in large states) Regional Health Information Technology Extension Centers (Extension Centers) along with several Regional Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) and one or more Regional Health Information Data Centers (Data Centers). We believe that if these features and functions could be developed, deployed, and integrated statewide, the health and welfare of the citizens of the state could be improved while simultaneously reducing the costs associated with the provision of care.

  9. Health Wellness and Hospital Learning Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bromberg, Bonnie; And Others

    This paper describes activities conducted by an early childhood classroom in its health play center. A major purpose of this play center was to reduce children's fears and anxieties about medical personnel and emergency vehicles, and to raise awareness of the many aspects of health and wellness. The classroom environment contained a variety of…

  10. 75 FR 53701 - Health Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-01

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Non-competitive Replacement Awards to Sunset Park Health Council, Inc. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services...

  11. 75 FR 32797 - Health Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive Replacement Awards to Albany Area Primary Health Care, Inc. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services...

  12. 76 FR 49645 - National Health Center Week, 2011

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-10

    ... system. Every day, men, women, and children find help at community health centers. These centers lead the... stronger, healthier Nation that drives the work of community health centers and fuels our efforts to...

  13. A patient centered electronic health: eHealth system development.

    PubMed

    Schiza, Eirini C; Neokleous, Kleanthis C; Petkov, Nikolai; Schizas, Christos N

    2015-01-01

    Medical practice and patient-doctor relationship will continue improving while technology is integrated in our everyday life. In recent years the term eHealth landmarked a new era with improved health provider's skills and knowledge, and increased patient participation in medical care activities. To show why the design and implementation of a healthcare system needs to follow a specific philosophy dictated by the level of eHealth maturity of a country and its citizens. Based on the maturity level, an adaptable framework for implementing an Electronic Health System at national level is derived, guided by the Patient Centered Philosophy as defined and introduced by the EU directives. Implementation prerequisites are analyzed together with guiding principles for identifying the maturity level of an organization or country. Cyprus being a small EU country, it can be used as pilot site for the whole Europe, was chosen for this study and its maturity level analysis is presented. Recommendations that determine general steps needed to prepare the ground for an adequate patient-centered national healthcare system are accompanied. The implementation of an integrated Electronic Health Record at National level, as a prerequisite for a patient-centered eHealth environment is evidently demonstrated.

  14. 75 FR 21001 - Health Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-22

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive Replacement Awards to Cornerstone Care, Inc. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA...

  15. 75 FR 73110 - Health Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive Replacement Awards to Upper Room AIDS Ministry, Inc. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration...

  16. 78 FR 25457 - Health Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-01

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Administrative...: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will be issuing a non-competitive award of...

  17. School-based health centers: accessibility and accountability.

    PubMed

    Brindis, Claire D; Klein, Jonathan; Schlitt, John; Santelli, John; Juszczak, Linda; Nystrom, Robert J

    2003-06-01

    To examine the current experience of school-based health centers (SBHCs) in meeting the needs of children and adolescents, changes over time in services provided and program sponsorship, and program adaptations to the changing medical marketplace. Information for the 1998-1999 Census of School-Based Health Centers was collected through a questionnaire mailed to health centers in December 1998. A total of 806 SBHCs operating in schools or on school property responded, representing a 70% response rate. Descriptive statistics and cross-tab analyses were conducted. The number of SBHCs grew from 120 in 1988 to nearly 1200 in 1998, serving an estimated 1.1 million students. No longer primarily in urban high schools, health centers now operate in diverse areas in 45 states, serving students from kindergarten through high school. Sponsorship has shifted from community-based clinics to hospitals, local health departments, and community health centers, which represent 73% of all sponsors. Most use computer-based patient-tracking systems (88%), and 73% bill Medicaid and other third-party insurers for student-patient encounters. SBHCs have demonstrated leadership by implementing medical standards of care and providing accountable sources of health care. Although the SBHC model is responsive to local community needs, centers provide care for only 2% of children enrolled in U.S. schools. A lack of stable financing streams continues to challenge sustainability. As communities seek to meet the needs of this population, they are learning important lessons about providing acceptable, accessible, and comprehensive services and about implementing quality assurance mechanisms.

  18. Accelerated Adoption of Advanced Health Information Technology in Beacon Community Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Jones, Emily; Wittie, Michael

    2015-01-01

    To complement national and state-level HITECH Act programs, 17 Beacon communities were funded to fuel community-wide use of health information technology to improve quality. Health centers in Beacon communities received supplemental funding. This article explores the association between participation in the Beacon program and the adoption of electronic health records. Using the 2010-2012 Uniform Data System, trends in health information technology adoption among health centers located within and outside of Beacon communities were explored using differences in mean t tests and multivariate logistic regression. Electronic health record adoption was widespread and rapidly growing in all health centers, especially quality improvement functionalities: structured data capture, order and results management, and clinical decision support. Adoption lagged for functionalities supporting patient engagement, performance measurement, care coordination, and public health. The use of advanced functionalities such as care coordination grew faster in Beacon health centers, and Beacon health centers had 1.7 times higher odds of adopting health records with basic safety and quality functionalities in 2010-2012. Three factors likely underlie these findings: technical assistance, community-wide activation supporting health information exchange, and the layering of financial incentives. Additional technical assistance and community-wide activation is needed to support the use of functionalities that are currently lagging. © Copyright 2015 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  19. Health promotion health center project.

    PubMed

    Lee, Tae Wha; Lee, Chung Yul; Kim, Hee Soon; Ham, Ok Kyung

    2007-01-01

    As part of a major government support for health promotion, a health promotion health center (HPHC) project was launched at the national level in Korea. The purpose of the study was to describe this 2-year HPHC project within the framework of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion and to evaluate the preliminary outcomes of the community residents. A cross-sectional design was used. A total of 2,261 community residents participated in the survey, with 792 in HPHC sites and 1,469 in non-HPHC sites. The instrument included questions on participants' demographic characteristics, awareness, participation, health behavior (smoking, exercise, meat consumption, and blood pressure checkup), and satisfaction with the health promotion programs. The 5 main health promotion strategies of the Ottawa Charter were evident in the HPHCs. HPHCs were successful in enhancing awareness, participation, and satisfaction through their health promotion programs, although health behaviors were not significantly different between the 2 groups, except exercise. Ottawa Charter strategies embedded within the practice of the community health promotion activities were effective in increasing the short-term outcomes (awareness, participation, and satisfaction with health promotion programs), which is a promising finding for the development of health promotion behaviors in the future.

  20. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center: Advancing wildlife and ecosystem health

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Moede Rogall, Gail; Sleeman, Jonathan M.

    2017-01-11

    In 1975, the Federal government responded to the need for establishing national expertise in wildlife health by creating the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), a facility within the Department of the Interior; the NWHC is the only national center dedicated to wildlife disease detection, control, and prevention. Its mission is to provide national leadership to safeguard wildlife and ecosystem health through active partnerships and exceptional science. Comparisons are often made between the NWHC, which strives to protect the health of our Nation’s wildlife, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which strive to protect public health. The NWHC, a science center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with specialized laboratories, works to safeguard the Nation’s wildlife from diseases by studying the causes and drivers of these threats, and by developing strategies to prevent and manage them. In addition to the main campus, located in Madison, Wisconsin, the NWHC also operates the Honolulu Field Station that addresses wildlife health issues in Hawaii and the Pacific Region.

  1. Center for the Advancement of Health

    MedlinePlus

    ... Cancer Care Kellogg Health Scholars Program KP Burch Leadership Program Diversity Data Place, Migration & Health Network * The Center for Advancing Health was a nonprofit organization founded in 1992, supported by individuals and foundations ...

  2. Toward Teen Health. The Ounce of Prevention Fund School-Based Adolescent Health Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stone, Rebecca

    Sponsored by the Ounce of Prevention Fund, this report presents a comprehensive look at three Toward Teen Health high school-based, adolescent health centers in Chicago, Illinois. Following a brief introduction, the report provides the rationale for opening adolescent health centers and outlines the principles that guide the centers. Next, a…

  3. Provision of Telemedicine Services by Community Health Centers

    PubMed Central

    Sharac, Jessica; Jacobs, Feygele

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the use of telemedicine services at community health centers. A national survey was distributed to all federally qualified health centers to gather data on their use of health information technology, including telemedicine services. Over a third of responding health centers (37%) provided some type of telemedicine service while 63% provided no telemedicine services. A further analysis that employed ANOVA and chi-square tests to assess differences by the provision of telemedicine services (provided no telemedicine services, provided one telemedicine service, and provided two or more telemedicine services) found that the groups differed by Meaningful Use compliance, location, percentage of elderly patients, mid-level provider, medical, and mental health staffing ratios, the percentage of patients with diabetes with good blood sugar control, and state and local funds per patient and per uninsured patient. This article presents the first national estimate of the use of telemedicine services at community health centers. Further study is needed to determine how to address factors, such as reimbursement and provider shortages, that may serve as obstacles to further expansion of telemedicine services use by community health centers. PMID:25422721

  4. Mental Health Screening Center

    MedlinePlus

    ... use of any specific treatment for mood disorders. Education Mood Disorders Depression Bipolar Disorder Anxiety Screening Center ... DBSA Veteran Peer Specialist Training Peer Specialist Continuing Education Training and Consultation Services Mental Health First Aid ...

  5. "Centering the Margins": Moving Equity to the Center of Men's Health Research.

    PubMed

    Griffith, Derek M

    2018-05-01

    How might the science of men's health progress if research on marginalized or subordinated men is moved from the margins of the literature to the center? This commentary seeks to answer this question, suggesting that if more attention is paid to men of color and other marginalized men, the field will be greatly enriched in its ability to understand determinants of men's health. Reimagining men's health by moving men's health disparities to a primary focus of the field may yield critical new insights that would be essential to moving men's health to the center of health equity research. Focusing on the dual goals of improving the health of marginalized men and examining the determinants of disparities among men and between men and women will yield insights into mechanisms, pathways, and strategies to improve men's health and address health disparities. Current definitions of health disparities limit the nation's ability to dedicate resources to populations that need attention-men of color and other marginalized men-that do not fit these definitions. Moving marginalized men to the center of research in men's health will foster new ways of understanding determinants of men's health that cannot be identified without focusing on populations of men whose health is as influenced by race, ethnicity, and other structures of marginalization as it is by gender and masculinities. Using Black men as a case example, the article illustrates how studying marginalized men can refine the study of men's health and health equity.

  6. Forging successful academic-community partnerships with community health centers: the California statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC) experience.

    PubMed

    Fowkes, Virginia; Blossom, H John; Mitchell, Brenda; Herrera-Mata, Lydia

    2014-01-01

    Increased access to insurance under the Affordable Care Act will increase demands for clinical services in community health centers (CHCs). CHCs also have an increasingly important educational role to train clinicians who will remain to practice in community clinics. CHCs and Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) are logical partners to prepare the health workforce for the future. Both are sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration, and they share a mission to improve quality of care in medically underserved communities. AHECs emphasize the educational side of the mission, and CHCs the service side. Building stronger partnerships between them can facilitate a balance between education and service needs.From 2004 to 2011, the California Statewide AHEC program and its 12 community AHECs (centers) reorganized to align training with CHC workforce priorities. Eight centers merged into CHC consortia; others established close partnerships with CHCs in their respective regions. The authors discuss issues considered and approaches taken to make these changes. Collaborative innovative processes with program leadership, staff, and center directors revised the program mission, developed common training objectives with an evaluation plan, and defined organizational, functional, and impact characteristics for successful AHECs in California. During this planning, centers gained confidence as educational arms for the safety net and began collaborations with statewide programs as well as among themselves. The AHEC reorganization and the processes used to develop, strengthen, and identify standards for centers forged the development of new partnerships and established academic-community trust in planning and implementing programs with CHCs.

  7. The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

    MedlinePlus

    ... Issue Past Issues The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Past Issues / Spring 2007 Table of Contents ... Communications, NIH Clinical Center Welcome to the nation's clinical research hospital. The NIH Clinical Center: For more ...

  8. Do school-based health centers improve adolescents' access to health care, health status, and risk-taking behavior?

    PubMed

    Kisker, E E; Brown, R S

    1996-05-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to assess the School-Based Adolescent Health Care Program, which provided comprehensive health-related services in 24 school-based health centers. The outcomes evaluation compared a cohort of students attending 19 participating schools and a national sample of urban youths, using logit models to control for observed differences between the two groups of youths. Outcome measures included self-reports concerning health center utilization, use of other health care providers, knowledge of key health facts, substance use, sexual activity, contraceptive use, pregnancies and births, and health status. The health centers increased students' access to health care and improved their health knowledge. However, the estimated impacts on health status and risky behaviors were inconsistent, and most were small and not statistically significant. School-based health centers can increase students' health knowledge and access to health-related services, but more intensive or different services are needed if they are to significantly reduce risk-taking behaviors.

  9. National Center for Farmworker Health

    MedlinePlus

    ... Access Data Health Centers Population Estimates Resources Performance Management & Governance Tool Box > Administrative Governance Human Resources Needs Assessment Service Delivery Emergency Preparedness Call for ...

  10. Public Health Nursing: Public Health Centers

    Science.gov Websites

    Locations Anchorage-based Itinerants Bethel Craig Delta Junction Dillingham Fairbanks Homer Juneau Kenai agencies with state grant assistance Frontier Region Delta Junction Dillingham Fairbanks Kodiak Nome Tok [back to top] Delta Junction Public Health Center 2857 Alaska Hwy, Room 210 Delta Junction, Alaska 99737

  11. Utilization of professional mental health services according to recognition rate of mental health centers.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hyo Jung; Ju, Young Jun; Park, Eun-Cheol

    2017-04-01

    Despite the positive effect of community-based mental health centers, the utilization of professional mental health services appears to be low. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between regional recognition of mental health centers and utilization of professional mental health services. We used data from the Community Health Survey (2014) and e-provincial indicators. Only those living in Seoul, who responded that they were either feeling a lot of stress or depression, were included in the study. Multiple logistic regression analysis using generalized estimating equations was performed to examine both individual- and regional-level variables associated with utilization of professional mental health services. Among the 7338 participants who reported depression or stress, 646 (8.8%) had consulted a mental health professional for their symptoms. A higher recognition rate of mental health centers was associated with more utilization of professional mental health services (odds ratio [OR]=1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.03-1.07). Accessibility to professional mental health services could be improved depending on the general population's recognition and attitudes toward mental health centers. Therefore, health policy-makers need to plan appropriate strategies for changing the perception of mental health services and informing the public about both the benefits and functions of mental health centers. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Improving Access to Health Care: School-Based Health Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dowden, Shauna L.; Calvert, Richard D.; Davis, Lisa; Gullotta, Thomas P.

    This article explores an approach for better serving the complete health care needs of children, specifically, the efficacy of school-based health centers (SBHCs) to provide a service delivery mechanism capable of functioning as a medical home for children, providing primary care for both their physical and behavioral health care needs. The…

  13. South Florida Health Care Centers | NSU

    Science.gov Websites

    Osteopathic Medicine Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences Farquhar Honors College H. Wayne Committed to community service through a variety of programs. Health Care Centers Over 20 health care Accreditations Visit Campus Virtual Tour Newsroom Board of Trustees Contact Us Apply Now / Request Info Health

  14. Association between patient-centered medical home rating and operating cost at federally funded health centers.

    PubMed

    Nocon, Robert S; Sharma, Ravi; Birnberg, Jonathan M; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen; Lee, Sang Mee; Chin, Marshall H

    2012-07-04

    Little is known about the cost associated with a health center's rating as a patient-centered medical home (PCMH). To determine whether PCMH rating is associated with operating cost among health centers funded by the US Health Resources and Services Administration. Cross-sectional study of PCMH rating and operating cost in 2009. PCMH rating was assessed through surveys of health center administrators conducted by Harris Interactive of all 1009 Health Resources and Services Administration–funded community health centers. The survey provided scores from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) for total PCMH score and 6 subscales: access/communication, care management, external coordination, patient tracking, test/referral tracking, and quality improvement. Costs were obtained from the Uniform Data System reports submitted to the Health Resources and Services Administration. We used generalized linear models to determine the relationship between PCMH rating and operating cost. Operating cost per physician full-time equivalent, operating cost per patient per month, and medical cost per visit. Six hundred sixty-nine health centers (66%) were included in the study sample, with 340 excluded because of nonresponse or incomplete data. Mean total PCMH score was 60 (SD, 12; range, 21-90). For the average health center, a 10-point higher total PCMH score was associated with a $2.26 (4.6%) higher operating cost per patient per month (95% CI, $0.86-$4.12). Among PCMH subscales, a 10-point higher score for patient tracking was associated with higher operating cost per physician full-time equivalent ($27,300; 95% CI, $3047-$57,804) and higher operating cost per patient per month ($1.06; 95% CI, $0.29-$1.98). A 10-point higher score for quality improvement was also associated with higher operating cost per physician full-time equivalent ($32,731; 95% CI, $1571-$73,670) and higher operating cost per patient per month ($1.86; 95% CI, $0.54-$3.61). A 10-point higher PCMH subscale score for access

  15. Recruiting community health centers into pragmatic research: Findings from STOP CRC.

    PubMed

    Coronado, Gloria D; Retecki, Sally; Schneider, Jennifer; Taplin, Stephen H; Burdick, Tim; Green, Beverly B

    2016-04-01

    Challenges of recruiting participants into pragmatic trials, particularly at the level of the health system, remain largely unexplored. As part of Strategies and Opportunities to STOP Colon Cancer in Priority Populations (STOP CRC), we recruited eight separate community health centers (consisting of 26 individual safety net clinics) into a large comparative effectiveness pragmatic study to evaluate methods of raising the rates of colorectal cancer screening. In partnership with STOP CRC's advisory board, we defined criteria to identify eligible health centers and applied these criteria to a list of health centers in Washington, Oregon, and California affiliated with Oregon Community Health Information Network, a 16-state practice-based research network of federally sponsored health centers. Project staff contacted centers that met eligibility criteria and arranged in-person meetings of key study investigators with health center leadership teams. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to thematically analyze the content of discussions during these meetings to identify major facilitators of and barriers to health center participation. From an initial list of 41 health centers, 11 met the initial inclusion criteria. Of these, leaders at three centers declined and at eight centers (26 clinic sites) agreed to participate (73%). Participating and nonparticipating health centers were similar with respect to clinic size, percent Hispanic patients, and percent uninsured patients. Participating health centers had higher proportions of Medicaid patients and higher baseline colorectal cancer screening rates. Common facilitators of participation were perception by center leadership that the project was an opportunity to increase colorectal cancer screening rates and to use electronic health record tools for population management. Barriers to participation were concerns of center leaders about ability to provide fecal testing to and assure follow-up of

  16. Recruiting community health centers into pragmatic research: Findings from STOP CRC

    PubMed Central

    Coronado, Gloria D; Retecki, Sally; Schneider, Jennifer; Taplin, Stephen H; Burdick, Tim; Green, Beverly B

    2015-01-01

    Background Challenges of recruiting participants into pragmatic trials, particularly at the level of the health system, remain largely unexplored. As part of Strategies and Opportunities to STOP Colon Cancer in Priority Populations (STOP CRC), we recruited eight separate community health centers (consisting of 26 individual safety net clinics) into a large comparative effectiveness pragmatic study to evaluate methods of raising the rates of colorectal cancer screening. Methods In partnership with STOP CRC’s advisory board, we defined criteria to identify eligible health centers and applied these criteria to a list of health centers in Washington, Oregon, and California affiliated with OCHIN (formerly Oregon Community Health Information Network), a 16-state practice-based research network of federally sponsored health centers. Project staff contacted centers that met eligibility criteria and arranged in-person meetings of key study investigators with health center leadership teams. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to thematically analyze the content of discussions during these meetings to identify major facilitators of and barriers to health center participation. Results From an initial list of 41 health centers, 11 met the initial inclusion criteria. Of these, leaders at three centers declined and at eight centers (26 clinic sites) agreed to participate (73%). Participating and nonparticipating health centers were similar with respect to clinic size, percent Hispanic patients, and percent uninsured patients. Participating health centers had higher proportions of Medicaid patients and higher baseline colorectal cancer screening rates. Common facilitators of participation were perception by center leadership that the project was an opportunity to increase colorectal cancer screening rates and to use electronic health record tools for population management. Barriers to participation were concerns of center leaders about ability to

  17. Camp health center usage at a Scout jamboree.

    PubMed

    Stephens, Christopher R

    2012-11-01

    To describe the incidence, reasons for, and characteristics of health center visits by campers at a Canadian provincial Scout jamboree. A retrospective observational design utilized a medical record review process. The study sample was 804 campers present for 4,816 camper days (CDs). There were 172 visits to the camp health center for an incidence rate of 36 per 1,000 CDs. The median length of stay was 30 minutes. Patients with illnesses were seen 1.7 times more frequently than those with injuries. One in five visits was for follow-up. More than 97% of visits occurred during the scheduled health center hours of operation. The rate of adverse events (AEs) was 3.32 per 1,000 CDs, accounting for 9.3% of all visits. The incidence of health center visits and AEs are consistent with studies conducted with other resident camps. Camp administrators, organizers, and healthcare personnel must be prepared to provide care for a wide range of illnesses and injuries at camp. Understanding the trends associated with camp health center usage allows adequate personnel and physical resources to be prepared and identifies increased usage levels. Nurses can use this information to advocate for nurses to be employed at camps to aid in health prevention services as well as to manage illnesses and injuries.

  18. Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers: Systematic Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bains, Ranbir Mangat; Diallo, Ana F.

    2016-01-01

    Mental health issues affect 20-25% of children and adolescents, of which few receive services. School-based health centers (SBHCs) provide access to mental health services to children and adolescents within their schools. A systematic review of literature was undertaken to review evidence on the effectiveness of delivery of mental health services…

  19. Health center financial performance: national trends and state variation, 1998-2004.

    PubMed

    Shi, Leiyu; Collins, Patricia B; Aaron, Kaytura Felix; Watters, Vanessa; Shah, Leslie Greenblat

    2007-01-01

    For four decades, health centers have provided quality, cost-effective primary healthcare to underserved populations. Using the Uniform Data System, this study analyzes national trends in health center patients, providers, and financial performance for 1998-2004, and state-specific data for 2004. Between 1998 and 2004, health centers served increasing numbers of underserved patients, which included patients who were uninsured or on Medicaid, minorities, and patients at or below poverty level. Even though the number of health center providers and patients increased, patient-to-provider ratios did not change significantly. Medicaid remained the single largest source of health center revenue, accounting for 36.4 percent of total revenue in 2004. Compared with Medicare, private insurance, and self-pay, Medicaid consistently reimbursed health centers at the highest rate per patient. Federal and nonfederal grants to support care for the uninsured as well as enabling services such as transportation, translation, and other support systems is one of many important sources of revenue. Financial challenges for health centers included increasing costs and varied or declining rates of reimbursement for services rendered. However, health centers became more self-sufficient over time, average net revenues increased, and operating margins were predominantly positive. Data on individual states, with different numbers and types of health centers, varied widely in all of these categories. In conclusion, health centers rely on federal and nonfederal grant support in concert with the Medicaid program as major funding sources and continued financial stability will be contingent upon health centers' ability to balance revenues with the cost of managing the vulnerable populations that they serve.

  20. Effects of Patient-Centered Medical Home Attributes on Patients’ Perceptions of Quality in Federally Supported Health Centers

    PubMed Central

    Lebrun-Harris, Lydie A.; Shi, Leiyu; Zhu, Jinsheng; Burke, Matthew T.; Sripipatana, Alek; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2013-01-01

    PURPOSE We sought to assess patients’ ratings of patient-centered medical home (PCMH) attributes and overall quality of care within federally supported health centers. METHODS Data were collected through the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey (n = 4,562), which consisted of in-person interviews and included a nationally representative sample of patients seen in health centers. Quality measures included patients’ perceptions of overall quality of services, perceptions of quality of clinician advice/treatment, and likelihood of referring friends and relatives to the health center. PCMH attributes included (1) access to care getting to health center, (2) access to care during visit, (3) patient-centered communication with health care clinicians, (4) patient-centered communication with support staff, (5) self-management support for chronic conditions, (6) self-management support for behavioral risks, and (7) comprehensive preventive care. Bivariate analysis and logistic regressions were used to examine associations between patients’ perceptions of PCMH attributes and patient-reported quality of care. RESULTS Eighty-four percent of patients reported excellent/very good overall quality of services, 81% reported excellent/very good quality of clinician care, and 84% were very likely to refer friends and relatives. Higher patient ratings on the access to care and patient-centered communication attributes were associated with higher odds of patient-reported high quality of care on the 3 outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS More than 80% of patients perceived high quality of care in health centers. PCMH attributes related to access to care and communication were associated with greater likelihood of patients reporting high-quality care. PMID:24218374

  1. Association Between Patient-Centered Medical Home Rating and Operating Cost at Federally Funded Health Centers

    PubMed Central

    Nocon, Robert S.; Sharma, Ravi; Birnberg, Jonathan M.; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen; Lee, Sang Mee; Chin, Marshall H.

    2013-01-01

    Context Little is known about the cost associated with a health center’s rating as a patient-centered medical home (PCMH). Objective To determine whether PCMH rating is associated with operating cost among health centers funded by the US Health Resources and Services Administration. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional study of PCMH rating and operating cost in 2009. PCMH rating was assessed through surveys of health center administrators conducted by Harris Interactive of all 1009 Health Resources and Services Administration–funded community health centers. The survey provided scores from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) for total PCMH score and 6 subscales: access/communication, care management, external coordination, patient tracking, test/referral tracking, and quality improvement. Costs were obtained from the Uniform Data System reports submitted to the Health Resources and Services Administration. We used generalized linear models to determine the relationship between PCMH rating and operating cost. Main Outcome Measures Operating cost per physician full-time equivalent, operating cost per patient per month, and medical cost per visit. Results Six hundred sixty-nine health centers (66%) were included in the study sample, with 340 excluded because of nonresponse or incomplete data. Mean total PCMH score was 60 (SD,12; range, 21–90). For the average health center, a 10-point higher total PCMH score was associated with a $2.26 (4.6%) higher operating cost per patient per month (95% CI, $0.86–$4.12). Among PCMH subscales, a 10-point higher score for patient tracking was associated with higher operating cost per physician full-time equivalent ($27 300; 95% CI,$3047–$57 804) and higher operating cost per patient per month ($1.06;95%CI,$0.29–$1.98). A 10-point higher score for quality improvement was also associated with higher operating cost per physician full-time equivalent ($32 731; 95% CI, $1571–$73 670) and higher operating cost per patient

  2. Adolescent Health Care in School-Based Health Centers. Position Statement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, 2008

    2008-01-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) are considered one of the most effective strategies for delivering preventive care, including reproductive and mental health care services, to adolescents--a population long considered difficult to reach. National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC) recommends practices and policies to assure…

  3. International Students, University Health Centers, and Memorable Messages about Health

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carmack, Heather J.; Bedi, Shireen; Heiss, Sarah N.

    2016-01-01

    International students entering US universities often experience a variety of important socialization messages. One important message is learning about and using the US health system. International students often first encounter the US health system through their experiences with university health centers. The authors explore the memorable…

  4. Health care employee perceptions of patient-centered care.

    PubMed

    Balbale, Salva Najib; Turcios, Stephanie; LaVela, Sherri L

    2015-03-01

    Given the importance of health care employees in the delivery of patient-centered care, understanding their unique perspectives is essential for quality improvement. The purpose of this study was to use photovoice to evaluate perceptions and experiences around patient-centered care among U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) health care employees. We asked participants to take photographs of salient features in their environment related to patient-centered care. We used the photographs to facilitate dialogue during follow-up interviews. Twelve VA health care employees across two VA sites participated in the project. Although most participants felt satisfied with their work environment and experiences at the VA, they identified several areas for improvement. These included a need for more employee health and wellness initiatives and a need for enhanced opportunities for training and professional growth. Application of photovoice enabled us to learn about employees' unique perspectives around patient-centered care while engaging them in an evaluation of care delivery. © The Author(s) 2014.

  5. 2. HEALTH CENTER OFFICE SOUTH BACK AND EAST SIDE, FROM ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    2. HEALTH CENTER OFFICE SOUTH BACK AND EAST SIDE, FROM PASSAGE BEHIND COURTHOUSE, CAMERA FACING NORTHWEST. - Lancaster County Center, Health Center Office, 4845 Cedar Avenue, Lancaster, Los Angeles County, CA

  6. 42 CFR 405.2462 - Payment for rural health clinic and Federally qualified health center services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Payment for rural health clinic and Federally... AND DISABLED Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center Services Payment for Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center Services § 405.2462 Payment for rural health clinic...

  7. Health Extension in New Mexico: An Academic Health Center and the Social Determinants of Disease

    PubMed Central

    Kaufman, Arthur; Powell, Wayne; Alfero, Charles; Pacheco, Mario; Silverblatt, Helene; Anastasoff, Juliana; Ronquillo, Francisco; Lucero, Ken; Corriveau, Erin; Vanleit, Betsy; Alverson, Dale; Scott, Amy

    2010-01-01

    The Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service model offers academic health centers methodologies for community engagement that can address the social determinants of disease. The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center developed Health Extension Rural Offices (HEROs) as a vehicle for its model of health extension. Health extension agents are located in rural communities across the state and are supported by regional coordinators and the Office of the Vice President for Community Health at the Health Sciences Center. The role of agents is to work with different sectors of the community in identifying high-priority health needs and linking those needs with university resources in education, clinical service and research. Community needs, interventions, and outcomes are monitored by county health report cards. The Health Sciences Center is a large and varied resource, the breadth and accessibility of which are mostly unknown to communities. Community health needs vary, and agents are able to tap into an array of existing health center resources to address those needs. Agents serve a broader purpose beyond immediate, strictly medical needs by addressing underlying social determinants of disease, such as school retention, food insecurity, and local economic development. Developing local capacity to address local needs has become an overriding concern. Community-based health extension agents can effectively bridge those needs with academic health center resources and extend those resources to address the underlying social determinants of disease. PMID:20065282

  8. Campus Health Centers' Lack of Information Regarding Providers: A Content Analysis of Division-I Campus Health Centers' Provider Websites.

    PubMed

    Perrault, Evan K

    2018-07-01

    Campus health centers are a convenient, and usually affordable, location for college students to obtain health care. Staffed by licensed and trained professionals, these providers can generally offer similar levels of care that providers at off-campus clinics can deliver. Yet, previous research finds students may forgo this convenient, on-campus option partially because of a lack of knowledge regarding the quality of providers at these campus clinics. This study sought to examine where this information deficit may come from by analyzing campus health centers' online provider information. All Division-I colleges or universities with an on-campus health center, which had information on their websites about their providers (n = 294), had their providers' online information analyzed (n = 2,127 providers). Results revealed that schools commonly offer professional information (e.g., provider specialties, education), but very little about their providers outside of the medical context (e.g., hobbies) that would allow a prospective student patient to more easily relate. While 181 different kinds of credentials were provided next to providers' names (e.g., MD, PA-C, FNP-BC), only nine schools offered information to help students understand what these different credentials meant. Most schools had information about their providers within one-click of the homepage. Recommendations for improving online information about campus health center providers are offered.

  9. Psychology in academic health centers: a true healthcare home.

    PubMed

    Rozensky, Ronald H

    2012-12-01

    This article is based on the invited presentation by the author at the American Psychological Association's Annual Convention, August 4-7, 2011, upon his receipt of the Joseph D. Matarazzo Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in Academic Health Centers presented by the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers. This article relates the history, roles, and responsibilities of psychologists in academic health centers to the ultimate survival and success of professional psychology. It describes implications of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the institutional practice of psychology including how psychology's place in academic health centers positions the field well for the future of healthcare reform. The article provides several recommendations to help professional psychology prepare for that future of integrated, interprofessional healthcare.

  10. The Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center: enhancing the Military Health System's public health capabilities.

    PubMed

    DeFraites, Robert F

    2011-03-04

    Since its establishment in February 2008, the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center (AFHSC) has embarked on a number of initiatives and projects in collaboration with a variety of agencies in the Department of Defense (DoD), other organizations within the federal government, and non-governmental partners. In 2009, the outbreak of pandemic H1N1 influenza attracted the major focus of the center, although notable advances were accomplished in other areas of interest, such as deployment health, mental health and traumatic brain injury surveillance.

  11. Advancing Mental Health Research: Washington University's Center for Mental Health Services Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Proctor, Enola K.; McMillen, Curtis; Haywood, Sally; Dore, Peter

    2008-01-01

    Research centers have become a key component of the research infrastructure in schools of social work, including the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. In 1993, that school's Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR) received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as a Social Work…

  12. 75 FR 55588 - Family-to-Family Health Information Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Family-to-Family Health Information Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS... Florida Family-to-Family Health Information Center (F2F HIC) grant (H84MC00006) from the Florida Institute...

  13. Oral health knowledge of health care workers in special children's center.

    PubMed

    Wyne, Amjad; Hammad, Nouf; Splieth, Christian

    2015-01-01

    To determine the oral health knowledge of health care workers in special children's center. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect following information: demographics, oral hygiene practices, importance of fluoride, dental visits, cause of tooth decay, gingival health, and sources of oral health information. The study was conducted at Riyadh Center for Special Children in Riyadh City from December 2013 to May 2014. All 60 health care workers in the center completed the questionnaire. A great majority (95%) of the workers brushed their teeth twice or more daily. More than two-third (71.7%) of the workers knew that fluoride helps in caries prevention. One in five (21.7%) workers thought that a dental visit only becomes necessary in case of a dental problem. Similarly, 13.3% of the workers thought to "wait till there is some pain in case of a dental cavity" before seeking dental treatment. The workers ranked soft drinks/soda (98.3%), flavored fizzy drinks (60%) and sweetened/flavored milks (43.3%) as top three cariogenic drinks. A great majority (95%) of the workers correctly responded that blood on toothbrush most probably is a sign of "gum disease". Dentists (50%) and media (45%) were the main source of their oral health information. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in workers' response in relation to their specific job. The special health care workers in the disabled children's center generally had satisfactory oral health knowledge and practices.

  14. Experiential Learning: A Review of College Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greaney, Elizabeth J.

    2010-01-01

    This exploratory study was conducted using a descriptive design and examined the use of college health centers for academic internships and clinical rotations. In addition, the study examined the relationship among health center director and school characteristics and the presence of academic internships or clinical rotations and the directors'…

  15. 78 FR 49357 - National Health Center Week, 2013

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-14

    ... America A Proclamation Community health centers play a critical role in providing affordable, high-quality... people living in the United States depends on their services. They are an important source of jobs in... extend our thanks to the women and men who operate America's health centers. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK...

  16. Planning for the Mercy Center for Breast Health.

    PubMed

    Olivares, V Ed

    2002-01-01

    During the last months of 2000, administrators at the Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael, Calif., convened a steering committee to plan the Mercy Center for Breast Health. The Steering Committee was composed of the director of ancillary and support services, the oncology clinical nurse specialist, the RN manager of the oncology nursing unit, the RN surgery center manager, and me, the manager of imaging services. The committee was responsible for creating a new business with five specific objectives: to position the Center as a comprehensive diagnostic and resource center for women; to generate physician referrals to the Breast Center through various vehicles; to create awareness of the Breast Center's capabilities among area radiologists; to create awareness of the Breast Center among employees of six sister facilities; to create "brand awareness" for the Mercy Center for Breast Health among referring physicians and patients who could use competing centers in the area. The Steering Committee's charter was to design a center with a feminine touch and ambience and to provide a "one-stop shopping" experience for patients. A major component of the Breast Center is the Dianne Haselwood Resource Center, which provides patients with educational support and information. The Steering Committee brought its diverse experience and interests to bear on arranging for equipment acquisition, information and clerical systems, staffing, clinic office design, patient care and marketing. Planning the Mercy Center for Breast Health has been a positive challenge that brought together many elements of the organization and people from different departments and specialties to create a new business venture. Our charge now is to grow and to live up to our vision of offering complete breast diagnostic, education and support services in one location.

  17. Nurse-midwives in federally funded health centers: understanding federal program requirements and benefits.

    PubMed

    Carter, Martha

    2012-01-01

    Midwives are working in federally funded health centers in increasing numbers. Health centers provide primary and preventive health care to almost 20 million people and are located in every US state and territory. While health centers serve the entire community, they also serve as a safety net for low-income and uninsured individuals. In 2010, 93% of health center patients had incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and 38% were uninsured. Health centers, including community health centers, migrant health centers, health care for the homeless programs, and public housing primary care programs, receive grant funding and enjoy other benefits due to status as federal grantees and designation as federally qualified health centers. Clinicians working in health centers are also eligible for financial and professional benefits because of their willingness to serve vulnerable populations and work in underserved areas. Midwives, midwifery students, and faculty working in, or interacting with, health centers need to be aware of the regulations that health centers must comply with in order to qualify for and maintain federal funding. This article provides an overview of health center regulations and policies affecting midwives, including health center program requirements, scope of project policy, provider credentialing and privileging, Federal Tort Claims Act malpractice coverage, the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and National Health Service Corps scholarship and loan repayment programs. © 2012 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  18. 75 FR 39265 - National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, Announces the... Prevention, Classifications and Public Health Data Standards, 3311 Toledo Road, Room 2337, Hyattsville, MD...

  19. 78 FR 53148 - National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, Announces the... Administrator, Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, NCHS, 3311 Toledo Road, Room 2337...

  20. 78 FR 9055 - National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, Announces the..., Medical Systems Administrator, Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, NCHS, 3311 Toledo...

  1. 75 FR 56549 - National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-16

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, Announces the... Public Health Data Standards Staff, NCHS, 3311 Toledo Road, Room 2337, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782, e...

  2. New York State Health Foundation grant helps health centers win federal expansion funds.

    PubMed

    Sandman, David; Cozine, Maureen

    2012-11-01

    With approximately 1.2 million New Yorkers poised to gain health insurance coverage as a result of federal health reform, demand for primary care services is likely to increase greatly. The Affordable Care Act includes $11 billion in funding to enhance primary care access at community health centers. Recognizing a need and an opportunity, in August 2010 the New York State Health Foundation made a grant of nearly $400,000 to the Community Health Care Association of New York State to work with twelve health centers to develop successful proposals for obtaining and using these federal funds. Ultimately, eleven of the twelve sites are expected to receive $25.6 million in federal grants over a five-year period-a sixty-four-fold return on the foundation's investment. This article describes the strategy for investing in community health centers; identifies key project activities, challenges, and lessons; and highlights its next steps for strengthening primary care.

  3. Kennedy Space Center environmental health program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marmaro, G. M.; Cardinale, M. A.; Summerfield, B. R.; Tipton, D. A.

    1992-01-01

    The Kennedy Space Center's environmental health organization is responsible for programs which assure its employees a healthful workplace under diverse and varied working conditions. These programs encompass the disciplines of industrial hygiene, radiation protection (health physics), and environmental sanitation/pollution control. Activities range from the routine, such as normal office work, to the highly specialized, such as the processing of highly toxic and hazardous materials.

  4. Access to Oral Health Care: The Role of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Addressing Disparities and Expanding Access

    PubMed Central

    Shi, Leiyu; Hayashi, Arthur Seiji; Sharma, Ravi; Daly, Charles; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2013-01-01

    Objectives. We examined utilization, unmet need, and satisfaction with oral health services among Federally Qualified Health Center patients. We examined correlates of unmet need to guide efforts to increase access to oral health services among underserved populations. Methods. Using the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey, we performed multivariate logistic regressions to examine factors associated with access to dental care at health centers, unmet need, and patient experience. Results. We found no racial or ethnic disparities in access to timely oral health care among health center patients; however, uninsured patients and those whose insurance does not provide dental coverage experienced restricted access and greater unmet need. Slightly more than half of health center patients had a dental visit in the past year, but 1 in 7 reported that their most recent visit was at least 5 years ago. Among health center patients who accessed dental care at their health center, satisfaction was high. Conclusions. These results underscore the critical role that health centers play in national efforts to improve oral health status and eliminate disparities in access to timely and appropriate dental services. PMID:23327254

  5. Patient-centered medical home model: do school-based health centers fit the model?

    PubMed

    Larson, Satu A; Chapman, Susan A

    2013-01-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) are an important component of health care reform. The SBHC model of care offers accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, and compassionate care to infants, children, and adolescents. These same elements comprise the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care being promoted by the Affordable Care Act with the hope of lowering health care costs by rewarding clinicians for primary care services. PCMH survey tools have been developed to help payers determine whether a clinician/site serves as a PCMH. Our concern is that current survey tools will be unable to capture how a SBHC may provide a medical home and therefore be denied needed funding. This article describes how SBHCs might meet the requirements of one PCMH tool. SBHC stakeholders need to advocate for the creation or modification of existing survey tools that allow the unique characteristics of SBHCs to qualify as PCMHs.

  6. Johnson Space Center Health and Medical Technical Authority

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fogarty, Jennifer A.

    2010-01-01

    1.HMTA responsibilities: a) Assure program/project compliance with Agency health and medical requirements at identified key decision points. b) Certify that programs/projects comply with Agency health and medical requirements prior to spaceflight missions. c) Assure technical excellence. 2. Designation of applicable NASA Centers for HMTA implementation and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) appointment. 3. Center CMO responsible for HMTA implementation for programs and projects at the center. JSC HMTA captured in "JSC HMTA Implementation Plan". 4. Establishes specifics of dissenting opinion process consistent with NASA procedural requirements.

  7. Utilization of Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Bains, Ranbir M; Cusson, Regina; White-Frese, Jesse; Walsh, Stephen

    2017-08-01

    We summarize utilization patterns for mental health services in school-based health centers. Administrative data on school-based health center visits in New Haven, Connecticut were examined for the 2007-2009 school years. Relative frequencies of mental health visits by age were calculated as a percentage of all visits and were stratified by sex, ethnicity/race, and insurance status. Mental health visits accounted for the highest proportion of visits (31.8%). The proportion of mental health visits was highest at 8 years (42.8%) and at 13 years (39.0%). The proportion of mental health visits among boys (38.4%) was higher than among girls (26.7%). Hispanic students had a lower proportion of mental health visits than black students (23.5% vs 35.8%) in all but 2 age groups. Students in the white/other ethnicity category had higher proportions of mental health visits than Hispanic and black students between ages 12 and 15. Students with no health insurance (22.5%) had lower proportions of mental health visits than students covered by Medicaid (34.3%) or private insurance (33.9%). The percentage of mental health visits by students with private insurance was highest (37.2%-49%) in the 13-15 age range. Usage patterns for mental health issues show pronounced, nonrandom variation relative to age and other demographic characteristics especially with 8-year-old boys. © 2017, American School Health Association.

  8. The Oral Health Care Manager in a Patient-Centered Health Facility.

    PubMed

    Theile, Cheryl Westphal; Strauss, Shiela M; Northridge, Mary Evelyn; Birenz, Shirley

    2016-06-01

    The dental hygienist team member has an opportunity to coordinate care within an interprofessional practice as an oral health care manager. Although dental hygienists are currently practicing within interprofessional teams in settings such as pediatric offices, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and federally qualified health centers, they often still assume traditional responsibilities rather than practicing to the full extent of their training and licenses. This article explains the opportunity for the dental hygiene professional to embrace patient-centered care as an oral health care manager who can facilitate integration of oral and primary care in a variety of health care settings. Based on an innovative model of collaboration between a college of dentistry and a college of nursing, an idea emerged among several faculty members for a new management method for realizing continuity and coordination of comprehensive patient care. Involved faculty members began working on the development of an approach to interprofessional practice with the dental hygienist serving as an oral health care manager who would address both oral health care and a patient's related primary care issues through appropriate referrals and follow-up. This approach is explained in this article, along with the results of several pilot studies that begin to evaluate the feasibility of a dental hygienist as an oral health care manager. A health care provider with management skills and leadership qualities is required to coordinate the interprofessional provision of comprehensive health care. The dental hygienist has the opportunity to lead closer integration of oral and primary care as an oral health care manager, by coordinating the team of providers needed to implement comprehensive, patient-centered care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. The Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center: enhancing the Military Health System’s public health capabilities

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Since its establishment in February 2008, the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center (AFHSC) has embarked on a number of initiatives and projects in collaboration with a variety of agencies in the Department of Defense (DoD), other organizations within the federal government, and non-governmental partners. In 2009, the outbreak of pandemic H1N1 influenza attracted the major focus of the center, although notable advances were accomplished in other areas of interest, such as deployment health, mental health and traumatic brain injury surveillance. PMID:21388560

  10. Why Mental Health Centers Should Not Do Home-Based Family Centered Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leverington, John J.; Bryce, Marvin

    Home Based Family Centered (HBFC) services give primary responsibility for evaluation, service planning, and counseling to the direct service in-home family therapist. In the mental health center (MHC), the psychiatrist may see a child once in the office and make a diagnosis and recommendation for the child, and sometimes for the parents. Also in…

  11. Occupational Health in Community Health Centers: Practitioner Challenges and Recommendations.

    PubMed

    Simmons, Juliana M; Liebman, Amy K; Sokas, Rosemary K

    2018-05-01

    Primary care clinicians may be the only source of occupational healthcare for many low-wage, high-risk workers who experience disproportionate occupational hazards. The authors explored barriers to providing occupational healthcare and recommendations for overcoming these challenges. The team conducted six focus groups and eleven key-informant interviews in two community health centers and among clinicians, community health workers, and other personnel from similar settings. Clinicians reported not utilizing occupational information during clinical encounters and identified competing priorities, limited appointment time, and lack of training as key barriers. They cited workers' compensation as a source of confusion and frustration. However, most participants recognized occupation as an important social determinant of health and expressed interest in additional training and resources. Participants agreed that referral mechanisms for occupational medicine specialists and worker centers and changes in quality performance measures and electronic health records would be useful and that workers' compensation and immigration policies need reform.

  12. Health Care Use and Spending for Medicaid Enrollees in Federally Qualified Health Centers Versus Other Primary Care Settings

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Sang Mee; Sharma, Ravi; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen; Mukamel, Dana B.; Gao, Yue; White, Laura M.; Shi, Leiyu; Chin, Marshall H.; Laiteerapong, Neda; Huang, Elbert S.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives. To compare health care use and spending of Medicaid enrollees seen at federally qualified health centers versus non–health center settings in a context of significant growth. Methods. Using fee-for-service Medicaid claims from 13 states in 2009, we compared patients receiving the majority of their primary care in federally qualified health centers with propensity score–matched comparison groups receiving primary care in other settings. Results. We found that health center patients had lower use and spending than did non–health center patients across all services, with 22% fewer visits and 33% lower spending on specialty care and 25% fewer admissions and 27% lower spending on inpatient care. Total spending was 24% lower for health center patients. Conclusions. Our analysis of 2009 Medicaid claims, which includes the largest sample of states and more recent data than do previous multistate claims studies, demonstrates that the health center program has provided a cost-efficient setting for primary care for Medicaid enrollees. PMID:27631748

  13. NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davis, J. R.; Richard, E. E.

    2010-01-01

    The NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC) will provide a collaborative and virtual forum to integrate all disciplines of the human system to address spaceflight, aviation, and terrestrial human health and performance topics and issues. The NHHPC will serve a vital role as integrator, convening members to share information and capture a diverse knowledge base, while allowing the parties to collaborate to address the most important human health and performance topics of interest to members. The Center and its member organizations will address high-priority risk reduction strategies, including research and technology development, improved medical and environmental health diagnostics and therapeutics, and state-of-the art design approaches for human factors and habitability. Once full established in 2011, the NHHPC will focus on a number of collaborative projects focused on human health and performance, including workshops, education and outreach, information sharing and knowledge management, and research and technology development projects, to advance the study of the human system for spaceflight and other national and international priorities.

  14. Financial performance and managed care trends of health centers.

    PubMed

    Martin, Brian C; Shi, Leiyu; Ward, Ryan D

    2009-01-01

    Data were analyzed from the 1998-2004 Uniform Data System (UDS) to identify trends and predictors of financial performance (costs, productivity, and overall financial health) for health centers (HCs). Several differences were noted regarding revenues, self-sufficiency, service offerings, and urban/rural setting. Urban centers with larger numbers of clients, centers that treated high numbers of patients with chronic diseases, and centers with large numbers of prenatal care users were the most fiscally sound. Positive financial performance can be targeted through strategies that generate positive revenue, strive to decrease costs, and target services that are in demand.

  15. The organization and delivery of family planning services in community health centers.

    PubMed

    Goldberg, Debora Goetz; Wood, Susan F; Johnson, Kay; Mead, Katherine Holly; Beeson, Tishra; Lewis, Julie; Rosenbaum, Sara

    2015-01-01

    Family planning and related reproductive health services are essential primary care services for women. Access is limited for women with low incomes and those living in medically underserved areas. Little information is available on how federally funded health centers organize and provide family planning services. This was a mixed methods study of the organization and delivery of family planning services in federally funded health centers across the United States. A national survey was developed and administered (n = 423) and in-depth case studies were conducted of nine health centers to obtain detailed information on their approach to family planning. Study findings indicate that health centers utilize a variety of organizational models and staffing arrangements to deliver family planning services. Health centers' family planning offerings are organized in one of two ways, either a separate service with specific providers and clinic times or fully integrated with primary care. Health centers experience difficulties in providing a full range of family planning services. Major challenges include funding limitations; hiring obstetricians/gynecologists, counselors, and advanced practice clinicians; and connecting patients to specialized services not offered by the health center. Health centers play an integral role in delivering primary care and family planning services to women in medically underserved communities. Improving the accessibility and comprehensiveness of family planning services will require a combination of additional direct funding, technical assistance, and policies that emphasize how health centers can incorporate quality family planning as a fundamental element of primary care. Copyright © 2015 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. School-Based Health Centers and the Patient-Centered Medical Home. Position Statement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, 2010

    2010-01-01

    The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is an innovative care delivery model designed to provide comprehensive primary care services to people of all ages by fostering partnerships between patients, families, health care providers and the community. National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC) recommends practices and policies that…

  17. The Community Mental Health Center as a Matrix Organization.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Stephen L.

    1978-01-01

    This article briefly reviews the literature on matrix organizational designs and discusses the ways in which the matrix design might be applied to the special features of a community mental health center. The phases of one community mental health center's experience in adopting a matrix organizational structure are described. (Author)

  18. Evaluation of health care services provided for older adults in primary health care centers and its internal environment. A step towards age-friendly health centers.

    PubMed

    Alhamdan, Adel A; Alshammari, Sulaiman A; Al-Amoud, Maysoon M; Hameed, Tariq A; Al-Muammar, May N; Bindawas, Saad M; Al-Orf, Saada M; Mohamed, Ashry G; Al-Ghamdi, Essam A; Calder, Philip C

    2015-09-01

    To evaluate the health care services provided for older adults by primary health care centers (PHCCs) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the ease of use of these centers by older adults. Between October 2013 and January 2014, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of 15 randomly selected PHCCs in Riyadh City, KSA. The evaluation focused on basic indicators of clinical services offered and factors indicative of the ease of use of the centers by older adults. Evaluations were based upon the age-friendly PHCCs toolkit of the World Health Organization. Coverage of basic health assessments (such as blood pressure, diabetes, and blood cholesterol) was generally good. However, fewer than half of the PHCCs offered annual comprehensive screening for the common age-related conditions. There was no screening for cancer. Counseling on improving lifestyle was provided by most centers. However, there was no standard protocol for counseling. Coverage of common vaccinations was poor. The layout of most PHCCs and their signage were good, except for lack of Braille signage. There may be issues of access of older adults to PHCCs through lack of public transport, limited parking opportunities, the presence of steps, ramps, and internal stairs, and the lack of handrails. Clinical services and the internal environment of PHCCs can be improved. The data will be useful for health-policy makers to improve PHCCs to be more age-friendly.

  19. Primary Care and Public Health Activities in Select US Health Centers: Documenting Successes, Barriers, and Lessons Learned

    PubMed Central

    Shi, Leiyu; Chowdhury, Joya; Sripipatana, Alek; Zhu, Jinsheng; Sharma, Ravi; Hayashi, A. Seiji; Daly, Charles A.; Tomoyasu, Naomi; Nair, Suma; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2012-01-01

    Objectives. We examined primary care and public health activities among federally funded health centers, to better understand their successes, the barriers encountered, and the lessons learned. Methods. We used qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data from 9 health centers, stratified by administrative division, urban–rural location, and race/ethnicity of patients served. Descriptive data on patient and institutional characteristics came from the Uniform Data System, which collects data from all health centers annually. We administered questionnaires and conducted phone interviews with key informants. Results. Health centers performed well on primary care coordination and community orientation scales and reported conducting many essential public health activities. We identified specific needs for integrating primary care and public health: (1) more funding for collaborations and for addressing the social determinants of health, (2) strong leadership to champion collaborations, (3) trust building among partners, with shared missions and clear expectations of responsibilities, and (4) alignment and standardization of data collection, analysis, and exchange. Conclusions. Lessons learned from health centers should inform strategies to better integrate public health with primary care. PMID:22690975

  20. Oral health knowledge of health care workers in special children’s center

    PubMed Central

    Wyne, Amjad; Hammad, Nouf; Splieth, Christian

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To determine the oral health knowledge of health care workers in special children’s center. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect following information: demographics, oral hygiene practices, importance of fluoride, dental visits, cause of tooth decay, gingival health, and sources of oral health information. The study was conducted at Riyadh Center for Special Children in Riyadh City from December 2013 to May 2014. Results: All 60 health care workers in the center completed the questionnaire. A great majority (95%) of the workers brushed their teeth twice or more daily. More than two-third (71.7%) of the workers knew that fluoride helps in caries prevention. One in five (21.7%) workers thought that a dental visit only becomes necessary in case of a dental problem. Similarly, 13.3% of the workers thought to “wait till there is some pain in case of a dental cavity” before seeking dental treatment. The workers ranked soft drinks/soda (98.3%), flavored fizzy drinks (60%) and sweetened/flavored milks (43.3%) as top three cariogenic drinks. A great majority (95%) of the workers correctly responded that blood on toothbrush most probably is a sign of “gum disease”. Dentists (50%) and media (45%) were the main source of their oral health information. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in workers’ response in relation to their specific job. Conclusion: The special health care workers in the disabled children’s center generally had satisfactory oral health knowledge and practices. PMID:25878636

  1. Community control of health services. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Center's community management system.

    PubMed

    Tichy, N M; Taylor, J I

    1976-01-01

    This article presents the case of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Health Center's unique community management system in which neighborhood workers have been developed to assume managerial responsibilities and are directing the Center. The Martin Luther King Center experience is instructive because the Center was able to achieve significant community control by focusing primarily on the internal dimension of control, namely, management, without experiencing destructive conflicts and the deterioration of health services.

  2. Lost Dollars Threaten Research in Public Academic Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Bourne, Henry R; Vermillion, Eric B

    2017-03-01

    The decrease of federal and state support threatens long-term sustainability of research in publicly supported academic health centers. In weathering these financial threats, research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has undergone 3 substantial changes: institutional salary support goes preferentially to senior faculty, whereas the young increasingly depend on grants; private and government support for research grows apace in clinical departments but declines in basic science departments; and research is judged more on its quantity (numbers of investigators and federal and private dollars) than on its goals, achievements, or scientific quality. We propose specific measures to alleviate these problems. Other large public academic health centers probably confront similar issues, but-except for UCSF-such centers have not been subjected to detailed public analysis.-Bourne, H. R., Vermillion, E. B. Lost dollars threaten research in public academic health centers. © FASEB.

  3. 78 FR 45543 - Center for Mental Health Services; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Mental...

  4. Academic health centers: their future in a changing economic environment.

    PubMed

    Nash, D B

    1985-10-01

    In order to survive, academic health centers will have to learn new ways of coping with the changing health environment. Explored here are the trends affecting academic health centers and speculation on how to meet the challenges presented. The author outlines a new dimension to the classical tripod of teaching, research, and patient care.

  5. 78 FR 17411 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the...), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) announces the following meeting of the aforementioned...

  6. 78 FR 48438 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the...), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) announces the following meeting of the aforementioned...

  7. Trends in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the Nation’s Community Health Centers: 1998–2003

    PubMed Central

    Druss, Benjamin G.; Bornemann, Thomas; Fry-Johnson, Yvonne W.; McCombs, Harriet G.; Politzer, Robert M.; Rust, George

    2008-01-01

    Objective. We examined trends in delivery of mental health and substance abuse services at the nation’s community health centers. Methods. Analyses used data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Primary Care’s (BPHC) 1998 and 2003 Uniform Data System, merged with county-level data. Results. Between 1998 and 2003, the number of patients diagnosed with a mental health/substance abuse disorder in community health centers increased from 210 000 to 800 000. There was an increase in the number of patients per specialty mental health/substance abuse treatment provider and a decline in the mean number of patient visits, from 7.3 visits per patient to 3.5 by 2003. Although most community health centers had some on-site mental health/substance abuse services, centers without on-site services were more likely to be located in counties with fewer mental health/substance abuse clinicians, psychiatric emergency rooms, and inpatient hospitals. Conclusions. Community health centers are playing an increasingly central role in providing mental health/substance abuse treatment services in the United States. It is critical both to ensure that these centers have adequate resources for providing mental health/substance abuse care and that they develop effective linkages with mental health/substance abuse clinicians in the communities they serve. PMID:18687596

  8. Trends in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the Nation’s Community Health Centers: 1998–2003

    PubMed Central

    Druss, Benjamin G.; Bornemann, Thomas; Fry-Johnson, Yvonne W.; McCombs, Harriet G.; Politzer, Robert M.; Rust, George

    2006-01-01

    Objective. We examined trends in delivery of mental health and substance abuse services at the nation’s community health centers. Methods. Analyses used data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Primary Care’s (BPHC) 1998 and 2003 Uniform Data System, merged with county-level data. Results. Between 1998 and 2003, the number of patients diagnosed with a mental health/substance abuse disorder in community health centers increased from 210 000 to 800 000. There was an increase in the number of patients per specialty mental health/substance abuse treatment provider and a decline in the mean number of patient visits, from 7.3 visits per patient to 3.5 by 2003. Although most community health centers had some on-site mental health/substance abuse services, centers without on-site services were more likely to be located in counties with fewer mental health/substance abuse clinicians, psychiatric emergency rooms, and inpatient hospitals. Conclusions. Community health centers are playing an increasingly central role in providing mental health/substance abuse treatment services in the United States. It is critical both to ensure that these centers have adequate resources for providing mental health/substance abuse care and that they develop effective linkages with mental health/substance abuse clinicians in the communities they serve. PMID:17008573

  9. Women's health centers and specialized services.

    PubMed

    LaFleur, E K; Taylor, S L

    1996-01-01

    More than 75% of the female respondents in this study would choose a women's health center (WHC) over a standard health facility. Women who worked outside the home perceived a greater WHC need. And almost all respondents were interested in communications from the center via a quarterly newsletter. Significant test results related to age, income, education, and work status as segmentation variables, offering WHC's an opportunity to target their patients with specialized services such as cosmetic surgery, infertility treatment, breast imaging, etc. If enough resources are allocated, a WHC can design itself to attract highly lucrative patients. Little difference was found in the opinions of women regarding the need for a WHC or the core services desired, but the specific service mix decision must be carefully considered when designing a WHC.

  10. Competence necessary for Japanese public health center directors in responding to public health emergencies.

    PubMed

    Tachibanai, Tomoko; Takemura, Shinji; Sone, Tomofumi; Segami, Kiyotaka; Kato, Noriko

    2005-11-01

    To clarify the "competencies" required of public health center directors in "public health emergency responses." We selected as our subjects six major public health emergencies in Japan that accorded with a definition of a "health crisis." Their types were: (1) natural disaster; (2) exposure to toxic substances caused by individuals; (3) food poisoning; and (4) accidental hospital infection. Item analysis was conducted using the Incident Analysis Method, based on the "Medical SAFER Technique." The competencies of public health center directors required the following actions: (1) to estimate the impact on local health from the "first notification" of the occurrence and the "initial investigation"; (2) to manage a thorough investigation of causes; (3) to manage organizations undertaking countermeasures; (4) to promptly provide precise information on countermeasures, etc.; and (5) to create systems enabling effective application of countermeasures against recurrence of incidents, and to achieve social consensus. For public health preparedness, public health center directors should have the following competencies: (1) the ability to estimate the "impact" of public health emergencies that have occurred or may occur; (2) be able to establish and carry out proactive policies; (3) be persuasive; and (4) have organizational management skills.

  11. 76 FR 40733 - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH), World Trade Center Health Program...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH), World Trade Center Health Program Science/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP-STAC) Correction: This notice was published in the Federal Register on June 23...

  12. Provider perceptions of reproductive health service quality in jordanian public community health centers.

    PubMed

    Al-Qutob, Raeda; Nasir, Laeth S

    2008-05-01

    Enhancing the quality of reproductive health care delivery in developing countries is a key prerequisite to increased utilization and sustainability of these services in the target population. Our objective was to assess the perception of quality of reproductive health (RH) care services provided by Jordanian Ministry of Health community-based centers from the perspective of service providers in these settings. A purposeful nationwide sample of 50 primary health care providers took part in five focus group discussions with the purpose of exploring their perceptions of the quality of care provided by their centers and perceived barriers to the provision of quality RH care. Health care providers felt that the quality of RH care provided by their centers was suboptimal. Focus group participants reported numerous barriers to the provision of high quality-care in the clinical setting. These included issues related to patient overload, patient and physician characteristics, as well as problems inherent to supervisory and administrative functions. Exploring and aligning goals and expectations of RH care providers and administrators may result in improvements in the quality of RH care service delivery and morale in public health settings in Jordan, which is a requirement for public sector reform.

  13. Four aspects of the scope and quality of family planning services in US publicly funded health centers: Results from a survey of health center administrators.

    PubMed

    Carter, Marion W; Gavin, Loretta; Zapata, Lauren B; Bornstein, Marta; Mautone-Smith, Nancy; Moskosky, Susan B

    2016-10-01

    This study aims to describe aspects of the scope and quality of family planning services provided by US publicly funded health centers before the release of relevant federal recommendations. Using nationally representative survey data (N=1615), we describe four aspects of service delivery: family planning services provided, contraceptive methods provided onsite, written contraceptive counseling protocols and youth-friendly services. We created a count index for each issue and used multivariable ordered logistic regression to identify health center characteristics associated with scoring higher on each. Half of the sample received Title X funding and about a third each were a community health center or health department clinic. The vast majority reported frequently providing contraceptive services (89%) and STD services (87%) for women in the past 3 months. Service provision to males was substantially lower except for STD screening. A total of 63% and 48% of health centers provided hormonal IUDs and implants onsite in the past 3 months, respectively. Forty percent of health centers included all five recommended contraceptive counseling practices in written protocols. Of youth-friendly services, active promotion of confidential services was among the most commonly reported (83%); offering weekend/evening hours was among the least (42%). In multivariable analyses, receiving Title X funding, having larger volumes of family planning clients and being a Planned Parenthood clinic were associated with higher scores on most indices. Many services were consistent with the recommendations for providing quality family planning services, but there was room for improvement across domains and health centers types. As assessed in this paper, the scope and quality of these family planning services was relatively high, particularly among Planned Parenthood clinics and Title X-funded centers. However, results point to important areas for improvement. Future studies should assess

  14. Advancing a conceptual model to improve maternal health quality: The Person-Centered Care Framework for Reproductive Health Equity.

    PubMed

    Sudhinaraset, May; Afulani, Patience; Diamond-Smith, Nadia; Bhattacharyya, Sanghita; Donnay, France; Montagu, Dominic

    2017-11-06

    Background: Globally, substantial health inequities exist with regard to maternal, newborn and reproductive health. Lack of access to good quality care-across its many dimensions-is a key factor driving these inequities. Significant global efforts have been made towards improving the quality of care within facilities for maternal and reproductive health. However, one critically overlooked aspect of quality improvement activities is person-centered care. Main body: The objective of this paper is to review existing literature and theories related to person-centered reproductive health care to develop a framework for improving the quality of reproductive health, particularly in low and middle-income countries. This paper proposes the Person-Centered Care Framework for Reproductive Health Equity, which describes three levels of interdependent contexts for women's reproductive health: societal and community determinants of health equity, women's health-seeking behaviors, and the quality of care within the walls of the facility. It lays out eight domains of person-centered care for maternal and reproductive health. Conclusions: Person-centered care has been shown to improve outcomes; yet, there is no consensus on definitions and measures in the area of women's reproductive health care. The proposed Framework reviews essential aspects of person-centered reproductive health care.

  15. Health Care Transformation: The Role of Academic Health Centers and Their Psychologists.

    PubMed

    Kirch, Darrell G; Ast, Cori E

    2017-06-01

    The health care system of the United States has been in a period of dramatic transformation since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, and the rate of change is accelerating. Historically, health care delivery was focused on the efforts of independent individual providers related to single patients, but the future will require interprofessional teamwork to achieve successful transformation. Academic health centers must identify nimble leaders who can harness the expertise of every team member to succeed in yielding the triple aim-better care for individuals, better health for populations, and lower overall cost. To create this change, there are several critical success factors for academic health center leaders, including creating a culture of collaboration, becoming "multipliers," embracing innovation, adhering to core professional ethics, and working to promote resilience. Given their extensive training and predisposition to these skills, psychologists are well-positioned to serve as leaders in today's academic health systems.

  16. Transforming a family medicine center and residency program into a federally qualified health center.

    PubMed

    Cousineau, Michael R; Flores, Hector; Cheng, Scott; Gates, Jerry D; Douglas, James H; Clute, Gerald B; Coan, Carl E

    2013-05-01

    The authors describe a family medicine center before and after a merger between the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, the California Hospital Medical Center, and the Eisner Pediatric and Family Medical Center in 2012. The merger provided new opportunities to stabilize the financial base of a clinical practice struggling financially and to enhance the training of residents and other health professionals in primary care, which motivated the partners to consider this new model. After 18 months of negotiations, they were able to convert the family medicine center and residency program into a new federally qualified health center. The benefits to this new model include an increase in both patient volume and the quality of education, supporting residency accreditation; a greater number of residents from U.S. medical schools; enhanced education and preparation of primary care physicians for practice in medically underserved communities; enhanced reimbursements and new opportunities for state, local, and federal grants; and quality improvement and new information technology. The partners overcame academic, administrative, legal, and regulatory obstacles, communication barriers, and differences in culture and expectations to achieve this merger. Keys to their success include the commitment of the leaders at the three institutions to the goals of the merger, a dedicated project manager and consultants, opportunities for new revenue sources and reimbursements, and support from a pioneering charitable foundation. The authors conclude by discussing the implications of using community health centers as the focal point for training primary care clinicians and addressing workforce shortages.

  17. The role of clinical toxicologists and poison control centers in public health.

    PubMed

    Sutter, Mark E; Bronstein, Alvin C; Heard, Stuart E; Barthold, Claudia L; Lando, James; Lewis, Lauren S; Schier, Joshua G

    2010-06-01

    Poison control centers and clinical toxicologists serve many roles within public health; however, the degree to which these entities collaborate is unknown. The objective of this survey was to identify successful collaborations of public health agencies with clinical toxicologists and poison control centers. Four areas including outbreak identification, syndromic surveillance, terrorism preparedness, and daily public health responsibilities amenable to poison control center resources were assessed. An online survey was sent to the directors of poison control centers, state epidemiologists, and the most senior public health official in each state and selected major metropolitan areas. This survey focused on three areas: service, structure within the local or state public health system, and remuneration. Questions regarding remuneration and poison control center location within the public health structure were asked to assess if these were critical factors of successful collaborations. Senior state and local public health officials were excluded because of a low response rate. The survey was completed in October 2007. A total of 111 respondents, 61 poison control centers and 50 state epidemiologists, were eligible for the survey. Sixty-nine (62%) of the 111 respondents, completed and returned the survey. Thirty-three (54%) of the 61 poison control centers responded, and 36 of the 50 state epidemiologists (72%) responded. The most frequent collaborations were terrorism preparedness and epidemic illness reporting. Additional collaborations also exist. Important collaborations exist outside of remuneration or poison control centers being a formal part of the public health structure. Poison control centers have expanded their efforts to include outbreak identification, syndromic surveillance, terrorism preparedness, and daily public health responsibilities amenable to poison control center resources. Collaboration in these areas and others should be expanded. Published

  18. Options for Sustaining School-Based Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swider, Susan M.; Valukas, Amy

    2004-01-01

    Several methods exist for financing and sustaining operations of school-based health centers (SBHCs). Promising sources of funds include private grants, federal grants, and state funding. Recently, federal regulation changes mandated that federal funding specifically for SBHCs go only to SBHCs affiliated with a Federally Qualified Health Center…

  19. Assessing uncertainty in outsourcing clinical services at tertiary health centers.

    PubMed

    Billi, John E; Pai, Chih-Wen; Spahlinger, David A

    2007-01-01

    When tertiary health centers face capacity constraint, one feasible strategy to meet service demand is outsourcing clinical services to qualified community providers. Clinical outsourcing enables tertiary health centers to meet the expectations of service timeliness and provides good opportunities to collaborate with other health care providers. However, outsourcing may result in dependence and loss of control for the tertiary health centers. Other parties involved in clinical outsourcing such as local partners, patients, and payers may also encounter potential risks as well as enjoy benefits in an outsourcing arrangement. Recommendations on selecting potential outsourcing partners are given to minimize the risks associated with an outsourcing contract. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. A revisionist view of the integrated academic health center.

    PubMed

    Rodin, Judith

    2004-02-01

    Like many academic health centers that had expanded aggressively during the 1990s, the nation's first vertically integrated academic health center, the University of Pennsylvania Health System, was profoundly challenged by the dramatic and unanticipated financial impacts of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The author explains why-although Penn's Health System had lost $300 million over two years and its debts threatened to cause serious financial and educational damage to the rest of the University-Penn chose to manage its way out of the financial crisis (instead of selling or spinning off its four hospitals, clinical practices, and possibly even its medical school). A strategy of comprehensive integration has not only stabilized Penn's Health System financially, but strengthened its position of leadership in medical education, research, and health care delivery. The author argues that a strategy of greater horizontal integration offers important strategic advantages to academic health centers. In an era when major social and scientific problems demand broadly multidisciplinary and highly-integrated approaches, such horizontally integrated institutions will be better able to educate citizens and train physicians, develop new approaches to health care policy, and answer pressing biomedical research questions. Institutional cultural integration is also crucial to create new, innovative organizational structures that bridge traditional disciplinary, school, and clinical boundaries.

  1. 77 FR 50519 - Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS); Amendment of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS); Amendment of Meeting Pursuant to Public Law 92-463, notice is... Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services...

  2. Adult Day Health Center Participation and Health-Related Quality of Life

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmitt, Eva M.; Sands, Laura P.; Weiss, Sara; Dowling, Glenna; Covinsky, Kenneth

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between Adult Day Health Center (ADHC) participation and health-related quality of life. Design and Methods: Case-controlled prospective study utilizing the Medical Outcomes Survey Form 36 (SF-36) to compare newly enrolled participants from 16 ADHC programs with comparable…

  3. A Comparative Evaluation of Public Health Centers with Private Health Training Centers on Primary Healthcare Parameters in India: a Study by Data Envelopment Analysis Technique

    PubMed Central

    Davey, Sanjeev; Raghav, Santosh Kumar; Singh, Jai Vir; Davey, Anuradha; Singh, Nirankar

    2015-01-01

    Background: The evaluation of primary healthcare services provided by health training centers of a private medical college has not been studied in comparison with government health facilities in Indian context. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is one such technique of operations research, which can be used on health facilities for identifying efficient operating practices and strategies for relatively efficient or inefficient health centers by calculating their efficiency scores. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out by DEA technique by using basic radial models (constant ratio to scale (CRS)) in linear programming via DEAOS free online Software among four decision making units (DMUs; by comparing efficiency of two private health centers of a private medical college of India with two public health centers) in district Muzaffarnagar of state Uttar Pradesh. The input and output records of all these health facilities (two from private and two from Government); for 6 months duration from 1st Jan 2014 to 1st July 2014 was taken for deciding their efficiency scores. Results: The efficiency scores of primary healthcare services in presence of doctors (100 vs 30%) and presence of health staff (100 vs 92%) were significantly better from government health facilities as compared to private health facilities (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: The evaluation of primary healthcare services delivery by DEA technique reveals that the government health facilities group were more efficient in delivery of primary healthcare services as compared to private training health facilities group, which can be further clarified in by more in-depth studies in future. PMID:26435598

  4. U.S. academic medical centers under the managed health care environment.

    PubMed

    Guo, K

    1999-06-01

    This research investigates the impact of managed health care on academic medical centers in the United States. Academic medical centers hold a unique position in the U.S. health care system through their missions of conducting cutting-edge biomedical research, pursuing clinical and technological innovations, providing state-of-the-art medical care and producing highly qualified health professionals. However, policies to control costs through the use of managed care and limiting resources are detrimental to academic medical centers and impede the advancement of medical science. To survive the threats of managed care in the health care environment, academic medical centers must rely on their upper level managers to derive successful strategies. The methods used in this study include qualitative approaches in the form of key informants and case studies. In addition, a survey questionnaire was sent to 108 CEOs in all the academic medical centers in the U.S. The findings revealed that managers who perform the liaison, monitor, entrepreneur and resource allocator roles are crucial to ensure the survival of academic medical centers, so that academic medical centers can continue their missions to serve the general public and promote their well-being.

  5. Health Status and Health Care Experiences among Homeless Patients in Federally Supported Health Centers: Findings from the 2009 Patient Survey

    PubMed Central

    Lebrun-Harris, Lydie A; Baggett, Travis P; Jenkins, Darlene M; Sripipatana, Alek; Sharma, Ravi; Hayashi, A Seiji; Daly, Charles A; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2013-01-01

    Objective To examine health status and health care experiences of homeless patients in health centers and to compare them with their nonhomeless counterparts. Data Sources/Study Setting Nationally representative data from the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey. Study Design Cross-sectional analyses were limited to adults (n = 2,683). We compared sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, access to health care, and utilization of services among homeless and nonhomeless patients. We also examined the independent effect of homelessness on health care access and utilization, as well as factors that influenced homeless patients' health care experiences. Data Collection Computer-assisted personal interviews were conducted with health center patients. Principal Findings Homeless patients had worse health status—lifetime burden of chronic conditions, mental health problems, and substance use problems—compared with housed respondents. In adjusted analyses, homeless patients had twice the odds as housed patients of having unmet medical care needs in the past year (OR = 1.98, 95 percent CI: 1.24–3.16) and twice the odds of having an ED visit in the past year (OR = 2.00, 95 percent CI: 1.37–2.92). Conclusions There is an ongoing need to focus on the health issues that disproportionately affect homeless populations. Among health center patients, homelessness is an independent risk factor for unmet medical needs and ED use. PMID:23134588

  6. Employee health benefit redesign at the academic health center: a case study.

    PubMed

    Marshall, Julie; Weaver, Deirdre C; Splaine, Kevin; Hefner, David S; Kirch, Darrell G; Paz, Harold L

    2013-03-01

    The rapidly escalating cost of health care, including the cost of providing health care benefits, is a significant concern for many employers. In this article, the authors examine a case study of an academic health center that undertook a complete redesign of its health benefit structure to control rising costs, encourage use of its own provider network, and support employee wellness. With the implementation in 2006 of a high-deductible health plan combined with health reimbursement arrangements and wellness incentives, the Penn State Hershey Medical Center (PSHMC) was able to realize significant cost savings and increase use of its own network while maintaining a high level of employee satisfaction. By contracting with a single third-party administrator for its self-insured plan, PSHMC reduced its administrative costs and simplified benefit choices for employees. In addition, indexing employee costs to salary ensured that this change was equitable for all employees, and the shift to a consumer-driven health plan led to greater employee awareness of health care costs. The new health benefit plan's strong focus on employee wellness and preventive health has led to significant increases in the use of preventive health services, including health risk assessments, cancer screenings, and flu shots. PSHMC's experience demonstrates the importance of clear and ongoing communication with employees throughout--before, during, and even after--the process of health benefit redesign.

  7. QUALITY OF HEALTH EDUCATION POSTERS IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTERS IN AL-KHOBAR TOWN, EASTERN PROVINCE

    PubMed Central

    Al-Sowielem, Latifa S.

    2001-01-01

    Background: Health Education (HE) is vital to each of the seven other central ele-ments of Public Health Care (PHC). HE must be carefully planned and implemented. A crucial part of HE is planning, production and placement of effective HE posters. Objective: Assess the quality of health education posters in Al-Khobar PHC centers. Methods: A cross-sectional study of a sample of 138 HE posters in three PHC centers in Al-Khobar was conducted. The quality of posters in relation to set criteria was measured using a data sheet and scoring system developed by the investigator. Results: The health education subjects displayed were among the common health problems in Saudi Arabia in 134 (97.1 %) of the posters.More than one-third (34.8%) had been displayed for more than one year. In 74 (53.6%) of the posters, the source of scientific information was unknown. The assessment showed that 109 (79%) posters were of optimal quality. Conclusion: The study showed that the health education posters in PHC centers in Al-Khobar were relatively satisfactory, though they did not fulfill some of the required criteria. Health education posters should be included in the assessment of health education programs in primary health care centers. PMID:23008635

  8. Violence against health workers in Family Medicine Centers.

    PubMed

    Al-Turki, Nouf; Afify, Ayman Am; AlAteeq, Mohammed

    2016-01-01

    Health care violence is a significant worldwide problem with negative consequences on both the safety and well-being of health care workers as well as workplace activities. Reports examining health care violence in Saudi Arabia are limited and the results are conflicting. To estimate the prevalence and determine the demographic and occupational characteristics associated with workplace violence in primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study included 270 health care workers in 12 family medicine centers in Riyadh during November and December 2014. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to estimate the frequency, timing, causes, reactions, and consequences of workplace violence plus participants' demographic and occupational data. A total 123 health care workers (45.6%) experienced some kind of violence over 12 months prior to the study. These included physical (6.5%) and nonphysical violence (99.2%), including verbal violence (94.3%) and intimidation (22.0%). Offenders were patients (71.5%) in the majority of cases, companions (20.3%), or both (3.3%). Almost half (48.0%) of health care workers who experienced violence did nothing, 38.2% actively reported the event, and 13.8% consulted a colleague. A significant association of workplace violence was found with working multiple shifts, evening or night shift, and lack of an encouraging environment to report violence. Workplace violence is still a significant problem in primary care centers. The high frequency of violence together with underreporting may indicate the inefficiency of the current safety program. More safety programs and training activities for health care workers, efficient reporting system, and zero tolerance policies need to be implemented to minimize workplace violence against health workers.

  9. Financing geriatric programs in community health centers.

    PubMed Central

    Yeatts, D E; Ray, S; List, N; Duggar, B

    1991-01-01

    There are approximately 600 Community and Migrant Health Centers (C/MHCs) providing preventive and primary health care services principally to medically underserved rural and urban areas across the United States. The need to develop geriatric programs within C/MHCs is clear. Less clear is how and under what circumstances a comprehensive geriatric program can be adequately financed. The Health Resources and Services Administration of the Public Health Service contracted with La Jolla Management Corporation and Duke University Center on Aging to identify successful techniques for obtaining funding by examining 10 "good practice" C/MHC geriatric programs. The results from this study indicated that effective techniques included using a variety of funding sources, maintaining accurate cost-per-user information, developing a marketing strategy and user incentives, collaborating with the area agency on aging and other community organizations, and developing special services for the elderly. Developing cost-per-user information allowed for identifying appropriate "drawing card" services, negotiating sound reimbursement rates and contracts with other providers, and assessing the financial impact of changing service mixes. A marketing strategy was used to enhance the ability of the centers to provide a comprehensive package of services. Collaboration with the area agency on aging and other community organizations and volunteers in the aging network was found to help establish referral networks and subsequently increase the number of elderly patients served. Finally, development of special services for the elderly, such as adult day care, case management, and health education, was found to increase program visibility, opportunities to work with the network of services for the aging, and clinical utilization. PMID:1908588

  10. NIMH Prototype Management Information System for Community Mental Health Centers

    PubMed Central

    Wurster, Cecil R.; Goodman, John D.

    1980-01-01

    Various approaches to centralized support of computer applications in health care are described. The NIMH project to develop a prototype Management Information System (MIS) for community mental health centers is presented and discussed as a centralized development of an automated data processing system for multiple user organizations. The NIMH program is summarized, the prototype MIS is characterized, and steps taken to provide for the differing needs of the mental health centers are highlighted.

  11. P-Care BPJS Acceptance Model in Primary Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Markam, Hosizah

    2017-01-01

    Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are increasingly adopted in healthcare facilities. Recently, implementation failure of electronic information systems is known to be caused by not only the quality of technical aspects, but also the user's behavior. It is known as applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). This research aimed to analyze the acceptance model of p-care BPJS in the primary health centers. A total sample of 30 p-care BPJS users was drawn by multistage random sampling in which of these 30 primary health centers participated. Data analysis used both descriptive and inferential statistics. In the phase of structural model, it indicated that p-care BPJS acceptance model in the primary health centers was formed by Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and Perceived Usefulness (PU) through Attitude towards use of p-care BPJS and Behavioral Intention to use p-care BPJS.

  12. Nontraditional graduate training for administrators of neighborhood health centers.

    PubMed Central

    Shepperd, J D

    1976-01-01

    Because of the shortage of qualified health care administrators who are members of minority groups, many neighborhood health centers, organized as a result of the Great Society legislation of the 1960's, suffered from their staffs' lack of administrative skills and from rapid turnover as staff members gained experience and moved upward to other jobs. To rectify this shortage, the National Association of Neighborhood Health Centers was funded to offer master's degree programs at the University of Michigan and the University of Southern California. These on job/on campus programs, which began in 1972, allowed participants to work and study concurrently. At Michigan, students attended class 8 hours a day, 4 days a month, for 2 years. At U.S.C., they attended classes for 14 consecutive days 3 times a year for 2 years. Since the usual admission requirements of established graduate programs limit access of minority students, who frequently lack adequate educational backgrounds, admission criteria were modified for the 56 persons enrolled in the program. For example, the Graduate Record Examination scores were not considered in the program at Michgan. Findings in an independent evaluation conducted in 1974 indicated that the programs at both universities were successful in providing graduate education relevant to the special needs of the staffs of neighborhood health centers. Only four students were dropped for academic reasons. More special programs in health administration are needed in both graduate and undergraduate schools to train people in the effective administration of health care centers, particularly those serving communities of disadvantaged persons. PMID:824670

  13. The relationship between media literacy and health literacy among pregnant women in health centers of Isfahan

    PubMed Central

    Akbarinejad, Farideh; Soleymani, Mohammad Reza; Shahrzadi, Leila

    2017-01-01

    Background: The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and convey information in various forms of media including print and nonprint requires media literacy, but the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic information and services needed for appropriate decisions regarding health, considered an important element in a woman's ability to participate in health promotion and prevention activities for herself and her children, is needed to a level of health literacy. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between media literacy and health literacy among pregnant women in health centers in Isfahan. Materials and Methods: This study used a descriptive correlation study. Data collection tools include Shahin media literacy and functional health literacy in adults’ questionnaires. The population include pregnant women in health centers of Isfahan (4080 people). Ten out of the 351 health centers in Isfahan were selected as cluster. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Media literacy of respondents in the five dimensions was significantly lower than average 61.5% of pregnant women have inadequate health literacy, 18.8% had marginal health literacy, and only 19.7% of them have had adequate health literacy. There was a significant positive relationship between media literacy and health literacy among pregnant women. Conclusion: This study showed that the majority of pregnant women covered by health centers had limited health literacy and media literacy. Since one of the basic requirements for the utilization of health information is needed for adequate media literacy, promotion of media literacy is necessary for the respondents. PMID:28546982

  14. The relationship between media literacy and health literacy among pregnant women in health centers of Isfahan.

    PubMed

    Akbarinejad, Farideh; Soleymani, Mohammad Reza; Shahrzadi, Leila

    2017-01-01

    The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and convey information in various forms of media including print and nonprint requires media literacy, but the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic information and services needed for appropriate decisions regarding health, considered an important element in a woman's ability to participate in health promotion and prevention activities for herself and her children, is needed to a level of health literacy. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between media literacy and health literacy among pregnant women in health centers in Isfahan. This study used a descriptive correlation study. Data collection tools include Shahin media literacy and functional health literacy in adults' questionnaires. The population include pregnant women in health centers of Isfahan (4080 people). Ten out of the 351 health centers in Isfahan were selected as cluster. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Media literacy of respondents in the five dimensions was significantly lower than average 61.5% of pregnant women have inadequate health literacy, 18.8% had marginal health literacy, and only 19.7% of them have had adequate health literacy. There was a significant positive relationship between media literacy and health literacy among pregnant women. This study showed that the majority of pregnant women covered by health centers had limited health literacy and media literacy. Since one of the basic requirements for the utilization of health information is needed for adequate media literacy, promotion of media literacy is necessary for the respondents.

  15. Oregon School-Based Health Centers, 1992-1994 Services Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nystrom, Robert J.

    This report describes the activities of Oregon's 25 high school-based health centers between 1992 and 1994. Information is provided on funding sources, services offered (including general medical services and reproductive health, mental health, health promotion services, and hours of operation), staffing (including levels of staffing and…

  16. Mental Health Characteristics and Health-Seeking Behaviors of Adolescent School-Based Health Center Users and Nonusers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amaral, Gorette; Geierstanger, Sara; Soleimanpour, Samira; Brindis, Claire

    2011-01-01

    Background: The purpose of this study is to compare the mental health risk profile and health utilization behaviors of adolescent school-based health center (SBHC) users and nonusers and discuss the role that SBHCs can play in addressing adolescent health needs. Methods: The sample included 4640 students in grades 9 and 11 who completed the…

  17. Achieving excellence in community health centers: implications for health reform.

    PubMed

    Gurewich, Deborah; Capitman, John; Sirkin, Jenna; Traje, Diana

    2012-02-01

    Existing studies tell us little about care quality variation within the community health center (CHC) delivery system. They also tell us little about the organizational conditions associated with CHCs that deliver especially high quality care. The purpose of this study was to examine the operational practices associated with a sample of high performing CHCs. Qualitative case studies of eight CHCs identified as delivering high-quality care relative to other CHCs were used to examine operational practices, including systems to facilitate care access, manage patient care, and monitor performance. Four common themes emerged that may contribute to high performance. At the same time, important differences across health centers were observed, reflecting differences in local environments and CHC capacity. In the development of effective, community-based models of care, adapting care standards to meet the needs of local conditions may be important.

  18. Community health centers and community development financial institutions: joining forces to address determinants of health.

    PubMed

    Kotelchuck, Ronda; Lowenstein, Daniel; Tobin, Jonathan N

    2011-11-01

    Community health centers and community development financial institutions share similar origins and missions and are increasingly working together to meet community needs. Addressing the social and economic determinants of health is a common focus. The availability of new federal grants and tax credits has led these financial institutions to invest in the creation and expansion of community health centers. This article reviews the most recent trends in these two sectors and explores opportunities for further collaboration to transform the health and well-being of the nation's low-income communities.

  19. Contact centers, pervasive computing and telemedicine: a quality health care triangle.

    PubMed

    Maglaveras, Nicos

    2004-01-01

    The Citizen Health System (CHS) is a European Commission (CEC) funded project in the field of IST for Health. Its main goal is to develop a generic contact center which in its pilot stage can be used in the monitoring, treatment and management of chronically ill patients at home in Greece, Spain, and Germany. Such contact centers, using any type of communication technology, and providing timely and preventive prompting to the patients are envisaged in the future to evolve into well-being contact centers providing services to all citizens. In this paper, we present the structure of such a generic contact center and present its major achievements, and their impact to the quality of health delivery.

  20. Analysis of health in health centers area in Depok using correspondence analysis and scan statistic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Basir, C.; Widyaningsih, Y.; Lestari, D.

    2017-07-01

    Hotspots indicate area that has a higher case intensity than others. For example, in health problems of an area, the number of sickness of a region can be used as parameter and condition of area that determined severity of an area. If this condition is known soon, it can be overcome preventively. Many factors affect the severity level of area. Some health factors to be considered in this study are the number of infant with low birth weight, malnourished children under five years old, under five years old mortality, maternal deaths, births without the help of health personnel, infants without handling the baby's health, and infant without basic immunization. The number of cases is based on every public health center area in Depok. Correspondence analysis provides graphical information about two nominal variables relationship. It create plot based on row and column scores and show categories that have strong relation in a close distance. Scan Statistic method is used to examine hotspot based on some selected variables that occurred in the study area; and Correspondence Analysis is used to picturing association between the regions and variables. Apparently, using SaTScan software, Sukatani health center is obtained as a point hotspot; and Correspondence Analysis method shows health centers and the seven variables have a very significant relationship and the majority of health centers close to all variables, except Cipayung which is distantly related to the number of pregnant mother death. These results can be used as input for the government agencies to upgrade the health level in the area.

  1. Violence against health workers in Family Medicine Centers

    PubMed Central

    Al-Turki, Nouf; Afify, Ayman AM; AlAteeq, Mohammed

    2016-01-01

    Background Health care violence is a significant worldwide problem with negative consequences on both the safety and well-being of health care workers as well as workplace activities. Reports examining health care violence in Saudi Arabia are limited and the results are conflicting. Objective To estimate the prevalence and determine the demographic and occupational characteristics associated with workplace violence in primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study included 270 health care workers in 12 family medicine centers in Riyadh during November and December 2014. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to estimate the frequency, timing, causes, reactions, and consequences of workplace violence plus participants’ demographic and occupational data. Results A total 123 health care workers (45.6%) experienced some kind of violence over 12 months prior to the study. These included physical (6.5%) and nonphysical violence (99.2%), including verbal violence (94.3%) and intimidation (22.0%). Offenders were patients (71.5%) in the majority of cases, companions (20.3%), or both (3.3%). Almost half (48.0%) of health care workers who experienced violence did nothing, 38.2% actively reported the event, and 13.8% consulted a colleague. A significant association of workplace violence was found with working multiple shifts, evening or night shift, and lack of an encouraging environment to report violence. Conclusion Workplace violence is still a significant problem in primary care centers. The high frequency of violence together with underreporting may indicate the inefficiency of the current safety program. More safety programs and training activities for health care workers, efficient reporting system, and zero tolerance policies need to be implemented to minimize workplace violence against health workers. PMID:27330300

  2. 78 FR 55731 - Health Workforce Research Center Cooperative Agreement Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Workforce Research Center Cooperative Agreement Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration.... These proposed concentration areas were selected as areas of critical importance to health workforce...

  3. The School-Based Health Center as a Resource for Prevention and Health Promotion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Michael B.; Bolen, Larry M.

    2007-01-01

    The importance of school-based health centers (SBHCs) in overall prevention and health promotion programming is growing as they become increasingly common in schools. SBHCs can improve access to comprehensive physical and mental health services for children and families, and make a significant contribution to universal prevention efforts in…

  4. Interdisciplinary collaboration: what private practice can learn from the health center experience.

    PubMed

    Hilton, Irene V

    2014-01-01

    Ideas on what medical-dental integration can look like on a practical level can be gained from studying efforts made in Federally Qualified Health Centers (Health Centers). Over the last 15 years, Health Centers have embarked on several initiatives that incorporated the development of infrastructure for medical-dental integration. This paper reviews these efforts and highlights successes, challenges and best practices that can bolster efforts in all dental practice settings.

  5. Building diversity in a complex academic health center.

    PubMed

    South-Paul, Jeannette E; Roth, Loren; Davis, Paula K; Chen, Terence; Roman, Anna; Murrell, Audrey; Pettigrew, Chenits; Castleberry-Singleton, Candi; Schuman, Joel

    2013-09-01

    For 30 years, the many diversity-related health sciences programs targeting the University of Pittsburgh undergraduate campus, school of medicine, schools of the health sciences, clinical practice plan, and medical center were run independently and remained separate within the academic health center (AHC). This lack of coordination hampered their overall effectiveness in promoting diversity and inclusion. In 2007, a group of faculty and administrators from the university and the medical center recognized the need to improve institutional diversity and to better address local health disparities. In this article, the authors describe the process of linking the efforts of these institutions in a way that would be successful locally and applicable to other academic environments. First, they engaged an independent consultant to conduct a study of the AHC's diversity climate, interviewing current and former faculty and trainees to define the problem and identify areas for improvement. Next, they created the Physician Inclusion Council to address the findings of this study and to coordinate future efforts with institutional leaders. Finally, they formed four working committees to address (1) communications and outreach, (2) cultural competency, (3) recruitment, and (4) mentoring and retention. These committees oversaw the strategic development and implementation of all diversity and inclusion efforts. Together these steps led to structural changes within the AHC and the improved allocation of resources that have positioned the University of Pittsburgh to achieve not only diversity but also inclusion and to continue to address the health disparities in the Pittsburgh community.

  6. Sexual Violence Screening Practices of Student Health Centers Located on Universities in Florida

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halstead, Valerie; Williams, Jessica R.; Gattamorta, Karina; Gonzalez-Guarda, Rosa

    2017-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe current sexual violence screening practices of student health centers located on universities in Florida. Participants: Institutional level data was collected from 33 student health centers from November 2015 through January 2016. The student health centers were located on public or private…

  7. Promoting Ecological Health Resilience for Minority Youth: Enhancing Health Care Access through the School Health Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clauss-Ehlers, Caroline C. C.

    2003-01-01

    Discusses the demographic realities of children of color in the U.S., with a focus on health care needs and access issues that have an enormous influence on health status. An ecologic model is presented that incorporates cultural values and community structures into the school health center. (Contains 50 references.) (GCP)

  8. Building Global Health Through a Center-Without-Walls: The Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health

    PubMed Central

    Vermund, Sten H.; Sahasrabuddhe, Vikrant V.; Khedkar, Sheetal; Jia, Yujiang; Etherington, Carol; Vergara, Alfredo

    2008-01-01

    The Institute for Global Health at Vanderbilt enables the expansion and coordination of global health research, service, and training, reflecting the university's commitment to improve health services and outcomes in resource-limited settings. Global health encompasses both prevention via public health and treatment via medical care, all nested within a broader community-development context. This has fostered university-wide collaborations to address education, business/economics, engineering, nursing, and language training, among others. The institute is a natural facilitator for team building and has been especially helpful in organizing institutional responses to global health solicitations from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and other funding agencies. This center-without-walls philosophy nurtures noncompetitive partnerships among and within departments and schools. With extramural support from the NIH and from endowment and developmental investments from the school of medicine, the institute funds new pilot projects to nurture global educational and research exchanges related to health and development. Vanderbilt's newest programs are a CDC-supported HIV/AIDS service initiative in Africa and an overseas research training program for health science graduate students and clinical fellows. New opportunities are available for Vanderbilt students, staff, and faculty to work abroad in partnership with international health projects through a number of Tennessee institutions now networked with the institute. A center-without-walls may be a model for institutions contemplating strategic investments to better organize service and teaching opportunities abroad, and to achieve greater successes in leveraging extramural support for overseas and domestic work focused on tropical medicine and global health. PMID:18303361

  9. Addressing underutilization of consumer health information resource centers: a formative study.

    PubMed

    Kennedy, May G; Kiken, Laura; Shipman, Jean P

    2008-01-01

    Four consumer health information centers in Richmond, Virginia, provide one-on-one assistance in accessing health information. Because they may not be fully utilized at present, an exploratory marketing study of factors affecting usage of the centers was conducted. Observers counted center passers-by and tracked their paths. Also, brief intercept interviews were conducted with people who had just used a center, people nearby who could have used one but did not, and people on the street. Finally, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with key informants. There was a high degree of satisfaction with the centers among users. Nonusers universally endorsed the center concept. However, most passers-by did not even glance at the centers, and intercept interviewees suggested better signage and promoting the resource centers through various media channels. Key informants added suggestions about interpersonal strategies (e.g., physician referrals) for center usage promotion but cautioned that a large increase in traffic could not be accommodated without increasing staff size or shifting from a model of individualized service. Triangulating findings from multiple data collection methods can provide useful guidance for efforts to promote center utilization. At minimum, steps should be taken to make the largest centers more noticeable. Because center utilization is not only associated with consumer satisfaction with hospitals, but may also foster health literacy, both hospital-based and community-based usage promotion strategies may be warranted. All such promotional strategies should be audience-tested before they are adopted.

  10. Telematics and Data Science: Informing Energy-Efficient Mobility: October 25, 2016 - October 31, 2017

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sears, Edward B; Daley, Ryan; Helm, Matthew

    The University of Connecticut (UCONN) is exploring the possibility of adding electric vehicles (EVs) - including battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), or both - to its vehicle fleet. This report presents results of the UCONN fleet EV Suitability pilot program and offers recommendations for transitioning fleet vehicles to EVs as well as implementing adequate charging infrastructure.

  11. The University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human Health

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fleming, L. E.; Smith, S. L.; Minnett, P. J.

    2007-05-01

    Two recent major reports on the health of the oceans in the United States have warned that coastal development and population pressures are responsible for the dramatic degradation of U.S. ocean and coastal environments. The significant consequences of this increased population density, particularly in sub/tropical coastal regions, can be seen in recent weather events: Hurricanes Andrew, Ivan, and Katrina in the US Gulf of Mexico states, and the Tsunami in Southeast Asia in December 2004, all causing significant deaths and destruction. Microbial contamination, man-made chemicals, and a variety of harmful algal blooms and their toxins are increasingly affecting the health of coastal human populations via the seafood supply, as well as the commercial and recreational use of coastal marine waters. At the same time, there has been the realization that the oceans are a source of unexplored biological diversity able to provide medicinal, as well as nutritional, benefits. Therefore, the exploration and preservation of the earth's oceans have significant worldwide public health implications for current and future generations. The NSF/NIEHS Center for Oceans and Human Health Center (COHH) at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School and its collaborators builds on several decades of collaborative and interdisciplinary research, education, and training to address the NIEHS-NSF research initiative in Oceans and Human Health. The COHH focuses on issues relevant to the Southeastern US and Caribbean, as well as global Sub/Tropical areas worldwide, to integrate interdisciplinary research between biomedical and oceanographic scientists. The Center includes three Research Projects: (1) research into the application of toxic algal culture, toxin analysis, remote sensing, oceanography, and genomics to subtropical/tropical Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) organism and toxin distribution; (2) exploring the interaction between functional genomics and oceanography of the subtropical

  12. Outcomes of antiretroviral treatment: a comparison between hospitals and health centers in Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Balcha, Taye T; Jeppsson, Anders

    2010-01-01

    the objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of antiretroviral therapy (ART) between hospital and health center levels in Ethiopia. medical records of 1709 ART patients followed for 24 months at 2 hospitals and 3 health centers in the Oromia region of Ethiopia were reviewed. Noted outcomes of ART were currently alive and on treatment; lost to follow-up (LTFU); transferred out (TO); and died (D). of 1709 HIV-positive patients started on ART between September 2006 and February 2007, 1044 (61%) remained alive and were on treatment after 24-month follow-up. In all, 835 (57%) of ART patients at hospitals and 209 (83%) at health centers were retained in the program. Of those who were alive and receiving ART, 79% of patients at health centers and 72% at hospitals were clinically or immunologically improving. In addition, 331 (23%) patients at hospitals were LFTU as compared to 24 (10%) of patients at health centers (relative risk [RR] at 95% confidence interval [CI]: .358 [.231-.555]). While 11% was the mortality rate at hospitals, 5% of patients at health centers also died (RR at 95% CI: .360 [.192-.673]). antiretroviral therapy at health centers was associated with more favorable outcomes than at hospitals.

  13. 75 FR 9421 - National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-02

    ... Health and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... and Health Disparities Special Emphasis Panel; Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research..., National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, Bethesda...

  14. Barriers and facilitators to implementing a patient-centered model of contraceptive provision in community health centers.

    PubMed

    Politi, Mary C; Estlund, Amy; Milne, Anne; Buckel, Christina M; Peipert, Jeffrey F; Madden, Tessa

    2016-01-01

    The Contraceptive CHOICE Project developed a patient-centered model for contraceptive provision including: (1) structured, evidence-based counseling; (2) staff and health care provider education; and (3) removal of barriers such as cost and multiple appointments to initiate contraception. In preparation for conducting a research study of the CHOICE model in three community health settings, we sought to identify potential barriers and facilitators to implementation. Using a semi-structured interview guide guided by a framework of implementation research, we conducted 31 qualitative interviews with female patients, staff, and health care providers assessing attitudes, beliefs, and barriers to receiving contraception. We also asked about current contraceptive provision and explored organizational practices relevant to implementing the CHOICE model. We used a grounded theory approach to identify major themes. Many participants felt that current contraceptive provision could be improved by the CHOICE model. Potential facilitators included agreement about the necessity for improved contraceptive knowledge among patients and staff; importance of patient-centered contraceptive counseling; and benefits to same-day insertion of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Potential barriers included misconceptions about contraception held by staff and providers; resistance to new practices; costs associated with LARC; and scheduling challenges required for same-day insertion of LARC. In addition to staff and provider training, implementing a patient-centered model of contraceptive provision needs to be supplemented by strategies to manage patient and system-level barriers. Community health center staff, providers, and patients support patient-centered contraceptive counseling to improve contraception provision if organizations can address these barriers.

  15. Sexual violence screening practices of student health centers located on universities in Florida.

    PubMed

    Halstead, Valerie; Williams, Jessica R; Gattamorta, Karina; Gonzalez-Guarda, Rosa

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to describe current sexual violence screening practices of student health centers located on universities in Florida. Institutional level data was collected from 33 student health centers from November 2015 through January 2016. The student health centers were located on public or private universities. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Data was collected from student health center representatives through use of a telephone administered survey. Findings reveal that the majority of student health centers screen for sexual violence. However, not all use effective screening strategies. Further, the majority of screening questions used are not specific to sexual violence. Findings can be used to assist universities with responding to campus sexual violence among the college population. Recommendations for strengthening sexual violence screening practices and future research are provided.

  16. Patient-centered Medical Home Capability and Clinical Performance in HRSA-supported Health Centers

    PubMed Central

    Shi, Leiyu; Lock, Diana C.; Lee, De-Chih; Lebrun-Harris, Lydie A.; Chin, Marshall H.; Chidambaran, Preeta; Nocon, Robert S.; Zhu, Jinsheng; Sripipatana, Alek

    2015-01-01

    Objectives To evaluate the relationship between Patient-centered Medical Home (PCMH) model adoption in health centers (HCs) and clinical performance measures and to determine if adoption of PCMH characteristics is associated with better clinical performance. Research Design Data came from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s 2009 Uniform Data System and the 2009 Commonwealth Fund National Survey of Federally Qualified Health Centers. Clinical performance measures included 2 process measures (childhood immunization and cervical cancer screening) and 2 outcome measures (hypertension control and diabetes control). Total and subscale PCMH scores were regressed on the clinical performance measures, adjusting for patient, provider, financial, and institutional characteristics. Results The findings showed different directional relationships, with some PCMH domains (care management, test/referral tracking, quality improvement, and external coordination) showing little or no effect on outcome measures of interest, 1 domain (access/communication) associated with improved outcomes, and 1 domain (patient tracking/registry) associated with worse outcomes. Conclusions This study is among the first to examine the association between PCMH transformation and clinical performance in HCs, providing an understanding of the impact of PCMH adoption within safety-net settings. The mixed results highlight the importance of examining relationships between specific PCMH domains and specific clinical quality measures, in addition to analyzing overall PCMH scores which could yield distorted findings. PMID:25793267

  17. Physicians in training as quality managers: survival strategy for academic health centers.

    PubMed

    Wofford, J L; Moran, W P; Cohen, S J; Simon, R C

    1997-12-01

    Being responsible for medical education places academic health centers at a disadvantage in competing for managed care contracts. Although many suggestions have been made for changing medical education to produce physicians who are better prepared for the managed care environment, few studies have shown how physicians in training can actually contribute to the competitiveness of an academic health center. We present three examples of engaging trainees in projects with a population-based perspective that demonstrate how quality improvement for the academic health center can be operationalized and even led by physicians in training. In addition to gaining experience in a managed care skill that is increasingly important for future employment, physicians in training can simultaneously improve the quality of care delivered through the academic health center.

  18. The Health IT Regional Extension Center Program: evolution and lessons for health care transformation.

    PubMed

    Lynch, Kimberly; Kendall, Mat; Shanks, Katherine; Haque, Ahmed; Jones, Emily; Wanis, Maggie G; Furukawa, Michael; Mostashari, Farzad

    2014-02-01

    Assess the Regional Extension Center (REC) program's progress toward its goal of supporting over 100,000 providers in small, rural, and underserved practices to achieve meaningful use (MU) of an electronic health record (EHR). Data collected January 2010 through June 2013 via monitoring and evaluation of the 4-year REC program. Descriptive study of 62 REC programs. Primary data collected from RECs were merged with nine other datasets, and descriptive statistics of progress by practice setting and penetration of targeted providers were calculated. RECs recruited almost 134,000 primary care providers (PCPs), or 44 percent of the nation's PCPs; 86 percent of these were using an EHR with advanced functionality and almost half (48 percent) have demonstrated MU. Eighty-three percent of Federally Qualified Health Centers and 78 percent of the nation's Critical Access Hospitals were participating with an REC. RECs have made substantial progress in assisting PCPs with adoption and MU of EHRs. This infrastructure supports small practices, community health centers, and rural and public hospitals to use technology for care delivery transformation and improvement. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  19. NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davis, Jeffery R.

    2010-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the purpose, potential members and participants of the NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC). Included in the overview is a brief description of the administration and current activities of the NHHPC.

  20. Health Care Employee Perceptions of Patient-Centered Care: A Photovoice Project

    PubMed Central

    Balbale, Salva Najib; Turcios, Stephanie; LaVela, Sherri L.

    2015-01-01

    Given the importance of health care employees in the delivery of patient-centered care, understanding their unique perspective is essential for quality improvement. The purpose of this study was to use photovoice to evaluate perceptions and experiences around patient-centered care among Veterans Affairs (VA) health care employees. We asked participants to take photographs of salient features in their environment related to patient-centered care. We used the photographs to facilitate dialogue during follow-up interviews. Twelve VA health care employees across two VA sites participated in the project. Although most participants felt satisfied with their work environment and experiences at the VA, several areas for improvement were identified. These included a need for more employee health and wellness initiatives and a need for enhanced opportunities for training and professional growth. Application of photovoice enabled us to learn about employees' unique perspectives around patient-centered care while engaging them in an evaluation of care delivery. PMID:25274626

  1. Medicaid Expansion And Grant Funding Increases Helped Improve Community Health Center Capacity.

    PubMed

    Han, Xinxin; Luo, Qian; Ku, Leighton

    2017-01-01

    Through the expansion of Medicaid eligibility and increases in core federal grant funding, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) sought to increase the capacity of community health centers to provide primary care to low-income populations. We examined the effects of the ACA Medicaid expansion and changes in federal grant levels on the centers' numbers of patients, percentages of patients by type of insurance, and numbers of visits from 2012 to 2015. In the period after expansion (2014-15), health centers in expansion states had a 5 percent higher total patient volume, larger shares of Medicaid patients, smaller shares of uninsured patients, and increases in overall visits and mental health visits, compared to centers in nonexpansion states. Increases in federal grant funding levels were associated with increases in numbers of patients and of overall, medical, and preventive service visits. If federal grant levels are not sustained after 2017, there could be marked reductions in health center capacity in both expansion and nonexpansion states. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  2. A Comparison of the Preventive Health Care Provided by Women's Health Centers and General Internal Medicine Practices

    PubMed Central

    Harpole, Linda H; Mort, Elizabeth A; Freund, Karen M; Orav, John; Brennan, Troyen A

    2000-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To evaluate women's health centers as alternatives to traditional internal medicine practices. DESIGN Cross-sectional mailed survey. SETTING A women's health center and an internal medicine practice at each of three university-affiliated teaching hospitals. PATIENTS There were 3,035 female patients randomly selected to receive a mailed survey after their office visits. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The survey asked for patient characteristics, patient satisfaction, and rates of gender-specific preventive health services. The survey response rate was 64% (1,942/3,035). Patients at women's health centers were younger, more educated, had higher physical functioning but lower mental health functioning, and more of them were single and employed. Patient satisfaction was similar at the two types of practices, although patients at women's health centers were more satisfied with certain aspects of the patient-provider interaction. After adjusting for measured differences in patient characteristics and site, patients at women's health centers were more likely to receive discussions on hormone replacement therapy (odds ratio [OR] 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1, 2.2) and dietary calcium (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1, 1.6). They were also more likely to receive their gender-specific preventive health services from their primary care provider: breast examination (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.5, 2.6), Pap smear (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.9, 3.1), hormone replacement therapy discussion (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.5, 3.3), and dietary calcium discussion (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.7, 3.9). These findings remained when the analyses were limited to patients of female providers only. CONCLUSIONS In this study, patients at women's health centers were more likely to receive gender-specific health prevention counseling than patients at internal medicine practices. Moreover, patients were more likely to receive their gender-specific preventive health services from their primary care providers. PMID:10632827

  3. Addressing underutilization of consumer health information resource centers: a formative study*

    PubMed Central

    Kennedy, May G.; Kiken, Laura; Shipman, Jean P.

    2008-01-01

    Problem: Four consumer health information centers in Richmond, Virginia, provide one-on-one assistance in accessing health information. Because they may not be fully utilized at present, an exploratory marketing study of factors affecting usage of the centers was conducted. Method: Observers counted center passers-by and tracked their paths. Also, brief intercept interviews were conducted with people who had just used a center, people nearby who could have used one but did not, and people on the street. Finally, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with key informants. Results: There was a high degree of satisfaction with the centers among users. Nonusers universally endorsed the center concept. However, most passers-by did not even glance at the centers, and intercept interviewees suggested better signage and promoting the resource centers through various media channels. Key informants added suggestions about interpersonal strategies (e.g., physician referrals) for center usage promotion but cautioned that a large increase in traffic could not be accommodated without increasing staff size or shifting from a model of individualized service. Conclusions: Triangulating findings from multiple data collection methods can provide useful guidance for efforts to promote center utilization. At minimum, steps should be taken to make the largest centers more noticeable. Because center utilization is not only associated with consumer satisfaction with hospitals, but may also foster health literacy, both hospital-based and community-based usage promotion strategies may be warranted. All such promotional strategies should be audience-tested before they are adopted. PMID:18219380

  4. Primary care principles and community health centers in the countries of former Yugoslavia.

    PubMed

    Klančar, Darinka; Svab, Igor

    2014-11-01

    Many countries implement primary health care (PHC) principles in their policies. The community-oriented health center (COHC) has often been identified as an appropriate organizational model for implementing these ideas. The countries of former Yugoslavia have a long tradition of health centers which have been part of their official policies, but they face the challenge of reforming their health care systems. The aim of the study was to describe the extent of the principles of primary care in these countries and the new role of medical centers. This qualitative study was carried out between 2010 and 2011. A questionnaire was sent to two key informants from each of the six former Yugoslavian countries. The set of questions encompassed the following categories: organization and financing, accessibility, patient/community involvement, quality control and academic position of primary care. Primary care is officially declared as a priority and health centers are still formally responsible for implementing primary care. Different organizational approaches to primary care were reported: predominant independent practices, health centers as an exclusive form and forms health centers and independent practices coexist. We could not find a unique pattern of covering primary care principles in different organizations. Formally, health centers still play an important role in the countries of former Yugoslavia, but major differences between PHC policies and their implementation have appeared. A consensus about an appropriate delivery of medical care to cover the primary care principles no longer exists. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Intention and Usage of Computer Based Information Systems in Primary Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosizah; Kuntoro; Basuki N., Hari

    2016-01-01

    The computer-based information system (CBIS) is adopted by almost all of in health care setting, including the primary health center in East Java Province Indonesia. Some of softwares available were SIMPUS, SIMPUSTRONIK, SIKDA Generik, e-puskesmas. Unfortunately they were most of the primary health center did not successfully implemented. This…

  6. 77 FR 24628 - World Trade Center Health Program Requirements for the Addition of New WTC-Related Health Conditions

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-25

    ... World Trade Center Health Program Requirements for the Addition of New WTC-Related Health Conditions...) to establish the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. Sections 3311, 3312, and 3321 of Title..., 2012. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy M. Fleming, Sc.D., Senior Science Advisor, World Trade...

  7. Area Health Education Centers: The Pioneering Years, 1972-1978.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Odegaard, Charles E.

    Federal policies and contracts relating to Area Health Education Centers are examined. The evolution of federal programs in the health field is traced, including a discussion of the Carnegie Commission's special reports, the Comprehensive Health Manpower Training Act of 1971, and subsequent amendments to the Act. A detailed outline of the…

  8. A Model for a Health Career Information Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruhn, John G.; And Others

    1980-01-01

    One part of a model health career information center was a toll-free health careers hotline which provided information to high school and college students, parents, counselors, and teachers. Evaluation of the hotline indicates that it fills a need, is considered useful by callers, and is of relatively small cost. (Author/CT)

  9. [Drug information centers-instruments for health care research?].

    PubMed

    Hach, Isabel; Meusel, Dirk; Maywald, Ulf; Kirch, Wilhelm

    2005-07-15

    Patient- and physician-centered drug information services (DICs) can contribute to a better communication between doctors and patients and health care research. Furthermore, gaps within health care can be identified. Data of two DICs (the physician-centered service is in operation for almost 10 years, the patient-centered service since 2001), both established in the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology of the TU Dresden, Germany, were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The consultation frequency in both DICs was high (2004: 129 enquiries by physicians; 1,358 by patients). Questions concerning highly prevalent drug groups, i. e., cardiovascular drugs (physicians: 20%; patients: 30%) and drugs targeting the central nervous system (physicians: 22%; patients: 17%) were asked most frequently. The results indicate that patient's drug information in primary care needs improvement. Although in both DICs similar drug groups were asked, the authors suggest that the time factor is the core obstacle to sufficient information rather than knowledge deficits of physicians.

  10. A call for collaboration on respectful, person-centered health care in family planning and maternal health.

    PubMed

    Holt, Kelsey; Caglia, Jacquelyn M; Peca, Emily; Sherry, James M; Langer, Ana

    2017-02-02

    Striking tales of people judged, disrespected, or abused in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) services are commonly exchanged among friends and families throughout the world while remaining sorely under-addressed in global health. Disrespect and abuse of individuals and providers in health services across the RMNCAH continuum must be stopped through collaborative, multi-tiered efforts. A new focus on health care quality in the Sustainable Development Goals offers an opportunity to seriously reexamine user experiences and their impact on health care utilization. The new framework provides an opening to redress the insidious problem of negative interactions with care across the RMNCAH services continuum and redraft the blueprint for service delivery and performance measurement, placing individuals and their needs at the center. Both the maternal health and family planning fields are at a turning point in their histories of defining and addressing individuals' experiences of care. In this commentary, we review these histories and the current state-of-the-art in both fields. Though the approaches and language in each sub-field vary, person-centered care principles related to the essential role of individuals' preferences, needs and values, and the importance of informed decision-making, respect, privacy and confidentiality, and non-discrimination, are integral to all. Promoting respectful, person-centered care also requires recognizing the factors that lead to poor treatment of clients, including gender norms and unsupportive working conditions for providers. Lessons can be learned from innovative efforts across the continuum to support health care providers to provide respectful, person-centered care. Efforts in the maternal health and family planning fields to define respectful, person-centered care provide a useful foundation from which to connect across the continuum of RMNCAH services. Now is the time to creatively work

  11. Logic-centered architecture for ubiquitous health monitoring.

    PubMed

    Lewandowski, Jacek; Arochena, Hisbel E; Naguib, Raouf N G; Chao, Kuo-Ming; Garcia-Perez, Alexeis

    2014-09-01

    One of the key points to maintain and boost research and development in the area of smart wearable systems (SWS) is the development of integrated architectures for intelligent services, as well as wearable systems and devices for health and wellness management. This paper presents such a generic architecture for multiparametric, intelligent and ubiquitous wireless sensing platforms. It is a transparent, smartphone-based sensing framework with customizable wireless interfaces and plug'n'play capability to easily interconnect third party sensor devices. It caters to wireless body, personal, and near-me area networks. A pivotal part of the platform is the integrated inference engine/runtime environment that allows the mobile device to serve as a user-adaptable personal health assistant. The novelty of this system lays in a rapid visual development and remote deployment model. The complementary visual Inference Engine Editor that comes with the package enables artificial intelligence specialists, alongside with medical experts, to build data processing models by assembling different components and instantly deploying them (remotely) on patient mobile devices. In this paper, the new logic-centered software architecture for ubiquitous health monitoring applications is described, followed by a discussion as to how it helps to shift focus from software and hardware development, to medical and health process-centered design of new SWS applications.

  12. Using women's health research to develop women leaders in academic health sciences: the National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health.

    PubMed

    Carnes, M; VandenBosche, G; Agatisa, P K; Hirshfield, A; Dan, A; Shaver, J L; Murasko, D; McLaughlin, M

    2001-01-01

    While the number of women entering U.S. medical schools has risen substantially in the past 25 years, the number of women in leadership positions in academic medicine is disproportionately small. The traditional pathway to academic leadership is through research. Women's health research is an ideal venue to fill the pipeline with talented women physicians and scientists who may become academic leaders in positions where they can promote positive change in women's health as well as mentor other women. The Office on Women's Health (OWH) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has contracted with 18 academic medical centers to develop National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health. Emphasizing the integral link between women's health and women leaders, each of the Centers of Excellence must develop a leadership plan for women in academic medicine as part of the contract requirements. This paper describes the training programs in women's health research that have developed at five of the academic medical centers: the University of Wisconsin, Magee Women's Hospital, the University of Maryland, Medical College of Pennsylvania Hahnemann University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. We discuss some of the challenges faced for both initiation and future viability of these programs as well as criteria by which these programs will be evaluated for success.

  13. 78 FR 38983 - World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP-STAC)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP-STAC) Correction: This notice was... and Control, (BSC, NCIPC) and the name of the Committee should read World Trade Center Health Program...

  14. The Association of Electronic Health Record Adoption with Staffing Mix in Community Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Frogner, Bianca K; Wu, Xiaoli; Park, Jeongyoung; Pittman, Patricia

    2017-02-01

    To assess how medical staffing mix changed over time in association with the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in community health centers (CHCs). Community health centers within the 50 states and Washington, DC. Estimated how the change in the share of total medical staff full-time equivalents (FTE) by provider category between 2007 and 2013 was associated with EHR adoption using fractional multinomial logit. 2007-2013 Uniform Data System, an administrative data set of Section 330 federal grant recipients; and Readiness for Meaningful Use and HIT and Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition Survey responses collected from Section 330 recipients between December 2010 and February 2011. Having an EHR system did significantly shift the share of workers over time between physicians and each of the other categories of health care workers. While an EHR system significantly shifted the share of physician and other medical staff, this effect did not significantly vary over time. CHCs with EHRs by the end of the study period had a relatively greater proportion of other medical staff compared to the proportion of physicians. Electronic health records appeared to influence staffing allocation in CHCs such that other medical staff may be used to support adoption of EHRs as well as be leveraged as an important care provider. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  15. Sustaining the edge: factors influencing strategy selection in academic health centers.

    PubMed

    Walsh, Anne M; Szabat, Kathryn

    2002-01-01

    Competition within the acute care sector as well as increased penetration by managed care organizations has influenced the structure and role of academic health centers during the past decade. The market factors confronting academic health centers are not dissimilar from conditions that confront other organizations competing in mature industries characterized by declining profitability and intense rivalry for market share. When confronted with intense competition or adverse external events, organizations in other industries have responded to potential threats by forming alliances, developing joint ventures, or merging with another firm to maintain their competitive advantage. Although mergers and acquisitions dominated the strategic landscape in the healthcare industry during the past decade, recent evidence suggests that other types of strategic ventures may offer similar economic and contracting benefits to member organizations. Academic health centers have traditionally been involved in network relationships with multiple partners via their shared technology, collaborative research, and joint educational endeavors. These quasi-organizational relationships appear to have provided a framework for strategic decisions and allowed executives of academic health centers to select strategies that were competitive yet closely aligned with their organizational mission. The analysis of factors that influenced strategy selection by executives of academic health centers suggests a deliberate and methodical approach to achieving market share objectives, expanding managed care contracts, and developing physician networks.

  16. The Health of Children--1970: Selected Data From the National Center for Health Statistics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Center for Health Statistics (DHEW/PHS), Hyattsville, MD.

    In this booklet, charts and graphs present data from four divisions of the National Center for Health Statistics. The divisions represented are those concerned with vital statistics (births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages and divorces); health interview statistics (information on health and demographic factors related to illness); health…

  17. The Role of School Based Health Centers (SBHCs) in Improving Health Equity and Reducing Health Disparities. Position Statement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blacksin, Beth; Gall, Gail; Feldman, Elizabeth; Miller, Elizabeth

    2010-01-01

    Health inequities exist largely among socially disadvantaged people who are denied the highest attainable standard of health available to many Americans. Access to culturally competent, high quality, first-contact primary care through school-based health centers is an effective way to reduce health inequities and, therefore, improve health…

  18. Oregon School-Based Health Centers 1996-1997 Services Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexander, Tammis; Nystrom, Robert J.; Spitz, Lauren

    School based health centers (SBHC) are effective providers of health services and education because they are easy for students to access, they take an integrated and developmentally appropriate approach to meeting health needs, and they are prevention-oriented. This report describes the 1996-1997 services provided in 15 of 19 state-supported…

  19. Opportunities for Increasing Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Provision in School Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moss, Jennifer L.; Feld, Ashley L.; O'Malley, Brittany; Entzel, Pamela; Smith, Jennifer S.; Gilkey, Melissa B.; Brewer, Noel T.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Uptake of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine remains low among adolescents in the United States. We sought to assess barriers to HPV vaccine provision in school health centers to inform subsequent interventions. Methods: We conducted structured interviews in the fall of 2010 with staff from all 33 school health centers in North…

  20. Managing the risks of on-site health centers.

    PubMed

    Gorman, Kathleen M; Miller, Ross M

    2011-11-01

    This review sought to assess compliance concerns, determine risk management strategies, and identify opportunities for future research to contribute to employers' understanding of the laws and regulations that apply to on-site care. A comprehensive review of databases, professional organizations' websites, and journals resulted in 22 publications reporting on the consequences of noncompliance among on-site health centers accepted for inclusion. None of those studies reported a study design or quantifiable outcome data. Two noncompliance themes were repeated among the publications. First, direct penalties included fines, civil actions, loss of licensure, and, potentially, criminal charges. Second, noncompliance also resulted in indirect costs such as employee mistrust and lowered standards of care, which jeopardize on-site health centers' ability to demonstrate a return on investment. Further research with rigorous methodology is needed to inform employer decisions about on-site health services and associated risk management. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

  1. Cultural health capital and the interactional dynamics of patient-centered care

    PubMed Central

    Dubbin, Leslie A.; Chang, Jamie Suki; Shim, Janet K.

    2014-01-01

    As intuitive and inviting as it may appear, the concept of patient-centered care has been difficult to conceptualize, institutionalize and operationalize. Informed by Bourdieu's concepts of cultural capital and habitus, we employ the framework of cultural health capital to uncover the ways in which both patients' and providers' cultural resources, assets, and interactional styles influence their abilities to mutually achieve patient-centered care. Cultural health capital is defined as a specialized collection of cultural skills, attitudes, behaviors and interactional styles that are valued, leveraged, and exchanged by both patients and providers during clinical interactions. In this paper, we report the findings of a qualitative study conducted from 2010 to 2011 in the Western United States. We investigated the various elements of cultural health capital, how patients and providers used cultural health capital to engage with each other, and how this process shaped the patient-centeredness of interactions. We find that the accomplishment of patient-centered care is highly dependent upon habitus and the cultural health capital that both patients and providers bring to health care interactions. Not only are some cultural resources more highly valued than others, their differential mobilization can facilitate or impede engagement and communication between patients and their providers. The focus of cultural health capital on the ways fundamental social inequalities are manifest in clinical interactions enables providers, patients, and health care organizations to consider how such inequalities can confound patient-centered care. PMID:23906128

  2. [Change of citizen's expectations for health activity in transition to a "Core City": focus on newly established public health centers].

    PubMed

    Hoshiko, Michiko; Hara, Kunio; Ishitake, Tatsuya

    2010-01-01

    This article aims to predict the future course of city administration and public health centers through clarifying the actual state and local residents' expectations of new public health centers on becoming a "Core City". Online questionnaire surveys targeting Kurume City residents were conducted in March 2008 (before becoming a Core City) and in October 2008, six months after becoming a Core City. Questions involved awareness of the Core City concept and the expectations for administration of the Core City and its new public health centers. The recognition rate for the Core City concept was 62.6% in the first questionnaire survey and 78.9% in the second survey, demonstrating a significant increase (P < 0.001). The expectations for the Core City centered on "Vitalization of the city" in both surveys. However, in the second survey results, "Nothing in particular" accounted for 81.2% of the responses for what the residents felt as a change after becoming a Core City. On the other hand, "Vitalization of the city" recorded 5.5% for the same question, showing a low rate. "Health promotion, Cancer check-ups, and Vaccination" were the most commonly chosen responses regarding expectations of the new public health centers in both surveys, accounting for approximately 30%. Nonetheless, the response to a question asking about actual utilization of the public health centers revealed a high rate of 83.4% for "Nothing in particular" in the second survey result. The recognition rate for the "Health Promotional Members" system implemented by the Kurume City public health centers from 2007 was a low 6.5%. Furthermore, the responses to the "District-Assigned Public Health Service" system to be introduced from 2009 were: In favor 52.6%, Opposed 3.0%, and Neither 44.3%. Although residents' expectations of public health centers are high, the surveys revealed that the health promotional activities provided by the public health centers were not fully utilized. In the future, the

  3. A Strategic Planning Model for Community Mental Health Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Del Pizzo, Les; And Others

    1987-01-01

    Describes a strategic plan developed at a community mental health center, the Summit Center for Human Development, to deal with its own survival while public demand increases, and federal and state programs are cut back. Examines current and prospective services and outlines directions for enhancing the mandated and optional services provided…

  4. Health services at the Kennedy Space Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ferguson, E. B.; Humbert, P.; Long, I. D.; Tipton, D. A.

    1992-01-01

    Comprehensive occupational health services are provided to approximately 17,000 workers at the Kennedy Space Center and an additional 6000 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. These areas cover about 120,000 acres encompassing part of the Merritt Island Wild Life Refuge and wetlands which are the habitat of numerous endangered and protected species of wildlife. The services provided at the Kennedy Space Center optimally assure a safe and healthy working environment for the employees engaged in the preparation and launching of this country's Space Shuttle and other important space exploration programs.

  5. Hypothesis generation using network structures on community health center cancer-screening performance.

    PubMed

    Carney, Timothy Jay; Morgan, Geoffrey P; Jones, Josette; McDaniel, Anna M; Weaver, Michael T; Weiner, Bryan; Haggstrom, David A

    2015-10-01

    Nationally sponsored cancer-care quality-improvement efforts have been deployed in community health centers to increase breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer-screening rates among vulnerable populations. Despite several immediate and short-term gains, screening rates remain below national benchmark objectives. Overall improvement has been both difficult to sustain over time in some organizational settings and/or challenging to diffuse to other settings as repeatable best practices. Reasons for this include facility-level changes, which typically occur in dynamic organizational environments that are complex, adaptive, and unpredictable. This study seeks to understand the factors that shape community health center facility-level cancer-screening performance over time. This study applies a computational-modeling approach, combining principles of health-services research, health informatics, network theory, and systems science. To investigate the roles of knowledge acquisition, retention, and sharing within the setting of the community health center and to examine their effects on the relationship between clinical decision support capabilities and improvement in cancer-screening rate improvement, we employed Construct-TM to create simulated community health centers using previously collected point-in-time survey data. Construct-TM is a multi-agent model of network evolution. Because social, knowledge, and belief networks co-evolve, groups and organizations are treated as complex systems to capture the variability of human and organizational factors. In Construct-TM, individuals and groups interact by communicating, learning, and making decisions in a continuous cycle. Data from the survey was used to differentiate high-performing simulated community health centers from low-performing ones based on computer-based decision support usage and self-reported cancer-screening improvement. This virtual experiment revealed that patterns of overall network symmetry, agent

  6. Reinventing the academic health center.

    PubMed

    Kirch, Darrell G; Grigsby, R Kevin; Zolko, Wayne W; Moskowitz, Jay; Hefner, David S; Souba, Wiley W; Carubia, Josephine M; Baron, Steven D

    2005-11-01

    Academic health centers have faced well-documented internal and external challenges over the last decade, putting pressure on organizational leaders to develop new strategies to improve performance while simultaneously addressing employee morale, patient satisfaction, educational outcomes, and research growth. In the aftermath of a failed merger, new leaders of The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center encountered a climate of readiness for a transformational change. In a case study of this process, nine critical success factors are described that contributed to significant performance improvement: performing a campus-wide cultural assessment and acting decisively on the results; making values explicit and active in everyday decisions; aligning corporate structure and governance to unify the academic enterprise and health system; aligning the next tier of administrative structure and function; fostering collaboration and accountability-the creation of unified campus teams; articulating a succinct, highly focused, and compelling vision and strategic plan; using the tools of mission-based management to realign resources; focusing leadership recruitment on organizational fit; and "growing your own" through broad-based leadership development. Outcomes assessment data for academic, research, and clinical performance showed significant gains between 2000 and 2004. Organizational transformation as a result of the nine factors is possible in other institutional settings and can facilitate a focus on crucial quality initiatives.

  7. A public health training center experience: professional continuing education at schools of public health.

    PubMed

    Potter, Margaret A; Fertman, Carl I; Eggleston, Molly M; Holtzhauer, Frank; Pearsol, Joanne

    2008-01-01

    The Public Health Training Center (PHTC) national program was first established at accredited schools of public health in 2000. The PHTC program used the US Health Resources and Services Administration's grants to build workforce development programs, attracting schools as training providers and the workforce as training clients. This article is a reflection on the experience of two schools, whose partnership supported one of the PHTCs, for the purpose of opening a conversation about the future of continuing education throughout schools and degree programs of public health. This partnership, the Pennsylvania & Ohio Public Health Training Center (POPHTC), concentrated its funding on more intensive training of public healthcare workers through a relatively narrow inventory of courses that were delivered typically in-person rather than by distance-learning technologies. This approach responded to the assessed needs and preferences of the POPHTC's workforce population. POPHTC's experience may not be typical among the PHTCs nationally, but the collective experience of all PHTCs is instructive to schools of public health as they work to meet an increasing demand for continuing education from the public health workforce.

  8. The Potential of School-Linked Centers To Promote Adolescent Health and Development. Working Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Millstein, Susan G.

    The future of school-linked adolescent health centers cannot be determined without further evaluation. The recent development of school-linked health centers stems from concerns about the special health needs of adolescents. Currently there are 125 school-based and school-linked centers in operation. Characteristics include the following: (1) most…

  9. Outpatient prescription practices in rural township health centers in Sichuan Province, China

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Sichuan Province is an agricultural and economically developing province in western China. To understand practices of prescribing medications for outpatients in rural township health centers is important for the development of the rural medical and health services in this province and western China. Methods This is an observational study based on data from the 4th National Health Services Survey of China. A total of 3,059 prescriptions from 30 township health centers in Sichuan Province were collected and analyzed. Seven indicators were employed in the analyses to characterize the prescription practices. They are disease distribution, average cost per encounter, number of medications per encounter, percentage of encounters with antibiotics, percentage of encounters with glucocorticoids, percentage of encounters with combined glucocorticoids and antibiotics, and percentage of encounters with injections. Results The average medication cost per encounter was 16.30 Yuan ($2.59). About 60% of the prescriptions contained Chinese patent medicine (CPM), and almost all prescriptions (98.07%) contained western medicine. 85.18% of the prescriptions contained antibiotics, of which, 24.98% contained two or more types of antibiotics; the percentage of prescriptions with glucocorticoids was 19.99%; the percentage of prescriptions with both glucocorticoids and antibiotics was 16.67%; 51.40% of the prescriptions included injections, of which, 39.90% included two or more injections. Conclusions The findings from this study demonstrated irrational medication uses of antibiotics, glucocorticoids and injections prescribed for outpatients in the rural township health centers in Sichuan Province. The reasons for irrational medication uses are not only solely due to the pursuit of maximizing benefits in the township health centers, but also more likely attributable to the lack of medical knowledge of rational medication uses among rural doctors and the lack of medical devices

  10. Information about Sexual Health on Crisis Pregnancy Center Web Sites: Accurate for Adolescents?

    PubMed

    Bryant-Comstock, Katelyn; Bryant, Amy G; Narasimhan, Subasri; Levi, Erika E

    2016-02-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality and accuracy of sexual health information on crisis pregnancy center Web sites listed in state resource directories for pregnant women, and whether these Web sites specifically target adolescents. A survey of sexual health information presented on the Web sites of crisis pregnancy centers. Internet. Crisis pregnancy center Web sites. Evaluation of the sexual health information presented on crisis pregnancy center Web sites. Themes included statements that condoms are not effective, promotion of abstinence-only education, availability of comprehensive sexual education, appeal to a young audience, provision of comprehensive sexual health information, and information about sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Crisis pregnancy center Web sites provide inaccurate and misleading information about condoms, STIs, and methods to prevent STI transmission. This information might be particularly harmful to adolescents, who might be unable to discern the quality of sexual health information on crisis pregnancy center Web sites. Listing crisis pregnancy centers in state resource directories might lend legitimacy to the information on these Web sites. States should be discouraged from listing Web sites as an accurate source of information in their resource directories. Copyright © 2016 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Innovation in the safety net: integrating community health centers through accountable care.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Valerie A; Colla, Carrie H; Schoenherr, Karen E; Shortell, Stephen M; Fisher, Elliott S

    2014-11-01

    Safety net primary care providers, including as community health centers, have long been isolated from mainstream health care providers. Current delivery system reforms such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) may either reinforce the isolation of these providers or may spur new integration of safety net providers. This study examines the extent of community health center involvement in ACOs, as well as how and why ACOs are partnering with these safety net primary care providers. Mixed methods study pairing the cross-sectional National Survey of ACOs (conducted 2012 to 2013), followed by in-depth, qualitative interviews with a subset of ACOs that include community health centers (conducted 2013). One hundred and seventy-three ACOs completed the National Survey of ACOs. Executives from 18 ACOs that include health centers participated in in-depth interviews, along with leadership at eight community health centers participating in ACOs. Key survey measures include ACO organizational characteristics, care management and quality improvement capabilities. Qualitative interviews used a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, then coded for thematic content using NVivo software. Overall, 28% of ACOs include a community health center (CHC). ACOs with CHCs are similar to those without CHCs in organizational structure, care management and quality improvement capabilities. Qualitative results showed two major themes. First, ACOs with CHCs typically represent new relationships or formal partnerships between CHCs and other local health care providers. Second, CHCs are considered valued partners brought into ACOs to expand primary care capacity and expertise. A substantial number of ACOs include CHCs. These results suggest that rather than reinforcing segmentation of safety net providers from the broader delivery system, the ACO model may lead to the integration of safety net primary care providers.

  12. Provision of emergency contraception at student health centers in California community colleges.

    PubMed

    Trieu, Sang Leng; Shenoy, Divya P; Bratton, Sally; Marshak, Helen Hopp

    2011-01-01

    Approximately half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, with the highest rates reported among college-age women. The availability of emergency contraception (EC) pills can be an important component of efforts to reduce unintended pregnancy. Student health centers at community colleges can uniquely support student retention and academic achievement among college students by making EC available to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy and prevent college drop-out. This article highlights findings from an assessment of EC provision in student health centers within the California community college system (n = 73). A web-based survey was used to explore the provision of EC, challenges and barriers of EC administration, promotion of EC availability, and attitudes toward EC. Descriptive statistics conducted revealed that more than 6 out of 10 (62%) student health centers provided EC, 77% of which dispense EC on site during clinic visits. The most common EC promotion methods were providing brochures at the health center (80%) and through information provided at family planning or primary care visits (73%). Challenges to EC administration included a perceived lack of awareness of EC among students (71%), followed by the notion that some students may overutilize EC (40%). Attitudes toward EC provision were more favorable among health center staff whose campuses offered EC than those who did not (p < .05). This article provides recommendations for community college health centers to improve access and delivery of EC by addressing issues such as cost and offering more novel EC promotion methods. Copyright © 2011 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. The occupational safety of health professionals working at community and family health centers.

    PubMed

    Ozturk, Havva; Babacan, Elif

    2014-10-01

    Healthcare professionals encounter many medical risks while providing healthcare services to individuals and the community. Thus, occupational safety studies are very important in health care organizations. They involve studies performed to establish legal, technical, and medical measures that must be taken to prevent employees from sustaining physical or mental damage because of work hazards. This study was conducted to determine if the occupational safety of health personnel at community and family health centers (CHC and FHC) has been achieved. The population of this cross-sectional study comprised 507 nurses, 199 physicians, and 237 other medical personnel working at a total of 18 family health centers (FHC) and community health centers (CHC) in Trabzon, Turkey. The sample consisted of a total of 418 nurses, 156 physicians, and 123 other medical personnel. Sampling method was not used, and the researchers tried to reach the whole population. Data were gathered with the Occupational Safety Scale (OSS) and a questionnaire regarding demographic characteristics and occupational safety. According to the evaluations of all the medical personnel, the mean ± SD of total score of the OSS was 3.57 ± 0.98; of the OSS's subscales, the mean ± SD of the health screening and registry systems was 2.76 ± 1.44, of occupational diseases and problems was 3.04 ± 1.3 and critical fields control was 3.12 ± 1.62. In addition, occupational safety was found more insufficient by nurses (F = 14.18; P < 0.001). All healthcare personnel, particularly nurses working in CHCs and FHCs found occupational safety to be insufficient as related to protective and supportive activities.

  14. Strategies to improve chronic disease management in seven metro Boston community health centers.

    PubMed

    Ndumele, Chima D; Russell, Beverley E; Ayanian, John Z; Landon, Bruce E; Keegan, Thomas; O'Malley, A James; Hicks, Leroi S

    2009-01-01

    The Community, Health Center, and Academic Medicine Partnership Project (CHAMPP) is a partnership between medical researchers, community health centers (CHCs), and a community advisory committee focused on reducing cardiovascular morbidity related to hypertension and diabetes for non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic populations in Boston, Massachusetts. We conducted site visits at seven participating CHCs, located in Boston. The visits were to solicit health center staff opinions about site-specific barriers and enabling factors for optimum preventative cardiovascular care for racial/ethnic minority patients receiving hypertension and diabetes care at their centers. Site visits included a tour of each health center and a series of directed interviews with center personnel. Site visit notes were reviewed to identify themes that emerged during the course of each site visit. A summary matrix was developed for each health center, which included information regarding the most salient and persistent themes of the visit. Site visits uncovered several patient-, provider-, CHC-, and community-based factors that either facilitate or hinder optimal care of chronic disease patients. Commonly referenced barriers included the need for improved patient adherence to provider recommendations; insufficient time for providers to address complex health issues presented by patients and the need for a broader range of healthier food options in surrounding communities. Interactive patient groups and community health workers (CHWs) have been well received when implemented. Recommendations included adopting case management as a part of usual care for chronic disease patients; additionally, widespread implementation of CHWs may to provide a platform for more comprehensive care for patients.

  15. [Knowledge, attitude and practice of breast self-examination in health centers].

    PubMed

    Marinho, Luiz Alberto Barcelos; Costa-Gurgel, Maria Salete; Cecatti, José Guilherme; Osis, Maria José Duarte

    2003-10-01

    Breast cancer is one of the most important problems of public health and education regarding breast self-examination is one of the important steps for identifying breast tumors at an early stage. The present study was carried out to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice of breast self-examination among patients attending health centers. In a KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) survey 663 women of 13 randomly selected municipal health centers were interviewed. The number of interviews in each health center was proportional to the mean number of women seen per month. In the data analysis, women's answers for knowledge, attitude and practice regarding breast self-examination were classified according to their adequacy as previously defined. Adequacy was compared among categories of control variables with Chi2 test. The results showed that knowledge and practice of breast self-examination were adequate in 7.4% and 16.7%, respectively. However, attitude was adequate in 95.9% of the women interviewed. The study also showed that 58.1% of the women interviewed referred that forgetfulness was the main barrier for not performing self-examination. Women attending the health centers sampled in this study had inadequate knowledge and practice about breast self-examination but they had an adequate and favorable attitude about it.

  16. Physician retention in community and migrant health centers: who stays and for how long?

    PubMed

    Singer, J D; Davidson, S M; Graham, S; Davidson, H S

    1998-08-01

    This study used discrete-time survival analysis to estimate the tenure of primary care physicians in Community Health Centers (CHCs), to identify the changing risk of leaving Community Health Center employment as time passes, and to identify factors associated with a physician's likelihood of remaining in a Community Health Center. Because of dramatic differences in physician career trajectories, much of the focus was on differences between physicians with and without National Health Service Corps obligations. Beginning with an administrative dataset at the Bureau of Primary Health Care that listed primary care physicians for each Community Health Center, the completeness and accuracy of the information provided were verified and an analytic database of all physicians working in those centers during a 21-month measurement window from January 1, 1990 through September 30, 1992 was constructed. The data included start and end dates, percent full-time equivalent status, and certain demographic characteristics. In addition, several data elements describing the Community Health Center were merged onto each physician record. These included urban or rural location, expenditure level, productivity, and federal grade. Through the use of discrete-time survival analysis, it was possible to include in the analytic sample all 2,654 physicians who worked during the period, even those who started working before January 1, 1990 and those who were still working on September 30, 1992. Survivor functions were estimated showing the proportion of physicians remaining after each quarter of their tenure (ie, after the fourth quarter of work, after the 12th quarter of work, etc). In addition, hazard functions were estimated showing the risk that a physician who had worked through the end of one quarter would leave during the following quarter. Finally, multivariate analysis demonstrated the relation of certain physician and center characteristics to the likelihood of the physician

  17. Center Director Bridges opens Super Safety and Health Day at KSC.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    Center Director Roy Bridges opens the second Super Safety and Health Day at Kennedy Space Center, an entire day when most normal work activities are suspended to allow personnel to attend safety- and health-related activities. The theme, 'Safety and Health Go Hand in Hand,' emphasized KSC's commitment to place the safety and health of the public, astronauts, employees and space- related resources first and foremost. Events included a keynote address, a panel session about related issues, vendor exhibits, and safety training in work groups. The keynote address and panel session were also broadcast internally over NASA television.

  18. 77 FR 2548 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-18

    ... Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the...), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) announces the following meeting of the aforementioned...; review of the ambulatory and hospital care statistics program; a discussion of the NHANES genetics...

  19. Access to Care and Satisfaction Among Health Center Patients With Chronic Conditions.

    PubMed

    Shi, Leiyu; Lee, De-Chih; Haile, Geraldine Pierre; Liang, Hailun; Chung, Michelle; Sripipatana, Alek

    This study examined access to care and satisfaction among health center patients with chronic conditions. Data for this study were obtained from the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey. Dependent variables of interest included 5 measures of access to and satisfaction with care, whereas the main independent variable was number of chronic conditions. Results of bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regressions showed that patients with chronic conditions had significantly higher odds of reporting access barriers than those without chronic conditions. Our results suggested that additional efforts and resources are necessary to address the needs of health center patients with chronic conditions.

  20. Improving Staff Productivity in Mental Health Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Southern Regional Education Board, Atlanta, GA.

    This guide is concerned with productivity measurement and improvement in mental health centers, and focuses on the relationship between service outputs and available clinical staff, i.e., staff productivity. Staff productivity measures are described as useful in identifying existing levels of productivity, making comparisons to determine the…

  1. 76 FR 27648 - World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention World Trade... Prevention (CDC), announces the establishment of the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Scientific..., Designated Federal Officer, World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee...

  2. Value of chiropractic services at an on-site health center.

    PubMed

    Krause, Curt A; Kaspin, Lisa; Gorman, Kathleen M; Miller, Ross M

    2012-08-01

    Chiropractic care offered at an on-site health center could reduce the economic and clinical burden of musculoskeletal conditions. A retrospective claims analysis and clinical evaluation were performed to assess the influence of on-site chiropractic services on health care utilization and outcomes. Patients treated off-site were significantly more likely to have physical therapy (P < 0.0001) and outpatient visits (P < 0.0001). In addition, the average total number of health care visits, radiology procedures, and musculoskeletal medication use per patient with each event were significantly higher for the off-site group (all P < 0.0001). Last, headache, neck pain, and low back pain-functional status improved significantly (all P < 0.0001). These results suggest that chiropractic services offered at on-site health centers may promote lower utilization of certain health care services, while improving musculoskeletal function.

  3. Providing and funding breast health services in urban nurse-managed health centers.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Pei-Yun; Peterman, Beth; Baisch, Mary Jo; Ji, Eun Sun; Zwiers, Kelly

    2014-01-01

    Nurse-managed health centers (NMHCs) are an innovative health care delivery model that serves as an important point of health care access for populations at risk for disparities in health outcomes. This article describes the process and outcomes of clinical breast health services in two NMHCs located in a large Midwestern city. Findings indicate that client's knowledge about breast health was increased after they received breast health services from NMHC nurses. Significant positive changes in behavior related to the early detection of breast cancer were found in the study. NMHCs, identified for expansion in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, offer a unique health care services delivery model that promotes access to care and early identification of breast cancer in very low-income and uninsured women. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. The association between dental, general, and mental health status among underserved and vulnerable populations served at health centers in the US.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Vy H; Lin, Sue C; Cappelli, David P; Nair, Suma

    2018-12-01

    Vulnerable populations in underserved communities are disproportionately at high risk for multiple medical, dental, and behavioral health conditions. This study aims to: a) examine the occurrence of acute dental needs and b) investigate the association of acute dental needs and self-rated general and mental health status among the adult dentate health center population. This cross-sectional study analyzed data on adult patients (n = 5,035) from the 2014 Health Center Patient Survey, a nationally representative survey of health center patients. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association of acute dental needs and a) self-rated general health status and b) mental health status. Approximately, two thirds of adult dentate heath center patients reported having an acute dental need. After adjusting for confounding factors, not having or having had health insurance that pays for dental care, general health status of fair or poor, and ever having a mental illness were associated with higher odds of having an acute dental need. The results highlight the role of health centers in addressing oral health disparities among vulnerable populations and the importance of a team-based multidisciplinary approach to ensuring the integration and coordination of oral health services within a comprehensive primary care delivery system. © 2017 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

  5. CMS Innovation Center Health Care Innovation Awards

    PubMed Central

    Berry, Sandra H.; Concannon, Thomas W.; Morganti, Kristy Gonzalez; Auerbach, David I.; Beckett, Megan K.; Chen, Peggy G.; Farley, Donna O.; Han, Bing; Harris, Katherine M.; Jones, Spencer S.; Liu, Hangsheng; Lovejoy, Susan L.; Marsh, Terry; Martsolf, Grant R.; Nelson, Christopher; Okeke, Edward N.; Pearson, Marjorie L.; Pillemer, Francesca; Sorbero, Melony E.; Towe, Vivian; Weinick, Robin M.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has funded 108 Health Care Innovation Awards, funded through the Affordable Care Act, for applicants who proposed compelling new models of service delivery or payment improvements that promise to deliver better health, better health care, and lower costs through improved quality of care for Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program enrollees. CMS is also interested in learning how new models would affect subpopulations of beneficiaries (e.g., those eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and complex patients) who have unique characteristics or health care needs that could be related to poor outcomes. In addition, the initiative seeks to identify new models of workforce development and deployment, as well as models that can be rapidly deployed and have the promise of sustainability. This article describes a strategy for evaluating the results. The goal for the evaluation design process is to create standardized approaches for answering key questions that can be customized to similar groups of awardees and that allow for rapid and comparable assessment across awardees. The evaluation plan envisions that data collection and analysis will be carried out on three levels: at the level of the individual awardee, at the level of the awardee grouping, and as a summary evaluation that includes all awardees. Key dimensions for the evaluation framework include implementation effectiveness, program effectiveness, workforce issues, impact on priority populations, and context. The ultimate goal is to identify strategies that can be employed widely to lower cost while improving care. PMID:28083297

  6. Analysis of good practice of public health Emergency Operations Centers.

    PubMed

    Xu, Min; Li, Shi-Xue

    2015-08-01

    To study the public health Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs)in the US, the European Union, the UK and Australia, and summarize the good practice for the improvement of National Health Emergency Response Command Center in Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission. Literature review was conducted to explore the EOCs of selected countries. The study focused on EOC function, organizational structure, human resources and information management. The selected EOCs had the basic EOC functions of coordinating and commanding as well as the public health related functions such as monitoring the situation, risk assessment, and epidemiological briefings. The organizational structures of the EOCs were standardized, scalable and flexible. Incident Command System was the widely applied organizational structure with a strong preference. The EOCs were managed by a unit of emergency management during routine time and surge staff were engaged upon emergencies. The selected EOCs had clear information management framework including information collection, assessment and dissemination. The performance of National Health Emergency Response Command Center can be improved by learning from the good practice of the selected EOCs, including setting clear functions, standardizing the organizational structure, enhancing the human resource capacity and strengthening information management. Copyright © 2015 Hainan Medical College. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center

    MedlinePlus

    ... the Organizations Database Center for Oral Health Systems Integration and Improvement (COHSII) COHSII is a consortium promoting ... to e-mail lists Featured Resources Consensus Statement Integration Framework Bright Futures Pocket Guide Consumer Materials Special ...

  8. Public Health Potential of Farmers’ Markets on Medical Center Campuses: A Case Study From Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

    PubMed Central

    Kraschnewski, Jennifer L.; Rovniak, Liza S.

    2011-01-01

    There are currently 7175 farmers’ markets in the United States, and these organizations are increasingly viewed as one facet of the solution to national health problems. There has been a recent trend toward establishing markets on medical center campuses, and such partnerships can augment a medical center's ability to serve community health. However, to our knowledge no studies have described the emergence of a market at a medical center, the barriers and challenges such an initiative has faced, or the nature of programming it may foster. We provide a qualitative description of the process of starting a seasonal, once-a-week, producers-only market at the Pennsylvania State Hershey Medical Center, and we call for greater public health attention to these emerging community spaces. PMID:22021298

  9. Public health potential of farmers' markets on medical center campuses: a case study from Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

    PubMed

    George, Daniel R; Kraschnewski, Jennifer L; Rovniak, Liza S

    2011-12-01

    There are currently 7175 farmers' markets in the United States, and these organizations are increasingly viewed as one facet of the solution to national health problems. There has been a recent trend toward establishing markets on medical center campuses, and such partnerships can augment a medical center's ability to serve community health. However, to our knowledge no studies have described the emergence of a market at a medical center, the barriers and challenges such an initiative has faced, or the nature of programming it may foster. We provide a qualitative description of the process of starting a seasonal, once-a-week, producers-only market at the Pennsylvania State Hershey Medical Center, and we call for greater public health attention to these emerging community spaces.

  10. Administrative Challenges to the Integration of Oral Health With Primary Care: A SWOT Analysis of Health Care Executives at Federally Qualified Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Norwood, Connor W; Maxey, Hannah L; Randolph, Courtney; Gano, Laura; Kochhar, Komal

    Inadequate access to preventive oral health services contributes to oral health disparities and is a major public health concern in the United States. Federally Qualified Health Centers play a critical role in improving access to care for populations affected by oral health disparities but face a number of administrative challenges associated with implementation of oral health integration models. We conducted a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis with health care executives to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of successful oral health integration in Federally Qualified Health Centers. Four themes were identified: (1) culture of health care organizations; (2) operations and administration; (3) finance; and (4) workforce.

  11. Cigarette Smoking, Desire to Quit, and Tobacco-Related Counseling Among Patients at Adult Health Centers

    PubMed Central

    Lebrun-Harris, Lydie A.; Fiore, Michael C.; Tomoyasu, Naomi; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. We determined cigarette smoking prevalence, desire to quit, and tobacco-related counseling among a national sample of patients at health centers. Methods. Data came from the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey and the 2009 National Health Interview Survey. The analytic sample included 3949 adult patients at health centers and 27 731 US adults. Results. Thirty-one percent of health center patients were current smokers, compared with 21% of US adults in general. Among currently smoking health center patients, 83% desired to quit and 68% received tobacco counseling. In multivariable models, patients had higher adjusted odds of wanting to quit if they had indications of severe mental illness (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.19, 8.97) and lower odds if they had health insurance (AOR = 0.43; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.86). Patients had higher odds of receiving counseling if they had 2 or more chronic conditions (AOR = 2.05; 95% CI = 1.11, 3.78) and lower odds if they were Hispanic (AOR = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.34, 0.96). Conclusions. Cigarette smoking prevalence is substantially higher among patients at health centers than US adults in general. However, most smokers at health centers desire to quit. Continued efforts are warranted to reduce tobacco use in this vulnerable group. PMID:24625147

  12. Cigarette Smoking, Desire to Quit, and Tobacco-Related Counseling Among Patients at Adult Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Lebrun-Harris, Lydie A; Fiore, Michael C; Tomoyasu, Naomi; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. We determined cigarette smoking prevalence, desire to quit, and tobacco-related counseling among a national sample of patients at health centers. Methods. Data came from the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey and the 2009 National Health Interview Survey. The analytic sample included 3949 adult patients at health centers and 27 731 US adults. Results. Thirty-one percent of health center patients were current smokers, compared with 21% of US adults in general. Among currently smoking health center patients, 83% desired to quit and 68% received tobacco counseling. In multivariable models, patients had higher adjusted odds of wanting to quit if they had indications of severe mental illness (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.19, 8.97) and lower odds if they had health insurance (AOR = 0.43; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.86). Patients had higher odds of receiving counseling if they had 2 or more chronic conditions (AOR = 2.05; 95% CI = 1.11, 3.78) and lower odds if they were Hispanic (AOR = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.34, 0.96). Conclusions. Cigarette smoking prevalence is substantially higher among patients at health centers than US adults in general. However, most smokers at health centers desire to quit. Continued efforts are warranted to reduce tobacco use in this vulnerable group.

  13. Holistic Health Care for the Medically Uninsured: The Church Health Center of Memphis.

    PubMed

    Morris, G Scott

    2015-11-05

    The Church Health Center (CHC) in Memphis was founded in 1987 to provide quality, affordable health care for working, uninsured people and their families. With numerous, dedicated financial supporters and health care volunteers, CHC has become the largest faith-based health care organization of its type nationally, serving >61,000 patients. CHC embraces a holistic approach to health by promoting wellness in every dimension of life. It offers on-site services including medical care, dentistry, optometry, counseling, social work, and nutrition and fitness education, to promote wellness in every dimension of life. A 2012 economic analysis estimated that a $1 contribution to the CHC provided roughly $8 in health services. The CHC has trained >1200 Congregational Health Promoters to be health leaders and is conducting research on the effectiveness of faith community nurses partnering with congregations to assist in home care for patients recently discharged from Memphis hospitals. The MEMPHIS Plan, CHC's employer-sponsored health care plan for small business and the self-employed, offers uninsured people in lower-wage jobs access to quality, affordable health care. The CHC also conducts replications workshops several times a year to share their model with leaders in other communities. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) recently completed a case study that concluded: "The CHC is one of a very few organizations successfully embodying all three components of the IHI Triple Aim by improving population health outcomes, enhancing the individual's health care experience, and controlling costs. All three have been part of the Center's DNA since its inception, and as a transforming force in the community, the model is well worth national attention."

  14. Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers: supporting the workforce for national health security.

    PubMed

    Richmond, Alyson L; Sobelson, Robyn K; Cioffi, Joan P

    2014-01-01

    The importance of a competent and prepared national public health workforce, ready to respond to threats to the public's health, has been acknowledged in numerous publications since the 1980s. The Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLCs) were funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2010 to continue to build upon a decade of focused activities in public health workforce preparedness development initiated under the Centers for Public Health Preparedness program (http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/cphp/). All 14 PERLCs were located within Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accredited schools of public health. These centers aimed to improve workforce readiness and competence through the development, delivery, and evaluation of targeted learning programs designed to meet specific requirements of state, local, and tribal partners. The PERLCs supported organizational and community readiness locally, regionally, or nationally through the provision of technical consultation and dissemination of specific, practical tools aligned with national preparedness competency frameworks and public health preparedness capabilities. Public health agencies strive to address growing public needs and a continuous stream of current and emerging public health threats. The PERLC network represented a flexible, scalable, and experienced national learning system linking academia with practice. This system improved national health security by enhancing individual, organizational, and community performance through the application of public health science and learning technologies to frontline practice.

  15. Primary care quality: community health center and health maintenance organization.

    PubMed

    Shi, Leiyu; Starfield, Barbara; Xu, Jiahong; Politzer, Robert; Regan, Jerrilyn

    2003-08-01

    This study compares the primary health care quality of community health centers (CHCs) and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in South Carolina to elucidate the quality of CHC performance relative to mainstream settings such as the HMO. Mail surveys were used to obtain data from 350 randomly selected HMO users. Surveys with follow-up interviews were conducted to obtain data from 540 randomly selected CHC users. A validated adult primary care assessment tool was used in both surveys. Multivariate analyses were performed to assess the association of health care setting (HMO versus CHC) with primary care quality while controlling for sociodemographic and health care characteristics. After controlling for sociodemographic and health care use measures, CHC patients demonstrated higher scores in several primary care domains (ongoing care, coordination of service, comprehensiveness, and community orientation) as well as total primary care performance. Users of CHC are more likely than HMO users to rate their primary health care provider as good, except in the area of ease of first contact. The positive rating of the CHC is particularly impressive after taking into account that many CHC users have characteristics associated with poorer ratings of care.

  16. [Health Centers: science and ideology in the re-organization of public health in the twentieth century].

    PubMed

    Mello, Guilherme Arantes; Viana, Ana Luiza d'Ávila

    2011-12-01

    Health Centers appeared in the United States around 1910. They provided social assistance in conjunction with some type of medical care. Their original separation between preventive and curative medicine was superseded by the concept of whole health in the 1940s, when Health Center discourse became part of medical education. In the 1960s, the notion of community medicine arose out of the war on poverty. These ideas spread through Brazil in the 1920s and were strengthened under the Vargas policy of national construction, but it was the Serviço Especial de Saúde Pública (Special Public Health Service) that was primarily responsible for lending them their practical and conceptual shape in this country.

  17. Issues in Financing School-Based Health Centers: A Guide for State Officials.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George Washington Univ., Washington, DC.

    Despite the recent, unprecedented growth of school-based health centers and the related increased support from state government, the future of school-based health centers is uncertain. Since they can no longer rely on federal support, private insurance, or other commercial sources, each state must develop its own approach to supporting the…

  18. Integrating Mental Health in Schools: Schools, School-Based Centers, and Community Programs Working Together. A Center Brief.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California Univ., Los Angeles. Center for Mental Health in Schools.

    This paper explores why integrated efforts to include mental health in schools are important and what is involved in such an effort. In order to deal with the full continuum of school mental health concerns, a comprehensive, integrated approach is required.. To be comprehensive, the mental health focus of school based centers must be multifaceted…

  19. School-Based Health Centers to Advance Health Equity

    PubMed Central

    Knopf, John A.; Finnie, Ramona K.C.; Peng, Yinan; Hahn, Robert A.; Truman, Benedict I.; Vernon-Smiley, Mary; Johnson, Veda C.; Johnson, Robert L.; Fielding, Jonathan E.; Muntaner, Carles; Hunt, Pete C.; Jones, Camara Phyllis; Fullilove, Mindy T.

    2018-01-01

    Context Children from low-income and racial or ethnic minority populations in the U.S. are less likely to have a conventional source of medical care and more likely to develop chronic health problems than are more-affluent and non-Hispanic white children. They are more often chronically stressed, tired, and hungry, and more likely to have impaired vision and hearing—obstacles to lifetime educational achievement and predictors of adult morbidity and premature mortality. If school-based health centers (SBHCs) can overcome educational obstacles and increase receipt of needed medical services in disadvantaged populations, they can advance health equity. Evidence acquisition A systematic literature search was conducted for papers published through July 2014. Using Community Guide systematic review methods, reviewers identified, abstracted, and summarized available evidence of the effectiveness of SBHCs on educational and health-related outcomes. Analyses were conducted in 2014–2015. Evidence synthesis Most of the 46 studies included in the review evaluated onsite clinics serving urban, low-income, and racial or ethnic minority high school students. The presence and use of SBHCs were associated with improved educational (i.e., grade point average, grade promotion, suspension, and non-completion rates) and health-related outcomes (i.e., vaccination and other preventive services, asthma morbidity, emergency department use and hospital admissions, contraceptive use among females, prenatal care, birth weight, illegal substance use, and alcohol consumption). More services and more hours of availability were associated with greater reductions in emergency department overuse. Conclusions Because SBHCs improve educational and health-related outcomes in disadvantaged students, they can be effective in advancing health equity. PMID:27320215

  20. Association between Proximity to a Health Center and Early Childhood Mortality in Madagascar

    PubMed Central

    Kashima, Saori; Suzuki, Etsuji; Okayasu, Toshiharu; Jean Louis, Razafimahatratra; Eboshida, Akira; Subramanian, S. V.

    2012-01-01

    Objective To evaluate the association between proximity to a health center and early childhood mortality in Madagascar, and to assess the influence of household wealth, maternal educational attainment, and maternal health on the effects of distance. Methods From birth records of subjects in the Demographic and Health Survey, we identified 12565 singleton births from January 2004 to August 2009. After excluding 220 births that lacked global positioning system information for exposure assessment, odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for neonatal mortality and infant mortality were estimated using multilevel logistic regression models, with 12345 subjects (level 1), nested within 584 village locations (level 2), and in turn nested within 22 regions (level 3). We additionally stratified the subjects by the birth order. We estimated predicted probabilities of each outcome by a three-level model including cross-level interactions between proximity to a health center and household wealth, maternal educational attainment, and maternal anemia. Results Compared with those who lived >1.5–3.0 km from a health center, the risks for neonatal mortality and infant mortality tended to increase among those who lived further than 5.0 km from a health center; the adjusted ORs for neonatal mortality and infant mortality for those who lived >5.0–10.0 km away from a health center were 1.36 (95% CI: 0.92–2.01) and 1.42 (95% CI: 1.06–1.90), respectively. The positive associations were more pronounced among the second or later child. The distance effects were not modified by household wealth status, maternal educational attainment, or maternal health status. Conclusions Our study suggests that distance from a health center is a risk factor for early childhood mortality (primarily, infant mortality) in Madagascar by using a large-scale nationally representative dataset. The accessibility to health care in remote areas would be a key factor to achieve better

  1. Penn Center for Community Health Workers: Step-by-Step Approach to Sustain an Evidence-Based Community Health Worker Intervention at an Academic Medical Center.

    PubMed

    Morgan, Anna U; Grande, David T; Carter, Tamala; Long, Judith A; Kangovi, Shreya

    2016-11-01

    Community-engaged researchers who work with low-income communities can be reliant on grant funding. We use the illustrative case of the Penn Center for Community Health Workers (PCCHW) to describe a step-by-step framework for achieving financial sustainability for community-engaged research interventions. PCCHW began as a small grant-funded research project but followed an 8-step framework to engage both low-income patients and funders, determine outcomes, and calculate return on investment. PCCHW is now fully funded by Penn Medicine and delivers the Individualized Management for Patient-Centered Targets (IMPaCT) community health worker intervention to 2000 patients annually.

  2. Florida Public Health Training Center: Evidence-Based Online Mentor Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frahm, Kathryn A.; Alsac-Seitz, Biray; Mescia, Nadine; Brown, Lisa M.; Hyer, Kathy; Liburd, Desiree; Rogoff, David P.; Troutman, Adewale

    2013-01-01

    This article describes an Online Mentor Program (OMP) designed to support and facilitate mentorships among and between Florida Department of Health (FDOH) employees and USF College of Public Health students using a Web-based portal. The Florida Public Health Training Center (FPHTC) at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Public Health…

  3. Louisiana School-Based Health Centers: Annual Services Report, 1996-1997. Adolescent School Health Initiative Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Louisiana State Office of Public Health, New Orleans. Dept. of Health and Hospitals.

    Since 1991, 23 school health centers have been established to serve children and families through locally sponsored health and education partnerships to improve the health and learning potential of Louisiana's public school students. This report presents information on the program operation in 1996-97. Section 1 of the report describes the growth…

  4. 42 CFR 440.365 - Coverage of rural health clinic and federally qualified health center (FQHC) services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Coverage of rural health clinic and federally... clinic and federally qualified health center (FQHC) services. If a State provides benchmark or benchmark... otherwise, to rural health clinic services and FQHC services as defined in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of...

  5. Entrepreneurship and state/mental health center relationships.

    PubMed

    McLaughlin, C P; Zelman, W N

    1987-01-01

    An effective Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) program in entrepreneurship--the provision of services in the marketplace at a profit to subsidize other programs--requires the support and encouragement of the state-level mental health authority. This paper discusses potential financial, programmatic, political, and managerial risks and rewards to CMHCs and to state authorities from such efforts. As each party faces certain risks as well as rewards from such efforts, it is important that they participate in a process of mutual risk reduction involving: Documenting and legitimizing the entrepreneurship program; Separating funding for seed monies and working capital for ventures, Restructuring the Centers' finances and/or corporate structure to reduce the problems of funds diversion and comingling, Negotiating in advance how the proceeds of the ventures will be used to benefit programs, and Providing technical assistance to enhance the probabilities of success in such ventures. For these steps to work the state authorities must be willing to give up some financial and programmatic control to motivate entrepreneurship on the part of CMHCs.

  6. [Study of the work and of working in Family Health Care Support Center].

    PubMed

    Lancman, Selma; Gonçalves, Rita Maria de Abreu; Cordone, Nicole Guimarães; Barros, Juliana de Oliveira

    2013-10-01

    To understand the organization of and the working conditions in family health care support centers, as well as subjective experiences related to work in two of these centers. This was a case study carried out during 2011 and 2012 in two family health care support centers in Sao Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. Data were collected and analyzed using two theoretical-methodological references from ergonomics and work psychodynamics influenced, respectively, by ergonomic work analysis, developed based on open observations of a variety of tasks and on interviews and in practice in work psychodynamics, carried out using think tanks about the work. The work of the Family Health Care Support Centers in question is constituted on the bases of complex, diversified actions to be shared among the various professionals and teams involved. Innovative technological tools, which are not often adopted by primary health care professionals, are used and the parameters and productivity measures do not encompass the specificity and the complexity of the work performed. These situations require constant organizational rearrangement, especially between the Family Health Care Support Centers and the Family Health Care Teams, causing difficulties in carrying out the work as well as in constituting the identity of the professionals studied. The study attempts to lend greater visibility to the work processes at the Family Health Care Support Centers in order to contribute to advances in public policy on primary healthcare. It is important to stress that introducing changes at work, which affect both its organization and work conditions, is above all a commitment, which to be effective, must be permanent and must involve the different levels of hierarchy.

  7. 76 FR 38913 - World Trade Center Health Program Requirements for Enrollment, Appeals, Certification of Health...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-01

    ...Title I of the James Zadroga Health and Compensation Act of 2010 amended the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) by adding Title XXXIII, which establishes the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. Sections 3311, 3312, and 3321 of Title XXXIII of the PHS Act require that the WTC Program Administrator develop regulations to implement portions of the WTC Health Program established within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The WTC Health Program, which will be administered in part by the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will provide medical monitoring and treatment to eligible firefighters and related personnel, law enforcement officers, and rescue, recovery and cleanup workers who responded to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, Shanksville, PA, and at the Pentagon, and to eligible survivors of the New York City attacks. This interim final rule establishes the processes by which eligible responders and survivors may apply for enrollment in the WTC Health Program, obtain health monitoring and treatment for WTC-related health conditions, and appeal enrollment and treatment decisions. This interim final rule also establishes a process for the certification of health conditions, and reimbursement rates for providers who provide initial health evaluations, treatment, and health monitoring.

  8. Patient-Centered Culturally Sensitive Health Care: Trend or Major Thrust in Health Care Delivery?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Killion, Cheryl M.

    2007-01-01

    In this reaction article to the Major Contribution, the merits and challenges of implementing patient-centered culturally sensitive health care, or cultural competence plus, are explicated. Three themes are addressed: separate but equal?, factoring in mental health, and sharing the load. The need to refine the conceptualization of the two…

  9. Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Portal Implementation Toolkit for Ambulatory Clinics: A Feasibility Study.

    PubMed

    Nahm, Eun-Shim; Diblasi, Catherine; Gonzales, Eva; Silver, Kristi; Zhu, Shijun; Sagherian, Knar; Kongs, Katherine

    2017-04-01

    Personal health records and patient portals have been shown to be effective in managing chronic illnesses. Despite recent nationwide implementation efforts, the personal health record and patient portal adoption rates among patients are low, and the lack of support for patients using the programs remains a critical gap in most implementation processes. In this study, we implemented the Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit in a large diabetes/endocrinology center and assessed its preliminary impact on personal health record and patient portal knowledge, self-efficacy, patient-provider communication, and adherence to treatment plans. Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit is composed of Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit-General, clinic-level resources for clinicians, staff, and patients, and Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit Plus, an optional 4-week online resource program for patients ("MyHealthPortal"). First, Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit-General was implemented, and all clinicians and staff were educated about the center's personal health record and patient portal. Then general patient education was initiated, while a randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the preliminary effects of "MyHealthPortal" using a small sample (n = 74) with three observations (baseline and 4 and 12 weeks). The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement than the control group in patient-provider communication at 4 weeks (t56 = 3.00, P = .004). For other variables, the intervention group tended to show greater improvement; however, the differences were not significant. In this preliminary study, Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit showed potential for filling the gap in the current

  10. Case study of the integration of a local health department and a community health center.

    PubMed Central

    Lambrew, J M; Ricketts, T C; Morrissey, J P

    1993-01-01

    As rural communities struggle to sustain health services locally, innovative alternatives to traditional programs are being developed. A significant adaptation is the rural health network or alliance that links local health departments and community health centers. The authors describe how a rural local health department and community health center, the core organizations in publicly sponsored primary care, came to share a building and administrative and service activities. Both the details of this alliance and its development are examined. The case history reveals that circumstance and State involvement were the catalysts for service integration, more so than the need for or the benefits of the arrangement. The closure of a county-owned hospital created a situation in which State officials were able to broker a cooperative agreement between the two agencies. This case study suggests two hypotheses: that need for integrated services alone may not be sufficient to catalyze the development of primary care alliances and that strong policy support may override any local and internal resistance to integration. PMID:8434093

  11. A Statewide Approach to Health Care Personnel Maldistribution—The California Area Health Education Center System

    PubMed Central

    Crowder, John E.; Schnepper, James E.; Gessert, Charles

    1984-01-01

    An Area Health Education Center (AHEC) system has been established in California to address the maldistribution of physicians and other health care professionals. The AHEC program uses educational incentives to recruit and retain health care personnel in underserved areas by linking the academic resources of university health science centers with local educational and clinical facilities. The medical schools, working in partnership with urban or rural AHECs throughout the state, are implementing educational programs to attract trainees and licensed professionals to work in underserved communities. The California AHEC project entered its fifth year in October of 1983 with the participation of all eight medical schools and the Charles Drew Postgraduate School of Medicine, 35 other health professions schools, 17 independent AHECs and more than 400 clinical training sites. Educational programs are reaching more than 22,000 students and practicing health professionals throughout California. We review the current status of the California AHEC system and use the AHEC programs at Loma Linda University to illustrate the effect this intervention is having. PMID:6730500

  12. Building research infrastructure in community health centers: a Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN) report.

    PubMed

    Likumahuwa, Sonja; Song, Hui; Singal, Robbie; Weir, Rosy Chang; Crane, Heidi; Muench, John; Sim, Shao-Chee; DeVoe, Jennifer E

    2013-01-01

    This article introduces the Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN), a practice-based research network of community health centers (CHCs). Established by the Health Resources and Services Administration in 2010, CHARN is a network of 4 community research nodes, each with multiple affiliated CHCs and an academic center. The four nodes (18 individual CHCs and 4 academic partners in 9 states) are supported by a data coordinating center. Here we provide case studies detailing how CHARN is building research infrastructure and capacity in CHCs, with a particular focus on how community practice-academic partnerships were facilitated by the CHARN structure. The examples provided by the CHARN nodes include many of the building blocks of research capacity: communication capacity and "matchmaking" between providers and researchers; technology transfer; research methods tailored to community practice settings; and community institutional review board infrastructure to enable community oversight. We draw lessons learned from these case studies that we hope will serve as examples for other networks, with special relevance for community-based networks seeking to build research infrastructure in primary care settings.

  13. Building Research Infrastructure in Community Health Centers: A Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN) Report

    PubMed Central

    Likumahuwa, Sonja; Song, Hui; Singal, Robbie; Weir, Rosy Chang; Crane, Heidi; Muench, John; Sim, Shao-Chee; DeVoe, Jennifer E.

    2015-01-01

    This article introduces the Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN), a practice-based research network of community health centers (CHCs). Established by the Health Resources and Services Administration in 2010, CHARN is a network of 4 community research nodes, each with multiple affiliated CHCs and an academic center. The four nodes (18 individual CHCs and 4 academic partners in 9 states) are supported by a data coordinating center. Here we provide case studies detailing how CHARN is building research infrastructure and capacity in CHCs, with a particular focus on how community practice-academic partnerships were facilitated by the CHARN structure. The examples provided by the CHARN nodes include many of the building blocks of research capacity: communication capacity and “matchmaking” between providers and researchers; technology transfer; research methods tailored to community practice settings; and community institutional review board infrastructure to enable community oversight. We draw lessons learned from these case studies that we hope will serve as examples for other networks, with special relevance for community-based networks seeking to build research infrastructure in primary care settings. PMID:24004710

  14. Expanding federal funding to community health centers slows decline in access for low-income adults.

    PubMed

    McMorrow, Stacey; Zuckerman, Stephen

    2014-06-01

    To identify the impact of the Health Center Growth Initiative on access to care for low-income adults. Data on federal funding for health centers are from the Bureau of Primary Health Care's Uniform Data System (2000-2007), and individual-level measures of access and use are derived from the National Health Interview Survey (2001-2008). We estimate person-level models of access and use as a function of individual- and market-level characteristics. By using market-level fixed effects, we identify the effects of health center funding on access using changes within markets over time. We explore effects on low-income adults and further examine how those effects vary by insurance coverage. We calculate health center funding per poor person in a health care market and attach this information to individual observations on the National Health Interview Survey. Health care markets are defined as hospital referral regions. Low-income adults in markets with larger funding increases were more likely to have an office visit and to have a general doctor visit. These results were stronger for uninsured and publicly insured adults. Expansions in federal health center funding had some mitigating effects on the access declines that were generally experienced by low-income adults over this time period. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  15. The ADVANCE network: accelerating data value across a national community health center network

    PubMed Central

    DeVoe, Jennifer E; Gold, Rachel; Cottrell, Erika; Bauer, Vance; Brickman, Andrew; Puro, Jon; Nelson, Christine; Mayer, Kenneth H; Sears, Abigail; Burdick, Tim; Merrell, Jonathan; Matthews, Paul; Fields, Scott

    2014-01-01

    The ADVANCE (Accelerating Data Value Across a National Community Health Center Network) clinical data research network (CDRN) is led by the OCHIN Community Health Information Network in partnership with Health Choice Network and Fenway Health. The ADVANCE CDRN will ‘horizontally’ integrate outpatient electronic health record data for over one million federally qualified health center patients, and ‘vertically’ integrate hospital, health plan, and community data for these patients, often under-represented in research studies. Patient investigators, community investigators, and academic investigators with diverse expertise will work together to meet project goals related to data integration, patient engagement and recruitment, and the development of streamlined regulatory policies. By enhancing the data and research infrastructure of participating organizations, the ADVANCE CDRN will serve as a ‘community laboratory’ for including disadvantaged and vulnerable patients in patient-centered outcomes research that is aligned with the priorities of patients, clinics, and communities in our network. PMID:24821740

  16. Background, Structure and Priorities of the 2013 Geneva Declaration on Person-centered Health Research

    PubMed Central

    Salvador-Carulla, Luis; Cloninger, C Robert; Thornicroft, Amalia; Mezzich, Juan E.

    2015-01-01

    Declarations are relevant tools to frame new areas in health care, to raise awareness and to facilitate knowledge-to-action. The International College on Person Centered Medicine (ICPCM) is seeking to extend the impact of the ICPCM Conference Series by producing a declaration on every main topic. The aim of this paper is to describe the development of the 2013 Geneva Declaration on Person-centered Health Research and to provide additional information on the research priority areas identified during this iterative process. There is a need for more PCM research and for the incorporation of the PCM approach into general health research. Main areas of research focus include: Conceptual, terminological, and ontological issues; research to enhance the empirical evidence of PCM main components such as PCM informed clinical communication; PCM-based diagnostic models; person-centered care and interventions; and people-centered care, research on training and curriculum development. Dissemination and implementation of PCM knowledge-base is integral to Person-centered Health Research and shall engage currently available scientific and translational dissemination tools such journals, events and eHealth. PMID:26146541

  17. Mergers involving academic health centers: a formidable challenge.

    PubMed

    Pellegrini, V D

    2001-10-01

    Escalating economic pressures on the clinical enterprise threaten the missions of education and research in many of the most prestigious academic health centers. Following the model of industry, mergers of the healthcare delivery systems of teaching hospitals and clinics held promise for economies of scale and an improved operating margin. Failure to follow business principles in constructing the merged entity, differences in organizational governance and culture, and inability of physician leadership to prioritize, downsize, and consolidate clinical programs to optimize operational efficiencies all compromise the success of such mergers in academic medicine. Academic institutions and their respective governing boards need to exercise greater discipline in financial analysis and a willingness to make difficult decisions that show favor to one parent institution over another if mergers are to be effective in this setting. To date, an example of a vibrant and successful merger of academic health centers remains to be found.

  18. Behavioral health and health care reform models: patient-centered medical home, health home, and accountable care organization.

    PubMed

    Bao, Yuhua; Casalino, Lawrence P; Pincus, Harold Alan

    2013-01-01

    Discussions of health care delivery and payment reforms have largely been silent about how behavioral health could be incorporated into reform initiatives. This paper draws attention to four patient populations defined by the severity of their behavioral health conditions and insurance status. It discusses the potentials and limitations of three prominent models promoted by the Affordable Care Act to serve populations with behavioral health conditions: the Patient-Centered Medical Home, the Health Home initiative within Medicaid, and the Accountable Care Organization. To incorporate behavioral health into health reform, policymakers and practitioners may consider embedding in the reform efforts explicit tools-accountability measures and payment designs-to improve access to and quality of care for patients with behavioral health needs.

  19. Family practice residencies in community health centers--an approach to cost and access concerns.

    PubMed Central

    Zweifler, J

    1995-01-01

    An inadequate number of trained primary care clinicians limits access to care at Community Health Centers. If family practice residents working in these centers can provide care to patients at a cost that is comparable to the center's hiring its own physicians, then expansion of Family Practice Residency Programs into community centers can address both cost and access concerns. A cost-benefit analysis of the Family Practice Residency Program at the Fresno, CA, community center was performed; the community center is affiliated with the University of California at San Francisco. Costs included (a) residents' salaries, (b) supervision of the family practice residents, (c) family practice program costs for educational activities apart from supervision at the community center, and (d) administrative costs attributable to family practice residents in the community center. Benefits were based on the number of patients that residents saw in the community center. Using this approach, a cost of $7,700 per resident per year was calculated. This cost is modest compared with the cost of training residents in inpatient settings. The added costs attributable to training residents in community health centers can be shared with agencies that are concerned with medical education, providing physicians to underserved communities, and increasing the supply of primary care physicians. Redirecting graduate medical education funding from hospitals to selected ambulatory care training centers of excellence would facilitate placing residents in community centers. This change would have the dual advantage of addressing the current imbalance between training in ambulatory care and hospital sites and increasing the capacity of community health centers to meet the health care needs of underserved populations. PMID:7610223

  20. Analysis of suffering at work in Family Health Support Centers.

    PubMed

    Nascimento, Débora Dupas Gonçalves do; Oliveira, Maria Amélia de Campos

    2016-01-01

    Analyzing the work process in the Family Health Support Center. An exploratory, descriptive case study using a qualitative approach. Focus groups were conducted with 20 workers of a Family Health Support Center, and the empirical material was subjected to content analysis technique and analyzed in light of Work Psychodynamics. The category of suffering is presented herein as arising from the dialectical contradiction between actual work and prescribed work, from resistance to the Family Health Support Center's proposal and a lack of understanding of their role; due to an immediatist and curative culture of the users and the Family Health Strategy; of the profile, overload and identification with work. The dialectical contradiction between expectations from Family Health Strategy teams and the work in the Family Health Support Center compromises its execution and creates suffering for workers. Analisar o processo de trabalho no Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família. Estudo de caso exploratório, descritivo e de abordagem qualitativa. Grupos focais foram realizados com 20 trabalhadores do Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família, o material empírico foi submetido à técnica de análise de conteúdo e analisado à luz da Psicodinâmica do Trabalho. Apresenta-se aqui a categoria sofrimento que neste estudo decorre da contradição dialética entre o trabalho real e o trabalho prescrito, da resistência à proposta do Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família e da falta de compreensão de seu papel; da cultura imediatista e curativa do usuário e da Estratégia Saúde da Família; do perfil, sobrecarga e identificação com o trabalho. A contradição dialética entre expectativas das equipes da Estratégia Saúde da Família e o trabalho no Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família compromete sua efetivação e gera sofrimento aos trabalhadores.

  1. School Health Connection Goes Electronic: Developing a Health Information Management System for New Orleans' School-Based Health Centers. Program Results Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rastorfer, Darl

    2011-01-01

    From February 2008 through April 2011, School Health Connection, a program of the Louisiana Public Health Institute, developed an electronic health information management system for newly established school-based health centers in Greater New Orleans. School Health Connection was established as part of a broader effort to restore community health…

  2. Spaceflight Radiation Health program at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, A. Steve; Badhwar, Gautam D.; Golightly, Michael J.; Hardy, Alva C.; Konradi, Andrei; Yang, Tracy Chui-Hsu

    1993-01-01

    The Johnson Space Center leads the research and development activities that address the health effects of space radiation exposure to astronaut crews. Increased knowledge of the composition of the environment and of the biological effects of space radiation is required to assess health risks to astronaut crews. The activities at the Johnson Space Center range from quantification of astronaut exposures to fundamental research into the biological effects resulting from exposure to high energy particle radiation. The Spaceflight Radiation Health Program seeks to balance the requirements for operational flexibility with the requirement to minimize crew radiation exposures. The components of the space radiation environment are characterized. Current and future radiation monitoring instrumentation is described. Radiation health risk activities are described for current Shuttle operations and for research development program activities to shape future analysis of health risk.

  3. Mental Health Services in a Rural Area: The Integrated Relationship between State Hospital and Community Mental Health Centers. Notes from the Field.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bittle, Ronald G.

    1988-01-01

    Describes "linkage agreement" system between Illinois community mental health centers and Anna Mental Health and Developmental Center serving 28 rural counties. Agreements specify responsibilities of community centers and hospital staff regarding referrals, client treatment, and discharge. Describes improvements over previous…

  4. [Effect of an on-line health promotion program connected with a hospital health examination center on health promotion behavior and health status].

    PubMed

    Park, Jeong Sook; Kwon, Sang Min

    2008-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an On-line health promotion program connected with a hospital health examination center. Based on contents developed, the www.kmwellbeing.com homepage was developed. The research design was a one group pretest-posttest design. Seventy-three clients participated in this study. The data were collected from January 3 to June 30, 2005. As a way of utilizing the homepage, this paper attempted to measure the change of pre and post program health promotion behavior and health status (perceived health status, objective health index-blood pressure, pulse, total cholesterol, blood sugar, waist flexibility, grip strength and lower extremity strength). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and paired t-test with the SPSS/Win 12.0 program. There were significant differences of perceived health status, systolic BP, waist flexibility and grip strength. However, there were no significant differences in health promotion behavior, diastolic BP, pulse, lower extremity strength, blood sugar and total cholesterol between pre program and post program. It is expected that an on-line health promotion program connected with a hospital health examination center will provide an effective learning media for health education and partially contribute to client's health promotion. A strategy, however, is needed to facilitate the continuous use of the on-line health promotion program for adult clients.

  5. Relationship between managerial skills and employees job stress in health centers.

    PubMed

    Hamidi, Yadollah; Mehri, Majid; Zamanparvar, Alireza; Imani, Behzad

    2012-12-13

    Job stress is one of the important issues in the health sector and its high effect on workers' productivity. Managerial skills can help organizations to improve employees' effectiveness and reduce job stress. The present study investigated the relationship between employees' job stress and managers' professional skills. This cross-sectional and correlation study was conducted in 2010.We selected 90 health workers of 13 Health and Treatment Centers in Razan Health Center, western Iran. All data were gathered using self-administered questionnaires. Employees' job stress levels were measured using the Eliot Stress Questionnaire and managers' professional skills were assessed using the standard Questionnaire with 40- items in Likert format. Data were analyzed u SPSS software and Pearson correlation coefficient and Kendall correlation tests. 87.7% of employees had mid- level of job stress. The professional skills level was high in 36.7% of health managers; moderate in 56.6%, and low in 6.7%. In addition the human skill was highest level among all managers' professional skills. A significant and negative correlation was found between job stress and managers' human, conceptual and design skills (P <0.005). The level of managers' professional skills was significantly related with employees' job stress, thus training and developing managerial skills especially human, conceptual and design skills in supervisors and managers of health centers can reduce job stress and enhance effective performance.

  6. Integrating School-Based Health Centers into Managed Care in Massachusetts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hacker, Karen

    1996-01-01

    This paper examines key steps in the integration of school-based health centers in Massachusetts into managed care and describes the administrative and clinical impact of these relationships. Strategies include enhancing communication between SBHCs and health maintenance organizations, standardizing school-based care, and mandating integration of…

  7. Coordinated Management of Academic Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Balser, Jeffrey R; Stead, William W

    2017-01-01

    Academic health centers (AHCs) are the nation's primary resource for healthcare discovery, innovation, and training. US healthcare revenue growth has declined sharply since 2009, and is forecast to remain well below historic levels for the foreseeable future. As the cost of education and research at nearly all AHCs is heavily subsidized through large transfers from clinical care margins, our institutions face a mounting crisis. Choices centering on how to increase the cost-effectiveness of the AHC enterprise require unprecedented levels of alignment to preserve an environment that nurtures creativity. Management processes require governance models that clarify decision rights while harnessing the talents and the intellectual capital of a large, diverse enterprise to nimbly address unfamiliar organizational challenges. This paper describes key leadership tactics aimed at propelling AHCs along this journey - one that requires from all leaders a commitment to resilience, optimism, and willingness to embrace change.

  8. [Activities of voivodeship occupational medicine centers in workplace health promotion in 2008].

    PubMed

    Goszczyńska, Eliza

    2010-01-01

    The paper aims to present the activities of the largest Voivodeship Occupational Medicine Centers (VOMCs) in Poland in the area of workplace health promotion in 2008. It was compiled on the basis of written reports concerning these activities sent by the Centers to the Polish National Center for Workplace Health Promotion, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź. Their analysis shows a greatly varied level of engagement in and understanding of health promotion--from simple single actions (in the field of health education and screening) to long-running programs, including various ways of influencing people the programs are addressed to. In 2008, there were 78 such programs in the country, the most popular of them were those focused on occupational voice disorders and tobacco smoke). VOMCs perceive external factors, unfavorable or indifferent attitudes towards promoting health of their employees on the part of employers as well as financial constraints, as the most common obstacles in undertaking activities in the field of workplace health promotion. At the same time, they link achievements in this field mostly with their own activities, including effective cooperation with various partners and their well qualified and experienced employees.

  9. Realigning the Values of Academic Health Centers: The Role of Innovative Faculty Management.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arana, George W.; McCurdy, Layton

    1995-01-01

    The current approach to research, teaching, clinical service, and administration at academic health centers is reviewed, and the traditional values underpinning this approach are challenged. A new form of faculty management that matches the individual faculty member's priorities and skills with the health center mission and which focuses on the…

  10. The Location of Community Mental Health Centers in Texas: Some Descriptions and Comparisons.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valdez, Ramiro

    Part of a series of studies designed to lead to policy recommendations to improve mental health services to Mexican Americans in Texas, this monograph explores the availability and accessibility of community mental health centers (CMHCs) throughout the state. In hopes of explaining the underutilization of the centers statewide, the locations of…

  11. New Counselors' Experiences of Community Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freadling, Amy H.; Foss-Kelly, Louisa L.

    2014-01-01

    This phenomenological study explored 6 new counselors' experiences working in community mental health centers and their experiences of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs-accredited training received in preparation for such work. Three themes from the interviews were identified to provide implications…

  12. Federally funded comprehensive women's health centers: leading innovation in women's healthcare delivery.

    PubMed

    Bean-Mayberry, Bevanne; Yano, Elizabeth M; Bayliss, Nichole; Navratil, Judith; Weisman, Carol S; Scholle, Sarah Hudson

    2007-11-01

    Women's healthcare has historically been fragmented, given the artificial separation of reproductive care from general medical care. Aiming to advance new care models for delivery of comprehensive, integrated clinical care for women, two federal agencies-the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-launched specialized women's health centers (WHCs). Exemplars of comprehensive service delivery, these originally federally funded centers have served as foundations for innovations in delivering comprehensive care to women in diverse practice settings. Little is known, however, about details of their organization, staffing, practice arrangements, and service availability that might inform adoption of similar models in the community. Using comparable key informant surveys, we collected organizational data from the DHHS National Centers of Excellence (CoE) (n = 13) and the original VA comprehensive WHC's (n = 8). We abstracted supplemental data (e.g., academic affiliation) from the 2001 American Hospital Association (AHA) survey. All DHHS and VA women's health programs served urban areas, and nearly all had academic partnerships. DHHS centers had three times the average caseload as did VA centers. Preventive cancer screening and general reproductive services were uniformly available at all centers, although DHHS centers offered extensive reproductive services on-site more frequently, and VA centers more often had on-site mental healthcare. The DHHS and VA comprehensive WHCs share similar missions and comparable organization, education, and clinical services, demonstrating their commitment to reducing fragmented service delivery. Their common structural components present opportunities for further advancing women's quality of care across other systems of care.

  13. Engaging Community Health Centers (CHCs) in research partnerships: the role of prior research experience on perceived needs and challenges.

    PubMed

    Beeson, Tishra; Jester, Michelle; Proser, Michelle; Shin, Peter

    2014-04-01

    Despite community health centers' substantial role in local communities and in the broader safety-net healthcare system, very limited research has been conducted on community health center research experience, infrastructure, or needs from a national perspective. A national survey of 386 community health centers was conducted in 2011 and 2012 to assess research engagement among community health centers and their perceived needs, barriers, challenges, and facilitators with respect to their involvement in public health and health services research. This paper analyzes the differences between health centers that currently conduct or participate in research and health centers that have no prior research experience to determine whether prior research experience is indicative of different perceived challenges and research needs in community health center settings. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. A tale of two cultures: examining patient-centered care in a forensic mental health hospital

    PubMed Central

    Livingston, James D.; Nijdam-Jones, Alicia; Brink, Johann

    2012-01-01

    Several questions remain unanswered regarding the extent to which the principles and practices of patient-centered care are achievable in the context of a forensic mental health hospital. This study examined patient-centered care from the perspectives of patients and providers in a forensic mental health hospital. Patient-centered care was assessed using several measures of complementary constructs. Interviews were conducted with 30 patients and surveys were completed by 28 service providers in a forensic mental health hospital. Patients and providers shared similar views of the therapeutic milieu and recovery orientation of services; however, providers were more likely to perceive the hospital as being potentially unsafe. Overall, the findings indicated that characteristics of patient-centered care may be found within a forensic mental health hospital. The principles of patient-centered care can be integrated into service delivery in forensic mental health hospitals, though special attention to providers’ perceptions of safety is needed. PMID:22815648

  15. Behavioral Health and Health Care Reform Models: Patient-Centered Medical Home, Health Home, and Accountable Care Organization

    PubMed Central

    Bao, Yuhua; Casalino, Lawrence P.; Pincus, Harold Alan

    2012-01-01

    Discussions of health care delivery and payment reforms have largely been silent about how behavioral health could be incorporated into reform initiatives. This paper draws attention to four patient populations defined by the severity of their behavioral health conditions and insurance status. It discusses the potentials and limitations of three prominent models promoted by the Affordable Care Act to serve populations with behavioral health conditions: the Patient Centered Medical Home, the Health Home initiative within Medicaid, and the Accountable Care Organization. To incorporate behavioral health into health reform, policymakers and practitioners may consider embedding in the reform efforts explicit tools – accountability measures and payment designs – to improve access to and quality of care for patients with behavioral health needs. PMID:23188486

  16. Lincoln County Primary Care Center Is a Model for Good Health.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Casto, James E.

    1992-01-01

    Describes a rural West Virginia health-care center as a successful model program for integration between the clinic and community. Describes center facilities, funding sources, community cooperation, and cooperative residency program with regional medical school. Discusses implications for other medical-education programs. Describes differences…

  17. Expanding Federal Funding to Community Health Centers Slows Decline in Access for Low-Income Adults

    PubMed Central

    McMorrow, Stacey; Zuckerman, Stephen

    2014-01-01

    Objective To identify the impact of the Health Center Growth Initiative on access to care for low-income adults. Data Sources Data on federal funding for health centers are from the Bureau of Primary Health Care's Uniform Data System (2000–2007), and individual-level measures of access and use are derived from the National Health Interview Survey (2001–2008). Study Design We estimate person-level models of access and use as a function of individual- and market-level characteristics. By using market-level fixed effects, we identify the effects of health center funding on access using changes within markets over time. We explore effects on low-income adults and further examine how those effects vary by insurance coverage. Data Collection We calculate health center funding per poor person in a health care market and attach this information to individual observations on the National Health Interview Survey. Health care markets are defined as hospital referral regions. Principal Findings Low-income adults in markets with larger funding increases were more likely to have an office visit and to have a general doctor visit. These results were stronger for uninsured and publicly insured adults. Conclusions Expansions in federal health center funding had some mitigating effects on the access declines that were generally experienced by low-income adults over this time period. PMID:24344818

  18. The Center for Devices and Radiological health: an update.

    PubMed

    Donawa, M

    2001-12-01

    At a recent medical device conference, Dr. David Feigal, the Director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) stated that one-third of the CDRH staff will retire in five years. This is only one of many challenges that the Center faces.This article discusses key factors shaping current FDA device policies and programmes, the CDRH strategic plan, the continuing importance of the standards programme, and CDRH harmonisation activities.

  19. Metabolic Networks Integrative Cardiac Health Project (ICHP) - Center of Excellence

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-08-01

    Award Number: TITLE: Metabolic Networks Integrative Cardiac Health Project (ICHP) - Center of Excellence PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: COL (Ret) Marina N...2016 2. REPORT TYPE FINAL 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 29 Sep 2011 – 31 May 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE "Metabolic Networks Integrative Cardiac Health...ABSTRACT The Integrative Cardiac Health Project (ICHP) aims to lead the way in Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention by conducting novel research

  20. Results of the Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN) National Research Capacity Survey of Community Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Song, Hui; Li, Vivian; Gillespie, Suzanne; Laws, Reesa; Massimino, Stefan; Nelson, Christine; Singal, Robbie; Wagaw, Fikirte; Jester, Michelle; Weir, Rosy Chang

    2015-01-01

    The mission of the Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN) is to build capacity to carry out Patient-Centered Outcomes Research at community health centers (CHCs), with the ultimate goal to improve health care for vulnerable populations. The CHARN Needs Assessment Staff Survey investigates CHCs' involvement in research, as well as their need for research training and resources. Results will be used to guide future training. The survey was developed and implemented in partnership with CHARN CHCs. Data were collected across CHARN CHCs. Data analysis and reports were conducted by the CHARN data coordinating center (DCC). Survey results highlighted gaps in staff research training, and these gaps varied by staff role. There is considerable variation in research involvement, partnerships, and focus both within and across CHCs. Development of training programs to increase research capacity should be tailored to address the specific needs and roles of staff involved in research.

  1. A comparison of health behaviors of women in centering pregnancy and traditional prenatal care.

    PubMed

    Shakespear, Kaylynn; Waite, Phillip J; Gast, Julie

    2010-03-01

    Researchers sought to determine the difference in health behaviors between women who receive prenatal care via the Centering Pregnancy approach and those involved in traditional prenatal care. Using a cross-sectional design, adult pregnant women (n = 125) were surveyed from at least 28 weeks gestation to delivery. The sample was comprised of primarily white low income women. Using multiple linear regression it was determined that women in Centering Pregnancy had significantly lower index health behavior scores compared with the traditional care group showing that those in Centering Pregnancy reported engaging in fewer health promoting behaviors. Furthermore, no differences were observed for smoking or weight gain behaviors between groups. Additionally, those in Centering Pregnancy reported a lower perceived value of prenatal care. The results of this study suggest that Centering Pregnancy is not adequately aiding its patients in adopting healthy behaviors during pregnancy.

  2. Medication Adherence among Adolescents in a School-Based Health Center

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mears, Cynthia J.; Charlebois, Nicole M.; Holl, Jane L.

    2006-01-01

    School-based health centers are an integral part of the health care delivery system for low-income children. Medication adherence for these patients may be challenging because the student is often responsible for bringing home the prescription and receiving the instructions. This study assesses medication fill, initiation, and adherence rates…

  3. An Assessment of Organizational Health Literacy Practices at an Academic Health Center.

    PubMed

    Prince, Latrina Y; Schmidtke, Carsten; Beck, Jules K; Hadden, Kristie B

    Organizational health literacy is the degree to which an organization considers and promotes the health literacy of patients. Addressing health literacy at an organizational level has the potential to have a greater impact on more health consumers in a health system than individual-level approaches. The purpose of this study was to assess health care practices at an academic health center using the 10 attributes of a health-literate health care organization. Using a survey research design, the Health Literate Healthcare Organization 10-Item Questionnaire was administered online using total population sampling. Employees (N = 10 300) rated the extent that their organization's health care practices consider and promote patients' health literacy. Differences in responses were assessed using factorial analysis of variance. The mean response was 4.7 on a 7-point Likert scale. Employee training and communication about costs received the lowest ratings. Univariate analyses revealed that there were no statistically significant differences (P = .05) by employees' health profession, years of service, or level of patient contact. There were statistically significant differences by highest education obtained with lowest ratings from employees with college degrees. Survey responses indicate a need for improvements in health care practices to better assist patients with inadequate health literacy.

  4. Improving Pain Care with Project ECHO in Community Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Daren; Zlateva, Ianita; Davis, Bennet; Bifulco, Lauren; Giannotti, Tierney; Coman, Emil; Spegman, Douglas

    2017-10-01

    Pain is an extremely common complaint in primary care, and patient outcomes are often suboptimal. This project evaluated the impact of Project ECHO Pain videoconference case-based learning sessions on knowledge and quality of pain care in two Federally Qualified Health Centers. Quasi-experimental, pre-post intervention, with comparison group. Two large, multisite federally qualified health centers in Connecticut and Arizona. Intervention (N = 10) and comparison (N = 10) primary care providers. Primary care providers attended 48 weekly Project ECHO Pain sessions between January and December 2013, led by a multidisciplinary pain specialty team. Surveys and focus groups assessed providers' pain-related knowledge and self-efficacy. Electronic health record data were analyzed to evaluate opioid prescribing and specialty referrals. Compared with control, primary care providers in the intervention had a significantly greater increase in pain-related knowledge and self-efficacy. Providers who attended ECHO were more likely to use formal assessment tools and opioid agreements and refer to behavioral health and physical therapy compared with control providers. Opioid prescribing decreased significantly more among providers in the intervention compared with those in the control group. Pain is an extremely common and challenging problem, particularly among vulnerable patients such as those cared for at the more than 1,200 Federally Qualified Health Centers in the United States. In this study, attendance at weekly Project ECHO Pain sessions not only improved knowledge and self-efficacy, but also altered prescribing and referral patterns, suggesting that knowledge acquired during ECHO sessions translated into practice changes. © 2017 American Academy of Pain Medicine.

  5. Mental health status of women in Jordan: a comparative study between attendees of governmental and UN relief and works agency's health care centers.

    PubMed

    Al-Modallal, Hanan; Hamaideh, Shaher; Mudallal, Rula

    2014-05-01

    This study aimed at investigating differences in mental health problems between attendees of governmental and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees health care centers in Jordan. Further, predictors of mental health problems based on women's demographic profile were investigated. A convenience sample of 620 women attending governmental and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees health care centers in Jordan was recruited for this purpose. Independent samples t-tests were used to identify differences in mental health, and multiple linear regression was implemented to identify significant predictors of women's mental health problems. Results indicated an absence of significant differences in mental health problems between attendees of the two types of health care centers. Further, among the demographic indicators that were tested, income, spousal violence, and general health were the predictors of at least three different mental health problems in women. This study highlights opportunities for health professionals to decrease women's propensity for mental health problems by addressing these factors when treating women attending primary care centers in different Jordanian towns, villages, and refugee camps.

  6. An Evaluation of Army Wellness Center Clients' Health-Related Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Rivera, L Omar; Ford, Jessica Danielle; Hartzell, Meredith Marie; Hoover, Todd Allan

    2018-01-01

    To examine whether Army community members participating in a best-practice based workplace health promotion program (WHPP) experience goal-moderated improvements in health-related outcomes. Pretest/posttest outcome evaluation examining an autonomously participating client cohort over 1 year. Army Wellness Center facilities on 19 Army installations. Army community members sample (N = 5703), mostly Active Duty Soldiers (64%). Assessment of health risks with feedback, health assessments, health education classes, and health coaching sessions conducted by health educators at a recommended frequency of once a month for 3 to 12 months. Initial and follow-up outcome assessments of body mass index (BMI), body fat, cardiorespiratory fitness, blood pressure, and perceived stress. Mixed model linear regression testing for goal-moderated improvements in outcomes. Clients experienced significant improvements in body fat (-2% change), perceived stress (-6% to -12% change), cardiorespiratory fitness (+6% change), and blood pressure (-1% change) regardless of health-related goal. Only clients with a weight loss goal experienced BMI improvement (-1% change). Follow-up outcome assessment rates ranged from 44% (N = 2509) for BMI to 6% (N = 342) for perceived stress. Army Wellness Center clients with at least 1 follow-up outcome assessment experienced improvements in military readiness correlates and chronic disease risk factors. Evaluation design and follow-up-related limitations notwithstanding results suggest that best practices in WHPPs can effectively serve a globally distributed military force.

  7. Key success factors of health research centers: A mixed method study.

    PubMed

    Tofighi, Shahram; Teymourzadeh, Ehsan; Heydari, Majid

    2017-08-01

    In order to achieve success in future goals and activities, health research centers are required to identify their key success factors. This study aimed to extract and rank the factors affecting the success of research centers at one of the medical universities in Iran. This study is a mixed method (qualitative-quantitative) study, which was conducted between May to October in 2016. The study setting was 22 health research centers. In qualitative phase, we extracted the factors affecting the success in research centers through purposeful interviews with 10 experts of centers, and classified them into themes and sub-themes. In the quantitative phase, we prepared a questionnaire and scored and ranked the factors recognized by 54 of the study samples by Friedman test. Nine themes and 42 sub-themes were identified. Themes included: strategic orientation, management, human capital, support, projects, infrastructure, communications and collaboration, paradigm and innovation and they were rated respectively as components of success in research centers. Among the 42 identified factors, 10 factors were ranked respectively as the key factors of success, and included: science and technology road map, strategic plan, evaluation indexes, committed human resources, scientific evaluation of members and centers, innovation in research and implementation, financial support, capable researchers, equipment infrastructure and teamwork. According to the results, the strategic orientation was the most important component in the success of research centers. Therefore, managers and authorities of research centers should pay more attention to strategic areas in future planning, including the science and technology road map and strategic plan.

  8. Key success factors of health research centers: A mixed method study

    PubMed Central

    Tofighi, Shahram; Teymourzadeh, Ehsan; Heydari, Majid

    2017-01-01

    Background In order to achieve success in future goals and activities, health research centers are required to identify their key success factors. Objective This study aimed to extract and rank the factors affecting the success of research centers at one of the medical universities in Iran. Methods This study is a mixed method (qualitative-quantitative) study, which was conducted between May to October in 2016. The study setting was 22 health research centers. In qualitative phase, we extracted the factors affecting the success in research centers through purposeful interviews with 10 experts of centers, and classified them into themes and sub-themes. In the quantitative phase, we prepared a questionnaire and scored and ranked the factors recognized by 54 of the study samples by Friedman test. Results Nine themes and 42 sub-themes were identified. Themes included: strategic orientation, management, human capital, support, projects, infrastructure, communications and collaboration, paradigm and innovation and they were rated respectively as components of success in research centers. Among the 42 identified factors, 10 factors were ranked respectively as the key factors of success, and included: science and technology road map, strategic plan, evaluation indexes, committed human resources, scientific evaluation of members and centers, innovation in research and implementation, financial support, capable researchers, equipment infrastructure and teamwork. Conclusion According to the results, the strategic orientation was the most important component in the success of research centers. Therefore, managers and authorities of research centers should pay more attention to strategic areas in future planning, including the science and technology road map and strategic plan. PMID:28979733

  9. Assessment of oral health attitudes and behavior among students of Kuwait University Health Sciences Center.

    PubMed

    Ali, Dena A

    2016-01-01

    The aims of this study were to assess attitudes and behavior of oral health maintenance among students in four faculties (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Allied Health) and to compare oral health attitudes and behavior of all students at Kuwait University Health Sciences Center (KUHSC) based on their academic level. Students enrolled in the Faculties of Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Allied Health at KUHSC were evaluated regarding their oral health attitudes and behavior by an e-mail invitation with a link to the Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory survey that was sent to all 1802 students with Kuwait University Health Sciences Center e-mail addresses. The data were analyzed for frequency distributions, and differences among the groups were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. P values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The results of this study indicated that dental students achieved better oral health attitudes and behavior than that of their nondental professional fellow students ( P < 0.05). Students in advanced academic levels and female students demonstrated better oral health attitudes and behavior. Dental students and students who were in advanced levels of their training along with female students demonstrated better oral health practices and perceptions than students in lower academic levels and male students, respectively. Additional studies for investigating the effectiveness and identifying areas requiring modification within the dental curriculum at KUHSC may be warranted.

  10. Linking Community Health Centers with Schools Serving Low-Income Children: An Idea Book.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Health Resources and Services Administration (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD. Bureau of Primary Health Care.

    By working together, pooling resources and energy, both health centers and schools can do more to help children to be ready to learn and to reach their full potential as citizens. This book focuses on establishing links between schools serving low-income children and community or migrant health centers. The book is organized into three chapters…

  11. Mental Health Professionals in Children's Advocacy Centers: Is There Role Conflict?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cross, Theodore P.; Fine, Janet E.; Jones, Lisa M.; Walsh, Wendy A.

    2012-01-01

    Two recent chapters in professional books have criticized children's advocacy centers for creating role conflict for mental health professionals because of their work with criminal justice and child protection professionals in children's advocacy centers as part of a coordinated response to child abuse. This article argues that these critiques…

  12. Public health training online: the National Center for Suicide Prevention Training.

    PubMed

    Stone, Deborah M; Barber, Catherine W; Potter, Lloyd

    2005-12-01

    Suicide is a serious public health problem, and training in suicide prevention has not kept pace with recent rapid growth of the field. To address this concern, the Harvard Injury Control Research Center and Education Development Center, Inc., launched the National Center for Suicide Prevention Training (NCSPT) with funding by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources Services Administration. NCSPT offers an online professional development workshop series for public officials, service providers, and community-based coalitions involved in suicide prevention. Using a public health framework of prevention, the three workshops implemented to date have drawn over 1200 participants nationally and internationally over the past 3 years. Workshop participants completing the post-test and evaluation show consistent improvement in their knowledge of suicide, rate their online training experience positively, and report that they would take additional online courses if offered. A barrier to objective evaluation of the courses, however, is the high attrition rates of the courses, an expected feature of free online courses. Online training is a valuable option to help meet suicide prevention training needs employing flexible, easy-to-use, and inexpensive Internet technology. With its growing presence in the field, NCSPT will continue to develop new courses to improve the ability of professionals and community-based coalitions to reduce suicide and its devastating impact on public health.

  13. Use of qualitative methods and user-centered design to develop customized health information technology tools within federally qualified health centers to keep children insured.

    PubMed

    DeVoe, Jennifer; Angier, Heather; Likumahuwa, Sonja; Hall, Jennifer; Nelson, Christine; Dickerson, Kay; Keller, Sara; Burdick, Tim; Cohen, Deborah

    2014-01-01

    Lack of health insurance negatively impacts children's health. Despite federal initiatives to expand children's coverage and accelerate state outreach efforts, millions of US children remain uninsured or experience frequent gaps in coverage. Most current efforts to enroll and retain eligible children in public insurance programs take place outside of the health care system. This study is a partnership between patients' families, medical informaticists, federally qualified health center (FQHC) staff, and researchers to build and test information technology tools to help FQHCs reach uninsured children and those at risk for losing coverage.

  14. Implications of the World Trade Center attack for the public health and health care infrastructures.

    PubMed

    Klitzman, Susan; Freudenberg, Nicholas

    2003-03-01

    The September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center had profound effects on the well-being of New York City. The authors describe and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the city's response to the public health, environmental/ occupational health, and mental health dimensions of the attack in the first 6 months after the event. They also examine the impact on the city's health care and social service system. The authors suggest lessons that can inform the development of a post-September 11th agenda for strengthening urban health infrastructures.

  15. Implications of the World Trade Center Attack for the Public Health and Health Care Infrastructures

    PubMed Central

    Klitzman, Susan; Freudenberg, Nicholas

    2003-01-01

    The September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center had profound effects on the well-being of New York City. The authors describe and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the city’s response to the public health, environmental/ occupational health, and mental health dimensions of the attack in the first 6 months after the event. They also examine the impact on the city’s health care and social service system. The authors suggest lessons that can inform the development of a post–September 11th agenda for strengthening urban health infrastructures. PMID:12604481

  16. Stennis Space Center observes 2009 Safety and Health Day

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2009-01-01

    Sue Smith, a medical clinic employee at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, takes the temperature of colleague Karen Badon during 2009 Safety and Health Day activities Oct. 22. Safety Day activities included speakers, informational sessions and a number of displays on safety and health issues. Astronaut Dominic Gorie also visited the south Mississippi rocket engine testing facility during the day to address employees and present several Silver Snoopy awards for outstanding contributions to flight safety and mission success. The activities were part of an ongoing safety and health emphasis at Stennis.

  17. Patient Engagement in Community Health Center Leadership: How Does it Happen?

    PubMed

    Sharma, Anjana E; Huang, Beatrice; Knox, Margae; Willard-Grace, Rachel; Potter, Michael B

    2018-05-18

    Patient engagement in primary care leadership is an important means to involve community voices at community health centers. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are mandated to have patient representation within their governing boards, while practices seeking patient-centered medical home certification receive credit for implementing patient advisory councils (PACs). Our objective was to compare and contrast how community health centers engage patients in clinic management, decision-making and planning within governing boards versus PACs. Qualitative study conducted from August 2016 to June 2017 at community health centers in California, Arizona and Hawaii. We interviewed practice leaders of patient engagement programs at their site. Eligible clinics had patient representatives within their governing board, PAC, or both. We assessed patient demographics, roles and responsibilities of patients participating, and extent of involvement in quality improvement among governing boards versus PACs. We interviewed 19 sites, of which 17 were FQHCs that had governing boards. Of the 17 FQHCs, 11 had also implemented PACs. Two non-FQHC safety-net sites had PACs but did not have governing boards. Governing board members had formal, structured membership responsibilities such as finances and hiring personnel. PAC roles were more flexible, focusing on day-to-day clinic operations. Clinics tended to recruit governing board patient members for their skill set and professional experience; PAC member recruitment focused more on demographic representation of the clinic's patient population. Both groups worked on quality improvement, but governing boards tended to review clinic performance metrics, while PAC members were involved in specific project planning and implementation to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience. Patient involvement in clinic improvement in CHCs includes higher-level decision-making and governance through mechanisms such as governing boards, as

  18. Chronic Childhood Trauma, Mental Health, Academic Achievement, and School-Based Health Center Mental Health Services.

    PubMed

    Larson, Satu; Chapman, Susan; Spetz, Joanne; Brindis, Claire D

    2017-09-01

    Children and adolescents exposed to chronic trauma have a greater risk for mental health disorders and school failure. Children and adolescents of minority racial/ethnic groups and those living in poverty are at greater risk of exposure to trauma and less likely to have access to mental health services. School-based health centers (SBHCs) may be one strategy to decrease health disparities. Empirical studies between 2003 and 2013 of US pediatric populations and of US SBHCs were included if research was related to childhood trauma's effects, mental health care disparities, SBHC mental health services, or SBHC impact on academic achievement. Eight studies show a significant risk of mental health disorders and poor academic achievement when exposed to childhood trauma. Seven studies found significant disparities in pediatric mental health care in the US. Nine studies reviewed SBHC mental health service access, utilization, quality, funding, and impact on school achievement. Exposure to chronic childhood trauma negatively impacts school achievement when mediated by mental health disorders. Disparities are common in pediatric mental health care in the United States. SBHC mental health services have some showed evidence of their ability to reduce, though not eradicate, mental health care disparities. © 2017, American School Health Association.

  19. 42 CFR 422.527 - Agreements with Federally qualified health centers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Application Procedures and Contracts for Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.527 Agreements with Federally qualified health centers...

  20. Mental health status and its predictors among call center employees: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Oh, Hyunjin; Park, Heyeon; Boo, Sunjoo

    2017-06-01

    In this study, we assessed the mental health of Korean call center employees and investigated the potential predictors of their mental health status. A cross-sectional study using self-completing questionnaire was conducted for employees working for a credit card call center. A total of 306 call center employees completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, the Emotion Labor Scale, and the Korean Occupational Stress Scale. The results showed that more than half of the participants reported high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. A multiple regression analysis indicated that the total scores on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were predicted by perceived health, job satisfaction, job demands, organizational injustice, and emotional dissonance suggesting that, in the interest of improving the mental health of call center employees, their job demands and emotional dissonance should be reduced and the work environment be improved. Consideration should be given to providing routine assessments of mental health, including depression, anxiety, and stress, and the corresponding need for the development of an intervention program and other work-related policies that would protect employees from the risk of poor mental health outcomes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  1. Naval Health Research Center 1985 Annual Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-01-01

    research. While much of our earlier work addressed organizational issues within the shote -based health care delivery sytem, more recent efforts have focused...Laboratory, Groton, Connecticut, cn the Neurometric Program. Dr. Naitoh met with Dr. Charles Winget of NASA Amen Rasearch Center for a research consultation...lag in commercial aircrews. Collaborators on the project include LT COL R. Curtis Graeber from NASA -Ames, Dr. Hans-Martin Wegmann from the West German

  2. Evaluation of a federally funded workforce development program: The Centers for Public Health Preparedness☆

    PubMed Central

    Sobelson, Robyn K.; Young, Andrea C.

    2017-01-01

    The Centers for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) program was a five-year cooperative agreement funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The program was initiated in 2004 to strengthen terrorism and emergency preparedness by linking academic expertise to state and local health agency needs. The purposes of the evaluation study were to identify the results achieved by the Centers and inform program planning for future programs. The evaluation was summative and retrospective in its design and focused on the aggregate outcomes of the CPHP program. The evaluation results indicated progress was achieved on program goals related to development of new training products, training members of the public health workforce, and expansion of partnerships between accredited schools of public health and state and local public health departments. Evaluation results, as well as methodological insights gleaned during the planning and conduct of the CPHP evaluation, were used to inform the design of the next iteration of the CPHP Program, the Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLC). PMID:23380597

  3. 77 FR 61000 - Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Health...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-05

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--Health Disparities Subcommittee... Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the following meeting of the aforementioned...

  4. Primary health care centers, extent of challenges and demand for oral health care in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    PubMed

    Al-Jaber, Abeer; Da'ar, Omar B

    2016-11-04

    As primary health care (PHC) centers in Saudi Arabia provide standardized preventive and curative oral health care (OHC) services, challenges remain. In addition, evidence of determinants of OHC seeking behavior is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify common challenges faced by patients seeking OHC in PHC centers and assess determinants of demand for OHC in Riyadh. After institutional approval and piloting, 320 adult patients were sampled at two large PHC centers in October 2015. Using a modified version of General Practice Assessment (GAPQ) and New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Questionnaires, information about cumulative number of visits to a dentist, patient profiles, provider characteristics, and challenges were collected. We used descriptive statistics to summarize data and employed ordinal regression for analyzing extent of effects of challenges and determinants of demand for OHC. Oral health condition was reported to be good in 31 % of the patients, very good in 25 % of the patients, and fair in 20 % of the patients. More than half (53 %) of patients visited a dentist in the past 12 months once, 20 % twice, and 25 % at least three times. High cost of private clinic and unavailability of dentists were reported as the most common difficulties in seeing a dentist. Patients who were very satisfied with dental care and treatment plan, those with less than excellent oral health conditions and male patients had less number of cumulative visits to a dentist compared with patients with less satisfaction, patients with perceived excellent oral health, and female patients respectively. Our findings provide a strong evidence of challenges faced by patients and determinants of demand for OHC seeking behavior. The findings can inform policy maker not only in patient satisfaction of OHC, but also implications on facilities and health care systems. We conclude with recommendations for future research, especially on oral health preventive measures

  5. School-Based Health Centers + School Nurses = Student Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, 2010

    2010-01-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) and school nurses know that healthy students learn better. They share an important mission: providing preventive care for all students they serve, with the goal of keeping students in class learning. They both: (1) Educate students and families about healthy behaviors and nutrition; (2) Enroll students and…

  6. Health professionals' job satisfaction and associated factors at public health centers in West Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Deriba, Beyazin Kebede; Sinke, Shimele Ololo; Ereso, Berhane Megersa; Badacho, Abebe Sorsa

    2017-05-30

    Human resources are vital for delivering health services, and health systems cannot function effectively without sufficient numbers of skilled, motivated, and well-supported health workers. Job satisfaction of health workers is important for motivation and efficiency, as higher job satisfaction improves both employee performance and patient satisfaction. Even though several studies have addressed job satisfaction among healthcare professionals in different part of the world, there are relatively few studies on healthcare professionals' job satisfaction in Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among health professionals working in health centers in April 2015 using self-administered structured questionnaires. All 322 health professionals working in 23 randomly selected public health centers were included. Factor scores were computed for the identified items by varimax rotation to represent satisfaction. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed, and the effect of independent variables on the regression factor score quantified. Three hundred eight respondents participated with a response rate of 95.56%. The overall level of job satisfaction was 41.46%. Compensation (benefits) (beta 0.448 [95% CI 0.341 to 0.554]), recognition by management (beta 0.132 [95% CI 0.035 to 0.228]), and opportunity for development (beta 0.123 [95% CI 0.020 to 0.226]) were associated with job satisfaction. A unit increase in salary and incentives and recognition by management scores resulted in 0.459 (95% CI 0.356 to 0.561) and 0.156 (95% CI 0.065 to 0.247) unit increases in job satisfaction scores, respectively. The overall level of job satisfaction in health professionals was low. Salary and incentives, recognition by management, developmental opportunities, and patient appreciation were strong predictors of job satisfaction.

  7. NIEHS/EPA CEHCs: Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center - Dartmouth College

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University studies long-term health of urban pollutants on children raised in minority neighborhoods in inner-city communities.

  8. NIEHS/EPA CEHCs: Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health - Columbia University

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University studies long-term health of urban pollutants on children raised in minority neighborhoods in inner-city communities.

  9. Sex Workers and HIV/AIDS: Analyzing Participatory Culture-Centered Health Communication Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Basu, Ambar; Dutta, Mohan J.

    2009-01-01

    An emerging trend in health communication research advocates the need to foreground articulations of health by participants who are at the core of any health campaign. Scholarly work suggests that the culture-centered approach to health communication can provide a theoretical and practical framework to achieve this objective. The culture-centered…

  10. Factors Affecting Sexual History Taking in a Health Center Serving Homeless Persons.

    PubMed

    Sowicz, Timothy Joseph; Bradway, Christine K

    2018-03-01

    Low rates of documentation of sexual histories have been reported and research on sexual history taking (SHT) has focused on the content of, barriers to collecting, and interventions to improve documentation of sexual histories. Absent from this literature is an understanding of the contextual factors affecting SHT. To address this gap, a focused ethnography of one health center was conducted. Data were collected through observations of health care encounters and interviews with health care providers (HCPs). No SHT was observed and this was likely influenced by patients' characteristics, communication between patients and HCPs, the prioritization of patients' basic needs, and time constraints imposed upon encounters. Given that the health center studied serves patients experiencing homelessness, behavioral health concerns, and opioid use disorder, findings illuminate areas for future inquiry into a patient population affected by social as well as physiologic determinants of health and potentially at high risk for adverse sexual health outcomes.

  11. Alternative funding for academic medicine: experience at a Canadian Health Sciences Center.

    PubMed

    Rosenbaum, Paul; Shortt, S E D; Walker, D M C

    2004-03-01

    In 1994 the School of Medicine of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, its clinical teachers, and the three principal teaching hospitals initiated a new approach to funding, the Alternative Funding Plan, a pragmatic response to the inability of fee-for-service billing by clinical faculty to subsidize the academic mission of the health sciences center. The center was funded to provide a package of service and academic deliverables (outputs), rather than on the basis of payment for physician clinical activity (inputs). The new plan required a new governance structure representing stakeholders and raised a number of important issues: how to reconcile the preservation of physician professional autonomy with corporate responsibilities; how to gather requisite information so as to equitably allocate resources; and how to report to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care in order to demonstrate accountability. In subsequent iterations of the agreement it was necessary to address issues of flexibility resulting from locked-in funding levels and to devise meaningful performance measures for departments and the center as a whole. The authors conclude that the Alternative Funding Plan represents a successful innovation in funding for an academic health sciences center in that it has created financial stability, as well as modest positive effects for education and research. The Ontario government hopes to replicate the model at the province's other four health sciences centers, and it may have applicability in any jurisdiction in which the costs of medical education outstrip the capacity of faculty clinical earnings.

  12. NIEHS/EPA CEHCs: Berkeley/Stanford Children's Environment Health Center - UC Berkeley

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The goal of this Center is to better understand the effects of exposure in the womb to air pollutants and airborne bacteria on newborn health, immune system health during childhood, and to understand the relationship of these early-life exposures to asthma

  13. Ask Dr. Sue: Center Directors Express These Health Concerns.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aronson, Susan S.

    1991-01-01

    A physician addresses three health concerns of child care center directors. She provides information about the increasing number of children with asthma problems, the exclusion of ill children from child care settings, and the increasing concern about lead poisoning. (GLR)

  14. School-Based Health Centers: National Census School Year 2004-05

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Juszczak, Linda; Schlitt, John; Moore, Aisha

    2007-01-01

    The National Assembly on School-Based Health Care conducted the 2004-05 Census, the tenth count of school-based health centers (SBHCs) since 1986, to: (1) provide a better understanding of the role of SBHCs in meeting the needs of underserved children and adolescents; (2) collect up-to-date data on demographics, staffing services, operations,…

  15. School-Based Health Centers: National Census School Year 2007-08

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strozer, Jan; Juszczak, Linda; Ammerman, Adrienne

    2010-01-01

    The National Assembly on School-Based Health Care's (NASBHC) 2007-2008 Census is the 11th request for data from school-based health centers (SBHCs) since 1986. The Census: (1) provides a better understanding of the role of SBHCs in meeting the needs of underserved children and adolescents; (2) collects relevant trend data on demographics,…

  16. 3 CFR 8698 - Proclamation 8698 of August 5, 2011. National Health Center Week, 2011

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ..., and children find help at community health centers. These centers lead the way in providing high... technology and infrastructure updates to existing centers, as well as the construction of new ones. These...

  17. Evaluation of health care services provided for older adults in primary health care centers and its internal environment

    PubMed Central

    Alhamdan, Adel A.; Alshammari, Sulaiman A.; Al-Amoud, Maysoon M.; Hameed, Tariq A.; Al-Muammar, May N.; Bindawas, Saad M.; Al-Orf, Saada M.; Mohamed, Ashry G.; Al-Ghamdi, Essam A.; Calder, Philip C.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: To evaluate the health care services provided for older adults by primary health care centers (PHCCs) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the ease of use of these centers by older adults. Methods: Between October 2013 and January 2014, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of 15 randomly selected PHCCs in Riyadh City, KSA. The evaluation focused on basic indicators of clinical services offered and factors indicative of the ease of use of the centers by older adults. Evaluations were based upon the age-friendly PHCCs toolkit of the World Health Organization. Results: Coverage of basic health assessments (such as blood pressure, diabetes, and blood cholesterol) was generally good. However, fewer than half of the PHCCs offered annual comprehensive screening for the common age-related conditions. There was no screening for cancer. Counseling on improving lifestyle was provided by most centers. However, there was no standard protocol for counseling. Coverage of common vaccinations was poor. The layout of most PHCCs and their signage were good, except for lack of Braille signage. There may be issues of access of older adults to PHCCs through lack of public transport, limited parking opportunities, the presence of steps, ramps, and internal stairs, and the lack of handrails. Conclusions: Clinical services and the internal environment of PHCCs can be improved. The data will be useful for health-policy makers to improve PHCCs to be more age-friendly. PMID:26318467

  18. 75 FR 55333 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics, (BSC, NCHS)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-10

    ... Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics, (BSC, NCHS) In accordance with section 10(a)(2... Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) announces the following meeting of [email protected] or Virginia Cain, [email protected] at least 10 days in advance for requirements). All visitors...

  19. Caries risk assessment tool and prevention protocol for public health nurses in mother and child health centers, Israel.

    PubMed

    Natapov, Lena; Dekel-Markovich, Dan; Granit-Palmon, Hadas; Aflalo, Efrat; Zusman, Shlomo Paul

    2018-01-01

    Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic disease in children. Caries risk assessment tools enable the dentists, physicians, and nondental health care providers to assess the individual's risk. Intervention by nurses in primary care settings can contribute to the establishment of oral health habits and prevention of dental disease. In Israel, Mother and Child Health Centers provide free preventive services for pregnant women and children by public health nurses. A caries prevention program in health centers started in 2015. Nurses underwent special training regarding caries prevention. A customized Caries Risk Assessment tool and Prevention Protocol for nurses, based on the AAPD tool, was introduced. A two-step evaluation was conducted which included a questionnaire and in-depth phone interviews. Twenty-eight (out of 46) health centers returned a completed questionnaire. Most nurses believed that oral health preventive services should be incorporated into their daily work. In the in-depth phone interviews, nurses stated that the integration of the program into their busy daily schedule was realistic and appropriate. The lack of specific dental module for computer program was mentioned as an implementation difficulty. The wide use of our tool by nurses supports its simplicity and feasibility which enables quick calculation and informed decision making. The nurses readily embraced the tool and it became an integral part of their toolkit. We provide public health nurses with a caries risk assessment tool and prevention protocol thus integrating oral health into general health of infants and toddlers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Fee-for-Service Revenue for School Mental Health through a Partnership with an Outpatient Mental Health Center

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lever, Nancy A.; Stephan, Sharon Hoover; Axelrod, Jennifer; Weist, Mark D.

    2004-01-01

    School mental health programs are increasingly prominent in the United States and in other countries, but funding remains tentative. This article describes a partnership between a school mental health program and an outpatient mental health center, and considers the larger goal of promoting sustainability and increasing revenue. Issues related to…

  1. An academic health center sees both challenges and enabling forces as it creates an accountable care organization.

    PubMed

    Tallia, Alfred F; Howard, Jenna

    2012-11-01

    Health care reform presents academic health centers with an opportunity to test new systems of care, such as accountable care organizations (ACOs), that are intended to improve patients' health and well-being, mitigate the anticipated shortage in primary care providers, and bend the cost curve. In its ongoing efforts to develop an ACO, the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, an academic health center, has found helpful a rapidly evolving competitive environment and insurers willing to experiment with new models of care. But the center has also encountered six types of barriers: conceptual, financial, cultural, regulatory, organizational, and historical. How this academic health center has faced these barriers offers valuable lessons to other health systems engaged in creating ACOs.

  2. The OCHIN community information network: bringing together community health centers, information technology, and data to support a patient-centered medical village.

    PubMed

    Devoe, Jennifer E; Sears, Abigail

    2013-01-01

    Creating integrated, comprehensive care practices requires access to data and informatics expertise. Information technology (IT) resources are not readily available to individual practices. One model of shared IT resources and learning is a "patient-centered medical village." We describe the OCHIN Community Health Information Network as an example of this model; community practices have come together collectively to form an organization that leverages shared IT expertise, resources, and data, providing members with the means to fully capitalize on new technologies that support improved care. This collaborative facilitates the identification of "problem sheds" through surveillance of network-wide data, enables shared learning regarding best practices, and provides a "community laboratory" for practice-based research. As an example of a community of solution, OCHIN uses health IT and data-sharing innovations to enhance partnerships between public health leaders, clinicians in community health centers, informatics experts, and policy makers. OCHIN community partners benefit from the shared IT resource (eg, a linked electronic health record, centralized data warehouse, informatics, and improvement expertise). This patient-centered medical village provides (1) the collective mechanism to build community-tailored IT solutions, (2) "neighbors" to share data and improvement strategies, and (3) infrastructure to support innovations based on electronic health records across communities, using experimental approaches.

  3. Understanding and predicting social media use among community health center patients: a cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Hanson, Carl L; West, Josh; Thackeray, Rosemary; Barnes, Michael D; Downey, Jordan

    2014-11-26

    The use of social media by health care organizations is growing and provides Web-based tools to connect patients, caregivers, and providers. The aim was to determine the use and factors predicting the use of social media for health care-related purposes among medically underserved primary care patients. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 444 patients of a federally qualified community health center. Community health center patients preferred that their providers use email, cell phones for texting, and Facebook and cell phone apps for sharing health information. Significantly more Hispanic than white patients believed their providers should use Facebook (P=.001), YouTube (P=.01), and Twitter (P=.04) for sharing health information. Use and intentions to use social media for health-related purposes were significantly higher for those patients with higher subjective norm scores. Understanding use and factors predicting use can increase adoption and utilization of social media for health care-related purposes among underserved patients in community health centers.

  4. [Prescribing and drug utilization at community health centers].

    PubMed

    Diawara, A; Sangho, H; Maiga, D; Kone, A B D; Maiga, M D; Simaga, S Y

    2007-01-01

    The rationalization of the prescription and the good use of the drugs generally constitute a major problem in the health facilities. The present survey led in November 2002 in Mali assessed the practices of prescription and the use of the drugs by the populations. The indicators of drugs use rational have been measured from 600 drawn prescriptions randomly select at the level of 20 community health center (CSCOM) retained at random in the regions of Ségou, Sikasso, Mopti and the District of Bamako. The means of drugs by order (2.8), the percentages of prescription with antibiotic (61.6%) and injectable drugs (35%) are raised in relation to the normative values of WHO (Wold Health Organization). The rate of conformity to the treatments standardized estimated on exploitation of consultations registers in the centers is estimated to 0.5% for the simple diarrhoea, 13.5% for the acute respiratory infections (ARI) without pneumonia and 60.5% for the pneumonia. On 293 patients in the households our survey permitted to estimate to 84.6% the observance of the treatment by the persons having bought the prescribed drugs totality. The percentage of antibiotics prescription and injectable drugs, and the big insufficiency in the non respect of the treatment standard constitutes some practices potentially to high risk justifying the necessity of an urgent training to the rational prescription.

  5. World Trade Center Health Program requirements for the addition of new WTC-related health conditions. Final rule.

    PubMed

    2012-04-25

    Title I of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 amended the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) to establish the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. Sections 3311, 3312, and 3321 of Title XXXIII of the PHS Act require that the WTC Program Administrator develop regulations to implement portions of the WTC Health Program established within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The WTC Health Program, which is administered by the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provides medical monitoring and treatment to eligible firefighters and related personnel, law enforcement officers, and rescue, recovery and cleanup workers who responded to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, Shanksville, PA, and at the Pentagon, and to eligible survivors of the New York City attacks. This final rule establishes the processes by which the WTC Program Administrator may add a new condition to the list of WTC-related health conditions through rulemaking, including a process for considering petitions by interested parties to add a new condition.

  6. Tackling NCD in LMIC: Achievements and Lessons Learned From the NHLBI-UnitedHealth Global Health Centers of Excellence Program.

    PubMed

    Engelgau, Michael M; Sampson, Uchechukwu K; Rabadan-Diehl, Cristina; Smith, Richard; Miranda, Jaime; Bloomfield, Gerald S; Belis, Deshiree; Narayan, K M Venkat

    2016-03-01

    Effectively tackling the growing noncommunicable disease (NCD) burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is a major challenge. To address research needs in this setting for NCDs, in 2009, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and UnitedHealth Group (UHG) engaged in a public-private partnership that supported a network of 11 LMIC-based research centers and created the NHLBI-UnitedHealth Global Health Centers of Excellence (COE) Program. The Program's overall goal was to contribute to reducing the cardiovascular and lung disease burdens by catalyzing in-country research institutions to develop a global network of biomedical research centers. Key elements of the Program included team science and collaborative approaches, developing research and training platforms for future investigators, and creating a data commons. This Program embraced a strategic approach for tackling NCDs in LMICs and will provide capacity for locally driven research efforts that can identify and address priority health issues in specific countries' settings. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  7. Costs and clinical quality among Medicare beneficiaries: associations with health center penetration of low-income residents.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Ravi; Lebrun-Harris, Lydie A; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2014-01-01

    Determine the association between access to primary care by the underserved and Medicare spending and clinical quality across hospital referral regions (HRRs). Data on elderly fee-for-service beneficiaries across 306 HRRs came from CMS' Geographic Variation in Medicare Spending and Utilization database (2010). We merged data on number of health center patients (HRSA's Uniform Data System) and number of low-income residents (American Community Survey). We estimated access to primary care in each HRR by "health center penetration" (health center patients as a proportion of low-income residents). We calculated total Medicare spending (adjusted for population size, local input prices, and health risk). We assessed clinical quality by preventable hospital admissions, hospital readmissions, and emergency department visits. We sorted HRRs by health center penetration rate and compared spending and quality measures between the high- and low-penetration deciles. We also employed linear regressions to estimate spending and quality measures as a function of health center penetration. The high-penetration decile had 9.7% lower Medicare spending ($926 per capita, p=0.01) than the low-penetration decile, and no different clinical quality outcomes. Compared with elderly fee-for-service beneficiaries residing in areas with low-penetration of health center patients among low-income residents, those residing in high-penetration areas may accrue Medicare cost savings. Limited evidence suggests that these savings do not compromise clinical quality.

  8. Psychology in patient-centered medical homes: Reducing health disparities and promoting health equity.

    PubMed

    Farber, Eugene W; Ali, Mana K; Van Sickle, Kristi S; Kaslow, Nadine J

    2017-01-01

    With persisting health disparities contributing to a disproportionate impact on the health and well-being of socially disenfranchised and medically underserved populations, the emerging patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model offers promise in bridging the health disparities divide. Because behavioral health care is an important component of the PCMH, psychologists have significant opportunity to contribute to the development and implementation of PCMH services in settings that primarily serve medically underserved communities. In this article, after briefly defining the PCMH model and its role in clinical settings for medically underserved populations for whom health disparities are present, roles of psychologists as interprofessional collaborators on PCMH medical care teams are explored. Next, the constellation of competencies that position psychologists as behavioral health specialists to contribute to PCMH care teams for medically underserved groups are characterized. The article concludes with reflections on the prospects for psychologists to make tangible contributions as health care team members toward reducing health disparities and promoting health equity in patients served in the PCMH. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. 78 FR 74163 - Harrison Medical Center, a Subsidiary of Franciscan Health System Bremerton, Washington; Notice...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-83,070] Harrison Medical Center, a Subsidiary of Franciscan Health System Bremerton, Washington; Notice of Negative Determination... workers of Harrison Medical Center, a subsidiary of Franciscan Health System, Bremerton, Washington...

  10. Patient-Centered Precision Health In A Learning Health Care System: Geisinger's Genomic Medicine Experience.

    PubMed

    Williams, Marc S; Buchanan, Adam H; Davis, F Daniel; Faucett, W Andrew; Hallquist, Miranda L G; Leader, Joseph B; Martin, Christa L; McCormick, Cara Z; Meyer, Michelle N; Murray, Michael F; Rahm, Alanna K; Schwartz, Marci L B; Sturm, Amy C; Wagner, Jennifer K; Williams, Janet L; Willard, Huntington F; Ledbetter, David H

    2018-05-01

    Health care delivery is increasingly influenced by the emerging concepts of precision health and the learning health care system. Although not synonymous with precision health, genomics is a key enabler of individualized care. Delivering patient-centered, genomics-informed care based on individual-level data in the current national landscape of health care delivery is a daunting challenge. Problems to overcome include data generation, analysis, storage, and transfer; knowledge management and representation for patients and providers at the point of care; process management; and outcomes definition, collection, and analysis. Development, testing, and implementation of a genomics-informed program requires multidisciplinary collaboration and building the concepts of precision health into a multilevel implementation framework. Using the principles of a learning health care system provides a promising solution. This article describes the implementation of population-based genomic medicine in an integrated learning health care system-a working example of a precision health program.

  11. Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) 2013 Annual Report. Publication No. STA 14-43

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2013

    2013-01-01

    This report summarizes data contributed to Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) during the 2012-2013 academic year, closing on June 30, 2013. Data was contributed by 132 college and university counseling centers describing more than 95,00 unique college students seeking mental health treatment, 3,000 clinicians, and over 500,000…

  12. Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) 2016 Annual Report. Publication No. STA 17-74

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2017

    2017-01-01

    During 2015-2016, the membership of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) grew to more than 400 institutions making this the largest and most comprehensive report on college students seeking mental health treatment to date. College and university counseling centers make this report possible by participating in a broad range of activities…

  13. The Union Health Center: a working model of clinical care linked to preventive occupational health services.

    PubMed

    Herbert, R; Plattus, B; Kellogg, L; Luo, J; Marcus, M; Mascolo, A; Landrigan, P J

    1997-03-01

    As health care provision in the United States shifts to primary care settings, it is vital that new models of occupational health services be developed that link clinical care to prevention. The model program described in this paper was developed at the Union Health Center (UHC), a comprehensive health care center supported by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (now the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees) serving a population of approximately 50,000 primarily minority, female garment workers in New York City. The objective of this paper is to describe a model occupational medicine program in a union-based comprehensive health center linking accessible clinical care with primary and secondary disease prevention efforts. To assess the presence of symptoms suggestive of occupational disease, a health status questionnaire was administered to female workers attending the UHC for routine health maintenance. Based on the results of this survey, an occupational medicine clinic was developed that integrated direct clinical care with worker and employer education and workplace hazard abatement. To assess the success of this new approach, selected cases of sentinel health events were tracked and a chart review was conducted after 3 years of clinic operation. Prior to initiation of the occupational medicine clinic, 64% (648) of the workers surveyed reported symptoms indicative of occupational illnesses. However, only 42 (4%) reported having been told by a physician that they had an occupational illness and only 4 (.4%) reported having field a workers' compensation claim for an occupational disease. In the occupational medicine clinic established at the UHC, a health and safety specialist acts as a case manager, coordinating worker and employer education as well as workplace hazard abatement focused on disease prevention, ensuring that every case of occupational disease is treated as a potential sentinel health event. As examples of the success

  14. Academic health centers in competitive markets.

    PubMed

    Reuter, J; Gaskin, D

    1997-01-01

    Academic health center (AHC) hospitals and other major teaching hospitals have funded a portion of their academic missions through patient care revenues. Using all-payer state discharge data, this DataWatch presents information on how these institutions are being affected by market changes. Although AHCs are not as successful as other hospitals are in attracting managed care patients, competitive pressures had not eroded AHCs' financial status as of 1994. However, increasing enrollment in managed care and potential changes in both Medicare and Medicaid suggest that pressure on the financing of these institutions' social missions will continue to grow over time.

  15. The Health Literacy Environment of Hospitals and Health Centers. Partners for Action: Making Your Healthcare Facility Literacy-Friendly

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rudd, Rima E.; Anderson, Jennie E.

    2006-01-01

    The "health literacy environment" of a healthcare facility represents the expectations, preferences, and skills of those providing health information and services. Some of these demands are in the form of physical aspects of the hospital or health center, such as signs and postings. At the same time, access to and navigation of health services…

  16. Destruction of the World Trade Center Towers. Lessons Learned from an Environmental Health Disaster.

    PubMed

    Reibman, Joan; Levy-Carrick, Nomi; Miles, Terry; Flynn, Kimberly; Hughes, Catherine; Crane, Michael; Lucchini, Roberto G

    2016-05-01

    The assault and subsequent collapse of the World Trade Center towers in New York City on September 11, 2001 (9/11), released more than a million tons of debris and dust into the surrounding area, engulfing rescue workers as they rushed to aid those who worked in the towers, and the thousands of nearby civilians and children who were forced to flee. In December 2015, almost 15 years after the attack, and 5 years after first enactment, Congress reauthorized the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, a law designed to respond to the adverse health effects of the disaster. This reauthorization affords an opportunity to review human inhalation exposure science in relation to the World Trade Center collapse. In this Special Article, we compile observations regarding the collective medical response to the environmental health disaster with a focus on efforts to address the adverse health effects experienced by nearby community members including local residents and workers. We also analyze approaches to understanding the potential for health risk, characterization of hazardous materials, identification of populations at risk, and shortfalls in the medical response on behalf of the local community. Our overarching goal is to communicate lessons learned from the World Trade Center experience that may be applicable to communities affected by future environmental health disasters. The World Trade Center story demonstrates that communities lacking advocacy and preexisting health infrastructures are uniquely vulnerable to health disasters. Medical and public health personnel need to compensate for these vulnerabilities to mitigate long-term illness and suffering.

  17. Destruction of the World Trade Center Towers. Lessons Learned from an Environmental Health Disaster

    PubMed Central

    Levy-Carrick, Nomi; Miles, Terry; Flynn, Kimberly; Hughes, Catherine; Crane, Michael; Lucchini, Roberto G.

    2016-01-01

    The assault and subsequent collapse of the World Trade Center towers in New York City on September 11, 2001 (9/11), released more than a million tons of debris and dust into the surrounding area, engulfing rescue workers as they rushed to aid those who worked in the towers, and the thousands of nearby civilians and children who were forced to flee. In December 2015, almost 15 years after the attack, and 5 years after first enactment, Congress reauthorized the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, a law designed to respond to the adverse health effects of the disaster. This reauthorization affords an opportunity to review human inhalation exposure science in relation to the World Trade Center collapse. In this Special Article, we compile observations regarding the collective medical response to the environmental health disaster with a focus on efforts to address the adverse health effects experienced by nearby community members including local residents and workers. We also analyze approaches to understanding the potential for health risk, characterization of hazardous materials, identification of populations at risk, and shortfalls in the medical response on behalf of the local community. Our overarching goal is to communicate lessons learned from the World Trade Center experience that may be applicable to communities affected by future environmental health disasters. The World Trade Center story demonstrates that communities lacking advocacy and preexisting health infrastructures are uniquely vulnerable to health disasters. Medical and public health personnel need to compensate for these vulnerabilities to mitigate long-term illness and suffering. PMID:26872108

  18. Quality Improvement Initiative in School-Based Health Centers across New Mexico

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Booker, John M.; Schluter, Janette A.; Carrillo, Kris; McGrath, Jane

    2011-01-01

    Background: Quality improvement principles have been applied extensively to health care organizations, but implementation of quality improvement methods in school-based health centers (SBHCs) remains in a developmental stage with demonstration projects under way in individual states and nationally. Rural areas, such as New Mexico, benefit from the…

  19. Bringing Wellness to Schools: Opportunities for and Challenges to Mental Health Integration in School-Based Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Lai, Karen; Guo, Sisi; Ijadi-Maghsoodi, Roya; Puffer, Maryjane; Kataoka, Sheryl H

    2016-12-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) reduce access barriers to mental health care and improve educational outcomes for youths. This qualitative study evaluated the innovations and challenges of a unique network of SBHCs in a large, urban school district as the centers attempted to integrate health, mental health, and educational services. The 43 participants sampled included mental health providers, primary care providers, and care coordinators at 14 SBHCs. Semistructured interviews with each participant were audio recorded and transcribed. Themes were identified and coded by using Atlas.ti 5.1 and collapsed into three domains: operations, partnership, and engagement. Interviews revealed provider models ranging from single agencies offering both primary care and mental health services to colocated services. Sites where the health agency provided at least some mental health services reported more mental health screenings. Many sites used SBHC wellness coordinators and coordination team meetings to facilitate relationships between schools and health agency and community mental health clinic providers. Partnership challenges included confidentiality policies and staff turnover. Participants also highlighted student and parent engagement through culturally sensitive services, peer health advocates, and "drop-in" lunches. Staffing and operational models are critical in the success of integrating primary care, mental health care, and education. Among the provider models observed, the combined primary care and mental health provider model offered the most integrated services. Despite barriers, providers and schools have begun to implement novel solutions to operational problems and family engagement in mental health services.

  20. 78 FR 2953 - National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) Secure Exchange of Electronic Health...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-15

    ...-01] National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) Secure Exchange of Electronic Health... the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) in the Secure Exchange of Electronic Health... accelerating the widespread adoption of integrated cybersecurity tools and technologies. The NCCoE will bring...

  1. Examining Health Professional Educators' Adoption of Learning-Centered Pedagogy and Instructional Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Traci B.

    2014-01-01

    This mixed-methods study explored the extent to which health professions educators use instructional technologies and learning-centered pedagogical methods. Within the health professions, there is a lack of data on the pedagogical methods used by health professions educators within the classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine and…

  2. A Phenomenological Study: Community Mental Health Centers Leaders Influence on Clinician Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Beth B.

    2011-01-01

    Some clinical leaders of community mental health centers are not aware of successful methods for supporting and empowering staff to be more effective, specifically when the staff is experiencing change because of new health information technology. Clinical leaders in community mental health face similar management issues as do other business,…

  3. High Prevalence of Overweight Among Pediatric Users of Community Health Centers

    PubMed Central

    Stettler, Nicolas; Elliott, Michael R.; Kallan, Michael J.; Auerbach, Steven B.; Kumanyika, Shiriki K.

    2005-01-01

    Objective With the increasing prevalence of pediatric obesity, it is important to identify high-risk populations of children to direct limited resources for prevention and treatment to those who are most vulnerable. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of overweight in children who are clients of community health centers in medically underserved areas of the Health Resources and Service Administration regions II and III (Mid-Atlantic and Puerto Rico), compare this prevalence to nationally representative data, and contrast prevalence data between geographic areas and racial/ethnic groups. Methods The charts from a representative sample of 2474 children using 30 community health centers in 2001 were abstracted to collect clinically measured weight and height. Overweight was defined as a body mass index of ≥95th percentile of a reference population. To generate an unbiased estimate of overweight, multiple imputations were used for missing data. These data were compared with the 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Results The prevalence of overweight was elevated in this sample of children aged 2 to 5 years (21.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 19.1–24.8) and 6 to 11 years (23.8%; 95% CI: 16.9–27.7) compared with the 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (10.3% and 15.8%, respectively). No significant differences in prevalence were observed between Asian American (18.2%; 95% CI: 11.2–28.3), Hispanic (24.6%; 95% CI: 21.3–28.2), non-Hispanic black (25.6%; 95% CI: 20.8–30.9), and non-Hispanic white (22.8%; 95% CI: 19.0–27.0) children. Furthermore, no differences in prevalence were observed between children using community health centers in continental urban (23.7%; 95% CI: 20.6–27.2), suburban (24.0%; 95% CI: 20.0–28.5), or rural (22.9%; 95% CI: 19.3–26.9) areas. Conclusions The present study identified a population of children at particularly high risk for obesity based on the

  4. Perspectives on family planning services among adolescents at a Boston community health center.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Katherine M; Dodge, Laura E; Hacker, Michele R; Ricciotti, Hope A

    2015-04-01

    The aim of this project was to investigate adolescent perspectives on family planning services at a community-health center, with the intent to inform health center programs aimed at stemming the adolescent pregnancy rate. This project was cross-sectional and employed mixed methods, including surveys and interviews, for the purposes of quality improvement. The project was conducted in the obstetrics and gynecology clinic at an urban community health center in Boston. Twenty adolescent females (age 16-20) who used services at the health center. Participants were individually interviewed to assess perspectives on family planning services and to identify major influences on methods of pregnancy prevention. Major themes were categorized into contraceptive usage, reproductive health knowledge, adult influence and communication, barriers to contraceptive care and expectations of a family planning clinic. All participants were sexually active and 80% had experienced pregnancy. Reproductive health knowledge was variable and in many cases limited. Concern about disapproval was a prominent barrier to going to a clinician for contraception or advice and parents were not often involved in the initial contraception discussion. Other barriers to use of contraception included forgetting to use the methods and fear of side effects. We identified several potentially modifiable factors, including lack of knowledge, concern for provider disapproval and fear of side effects that may limit effective use of family planning services by adolescents. Further attention should be paid to these factors in designing and improving youth-friendly services in ob-gyn clinics. Copyright © 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Biosecurity and Health Monitoring at the Zebrafish International Resource Center

    PubMed Central

    Varga, Zoltán M.; Kent, Michael L.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The Zebrafish International Resource Center (ZIRC) is a repository and distribution center for mutant, transgenic, and wild-type zebrafish. In recent years annual imports of new zebrafish lines to ZIRC have increased tremendously. In addition, after 15 years of research, we have identified some of the most virulent pathogens affecting zebrafish that should be avoided in large production facilities, such as ZIRC. Therefore, while importing a high volume of new lines we prioritize safeguarding the health of our in-house fish colony. Here, we describe the biosecurity and health-monitoring program implemented at ZIRC. This strategy was designed to prevent introduction of new zebrafish pathogens, minimize pathogens already present in the facility, and ensure a healthy zebrafish colony for in-house uses and shipment to customers. PMID:27031282

  6. Understanding and Predicting Social Media Use Among Community Health Center Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The use of social media by health care organizations is growing and provides Web-based tools to connect patients, caregivers, and providers. Objective The aim was to determine the use and factors predicting the use of social media for health care–related purposes among medically underserved primary care patients. Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered to 444 patients of a federally qualified community health center. Results Community health center patients preferred that their providers use email, cell phones for texting, and Facebook and cell phone apps for sharing health information. Significantly more Hispanic than white patients believed their providers should use Facebook (P=.001), YouTube (P=.01), and Twitter (P=.04) for sharing health information. Use and intentions to use social media for health-related purposes were significantly higher for those patients with higher subjective norm scores. Conclusions Understanding use and factors predicting use can increase adoption and utilization of social media for health care–related purposes among underserved patients in community health centers. PMID:25427823

  7. Costs and Clinical Quality Among Medicare Beneficiaries: Associations with Health Center Penetration of Low-Income Residents

    PubMed Central

    Sharma, Ravi; Lebrun-Harris, Lydie A.; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2014-01-01

    Objective Determine the association between access to primary care by the underserved and Medicare spending and clinical quality across hospital referral regions (HRRs). Data Sources Data on elderly fee-for-service beneficiaries across 306 HRRs came from CMS’ Geographic Variation in Medicare Spending and Utilization database (2010). We merged data on number of health center patients (HRSA’s Uniform Data System) and number of low-income residents (American Community Survey). Study Design We estimated access to primary care in each HRR by “health center penetration” (health center patients as a proportion of low-income residents). We calculated total Medicare spending (adjusted for population size, local input prices, and health risk). We assessed clinical quality by preventable hospital admissions, hospital readmissions, and emergency department visits. We sorted HRRs by health center penetration rate and compared spending and quality measures between the high- and low-penetration deciles. We also employed linear regressions to estimate spending and quality measures as a function of health center penetration. Principal Findings The high-penetration decile had 9.7% lower Medicare spending ($926 per capita, p=0.01) than the low-penetration decile, and no different clinical quality outcomes. Conclusions Compared with elderly fee-for-service beneficiaries residing in areas with low-penetration of health center patients among low-income residents, those residing in high-penetration areas may accrue Medicare cost savings. Limited evidence suggests that these savings do not compromise clinical quality. PMID:25243096

  8. 77 FR 5258 - World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-02

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory Committee), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Notice of Cancellation: This notice was published in the Federal Register on December 29,...

  9. 77 FR 8877 - World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-15

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory Committee), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Correction This notice was published in the Federal Register on January 31, 2012, Volume 77,...

  10. 76 FR 64088 - World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Docket Number NIOSH-248] World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory Committee), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory...

  11. 77 FR 14017 - World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory Committee), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463),...

  12. 77 FR 4820 - World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-31

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory Committee), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463),...

  13. 76 FR 81947 - World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP STAC or Advisory Committee), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463)...

  14. Parent and Health Care Professional Perspectives on Family-Centered Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs: Are We on the Same Page?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bellin, Melissa H.; Osteen, Philip; Heffernan, Caitlin; Levy, Judy M.; Snyder-Vogel, Mary E.

    2011-01-01

    A family-centered approach to health care for children with special health care needs (CSHCN) is widely acknowledged as the ideal model of service delivery, but less is known about the actual practice of family-centered care (FCC), especially from the viewpoints of parents and health care professionals. This cross-sectional research compared…

  15. Center for Global Health announces grants to support portable technologies

    Cancer.gov

    NCI's Center for Global Health announced grants that will support the development and validation of low-cost, portable technologies. These technologies have the potential to improve early detection, diagnosis, and non-invasive or minimally invasive treatm

  16. Community Health Centers and Private Practice Performance on Ambulatory Care Measures

    PubMed Central

    Goldman, L. Elizabeth; Chu, Philip W.; Tran, Huong; Stafford, Randall S.

    2013-01-01

    Background The 2010 Affordable Care Act relies on Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and FQHC look-alikes (look-alikes) to provide care for newly insured patients, but ties increased funding to demonstrated quality and efficiency. Purpose To compare FQHC and look-alike physician performance with private practice primary care physicians (PCPs) on ambulatory care quality measures. Methods The study was a cross-sectional analysis of visits in the 2006–2008 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Performance of FQHCs and Look-alikes on 18 quality measures was compared with private practice PCPs. Data analysis was completed in 2011. Results Compared to private practice PCPs, FQHCs and look-alikes performed better on 6 measures (p<0.05), worse on diet counseling in at-risk adolescents (26 % vs. 36%, p=0.05), and no differently on 11 measures. Higher performance occurred in: ACE inhibitors use for congestive heart failure (51% vs. 37%, p=0.004); aspirin use in coronary artery disease (CAD) (57% vs. 44%, p=0.004); beta blocker use for CAD (59% vs. 47%, p=0.01); no use of benzodiazepines in depression (91% vs. 84%, p=0.008); blood pressure screening (90% vs. 86%, p<0.001); and screening electrocardiogram (EKG) avoidance in low-risk patients (99% vs. 93%, p<0.001). Adjusting for patient characteristics yielded similar results except private practice PCPs no longer performed better on any measures. Conclusions FQHCs and look-alikes demonstrated equal or better performance than private practice primary care physicians on select quality measures despite serving patients with more chronic disease and socioeconomic complexity. These findings can provide policymakers with some reassurance as to the quality of chronic disease and preventive care at Federally Qualified Health Centers and Federally Qualified Health Center look-alikes, as they plan to use these health centers to serve 20 million newly insured individuals. PMID:22813678

  17. Engaging African American and Latino Adolescent Males through School-Based Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bains, Ranbir Mangat; Franzen, Carolyn W.; White-Frese', Jesse

    2014-01-01

    African American and Latino males are less likely to seek mental health services and obtain adequate care than their White counterparts. They are more likely to receive mental health services in school-based health centers (SBHCs) than in other community-based setting. The purpose of this article was to understand the issues and reasons these…

  18. Differences in Access to Care among Students Using School-Based Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parasuraman, Sarika Rane; Shi, Leiyu

    2015-01-01

    Health care reform has changed the landscape for the nation's health safety net, and school-based health centers (SBHCs) remain an important part of this system. However, few large-scale studies have been conducted to assess their impact on access to care. This study investigated differences in access among a nationally representative sample of…

  19. The Carter Center Mental Health Program: addressing the public health crisis in the field of mental health through policy change and stigma reduction.

    PubMed

    Palpant, Rebecca G; Steimnitz, Rachael; Bornemann, Thomas H; Hawkins, Katie

    2006-04-01

    Some of the most pervasive and debilitating illnesses are mental illnesses, according to World Health Organization's The World Health Report 2001--Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope. Neuropsychiatric conditions account for four of the top five leading causes of years of life lived with disability in people aged 15 to 44 in the Western world. Many barriers prevent people with mental illnesses from seeking care, such as prohibitive costs, lack of insurance, and the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illnesses. The Carter Center Mental Health Program, established in 1991, focuses on mental health policy issues within the United States and internationally. This article examines the public health crisis in the field of mental health and focuses on The Carter Center Mental Health Program's initiatives, which work to increase public knowledge of and decrease the stigma associated with mental illnesses through their four strategic goals: reducing stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses; achieving equity of mental health care comparable with other health services; advancing early promotion, prevention, and early intervention services for children and their families; and increasing public awareness about mental illnesses and mental health issues.

  20. A Time for Action on Health Inequities: Foundations of the 2014 Geneva Declaration on Person- and People-centered Integrated Health Care for All

    PubMed Central

    Cloninger, C. Robert; Salvador-Carulla, Luis; Kirmayer, Laurence J.; Schwartz, Michael A.; Appleyard, James; Goodwin, Nick; Groves, JoAnna; Hermans, Marc H. M.; Mezzich, Juan E.; van Staden, C. W.; Rawaf, Salman

    2015-01-01

    Global inequalities contribute to marked disparities in health and wellness of human populations. Many opportunities now exist to provide health care to all people in a person- and people-centered way that is effective, equitable, and sustainable. We review these opportunities and the scientific, historical, and philosophical considerations that form the basis for the International College of Person-centered Medicine’s 2014 Geneva Declaration on Person- and People-centered Integrated Health Care for All. Using consistent time-series data, we critically examine examples of universal healthcare systems in Chile, Spain, and Cuba. In a person-centered approach to public health, people are recognized to have intrinsic dignity and are treated with respect to encourage their developing health and happiness. A person-centered approach supports the freedom and the responsibility to develop one’s life in ways that are personally meaningful and that are respectful of others and the environment in which we live together. Evidence suggests that health care organizations function well when they operate in a person-and people-centered way because that stimulates better coordination, cooperation, and social trust. Health care coverage must be integrated at several interconnected levels in order to be effective, efficient, and fair. To reduce the burden of disease, integration is needed between the people seeking and delivering care, within the social network of each person, across the trajectory of each person’s life, among primary caregivers and specialists, and across multiple sectors of society. For integration to succeed across all these levels, it must foster common values and a shared vision of the future. PMID:26140190

  1. 42 CFR 422.316 - Special rules for payments to Federally qualified health centers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Payments to Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.316 Special rules for payments to Federally qualified health centers...

  2. Metabolic Networks Integrative Cardiac Health Project (ICHP) - Center of Excellence

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-04-01

    2.6; P = 0.001) among all variables, as the most significant predictor of abnormal CIMT, thus increasing risk for CVD. Conclusions: The Integrative ...1 Award Number: W81XWH-11-2-0227 TITLE: "Metabolic Networks Integrative Cardiac Health Project (ICHP) - Center of Excellence." PRINCIPAL...April 2016 2. REPORT TYPE ANNUAL 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE "Metabolic Networks Integrative Cardiac Health Project (ICHP

  3. NASA Specialized Center for Research and Training (NSCORT) in space environmental health

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clarkson, Thomas W.; Utell, Mark J.; Morgenthaler, George W.; Eberhardt, Ralph; Rabin, Robert

    1992-01-01

    Activities of the Center for Space Environmental Health (CSEH), one of several NSCORTs supported by NASA in order to advance knowledge in environmental health in space habitats, are reviewed. Research in environmental health will define the standards or requirements needed to protect human health. This information will affect mission plans and the design of space habitats. This reseach will study unique contaminant stresses and lead to risk models for human health and performance.

  4. Financial Performance of Academic Health Center Hospitals, 1994-2000.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dobson, Allen; Koenig, Lane; Sen, Namrata; Ho, Silver; Gilani, Jawaria

    This study examined how competitive market dynamics between 1994 and 2000 have affected the financial stability of Academic Health Center (AHC) hospitals and their ability to support their academic and social missions. It looked at the financial challenges facing AHC hospitals through a survey involving 1,138 teaching hospitals. Findings…

  5. Delegations of authority and organization; Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, and Center for Drug Evaluation and Research--FDA. Final rule.

    PubMed

    1991-11-21

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the regulations for delegations of authority relating to premarket approval of products that are or contain a biologic, a device, or a drug. The amendment grants directors, deputy directors, and certain other supervisory personnel in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) reciprocal premarket approval authority to approve such products.

  6. Market-Based Health Care in Specialty Surgery: Finding Patient-Centered Shared Value.

    PubMed

    Smith, Timothy R; Rambachan, Aksharananda; Cote, David; Cybulski, George; Laws, Edward R

    2015-10-01

    : The US health care system is struggling with rising costs, poor outcomes, waste, and inefficiency. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act represents a substantial effort to improve access and emphasizes value-based care. Value in health care has been defined as health outcomes for the patient per dollar spent. However, given the opacity of health outcomes and cost, the identification and quantification of patient-centered value is problematic. These problems are magnified by highly technical, specialized care (eg, neurosurgery). This is further complicated by potentially competing interests of the 5 major stakeholders in health care: patients, doctors, payers, hospitals, and manufacturers. These stakeholders are watching with great interest as health care in the United States moves toward a value-based system. Market principles can be harnessed to drive costs down, improve outcomes, and improve overall value to patients. However, there are many caveats to a market-based, value-driven system that must be identified and addressed. Many excellent neurosurgical efforts are already underway to nudge health care toward increased efficiency, decreased costs, and improved quality. Patient-centered shared value can provide a philosophical mooring for the development of health care policies that utilize market principles without losing sight of the ultimate goals of health care, to care for patients.

  7. Library orientation methods: J. Hillis Miller Health Center Library program.

    PubMed

    Eaton, E S

    1972-01-01

    Two orientation devices are described which are currently in use at the J. Hillis Miller Health Center Library. One is a taped tour which requires a portable recorder with earphones attached. Tapes are now available for nursing students, physical therapy students, and Health Center staff. The tour includes location information and description of the card catalog and certain basic index and abstract services. The second orientation device is a short instruction tape on the use of Index Medicus which is attached to the Index Medicus table. This is heard through a telephone apparatus. It is anticipated that the tape technique will be expanded to apply to other students and other library tools. It is also believed that this technique may be used in other libraries. Information about the supplies and equipment used is given as an addendum.

  8. The role of community health centers in assessing the social determinants of health for planning and policy: the example of frontier New Mexico.

    PubMed

    Bruna, Sean; Stone, Lisa Cacari; Wilger, Susan; Cantor, Jeremy; Guzman, Carolina

    2014-01-01

    This article examines the experience of a frontier-based community health center when it utilized the Tool for Health and Resilience in Vulnerable Environments (THRIVE) for assessing social determinants of health with a local health consortium. Community members (N = 357) rated safety, jobs, housing, and education among the top health issues. Community leaders integrated these health priorities in a countywide strategic planning process. This example of a frontier county in New Mexico demonstrates the critical role that community health centers play when engaging with local residents to assess community health needs for strategic planning and policy development.

  9. Usability of patient-centered health IT: mixed-methods usability study of ePill.

    PubMed

    Schmidt-Kraepelin, Manuel; Dehling, Tobias; Sunyaev, Ali

    2014-01-01

    To facilitate use of patient-centered health IT applications in everyday life, a high degree of usability is required. Based on the example of a patient-centered web application, we propose a usability study design enabling developers and researchers to assess usability of patient-centered health IT applications and derive implications for their improvement. Our study design integrates tasks that subjects have to process, an associated questionnaire based on Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, Attitude Toward Using, and Behavioral Intention to Use, a System Usability Scale questionnaire, and focus groups. Application of the usability study design demonstrates its feasibility and provides insights for assessment of usability in related projects in research and practice.

  10. Measuring Efficiency of Knowledge Production in Health Research Centers Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA): A Case Study in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Amiri, Mohammad Meskarpour; Nasiri, Taha; Saadat, Seyed Hassan; Anabad, Hosein Amini; Ardakan, Payman Mahboobi

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Efficiency analysis is necessary in order to avoid waste of materials, energy, effort, money, and time during scientific research. Therefore, analyzing efficiency of knowledge production in health areas is necessary, especially for developing and in-transition countries. As the first step in this field, the aim of this study was the analysis of selected health research center efficiency using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Methods This retrospective and applied study was conducted in 2015 using input and output data of 16 health research centers affiliated with a health sciences university in Iran during 2010–2014. The technical efficiency of health research centers was evaluated based on three basic data envelopment analysis (DEA) models: input-oriented, output-oriented, and hyperbolic-oriented. The input and output data of each health research center for years 2010–2014 were collected from the Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHE) profile and analyzed by R software. Results The mean efficiency score in input-oriented, output-oriented, and hyperbolic-oriented models was 0.781, 0.671, and 0.798, respectively. Based on results of the study, half of the health research centers are operating below full efficiency, and about one-third of them are operating under the average efficiency level. There is also a large gap between health research center efficiency relative to each other. Conclusion It is necessary for health research centers to improve their efficiency in knowledge production through better management of available resources. The higher level of efficiency in a significant number of health research centers is achievable through more efficient management of human resources and capital. Further research is needed to measure and follow the efficiency of knowledge production by health research centers around the world and over a period of time. PMID:28344756

  11. Measuring Efficiency of Knowledge Production in Health Research Centers Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA): A Case Study in Iran.

    PubMed

    Amiri, Mohammad Meskarpour; Nasiri, Taha; Saadat, Seyed Hassan; Anabad, Hosein Amini; Ardakan, Payman Mahboobi

    2016-11-01

    Efficiency analysis is necessary in order to avoid waste of materials, energy, effort, money, and time during scientific research. Therefore, analyzing efficiency of knowledge production in health areas is necessary, especially for developing and in-transition countries. As the first step in this field, the aim of this study was the analysis of selected health research center efficiency using data envelopment analysis (DEA). This retrospective and applied study was conducted in 2015 using input and output data of 16 health research centers affiliated with a health sciences university in Iran during 2010-2014. The technical efficiency of health research centers was evaluated based on three basic data envelopment analysis (DEA) models: input-oriented, output-oriented, and hyperbolic-oriented. The input and output data of each health research center for years 2010-2014 were collected from the Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHE) profile and analyzed by R software. The mean efficiency score in input-oriented, output-oriented, and hyperbolic-oriented models was 0.781, 0.671, and 0.798, respectively. Based on results of the study, half of the health research centers are operating below full efficiency, and about one-third of them are operating under the average efficiency level. There is also a large gap between health research center efficiency relative to each other. It is necessary for health research centers to improve their efficiency in knowledge production through better management of available resources. The higher level of efficiency in a significant number of health research centers is achievable through more efficient management of human resources and capital. Further research is needed to measure and follow the efficiency of knowledge production by health research centers around the world and over a period of time.

  12. 75 FR 384 - Event Problem Codes Web Site; Center for Devices and Radiological Health; Availability

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-05

    ...] Event Problem Codes Web Site; Center for Devices and Radiological Health; Availability AGENCY: Food and... the availability of a Web site where the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) is posting... to all reporters (Sec. 803.21(b)). FDA is announcing the availability of a Web site that will make...

  13. 3 CFR - Medicare Demonstration To Test Medical Homes in Federally Qualified Health Centers

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... health information technology and electronic health records. One of the key benefits health centers... improvement, access to care, communication with patients, and care management and coordination. These... any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against...

  14. Learning Curves: Making Quality Online Health Information Available at a Fitness Center.

    PubMed

    Dobbins, Montie T; Tarver, Talicia; Adams, Mararia; Jones, Dixie A

    2012-01-01

    Meeting consumer health information needs can be a challenge. Research suggests that women seek health information from a variety of resources, including the Internet. In an effort to make women aware of reliable health information sources, the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - Shreveport Medical Library engaged in a partnership with a franchise location of Curves International, Inc. This article will discuss the project, its goals and its challenges.

  15. Academic-health department collaborative relationships are reciprocal and strengthen public health practice: results from a study of academic research centers.

    PubMed

    Neri, Elizabeth M; Ballman, Marie R; Lu, Hua; Greenlund, Kurt J; Grunbaum, Jo Anne

    2014-01-01

    Collaborations between academic institutions and state and local health departments have been shown to enhance the public health core functions of Assurance by improving the public health workforce's knowledge and skills. Few studies have analyzed how academic-health department collaborations enhance Assessment and Policy Development core functions. This qualitative study explores types of collaborations between health departments and Prevention Research Centers (PRCs) and how they align with the core functions. Prevention Research Centers are academic institutions funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct public health research and translate research results for policies and practices. We reviewed each PRC's annual report from fiscal year 2011 and abstracted descriptions of PRC-health department collaborations. We identified 14 themes of PRC-health department collaborations and conducted a qualitative analysis to describe the dimensions and distribution of themes. Of the 37 PRCs, 36 reported 215 collaborations with 19 city, 97 county, 31 state, and 46 tribal health departments. Themes of research, survey, and surveillance aligned with the Assessment core function and evaluation, strategic planning, technical assistance, and program implementation supported the Policy Development and Assurance core functions. Overall, health departments provided on-the-ground expertise to inform PRC research, ensuring its applicability to public health practice. Reciprocally, PRCs improved data quality, increased the scientific rigor of health department processes and programs, and filled knowledge gaps within health departments. Both PRCs and health departments enhanced the relevance of public health programs and practices by grounding implementation and evaluation in community needs and views. Findings from this study demonstrate that PRC-health department collaborations often enhanced multiple core functions that could lead to implementation of evidence

  16. [Birth preparedness in antenatal care: effects of health center characteristics].

    PubMed

    Soubeiga, D; Sia, D

    2013-08-01

    Counseling relating to birth preparedness is an essential component of the WHO Focused Antenatal Care model. During the antenatal visits, women should receive the information and education they need to make choices to reduce maternal and neonatal risks. The objective of this study conducted among women attending antenatal visits in rural Burkina Faso was to search for a link between the characteristics of the center delivering the health care and the probability of being exposed to information and advice relating to birth preparedness. A multilevel study was performed using survey data from women (n=464) attending health centres (n=30) in two rural districts in Burkina Faso (Dori and Koupela). The women were interviewed using the modified questionnaire of the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO). Women reported receiving advice about institutional delivery (72%), signs of danger (55%), cost of institutional delivery (38%) and advice on transportation in the event of emergency (12%). One independent factor was found to be associated with reception of birth preparedness advice: number of antenatal visits attended. Compared with women from Dori, women from Koupela were more likely to have received information on signs of danger (OR=3.72; 95%CI: 1.26-7.89), institutional delivery (OR=4.37; 95%CI: 1.70-10.14), and cost of care (OR=3.01; 95%CI: 1.21-7.46). The reduced volume of consultations per day and the availability of printed materials significantly remain associated with information on the danger signs and with the institutional delivery advices. Comparison by center activity level showed that women attending health centers delivering less than 10 antenatal visits per day were more likely to receive information on signs of danger (OR=2.63; 95%CI: 1.12-6.24) and to be advised about institution delivery (OR=6.30; 95%CI: 2.47-13.90) compared to health centers delivering more than 20 antenatal visits per day. Women

  17. Providing Medical Information to College Health Center Personnel: A Circuit Librarian Service at the University of Illinois

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stumpff, Julia C.

    2003-01-01

    College health center personnel are no different from other health practitioners in their need for medical information. To help meet this need, the McKinley Health Center, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, developed a partnership in 1997 with the Library of the Health Sciences-Urbana, a regional site library of the University of Illinois at…

  18. A Novel Conceptual Architecture for Person-Centered Health Records.

    PubMed

    Schleyer, Titus; King, Zachary; Miled, Zina Ben

    2016-01-01

    Personal health records available to patients today suffer from multiple limitations, such as information fragmentation, a one-size-fits-all approach and a focus on data gathered over time and by institution rather than health conditions. This makes it difficult for patients to effectively manage their health, for these data to be enriched with relevant information from external sources and for clinicians to support them in that endeavor. We propose a novel conceptual architecture for person-centered health record information systems that transcends many of these limitations and capitalizes on the emerging trend of socially-driven information systems. Our proposed personal health record system is personalized on demand to the conditions of each individual patient; organized to facilitate the tracking and review of the patient's conditions; and able to support patient-community interactions, thereby promoting community engagement in scientific studies, facilitating preventive medicine, and accelerating the translation of research findings.

  19. HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER DISASTER

    EPA Science Inventory

    The attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) created an acute environmental disaster of enormous magnitude. This study characterizes the environmental exposures resulting from destruction of the WTC and assesses their effects on health. Methods include ambient air sampling; analyse...

  20. Improving patient-centered communication while using an electronic health record: Report from a curriculum evaluation.

    PubMed

    Fogarty, Colleen T; Winters, Paul; Farah, Subrina

    2016-05-01

    Researchers and clinicians are concerned about the impact of electronic health record use and patient-centered communication. Training about patient-centered clinical communication skills with the electronic health record may help clinicians adapt and remain patient-centered. We developed an interactive workshop eliciting challenges and opportunities of working with the electronic health record in clinical practice, introduction of specific patient-centered behaviors and mindful practice techniques, and video demonstrating contrasts in common behavior and "better practices." One hundred thirty-nine resident physicians and faculty supervisors in five residency training programs at the University of Rochester Medical Center participated in the workshops. Participants were asked to complete an 11-item survey of behaviors related to their use of the electronic health record prior to training and after attending training. We used paired t-tests to assess changes in self-reported behavior from pre-intervention to post-intervention. We trained 139 clinicians in the workshops; 110 participants completed the baseline assessment and 39 completed both the baseline and post-intervention assessment. Data from post-curriculum respondents found a statistically significant increase in "I told the patient when turning my attention from the patient to the computer," from 60% of the time prior to the training to 70% of the time after. Data from our program evaluation demonstrated improvement in one communication behavior. Sample size limited the detection of other changes; further research should investigate effective training techniques for patient-centered communication while using the electronic health record. © The Author(s) 2016.

  1. Women-Centered and Culturally Responsive Heart Health Promotion Among Indigenous Women in Canada.

    PubMed

    Ziabakhsh, Shabnam; Pederson, Ann; Prodan-Bhalla, Natasha; Middagh, Diane; Jinkerson-Brass, Sharon

    2016-11-01

    Most women in Canada confront a combination of bio-psychosocial factors that put them at risk for cardiovascular disease. The challenge for health planners is to address these factors while contextualizing interventions that meet the specific needs of particular social and cultural groupings. The article will discuss a women-centered, group-based heart health pilot initiative designed to engage with indigenous approaches to healing. The nurse practitioners co-led the group with a representative from the indigenous community to balance women-centered practices with more traditional and culturally appropriate ones. In particular, indigenous processes, such as a Talking Circle, combined with indigenous knowledge/content were integrated into the pilot program. The project was evaluated to investigate its outcomes (how the intervention impacted the participants) and processes (how participants perceived the intervention). Evaluation involved analysis of the Talking Circle's content, a focus group, field observations, and self-completed surveys. Most women made changes regarding their diet, some began physical activities, and others focused on better managing their emotional health. Women viewed the group as successful because it embraced both women-centered and culturally appropriate health promotion practices. The intervention created a culturally safe space for learning and transformation. The findings confirm the need for employing culturally relevant, gender-specific approaches to heart health promotion that are situated in and responsive to community needs. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

  2. Relationship of Interpersonal Behaviors and Health-Related Control Appraisals to Patient Satisfaction and Compliance in a University Health Center

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, Thomas A.; Auerbach, Stephen M.; Kiesler, Donald J.

    2007-01-01

    Objective: The authors' aim was to evaluate patient-provider relationships in a college health center. Participants: Eighty student patients and their health-care providers. Methods: Patients completed a measure of perceived health competence before a consultation and measures of provider participatory behavior and interpersonal behavior before…

  3. Advancing LGBT Health at an Academic Medical Center: A Case Study.

    PubMed

    Yehia, Baligh R; Calder, Daniel; Flesch, Judd D; Hirsh, Rebecca L; Higginbotham, Eve; Tkacs, Nancy; Crawford, Beverley; Fishman, Neil

    2015-12-01

    Academic health centers are strategically positioned to impact the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations by advancing science, educating future generations of providers, and delivering integrated care that addresses the unique health needs of the LGBT community. This report describes the early experiences of the Penn Medicine Program for LGBT Health, highlighting the favorable environment that led to its creation, the mission and structure of the Program, strategic planning process used to set priorities and establish collaborations, and the reception and early successes of the Program.

  4. Healthcare waste generation and management practice in government health centers of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Tadesse, Menelik Legesse; Kumie, Abera

    2014-11-25

    Healthcare wastes are hazardous organic and inorganic wastes. The waste disposal management in Addis Ababa city is seen unscientific manner. The waste management practice in the health facilities are poor and need improvement. This study will help different organizations, stakeholders and policy makers to correct and improve the existing situation of healthcare waste legislation and enforcement and training of staff in the healthcare facilities in Addis Ababa. The study aimed to assess the existing generation and management practice of healthcare waste in selected government health centers of Addis Ababa. The cross-sectional study was conducted to quantify waste generation rate and evaluate its management system. The study area was Addis Ababa. The sample size was determined by simple random sampling technique, the sampling procedure involved 10 sub-cities of Addis Ababa. Data were collected using both waste collecting and measuring equipment and check list. The Data was entered by EPI INFO version 6.04d and analyzed by and SPSS for WINDOW version15. The mean (±SD) healthcare waste generation rate was 9.61 ± 3.28 kg/day of which (38%) 3.64 ± 1.45 kg/day was general or non-hazardous waste and (62%) 5.97 ± 2.31 kg/day was hazardous. The mean healthcare waste generation rate between health centers was a significant different with Kurskal-Wallis test (χ2 = 21.83, p-value = 0.009). All health centers used safety boxes for collection of sharp wastes and all health centers used plastic buckets without lid for collection and transportation of healthcare waste. Pre treatment of infectious wastes was not practiced by any of the health centers. All health centers used incinerators and had placenta pit for disposal of pathological waste however only seven out of ten pits had proper covering material. Segregation of wastes at point of generation with appropriate collection materials and pre- treatment of infectious waste before disposal should be practiced

  5. Bringing Together Community Health Centers, Information Technology and Data to Support a Patient-Centered Medical Village from the OCHIN community of solutions

    PubMed Central

    DeVoe, Jennifer E.; Sears, Abigail

    2013-01-01

    Creating integrated, comprehensive care practices requires access to data and informatics expertise. Information technology (IT) resources are not readily available to individual practices. One model of shared IT resources and learning is a “patient-centered medical village.” We describe the OCHIN Community Health Information Network as an example of this model where community practices have come together collectively to form an organization which leverages shared IT expertise, resources, and data, providing members with the means to fully capitalize on new technologies that support improved care. This collaborative facilitates the identification of “problem-sheds” through surveillance of network-wide data, enables shared learning regarding best practices, and provides a “community laboratory” for practice-based research. As an example of a Community of Solution, OCHIN utilizes health IT and data-sharing innovations to enhance partnerships between public health leaders, community health center clinicians, informatics experts, and policy makers. OCHIN community partners benefit from the shared IT resource (e.g. a linked electronic health record (EHR), centralized data warehouse, informatics and improvement expertise). This patient-centered medical village provides (1) the collective mechanism to build community tailored IT solutions, (2) “neighbors” to share data and improvement strategies, and (3) infrastructure to support EHR-based innovations across communities, using experimental approaches. PMID:23657695

  6. Benefits of a school-based health center in a preschool.

    PubMed

    Gance-Cleveland, Bonnie; Yousey, Yvonne

    2005-11-01

    Although school-based health centers (SBHCs) deliver health care to vulnerable children, their effectiveness has not been well documented. This study compared the benefits of an SBHC with a School Health Survey and selected HEDIS measures in preschool children with and without access to an SBHC. Preschoolers with access to an SBHC (N = 130) and preschoolers without access (N = 131) were compared on (a) HEDIS measures including well-child care, immunizations, dental care, and smoke exposure; (b) measures of access and use of physical and mental health services; (c) satisfaction with health care; (d) barriers and facilitators to care; and (e) health insurance. Significant differences were found in parents' perceptions of children's physical and emotional health, self-esteem, incidence of behavioral problems, difficulty in obtaining care, number of hospitalizations, and satisfaction with care received. Findings suggest that holistic services provided by an SBHC positively impact the health of vulnerable preschool children.

  7. Learning Curves: Making Quality Online Health Information Available at a Fitness Center

    PubMed Central

    Dobbins, Montie T.; Tarver, Talicia; Adams, Mararia; Jones, Dixie A.

    2012-01-01

    Meeting consumer health information needs can be a challenge. Research suggests that women seek health information from a variety of resources, including the Internet. In an effort to make women aware of reliable health information sources, the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – Shreveport Medical Library engaged in a partnership with a franchise location of Curves International, Inc. This article will discuss the project, its goals and its challenges. PMID:22545020

  8. Success Stories: How School Health Centers Make a Difference. A Special Report of the National Health and Education Consortium.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shearer, Christopher A.

    This booklet provides examples of how students have been helped through the provision of school-based health care. The stories, submitted by principals, school nurses, nurse practitioners, doctors, health center directors, and students, illustrate the pressing health problems faced by students today. The problems addressed in these personal…

  9. 3 CFR 8545 - Proclamation 8545 of August 5, 2010. National Health Center Week, 2010

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Center Week, we recognize the important work of community health centers for their role in providing... the programs they offer to keep their families healthy. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my...

  10. Innovation in patient-centered care: lessons from a qualitative study of innovative health care organizations in Washington State

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Growing interest in the promise of patient-centered care has led to numerous health care innovations, including the patient-centered medical home, shared decision-making, and payment reforms. How best to vet and adopt innovations is an open question. Washington State has been a leader in health care reform and is a rich laboratory for patient-centered innovations. We sought to understand the process of patient-centered care innovation undertaken by innovative health care organizations – from strategic planning to goal selection to implementation to maintenance. Methods We conducted key-informant interviews with executives at five health plans, five provider organizations, and ten primary care clinics in Washington State. At least two readers of each interview transcript identified themes inductively; final themes were determined by consensus. Results Innovation in patient-centered care was a strategic objective chosen by nearly every organization in this study. However, other goals were paramount: cost containment, quality improvement, and organization survival. Organizations commonly perceived effective chronic disease management and integrated health information technology as key elements for successful patient-centered care innovation. Inertia, resource deficits, fee-for-service payment, and regulatory limits on scope of practice were cited as barriers to innovation, while organization leadership, human capital, and adaptive culture facilitated innovation. Conclusions Patient-centered care innovations reflected organizational perspectives: health plans emphasized cost-effectiveness while providers emphasized health care delivery processes. Health plans and providers shared many objectives, yet the two rarely collaborated to achieve them. The process of innovation is heavily dependent on organizational culture and leadership. Policymakers can improve the pace and quality of patient-centered innovation by setting targets and addressing conditions for

  11. Innovation in patient-centered care: lessons from a qualitative study of innovative health care organizations in Washington State.

    PubMed

    Reed, Peter; Conrad, Douglas A; Hernandez, Susan E; Watts, Carolyn; Marcus-Smith, Miriam

    2012-12-14

    Growing interest in the promise of patient-centered care has led to numerous health care innovations, including the patient-centered medical home, shared decision-making, and payment reforms. How best to vet and adopt innovations is an open question. Washington State has been a leader in health care reform and is a rich laboratory for patient-centered innovations. We sought to understand the process of patient-centered care innovation undertaken by innovative health care organizations - from strategic planning to goal selection to implementation to maintenance. We conducted key-informant interviews with executives at five health plans, five provider organizations, and ten primary care clinics in Washington State. At least two readers of each interview transcript identified themes inductively; final themes were determined by consensus. Innovation in patient-centered care was a strategic objective chosen by nearly every organization in this study. However, other goals were paramount: cost containment, quality improvement, and organization survival. Organizations commonly perceived effective chronic disease management and integrated health information technology as key elements for successful patient-centered care innovation. Inertia, resource deficits, fee-for-service payment, and regulatory limits on scope of practice were cited as barriers to innovation, while organization leadership, human capital, and adaptive culture facilitated innovation. Patient-centered care innovations reflected organizational perspectives: health plans emphasized cost-effectiveness while providers emphasized health care delivery processes. Health plans and providers shared many objectives, yet the two rarely collaborated to achieve them. The process of innovation is heavily dependent on organizational culture and leadership. Policymakers can improve the pace and quality of patient-centered innovation by setting targets and addressing conditions for innovation.

  12. Non-listening and self centered leadership--relationships to socioeconomic conditions and employee mental health.

    PubMed

    Theorell, Töres; Nyberg, Anna; Leineweber, Constanze; Magnusson Hanson, Linda L; Oxenstierna, Gabriel; Westerlund, Hugo

    2012-01-01

    The way in which leadership is experienced in different socioeconomic strata is of interest per se, as well as how it relates to employee mental health. Three waves of SLOSH (Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, a questionnaire survey on a sample of the Swedish working population) were used, 2006, 2008 and 2010 (n = 5141). The leadership variables were: "Non-listening leadership" (one question: "Does your manager listen to you?"--four response categories), "Self centered leadership" (sum of three five-graded questions--"non-participating", "asocial" and "loner"). The socioeconomic factors were education and income. Emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms were used as indicators of mental health. Non-listening leadership was associated with low income and low education whereas self-centered leadership showed a weaker relationship with education and no association at all with income. Both leadership variables were significantly associated with emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms. "Self centered" as well as "non-listening" leadership in 2006 significantly predicted employee depressive symptoms in 2008 after adjustment for demographic variables. These predictions became non-significant when adjustment was made for job conditions (demands and decision latitude) in the "non-listening" leadership analyses, whereas predictions of depressive symptoms remained significant after these adjustments in the "self-centered leadership" analyses. Our results show that the leadership variables are associated with socioeconomic status and employee mental health. "Non-listening" scores were more sensitive to societal change and more strongly related to socioeconomic factors and job conditions than "self-centered" scores.

  13. A Multidimensional Data Warehouse for Community Health Centers

    PubMed Central

    Kunjan, Kislaya; Toscos, Tammy; Turkcan, Ayten; Doebbeling, Brad N.

    2015-01-01

    Community health centers (CHCs) play a pivotal role in healthcare delivery to vulnerable populations, but have not yet benefited from a data warehouse that can support improvements in clinical and financial outcomes across the practice. We have developed a multidimensional clinic data warehouse (CDW) by working with 7 CHCs across the state of Indiana and integrating their operational, financial and electronic patient records to support ongoing delivery of care. We describe in detail the rationale for the project, the data architecture employed, the content of the data warehouse, along with a description of the challenges experienced and strategies used in the development of this repository that may help other researchers, managers and leaders in health informatics. The resulting multidimensional data warehouse is highly practical and is designed to provide a foundation for wide-ranging healthcare data analytics over time and across the community health research enterprise. PMID:26958297

  14. A Multidimensional Data Warehouse for Community Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Kunjan, Kislaya; Toscos, Tammy; Turkcan, Ayten; Doebbeling, Brad N

    2015-01-01

    Community health centers (CHCs) play a pivotal role in healthcare delivery to vulnerable populations, but have not yet benefited from a data warehouse that can support improvements in clinical and financial outcomes across the practice. We have developed a multidimensional clinic data warehouse (CDW) by working with 7 CHCs across the state of Indiana and integrating their operational, financial and electronic patient records to support ongoing delivery of care. We describe in detail the rationale for the project, the data architecture employed, the content of the data warehouse, along with a description of the challenges experienced and strategies used in the development of this repository that may help other researchers, managers and leaders in health informatics. The resulting multidimensional data warehouse is highly practical and is designed to provide a foundation for wide-ranging healthcare data analytics over time and across the community health research enterprise.

  15. Efficiency of HIV/AIDS Health Centers and Effect of Community-Based Health Insurance and Performance-Based Financing on HIV/AIDS Service Delivery in Rwanda

    PubMed Central

    Zeng, Wu; Rwiyereka, Angelique K.; Amico, Peter R.; Ávila-Figueroa, Carlos; Shepard, Donald S.

    2014-01-01

    This study evaluates the efficiency of rural health centers in Rwanda in delivering the three key human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome services: antiretroviral treatment, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and voluntary counseling and testing using data envelopment analysis, and assesses the impact of community-based health insurance (CBHI) and performance-based financing on improving the delivery of the three services. Results show that health centers average efficiency of 78%, and despite the observed variation, the performance increased by 15.6% from 2006 through 2007. When the services are examined separately, each 1% growth of CBHI use was associated with 3.7% more prevention of mother-to-child transmission and 2.5% more voluntary counseling and testing services. Although more health centers would have been needed to evaluate performance-based financing, we found that high use of CBHI in Rwanda was an important contributor to improving human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome services in rural health centers in Rwanda. PMID:24515939

  16. Efficiency of HIV/AIDS health centers and effect of community-based health insurance and performance-based financing on HIV/AIDS service delivery in Rwanda.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Wu; Rwiyereka, Angelique K; Amico, Peter R; Avila-Figueroa, Carlos; Shepard, Donald S

    2014-04-01

    This study evaluates the efficiency of rural health centers in Rwanda in delivering the three key human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome services: antiretroviral treatment, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and voluntary counseling and testing using data envelopment analysis, and assesses the impact of community-based health insurance (CBHI) and performance-based financing on improving the delivery of the three services. Results show that health centers average efficiency of 78%, and despite the observed variation, the performance increased by 15.6% from 2006 through 2007. When the services are examined separately, each 1% growth of CBHI use was associated with 3.7% more prevention of mother-to-child transmission and 2.5% more voluntary counseling and testing services. Although more health centers would have been needed to evaluate performance-based financing, we found that high use of CBHI in Rwanda was an important contributor to improving human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome services in rural health centers in Rwanda.

  17. Developing Electronic Health Record (EHR) Strategies Related to Health Center Patients' Social Determinants of Health.

    PubMed

    Gold, Rachel; Cottrell, Erika; Bunce, Arwen; Middendorf, Mary; Hollombe, Celine; Cowburn, Stuart; Mahr, Peter; Melgar, Gerardo

    2017-01-01

    "Social determinants of heath" (SDHs) are nonclinical factors that profoundly affect health. Helping community health centers (CHCs) document patients' SDH data in electronic health records (EHRs) could yield substantial health benefits, but little has been reported about CHCs' development of EHR-based tools for SDH data collection and presentation. We worked with 27 diverse CHC stakeholders to develop strategies for optimizing SDH data collection and presentation in their EHR, and approaches for integrating SDH data collection and the use of those data (eg, through referrals to community resources) into CHC workflows. We iteratively developed a set of EHR-based SDH data collection, summary, and referral tools for CHCs. We describe considerations that arose while developing the tools and present some preliminary lessons learned. Standardizing SDH data collection and presentation in EHRs could lead to improved patient and population health outcomes in CHCs and other care settings. We know of no previous reports of processes used to develop similar tools. This article provides an example of 1 such process. Lessons from our process may be useful to health care organizations interested in using EHRs to collect and act on SDH data. Research is needed to empirically test the generalizability of these lessons. © Copyright 2017 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  18. Evaluation of a Person-Centered, Theory-Based Intervention to Promote Health Behaviors.

    PubMed

    Worawong, Chiraporn; Borden, Mary Jo; Cooper, Karen M; Pérez, Oscar A; Lauver, Diane

    Effective promotion of health behaviors requires strong interventions. Applying person-centered approaches and concepts synthesized from two motivational theories could strengthen the effects of such interventions. The aim of the study was to report the effect sizes, fidelity, and acceptability of a person-centered, health behavior intervention based on self-regulation and self-determination theories. Using a pre- and postintervention design, with a 4-week follow-up, advanced practice registered nurses made six weekly contacts with 52 volunteer participants. Most participants were educated White women. Advanced practice registered nurses elicited participant motives and particular goals for either healthy diet or physical activity behaviors. Minutes and type of activity and servings of fat and fruit/vegetables were assessed. Effect sizes for engaging in moderate aerobic activity and in fruit/vegetable and fat intake were 0.53, 0.82, and -0.57, respectively. The fidelity of delivery was 80-97% across contacts, and fidelity of participants' receipt of intervention components was supported. Participant acceptance of the intervention was supported by positive ratings on aspects of relevance and usefulness. To advance the science of health behavior change and improve client health status, person-centered approaches and concepts synthesized from motivational theories can be applied and tested with a randomized, controlled design and diverse samples to replicate and extend this promising behavioral intervention.

  19. The UP College of Nursing Collaborating Center for Nursing Development in Primary Health Care.

    PubMed

    Yapchiongco, A S

    1990-01-01

    Officially designated as one of WHO's Collaborating Centers for Nursing Development (CCND), the UP College of Nursing in the Philippines will take on a leading role in achieving "health for all" through primary health care (PHC). The 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata called for the goal of health for all by the year 2000, and recognized the key role of the nursing profession in this effort. In order to be designated a WHO collaborating center, an institution must be able to provide scientific and technical leadership at the national and international level, must be a stable institution, and must have the capacity to contribute to WHO programs. A WHO collaborating center forms part of an international network of institutions. Having become such a center, the UP College will form part of the Global Network for Nursing Development, organized in March 1987. The Global Network's functions include: 1) coordinating activities and promoting technical cooperation; 2) disseminating and exchanging informational; 3) monitoring trends in health services development and assessing their implications for nursing development; 4) supporting research; 5) gathering support and resources; and 6) promoting the goals of nursing development. As part of the Global Network, the UP College has developed a 4-year plan to fulfill the network's functions. During the June 1989 inauguration of the CCND, the Philippine Secretary of Health, Dr. Alfredo R. A. Bengzon, noted the country's lopsided ratio of health personnel per population, and issued a challenge to the UP College to lead the country in accelerating nursing development.

  20. Center for Nuclear Medicine Research in Alzheimer`s Disease Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University. Environmental Assessment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1994-04-01

    The Environmental Assessment (EA) of the Center for Nuclear Medicine Research in Alzheimer`s Disease (CNMR) at the Health Sciences Center, at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia for the construction and operation was prepared by DOE. The EA documents analysis of the environmental and socioeconomic impacts that might occur as a result of these actions, and characterizes potential impacts on the environment. In the EA, DOE presents its evaluation of potential impacts of construction and operation of the CNMR on health and safety of both workers and the public, as well as on the external environment. Construction impacts includemore » the effects of erosion, waste disposal, air emissions, noise, and construction traffic and parking. Operational impacts include the effects of waste generation (domestic, sanitary, hazardous, medical/biological, radioactive and mixed wastes), radiation exposures, air emissions (radioactive, criteria, and air toxics), noise, and new workers. No sensitive resources (wetlands, special sources of groundwater, protected species) exist in the area of project effect.« less

  1. Recruitment for health disparities preventive intervention trials: the early childhood caries collaborating centers.

    PubMed

    Tiwari, Tamanna; Casciello, Alana; Gansky, Stuart A; Henshaw, Michelle; Ramos-Gomez, Francisco; Rasmussen, Margaret; Garcia, Raul I; Albino, Judith; Batliner, Terrence S

    2014-08-07

    Four trials of interventions designed to prevent early childhood caries are using community-engagement strategies to improve recruitment of low-income, racial/ethnic minority participants. The trials are being implemented by 3 centers funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and known as the Early Childhood Caries Collaborating Centers (EC4): the Center for Native Oral Health Research at the University of Colorado, the Center to Address Disparities in Children's Oral Health at the University of California San Francisco, and the Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities at Boston University. The community contexts for the EC4 trials include urban public housing developments, Hispanic communities near the US-Mexican border, and rural American Indian reservations. These communities have a high prevalence of early childhood caries, suggesting the need for effective, culturally acceptable interventions. Each center's intervention(s) used community-based participatory research approaches, identified community partners, engaged the community through various means, and developed communication strategies to enhance recruitment. All 3 centers have completed recruitment. Each center implemented several new strategies and approaches to enhance recruitment efforts, such as introducing new communication techniques, using media such as radio and newspapers to spread awareness about the studies, and hosting community gatherings. Using multiple strategies that build trust in the community, are sensitive to cultural norms, and are adaptable to the community environment can enhance recruitment in underserved communities.

  2. 75 FR 42448 - Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC), Coordinating Center for Health Promotion (CCHP): Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC), Coordinating Center for Health Promotion (CCHP): Notice of Charter Amendment... both the CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Dated: July 13, 2010. Elaine L...

  3. Innovative Services Offered by School-Based Health Centers in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sisselman, Amanda; Strolin-Goltzman, Jessica; Auerbach, Charles; Sharon, Lisa

    2012-01-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) continue to provide essential health care services to children and families in underserved neighborhoods across the country. Preliminary studies show that students who use SBHCs have better attendance rates as well as higher rates of academic achievement and attachment to the learning environment. Few studies,…

  4. 75 FR 25273 - National Center on Minority and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-07

    ... and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... and Health Disparities Special Emphasis Panel, Faith Based R21. Date: June 29-July 1, 2010. Time: 5 p..., Chief, Office of Scientific Review, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, 6707...

  5. Readiness for Meaningful Use of Health Information Technology and Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition Survey Results

    PubMed Central

    Shin, Peter; Sharac, Jessica

    2013-01-01

    Objective Determine the factors that impact HIT use and MU readiness for community health centers (CHCs). Background The HITECH Act allocates funds to Medicaid and Medicare providers to encourage the adoption of electronic health records (EHR), in an effort to improve health care quality and patient outcomes, and to reduce health care costs. Methods We surveyed CHCs on their Readiness for Meaningful Use (MU) of Health Information Technology (HIT) and Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition, then we combined responses with 2009 Uniform Data System data to determine which factors impact use of HIT and MU readiness. Results Nearly 70% of CHCs had full or partial EHR adoption at the time of survey. Results are presented for centers with EHR adoption, by the length of time that their EHR systems have been in operation. PMID:24834365

  6. Framing a public health debate over alcohol advertising: the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth 2002-2008.

    PubMed

    Jernigan, David H

    2011-05-01

    The experiences of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth from 2002 to 2008 in re-framing a major public health issue and influencing public policy offer lessons for other public health movements. The Center pioneered new ways to use commercial market research data in public health surveillance and public debate. Combining a steady stream of reports and peer-reviewed articles with state and federal organizing and media advocacy, the Center re-framed a policy debate over alcohol marketing and youth, enabling measurable progress.

  7. Integrating a Nurse-Midwife-Led Oral Health Intervention Into CenteringPregnancy Prenatal Care: Results of a Pilot Study.

    PubMed

    Adams, Sally H; Gregorich, Steven E; Rising, Sharon S; Hutchison, Margaret; Chung, Lisa H

    2017-07-01

    National and professional organizations recommend oral health promotion in prenatal care to improve women's oral health. However, few prenatal programs include education about oral health promotion. The objective of this study was to determine if women receiving a brief, low-cost, and sustainable educational intervention entitled CenteringPregnancy Oral Health Promotion had clinically improved oral health compared to women receiving standard CenteringPregnancy care. Women attending CenteringPregnancy, a group prenatal care model, at 4 health centers in the San Francisco Bay Area, participated in this nonrandomized controlled pilot study in 2010 to 2011. The intervention arm received the CenteringPregnancy Oral Health Promotion intervention consisting of two 15-minute skills-based educational modules addressing maternal and infant oral health, each module presented in a separate CenteringPregnancy prenatal care session. The present analysis focused on the maternal module that included facilitated discussions and skills-building activities including proper tooth brushing. The control arm received standard CenteringPregnancy prenatal care. Dental examinations and questionnaires were administered prior to and approximately 9 weeks postintervention. Primary outcomes included the Plaque Index, percent bleeding on probing, and percent of gingival pocket depths 4 mm or greater. Secondary outcomes were self-reported oral health knowledge, attitudes (importance and self-efficacy), and behaviors (tooth brushing and flossing). Regression models tested whether pre to post changes in outcomes differed between the intervention versus the control arms. One hundred and one women participated in the study; 49 were in the intervention arm, and 52 were in the control arm. The control and intervention arms did not vary significantly at baseline. Significant pre to post differences were noted between the arms with significant improvements in the intervention arm for the Plaque Index

  8. The impact of drop-in centers on the health of street children in New Delhi, India: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Nath, Ronita; Shannon, Harry; Georgiades, Kathy; Sword, Wendy; Raina, Parminder

    2016-12-01

    (1) To determine whether street children who visit drop-in centers experience better physical and mental health, and engage in less substance use than street children who do not visit centers. (2) To determine whether the duration of attendance at a center has an impact on the above outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 69 street children from two drop-in centers in New Delhi, India (attenders) and a comparison group of 65 street children who did not visit drop-in centers (non-attenders). We used pretested questionnaires to assess their physical health, substance use status and mental health. Attenders experienced fewer ill health outcomes, engaged in less substance use, and had better mental health outcomes than non-attenders (p<0.01). For every month of attendance at a drop-in center, street children experienced 2.1% (95% CI 0% to 4.1%, p=0.05) fewer ill health outcomes per month and used 4.6% (95% CI 1.3% to 8%, p=0.01) fewer substances. Street children were also less likely to have been a current substance user than a never substance user for every additional month of attendance at a center (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.66-0.96, p=0.02). Duration of drop-in center attendance was not a significant factor in predicting mental health problems. Drop-in centers may improve the physical health of street children and reduce their substance abuse. Rigorous longitudinal studies are needed to better determine if drop-in centers impact the health and substance use status of street children in LMICs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Patient safety goals for the proposed Federal Health Information Technology Safety Center.

    PubMed

    Sittig, Dean F; Classen, David C; Singh, Hardeep

    2015-03-01

    The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is expected to oversee creation of a Health Information Technology (HIT) Safety Center. While its functions are still being defined, the center is envisioned as a public-private entity focusing on promotion of HIT related patient safety. We propose that the HIT Safety Center leverages its unique position to work with key administrative and policy stakeholders, healthcare organizations (HCOs), and HIT vendors to achieve four goals: (1) facilitate creation of a nationwide 'post-marketing' surveillance system to monitor HIT related safety events; (2) develop methods and governance structures to support investigation of major HIT related safety events; (3) create the infrastructure and methods needed to carry out random assessments of HIT related safety in complex HCOs; and (4) advocate for HIT safety with government and private entities. The convening ability of a federally supported HIT Safety Center could be critically important to our transformation to a safe and effective HIT enabled healthcare system. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Career Development and Promotion in an Academic Health Center.

    PubMed

    Christophersen, Edward R

    2017-03-01

    This paper examines the successive stages of the career path for psychologists who commit to spending their professional lives working in academic health centers. Key factors for success at each stage are described, as are the steps required for progressing to subsequent stages of professional development. The paper breaks new ground by including consideration of a post-retirement stage, "Professor Emeritus status."

  11. NIEHS/EPA Children’s Environmental Health Centers: Lifecourse Exposures & Diet: Epigenetics, Maturation & Metabolic Syndrome

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University studies long-term health of urban pollutants on children raised in minority neighborhoods in inner-city communities.

  12. An HIT Solution for Clinical Care and Disaster Planning: How One health Center in Joplin, MO Survived a Tornado and Avoided a Health Information Disaster.

    PubMed

    Shin, Peter; Jacobs, Feygele

    2012-01-01

    Since taking office, President Obama has made substantial investments in promoting the diffusion of health information technology (IT). The objective of the national health IT program is, generally, to enable health care providers to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information. Through the use of technologies including electronic health records, providers can better maintain patient care information and facilitate communication, often improving care outcomes. The recent tornado in Joplin, MO highlights the importance of health information technology in the health center context, and illustrates the importance of secure electronic health information systems as a crucial element of disaster and business continuity planning. This article examines the experience of a community health center in the aftermath of the major tornado that swept through the American Midwest in the spring of 2011, and provides insight into the planning for disaster survival and recovery as it relates to patient records and health center data.

  13. An HIT Solution for Clinical Care and Disaster Planning: How One health Center in Joplin, MO Survived a Tornado and Avoided a Health Information Disaster

    PubMed Central

    Shin, Peter; Jacobs, Feygele

    2012-01-01

    Since taking office, President Obama has made substantial investments in promoting the diffusion of health information technology (IT). The objective of the national health IT program is, generally, to enable health care providers to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information. Through the use of technologies including electronic health records, providers can better maintain patient care information and facilitate communication, often improving care outcomes. The recent tornado in Joplin, MO highlights the importance of health information technology in the health center context, and illustrates the importance of secure electronic health information systems as a crucial element of disaster and business continuity planning. This article examines the experience of a community health center in the aftermath of the major tornado that swept through the American Midwest in the spring of 2011, and provides insight into the planning for disaster survival and recovery as it relates to patient records and health center data. PMID:23569622

  14. African American administrators in community/migrant health centers.

    PubMed

    Glover, S H; Shi, L; Samuels, M E

    1997-05-01

    Community and migrant health centers (CHC/MHCs) play a secondary role as avenues for the development of minority and women health care professionals, groups traditionally underrepresented in administrative and managerial positions within the health care system. This paper focuses on the role of CHC/MHCs in eliminating the barriers that typically limit the professional advancement of these groups. In a survey of both rural and urban CHC/MHC administrators, it was found that CHC/MHCs have higher percentages of minorities in top management positions than general management but do not necessarily reflect the minority composition of those being served. Of the CHC/MHC administrators, 20 percent were African American, less than the population served (31 percent) but greater than the percentage of African Americans in the general U.S. population (12 percent). This suggests that CHC/MHCs have partially met the original goal of upward mobility and that there is room for improvement.

  15. Improvement of the air quality in student health centers with chlorine dioxide.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Ching-Shan; Huang, Da-Ji; Lu, Ming-Chun

    2010-04-01

    This study aims to monitor bioaerosol levels of a local campus of a student health center in Taiwan and then to perform disinfection by applying chlorine dioxide. First, air samples were taken and evaluated in the six areas of the center. The average background bioaerosol levels were 714 +/- 1706 CFU/m(3) for bacterium and 802 +/- 633 CFU/m(3) for fungi. Then, chlorine dioxide was applied through three different procedures: single, multiple and regular disinfections. The results indicated that both multiple and regular disinfections can achieve efficiency levels higher than 59.0%. The regression analysis on bioaerosol levels showed that the number of people present correlating to the number of persons entering the room per door-opening, had a correlation of p < 0.05. Utilizing this analysis result, an empirical model was developed to predict indoor bioaerosol concentrations. It can be inferred that for indoor human activity of health centers, regular disinfection is a very effective process.

  16. Using a medical simulation center as an electronic health record usability laboratory

    PubMed Central

    Landman, Adam B; Redden, Lisa; Neri, Pamela; Poole, Stephen; Horsky, Jan; Raja, Ali S; Pozner, Charles N; Schiff, Gordon; Poon, Eric G

    2014-01-01

    Usability testing is increasingly being recognized as a way to increase the usability and safety of health information technology (HIT). Medical simulation centers can serve as testing environments for HIT usability studies. We integrated the quality assurance version of our emergency department (ED) electronic health record (EHR) into our medical simulation center and piloted a clinical care scenario in which emergency medicine resident physicians evaluated a simulated ED patient and documented electronically using the ED EHR. Meticulous planning and close collaboration with expert simulation staff was important for designing test scenarios, pilot testing, and running the sessions. Similarly, working with information systems teams was important for integration of the EHR. Electronic tools are needed to facilitate entry of fictitious clinical results while the simulation scenario is unfolding. EHRs can be successfully integrated into existing simulation centers, which may provide realistic environments for usability testing, training, and evaluation of human–computer interactions. PMID:24249778

  17. Patient centered care: A path to better health outcomes through engagement and activation.

    PubMed

    Miller, Kenneth L

    2016-10-14

    Patient Activation and Health confidence are constructs to assess patient engagement and are utilized to encourage patient engagement. A health care provider may increase patient engagement further by utilizing behavior change theories and models such as the Trans-Theoretical Model of Change (TTM), Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) to realize effective and lasting health behavior change by placing accountability increasingly on the patient/caregiver to choose to make changes in their health behavior on their terms. Reducing or eliminating harmful behaviors such as smoking and/or beginning or increasing beneficial health behaviors such as diet modification or performance of an exercise program, patients realize improved outcomes and better health. The purpose of this article is to define health confidence as a measurement tool for patient engagement, use the TTM as a measure of the patient's readiness to change, use TTM, SDT and MI as interventional approaches to effect patient change of behavior encouraged by physical therapists and incorporate the ICF as a means of identifying barriers and facilitators and incorporate the bio-psychosocial model for patient-centered care to improve health behavior, health and patient outcomes. Patient-centered care requires involvement of the patient and/or their caregiver at the center of the plan. Use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to identify facilitators and barriers unique to the patient/caregiver offers another opportunity to successfully engage the patient by incorporating the patient's bio-psychosocial support system into care delivery and for sustainability. The ICF is a taxonomy and classification system that prompts clinicians to identify environmental factors (facilitators and barriers) that will influence the patient's ability to perform during therapy session and to sustain the interventions and employ suggestions outside of formal

  18. 76 FR 21748 - Health Disparities Subcommittee (HDS), Advisory Committee to the Director, Centers for Disease...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-18

    ... update including the CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report, U.S. 2011; the National Prevention... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health... through the ACD on strategic and other health disparities and health equity issues and provide guidance on...

  19. The status of interprofessional education and interprofessional prevention education in academic health centers: a national baseline study.

    PubMed

    Greer, Annette G; Clay, Maria; Blue, Amy; Evans, Clyde H; Garr, David

    2014-05-01

    Given the emphasis on prevention in U.S. health care reform efforts, the importance of interprofessional education (IPE) that prepares health professions students to be part of effective health care teams is greater than ever. This study examined the prevalence and nature of IPE and interprofessional (IP) prevention education in U.S. academic health centers. The authors extracted a 10-item survey from the longer published IPE Assessment and Planning Instrument. In September 2010, they sent the survey to 346 health professions leaders in health sciences schools and colleges at 100 academic health centers. These institutions were identified via the online membership list of the Association of Academic Health Centers. The authors conducted descriptive statistical analysis and cross-tabulations. Surveys were completed by 127 contacts at 68 universities in 31 states and the District of Columbia. IPE was more prevalent than IP prevention education in all categories of measurement. Respondents affirmed existence of IPE in courses (85.0%) and in clinical rotations/internships (80.3%). The majority reported personnel with responsibility for IPE (68.5%) or prevention education (59.8%) at their institutional unit, and 59.8% reported an IPE office or center. This study provides evidence that IPE and IP prevention education exist in academic health centers, but additional attention should be paid to the development of IP prevention education. Sample syllabi, job descriptions, and policies may be available to support adoption of IPE and IP prevention education. Further effort is needed to increase the integration of IP and prevention education into practice.

  20. Asthma Outcomes at an Inner-City School-Based Health Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lurie, Nicole; Bauer, Ellen Jones; Brady, Cynthia

    2001-01-01

    Measured asthma outcomes after initiating an inner-city elementary school health center that emphasized asthma detection and treatment. Pre- and post-intervention comparison of students indicated that: hospitalization rates for asthma decreased; outpatient visits for care in the absence of symptoms doubled; numbers of students seeing an asthma…

  1. The Evolving Academic Health Center: Challenges and Opportunities for Psychiatry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mirin, Steven; Summergrad, Paul

    2011-01-01

    Objective: Regardless of the outcome of current efforts at healthcare reform, the resources that academic health centers need--to provide care for increasingly complex patient populations, support clinical innovation, grow the clinical enterprise, and carry out their research and teaching missions--are in jeopardy. This article examines the value…

  2. Staff retention after the privatization of township-village health centers: a case study from the Haimen City of East China.

    PubMed

    Huang, Jiayan; Shi, Lu; Chen, Yingyao

    2013-04-12

    Township-village health centers in rural areas play an important role in health service system in China. In East China's Jiangsu Province, the City of Haimen privatized all 25 township-village health centers in 2002. This study assesses the effect of privatization on staff retention among these health centers. This is a retrospective study based on 10-year administrative data from Haimen City. Three waves of administrative data were collected in 2000 (2 years before privatization), 2005 (3 years after privatization) and 2009 (7 years after privatization) for all health care providers in Haimen City, including 3 county hospitals, 6 central township health centers (CTHC) and 25 township-village health centers (TVHC). The effect of privatization on TVHCs' staff retention was evaluated in comparison with the other two types of health care providers. We conducted focus groups with people from Haimen Bureau of Health and various health care providers to help understand the context of these administrative statistics. Each township-village health centers had an average of 40 staff members before the privatization, and the majority of those staff members were their permanent staff. In 2005, three years after the privatization, a substantial amount of staff decrease (from 39.7 staff members per TVHC to 27.5 per TVHC) occurred in these township-village health centers. From 2000 to 2009, the total payroll in TVHCs decreased by almost 29%, while the number of their permanent staff members and nurses decreased by more than 40%. Among the two types of health care providers that did not go through a privatization, those central township health centers had no significant change on their payroll size during this period whereas the county hospitals' average payroll size actually increased by 20%, especially for the number of doctors. In addition, the average salary and caseload in TVHC showed similar decreasing trends from 2000 to 2009, while no such trends can be observed among the

  3. Staff retention after the privatization of township-village health centers: a case study from the Haimen City of East China

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Township-village health centers in rural areas play an important role in health service system in China. In East China’s Jiangsu Province, the City of Haimen privatized all 25 township-village health centers in 2002. This study assesses the effect of privatization on staff retention among these health centers. Methods This is a retrospective study based on 10-year administrative data from Haimen City. Three waves of administrative data were collected in 2000 (2 years before privatization), 2005 (3 years after privatization) and 2009 (7 years after privatization) for all health care providers in Haimen City, including 3 county hospitals, 6 central township health centers (CTHC) and 25 township-village health centers (TVHC). The effect of privatization on TVHCs’ staff retention was evaluated in comparison with the other two types of health care providers. We conducted focus groups with people from Haimen Bureau of Health and various health care providers to help understand the context of these administrative statistics. Results Each township-village health centers had an average of 40 staff members before the privatization, and the majority of those staff members were their permanent staff. In 2005, three years after the privatization, a substantial amount of staff decrease (from 39.7 staff members per TVHC to 27.5 per TVHC) occurred in these township-village health centers. From 2000 to 2009, the total payroll in TVHCs decreased by almost 29%, while the number of their permanent staff members and nurses decreased by more than 40%. Among the two types of health care providers that did not go through a privatization, those central township health centers had no significant change on their payroll size during this period whereas the county hospitals’ average payroll size actually increased by 20%, especially for the number of doctors. In addition, the average salary and caseload in TVHC showed similar decreasing trends from 2000 to 2009, while no

  4. Health Systems Innovation at Academic Health Centers: Leading in a New Era of Health Care Delivery.

    PubMed

    Ellner, Andrew L; Stout, Somava; Sullivan, Erin E; Griffiths, Elizabeth P; Mountjoy, Ashlin; Phillips, Russell S

    2015-07-01

    Challenged by demands to reduce costs and improve service delivery, the U.S. health care system requires transformational change. Health systems innovation is defined broadly as novel ideas, products, services, and processes-including new ways to promote healthy behaviors and better integrate health services with public health and other social services-which achieve better health outcomes and/or patient experience at equal or lower cost. Academic health centers (AHCs) have an opportunity to focus their considerable influence and expertise on health systems innovation to create new approaches to service delivery and to nurture leaders of transformation. AHCs have traditionally used their promotions criteria to signal their values; creating a health systems innovator promotion track could be a critical step towards creating opportunities for innovators in academic medicine. In this Perspective, the authors review publicly available promotions materials at top-ranked medical schools and find that while criteria for advancement increasingly recognize systems innovation, there is a lack of specificity on metrics beyond the traditional yardstick of peer-reviewed publications. In addition to new promotions pathways and alternative evidence for the impact of scholarship, other approaches to fostering health systems innovation at AHCs include more robust funding for career development in health systems innovation, new curricula to enable trainees to develop skills in health systems innovation, and new ways for innovators to disseminate their work. AHCs that foster health systems innovation could meet a critical need to contribute both to the sustainability of our health care system and to AHCs' continued leadership role within it.

  5. Introduction to the special section from recent Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) programs.

    PubMed

    Klepac, Robert K; Dixon, Kim E

    2010-12-01

    The Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) offers programming at the annual American Psychological Association (APA) conventions as well as periodic APAHC conferences. Participants from academic health centers across the country convened in St. Louis, Missouri, October 15-17, 2009, for the 4th National Conference of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC). The title of the conference was ''Psychologists in Academic Health Centers: Facing Tomorrow's Challenges to AHC Programs and Careers.'' Efforts were made to include topics relevant to academic health center (AHC) practice including the unique challenges of working in AHCs and issues pertinent to the different stages of AHC careers. To facilitate networking, opportunities for discussion among conferees and presenters with shared interests and concerns were provided throughout the conference. This paper introduces the special section of JCPMS dedicated to the conference and provides a brief overview of its development and organization. Articles selected for inclusion represent a sampling of the four conference themes: (1) challenges to AHC programs, (2) staying current in critical clinical areas, (3) professional issues and challenges, and (4) challenges to developing careers. Post-conference evaluation data are presented as evidence of the need for further conferences with similar foci. The programming offered by APAHC at the APA convention in San Diego in 2010 built on the themes offered at the 2009 APAHC conference.

  6. The Pacific Center for Emergency Health--an anatomy of collaborative development and change--the Palau perspective.

    PubMed

    Yano, Victor; Ueda, Masao; Tellei, Julie; Wally, Willy; Kuartei, Stevenson; Tokon, Willie; Lalabalavu, Selaima; Otto, Caleb; Pierantozzi, Sandra; Dever, Greg; Finau, Sitalekl

    2006-09-01

    Many Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) by their geographic location, isolation, and lack of resources, are at risk for both environmental and man-made disasters. Disaster management (DM) and mitigation is frustrated by the general underdevelopment of DM planning and lack of adequate emergency medical services (EMS) to deal with daily emergencies let alone large-scale emergencies and disasters. To address this, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed and implemented the Pacific Emergency Health Initiative (PEHI) to review and make recommendations regarding the current level of DM/EMS development of select PICs. As a practical next step, a collaborative demonstration project--the CDC--Palau Community College Pacific Center for Emergency Health--was established in the Republic of Palau with the purpose of providing training and technical assistance in DM/EMS development for the region. In September 2001 the Center conducted two simultaneous training programs addressing Public Health Disaster Planning (one-week) and pre-hospital First Responder Care (two-weeks). Sixty participants included public health planners, physicians, and fire and police officials from eleven PIC jurisdictions and representatives from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, and the Fiji School of Medicine. Eleven country and state public health disaster plans were initiated. Post 9-11 the Center has increased relevance. Through CDC's PEHI additional Center training programs are planned through FY 2003.

  7. The Center for Health Care Law: the legal muscle of home care and hospice.

    PubMed

    Dombi, Bill

    2006-10-01

    The Center for Health Care Law is a unique offering for a trade association. Operating as a law firm within NAHC, the Center has strengthened NAHC's advocacy efforts on all fronts. The law provides a useful structure and a rational system for behavior, provided that the law is understood. The Center brings the necessary understanding of the law to home care and hospice.

  8. Implementation of web-based interventions by Dutch occupational health centers.

    PubMed

    Walthouwer, Michel Jean Louis; Oenema, Anke; Soetens, Katja; Lechner, Lilian; de Vries, Hein

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this qualitative study was to identify barriers and facilitators to the adoption and particularly the implementation of a web-based computer-tailored obesity prevention intervention by occupational health centers. Participants were directors of Dutch occupational health centers who had adopted and implemented the intervention for the corresponding efficacy study (n = 8) as well as non-adopters (n = 12). Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out to study barriers and facilitators related to the intervention, the user, the organization, and the socio-political environment. All interviews were carried out by telephone, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were analyzed using a directed-content approach and coded by two persons. There were important differences in perceptions between adopters and non-adopters, particularly on barriers and facilitators related to the intervention and the personal beliefs of the implementer. The relative advantages of the intervention were considered to be most important. Participants also indicated that their personal attitudinal and self-efficacy beliefs influenced their implementation efforts. Regarding the organization, the possibilities to increase profits and integrate the intervention within the organization were considered to be important facilitators for the implementation. Participants mentioned few implementation barriers and facilitators related to the socio-political environment. Strategies to improve the implementation of web-based computer-tailored interventions by occupational health centers should be tailored to implementers' unique perceptions and particularly address the perceived advantages and disadvantages of the intervention, attitudinal and self-efficacy beliefs, and the potential to increase organizations' profits and competitiveness. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Walter Reed Army Medical Center's mental health response to the Pentagon attack.

    PubMed

    Cozza, Stephen J; Huleatt, William J; James, Larry C

    2002-09-01

    The September 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon captured the attention and concern of America as well as the world. Given the extent of devastation, and the number of deaths at the Pentagon, it was believed that the uniformed mental health services would serve a pivotal role in the recovery and relief efforts. This article provides a synopsis of the complex and multidisciplinary mental health services provided by Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the wake of the September 11 attack on the Pentagon. This article offers an overview of the functions and roles of mental health team members, describes a constellation of services rendered, and describes how missions differed inside and outside of the Pentagon. Additionally, the authors provide the reader with how services were provided at the Family Assistance Center to family members of those killed during the attack. Liaison with civilian medical, mental health, and relief agencies and facilities will be discussed as well. The mental health response was an intensive and complicated experience and has yielded many lesson learned. To this end, the authors will provide the reader with an understanding of how the lessons learned during this mission may assist mental health commanders and leaders in planning and responding to similar deployments in the future.

  10. Readiness of healthcare providers for eHealth: the case from primary healthcare centers in Lebanon.

    PubMed

    Saleh, Shadi; Khodor, Rawya; Alameddine, Mohamad; Baroud, Maysa

    2016-11-10

    eHealth can positively impact the efficiency and quality of healthcare services. Its potential benefits extend to the patient, healthcare provider, and organization. Primary healthcare (PHC) settings may particularly benefit from eHealth. In these settings, healthcare provider readiness is key to successful eHealth implementation. Accordingly, it is necessary to explore the potential readiness of providers to use eHealth tools. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the readiness of healthcare providers working in PHC centers in Lebanon to use eHealth tools. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess participants' socio-demographics, computer use, literacy, and access, and participants' readiness for eHealth implementation (appropriateness, management support, change efficacy, personal beneficence). The study included primary healthcare providers (physicians, nurses, other providers) working in 22 PHC centers distributed across Lebanon. Descriptive and bivariate analyses (ANOVA, independent t-test, Kruskal Wallis, Tamhane's T2) were used to compare participant characteristics to the level of readiness for the implementation of eHealth. Of the 541 questionnaires, 213 were completed (response rate: 39.4 %). The majority of participants were physicians (46.9 %), and nurses (26.8 %). Most physicians (54.0 %), nurses (61.4 %), and other providers (50.9 %) felt comfortable using computers, and had access to computers at their PHC center (physicians: 77.0 %, nurses: 87.7 %, others: 92.5 %). Frequency of computer use varied. The study found a significant difference for personal beneficence, management support, and change efficacy among different healthcare providers, and relative to participants' level of comfort using computers. There was a significant difference by level of comfort using computers and appropriateness. A significant difference was also found between those with access to computers in relation to personal beneficence and

  11. The new left and public health the Health Policy Advisory Center, community organizing, and the big business of health, 1967-1975.

    PubMed

    Chowkwanyun, Merlin

    2011-02-01

    Soon after its founding in the politically tumultuous late 1960s, the Health Policy Advisory Center (Health/PAC) and its Health/PAC Bulletin became the strategic hub of an intense urban social movement around health care equality in New York City. I discuss its early formation, its intellectual influences, and the analytical framework that it devised to interpret power relations in municipal health care. I also describe Health/PAC's interpretation of health activism, focusing in particular on a protracted struggle regarding Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx. Over the years, the organization's stance toward community-oriented health politics evolved considerably, from enthusiastically promoting its potential to later confronting its limits. I conclude with a discussion of Health/PAC's major theoretical contributions, often taken for granted today, and its book American Health Empire.

  12. Health Self-Efficacy Among Populations with Multiple Chronic Conditions: the Value of Patient-Centered Communication.

    PubMed

    Finney Rutten, Lila J; Hesse, Bradford W; St Sauver, Jennifer L; Wilson, Patrick; Chawla, Neetu; Hartigan, Danielle B; Moser, Richard P; Taplin, Stephen; Glasgow, Russell; Arora, Neeraj K

    2016-08-01

    Using cross-sectional survey data, we assessed the association between chronic illness burden and health-related self-efficacy, evaluating whether patient-centered communication is associated with self-efficacy and if that relationship varies by chronic illness burden. Data were from the Health Information National Trends Survey, a cross-sectional survey of the US adult population collected in 2012-2013 (n = 3630). Health-related self-efficacy was measured with the item: "Overall, how confident are you about your ability to take good care of your health?" and the prevalence of six chronic conditions and depression/anxiety was assessed. Patient-centered communication was measured as the frequency with which respondents perceived their healthcare providers allowed them to ask questions, gave attention to their emotions, involved them in decisions, made sure they understood how to take care of their health, helped them to deal with uncertainty, and if they felt they could rely on their healthcare providers to take care of their healthcare needs. Health-related self-efficacy was significantly lower among individuals with greater illness burden. In adjusted analysis, individuals who experienced more positive patient-centered communication reported higher levels of self-efficacy (β = 0.26, P < 0.0001); this association was strongest among those with greater illness burden. Higher levels of self-efficacy were observed among patients reporting more positive patient-centered communication; the observed association was stronger among those with greater chronic illness burden.

  13. [Hemoglobin levels in pregnant women seen in health care centers of the Peruvian Ministry of Health, 2011].

    PubMed

    Munares-García, Oscar; Gómez-Guizado, Guillermo; Barboza-Del Carpio, Juan; Sánchez-Abanto, José

    2012-01-01

    Determine hemoglobin levels and prevalence of anemia in pregnant women seen in health care centers of the Ministry of Health at national level. Cross-cut study where the database of the Information System on the Nutritional Health of Children under 5 and Pregnant Women (SIEN) were analyzed. 287 691 records of pregnant women examined at the health care centers of the Peruvian Ministry of Health in 2011 were included, hemoglobin levels corrected by height, age, gestational age, altitude and prevalence of anemia (light, moderate and serious) were analyzed. Descriptive statistics and the chi-square method were used. Nationwide prevalence of anemia in pregnant women was 28.0%, with mild anemia being at 25.1%, moderate anemia at 2.6% and severe anemia at 0.2%. Hemoglobin levels are higher in older and younger women during the first months of pregnancy, prevalence of anemia decreases with altitude. Furthermore, prevalence is higher in the Highland regions. Huancavelica was the region with higher prevalence of anemia (53.6%), followed by Puno with 51.0%. Hemoglobin levels get higher as the mother gets older, and they go down in keeping with the gestation trimester and altitude. Huancavelica has the highest prevalence of anemia in pregnant women.

  14. An In-Law Comes To Stay: Examination of Interdisciplinary Conflict in a School-Based Health Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fast, Jonathan D.

    2003-01-01

    Social workers often work in settings where other professions exert a higher level of control. The organizational literature on causes of conflict and conflict resolution is briefly reviewed. A case study of a newly opened school-based health center provides an opportunity to analyze conflicts between the school and health center personnel and…

  15. Who Governs Federally Qualified Health Centers?

    PubMed Central

    Wright, Brad

    2017-01-01

    To make them more responsive to their community’s needs, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are required to have a governing board comprised of at least 51% consumers. However, the extent to which consumer board members actually resemble the typical FQHC patient has not been assessed, which according to the political science literature on representation may influence the board’s ability to represent the community. This mixed-methods study uses four years of data from the Health Resources and Services Administration, combined with Uniform Data System, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Area Resource File data to describe and identify factors associated with the composition of FQHC governing boards. Board members are classified into one of three groups: non-consumers, non-representative consumers (who do not resemble the typical FQHC patient), and representative consumers (who resemble the typical FQHC patient). The analysis finds that a minority of board members are representative consumers, and telephone interviews with a stratified random sample of 30 FQHC board members confirmed the existence of significant socioeconomic gaps between consumer board members and FQHC patients. This may make FQHCs less responsive to the needs of the predominantly low-income communities they serve. PMID:23052684

  16. Site management of health issues in the 2001 World Trade Center disaster.

    PubMed

    Bradt, David A

    2003-06-01

    The terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center led to the greatest loss of life from a criminal incident in the history of the United States. There were 2,801 persons killed or missing at the disaster site, including 147 dead on two hijacked aircraft. Hundreds of buildings sustained direct damage or contamination. Forty different agencies responded with command and control exercised by an incident command system as well as an emergency operations center. Dozens of hazards complicated relief and recovery efforts. Five victims were rescued from the rubble. Up to 1,000 personnel worked daily at the World Trade Center disaster site. These workers collectively made an average of 270 daily presentations to health care providers in the first month post-disaster. Of presentations for clinical symptoms, leading clinical diagnoses were ocular injuries, headaches, and lung injuries. Mechanical injury accounted for 39% of clinical presentations and appeared preventable by personal protective equipment. Limitations emerged in the site application of emergency triage and clinical care. Notable assets in the site management of health issues include action plans from the incident command system, geographic information system products, wireless application technology, technical consensus among health and safety authorities, and workers' respite care.

  17. 75 FR 59237 - TRICARE Co-Pay Waiver at Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center Demonstration Project

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-27

    ... Federal Health Care Center Demonstration Project AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Defense. ACTION: Notice of TRICARE Co-Pay waiver at Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center... ``TRICARE Co-Pay Waiver at Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care (FHCC) Demonstration Project.'' Under...

  18. Commentary: preparing for health care reform: ten recommendations for academic health centers.

    PubMed

    Shomaker, T Samuel

    2011-05-01

    Health care reform, the subject of intense national debate and discussion during the presidential campaign and the first year of the Obama presidency, is now reality. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) became law in March 2010. Despite efforts by the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives of the 112th Congress to repeal the bill, some aspects of PPACA have already taken effect, and the majority of the remainder are scheduled to be implemented by 2014. PPACA will change the U.S. health care system in fundamental ways. Perhaps more than other entities in the U.S. health care system, academic health centers (AHCs) will bear the impact of the struggle to care for 32 million new, primarily low-income insurance beneficiaries. A large influx of new patients trying to access the health care system through AHCs will coincide with major changes in the financing of health care, the training of health professions students, and the conduct of biomedical research. Although many of the sweeping changes coming through PPACA will not happen until later in this decade, AHCs must begin planning for the future now if they are to prosper, or even survive, in the brave new world of health care reform. The author of this commentary first briefly analyzes some of the most important effects PPACA will have on AHCs and then makes recommendations for how AHCs can prepare to take advantage of the opportunities and mitigate the challenges inherent in implementing PPACA. Copyright © by the Association of American medical Colleges.

  19. Health IT-Enabled Care Coordination: A National Survey of Patient-Centered Medical Home Clinicians.

    PubMed

    Morton, Suzanne; Shih, Sarah C; Winther, Chloe H; Tinoco, Aldo; Kessler, Rodger S; Scholle, Sarah Hudson

    2015-01-01

    Health information technology (IT) offers promising tools for improving care coordination. We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of 6 proposed care coordination objectives for stage 3 of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services electronic health record incentive program (Meaningful Use) related to referrals, notification of care from other facilities, patient clinical summaries, and patient dashboards. We surveyed physician-owned and hospital/health system-affiliated primary care practices that achieved patient-centered medical home recognition and participated in the Meaningful Use program, and community health clinics with patient-centered medical home recognition (most with certified electronic health record systems). The response rate was 35.1%. We ascertained whether practices had implemented proposed objectives and perceptions of their importance. We analyzed the association of organizational and contextual factors with self-reported use of health IT to support care coordination activities. Although 78% of the 350 respondents viewed timely notification of hospital discharges as very important, only 48.7% used health IT systems to accomplish this task. The activity most frequently supported by health IT was providing clinical summaries to patients, in 76.6% of practices; however, merely 47.7% considered this activity very important. Greater use of health IT to support care coordination activities was positively associated with the presence of a nonclinician responsible for care coordination and the practice's capacity for systematic change. Even among practices having a strong commitment to the medical home model, the use of health IT to support care coordination objectives is not consistent. Health IT capabilities are not currently aligned with clinicians' priorities. Many practices will need financial and technical assistance for health IT to enhance care coordination. © 2015 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

  20. Health IT–Enabled Care Coordination: A National Survey of Patient-Centered Medical Home Clinicians

    PubMed Central

    Morton, Suzanne; Shih, Sarah C.; Winther, Chloe H.; Tinoco, Aldo; Kessler, Rodger S.; Scholle, Sarah Hudson

    2015-01-01

    PURPOSE Health information technology (IT) offers promising tools for improving care coordination. We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of 6 proposed care coordination objectives for stage 3 of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services electronic health record incentive program (Meaningful Use) related to referrals, notification of care from other facilities, patient clinical summaries, and patient dashboards. METHODS We surveyed physician-owned and hospital/health system–affiliated primary care practices that achieved patient-centered medical home recognition and participated in the Meaningful Use program, and community health clinics with patient-centered medical home recognition (most with certified electronic health record systems). The response rate was 35.1%. We ascertained whether practices had implemented proposed objectives and perceptions of their importance. We analyzed the association of organizational and contextual factors with self-reported use of health IT to support care coordination activities. RESULTS Although 78% of the 350 respondents viewed timely notification of hospital discharges as very important, only 48.7% used health IT systems to accomplish this task. The activity most frequently supported by health IT was providing clinical summaries to patients, in 76.6% of practices; however, merely 47.7% considered this activity very important. Greater use of health IT to support care coordination activities was positively associated with the presence of a nonclinician responsible for care coordination and the practice’s capacity for systematic change. CONCLUSIONS Even among practices having a strong commitment to the medical home model, the use of health IT to support care coordination objectives is not consistent. Health IT capabilities are not currently aligned with clinicians’ priorities. Many practices will need financial and technical assistance for health IT to enhance care coordination. PMID:25964403

  1. Financial Health and Mental Health Among Clients of a Community Mental Health Center: Making the Connections.

    PubMed

    Harper, Annie; Clayton, Ashley; Bailey, Margaret; Foss-Kelly, Louisa; Sernyak, Michael J; Rowe, Michael

    2015-12-01

    This study evaluated financial challenges, satisfaction with financial-management supports, and interest in additional or alternative supports among clients of a mental health center. Six focus groups were held with 39 clients of an urban community mental health center who reported having difficulty with their finances. Five focus groups were held with direct-care staff who provided services to the clients. Investigators used an inductive analytical approach to distill themes from notes taken during the focus groups. Clients emphasized the challenges of living in poverty and described using complex strategies to sustain themselves, including negotiating benefits systems, carefully planning purchases, and developing and relying on social relationships. They spoke of having uneven access to tools and services for managing their money, such as advice from direct-care staff, representative payees, and bank accounts, and had varying opinions about their value. Noting concerns similar to those of clients, direct-care staff expressed frustration at the lack of support services for helping clients manage their finances. Both clients and staff expressed the need for more services to help clients with their finances. Findings suggest a need for more services to support people with mental illness to manage their finances, particularly a more flexible and broader range of options than are provided by current representative-payee mechanisms.

  2. Effects of a randomized intervention to improve workplace social capital in community health centers in China.

    PubMed

    Sun, Xiaojie; Zhang, Nan; Liu, Kun; Li, Wen; Oksanen, Tuula; Shi, Lizheng

    2014-01-01

    To examine whether workplace social capital improved after implementing a workplace social capital intervention in community health centers in China. This study was conducted in 20 community health centers of similar size in Jinan of China during 2012-2013. Using the stratified site randomization, 10 centers were randomized into the intervention group; one center was excluded due to leadership change in final analyses. The baseline survey including 447 staff (response rate: 93.1%) was conducted in 2012, and followed by a six-month workplace social capital intervention, including team building courses for directors of community health centers, voluntarily public services, group psychological consultation, and outdoor training. The follow-up survey in July 2013 was responded to by 390 staff members (response rate: 86.9%). Workplace social capital was assessed with the translated and culturally adapted scale, divided into vertical and horizontal dimensions. The facility-level intervention effects were based on all baseline (n = 427) and follow-up (n = 377) respondents, except for Weibei respondents. We conducted a bivariate Difference-in-Difference analysis to estimate the facility-level intervention effects. No statistically significant intervention effects were observed at the center level; the intervention increased the facility-level workplace social capital, and its horizontal and vertical dimensions by 1.0 (p = 0.24), 0.4 (p = 0.46) and 0.8 (p = 0.16), respectively. The comprehensive intervention seemed to slightly improve workplace social capital in community health centers of urban China at the center level. High attrition rate limits any causal interpretation of the results. Further studies are warranted to test these findings.

  3. Effects of a Randomized Intervention to Improve Workplace Social Capital in Community Health Centers in China

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Xiaojie; Zhang, Nan; Liu, Kun; Li, Wen; Oksanen, Tuula; Shi, Lizheng

    2014-01-01

    Objective To examine whether workplace social capital improved after implementing a workplace social capital intervention in community health centers in China. Methods This study was conducted in 20 community health centers of similar size in Jinan of China during 2012–2013. Using the stratified site randomization, 10 centers were randomized into the intervention group; one center was excluded due to leadership change in final analyses. The baseline survey including 447 staff (response rate: 93.1%) was conducted in 2012, and followed by a six-month workplace social capital intervention, including team building courses for directors of community health centers, voluntarily public services, group psychological consultation, and outdoor training. The follow-up survey in July 2013 was responded to by 390 staff members (response rate: 86.9%). Workplace social capital was assessed with the translated and culturally adapted scale, divided into vertical and horizontal dimensions. The facility-level intervention effects were based on all baseline (n = 427) and follow-up (n = 377) respondents, except for Weibei respondents. We conducted a bivariate Difference-in-Difference analysis to estimate the facility-level intervention effects. Results No statistically significant intervention effects were observed at the center level; the intervention increased the facility-level workplace social capital, and its horizontal and vertical dimensions by 1.0 (p = 0.24), 0.4 (p = 0.46) and 0.8 (p = 0.16), respectively. Conclusions The comprehensive intervention seemed to slightly improve workplace social capital in community health centers of urban China at the center level. High attrition rate limits any causal interpretation of the results. Further studies are warranted to test these findings. PMID:25503627

  4. Information system success model for customer relationship management system in health promotion centers.

    PubMed

    Choi, Wona; Rho, Mi Jung; Park, Jiyun; Kim, Kwang-Jum; Kwon, Young Dae; Choi, In Young

    2013-06-01

    Intensified competitiveness in the healthcare industry has increased the number of healthcare centers and propelled the introduction of customer relationship management (CRM) systems to meet diverse customer demands. This study aimed to develop the information system success model of the CRM system by investigating previously proposed indicators within the model. THE EVALUATION AREAS OF THE CRM SYSTEM INCLUDES THREE AREAS: the system characteristics area (system quality, information quality, and service quality), the user area (perceived usefulness and user satisfaction), and the performance area (personal performance and organizational performance). Detailed evaluation criteria of the three areas were developed, and its validity was verified by a survey administered to CRM system users in 13 nationwide health promotion centers. The survey data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling method, and the results confirmed that the model is feasible. Information quality and service quality showed a statistically significant relationship with perceived usefulness and user satisfaction. Consequently, the perceived usefulness and user satisfaction had significant influence on individual performance as well as an indirect influence on organizational performance. This study extends the research area on information success from general information systems to CRM systems in health promotion centers applying a previous information success model. This lays a foundation for evaluating health promotion center systems and provides a useful guide for successful implementation of hospital CRM systems.

  5. Information System Success Model for Customer Relationship Management System in Health Promotion Centers

    PubMed Central

    Choi, Wona; Rho, Mi Jung; Park, Jiyun; Kim, Kwang-Jum; Kwon, Young Dae

    2013-01-01

    Objectives Intensified competitiveness in the healthcare industry has increased the number of healthcare centers and propelled the introduction of customer relationship management (CRM) systems to meet diverse customer demands. This study aimed to develop the information system success model of the CRM system by investigating previously proposed indicators within the model. Methods The evaluation areas of the CRM system includes three areas: the system characteristics area (system quality, information quality, and service quality), the user area (perceived usefulness and user satisfaction), and the performance area (personal performance and organizational performance). Detailed evaluation criteria of the three areas were developed, and its validity was verified by a survey administered to CRM system users in 13 nationwide health promotion centers. The survey data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling method, and the results confirmed that the model is feasible. Results Information quality and service quality showed a statistically significant relationship with perceived usefulness and user satisfaction. Consequently, the perceived usefulness and user satisfaction had significant influence on individual performance as well as an indirect influence on organizational performance. Conclusions This study extends the research area on information success from general information systems to CRM systems in health promotion centers applying a previous information success model. This lays a foundation for evaluating health promotion center systems and provides a useful guide for successful implementation of hospital CRM systems. PMID:23882416

  6. 75 FR 17754 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics, (BSC, NCHS)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of...) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and... name, address, telephone number, and organizational affiliation of the presenter. Written comments...

  7. Burnout of Physicians Working in Primary Health Care Centers under Ministry of Health Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

    PubMed

    Bawakid, Khalid; Abdulrashid, Ola; Mandoura, Najlaa; Shah, Hassan Bin Usman; Ibrahim, Adel; Akkad, Noura Mohammad; Mufti, Fauad

    2017-11-25

    Introduction The levels of physicians' job satisfaction and burnout directly affect their professionalism, punctuality, absenteeism, and ultimately, patients' care. Despite its crucial importance, little is known about professional burnout of the physicians in Saudi Arabia. The objectives of this research are two-fold: (1) To assess the prevalence of burnout in physicians working in primary health care centers under Ministry of Health; and (2) to find the modifiable factors which can decrease the burnout ratio. Methodology Through a cross-sectional study design, a representative sample of the physicians working in primary health care centers (PHCCs) Jeddah (n=246) was randomly selected. The overall burnout level was assessed using the validated abbreviated Maslach burnout inventory (aMBI) questionnaire. It measures the overall burnout prevalence based on three main domains i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Independent sample T-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multivariate regression analysis were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 22, IBM, Armonk, NY). Results Overall, moderate to high burnout was prevalent in 25.2% of the physicians. Emotional exhaustion was noted in 69.5%. Multivariate regression analysis showed that patient pressure/violence (p <0.001), unorganized patients flow to clinics (p=0.021), more paperwork (p<0.001), and less co-operative colleague doctors (p=0.045) were the significant predictors for high emotional exhaustion. A positive correlation was noted between the number of patients per day and burnout. The patient's pressure/violence was the only significant independent predictor of overall burnout. Conclusion Emotional exhaustion is the most prominent feature of overall burnout in the physicians of primary health care centers. The main reasons include patient's pressure/violence, unorganized patient flow, less cooperative colleague doctors, fewer support

  8. Quality of clinical care and bypassing of primary health centers in India.

    PubMed

    Rao, Krishna D; Sheffel, Ashley

    2018-06-01

    In many low and middle-income countries patients often bypass the nearest government health center offering free or subsidized services and seek more expensive care elsewhere. This study examines the role of quality of care, in particular clinician competence and structural quality of the health center, on bypassing behavior. Data for this study comes from a survey of 136 primary health centers (PHCs) and 3517 individuals living in the PHC's immediate vicinity in rural Chhattisgarh, India. Overall, the majority (67%) of patients bypassed the local PHC when seeking treatment. Bypassing decreased as provider competence increased, up to a point, after which, improvements in competency did not reduce bypassing. The clinical competence of the health care provider had a greater effect on reducing bypassing compared to PHC structural quality such as the building condition and drug stock-outs. However, the regular presence of clinical providers in the PHC was associated with lower bypassing. Patients that visited the local PHC spent half as much out-of-pocket as those that were treated at private clinics. Poor patients were less likely to bypass the local PHC compared to non-poor patients. These findings suggest that improving structural quality is not sufficient to reduce bypassing of PHCs. While better provider competency can substantially reduce bypassing, beyond a threshold competency level there is little effect. Efforts to strengthen facility-based primary care services need to go beyond simply focusing on improving infrastructure or quality of clinical care. There is a need to rethink how PHCs can be made more relevant to the health care needs of the communities they serve. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Putting women at the center: a review of Indian policy to address person-centered care in maternal and newborn health, family planning and abortion.

    PubMed

    Srivastava, Aradhana; Singh, Devaki; Montagu, Dominic; Bhattacharyya, Sanghita

    2017-07-14

    Person-centered care is a critical component of quality care, essential to enable treatment adherence, and maximize health outcomes. Improving the quality of health services is a key strategy to achieve the new global target of zero preventable maternal deaths by 2030. Recognizing this, the Government of India has in the last decade initiated a number of strategies to address quality of care in health and family welfare services. We conducted a policy review of quality improvement strategies in India from 2005 to 15, covering three critical areas- maternal and newborn health, family planning, and abortion (MNHFP + A). Based on Walt and Gilson's policy triangle framework, we analyzed the extent to which policies incorporated person-centered care, while identifying unaddressed issues. Data was sourced from Government of India websites, scientific and grey literature databases. Twenty-two national policy documents, comprising two policy statements and 20 implementation guidelines of specific schemes were included in the review. Quality improvement strategies span infrastructure, commodities, human resources, competencies, and accountability that are driving quality assurance in MNHFP + A services. However, several implementation challenges have affected compliance with person-centered care, thereby affecting utilization and outcomes. Focus on person-centered care in Indian MNHFP + A policy has increased in recent years. Nevertheless, some aspects must still be strengthened, such as positive interpersonal behavior, information sharing and promptness of care. Implementation can be improved through better provider training, patient feedback and monitoring mechanisms. Moreover, unless persisting structural challenges are addressed implementation of person-centered care in facilities will not be effective.

  10. The Naval Health Research Center Respiratory Disease Laboratory.

    PubMed

    Ryan, M; Gray, G; Hawksworth, A; Malasig, M; Hudspeth, M; Poddar, S

    2000-07-01

    Concern about emerging and reemerging respiratory pathogens prompted the development of a respiratory disease reference laboratory at the Naval Health Research Center. Professionals working in this laboratory have instituted population-based surveillance for pathogens that affect military trainees and responded to threats of increased respiratory disease among high-risk military groups. Capabilities of this laboratory that are unique within the Department of Defense include adenovirus testing by viral shell culture and microneutralization serotyping, influenza culture and hemagglutination inhibition serotyping, and other special testing for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Mycoplasma pneumonia, and Chlamydia pneumoniae. Projected capabilities of this laboratory include more advanced testing for these pathogens and testing for other emerging pathogens, including Bordetella pertussis, Legionella pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae type B. Such capabilities make the laboratory a valuable resource for military public health.

  11. 78 FR 18855 - World Trade Center Health Program Eligibility Requirements for Shanksville, Pennsylvania and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-28

    ...Title I of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 amended the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) by adding Title XXXIII, which establishes the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. The WTC Health Program is administered by the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and provides medical monitoring and treatment to eligible firefighters and related personnel, law enforcement officers, and rescue, recovery, and cleanup workers who responded to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon, and to eligible survivors of the New York City attacks. Section 3311(a)(2)(C) of the PHS Act requires the WTC Program Administrator (Administrator) to develop eligibility criteria for enrollment of Shanksville, Pennsylvania and Pentagon responders. This interim final rule establishes those eligibility criteria.

  12. Zebrafish Health Conditions in the China Zebrafish Resource Center and 20 Major Chinese Zebrafish Laboratories.

    PubMed

    Liu, Liyue; Pan, Luyuan; Li, Kuoyu; Zhang, Yun; Zhu, Zuoyan; Sun, Yonghua

    2016-07-01

    In China, the use of zebrafish as an experimental animal in the past 15 years has widely expanded. The China Zebrafish Resource Center (CZRC), which was established in 2012, is becoming one of the major resource centers in the global zebrafish community. Large-scale use and regular exchange of zebrafish resources have put forward higher requirements on zebrafish health issues in China. This article reports the current aquatic infrastructure design, animal husbandry, and health-monitoring programs in the CZRC. Meanwhile, through a survey of 20 Chinese zebrafish laboratories, we also describe the current health status of major zebrafish facilities in China. We conclude that it is of great importance to establish a widely accepted health standard and health-monitoring strategy in the Chinese zebrafish research community.

  13. Center for Research on Minority Health -- Prostate Cancer and Health Disparities Research

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-05-01

    making in various ethnic  groups . The “POP” model may facilitate further research with  underserved  communities and result in enhanced knowledge and...and about 65 students from Rice, Texas Southern University, UT Health Science Center, University of Houston-Main Campus and the University of...journal articles. 5. Hand in assigned work in a timely fashion. Group Research Projects for Powerpoint Presentations and Papers Students in

  14. 78 FR 29141 - Center for Devices and Radiological Health Appeals Processes; Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-D-0893] Center for Devices and Radiological Health Appeals Processes; Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff... Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of the guidance entitled ``Center for Devices and...

  15. Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Cervical Cancer Screening Rates in US Health Centers through Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation

    PubMed Central

    Makaroff, Laura; Chung, Michelle; Lin, Sue C.

    2015-01-01

    Over the last 50 years, the incidence of cervical cancer has dramatically decreased. However, health disparities in cervical cancer screening (CCS) persist for women from racial and ethnic minorities and those residing in rural and poor communities. For more than 45 years, federally funded health centers (HCs) have been providing comprehensive, culturally competent, and quality primary health care services to medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations. To enhance the quality of care and to ensure more women served at HCs are screened for cervical cancer, over eight HCs received funding to support patient-centered medical home (PCMH) transformation with goals to increase CCS rates. The study conducted a qualitative analysis using Atlas.ti software to describe the barriers and challenges to CCS and PCMH transformation, to identify potential solutions and opportunities, and to examine patterns in barriers and solutions proposed by HCs. Interrater reliability was assessed using Cohen's Kappa. The findings indicated that HCs more frequently described patient-level barriers to CCS, including demographic, cultural, and health belief/behavior factors. System-level barriers were the next commonly cited, particularly failure to use the full capability of electronic medical records (EMRs) and problems coordinating with external labs or providers. Provider-level barriers were least frequently cited. PMID:25685561

  16. Care Coordination with Schools: The Role of Family-Centered Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs.

    PubMed

    Barnard-Brak, Lucy; Stevens, Tara; Carpenter, Julianna

    2017-05-01

    Objectives Family-centered care has been associated with positive outcomes for children with special health care needs. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship of family-centered care as associated with care coordination with schools and school absences (e.g., missed days) as reported by parents of children with special health care needs. Methods The current study utilized data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs 2009-201 (N = 40,242) to achieve this purpose. The National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs may be considered a nationally-representative and community-based sample of parent responses for children with special health care needs across the United States. Results Results from the current study indicate that family-centered care is associated with fewer absences and improved care coordination with schools when applicable. The variables of functional difficulties, poverty level, and the number of conditions were statistically controlled. Conclusions We suggest that the positive influence of family-centered care when practiced extends beyond the family and interacts with educational outcomes. We also suggest that the role of schools appears to be under-studied given the role that schools can play in family-centered care.

  17. 77 FR 22326 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics, (BSC, NCHS)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of...) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and..., and organizational affiliation of the presenter. Written comments should not exceed five single-spaced...

  18. Care team identification in the electronic health record: A critical first step for patient-centered communication.

    PubMed

    Dalal, Anuj K; Schnipper, Jeffrey L

    2016-05-01

    Patient-centered communication is essential to coordinate care and safely progress patients from admission through discharge. Hospitals struggle with improving the complex and increasingly electronic conversation patterns among care team members, patients, and caregivers to achieve effective patient-centered communication across settings. Accurate and reliable identification of all care team members is a precursor to effective patient-centered communication and ideally should be facilitated by the electronic health record. However, the process of identifying care team members is challenging, and team lists in the electronic health record are typically neither accurate nor reliable. Based on the literature and on experience from 2 initiatives at our institution, we outline strategies to improve care team identification in the electronic health record and discuss potential implications for patient-centered communication. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016;11:381-385. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  19. Influence of Human Factor Issues on Patient-Centered mHealth Apps' Impact; Where Do We Stand?

    PubMed

    Wildenbos, G A; Peute, L W; Jaspers, M W M

    2016-01-01

    This paper discusses the preliminary results of a literature review on studies published in 2014-2015 concerning patient-centered mHealth applications' (apps) impact. Abstracts were included when they described a mHealth app targeted at patients and reported on the effects of this app on patient care. From a total of 559 potentially relevant articles, 17 papers were finally included. Nine studies reported a positive impact of the patient-centered mHealth app on patient care; 4 of these studies were randomized controlled trials. Measured impacts in the 17 studies focused on improving patients' physical activity, self-efficacy and medication adherence. Human factors issues potentially mediating these effects were discussed in all studies. Transitions in the interaction between healthcare providers and their patients were most often discussed as influencing the impact of the mHealth app. More research is needed, focussing on human issues mediating the effect of patient-centered mHealth apps to precipitate knowledge on the effectiveness of mHealth. This research should preferably be guided by socio-technical models.

  20. Evaluation of the organizational cultural competence of a community health center: a multimethod approach.

    PubMed

    Cherner, Rebecca; Olavarria, Marcela; Young, Marta; Aubry, Tim; Marchant, Christina

    2014-09-01

    Cultural competence is an important component of client-centered care in health promotion and community health services, especially considering the changing demographics of North America. Although a number of tools for evaluating cultural competence have been developed, few studies have reported on the results of organizational cultural competence evaluations in health care or social services settings. This article aims to fill this gap by providing a description of a cultural competence evaluation of a community health center serving a diverse population. Data collection included reviewing documents, and surveying staff, management, and the Board of Directors. The organization fully met 28 of 53 standards of cultural competence, partially met 21 standards, and did not meet 2 standards, and 2 standards could not be assessed due to missing information. The advantages and lessons learned from this organizational cultural competence evaluation are discussed. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

  1. Performance of Local Light Microscopy and the ParaScreen Pan/Pf Rapid Diagnostic Test to Detect Malaria in Health Centers in Northwest Ethiopia

    PubMed Central

    Endeshaw, Tekola; Graves, Patricia M.; Ayele, Berhan; Mosher, Aryc W.; Gebre, Teshome; Ayalew, Firew; Genet, Asrat; Mesfin, Alemayehu; Shargie, Estifanos Biru; Tadesse, Zerihun; Teferi, Tesfaye; Melak, Berhanu; Richards, Frank O.; Emerson, Paul M.

    2012-01-01

    Background Diagnostic tests are recommended for suspected malaria cases before treatment, but comparative performance of microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) at rural health centers has rarely been studied compared to independent expert microscopy. Methods Participants (N = 1997) with presumptive malaria were recruited from ten health centers with a range of transmission intensities in Amhara Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia during October to December 2007. Microscopy and ParaScreen Pan/Pf® RDT were done immediately by health center technicians. Blood slides were re-examined later at a central laboratory by independent expert microscopists. Results Of 1,997 febrile patients, 475 (23.8%) were positive by expert microscopists, with 57.7% P.falciparum, 24.6% P.vivax and 17.7% mixed infections. Sensitivity of health center microscopists for any malaria species was >90% in five health centers (four of which had the highest prevalence), >70% in nine centers and 44% in one site with lowest prevalence. Specificity for health center microscopy was very good (>95%) in all centers. For ParaScreen RDT, sensitivity was ≥90% in three centers, ≥70% in six and <60% in four centers. Specificity was ≥90% in all centers except one where it was 85%. Conclusions Health center microscopists performed well in nine of the ten health centers; while for ParaScreen RDT they performed well in only six centers. Overall the accuracy of local microscopy exceeded that of RDT for all outcomes. This study supports the introduction of RDTs only if accompanied by appropriate training, frequent supervision and quality control at all levels. Deficiencies in RDT use at some health centers must be rectified before universal replacement of good routine microscopy with RDTs. Maintenance and strengthening of good quality microscopy remains a priority at health center level. PMID:22536317

  2. Performance of local light microscopy and the ParaScreen Pan/Pf rapid diagnostic test to detect malaria in health centers in Northwest Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Endeshaw, Tekola; Graves, Patricia M; Ayele, Berhan; Mosher, Aryc W; Gebre, Teshome; Ayalew, Firew; Genet, Asrat; Mesfin, Alemayehu; Shargie, Estifanos Biru; Tadesse, Zerihun; Teferi, Tesfaye; Melak, Berhanu; Richards, Frank O; Emerson, Paul M

    2012-01-01

    Diagnostic tests are recommended for suspected malaria cases before treatment, but comparative performance of microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) at rural health centers has rarely been studied compared to independent expert microscopy. Participants (N = 1997) with presumptive malaria were recruited from ten health centers with a range of transmission intensities in Amhara Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia during October to December 2007. Microscopy and ParaScreen Pan/Pf® RDT were done immediately by health center technicians. Blood slides were re-examined later at a central laboratory by independent expert microscopists. Of 1,997 febrile patients, 475 (23.8%) were positive by expert microscopists, with 57.7% P. falciparum, 24.6% P. vivax and 17.7% mixed infections. Sensitivity of health center microscopists for any malaria species was >90% in five health centers (four of which had the highest prevalence), >70% in nine centers and 44% in one site with lowest prevalence. Specificity for health center microscopy was very good (>95%) in all centers. For ParaScreen RDT, sensitivity was ≥90% in three centers, ≥70% in six and <60% in four centers. Specificity was ≥90% in all centers except one where it was 85%. Health center microscopists performed well in nine of the ten health centers; while for ParaScreen RDT they performed well in only six centers. Overall the accuracy of local microscopy exceeded that of RDT for all outcomes. This study supports the introduction of RDTs only if accompanied by appropriate training, frequent supervision and quality control at all levels. Deficiencies in RDT use at some health centers must be rectified before universal replacement of good routine microscopy with RDTs. Maintenance and strengthening of good quality microscopy remains a priority at health center level.

  3. Health Information Technology Coordination to Support Patient-centered Care Coordination.

    PubMed

    Steichen, O; Gregg, W

    2015-08-13

    To select papers published in 2014, illustrating how information technology can contribute to and improve patient-centered care coordination. The two section editors performed a literature review from Medline and Web of Science to select a list of candidate best papers on the use of information technology for patient-centered care coordination. These papers were peer-reviewed by external reviewers and three of them were selected as "best papers". The first selected paper reports a qualitative study exploring the gap between current practices of care coordination in various settings and idealized longitudinal care plans. The second selected paper illustrates several unintended consequences of HIT designed to improve care coordination. The third selected paper shows that advanced analytic techniques in medical informatics can be instrumental in studying patient-centered care coordination. The realization of true patient-centered care coordination is dependent upon a number of factors. Standardization of clinical documentation and HIT interoperability across organization and settings is a critical prerequisite for HIT to support patient-centered care coordination. Enabling patient involvement is an efficient means for goal setting and health information sharing. Additionally, unintended consequences of HIT tools (both positive and negative) must be measured and taken into account for quality improvement.

  4. An Employee-Centered Care Model Responds to the Triple Aim: Improving Employee Health.

    PubMed

    Fox, Kelly; McCorkle, Ruth

    2018-01-01

    Health care expenditures, patient satisfaction, and timely access to care will remain problematic if dramatic changes in health care delivery models are not developed and implemented. To combat this challenge, a Triple Aim approach is essential; Innovation in payment and health care delivery models is required. Using the Donabedian framework of structure, process, and outcome, this article describes a nurse-led employee-centered care model designed to improve consumers' health care experiences, improve employee health, and increase access to care while reducing health care costs for employees, age 18 and older, in a corporate environment.

  5. Sustaining a Focus on Health Equity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Through Organizational Structures and Functions.

    PubMed

    Dean, Hazel D; Roberts, George W; Bouye, Karen E; Green, Yvonne; McDonald, Marian

    2016-01-01

    The public health infrastructure required for achieving health equity is multidimensional and complex. The infrastructure should be responsive to current and emerging priorities and capable of providing the foundation for developing, planning, implementing, and evaluating health initiatives. This article discusses these infrastructure requirements by examining how they are operationalized in the organizational infrastructure for promoting health equity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, utilizing the nation's premier public health agency as a lens. Examples from the history of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's work in health equity from its centers, institute, and offices are provided to identify those structures and functions that are critical to achieving health equity. Challenges and facilitators to sustaining a health equity organizational infrastructure, as gleaned from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's experience, are noted. Finally, we provide additional considerations for expanding and sustaining a health equity infrastructure, which the authors hope will serve as "food for thought" for practitioners in state, tribal, or local health departments, community-based organizations, or nongovernmental organizations striving to create or maintain an impactful infrastructure to achieve health equity.

  6. Leadership, collaboration, and effective training principles and practices from a decade of training by a center for public health preparedness.

    PubMed

    Reid, William Michael; Brown, Lisa M; Landis, Danielle C

    2014-01-01

    To review a decade's experience of a Centers for Disease Control and Preparedness (CDC) funded Center for Public Health Preparedness (hereafter referred to as the Center) and to identify interventions that led to surmounting serious obstacles to achieving the Center's CDC-mandated goals and objectives. The Center's purpose was to train the public health workforce to protect the population from bioterrorism, infectious diseases, and emerging public health threats. This case study used the concepts of the judgment process as developed by Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis to describe the experiences and actions of the Center's leaders. Center staff used public health principles of collaboration, the use of relevant science, and professional training principles in developing and delivering training in epidemiology, behavioral health, crisis leadership, and other fields through distance learning and on-site methods. The study's primary focus was on training in Florida, although the program's reach was national and international. Preparedness training was provided to approximately 10,000 public health officials, primarily drawn from Florida. This is a descriptive study of the Center's activities. The interventions were the steps taken by Center leadership to accomplish the federal and state goals of the program, despite meeting major challenges. The outcome measures were degrees of success, as measured by federal and state officials and other indicators, in delivering high quality training that met CDC and state goals. The Center delivered trainings in fields determined to be needed in Florida and nationally. Participant and observer evaluations were strongly positive. Nationally published papers and presentations contributed to the training evidence base. The Florida Department of Health incorporated the trainings into Florida's mandatory training for Incident Command strike teams. The leaders of the Center and the Florida Department of Health developed a formal statement of

  7. Scientific collaboration and team science: a social network analysis of the centers for population health and health disparities.

    PubMed

    Okamoto, Janet

    2015-03-01

    The past decade has seen dramatic shifts in the way that scientific research is conducted as networks, consortia, and large research centers are funded as transdisciplinary, team-based enterprises to tackle complex scientific questions. Key investigators (N = 167) involved in ten health disparities research centers completed a baseline social network and collaboration readiness survey. Collaborative ties existed primarily between investigators from the same center, with just 7 % of ties occurring across different centers. Grants and work groups were the most common types of ties between investigators, with shared presentations the most common tie across different centers. Transdisciplinary research orientation was associated with network position and reciprocity. Center directors/leaders were significantly more likely to form ties with investigators in other roles, such as statisticians and trainees. Understanding research collaboration networks can help to more effectively design and manage future team-based research, as well as pinpoint potential issues and continuous evaluation of existing efforts.

  8. Are community health centers prepared for bioterrorism?

    PubMed

    Clawson, Art; Menachemi, Nir; Beitsch, Leslie; Brooks, Robert G

    2006-01-01

    Community health centers (CHCs) are essential in the delivery of primary care services to underserved populations. Given the critical function of CHCs, surprisingly little is known about their role in preparing for or responding to acts of terrorism. This survey-based study examines the state of CHCs in terrorism preparedness and assesses their training needs. Of the administrators who responded to the survey, 87% indicated that their centers had an emergency response or disaster plan. Of those, 78% indicated they had updated their plans within the past year. Among those who had a written plan, 41% addressed bioterrorism preparedness, 38% had contingencies for a mass influx of patients, and 3% indicated that their plans addressed increasing operational capacity. Additionally, while 48% reported having assessed the education and training needs of their professional staff in the area of disease surveillance and reporting, only 24% had assessed these needs in relation to bioterrorism. Our findings suggest that CHCs have made great strides in preparing for some emergencies but that preparedness does not yet extend to specifically include terrorism events. Policy and practice recommendations are included to more fully develop CHCs as a resource.

  9. Becoming an Independent Community Mental Health Center: Perils of the Process

    PubMed Central

    Adams, Milton S.

    1978-01-01

    Over the past 12 years, since the inception of the Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) movement, there has been increasing concern that local communities have more input; in fact, that they actually have the opportunity to operate the mental health programs that they deem necessary for their communities.1 Under the Amendments to the Community Mental Health Act (P.L.94-63) 1975, CMHCs were given such options as independence or governance. The whole process of governance presents numerous problems as well as opportunities. An overview of the vicissitudes of this process is presented in this paper. PMID:702582

  10. A long and winding road: federally qualified health centers, community variation and prospects under reform.

    PubMed

    Katz, Aaron B; Felland, Laurie E; Hill, Ian; Stark, Lucy B

    2011-11-01

    Community health centers have evolved from fringe providers to mainstays of many local health care systems. Those designated as federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), in particular, have largely established themselves as key providers of comprehensive, efficient, high-quality primary care services to low-income people, especially Medicaid and uninsured patients. The Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC's) site visits to 12 nationally representative metropolitan communities since 1996 document substantial growth in FQHC capacity, based on growing numbers of Medicaid enrollees and uninsured people, increased federal support, and improved managerial acumen. At the same time, FQHC development has varied considerably across communities because of several important factors, including local health system characteristics and financial and political support at federal, state and local levels. Some communities--Boston; Syracuse, N.Y.; Miami; and Seattle--have relatively extensive FQHC capacity for their Medicaid and uninsured populations, while other communities--Lansing, Mich.; northern New Jersey; Indianapolis; and Greenville, S.C.--fall in the middle. FQHC growth in Phoenix; Little Rock, Ark.; Cleveland; and Orange County, Calif.; has lagged in comparison. Today, FQHCs seem poised to play a key role in federal health care reform, including coverage expansions and the emphasis on primary care and medical homes.

  11. Development of an Inventory for Health-Care Office Staff to Self-Assess Their Patient-Centered Cultural Sensitivity.

    PubMed

    Tucker, Carolyn M; Wall, Whitney A; Wippold, Guillermo; Roncoroni, Julia; Marsiske, Michael; Linn, Gabriel S

    2016-04-27

    Patient-centered culturally sensitive health care (PC-CSHC) is a best practice approach for improving health-care delivery to culturally diverse populations and reducing health disparities. Despite patients' report that cultural sensitivity by health-care office staff is an important aspect of PC-CSHC, the majority of available research on PC-CSHC focuses exclusively on health-care providers. This may be due in part to the paucity of instruments available to assess the cultural sensitivity of health-care office staff. The objective of the present study is to determine the psychometric properties of the Tucker-Culturally Sensitive Health Care Office Staff Inventory-Self-Assessment Form (T-CSHCOSI-SAF). This instrument is designed to enable health-care office staff to self-assess their level of agreement that they display behaviors and attitudes that culturally diverse patients have identified as office staff cultural sensitivity indicators. A sample of 510 health-care office staff were recruited at 67 health-care sites across the United States. These health-care office staff anonymously completed the T-CSHCOSI-SAF and a demographic data questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analyses of the T-CSHCOSI-SAF revealed that this inventory has 2 factors with high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's αs= .916 and .912). The T-CSHCOSI-SAF is a useful inventory for health-care office staff to assess their own level of patient-centered cultural sensitivity. Such self-assessment data can be used in the development and implementation of trainings to promote patient-centered cultural sensitivity of health-care office staff and to help draw the attention of these staff to displaying patient-centered cultural sensitivity.

  12. Academic Health Centers and Medicaid: Advance or Retreat?

    PubMed

    Henderson, Mark C; Kizer, Kenneth W; Kravitz, Richard L

    2018-05-22

    The expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act has strained the capacity of many academic health centers (AHCs) to deliver primary and specialty care to this traditionally underserved population. The authors, longtime faculty members in the University of California Davis Health (UCDH) system, discuss the challenges of UCDH's participation in Medi-Cal, the nation's largest Medicaid program, and their institution's controversial decision in 2015 to withdraw from all Medi-Cal primary care contracts, which has had untoward effects on UCDH's social and educational missions. The authors conclude by suggesting an alternate approach for engaging with Medi-Cal. They call on AHCs to leverage their considerable intellectual and human capital as well as their focus on education and research to aggressively pursue innovative models of high-value primary care for underserved populations in their local communities, highlighting several recent successful examples of such programs. The UCDH experience has implications for other AHCs grappling with the financial realities of an increasingly competitive, value-based health care marketplace and the inherent difficulty in balancing educational, research, patient care, and social or community service missions.

  13. Measuring Unmet Needs for Anticipatory Guidance Among Adolescents at School-Based Health Centers.

    PubMed

    Ramos, Mary M; Sebastian, Rachel A; Stumbo, Scott P; McGrath, Jane; Fairbrother, Gerry

    2017-06-01

    Our previously validated Youth Engagement with Health Services survey measures adolescent health care quality. The survey response format allows adolescents to indicate whether their needs for anticipatory guidance were met. Here, we describe the unmet needs for anticipatory guidance reported by adolescents and identify adolescent characteristics related to unmet needs for guidance. We administered the survey in 2013-2014 to 540 adolescents who used school-based health centers in Colorado and New Mexico. A participant was considered to have unmet needs for anticipatory guidance if they indicated that guidance was needed on a given topic but not received or guidance was received that did not meet their needs. We calculated proportions of students with unmet needs for guidance and examined associations between unmet needs for guidance and participant characteristics using the chi-square test and logistic regression. Among participants, 47.4% reported at least one unmet need for guidance from a health care provider in the past year. Topics with the highest proportions of adolescents reporting unmet needs included healthy diet (19.5%), stress (18.0%), and body image (17.0%). In logistic regression modeling, adolescents at risk for depression and those with minority or immigrant status had increased unmet needs for guidance. Adolescents reporting receipt of patient-centered care were less likely to report unmet needs for guidance. The Youth Engagement with Health Services survey provides needs-based measurement of anticipatory guidance received that may support targeted improvements in the delivery of adolescent preventive counseling. Interventions to improve patient-centered care and preventive counseling for vulnerable youth populations may be warranted. Copyright © 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. School-Based Health Centers and Childhood Obesity: "An Ideal Location to Address a Complex Issue"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, 2010

    2010-01-01

    One of today's most pressing public health problems is the rise in childhood overweight and obesity. School-based health centers (SBHCs)--the convergence of public health, primary care, and mental health in schools--represent an important element in the public health toolbox for combating the challenging epidemic. When working side-by-side in a…

  15. Engaging Study Participants in Research Dissemination at a Center for Population Health and Health Disparities.

    PubMed

    Knerr, Sarah; Hohl, Sarah D; Molina, Yamile; Neuhouser, Marian L; Li, Christopher I; Coronado, Gloria D; Fullerton, Stephanie M; Thompson, Beti

    Research dissemination is a priority for The Partnership for Understanding and Eliminating Disparate Outcomes (PUEDO) for Latinas, a Center for Population Health and Health Disparities located at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC). We aimed to identify types of PUEDO research findings our participants wanted and why, dissemination audiences beyond PUEDO participants, and strategies to communicate diverse findings about breast cancer and breast cancer disparities. Five focus groups with PUEDO study participants (N = 25) were transcribed for qualitative content analysis (average participants per focus group, 5; range, 2-11). Participants reported wanting to learn aggregate and personal results and were influenced by their life experiences, their experiences as study participants, and the relevance they believed specific results would have for their lives. Women advocated for broad dissemination and inclusive communication using a simple paper-based strategy that would be accessible to diverse audiences (e.g., study participants, policymakers, recent immigrants). Focus groups informed PUEDO's dissemination strategy, which concentrates on study participants and the regional Latino community. This approach to dissemination should maximize information uptake and community benefit.

  16. Technology complementing military behavioral health efforts at tripler army medical center.

    PubMed

    Stetz, Melba C; Folen, Raymond A; Yamanuha, Bronson K

    2011-06-01

    The purpose of this article is to provide a short narrative on the ways that behavioral health professionals and their patients are currently benefitting from the use of technology. Examples stem from applications of technology to patients/research participants at the Tripler Army Medical Center. The paper also discusses how current use of this technology has made it possible to serve individuals in their own cultural environment, providing a cost-effective means of providing mental health services.

  17. The New Left and Public Health The Health Policy Advisory Center, Community Organizing, and the Big Business of Health, 1967–1975

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Soon after its founding in the politically tumultuous late 1960s, the Health Policy Advisory Center (Health/PAC) and its Health/PAC Bulletin became the strategic hub of an intense urban social movement around health care equality in New York City. I discuss its early formation, its intellectual influences, and the analytical framework that it devised to interpret power relations in municipal health care. I also describe Health/PAC's interpretation of health activism, focusing in particular on a protracted struggle regarding Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx. Over the years, the organization's stance toward community-oriented health politics evolved considerably, from enthusiastically promoting its potential to later confronting its limits. I conclude with a discussion of Health/PAC's major theoretical contributions, often taken for granted today, and its book American Health Empire. PMID:21228287

  18. [Adjusted Clinical Groups Method (ACG) to allocate resources according to the disease burden of each health center].

    PubMed

    Santelices C, Emilio; Muñoz P, Fernando; Muñiz, Patricio; Rojas, José

    2016-03-01

    Health care must be provided with strong primary health care models, emphasizing prevention and a continued, integrated and interdisciplinary care. Tools should be used to allow a better planning and more efficient use of resources. To assess risk adjustment methodologies, such as the Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG) developed by The Johns Hopkins University, to allow the identification of chronic condition patterns and allocate resources accordingly. We report the results obtained applying the ACG methodology in primary care systems of 22 counties for three chronic diseases, namely Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension and Heart Failure. The outcomes show a great variability in the prevalence of these conditions in the different health centers. There is also a great diversity in the use of resources for a given condition in the different health care centers. This methodology should contribute to a better distribution of health care resources, which should be based on the disease burden of each health care center.

  19. Reflections and Recommendations Based on a Migrant Health Center's Participation in a CDC Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nolon, Anne K.; O'Barr, James

    Hudson Valley Migrant Health (HVMH) (a Public Health Service program) collaborated with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) on a study of the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis among migrant farmworkers in the mid-Hudson region of New York. CDC research personnel…

  20. Assessing Research Interest and Capacity in Community Health Centers

    PubMed Central

    Bhuiya, Nazmim; Pernice, Joan; Khan, Sami M.; Sequist, Thomas D.; Tendulkar, Shalini A.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Objective Community health centers (CHCs) have great potential to participate in the development of evidence‐based primary care but face obstacles to engagement in clinical translational research. Methods To understand factors associated with CHC interest in building research infrastructure, Harvard Catalyst and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers conducted an online survey of medical directors in all 50 Massachusetts CHC networks. Results Thirty‐two (64%) medical directors completed the survey representing 126 clinical sites. Over 80% reported that their primary care providers (PCPs) were slightly to very interested in future clinical research and that they were interested in building research infrastructure at their CHC. Frequently cited barriers to participation in research included financial issues, lack of research skills, and lack of research infrastructure. In bivariate analyses, PCP interest in future clinical research and a belief that involvement in research contributed to PCP retention were significantly associated with interest in building research infrastructure. Conclusion CHCs critical role in caring for vulnerable populations ideally positions them to raise relevant research questions and translate evidence into practice. Our findings suggest a high interest in engagement in research among CHC leadership. CTSAs have a unique opportunity to support local CHCs in this endeavor. PMID:24127928

  1. The Influence of School-Based Health Centers on Adolescents' Youth Risk Behaviors.

    PubMed

    Runton, Nancy Gail; Hudak, Ronald P

    2016-01-01

    Youth risk behaviors that are developed during adolescence are likely to continue into adulthood, increasing chances of morbidity, mortality, and chronic health conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified six critical risk behaviors (unintentional injuries and violence, sexual behaviors leading to pregnancies and infections, alcohol and other drug use, tobacco use, poor dietary habits, and insufficient physical activities) and developed the Youth Risk Behavior Survey to monitor them. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate which health risk behaviors were affected by a new school-based health center (SBHC), using two urban school systems in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey was administered at two schools in 2007 and 2011. Logistic regression was used to predict whether the dependent variables had changed based on the new SBHC. Overall, the new SBHC did not have a significant effect on the student's risk behaviors. Schools remain a critical part of adolescents' development, and access to SBHCs offers a safety net to students whose families may not have health insurance. Copyright © 2016 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. All rights reserved.

  2. Community health centers employ diverse staffing patterns, which can provide productivity lessons for medical practices.

    PubMed

    Ku, Leighton; Frogner, Bianca K; Steinmetz, Erika; Pittman, Patricia

    2015-01-01

    Community health centers are at the forefront of ambulatory care practices in their use of nonphysician clinicians and team-based primary care. We examined medical staffing patterns, the contributions of different types of staff to productivity, and the factors associated with staffing at community health centers across the United States. We identified four different staffing patterns: typical, high advanced-practice staff, high nursing staff, and high other medical staff. Overall, productivity per staff person was similar across the four staffing patterns. We found that physicians make the greatest contributions to productivity, but advanced-practice staff, nurses, and other medical staff also contribute. Patterns of community health center staffing are driven by numerous factors, including the concentration of clinicians in communities, nurse practitioner scope-of-practice laws, and patient characteristics such as insurance status. Our findings suggest that other group medical practices could incorporate more nonphysician staff without sacrificing productivity and thus profitability. However, the new staffing patterns that evolve may be affected by characteristics of the practice location or the types of patients served. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  3. Impact of chiropractic services at an on-site health center.

    PubMed

    Kindermann, Sylvia L; Hou, Qingjiang; Miller, Ross M

    2014-09-01

    To compare the influence of employer-sponsored, on-site chiropractic care against community-obtained care on health care utilization. This was a retrospective claims analysis of members of a single employee health plan receiving chiropractic care on-site or off-site from 2010 to 2012. Utilization differences were evaluated by having 1 health care event or more, including radiology or clinical visits. There were 876 on-site and 759 off-site participants. The off-site group received more radiology services overall (55.5% vs 38.2%; P < 0.001) including magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and radiograph (all P < 0.0001); had higher outpatient (P < 0.0001) and emergency department (P = 0.022) utilization; and demonstrated greater use of chiropractic care and physical therapy (both P < 0.0001). Compared with off-site care, on-site chiropractic services are associated with lower health care utilization. These results support the value of chiropractic services offered at on-site health centers.

  4. Community health center integration: experience in the State of Ohio.

    PubMed

    McAlearney, John S; McAlearney, Ann Scheck

    2006-02-01

    In the face of severe financial challenges and demands to improve quality and service to patients, many community health centers (CHCs) have aligned or integrated with other CHCs, physician groups, or hospitals. Yet the nature of and rationale for these organizational decisions are not well understood. Our research applied an organizational theoretical framework to test whether strategic adaptation theory or institutional theory best describes the integration activity of CHCs in Ohio. We collected primary data from case studies of seven CHCs selected for geographic representation and studied December 2000-January 2001. Semi-structured interviews and a case study database supported our chain of evidence. We found that CHC integration activity was substantial (five of seven CHCs integrated) and extremely varied. Consistent with strategic adaptation theory, we determined that CHC integration actions were predominantly center-specific, rational responses to environmental challenges and were initiated to improve operations or financial performance. Rarely did CHCs initiate major organizational change merely to mimic other CHC actions, as might have been expected of highly institutionalized organizations. Understanding the basis for CHCs' strategic decisions while monitoring financial health will remain critical as lawmakers and administrators work to develop policies that both maintain progress made and improve primary care access for the poor, the uninsured, and those with special health care needs served by these important safety net providers.

  5. Work Organization and Health Issues in Long-Term Care Centers

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Yuan; Flum, Marian; Nobrega, Suzanne; Blais, Lara; Qamili, Shpend; Punnett, Laura

    2018-01-01

    This qualitative study explored common and divergent perceptions of caregivers and managers regarding occupational health and safety, work organization, and psychosocial concerns in long-term care centers. Both common and differing issues were identified. Both groups agreed on the importance of ergonomic concerns, the high prevalence of stress, and receptiveness to participatory health promotion programs. However, numerous work organization issues and physical and psychosocial workplace hazards were identified by certified nursing assistants but were not mentioned by managers. The results suggest that different perceptions naturally arise from people's varying positions in the occupational hierarchy and their consequent exposures to health and safety hazards. Improved systems of communication that allow frontline workers to express their concerns would make it possible to create solutions to these problems. PMID:21261239

  6. A participatory evaluation framework in the establishment and implementation of transdisciplinary collaborative centers for health disparities research.

    PubMed

    Scarinci, Isabel C; Moore, Artisha; Benjamin, Regina; Vickers, Selwyn; Shikany, James; Fouad, Mona

    2017-02-01

    We describe the formulation and implementation of a participatory evaluation plan for three Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers for Health Disparities Research funded by the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities. Although different in scope of work, all three centers share a common goal of establishing sustainable centers in health disparities science in three priority areas - social determinants of health, men's health research, and health policy research. The logic model guides the process, impact, and outcome evaluation. Emphasis is placed on process evaluation in order to establish a "blue print" that can guide other efforts as well as assure that activities are being implemented as planned. We have learned three major lessons in this process: (1) Significant engagement, participation, and commitment of all involved is critical for the evaluation process; (2) Having a "roadmap" (logic model) and "directions" (evaluation worksheets) are instrumental in getting members from different backgrounds to follow the same path; and (3) Participation of the evaluator in the leadership and core meetings facilitates continuous feedback. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. 78 FR 58385 - Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System for Federally Qualified Health Centers; Changes to...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-23

    ... ResDAC Research Data Assistance Center RIA Regulatory Impact Analysis RHC Rural Health Clinic SNF... Community Health Applied Research Network. We believe that the proposals in this proposed rule benefited...

  8. A Medical Television Center; a Guide to Organizing a Large Television Center in Health Science Educational Institutions. Monograph 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Potts, Robert E.

    Guidelines are presented for establishing large television centers in health science education institutions. Television distribution systems are described, and staff, equipment, space and budgetary requirements are discussed. Included are: (1) a proposed chart of organizational development and job descriptions; (2) suggested equipment purchases;…

  9. Neighborhood greenspace and health in a large urban center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kardan, Omid; Gozdyra, Peter; Misic, Bratislav; Moola, Faisal; Palmer, Lyle J.; Paus, Tomáš; Berman, Marc G.

    2015-07-01

    Studies have shown that natural environments can enhance health and here we build upon that work by examining the associations between comprehensive greenspace metrics and health. We focused on a large urban population center (Toronto, Canada) and related the two domains by combining high-resolution satellite imagery and individual tree data from Toronto with questionnaire-based self-reports of general health perception, cardio-metabolic conditions and mental illnesses from the Ontario Health Study. Results from multiple regressions and multivariate canonical correlation analyses suggest that people who live in neighborhoods with a higher density of trees on their streets report significantly higher health perception and significantly less cardio-metabolic conditions (controlling for socio-economic and demographic factors). We find that having 10 more trees in a city block, on average, improves health perception in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of $10,000 and moving to a neighborhood with $10,000 higher median income or being 7 years younger. We also find that having 11 more trees in a city block, on average, decreases cardio-metabolic conditions in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of $20,000 and moving to a neighborhood with $20,000 higher median income or being 1.4 years younger.

  10. Differences in mental health consultation between male and female workers in the health care center of a private enterprise.

    PubMed

    Soeda, Shuji; Kaku, Akiko; Hayashi, Takeshi; Sugawara, Yoichi; Nakamura, Jun

    2004-06-01

    This study attempted to clarify gender differences associated with mental health consultations at a health care center (X center) that services 40,638 (34,491 men and 6,147 women) workers and is operated by a Japanese company. Data from 940 subjects (790 men and 150 women) undergoing first-time consultation at the X center between April 1996 and March 2001 were collected from the database. After matching age (within 3 years) and occupation between the male and female groups by pairing, 58 men and 58 women were compared. There was no difference in work inefficiency and diagnosis between the two groups, but the referral route of the first consultation differed significantly: males were more frequently self-referred. Fewer female than male patients were found to have work-related complaints. With regard to these work-related complaints, inadequate relationships, and especially conflicts with superiors, were found to be the most frequent cause among patients of both genders, although differences in the content of these complaints did exist.

  11. [Patients and quality of primary health care services. Survey of practitioners at the Bahía de Cádiz and La Janda health centers].

    PubMed

    Hernán García, M; Gutiérrez Cuadra, J L; Lineros González, C; Ruiz Barbosa, C; Rabadán Asensio, A

    2002-10-31

    To report the opinions of practitioners at health centers on dimensions of quality that affect user satisfaction. Cross-sectional study of focus groups (FG). Bahía de Cádiz and La Janda health centers in southwestern Spain. We studied 4 FG whose participants were staff members of the two health centers: FG1, physicians; FG2, user satisfaction service staff; FG3, social workers; FG4, nurses. The groups were based on the different functions of staff at the two centers. The analysis was based on variables in the SERCAL model (an adaptation of the SERVQUAL model for the Spanish health care system) of opinions regarding service quality: access, comfort (tangibles), personalized service (courtesy), competence, and loyalty. The data were analyzed with version N-Vivo of the NUDIST program. All dimensions of the theoretical model were identified by practitioners as constructs of users' perceptions of service quality. Users' and practitioners' views contrasted with and complemented each other to generate a model that could be validated. Access, personalized service and problem-solving (responsiveness) were key variables. Practitioners' opinions provided information of use in improving the quality model. Differences in opinion between users and practitioners merit further study based on an understanding of these groups' values and interests, and on the care provision context. Practitioners identified access, personalized service and problem-solving as features that influenced users' opinions of the quality of the health center.

  12. A Podiatric Medical Residency Program in an Academic Health Science Center

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bogy, Louis T.; And Others

    1977-01-01

    The podiatric medical residency program in the Health Science Center at San Antonio provides an intensive exposure for the newly graduated podiatrist to practice in a multidisciplinary environment. Residents become more familiar with general medical and surgical diseases and disorders as well as podiatric pathology. (LBH)

  13. A Way to Approach the Strategic Decisions Facing Academic Health Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Capper, Stuart A.; Fargason, Crayton A., Jr.

    1996-01-01

    Three models of strategic management for academic health centers are detailed: the traditional model, which will become rare; a revised traditional model that offers "boutique" clinical services, biomedical research, and medical education; and the academic services model, focusing on competitive primary and secondary clinical services, health…

  14. Insuring the uninsured: potential impact of Health Care Reform Act of 2010 on trauma centers.

    PubMed

    Shafi, Shahid; Ogola, Gerald; Fleming, Neil; Rayan, Nadine; Kudyakov, Rustam; Barnes, Sunni A; Ballard, David J

    2012-11-01

    Viability of trauma centers is threatened by cost of care provided to patients without health insurance. The health care reform of 2010 is likely to benefit trauma centers by mandating universal health insurance by 2014. However, the financial benefit of this mandate will depend on the reimbursement provided. The study hypothesis was that compensation for the care of uninsured trauma patients at Medicare or Medicaid rates will lead to continuing losses for trauma centers. Financial data for first hospitalization were obtained from an urban Level I trauma center for 3 years (n = 6,630; 2006-2008) and linked with clinical information. Patients were grouped into five payments categories: commercial (29%), Medicaid (8%), Medicare (20%), workers' compensation (6%), and uninsured (37%). Prediction models for costs and payments were developed for each category using multiple regression models, adjusting for patient demographics, injury characteristics, complications, and survival. These models were used to predict payments that could be expected if uninsured patients were covered by different insurance types. Results are reported as net margin per patient (payments minus total costs) for each insurance type, with 95% confidence intervals, discounted to 2008 dollar values. Patients were typical for an urban trauma center (median age of 43 years, 66% men, 82% blunt, 5% mortality, and median length of stay 4 days). Overall, the trauma center lost $5,655 per patient, totaling $37.5 million over 3 years. These losses were encountered for patients without insurance ($14,343), Medicare ($4,838), and Medicaid ($15,740). Patients with commercial insurance were profitable ($5,295) as were those with workers' compensation ($6,860). Payments for the care of the uninsured at Medicare/Medicaid levels would lead to continued losses at $2,267 to $4,143 per patient. The health care reforms of 2010 would lead to continued losses for trauma centers if uninsured are covered with Medicare

  15. 78 FR 16471 - National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) Secure Exchange of Electronic Health...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-15

    ...-02] National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) Secure Exchange of Electronic Health...) National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) invited organizations to provide products and technical.... companies to enter into ``National Cybersecurity Excellence Partnerships'' (NCEPs) in furtherance of the...

  16. Facility cost analysis in outpatient plastic surgery: implications for the academic health center.

    PubMed

    Pacella, Salvatore J; Comstock, Matthew C; Kuzon, William M

    2008-04-01

    The authors examined the economic patterns of outpatient aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgical procedures performed within an academic health center. For fiscal years 2003 and 2004, the University of Michigan Health System's accounting database was queried to identify all outpatient plastic surgery cases (aesthetic and reconstructive) from four surgical facilities. Total facility charges, cost, revenue, and margin were calculated for each case. Contribution margin (total revenue minus variable direct cost) was compared with total case time to determine average contribution margin per operating suite case minute for subsets of aesthetic and reconstructive procedures. A total of 3603 cases (3457 reconstructive and 146 aesthetic) were identified. Payer mix included Blue Cross (36.7 percent), health maintenance organization (28.7 percent), other commercial payers (17.4 percent), Medicare/Medicaid (13.5 percent), and self-pay (3.7 percent). The most profitable cases were reconstructive laser procedures ($66.20; n = 361), scar revision ($36.01; n = 25), and facial trauma ($32.17; n = 64). The least profitable were hand arthroplasty ($13.93; n = 35), arthroscopy ($17.25; n = 15), and breast reduction ($17.46; n = 210). Aesthetic procedures (n = 144) yielded a significantly higher contribution margin per case minute ($24.21) compared with reconstructive procedures ($22.28; n = 3093) (p = 0.01). Plastic surgical cases performed at dedicated ambulatory surgery centers ($28.60; n = 1477) yielded significantly higher contribution margin per case minute compared with those performed at hospital-based facilities ($25.58; n = 2123) (p < 0.01). Use of standardized accounting (contribution margin per case minute) can be a strategically effective method for determining the most profitable and appropriate case mix. Within academic health centers, aesthetic surgery can be a profitable enterprise; dedicated ambulatory surgery centers yield higher profitability.

  17. Patient-centered medical homes: will health care reform provide new options for rural communities and providers?

    PubMed

    Bolin, Jane N; Gamm, Larry; Vest, Joshua R; Edwardson, Nick; Miller, Thomas R

    2011-01-01

    Many are calling for the expansion of the patient-centered medical home model into rural and underserved populations as a transformative strategy to address issues of access, efficiency, quality, and sustainability in the delivery of health care. Patient-centered medical homes have been touted as a promising cost-saving model for comprehensive management of persons with chronic diseases and disabilities, but it is unclear how rural practitioners in medically underserved areas will implement the patient-centered medical home. This article examines how the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act of 2010 will enhance rural providers' ability to provide patient-centered care and services contemplated under the Act in a comprehensive, coordinated, cost-effective way despite leaner budgets and health workforce shortages.

  18. Acceptability of quality reporting and pay for performance among primary health centers in Lebanon.

    PubMed

    Saleh, Shadi S; Alameddine, Mohamad S; Natafgi, Nabil M

    2013-01-01

    Primary health care (PHC) is emphasized as the cornerstone of any health care system. Enhancing PHC performance is considered a strategy to enhance effective and equitable access to care. This study assesses the acceptability of and factors associated with quality reporting among PHC centers (PHCCs) in Lebanon. The managers of 132 Lebanese Ministry of Health PHCCs were surveyed using a cross-sectional design. Managers' willingness to report quality, participate in comparative quality assessments, and endorse pay-for-performance schemes was evaluated. Collected data were matched to the infrastructural characteristics and services database. Seventy-six percent of managers responded to the questionnaire, 93 percent of whom were willing to report clinical performance. Most expressed strong support for peer-performance comparison and pay-for-performance schemes. Willingness to report was negatively associated with the religious affiliation of centers and presence of health care facilities in the catchment area and favorably associated with use of information systems and the size of population served. The great willingness of PHCC managers to employ quality-enhancing initiatives flags a policy priority for PHC stakeholders to strengthen PHCC infrastructure and to enable reporting in an easy, standardized, and systematic way. Enhancing equity necessitates education and empowerment of managers in remote areas and those managing religiously affiliated centers.

  19. Mental Health Recovery in the Patient-Centered Medical Home

    PubMed Central

    Aarons, Gregory A.; O’Connell, Maria; Davidson, Larry; Groessl, Erik J.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. We examined the impact of transitioning clients from a mental health clinic to a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) on mental health recovery. Methods. We drew data from a large US County Behavioral Health Services administrative data set. We used propensity score analysis and multilevel modeling to assess the impact of the PCMH on mental health recovery by comparing PCMH participants (n = 215) to clients receiving service as usual (SAU; n = 22 394) from 2011 to 2013 in San Diego County, California. We repeatedly assessed mental health recovery over time (days since baseline assessment range = 0–1639; mean = 186) with the Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) scale and Recovery Markers Questionnaire. Results. For total IMR (log-likelihood ratio χ2[1] = 4696.97; P < .001) and IMR Factor 2 Management scores (log-likelihood ratio χ2[1] = 7.9; P = .005), increases in mental health recovery over time were greater for PCMH than SAU participants. Increases on all other measures over time were similar for PCMH and SAU participants. Conclusions. Greater increases in mental health recovery over time can be expected when patients with severe mental illness are provided treatment through the PCMH. Evaluative efforts should be taken to inform more widespread adoption of the PCMH. PMID:26180945

  20. "Innovation" institutes in academic health centers: enhancing value through leadership, education, engagement, and scholarship.

    PubMed

    Pines, Jesse M; Farmer, Steven A; Akman, Jeffrey S

    2014-09-01

    In the next decade, the biggest change in medicine in the United States will be the organizational transformation of the delivery system. Organizations-including academic health centers-able to achieve better outcomes for less will be the financial winners as new payment models become more prevalent. For medical educators, the question is how to prepare the next generation of physicians for these changes. One solution is the development of new "innovation" or "value" institutes. Around the nation, many of these new institutes are focused on surmounting barriers to value-based care in academic health centers, educating faculty, house staff, and medical students in discussions of cost-conscious care. Innovation institutes can also lead discussions about how value-based care may impact education in environments where there may be less autonomy and more standardization. Quality metrics will play a larger role at academic health centers as metrics focus more on outcomes than processes. Optimizing outcomes will require that medical educators both learn and teach the principles of patient safety and quality improvement. Innovation institutes can also facilitate cross-institutional discussions to compare data on utilization and outcomes, and share best practices that maximize value. Another barrier to cost-conscious care is defensive medicine, which is highly engrained in U.S. medicine and culture. Innovation institutes may not be able to overcome all the barriers to making medical care more cost-conscious, but they can be critical in enabling academic health centers to optimize their teaching and research missions while remaining financially competitive.

  1. Family-Centered Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs: Are We Moving Forward?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lotze, Geri M.; Bellin, Melissa H.; Oswald, Donald P.

    2010-01-01

    Family-centered care (FCC) is widely acknowledged as supporting positive outcomes in children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and their parents. The intent of this mixed-method research was to enhance understanding of family-centered behaviors in professionals who had received specialty training in the principles of FCC and to explore…

  2. A Learner-Centered Molecular Modeling Exercise for Allied Health Majors in a Biochemistry Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fletcher, Terace M.; Ershler, Jeff

    2014-01-01

    Learner-centered molecular modeling exercises in college science courses can be especially challenging for nonchemistry majors as students typically have a higher degree of anxiety and may not appreciate the relevance of the work. This article describes a learner-centered project given to allied health majors in a Biochemistry course. The project…

  3. The Pacific Center for Emergency Health: an anatomy of collaborative development and change--the Palau perspective.

    PubMed

    Yano, Victor; Ueda, Masao; Dever, Greg; Tellei, Julie; Wally, Willy; Kuartei, Stevenson; Tokon, Willie; Lalabalavu, Seleima; Otto, Caleb; Pierantozzi, Sandra

    2002-03-01

    Many Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) by their geographic location, isolation, and lack of resources, are at risk for both environmental and man-made disasters. Disaster management (DM) and mitigation is frustrated by the general underdevelopment of DM planning and lack of adequate emergency medical services (EMS) to deal with daily emergencies let alone large-scale emergencies and disasters. To address this, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed and implemented the Pacific Emergency Health Initiative (PEHI) to review and make recommendations regarding the current level of DM/EMS development of select PICs. As a practical next step, a collaborative demonstration project--the CDC--Palau Community College Center for Emergency Health--was established in the Republic of Palau with the purpose of providing training and technical assistance in DM/EMS development for the region. In September 2001 the Center conducted two simultaneous training programs addressing Public Health Disaster Planning (one-week) and pre-hospital First Responder Care (two-weeks). Sixty participants included public health planners, physicians, and fire and police officials from eleven PIC jurisdictions and representatives from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, and the Fiji School of Medicine. Eleven country and state public health disaster plans were initiated. Through CDC's PEHI additional Center training programs are planned through FY 2003.

  4. Sustainable Model for Public Health Emergency Operations Centers for Global Settings.

    PubMed

    Balajee, S Arunmozhi; Pasi, Omer G; Etoundi, Alain Georges M; Rzeszotarski, Peter; Do, Trang T; Hennessee, Ian; Merali, Sharifa; Alroy, Karen A; Phu, Tran Dac; Mounts, Anthony W

    2017-10-01

    Capacity to receive, verify, analyze, assess, and investigate public health events is essential for epidemic intelligence. Public health Emergency Operations Centers (PHEOCs) can be epidemic intelligence hubs by 1) having the capacity to receive, analyze, and visualize multiple data streams, including surveillance and 2) maintaining a trained workforce that can analyze and interpret data from real-time emerging events. Such PHEOCs could be physically located within a ministry of health epidemiology, surveillance, or equivalent department rather than exist as a stand-alone space and serve as operational hubs during nonoutbreak times but in emergencies can scale up according to the traditional Incident Command System structure.

  5. A Multivariate Analysis of Termination Status in a Rural Community Mental Health Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tutin, Judith; Kessler, Marc

    It has been estimated that the most pressing problem in community mental health care clinics is dropout, defined as unilateral termination by the client without therapist approval. To clarify the nature of dropout patients, 133 outpatient records at a rural community mental health center were examined over a one year period. Variables expected to…

  6. Health science center faculty attitudes towards interprofessional education and teamwork.

    PubMed

    Gary, Jodie C; Gosselin, Kevin; Bentley, Regina

    2018-03-01

    The attitudes of faculty towards interprofessional education (IPE) and teamwork impact the education of health professions education (HPE) students. This paper reports on a study evaluating attitudes from health professions educators towards IPE and teamwork at one academic health science center (HSC) where modest IPE initiatives have commenced. Drawing from the results of a previous investigation, this study was conducted to examine current attitudes of the faculty responsible for the training of future healthcare professionals. Survey data were collected to evaluate attitudes from HSC faculty, dentistry, nursing, medicine, pharmacy and public health. In general, positive HSC faculty attitudes towards interprofessional learning, education, and teamwork were significantly predicted by those affiliated with the component of nursing. Faculty development aimed at changing attitudes and increasing understanding of IPE and teamwork are critical. Results of this study serve as an underpinning to leverage strengths and evaluate weakness in initiating IPE.

  7. Changing structure to improve function: one academic health center's experience.

    PubMed

    Alexander, B; Davis, L; Kohler, P O

    1997-04-01

    Academic health centers (AHCs) have been under siege for the past few years, with decreased federal and state funding for educational and research programs and increasing competition in the health care marketplace. In addition, many AHCs are burdened with the bureaucratic red tape of large educational institutions, which makes agility in responding to a demanding health care market difficult. The authors describe the response to these threats by Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), an approach that has been different from those of most similar institutions. OHSU chose to change its structure from being part of the state system of higher education to being an independent public corporation. The authors outline the political process of building widespread support for the legislation passed in 1995, the key features of the restructuring, the challenges faced before and after the transition to a public corporation, and lessons learned in this metamorphosis to a new form.

  8. Academic medicine: a key partner in strengthening the primary care infrastructure via teaching health centers.

    PubMed

    Rieselbach, Richard E; Crouse, Byron J; Neuhausen, Katherine; Nasca, Thomas J; Frohna, John G

    2013-12-01

    In the United States, a worsening shortage of primary care physicians, along with structural deficiencies in their training, threaten the primary care system that is essential to ensuring access to high-quality, cost-effective health care. Community health centers (CHCs) are an underused resource that could facilitate rapid expansion of the primary care workforce and simultaneously prepare trainees for 21st-century practice. The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program, currently funded by the Affordable Care Act, uses CHCs as training sites for primary-care-focused graduate medical education (GME).The authors propose that the goals of the THCGME program could be amplified by fostering partnerships between CHCs and teaching hospitals (academic medical centers [AMCs]). AMCs would encourage their primary care residency programs to expand by establishing teaching health center (THC) tracks. Modifications to the current THCGME model, facilitated by formal CHC and academic medicine partnerships (CHAMPs), would address the primary care physician shortage, produce physicians prepared for 21st-century practice, expose trainees to interprofessional education in a multidisciplinary environment, and facilitate the rapid expansion of CHC capacity.To succeed, CHAMP THCs require a comprehensive consortium agreement designed to ensure equity between the community and academic partners; conforming with this agreement will provide the high-quality GME necessary to ensure residency accreditation. CHAMP THCs also require a federal mechanism to ensure stable, long-term funding. CHAMP THCs would develop in select CHCs that desire a partnership with AMCs and have capacity for providing a community-based setting for both GME and health services research.

  9. 76 FR 24031 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of.... L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announces the following meeting of..., investigations, experiments, demonstrations, and studies relating to the causes, diagnosis, treatment, control...

  10. Job satisfaction survey among health centers staff.

    PubMed

    Shahnazi, Hossein; Daniali, Seyede Shahrbanoo; Sharifirad, Gholamreza

    2014-01-01

    Due to the importance of health care organizations with significant responsibility for prevention and care, assessment of job satisfaction among health care staff is essential. Quality of health services will be decreased provided they are not satisfied. This study was a cross-sectional analysis of health care staff in Khomeinishahr (centers, buildings, and networks) If they had at least 6 months work experience, they could enter the study. Data included a two-part questionnaire with a standardized questionnaire, demographic variables, and Smith job descriptive index, which is a questionnaire with six domains. Reliability was obtained for each domain and its validity was reported 0.93. The results showed an overall satisfaction score averages 43.55 ± 12.8 (from 100). Job satisfaction score was not significantly different between the sexes. However, within the current attitude toward job satisfaction, men scores was better than women (P = 0.001). Highest score in job satisfaction was related to relationships with colleagues and lowest score was related to the income, benefits, and job promotion. The more the years of work, the less the job satisfaction was. The attitude toward the current job had a direct relationship with income (P = 0.01). There was a significant inverse relationship between educational level and job satisfaction in domains promotion, income, and benefits (P = 0.01). The staff with higher education levels was less satisfied with income and job promotion qualification. Managers should focus on job qualification to increase job satisfaction and improve the quality of work.

  11. Leadership Practices of Clinical Trials Office Leaders in Academic Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naser, Diana D.

    2012-01-01

    In the ever-changing clinical research environment, academic health centers seek leaders who are visionary and innovative. Clinical trials offices across the country are led by individuals who are charged with promoting growth and change in order to maximize performance, develop unique research initiatives, and help institutions achieve a…

  12. Health information technology capacity at federally qualified health centers: a mechanism for improving quality of care.

    PubMed

    Frimpong, Jemima A; Jackson, Bradford E; Stewart, LaShonda M; Singh, Karan P; Rivers, Patrick A; Bae, Sejong

    2013-01-31

    The adoption of health information technology has been recommended as a viable mechanism for improving quality of care and patient health outcomes. However, the capacity of health information technology (i.e., availability and use of multiple and advanced functionalities), particularly in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) on improving quality of care is not well understood. We examined associations between health information technology (HIT) capacity at FQHCs and quality of care, measured by the receipt of discharge summary, frequency of patients receiving reminders/notifications for preventive care/follow-up care, and timely appointment for specialty care. The analyses used 2009 data from the National Survey of Federally Qualified Health Centers. The study included 776 of the FQHCs that participated in the survey. We examined the extent of HIT use and tested the hypothesis that level of HIT capacity is associated with quality of care. Multivariable logistic regressions, reporting unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios, were used to examine whether 'FQHCs' HIT capacity' is associated with the outcome measures. The results showed a positive association between health information technology capacity and quality of care. FQHCs with higher HIT capacity were significantly more likely to have improved quality of care, measured by the receipt of discharge summaries (OR=1.43; CI=1.01, 2.40), the use of a patient notification system for preventive and follow-up care (OR=1.74; CI=1.23, 2.45), and timely appointment for specialty care (OR=1.77; CI=1.24, 2.53). Our findings highlight the promise of HIT in improving quality of care, particularly for vulnerable populations who seek care at FQHCs. The results also show that FQHCs may not be maximizing the benefits of HIT. Efforts to implement HIT must include strategies that facilitate the implementation of comprehensive and advanced functionalities, as well as promote meaningful use of these systems. Further examination of

  13. Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers Impact Report: Advances in protecting children's health where they live, learn, and play

    EPA Science Inventory

    In 1997, EPA and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) partnered to form the Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers. This impact report summarizes the history of the program, scientific findings since the program's incept...

  14. NIEHS/EPA Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers: 2017 Annual Meeting Proceedings

    EPA Science Inventory

    The 2017 Annual Meeting of the NIEHS/EPA Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers was hosted by EPA in collaboration with NIEHS and the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs). The meeting was held at the EPA Region 9 offices i...

  15. Affiliations of community health centers with the accredited schools and colleges of optometry in the states and territories of the United States.

    PubMed

    2008-10-01

    In 2006, the American Optometric Association Community Health Center Committee surveyed schools/colleges of optometry in the United States and its territories to assess collaborations between community health centers and optometric institutions. The survey investigated the number and structure of affiliations that existed between Federally Qualified Health Centers and schools/colleges of optometry in the United States. The survey reached the schools through the American Optometric Association Faculty Relations Committee or personal contact (Inter-American University of Puerto Rico). The survey showed wide variation in affiliations of community health centers with optometry programs. Six schools had no affiliations, whereas the remaining 11 ranged from 1 to 14. Information relating to 37 community health centers was reported. Results showed that schools utilized community health centers for fourth-year students in 5 schools, and both third- and fourth-year students in the remaining 6 schools. Schools vary regarding how precepting is managed with either full-time faculty (64.9%) or adjunct faculty. Business models also vary between schools. Affiliations between school/colleges of optometry and community health centers differ considerably. Optometric affiliations with community health centers can result in increased access to eye care for underserved populations and increased clinical experience for optometry students and residents. Opportunities exist to establish additional affiliations. Educational benefits and costs associated with affiliations should be explored before entering into a collaborative model of eye care delivery.

  16. Solid health care waste management status at health care centers in the West Bank - Palestinian Territory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Al-Khatib, Issam A.; Sato, Chikashi

    Health care waste is considered a major public health hazard. The objective of this study was to assess health care waste management (HCWM) practices currently employed at health care centers (HCCs) in the West Bank - Palestinian Territory. Survey data on solid health care waste (SHCW) were analyzed for generated quantities, collection, separation, treatment, transportation, and final disposal. Estimated 4720.7 m{sup 3} (288.1 tons) of SHCW are generated monthly by the HCCs in the West Bank. This study concluded that: (i) current HCWM practices do not meet HCWM standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) or adapted by developedmore » countries, and (ii) immediate attention should be directed towards improvement of HCWM facilities and development of effective legislation. To improve the HCWM in the West Bank, a national policy should be implemented, comprising a comprehensive plan of action and providing environmentally sound and reliable technological measures.« less

  17. A user-centered model for designing consumer mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps).

    PubMed

    Schnall, Rebecca; Rojas, Marlene; Bakken, Suzanne; Brown, William; Carballo-Dieguez, Alex; Carry, Monique; Gelaude, Deborah; Mosley, Jocelyn Patterson; Travers, Jasmine

    2016-04-01

    Mobile technologies are a useful platform for the delivery of health behavior interventions. Yet little work has been done to create a rigorous and standardized process for the design of mobile health (mHealth) apps. This project sought to explore the use of the Information Systems Research (ISR) framework as guide for the design of mHealth apps. Our work was guided by the ISR framework which is comprised of 3 cycles: Relevance, Rigor and Design. In the Relevance cycle, we conducted 5 focus groups with 33 targeted end-users. In the Rigor cycle, we performed a review to identify technology-based interventions for meeting the health prevention needs of our target population. In the Design Cycle, we employed usability evaluation methods to iteratively develop and refine mock-ups for a mHealth app. Through an iterative process, we identified barriers and facilitators to the use of mHealth technology for HIV prevention for high-risk MSM, developed 'use cases' and identified relevant functional content and features for inclusion in a design document to guide future app development. Findings from our work support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for designing future mHealth apps. Results from this work provide detailed descriptions of the user-centered design and system development and have heuristic value for those venturing into the area of technology-based intervention work. Findings from this study support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for future mHealth app development. Use of the ISR framework is a potentially useful approach for the design of a mobile app that incorporates end-users' design preferences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. HRSA: Find a Health Center

    MedlinePlus

    ... to 8 p.m. ET, weekdays (except federal holidays). Additional Links: organdonor.gov Organ Procurement and Transplantation ... to 8 p.m. ET, weekdays (except federal holidays) HRSA Contact Center Close × Center Name Close Close ...

  19. 78 FR 32657 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-31

    ..., diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of physical and mental diseases and other impairments; (2... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Board of.... L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announces the following meeting of...

  20. [Person-centered approach in occupational mental health: theory, research and practice].

    PubMed

    Ikemi, A; Kubota, S; Noda, E; Tomita, S; Hayashida, Y

    1992-01-01

    The objective of this study was to articulate the person-centered approach (PCAp) in theory and in the research and practice of occupational mental health. First, Carl Rogers' person-centered theory was reviewed. Secondly, a study on 1,661 workers was presented in which psychological variables such as fatigue (FG), depression (DP) and anxiety (AX) were found to be negatively correlated with relationship scales concerning the workers' perception of the person-centered attitudes (PCA) of their superiors, the democratic leadership of their superiors (DEM) and the overall activation (ACT) of their worksites. Significant differences in FG, DP and AX were found among workers who perceived of their superiors as having either high or low PCA. Workers who reported that their superiors had high PCA had significantly less FG, DP and AX than those who perceived of their superiors as having low PCA. Similar results were also obtained when high DEM/low DEM and high ACT/low ACT were compared in terms of workers' FG, DP and AX. Thus, the PCA of job superiors was considered to be positively related to the mental health of workers. Thirdly, PCA training in industry was introduced and evaluated. A total of 137 trainees (managers) conducted active listening, a basic skill in the PCAp, and filled out a relationship inventory immediately afterwards, evaluating themselves as listeners and their partners as listeners. A comparison of scores between the first and last sessions of training showed significant increases in empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard at the last session in both the speakers' version and the listeners' version of the relationship inventory. Cases showing changes in human relations at work as a consequence of PCA training, reported by the trainees and confirmed by an occupational health nurse, were presented. This study showed that PCA, which is positively related to workers' mental health, can increase as a result of training. The implications of