August 2018 News from Manet
|
|
Thanks for a Super National Health Center Week
|
|
Faster than a speeding bullet National Health Center Week 2018 has come and gone, yet the whirlwind week helped to shine a spotlight on some of the true superheroes who help health centers like Manet serve our patients and protect the health of our communities. From start to finish, it was a super National Health Center Week, indeed!
|
|
The celebrations began on Monday, August 13, at Manet’s North Quincy site with a special visit from U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch, pictured 5th from left above with state representatives Joan Meschino and Tackey Chan, President of the Mass. League of CHCs Jim Hunt, Mayor Tom Koch, Manet CEO Cynthia Sierra, City Councilor Dave McCarthy and VA Boston Health System Deputy Director Karen Acerra-Williams. Congressman Lynch noted his familiarity with community health centers, the congressman with the most health centers in his district and the husband of a health center employee. "You’ve got a built in lobbyist in my house," he quipped. He also noted the bi-partisan support health centers enjoy in Washington.One of the challenges in Washington, DC is to keep the funding going for community health centers," he said. "In that regard, you are your own best asset...Supporting community health centers is not a partisan issue. It's very bipartisan, across the country and across demographics, and that’s because of you and the work that you do at our health centers."
On Tuesday it was on to Snug Harbor for an open house to showcase Manet's new administrative space added beneath its existing clinical site with support from the Quincy Housing Authority, the City of Quincy Planning & Community Development Office and a grant from Mass Development. An open house and Cooking Matters grocery store workshop followed on Wednesday in Taunton. Super Heroes were spotted at all sites on Thursday as staff competed for best costumes; and Friday brought a Safe ‘n Sunny Seaside Health Fair to the DCR Mary Jeanette Murray Bath House on Nantasket Beach in Hull and The Fresh Truck Pop Up Market to Manet's Houghs Neck site. The heroics continued straight through the weekend with the Manet Prevention Team providing Narcan training and information at the Quincy Snug Harbor Music Fest on Saturday and navigators and community health workers spreading the word about Manet's services at the Quincy August Moon Festival on Sunday, August 19.
|
|
During the week, in addition to learning more about the important role that community health centers play in our national and local health care systems, dozens of people had free blood pressure checks, scores received narcan training and information about overdose and STI prevention and PrEP, individuals and families learned about and received healthy food, and many more were connected to primary care and other needed services. Thanks to
QATV
for covering the kick-off event and to our community partners who provided information and services at our health fairs:
BMC HealthNet Plan
and
The Fresh Truck
;
MassHealth
;
The League of Women Voters
;
Quincy WIC Nutrition Program
;
EACH
(Enhance Asian Community on Health);
South Shore YMCA
;
Wellspring Multi-service Center
and the
Children’s Melanoma Foundation
.
|
|
Click the links below to see more fun photos and event coverage:
|
|
Health Center Week Super Hero
|
|
Ream Akkeh, FNP-C Joins Manet, North Quincy
|
Manet is pleased to welcome Ream Akkeh, FNP-C to our family medicine team in North Quincy.
A family nurse practitioner, Ream earned her Master of Science in Nursing at Simmons College in Boston and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT.
She also has extensive experience as a registered nurse working on the coronary intensive care unit at Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT and in the cardiovascular telemetry unit at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, as well as volunteer posts in Togo, West Africa.
In addition to her considerable clinical skills, Ream has an arsenal of language capabilities to assist her in caring for Manet's multicultural patient population. She is fluent in Arabic, French and Italian.
To make an appointment with Ream, call 617-376-3000.
|
|
Manet Receives Quality Awards
|
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $125 million in Quality Improvement Awards to 1,352 community health centers across the U.S.
These awards recognize the highest performing health centers nationwide as well as those health centers that have made significant quality improvement gains from the previous year.
Health centers must use these funds to build upon their achievements to continue to improve quality, efficiency, and the value of health care delivery in the communities they serve. Of the 39 Massachusetts health centers to receive Quality Awards, Manet ranked 8th and received awards in the following categories:
- Enhancing Access to Care Award, which recognizes health centers that increased the total number of patients served and the number of patients receiving comprehensive services between 2016 and 2017.
- Addressing Health Disparities Award, which recognizes health centers that met, exceeded, or made at least a 10% improvement toward Healthy People 2020 goals across different racial/ethnic groups.
- Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality Award, which recognizes health centers that utilized HIT systems to increase access to care and advance quality of care.
"Continuous improvement is just that continuous," says Manet CEO Cynthia Sierra. "We are always seeking to be and to do better for the health center and our patients. This award comes from the persistence and thoughtfulness of each staff member, across sites and across departments with the able guidance and leadership of our Performance Improvement Team led by Rob Shiner, MD, Chief Quality Officer and Misbah Mohammed, Quality Manager."
|
|
Start the School Year Off Right!
|
|
New backpack and lunchbox, check. Pens, paper and notebooks, check. As the summer winds down, you may be ticking off items on your back-to-school checklist, but before the school buses start rolling, make sure to check these important health-related items off your list, too!
Back-to-school check-up and sports physical
In addition to any general health concerns, a thorough physical exam will also address any emotional, developmental, or social concerns. It is also a good chance to address important questions, especially with teenagers, including adolescent issues of drinking, smoking, drugs,
sexual activity
, and depression. Sports physicals include screening for injuries, underlying heart and breathing problems, as well as other health issues that can be dangerous to your student athlete. They may be done at the same time -- just be sure to bring your school form along.
Immunizations and vaccinations
Getting children and teens ready to go back to school is the perfect time to make sure they are up-to-date with their immunizations. Vaccination protects students from diseases and keeps them healthy. Starting in kindergarten and through 12th grade, students in Massachusetts must stay up to date on vaccines for DTaP/Tdap, polio, MMR, Hepatitis B, and Varicella. Ask your provider for an up-to-date immunization list and keep it in a safe place to bring to each appointment.
Eye Exam
Many children struggle needlessly with vision problems simply because they don’t know they have one. For a child in school, vision correction can make all the difference in their academic performance as well as their ability to play sports and interact with others. A comprehensive eye exam from an eye care professional will ensure that children are seeing and feeling their best.
Ease back into a normal sleep schedule
Summertime is a fun and carefree time for kids, and although they might argue, it's important that they get plenty of sleep. Keep them active during the day and start bedtime 5-10 minutes earlier each night to make the transition easier come September.
Calm first-day jitters
For lots of kids, especially those entering kindergarten or a new school for the first time, the first day can seem scary. Parents and caregivers can help ease these worries by openly discussing what they can expect on day one, helping to pack their backpack in advance, and reading stories about going back to school. Reassure them that being nervous is normal, and they will forget about it in no time!
To make an appointment for a back-to-school physical or eye exam, call 617-376-3000.
|
|
Need an appointment?
Our expert and caring primary care providers welcome new patients.
|
|
Here when you need us!
We're open evenings and Saturdays for your convenience.
|
|
Online Scheduling Now Available
Make appointments whenever and wherever is convenient for you. Use our
Patient Portal
to schedule your next appointment, check test results, refill a prescription or pay a bill. Don't have an account? It's easy to sign up just
click this link
or ask any member of your care team, front desk staff or call center representative.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
