March 2019

In this issue...

CEO Connection
Board Chair Message
NC HealthConnex
Deputy Director
Director of Quality & Clinical Support
Grant Opportunities
Calendar of Events
FYI
NAFC Update

Quick Links
Member News

Ten Years and Going Strong!
Congratulations to Samaritan Health Center. Elizabeth Brill and her staff and volunteers recently celebrated their 10th anniversary of providing quality healthcare to underinsured in their area.   
Gift Card Winners
Thank you to everyone who completed our short member survey in February. Everyone who completed the survey was entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card.

The winners of the gift cards are Cindy Cole, Eileen Ayuso, Edie Reed, Sissy Lee-Elmore and John Devaney.
NAFC National Health Care Symposium
Are you going to the Symposium? Let Mark know so your name can be added the list. With the symposium being in Atlanta, it's a great chance for many of you to go next year. We hope to have a large contingent at the meeting to showcase North Carolina and all our wonderful clinics.

So far these people have indicated they are going to the meeting. Join us!

April Cook
Tracy Salisbury
Bri Niggel
Sherri Fisher
Tony Price
Sandy Motley
Jerry Hermanson
Cindy Cole
Leona Doner
Randy Jordan
Mark Scheerer


CEO Connection
Randy Jordan, CEO

“All In” For Free Care
 
Last month, I attended a men’s activity at church that had an element of surprise. When we arrived our meeting room was set up to play tables of Texas Hold’em poker. Now before you cast aspersions on my character (and my minister’s for that matter), it was all in fun with no money exchanging hands. However, we had real poker chips that stacked up in neat piles in front of each player. At the end of the night, I experienced going “all in” when one of my friends pushed all his chips into the middle of the table for the final hand. What commitment to a single hand! So, I was then faced with whether I was going “all in” too.
 
Recently, several things at NCAFCC brought this notion to mind. First, I attended Safety-Net Advocacy Day in the state capital in Raleigh on February 20. I joined my other safety-net association colleagues as we spoke to nearly 30 members of the General Assembly at our legislative breakfast. But, it was our Member clinic leaders that really went “all in.” They made appointments with their legislators in advance and met with them to advocate for our work for the uninsured. I met one Representative who had a staff member that also worked with one of our Member clinics in Boone and he praised our work. Our examples make a difference to our state leaders. Second, it has been encouraging to receive the responses to our Call for Speakers for the upcoming Primary Care Conference in Asheville. This year, we have a special NCAFCC track at the conference. Those who sent in speaking proposals are “all in” about their work and eager to share their experiences with their NCAFCC colleagues. That’s what I like about all of us who work in the free and charitable clinic and pharmacy space. Thanks for being “ALL IN.”
A Message from Your Board Chair
April Cook
Lake Norman Community Health Clinic

We all buy insurance to protect our assets, and for many of us, have never needed to make a claim. But we know if we don’t have it, the consequences can be dire. Not having a plan to help your clinic in a disaster can also have dire consequences. This past year, several of our clinics experienced natural disasters. Those that had a plan were grateful that they did and those that didn’t wish they had taken the time to prepare one. Americares is providing a Preparedness Essentials Bootcamp on Friday, April 5 from 10-4pm at the Historic Brookstown Inn. The training covers topics such as authority and decision making, notification and communication, staffing, essential services, resource management, and partnership development. You will leave the training with an emergency playbook for your clinic with an increased understanding of the decision making process involved in disaster response. The best part of this bootcamp is it’s FREE ! I hope you will never need to open this emergency manual; that being said, I think you will sleep better knowing that you have one.
Do you have questions about getting connected to NC HealthConnex?
Email Mark for information on how to get your questions answered.
March...like a Steam Engine
Mark Scheerer
Deputy Director

Well, February rushed by and March is coming at us like a steam engine with meeting planning going full speed ahead with a webinar and three major meetings taking place over the next couple of months. Please check the Upcoming Events listing below and register for the TPC webinar and our disaster preparedness boot camp.

Pictures...and Videos...
If you have them, we would like to get them. We are looking for clinic pictures to use in publications and our website. Please share any high quality pictures you have so we can showcase our clinics. Also, if you have a video for your clinic please send me a link to it.

Americares Preparedness Essentials Boot Camp
As April indicated in her article, the boot camp is rapidly approaching so make your reservations today. See the calendar section below for full registration details and hotel information. You probably recall that at the Leadership Retreat this is a meeting you overwhelmingly said you would like for us to hold. Informational brochure can be found here.

Interesting news to report this month.
Healthcare is beginning to change in North Carolina with Medicaid Managed Care coming soon. Read all about it .

Vaping on the Rise
There has been a sharp increase in the percentage of teenagers vaping. This is not without its dangers and is not just something teenagers are doing. Many of your patients may also be vaping thinking it's safer than cigarettes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a wealth of information that can be printed in English and Spanish.
Cindy Jones
Director of Quality & Clinical Support

Quality and Clinical Support Updates
 
2018 NCAFCC Annual Survey
Beginning this month, submitted surveys will undergo a review process. As we review the surveys each member organization will be notified of any findings that may need to be addressed A copy of the submitted survey will also be sent out. The survey review process typically takes a couple of months.
 
Social Determinants of Health
In the past few years Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) have become a realized focus for healthcare stakeholders, including federal and state government. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines SDOH as “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels”. SDOH also determine access and quality of medical care.
 
Free and charitable clinics (FCC) are all too familiar with the impact of SDOH for those they serve. Though some FCCs have not had formalized screening tools in place, most all have recognized the need for addressing SDOH, such as food insecurity, housing instability, utility needs, transportation needs, and interpersonal violence.
 
Click here for SDOH resources and SDOH Screening Tool Kits.
 
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation 2019 Outcomes Grant
On January 21 st an email notification went out to the NCAFCC membership regarding the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation 2019 Outcomes Grant opportunity. The notification included grant eligibility criteria and funding structure.
Funding Opportunities

The American Medical Association Foundation - Due March 8
The American Medical Association Foundation (AMAF) announces the availability of funds through our Community Health Program. AMAF seeks to financially support innovative programs targeting the prevention and reduction of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Grant funding will support community-based organizations such as free health clinics that provide services to vulnerable and underserved populations. The deadline for all applications will be Friday, March 8, 2019 at 11:59pm CST.* More information is available by going to

BUILD Health Challenge  
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation has announced the opening applications for the BUILD Health Challenge. This is t hird cohort of partnerships working to put Bold, Upstream, Integrated, Local, Data-Driven plans into action to improve community health.
 
For this cohort, The BUILD Health Challenge will support up to 17 innovative collaboratives nationwide that include a community-based organization, hospital or health system, and public health department working together in dynamic ways to address upstream challenges and drive sustainable improvements in community health. Inclusion of additional cross-sector partners such as health plans, businesses, foundations, and others that are aligned with the proposed efforts are encouraged.
Each award includes:
  • Up to $250,000 in funding over two-and-a-half years
  • Coaching and support services, trainings, and capacity building opportunities
  • National network of peers engaged in similar work
  • Opportunity to spotlight local work on a national level

Examples of this work can be found on BUILD's " Communities " webpage. Similar to these examples, competitive applicants will clearly address the challenge's principles in dynamic ways, prioritize health equity, and focus on population level health outcomes.
 
Applications are due April 5, 2019. To learn more about this opportunity, eligibility requirements, and how to apply, please visit: http://bit.ly/BUILDApplication.
The Pharmacy Connection: Software to Increase Access to Free Brand Name and Low Cost Generic Medications - Webinar
 March 15 / 12:00 noon
Register by emailing Mark or just join the webinar on the 15th.


Americares Preparedness Essentials Bootcamp
April 5 / 10:00 am - 4:00 p.m.
Please Note: The registration deadline for this meeting is Friday, March 29th. It's simple to register...just email Katie or Mark with your name and any others who will be attending with you.

Where: Historic Brookstown Inn -- If you want to spend the night, a block of rooms has been reserved for Thursday night at a rate of $109.99 + taxes. Deadline to guarantee the room rate is March 19 . Call 336-725-1120. Mention you are with the NC Association of Free and Charitable Clinics group.

Who: If possible, bring another person with you to help develop the plan. If this isn't feasible, bring yourself or send a decision maker from your clinic.

Cost: FREE

NCAFCC Annual Members' Meeting
June 26 / Renaissance Asheville Hotel
More information to follow.

June 26-28 / Renaissance Asheville  Hotel

October 27-29, 2019 / Atlanta
Symposium Discount
As a result of the collaboration between the NC Association of Free and Charitable Clinics and the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC), you are now eligible to receive a $25 discount on your registration to the NAFC’s 2019 Charitable Health Care Symposium on October 27-29, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. The discount code is available until
April 30, 2019.
 
This $25 discount is available only to full-priced registrations for any member of NCAFCC. The following types of registrations already have a reduced registration fee and are not eligible for this $25 discount:
 
o    Speaker
o    Student
o    Day Rate
o    Spouse/Guest
o    Sponsor/Exhibitor
 
In order to receive this $25 discount, you must enter the following “promo code” when asked toward the end of the Symposium’s registration process:  statemember2019 
 
*Please remember to click on the “apply” button next to where you type in the promo code. Your page should refresh and reflect the discount taken off of your total.
 
IMPORTANT: If you are registering more than one person from your organization, please register each person separately using their email address and utilize the code mentioned above each time. This code will NOT work correctly if you apply it to a group registration. 
 
To register, please visit the Symposium’s site by visiting HERE.
 
Board of Directors 

Board Chair
April Cook
Lake Norman Community Health Clinic

Vice Chair
Tony Price
Moore Free and Charitable Clinic

Treasurer
John Price, ORH - Retired

Secretary
Tracy Salisbury
Open Door Clinic of Alamance County

Sissy Lee-Elmore
WATCH Healthcare Program

Jerry Hermanson
Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers 
NCAFCC Video
P atient-Centered Medical Home Transformation Initiative Video
Community Partners


Andy Kurtzman
Scotland Community Health Clinic

Michael Lischke, Ed.D., MPH
Northwest AHEC
WFU School of Medicine

Theo McClammy
Caring Community Clinic

John Mills
ECHO

Jacquie Rose
The Free Clinics

Krista Woolly
Community Care Clinic of Rowan County


Staff

CEO
ext. 104

Deputy Director
ext. 101

Cindy Jones , RCP
Director of Quality & Clinical Support
ext. 103

Office Manager
ext. 102 

336-251-1111