Improving Health Care access by optimizing the allocation network of community health centers

Author(s):  
Jie Song ◽  
Binfeng Li ◽  
Yao Yang ◽  
Su Wu ◽  
Paul Griffin
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 513-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Y. Cheng ◽  
Adrienne L. Erlinger ◽  
Anna M. Modest ◽  
Lucy Chie ◽  
Jennifer Scott ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background Community health centers (CHCs) and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are critical health care access points for medically underserved areas in the United States. They also provide opportunities for residents to learn about health system challenges, including workforce shortages, social determinants of health, and health equity. Objective We sought to describe current obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) resident engagement and training in community health settings. Methods We conducted a website review and survey to identify the prevalence and types of OB-GYN resident exposure to CHCs, including FQHCs. We reviewed 241 program websites to identify community health electives or rotations. We then surveyed program administrators regarding departmental affiliations with CHCs, types of resident involvement, and barriers to resident rotations at CHCs. Results The website review revealed that 18% (44 of 241) of programs offered a community health rotation. Of the 241 programs surveyed, 78 program administrators responded (32%). Forty-three programs (55%) had at least 1 affiliated CHC, and 34 programs (44%) allowed residents to rotate at a CHC. The most common barrier to resident rotations at a CHC was inadequate resident coverage of hospital-based clinical responsibilities. Respondents reported that among 782 graduating residents in the 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 academic years, 76 (10%) planned to pursue a position at a CHC. Conclusions According to their websites, a small percentage of US OB-GYN residency programs offered a CHC rotation. Of programs responding to a survey on the topic, less than half offered CHC rotations and less than 1 in 10 residents planned to work in CHCs after graduation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 585-588
Author(s):  
Peter Shin ◽  
Marsha Regenstein

Two major safety net providers – community health centers and public hospitals – continue to play a key role in the health care system even in the wake of coverage reform. This article examines the gains and threats they face under the Affordable Care Act.


2016 ◽  
pp. 118-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Jay Carney ◽  
Michael Weaver ◽  
Anna M. McDaniel ◽  
Josette Jones ◽  
David A. Haggstrom

Adoption of clinical decision support (CDS) systems leads to improved clinical performance through improved clinician decision making, adherence to evidence-based guidelines, medical error reduction, and more efficient information transfer and to reduction in health care disparities in under-resourced settings. However, little information on CDS use in the community health care (CHC) setting exists. This study examines if organizational, provider, or patient level factors can successfully predict the level of CDS use in the CHC setting with regard to breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening. This study relied upon 37 summary measures obtained from the 2005 Cancer Health Disparities Collaborative (HDCC) national survey of 44 randomly selected community health centers. A multi-level framework was designed that employed an all-subsets linear regression to discover relationships between organizational/practice setting, provider, and patient characteristics and the outcome variable, a composite measure of community health center CDS intensity-of-use. Several organizational and provider level factors from our conceptual model were identified to be positively associated with CDS level of use in community health centers. The level of CDS use (e.g., computerized reminders, provider prompts at point-of-care) in support of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rate improvement in vulnerable populations is determined by both organizational/practice setting and provider factors. Such insights can better facilitate the increased uptake of CDS in CHCs that allows for improved patient tracking, disease management, and early detection in cancer prevention and control within vulnerable populations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley M. Kranz ◽  
Ammarah Mahmud ◽  
Denis Agniel ◽  
Cheryl Damberg ◽  
Justin W. Timbie

Objectives. To describe the types of social services provided at community health centers (CHCs), characteristics of CHCs providing these services, and the association between on-site provision and health care quality. Methods. We surveyed CHCs in 12 US states and the District of Columbia during summer 2017 (n = 208) to identify referral to and provision of services to address 8 social needs. Regression models estimated factors associated with the provision of social services by CHCs and the association between providing services and health care quality (an 8-item composite). Results. CHCs most often offered on-site assistance for needs related to food or nutrition (43%), interpersonal violence (32%), and housing (30%). Participation in projects with community-based organizations was associated with providing services on-site (odds ratio = 2.48; P = .018). On-site provision was associated with better performance on measures of health care quality (e.g., each additional social service was associated with a 4.3 percentage point increase in colorectal cancer screenings). Conclusions. Some CHCs provide social services on-site, and this was associated with better performance on measures of health care quality. Public Health Implications. Health care providers are increasingly seeking to identify and address patients’ unmet social needs, and on-site provision of services is 1 strategy to consider.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
pp. 79-79
Author(s):  
Sharon Croisant ◽  
Krista Bohn ◽  
John Prochaska

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Data were collected or abstracted from a wide variety of sources related to health and health care needs to determine the current health status of the Galveston community including: DemographicsSocial Determinants of HealthHealth Care Access and Insurance StatusPoverty and Socio-Economic Indicators Impacting HealthHealth BehaviorsChronic DiseaseCommunicable DiseaseBirth OutcomesMortalityCancerData on Services Provided at UTMBData on Services Provided through the Galveston County Health DistrictData on Services Provided through the St. Vincent’s House Clinics, student-led clinics operated at a local non-profit organizationPrevious Galveston County Community Health Needs AssessmentIdentifying Gaps in ServicesPrevention Quality Indicator DataMETHODS/STUDY POPULATION: In addition to collection and analysis of secondary data, we also interviewed key stakeholders to solicit their input and recommendations. We met with leadership from St. Vincent’s House regarding current services provided, perceived issues and concerns, and needs for improvements. We met with leaders from UTMB’s academic enterprise to discuss the operation of our current student-led clinics as well as ways in which clinical practice experiences might be expanded and included more formally in the student curricula should the clinical capacity of St. Vincent’s House also be significantly expanded. This would increase the number of services that could be offered at St. Vincent’s and greatly increase the capacity for enrolling patients without relying on faculty volunteers to staff the clinics. We also met with UTMB leaders in a position to provide insight to issues that bridge the UTMB practice arena and public health and with Community Health leaders from the Galveston County Health District and Teen Health Clinics. Information Services leadership and Institute for Translational Science informatics faculty and staff were instrumental in determining what data could be abstracted from the Electronic Medical Record (without patient identifiers) to determine the specific need for services at St. Vincent’s. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The City of Galveston has a population just under 50,000. Since 2010, the proportion of elderly has increased, and the proportion of families with younger children has decreased. Poverty is high at 22.3% for all people, and especially high for children at 32.1%. Poverty disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities, with 36.5% of the Black population living below the poverty level, compared to 25.5% Hispanic, 30.5% Asian, and 14.7% White. Home ownership is decreasing, and median rent costs have sharply increased. The percentage without health insurance is considerable, driven by educational attainment, age, and race. In 2017, >40% of renters spent more than 35% of their income on housing. Upwards of 2,650 reported not having access to a vehicle for transportation. While residents of Galveston County as a whole are less impoverished, those that are impoverished share marked similarities. Lower educational attainment, in particular failure to complete high school or obtain a college degree, are correlated with race. Lower educational attainment then is highly predictive of poverty and low income. The income inequality ratio, i.e., the greater division between the top and bottom ends of the income spectrum in Galveston County is higher than in Texas or the nation and has increased every year but one since 2010. Issues of concern for Galveston County include obesity, Type II diabetes, and disability. These are exacerbated by built and social environment issues such as food insecurity, limited access to healthy foods, and food deserts in some neighborhoods. Pre-term birth rates are higher in Galveston than in the state or nation, and approximately 40% of women do not receive prenatal care until the 2nd or 3rd trimester or receive no prenatal care at all. 8.4% of births are low-birth weight. Marked disparities by race and ethnicity exist for each of these indicators. Age-adjusted death rates for all-cause mortality are higher in Galveston County than they are in Texas or the United States. Perhaps of most concern are the rates of death from septicemia, which are nearly triple that of the U.S. and nearly double that of the state, and cancer. Cancer incidence is not particularly remarkable, however, cancer age-adjusted mortality rates for many specific cancers well exceed state rates. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: With a clearer picture of the medical and other needs impacting health or health care access for our community, all stakeholders and experts can provide more detailed recommendations about prioritizing care and especially, preventive care—much of which could conceivably be provided in St. Vincent’s House clinics. Opportunities exist for enhanced practice and education opportunities for UTMB students from all schools. Preventive Care and Population Health practices can be brought to bear in novel practice settings that could serve as models for provision of integrated services. Social and other services provided by non-profit organizations can be coordinated and streamlined. It is our hope that the considerable data presented herein will enable stakeholders to begin to prioritize issues and to make some evidence-based decisions about the next steps in this process. Throughout the interview and data collection process, all stakeholders have expressed both enthusiasm and hope at the prospect of re-visioning how they can contribute to a process that will improve how we as a community care for our most vulnerable members. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DESCRIPTION: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.


2019 ◽  
Vol 119 ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Isis Van Putten ◽  
Kimberly S.G. Chang ◽  
Susie B. Baldwin ◽  
Hanni Stoklosa

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