Keys to Successful Implementation of Telehealth Programs Now and Into the Future

Oct 21, 2020 9:00am ‐ Oct 21, 2020 10:00am

Identification: IWC1

Tools such as workflow process analysis and Lean methods can be very helpful in implementing new programs effectively. They can also be used to optimize programs that have been implemented rapidly. Many health centers implemented telehealth programs rapidly in response to the current pandemic and public health emergency. Some of these programs may benefit from the improvements that can be gained from using a more structured analysis and process. This presentation will provide an overview of workflow process analysis tools and an example of how Lean methods were used to implement a telehealth program both rapidly and efficiently across a multi-site community health center.

• Examine workflow analysis tools as applied to telehealth programs and processes.
• Describe insights gained from a large CHC's experiences implementing telehealth.
• Provide examples of how Lean methods were used to implement a telehealth program both rapidly and efficiently across a multi-site community health center.

Building and Leading Resilient Teams

Oct 21, 2020 9:00am ‐ Oct 21, 2020 10:00am

Identification: IWB1

A resilient team is able to effectively respond to unforeseen challenges and agilely pivot when confronted with crisis. These teams are made up of confident and self-managed individuals able to focus their attention on the right things at the right time. They are better equipped to perform in an environment of continuing uncertainty and uncontrollable change. Decisions must be made in the moment. Leaders need to be adaptive and, often working remotely, trust the actions of their work force on the ground. They must strengthen the environment that supports their front-line teams who need to be present and, despite challenges, adversity and constant changes, meet the needs of the organization and take care of patients as well as themselves. During this session we will discuss factors that define resilience, the unique components of a resilient team and steps for development. Take away tools to improve communication and build trust, build adaptive leadership skills and engage diverse perspectives and increase inclusivity across your organization.

• Increase your understanding of the 7 Cs of resilience and how that translates to your team member’s resilient factors, as well as how to mitigate obstacles in development.
• Develop key communication skills to support resilience and an organization that responds thoughtfully, not reacting emotionally, to change, challenges and crisis both effectively and with empathy.
• Learn the principles of adaptive leadership and how to apply the framework.

Budgeting in the Time of COVID

Oct 21, 2020 9:00am ‐ Oct 21, 2020 10:00am

Identification: IWA1

The COVID pandemic has upended CHC financial models. Previous financial projections aren’t useful, and it is hard to project visits. Testing and immunization financials are also unclear. This session will discuss using shorter, flexible budgeting templates, and evaluate the medium-term financial outlook.

• Utilize a shorter-term budgeting template.
• Evaluate the economics of testing and vaccination.
• Explain the impact of COVID funding to the Board.

Revenue Cycle Management During and After COVID-19

Oct 21, 2020 11:00am ‐ Oct 21, 2020 12:00pm

Identification: IWA2

The COVID-19 global pandemic has changed lives and work forever. Remote staff management, demand for telehealth, elevated levels of “free” testing for all (regardless of insured coverage), care rendered virtually across state lines, and with so many newly unemployed… expanded Medicaid enrollment. Remotely evaluating staff and team building, mastering telehealth (billing and documentation), understanding enrollment/credentialing for virtual care rendered across state lines, and assuring “front desk” (virtual or in person) are verifying Medicaid eligibility status, etc. These are just a few areas of focus in the COVID world of health center RCM. Attend this session to elevate awareness of potential liabilities and learn opportunities to find success in our “new normal.” Learn what remote management tools exist to keep your RCM team on task. Hear suggestions for optimizing telehealth income and address potential liabilities around rendering virtual care (e.g., provider licensure, payer enrollment, consent, and the myriad of coding options).

• Learn strategies for remotely and optimally managing staff.
• Understand which telehealth policies are permanently changed and federal updates regarding care rendered “across state lines.”
• Elevate learning to stem HIPAA violation potential from RCM team managing PHI remotely.

The Search for an Electronic Patient Engagement Tool That Meets Health Center’s Needs

Oct 21, 2020 11:00am ‐ Oct 21, 2020 12:00pm

Identification: IWC2

Health Centers have seen a boom of available electronic patient engagement tools promising everything from decreasing no shows to improving patient self-registration and screening. Throughout 2020 health centers have been increasingly interested in adopting patient engagement tools to reach patients at home and minimize waiting room time to keep everyone safe. Knowing whether these tools will succeed in health centers, where patients may have more complexity and budgets may be leaner, is an ongoing challenge. To this end, HITEQ along with several HCCN Partners, interviewed a number of health centers and vendors about the use of electronic patient engagement tools. This session will share with you the results of those interviews, key lessons learned, and some tips as to what you may want to look for when considering these tools for your health center.                   

• Define electronic patient engagement.
• Provide an example of what need electronic patient engagement can address in a health center.
• Identify at least one strength and one weakness to consider in an electronic patient engagement tool.

Moving the Needle: The Value of the Pharmacy Team in Immunizing

Oct 21, 2020 11:00am ‐ Oct 21, 2020 12:00pm

Identification: IWB2

Pharmacists are a key member of the health care team in community health centers, providing chronic disease management, medication education and preventive health care. The Holyoke pharmacy team has an integrated model, utilizing pharmacists and pharmacy residents to address gaps in care. Hear from the Holyoke Health Center pharmacy team about the development of their integrated model, including their residency program, and steps they have taken to include immunizations in their daily work. Specific workflows surrounding the Shingrix, flu and COVID-19 vaccinations will be shared.

Prioritizing Value – From Strategy to Implementation

Oct 21, 2020 1:00pm ‐ Oct 21, 2020 2:00pm

Identification: IWA3

Too often, finance and quality teams speak a different language in terms of “value” – e.g., productivity vs health outcomes. This panel presents a framework that assesses strategic plans and priority projects in the context of maximized value. The discussion will review considerations for measuring “value” in the broader terms of access, service, outcomes and cost. They will share lessons from the Making the Value Connection program, a pilot of California clinics structuring “Value Projects” that have direct linkages to strategic priorities and are tracking both outcome and cost variables.

• Understand and articulate value factors that should be considered when establishing the organization’s strategic plan and priorities.
• Define comprehensive measures that track and demonstrate value including access, service, outcomes and cost.
• Create balance between high-quality clinic outcomes and financial/operational considerations.

Medical Assistant Roles and Skills in Telehealth Team-Based Care

Oct 21, 2020 1:00pm ‐ Oct 21, 2020 2:00pm

Identification: IWB3

Medical Assistants are sometimes described as the “choreographers” of the team-based care visit. But how does the choreography of an in-person visit translate to the telehealth visits that have been adopted in response to COVID-19? With telehealth, health centers are forced to e-design and re-imagine the team-based visit, and the role of the MA. This session draws on the experience of two community health centers and the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement to explore the changing role of the MA, and the implications for MA skills, aptitudes, and training. The session will highlight the various roles MAs can take on in a telehealth model, and what “choreography” looks like in telehealth. Panelists will also discuss MA skills and aptitudes needed to support a successful telehealth visit, and how their organizations have facilitated the development of those skills. The panelists will share a brief self-assessment that participants can use to identify 1) how they can better use MAs to support telehealth visits, and 2) skills that their MA staff may need to build to better support telehealth.

• List at least two ways in which MAs can support telehealth before, during, and after the visit.
• Name three key MA skills that must be adapted for successful telehealth visits.
• Identify two ways in which their health center can better utilize MAs to support telehealth as a team-based care modality.

Reply “CARE:” How Big Data Kept Our Patients Connected to Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Oct 21, 2020 1:00pm ‐ Oct 21, 2020 2:00pm

Identification: IWC3

A deadly pandemic. Business shut down and health center closure. Shelter in place. Financial stress. Racial Injustice. A Perilous Future.   In four months of outreach, 31,586 texts and phone calls were attempted to our elderly and chronic conditions patients, to check in and offer them telehealth appointments with their PCPs. We reached 32% (10,225) of them and successfully booked 5,320 mostly telehealth appointments. Highlights include 1,983 Diabetes and Hypertension patients reengaged in disease management and 756 seniors reconnected with their PCPs. As the burden of COVID infection, death and economic hardship among our patients of color became increasingly apparent, we expanded our efforts and made contact with 1,081 African-American and Hispanic/Latino patients and connected 681 (63%) of them with their PCP for a telehealth appointment. Understanding the mental health impacts of these difficult times, we completed a standardized depression assessment with 273 of our patients receiving a phone call. Overall, this outreach effort resulted in 3,947 billable visits and $480,000 in revenue.   Speakers will reflect on the financial benefits realized through this effort and clinical outcomes garnered, and share meaningful interactions between outreach staff and patients.

• How to leverage visualized analytics for cross-role decision support.
• Considerations for using text message versus phone call outreach modalities.
• Tips for keeping C-Suite engaged in HIT efforts.

A Partnership Between Two States and Several FQHCs to Address Workforce Shortages and Improve Health Outcomes

Oct 21, 2020 2:30pm ‐ Oct 21, 2020 3:30pm

Identification: IWB4

The dearth of physicians in underserved communities widens health disparities. The California Oregon Medical Partnership to Address Rural Disparities in Education and Health (COMPADRE), a robust collaboration between UC Davis School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University and 32 residency programs, aims to transform the workforce by better selecting and training physicians for practice in rural and underserved communities. This unique partnership between community health centers, academic institutions, and hospital systems will allow students to train in their future clinical practice environments throughout medical school and residency, participating in a curriculum that includes health systems science, novel competencies for practice in under-resourced communities, and wellness activities to promote meaning and joy in practice. In this interactive session, representatives from academic institutions and a community health center will describe how your organization can develop robust partnerships to create a workforce that is prepared, more equitably distributed and more deeply connected to underserved communities.

• Discuss best practices for developing underserved care curricula and training programs.
• Consider how to develop strategic partnerships with academic institutions and community health centers to meet regional health workforce needs.
• Become familiar with emerging competencies for practice in under-resourced communities.