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| SCCHC E-Newsletter |
Winter 2008 |
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The Premier Asian Community Health Center in Massachusetts
麻州首屈一指亞裔社區醫療中心 |
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Dear SCCHC staff, friends and supporters:
2008 has been a busy but rewarding year for South Cove. First of all, I am pleased to announce that our quarterly newsletter is back and in full force after a long absence. The newsletter will serve as a tool to keep our community and friends informed of all the exciting things happening at South Cove. If you have any comments or feedback regarding this newsletter, please feel free to let us know!
Though the health center has enjoyed significant growth over the past several years, I am proud to say that our success has not steered us astray. South Cove has stayed true to its mission, continuing to serve the underserved Asian population with culturally competent and linguistically appropriate services. In the last 12 months, we have had an increase in patients, to 22,000 and seen 130,000 visits. 97% of our patients are Asian; 92% of them are best served in a language other than English and 75% of them earn income at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level.
As many of you already know, our Quincy clinic moved to 435 Hancock Street in Spring 2007, and we could not be any more pleased with this new facility. It is now a major home for Asian patients on the south shore providing comprehensive, one-stop-shop services. Our current and major project is the on-going implementation of the electronic medical record (EMR). We officially started the process this spring and look to be 100% electronic within the next two years. Another notable accomplishment is passing JCAHO for the third time. I do not believe that this is something that gets easier with each accreditation; it is, on the contrary, quite the opposite. Due to the increasingly tighter regulation by the government, healthcare organizations are held to much higher standards now than ever before. Therefore, I am extremely proud of the health center and its staff for this achievement.
2008 is quickly coming to an end. As we count our blessings and enjoy the fruits of our labor, we recognize that this would not have been possible without your support. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of you for making 2008 a remarkable year for South Cove.
Happy Holidays & A Prosperous 2009 to All.
Sincerely
Eugene Welch
Executive Director |
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| JCAHO Approved.... Again! |
 SCCHC first obtained the gold seal of approval from the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations ("The Joint Commission" or "JCAHO") in 2001, since then the health center has continually improved its quality of care and services. The accreditation is valid for 3 years once certified; South Cove has gone through three cycles with the most recent one being in September 2007, where we received preliminary accreditation with full accreditation awarded early 2008. The Joint Commission certificate "is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting certain performance standards." Obtaining this accreditation is considered the pinnacle for healthcare organizations; it means that all our systems: clinical, financial and administrative meet the high standards set by the Joint Commission. To this day, South Cove is proud to be the only Asian community health center in the United States that is not only JCAHO certified but to have done it three times. This is no easy feat and would certainly not have been possible without the dedication of all staff spending innumerable hours to make sure the renewal process is a success. Eugene would like to thank the Board for its continuous support; special thanks to Mary Jo Majors, the Director of Clinical Operations, who has tirelessly championed South Cove's effort in this endeavor. |
| Three Best Practices Named by HRSA |
The Boston Regional HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) Office, a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services, visited and conducted a 2-day performance review on South Cove in April. South Cove Community Health Center is a 330 Federally funded health center and therefore subject to periodic reviews where the health center must be able to demonstrate compliance with all HRSA rules and regulations. From confirming the date in early January to the actual review in April, there was much work and preparation including scheduled weekly conference calls with HRSA, departmental meetings and a great amount of data extraction & interpretation. The 2-day review was extensive and intensive but yielded very positive end results. The HRSA Team, led by Diane Erlandson, examined closely the operations of the health center with a focus on four performance measures covering both the clinical and financial aspects. South Cove received invaluable feedback from the HRSA office on further improvement; and HRSA learned more about South Cove and its ability to achieve optimal efficiency while providing high quality of care. In fact, HRSA was so impressed that they documented three South Cove practices as "Best Practice" - the most among health centers reviewed by Diane Erlandson and her team.
South Cove's 3 Best Practices:
- Unparalleled culturally competent services
- Exceptional provider productivity
- A well developed provider incentive plan
South Cove is grateful for HRSA's feedback, which will be helpful in mapping out the health center's short and long term goals. This review process has renewed the good working relationship South Cove and HRSA share; we look forward to working closely with HRSA. |
| DHHS Pays South Cove a Visit |
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(L to R): Dr. Rong Guan, Co-Medical Director, SCCHC; Maureen Quinn, Reviewer, Office of Performance Review, Boston Division, HRSA; Brian Golden, Regional I Director, DHHS; Mary Jo Majors, Dir. of Clinical Operations, SCCHC; Asst. Secretary Johnson, Office for Resources and Technology, DHHS; Thomas Reilly, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office for Resources and Technology, DHHS; April Tang, Board Member, SCCHC; Peter Chan, Regional I Manager, Office of Civial Rights, DHHS; Eugene Welch, Executive Director, SCCHC; Dr. Albert Yeung, Co-Medical Director, SCCHC.
In June, South Cove had the pleasure of hosting guests from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Among the guests were Charles E. Johnson, the Assistant Secretary in the Office for Resources and Technology at DHHS, Brian Golden, Region I New England Director, and their staff. They met with Eugene Welch and the senior management team to discuss healthcare issues pertinent to the Asian American community. They also toured the WS clinic and had a chance to interact with staff and patients. Both Assistant Secretary Johnson and Regional Director Golden were extremely impressed with the health center facilites and staff. During their visit, they witnessed first hand the dedication of the South Cove staff to its patients and community.
Below is a congratutory note from Diane Erlandson:
Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your special visit with the Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Charles Johnson and the Region I Regional Director, Brian Golden. Brian informed me today that you exceeded every expectation. Your work, your dedication and your compassion were very much in evidence. I understand that you and the remainder of the staff were very impressive. These accolades were no surprise to me and I am so happy for all of you that you were so appreciated. |
| South Cove Going Electronic with eClinicalWorks EMR |
It is no secret that the future of medical record keeping and management lies in cyber space. South Cove has long recognized this trend and with the backing of the Board made the financial commitment to go electronic in 2007. With three clinical locations serving overlapping patients, an electronic medical record system ("EMR") is the only way to ensure instantaneous access to patients' complete medical history by providers. After months of exploring, researching, planning and behind-the-scenes preparation, SC officially embarked on the journey of going paperless this summer. It has been a complex process involving not only the IS/admin department but the medical departments. Everyone has to tackle the challenge of both learning a new system and eventually doing away with paper. Before the medical department can function effectively without paper, there were many steps that needed to be implemented on both the front-end registration and the back-end billing of the operation. In July, we launched the first phase of the EMR implementation, going live with the new eCW registration and billing systems. We were very thankful that there was no major glitch. In October, the Pediatrics and BH departments received the green light to go live - the first of the medical departments. The remaining departments are scheduled to go live in 2009. Though this is a long road and not without bumps along the way, we feel fortunate that we have been able to overcome each obstacle and move forward. Two months into the process, Dr. Tang of the Pediatrics department has already expressed delight with the new system. We credit the success of the implementation process thus far to the joint effort of the IS and clinical departments working together to achieve a common goal.
Picture showing the eClinicalWorks EMR main interface. |
| South Cove Fundraiser |
 As some of you may have noticed, South Cove did not hold an annual fundraiser, the Jade Gala, this year. Since the inception of Jade Gala in 1999, one has been held every year up to 2007, which was our 9th gala celebrating the health center's 35th anniversary. The gala had been a success every year, drawing support from community organizations and corporations alike. However, with the available resources at hand and other factors considered, South Cove has decided that instead of annually, a fundraiser will be held every two years. Moreover, we feel that being an Asian community health center, it would be appropriate to hold the fundraiser during the Chinese New Year period. We are also exploring other fundraising ideas with the goal to come back "new and improved," so please stay tuned! |
| New Imaging Center Coming Soon |
  Recognizing an imminent need for more space in order to grow, the health center set out to find properties on the market in and around the Chinatown area. The search ended right next door to our 145 South Street center! We have purchased condo units at 137 South Street, which is currently being remodeled into a state of the art imaging center to be equipped with the latest digital mammogram machine. Upon completion, hopefully by the end of the 2008, the center will be the new home for mammography, bone density and ultrasound services. Photo left showing the new GE mammogram machine and right the reception area of the Imaging Center |
| Washington Street Clinic to Have a Makeover |
 It is no longer just a scene on Mondays where the waiting area is so packed that for some it is standing room only, or that the line for the Social Services department stretches out to the check-in/registration area. This is now something that can happen on any given weekday or even weekends. With the existing number of examine rooms, the WS clinic is simply at, if not over, its capacity. To alleviate this situation and maintain the quality of care, the clinic needs more examine rooms and hence will be undergoing yet another expansion/renovation slated for early 2009. Additional space will become available once the mammography, bone density and ultrasound departments are relocated to the new imaging center. The vacated space will then be remodeled into examine rooms and also give way for an expanded waiting area. Apart from adding examine rooms and expanding the waiting area, the current layout will also be reconfigured to achieve more efficient square footage utilization. The remodeled clinic will have a total of 21 examine rooms, 7 bathrooms, 5 nurse's stations and 5 in-take rooms. Please be assured that we do not anticipate any disruption in service while the construction is in progress. The clinic will open its regular hours and continue to serve patients to the best of its ability. Picture showing WS front desk |
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SCCHC Patients Benefit from Foundation-Funded Projects |
 The Asian Healthcare Foundation of Massachusetts, Inc. ("AHF") was established in 2006 with the sole purpose of supporting and furthering SCCHC's mission. With that in mind, the foundation was pleased to award grants to four different but all very worthy proposals.
- Pediatrics Department: "Get Fit Scholarship" to promote healthy living and eating among school age children.
- Ob/Gyn Department: Purchase a new ultrasound machine to better meet the needs of our patients.
- IS Department: Purchase tablet PCs for providers to be used in conjunction with the new EMR. These tablets would allow providers to enter data while interacting face-to-face with patients rather than working on a desktop computer, which is not as personal and limits the physicians from observing patient facial and body expressions.
- Collaboration with BIDMC: Fund a Cancer Patient Navigator to provide more personalized services to Asian cancer patients.
Picture showing a tablet PC to be purchased to promote more provider-patient interaction. |
| SCCHC and BIDMC to Offer Individualized Services to Asian Cancer Patients |
 SCCHC and BIDMC have a partnership spanning over 10 years during which the two organizations collaborated on many projects. This spring when a hospital program sponsored by Gillette, the "Dedicated Chinese Breast Cancer Interpreter," had its funding discontinued, the elimination of the position was almost a certainty despite the many positive comments/feedback from patients. Not wanting to see this become a reality, SCCHC and BIDMC's cancer center worked jointly to develop a new program. The program, built upon the previous one, aims to serve all Asian cancer patients, not just those with breast cancer. Based on this concept, a new position was created: the Asian Cancer Patient Navigator. The proposal was submitted to the Asian Healthcare Foundation for review and subsequently approved. The role of a cancer patient navigator is vital; a good cancer patient navigator can have a huge impact on patients' progress. This is a much-needed service for all cancer patients but more so for some Asian patients who have language and cultural barriers. The navigator is staffed at BIDMC's cancer center on a full time basis to work closely with patients. The navigator assumes multiple roles: patient guide, patient advocate and case manager. She is responsible for providing a wide array of services ranging from answering insurance questions to arranging for transportation to offering emotional support. With the motto: "Cancer Patient Navigator: Guiding patients to Quality Outcomes," a cancer patient navigator's goals are 1. to ensure timely delivery of services, 2. to eliminate barriers to care and ultimately, to help save lives from cancer. |
| Parking Made Easy at SCCHC's Quincy Location! |
 SCCHC's Quincy clinic has seen a surge in patient number since opening the clinic at its new location last spring on 435 Hancock Street. The new facility provides additional capacity to serve the growing Asian population in Quincy, (the fastest growing in MA!) and meet the demand. However, more patients also translate into more traffic, which in turn exposes the parking shortage issue. There are presently 21 available parking spaces in the lot behind the clinic, but it has become apparent that that lot alone would not accommodate all patients that drive to the clinic. Therefore, when a piece of land became available across from the clinic, we jumped at the opportunity and made the purchase. The land consists of 3 lots that are pieced together giving us a total of 14,500 square foot. Construction is in progress to clean up the land, pave new asphalt and install brighter lighting. Once completed it would provide additional 35 parking spaces bringing the total to 56. Picture showing the soon-to-be new Quincy parking lot |
| SCCHC's Social Services Department Deserves the Nod! |
South Cove's Social Services Department provides health insurance application assistance, document translation and referral assistance. In 2006 Massachusetts passed the Health Care Reform law requiring all residents to obtain health insurance coverage or face possible tax penalties. This was certainly great news for the un-insured and low-income patients; they would be eligible for possibly 100% subsidized health coverage. But at the same time, this placed a tremendous burden on the under-staffed Social Services Department. Navigating the intricate healthcare systems to sign up for coverage could be frustrating for any person let alone immigrants with limited English skills. For these people, the health center's Social Services Department is their only source for help. To ensure that all South Cove patients, old and new, have proper coverage under the new "Healthcare for All" policy, SC's Social Services Department had the major undertaking of reviewing all patients' insurance information and signing them up for appropriate coverage when necessary. SC has a patient base of 22,000+ and at some point, each and every single one of them needs to be reviewed for coverage. The department's workload multiplied overnight since the enactment of the law without a proportional increase in its size. Faced with long lines and serving an average of 200 patients daily, the Social Services staff stepped up to the plate and transferred an impressive 4,000+ patients into the new Commonwealth Care System. The new insurance would provide coverage not only at the health center but in the hospital, which is important because many of these patients are referred to BIDMC for specialty consultations.
Picture showing some of our wonderful Social Services staff! |
| Tai Tung Pharmacy Making a Difference |
 Community activist and former Board member Nick Chau and his wife Eva of the Tai Tung Pharmacy in Chinatown, made a generous donation to South Cove on behalf of the "George and Victoria Lee/Tai Tung Pharmacy Incorporated Fund" established in memory of his grandparents. This contribution will be used exclusively to support the students enrolled in our BASE (Brighton/Allston After School Enrichment) Program in two ways: financial aid for those who cannot afford the tuition to stay in the program, or, an one-time scholarship to college-bound students to further their education. Eugene, on behalf of South Cove and its BASE program, expresses sincere thanks to Nick & Eva for their generosity and dedication to the advancement of Asian American youngsters. Picture showing BASE students hard at work |
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South Cove Staff Recognized |
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Founded in 1972, South Cove is now in its 36th year. The health center is growing as strong as ever, and this would not have been possible without the years of dedication and service from our staff. We would like to extend a deep appreciation to those who have been with the health center since its early days.
On behalf of the health center and the Board, Eugene would like to thank the following South Cove long-timers for their continuous years of service.
15-19 years
Wu Chen, Linda Chu, Rosalind Hwang, Kathy Huynh-Wong, Margaret Ip, Sarah Law, Shu L. Lin, Chia-Mei Lu, Maria Mui, Jessica Ngo, De Pham, Lan Ngoc Wong, Yuan Tan, Dauly Thai, Eric Tiberi.
20-25 years
Irene Chin, Susan Chin, Martha Hackett, John Hsu, JoAnn Huynh, Christine Keung, Gail Lee, Susanna Leung, Yanty Leung, Linda Ling, Moo Yen Liu, Mimi Wong, Pauline Wong, Paul Wu, Chong Zeng-He.
 26+ years
The above staff will be recognized at an upcoming monthly staff meeting and be given a gift as a token of the health center's appreciation. |
| Patient Comments & Feedback |
 Satisfaction Survey
Improving patient satisfaction is an on-going goal and we periodically conduct patient satisfactory surveys to find out what our patients feel about the medical care they receive. The most recent one was a 6-question survey that we encouraged patients to fill out while waiting to be seen. We asked our patients to rate on a scale of 1-5, with 5 representing the best possible response on the following:
1. Availability of appointment
2. Hours the clinics are open
3. Locations of clinics
4. Waiting time
5. Helpfulness of staff
6. Cleanness
We received 700+ responses and the tallied results show that patients are very satisfied with the hours, the locations and the cleanness of our clinics, but less so with the availability of appointments, waiting time and the helpfulness of staff. We agree that there is room for improvement and are addressing these issues. The remodeling/expansion of the WS clinic will add more appointment availability and shorten the waiting time. As for helpfulness of the staff, training is recommended and in the plan for staff at all levels to promote overall patient satisfaction.
Dental Staff praised by patients
Our dentist, Dr. Michelle Eng, is known for her gentle touch and pleasant demeanor. So we were not surprised when we received a note from a patient praising her for her exceptional skills and bedside manner.
September 5, 2008
Dear South Cove Director:
I am a 60-year old patient. Early this year, I went to SCCHC Dental Department...I saw Dr. Eng. She treats patients just like her family. She greets me, explains my situation and procedures to me patiently. While giving the shot [to num the gum], she would comfort the patients when they complain about the pain. This makes people feel a sense of security. Dr. Eng has good personality and superb dental skills. She is always very patient and nice. My family and I don't know how to thank her [enough]. My friends heard about this and they suggested that I write a letter to South Cove to let you know. I thank you [for having] such a nice dentist.
By the way, Ms. Peng and Ms. Deng were very helpful too; they held my hands to ease my nervousness.
Ms. Chen
(Translated into English by Margaret Chen)
Picture showing Dr. Michelle Eng tending to a patient. |
| Other News |
Administration has a new home!
The Admin office officially moved from the 4th floor to the 2nd floor this summer. It was a lot of packing and unpacking for the short distance move; thanks to the help and cooperation of everyone, the transition was smooth and seamless. We are all settled in now and do not look forward to another move for many, many years to come!
Quincy expanded its hours
To accommodate the growing Asian population and demand in Quincy, our Adult Medicine Department is now open to 7:00pm on Mondays and Tuesdays. Please contact Quincy at 617-475-0280 for appointments. | |
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About SCCHC
Founded in 1972, South Cove is dedicated to improving the health and well being of the Asian Communities in Massachusetts with a special focus on the medically underserved by providing high quality, community-based health care that is accessible, culturally competent, and linguistically appropriate for these populations.
Services:
Adult Medicine (成人科) Bone Density (骨質篩檢) Ob/Gyn (婦科) Mammography (X光乳房攝影篩檢) Pediatrics (兒科) Dentistry (牙科) Optometry (眼科) Member Services (會員服務) Nutrition/WIC (營養科/奶卷) Family Planning (家庭計劃)
Early Intervention (幼兒培育組) Behavioral Health (行為健康科)
Brighton/Allston After-School Enrichment Program (課餘活動中心)
Clinic Locations:
885 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111 Tel: 617-482-7555
145 South Street, Boston, MA 021 Tel: 617-521-6730
435 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02169 Tel: 617-475-0280 |
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