  DIRECTOR'S NOTE:
RPCC Launches Ties
Just over 10 years ago safety net primary care coalitions and health philanthropies in Washington DC, Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland started a regional conversation to figure out how to address the primary care needs of the region's low income populations and expand the number of federally qualified health centers. It quickly became apparent that the initial conversation was only the tip of the iceberg - individual and population health are affected by factors that do not recognize political boundaries and people often cross geographic boundaries to get health services. It only made sense to connect across state, city, and county lines to share knowledge, innovations, and solutions. The result is that today RPCC, the Regional Primary Care Coalition, is a strong learning community working to improve the health low-income residents, advance health equity, and eliminate health disparities in our region.
Ties, our new e-newsletter, is a natural extension of RPCC's work:
- Sharing knowledge, promising practices, and innovations among the region's safety-net providers, policy makers, funders and patient advocates;
- Undertaking collaborative projects across the region to speed the development, adaptation and replication of effective approaches to improving health and well-being for low income people in our region;
- Using our collective knowledge about local and regional primary care to inform public policy.
Its purpose is to link readers to information about regional health issues, policy and practice innovations, resources, and upcoming events. We hope it will facilitate connections, stimulate discussion, encourage innovation, inform policy, and leverage lessons learned for the benefit of the entire region.
We welcome your feedback on our new newsletter and hope you enjoy our inaugural issue. To learn more about RPCC, its mission and its work, go to www.regionalprimarycare.org
Phyllis E. Kaye, MPA
Director, Regional Primary Care Coalition
phyllis@regionalprimarycare.org
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RPCC and Regional Work Gets National Attention
Communities Joined in Action brings together some 200 community health collaborative from across the country who are committed to improving health, improving access, and eliminating disparities in their communities Its recent Annual Conference included several presentations on innovative work RPCC and its partners are doing around
An array of the region's work to eliminate health disparities was on full display at the poster session. RPCC as well as two of its partners - DCPCA, Fairfax Community Health Care Network - highlighted the work they do to address health disparities.
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HIV/AIDS is a Regional Issue
RPCC has released the first in a series of HIV/AIDS Regional Updates to help focus attention on regional HIV/AIDS issues. The first update, summarized below, contains some new data on the epidemic. Future updates will focus on changes in federal HIV/AIDS programs and priorities and their potential impact on the region, and increased efforts to provide for equal access to HIV/AIDS care throughout the metropolitan area.These updates are being prepared for RPCC by Emily Gantz McKay of Mosaica, a nonprofit capacity-building organization that carried out the Profiles Project on how the DC suburbs respond to HIV/AIDS, and runs the national peer-focused Consumer LINC (Linking Individuals to Needed Care) Project.
The Regional Updates are posted to RPCC's new HIV/AIDS webpage, which features additional information about regional work and innovations around HIV/AIDS, and the implications of health reform for HIV/AIDS care.
New Data
As of December 31, 2009, 31,436 people in the District of Columbia and its inner suburbs were living with HIV/AIDS, according to data presented to the Metropolitan Washington Health Services Planning Council for the Ryan White "Part A" Program by the DC Department of Health, the Maryland Department of Health and Community Hygiene, and the Virginia Department of Health. While the District of Columbia remains the epicenter of the regional epidemic with over 50% of the cases, 47% people living with HIV and AIDS are residents of suburban communities (27% in Northern Virginia and 20% in Suburban Maryland). HIV/AIDS Regional Update #1: A Snapshot of HIV/AIDS in the Washington, DC Area, October 2011.
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Health Reform Plus
Health Centers in DC and Montgomery County get HRSA planning grants. Bread for the City and the Carl Vogel Center in the District and Mobile Medical Care, Inc in Maryland were on of 129 organizations that received Community health Center Planning Grants to help organizations' federally qualified community health centers. These funds were made available by the Affordable Care Act. Learn more.
Two FQHCs Selected for CMS Advanced Primary Care Practice demonstration project. Greater Baden Medical Services, Inc, in Prince George's County, and Unity in the District of Columbia were two of 500 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) selected from over 800 applicants for the CMS APCP demonstration project. The initiative is designed to evaluate the impact the patient-centered medical home, on improving health, improving quality of care, and lowering the cost of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries served by FQHCs. Under the demonstration, Medicare will pay a care coordination fee to participating FQHC to provide care coordination and management services. Learn more.
Fairfax County receives a federal Community Transformation Grant. The three year grant of almost 500,000 will be used to build capacity to implement policy, system, programmatic and infrastructure changes to promote health and prevent chronic disease. It will build upon the success of Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnership (MAPP) strategic planning process that has been supported by the Fairfax County Health Department and led by the Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax, a coalition of community members and organizations that are working together to strengthen the public health system and improve community health. Learn more.
Howard University was one of 14 new grantees to receive funding to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds enter the health professions.
The $737,693 award was made through HRSA's Health Career Opportunity Program. Learn more.
Health Insurance Exchanges.
Maryland: The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange issued a Request for Proposals to support an eligibility and enrollment system to help Marylanders obtain health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Proposals due December 5, 2011. The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange was created by legislation earlier this year, and will begin providing coverage to individuals on January 1, 2014.
District of Columbia: The Mayor's Health Reform Implementation Committee submitted its recommendations on to establish a DC health insurance exchange (DC HIX). Public meetings on the recommendations are being held throughout the District.
Accountable Care Organizations. Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics are also eligible to both form and participate in Accountable Care Organizations according to final rules announced by the CMS. Learn more.
GENERAL RESOURCES
State Refor(u)m, the National Academy for State Health Policy's online network for health reform implementation. The site connects state health officials looking for information and assistance with their peers and other experts who have relevant resources and experiences to share. http://www.statereforum.org/
Healthcare.gov has information on the Affordable health care act in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. http://www.healthcare.gov/law/resources
Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, established by the Affordable Care Act, is helping to "transform Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program." The website provides information about its work and an opportunity to share ideas. http://innovations.cms.gov
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REGIONAL PRIMARY CARE COALITION
FALL 2011 eNEWSLETTER
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| IN THIS ISSUE
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| MORE NEWS + EVENTS
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THE REGION: QUICK FACTS
- Includes 8 health departments in three "states" - the District of Columbia, 2 counties in Suburban Maryland and 5 health districts in Northern Virginia
- Population of almost 4.7 million is larger than that of 26 states
- Racially, economically and ethnically diverse population whose demographics vary by jurisdiction and are changing dramatically
- Health care safety net includes over 30 health centers operating in over 90 sites; including Federally Qualified Health Centers and free clinics
- Almost a 10-year variation in life expectancy, depending where one lives
- Three separate Medicaid programs with wide variations in eligibility requirements
- Major variations in state and local funds for coverage programs
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