Dear Colleagues, 

PCAN has started the year off with a bang!   I had mentioned in the last newsletter that PCAN was selected as one of the honorees of the BCBS of Florida Foundation 2012 Sapphire Award. On February 17th, we discovered that we were the big winner for our Organization receiving a beautiful trophy and $100k at the Sapphire Award Symposium!

On March 7th and 8th, we hosted a site visit for a group of providers from Roanoke, Virginia who received a HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care Health Center Planning Grant to examine collaborative efforts between existing safety nets and they chose PCAN as they had heard great things about our collaborative and our success with ED Diversion.

April kicked off an open house at the new Community Health Centers, Inc. (CHC) clinic in Bithlo which has been a sorely needed service in the community with plans for dental services underway.  In additon, CHC is in the process of opening a pediatric medical and dental clinic in the Meadow Woods area which is scheduled for June 2012. CHC broke all records in 2011 providing care to 53,346 individuals, 180,000 visits!

Central Florida Family Health Centers, Inc. (CFFHC) started its year with a partnership between Orlando Health's Pediatric residency program and their Southside clinic location, experiencing a 78% increase in pediatric patient encounters through March! In addition, they are now providing dental services at their Alafaya location. Their school based health initiative with Nemours at Chaney Elementary School is slated for August 1st with back to school physicals and immunization.

Shepherd's Hope announced more than $280K in donations from their Call to Hope Breakfast in April which raised more money than in the past 3 years! With 9 clinics, 2,500+ volunteers and 23 faith partners supporting Shepherd's Hope, they continue to look at ways to increase efficiencies and capacity with a goal of doubling patient visits by the end of 2016.

Congratulations to all our partners for continuing to raise the bar and expand access to healthcare services to the under and uninsured in our County. Our trophy is a direct reflection on your continued efforts and successes!

Best regards,

Maureen Kersmarki

PCAN Board Chairwoman

On February 17, 2012, PCAN was awarded the BCBS of Florida Foundation 2012 Sapphire Award which recognizes organizations that reflect excellence in community health. In additon to the prestigious award, PCAN was also given $100K.

 Visit the BCBS of Florida Foundation to read more....

 7 AWARDS RECOGNIZE OCHD FOR BEING INNOVATIVE AND SAVING TAXPAYERS' MONEY

by Dain R. Weister, Public Information Officer,

Orange County Health Department

ORLANDO - The Orange County Health Department (OCHD) has received 7 different awards for its work to be productive and innovative to improve services and save money for Florida taxpayers and businesses. OCHD has been awarded 4 Florida Davis Productivity Awards, two National Association of County and City Health Officers (NACCHO) promising practices, and a Downtown Orlando Partnership Award.

Read more:  PCAN Newsletter-OCHD-April 2012.pdf

The Dental Care Access Foundation (DCAF) partnered with the Orlando VoTech Dental School and Valencia College's dental hygiene school to conduct their annual Kids Smiles event which took place February 4, 2012 and April 14, 2012 at Valencia College (West Camputs) Dental Hygiene School. The event, which targeted children in low income, school free-lunch programs, provided fluoride, cleanings, sealants and oral hygiene education to 74 children at a value of $38,838.  Supplies for this event were donated by Valencia College's hygiene school. 

2/4/12

48 Cleanings

183 Sealants

Total Value $20,457 in services

4/14/12 

26 Cleanings

215 Sealants

Total Value $18,381 in services

Central Florida Family Health Center is selected as a participant in the Henry Schein Global Product Donation Program

by Susan Nichols, MPH, Director of Development and Government Affairs, Central Florida Family Health Center

Central Florida Family Health Center has been selected as a participant in the Global Product Donation Program of Henry Schein Cares, the global social responsibility program of Henry Schein, Inc., the largest provider of health care products and services to office-based practitioners. Henry Schein Cares helps to expand access to health care for underserved populations around the world by supporting initiatives in the following areas: wellness, treatment, and prevention; emergency preparedness and relief; and building capacity in the training of health professionals and institutions.

Through the Henry Schein Cares Global Product Donation Program, the Company donates medical and dental health supplies to community -based health professionals and their organizations. As a recipient of the program, Central Florida Family Health Center receives a broad selection of health care products and supplies throughout the course of a two-year program cycle. Since the start of the grant award in January, 2012, Central Florida Family Health Center has received two shipments valued at over $45,000.00in medical supplies. This grant will enable Central Florida Family Health Center to more effectively carry out their mission to provide compassionate healthcare with kindness and respect, pledging excellent service to our patients, community and each other and expand its ability to provide care to the uninsured and underinsured in Central Florida.