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Who We Are
   
 
The Office of Developmental Primary Care is a new academic unit in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UCSF.  We are working with partners in the community and university to improve health outcomes for people with developmental disabilities across the lifespan.  We do this through clinical service, advocacy, research and training.
 
In This Issue
Who We Are
Health Care Reform for Adults with DD Executive Planning Group
Highlights
Interview with Gerri Collins-Bride, RN, MS, ANP
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Health Care Reform for Adults with DD Executive Planning Group
 
With funding support from The California Endowment, Golden Gate Regional Center, and Mt. Zion, a new course was set for improving health care access and outcomes for people with DD. The Arc of San Francisco, with the Golden Gate Regional Center, the Health Plan of San Mateo, and the Office of Developmental Primary Care, led a collaborative who achieved the following:
  • Outlined the challenges transition age youth and adults with DD face in accessing health care and potential strategies in the Blind Spot white paper
  • Articulated an ambitious vision for an innovative and integrated model of care
  • Outlined the core competencies needed by health care providers and systems
  • Compiled and analyzed existing data documenting health characteristics and needs
  • Increased awareness of the issue of health care for people with DD in the Bay Area and beyond
  • Worked together to develop funding and implement ideas for specialized clinics and an academic curriculum
  • Stimulated interest and excitement among local, state, and federal health policy leaders and elected officials
  • Developed a multidisciplinary network of professionals each of whom has contributed vast experience, knowledge, effort, and information to agree on a set of priority goals and strategies for moving forward the vision of improved care
  • Agreed to continue working together long-term to achieve these goals, however long the current crisis might grip us and those we serve
Highlights
 
Drs. Carrie Chen and Jessica Muller, and 4th year medical student, Heather Fels, are collaborating to integrate developmental disabilities (DD) into the core curriculum.  All second year medical students will discuss a case in a small group, and  practice communication skills with a standardized patient.
 
Dr. Megie Okumura worked with the Golden Gate Regional Center to analyze data to inform future policy planning. 
 
Dr. Nathaniel Gleason connected us to the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Disability Issues.  Linda Centore and Alice Wong, Committee Chair and Co-chair, invited Dr. Clarissa Kripke to talk about the challenges people with DD face accessing health care. 
 
Sheryl Young, Executive Director of Community GatePath, along with members of her staff and board, met with Dr. Clarissa Kripke to explore possibilities of collaboration in the areas of research, service, and training.  Community GatePath is the largest social service agency in San Mateo County.
 
David Knopf, LCSW, invited Dr. Clarissa Kripke to present at the Transition Forum.  The Forum was attended by members of numerous UCSF clinics that serve children, adolescents, and adults with DD.
 
Carmen Coffey implemented a survey on the training needs of providers at the Family Health Center at San Francisco General Hospital.
 
Jessica Muller, Patricia Mejia, Gerri Collins-Bride, Erica Monasterio and Clarissa Kripke presented a poster entitled, "Curriculum in Developmental Disabilities", at the 2009 Department of Family and Community Medicine Colloquium. 
 
Doreen Canton, RN, CDDNA, Nurse Case Manager of Health Plan of San Mateo, was recognized by the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry as Nurse of the Year.
Interview with Gerri Collins-Bride, NP, MS, ANP
 
 

Gerri Collins-Bride 

 

Gerri Collins-Bride is Clinical Professor and Vice Chair for Faculty Practice in the Department of Community Health Systems in the UCSF School of Nursing.  Gerri provides primary care to adults with developmental disabilities.  She is Director of Training and Clinical Education for the Office of Developmental Primary Care.

 

 

What is the role of nursing in the care of patients with DD?
Nurses are an essential part of the team caring for people with developmental disabilities.
Intellectual/developmental disability nurses have training and expertise to serve in many roles: as direct care providers, consultants, advocates, patient educators, supervisors and administrators.  They work in a variety of settings.  Nurses often focus on quality of care issues, patient self care/self reliance, and family and caregiver health.  Nurse Practitioners focus on health as well as illness and play a role in both health maintenance and patient education.  I guess it would be best described as taking a holistic approach.  This perspective is really innate in nursing training.

What are the clinical rewards of caring for patients with DD? 
This is an amazingly rewarding field to work in because it is a population that is underserved and misunderstood.  To be able to affect change, even the smallest change, can have a profound impact on the life of a person with DD.  Patients, families, and caregivers are very grateful when they receive quality care.  It's something that we all take for granted but those with DD consider a gift. This sorely needs to change in redesigning a health care system that actually works for people with DD. 

Tell us about your Telemedicine Project. 
The focus of the project is to bring together an interdisciplinary team to evaluate people who have complex medical, psychiatric, and behavioral needs and who are at risk of losing community placements and being institutionalized in Developmental Centers.  The group includes the person with DD as the focal point, along with their family or care providers, Regional Center Case Coordinator, and a number of primary care providers (PCPs) and specialists.  Prior to the monthly meeting, the team reviews records, and then gets together via video conferencing. 
 
The conference is a very efficient multidisciplinary model. It allows PCPs and specialists to learn from one another and provides an opportunity for people to share perspectives.  It also works well for the individuals with DD, who attend one meeting where everyone is present, as opposed to going to multiple appointments.  The conference also serves as a training site.  We've had students and residents join the conference in the past, and would love to have more.

Working on this project has been an amazing journey!  The project clearly has significant benefits in terms of cost savings, but more importantly, the true benefits are the increased quality of life for both the individuals with DD, as well as their caregivers.

What do you hope to do with the Teaching Leave Award you recently received?
I am currently in negotiations, but hope to take a clinical sabbatical from January through June.  My focus would be: co-editing the second edition of the Nurse Practitioner/Physician Collaborative Practice Guidelines book; evaluating my Community Mental Health Practice and doing some strategic planning around that; and hopefully helping to create a clinical/assessment service for persons with DD, in conjunction with Dr. Clarissa Kripke.

What is your vision for the future? 
I am very excited about the collaborative work that I see happening at UCSF around people with developmental disabilities.  The Office of Developmental Primary Care is bringing together individuals on campus who have traditionally worked in silos providing care for and/or training about DD in their curricula. There is a desperate need for a better system to help with the transition from pediatrics to adult care for people with DD.  I see this group helping to pave the way for system development in transition.  It will take a lot of hard work and funding, but I think we have a dedicated and talented group that is willing to push issues to the spotlight, take risks, and create change for a very deserving group of patients.
We Want to Hear From You!
For more information on the following opportunities, please contact us by email: odpc@fcm.ucsf.edu or by phone: (415) 476-4641. 
  •  The Office of Developmental Primary Care is looking for a Curriculum Ambassador (summer medical student) to help introduce the new field of Developmental Medicine into the University.  This is a stipended position.
  • Care of Adolescents and Adults with Disabilities, a new 4th year elective is being offered.  Course number: FCM 140.16.
  • Visit our Resource Library.  The library offers resources on a number of disability-related topics.  Books, journal, and videos are available for use.
 
The Office of Developmental Primary Care is a project of the Department of the Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.