DC Department of Health Funding Opportunity
On Friday, August 15th, DOH released a Request for Applications (RFA) for "Innovations in Ambulatory Care Services".  This funding is to help established District primary care providers implement or continue innovations in primary care services delivery that increase access to care and/or improve outcomes for primary care patients residing in the District of Columbia.  Read the full RFP.  
Today's Alert
This is how much it's costing one D.C. health center to treat influx of "unaccompanied minors" from Central America
Is it possible D.C. will be forced to drop its state exchange for the federal exchange?
Parents urged to vaccinate children as school openings loom
Community health center leaders from around the U.S> to convene in San Diego for national conference
Hospitals reconsider charity for patients who decline health coverage
Have insurers found new ways to avoid the sick?
Has health law helped young people get mental health treatment? Maybe
Wal-Mart wants to be your doctor
EVENTS
September 3 & 17, 2014

September 10, 2014

September 17, 2014

October 8 & 22, 2014

 

Quality Improvement MOC Learning Collaborative

October 2014

 

SAVE THE DATE - DCPCA Annual Policy Forum

November 12, 2014

JOB POSTINGS

Specialty Care Program Manager,

Primary Care Coalition 

Family Practitioner, Mary's Center
 
Director of Nursing
Unity Health Care

Physician-Family Practice
Unity Health Care 

Grant Writer,

Providence Health Foundation
Providence Health Foundation
Catholic Charities  
Mary's Center
La Clinica Del Pueblo
La Clinica Del Pueblo

 This is how much it's costing one D.C. health center to treat influx of "unaccompanied minors" from Central America

 By Tina Reed, The Washington Business Journal, August 15, 2014

Experiencing a significant increase in the number of "unaccompanied minors" it sees, Mary's Center is struggling to find ways to cope with rapidly increasing care costs, which have jumped from an average of $300 to $800 per patient.  



Is it possible D.C. will be forced to drop its state exchange for the federal exchange?

 By Tina Reed, The Washington Business Journal, August 18, 2014

As the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority continues its  battle against an American Council of Life Insurers lawsuit challenging a new tax policy designed to help fund the District's insurance exchange, some policy makers are concerned that the city may have to abandon its exchange for HealthCare.gov.

Parents urged to vaccinate children as school openings loom

 By Dorothy Rowley, The Washington Informer, August 18, 2014

Hoping to reduce the spread of preventable illnesses, the DC public school system has tightened up vaccination requirements for its student population and is now urging parents to consider the HPV vaccination.    

Community health center leaders from around the U.S. to convene in San Diego for national conference 

Press Release, National Association of Community Health Centers, August 14, 2014

This week, community health center leaders from across the U.S. are gathering in San Diego for the National Association of Community Health Centers' 2014 Community Health Institute and EXPO to discuss strategies regarding sustainability and expansion.   

Hospitals reconsider charity for patients who decline health coverage

 By Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News, August 18, 2014

As health insurance becomes available to more Americans, many hospitals are revisiting how they determine who receives free care and paying more attention to who is unwilling versus who is actually unable to pay.   

Have insurers found new ways to avoid the sick?

Associated Press, The Washington Post, August 17, 2014

While insurers can no longer deny consumers coverage due to pre-existing conditions, many are still limiting access to care by severely restricting provider networks and treatment options.  

Has health law helped young people get mental health treatment? Maybe

 By Maanvi Singh, The Atlantic, August 15, 2014

According to a new study published in Health Affairs, since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the country has seen a 2% increase in the number of young adults accessing behavioral health care services.  

Wal-Mart wants to be your doctor

By Jason Millman, The Washington Post, August 14, 2014

Looking to regain its competitive edge, retail giant Wal-Mart is getting more involved in the health care industry by opening clinics in various parts of the country.  However, many doctors groups caution against their use, because, "retail clinics may provide a limited scope of health-care services for patients" and "can ultimately lead to fragmentation of the patient's health care unless it is coordinated with the patient's primary care physician's office."

Hospitalizations, deaths for heart disease fall

 By Liz Szabo, USA Today, August 18, 2014

Over the past ten years, the U.S. has seen a drastic drop in the number of hospitalizations and deaths associated with heart disease, with hospitalizations related to blood-clot-related strokes dropping 34%.  

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