WESTSIDE FAMILY HEALTH CENTER
Grant: $290,966 - Health Resources and Services Administration - Mar. 27, 2009
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Award Description: In Westside Family Health Center's ARRA application for funding for additional medical staff, we noted the toll that the economy--local, state and national--had taken on Angelenos. In our target population we have seen increases in domestic violence, as well as stress, anxiety and depression--the latter which can wreak havoc on an already overtaxed patient, particularly those with chronic diseases. In August 2009, WFHC implemented i2iTracks, a chronic disease and preventive health management system that replaces PECS. WFHC's i2iTracks team participated in registry collaboratives and learning sessions as part of their grant agreement with collaborative funders, L.A. Care Health Plan, Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield Foundation of California and the Tides Foundation. The vision of WFHC's clinic-wide i2iTracks team is to improve patient outcomes, stabilize standard of care and lower costs for patients with diabetes. The arrival at WFHC of Dr. Positron Kebebew and registered nurse Shirley Ho dovetailed nicely as we prepared for the implementation of i2iTracks. As health providers who are technology savvy, they recognized the need and role of HIT in a clinic setting. With the addition of Dr. Kebebew to the WFHC team, WFHC is on track toward meeting its 2010 core clinical goals, and in three instances?the percentage of diabetic patients whose HbA1c levels are less than or equal to 9, the percentage of patients 18 years and older with diagnosed hypertension whose most recent blood pressure was less than 140/90, and the percentage of pregnant women beginning prenatal care in the first trimester?has already exceeded projections. WFHC is also currently exceeding its projected dental care referral rate. Progress toward attaining Health Care Plan goals is facilitated by the continuing engagement of bilingual/bicultural medical providers such as Dr. Kebebew, who speaks Spanish (medical) and is fluent in Amharic--there is large Ethiopian population in western Los Angeles County, where WFHC is located. By the fourth quarter of 2009, WFHC will have its first comprehensive findings on goals related to i2iTracks. In our original ARRA application, we stated that in order to provide health services to a population in crisis, we would: (1) Hire additional staff. In addition to Dr. Kebebew, we hired Shirley Ho, RN, due to the need for extra support for our two physicians. Ms. Ho left in mid-September to further her career as a nurse practitioner. (A full-time RN starts at WFHC on Oct. 12, 2009. We will report further on this in our HCQR for the period ending Dec. 31, 2009.) (2) Extend clinic hours to include one additional Saturday clinic per month plus added morning and weekend hours for a minimum of 10 additional clinic hours per week. New hours have been added and Dr. Kebebew works one Saturday each month. (3) Continue our outreach efforts especially to promote the availability and accessibility of additional and expanded services to populations negatively impacted by the economic crisis: the underserved including unemployed, underemployed, low-income, working poor, uninsured and at-risk. We have increased our traditional means (flyers, our website, www.wfhcenter.org) of outreach, but we also conduct weekly rallies outside our clinic. At first, they were held to call attention to California?s health budget cuts, but the rallies have evolved into a way to bring attention to the existence of WFHC and our services to pedestrians and motorists.
Project Description: Dr. Positron Kebebew started working on April 29, 2009, and through September 30, 2009 she has worked 651.75 hours, .63 of FTE. Over the past 6 months she has seen 344 new uninsured patients in 682 visits, while other Westside Family Health Center providers have seen 1079 new uninsured patients as a result of ARRA funding. We have also seen 30 new insured patients. As a direct consequence of her hire, we have been able to add more Saturday hours, which is beneficial to our many clients who work during the week or have children in school Monday through Friday. Her additional background in Public Health (besides an MD degree from the University of Michigan, she has an MPH from UCLA) has proven to be a bonus. WFHC is seeing a new type of patient: middle-class patients who suddenly find themselves out of work or without health insurance. These are patients who have never had to navigate a system largely considered for low income, uninsured individuals and families. While they are grateful, they are also angry. Their anger may create another set of health issues, such as elevated high blood pressure, which is treatable, assuming that this patient knows about CHCs and that he or she is willing to put dignity and pride aside and come in for health care. Shirley Ho, RN, started working at WFHC on June 22, 2009. She worked 398.75 hours, .38 of FTE, before leaving WFHC in mid-September to further her career as a nurse practitioner. Ms. Ho, who has a MSW from the University of Southern California School of Social Work, was instrumental in assisting all providers. Her MSW and Dr. Kebebew?s MPH?combined with a willingness to share their insights with other WFHC team members?also enabled WFHC to be better equipped and prepared to handle the public as well as psycho-social consequences of this economic crisis. A full-time RN starts Oct. 12, 2009. We will report further on this in our HCQR for the period ending Dec. 31, 2009.
Jobs Summary: Dr. Positron Kebebew was hired as a result of ARRA funding. She comes to us with impeccable academic credentials: a Bachelor of Science from UCLA, a medical degree from the University of Michigan School of Medicine, and a Masters in Public Health from UCLA. Her Masters Project was Exploring Patient Knowledge and Self-Efficacy in Group Diabetes Clinic and Its Relation to Metabolic Parameters. She is board certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians and her training and employment in California have been diverse. Her experience includes adult, pediatrics and women?s medicine and she has worked in Northern California, Southern California and massive San Bernardino County which lays claim to being the largest county in the United States by area outside Alaska. What these California regions all have in common is large, at-risk and underserved populations, particularly adults who tend to seek medical help when they are sick. And when they do come to a clinic, they do so for chronic conditions that by and large could have been prevented. Again, Dr. Kebebew is very much aware of patient behavior. While providing primary health care to low-income and uninsured in northern Contra Costa County, she saw the need for and developed and implemented a Breast Health Clinic. Nearly five years after her departure the clinic still provides early diagnosis for women with breast lumps. Her understanding of the needs of underserved patients has enabled her to engage with WFHC?s new patients who have recently become unemployed or uninsured and are unfamiliar with community clinics. Often, many new patients are also too embarrassed when they come to us for the first time. She puts them at ease in a way that is culturally sensitive. She is also linguistically sensitive: she speaks Spanish (medical) and is fluent in Amharic?there is large Ethiopian population in western Los Angeles County, where WFHC is located. On Oct. 12, 2009, a registered nurse will begin full-time employment at WFHC. This person will report to Dr. Archana Kulkarni, Director of Medical Affairs, and is an integral member of the Medical Affairs team. Key responsibilities and requirements for the position are as follows: Key Responsibilities for Registered Nurse: ? Provide quality, efficient and non-judgmental customer service to internal and external customers. ? Utilizes the nursing process (assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation) in patient care and daily activities necessary to implement a treatment plan, disease prevention or rehabilitative regimen ordered by a clinician. ? Accurately performs and administrates medications by all routes, including IV. ? Accurately performs skin tests, immunizations, and withdrawal of human blood. ? Performs independent triage and communicates with the clinician regarding actions taken. Requirements for Registered Nurse: ? Completion of an accredited RN program. Current California RN license and good standing with the Board of Registered Nurses required. Current CPR certification required. ? Friendly, courteous and professional at all times. ? Team player with a sense of purpose and fun. ? Bilingual English/Spanish. (Total jobs reported: 1)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
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