Sonoma Health Access Coalition presents:

The Future of Primary Care in Sonoma County

Elissa J. Palmer, M.D.:
Primary Care on the Cusp; Embracing the Past While Transforming the Future

Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 6-8 PM

Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
Carston Cabaret Room, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa

Link to event flyer: http://www.rchc.net/Media/Elissa-Palmer-March4flyer.pdf

Please RSVP to dpaul@rchc.net

Diabetes Self-Management: A Person-Centered Approach

On October 8th, Sonoma Health Access Coalition proudly welcomed America Bracho to our community to lead a learning session entitled Diabetes Self-Management: A Person-Centered Approach.

An integral concept of the patient-centered medical home, chronic disease management remains a community priority. Ms. Bracho shared innovative models of person-centered care designed to improve the quality of life of individuals living with diabetes and other chronic diseases.

With Sonoma County facing a period of transition in the health care delivery system, community participation remains essential. Please click here to view the presentation given by Ms. Bracho on the future of person-centered care at the Flamingo Conference Resort on October 8, 2008.

Diabetes Self-Management: A Person-Centered Approach

America Bracho, MPH, CDE
C.E.O., Latino Health Access

America Bracho is the C.E.O of Latino Health Access. She received 2008 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award for her innovative and collaborative approach to improving the health of low-income immigrant populations in Orange County. Last year, Latino Health Access was featured in the PBS documentary "FAT: What No One Is Telling You." The film followed nutrition and exercise classes for overweight kids living in apartments.

America Bracho will also be a featured speaker at the Latino Health Forum on October 9th. She will be giving a presentation entitled “Recognizing the Strengths of Latino Culture and Improving Health Interventions.” Please click here to download information about this year’s Latino Health Forum.

You may also be interested in attending the Taking Control of Your Diabetes Conference in Santa Rosa on October 11th. Please click here to learn more about the Diabetes Conference.

Patient-Centered Health Care Innovations

The following PowerPoints on Patient-Centered Health Care Innovations that were presented to the Sonoma Health Access Coalition's Steering Committee. Click on the links below to view or download the presentations.

Dr. Kelly Pfeifer's presentation on Increasing Specialty Care Access.

Dr. Colin Kopes-Kerr's presentation on Community Health Care Worker's.

Dr. Jason Cunningham's presentation on SHAC's Health Information Technology Presentation.

March 6: Investing in Health InformationTechnology to Improve Public Health

Kwame Kitson, MD

Vice President of Quality Improvement
Institute for Family Health

Thursday, March 6, 2008
6:00- 8:00 PM
Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
3033 Cleveland Avenue, Santa Rosa

Dr. Kitson will join SHAC for a dialogue about investing in health information technology exchange to improve the health of our community. Dr. Kitson is best known for his work on developing innovative strategies to treat and prevent AIDS/HIV, and for using technology to reduce health disparities. He will share how New York City physicians and other health providers are using technology to monitor and improve the health of their community.

Widespread electronic health record (EHR) adoption throughout Sonoma County and beyond carries with it the potential for significant health improvement beyond the immediate benefits to local practices or individual patients. This forum will provide us with an opportunity to come together to talk about how we can work together to improve the health of our community.

Dr. Kitson is a graduate of Howard University College of Medicine and completed his family practice residency in social medicine at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, New York. He has worked on various quality improvement initiatives, including one that explores how electronic medical records can help eliminate racial disparities in health outcomes.

The program is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to Pedro Toledo, RCHC Director of Community and Government Relations at ptoledo@rchc.net.

What is the 'Summer of Learning'?

SHAC began hosting a series of public convenings in July 2007 dubbed the "Summer of Learning," inviting members, supporters, and other healthcare "stakeholders." Our idea is to proactively educating ourselves and our communities about other private-public health care systems that emphasize prevention and primary care and how these models might be adapted to Sonoma County. From this work, SHAC will clarify a collaborative framework to plan needed changes and develop processes and initiatives to reach our goals together.

If you would like to receive email notification about future SHAC convenings, contact Pedro Toledo at ptoledo@rchc.net.

A Vision for Our Future

SHAC believes the following principles should govern the decision-making process concerning health care in Sonoma County:

• Primary care services and the promotion of healthy lifestyles are the foundation for a healthy community.
• The well-being and economic viability of the community depends on comprehensive, affordable and accessible health care.
• All people are valued and have access to culturally competent care.
• Access to the full spectrum of health services for women, children, and people living in poverty is ensured and protected.

SHAC envisions a health care system in which every individual in Sonoma County:

• Has a medical home for primary and preventive health care, with full access to care at all times regardless of ability to pay;
• Has access to the full range of health care options;
• Receives cost-efficient, high quality, culturally competent health care services provided by appropriately compensated health care professionals, workers and organizations; and
• When hospitalized, care is coordinated with his/her medical home.

If you or your organization would like to join this effort, contact Pedro Toledo at ptoledo@rchc.net.