CDCHC provides comprehensive on-site services for HIV/AIDS patients

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1 NEWSLETTER CDCHC provides comprehensive on-site services for HIV/AIDS patients INSIDE 2 Message from the Executive Director 3 After-Hours Clinic The community knows they can come here for seamless care. HIV Case Manager Gerry Knight can t emphasize enough how important that is for those living with AIDS or are HIV+. Nationally-recognized expert on the disease, Laury McKean, RN reminds us that this has been true for more than twenty years. What started "Country Doctor is unique in that we can provide the full scope of wraparound services on-site; from pharmacy and lab to behavioral health counselling and nursing case management." out as a collaboration with Northwest Aids Foundation (now Lifelong AIDS Alliance) has expanded into a self-sufficient comprehensive case management program with a staff of six. Executive Director Linda McVeigh and I were determined that this program could not go away! Laury continues, I was encouraged to learn as much as possible about the disease; delve into research findings and protocols and the latest treatment options. Country Doctor was the first clinic to offer free RAPID HIV testing as soon as the test became widely available. Case Manager Richard Prasad elaborates, Country Doctor is unique in that we can provide the full scope of wraparound services on-site; from pharmacy and lab to behavioral health counselling and nursing case management. Between the six of us, we have a huge network of specialists and access to complementary agencies within the community when patients needs may for example be appropriate meals. Gerry continues, This works because we collaborate within the organization provider, patient, and case manager. As the latest member of the team, Amanda Crutchley recently had her first newly diagnosed patient. Margey is a homeless HIV/AIDS, continued on page 4 d 4 Thank You Volunteers 5 Eat Out in Columbia City 6 A Patient's Story 7 News Calendar

2 our mission To improve the health of our community by providing high quality, caring, culturally appropriate primary health care that addresses the needs of people regardless of their ability to pay. > > A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jerry Sale Chairperson Rik Wyman Vice-Chairperson Morgan Dutton Treasurer Joan Kleinberg Secretary Cheryl Anderson Ray Angel Mary Byrd Colt de Wolf Christine Jones Ly Sieng Ngo Chris Salazar Grant Scull, MD Winnie Sperry ex-officio Justin Martin Philip Mealand August Piper, MD Sara Thompson, MD Raleigh Watts It is now eight months since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), eight months of learning the best way to link patients with insurance coverage, and the unforeseen consequences of doing so. Problems such as our hospital partner (Swedish) being left out of a major insurance network meant that some long-time patients of CDCHC had the choice of continuing their care with us and paying out-of-network fees or transferring their care to another primary care provider. (This problem has been resolved for 2015). For the most part things have gone smoothly. Patients are incredibly pleased to have gained insurance coverage. Even if patients knew they had CDCHC to come to for primary care, the need for unanticipated, costly hospitalization or specialty care was a concern for many. When comparing the first six months of 2013 with the first six months of 2014 the ACA has increased the number of insured especially Medicaid insured patients seen by CDCHC. This is especially true in the After Hours Clinic, which continues to operate efficiently from the Swedish Cherry Hill campus right next door to the Emergency Room. When the After-Hours Clinic (AHC) opened in December, 42% of the patients had some form of insurance Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance. At the end of June this had grown to 68%. There are similar changes in the rate of insured patients at the Country Doctor (CDCC) and Carolyn Downs sites. But more important is the number of people who continue to be uninsured. Overall one-third of the patients seen at the AHC are self-pay, not covered by any type of insurance; the number is similar for the patients seen at the Carolyn Downs site and the CDCC site. Why is this the case? Some people are left out of the ACA immigrants who have been here legally for less than five years and those who are undocumented. Some people are unable to afford the premiums for the coverage available under the ACA $300 or more a month is a huge new expense to individuals and families living from paycheck to paycheck. In addition to premiums, co-pays and deductibles are an additional, unaffordable expense and the penalty for going without coverage a total of $75 in 2014 is insignificant in comparison. CDCHC continues to serve everyone regardless of ability to pay or insurance status, providing primary care but also behavioral health care, interpretation services, diabetes education, nutrition counseling, maternity support services, case management services not covered by traditional insurance. More importantly CDCHC will continue to be a medical home for those 6000 people who find themselves left out of the world of insurance coverage. Linda McVeigh 2

3 After-Hours Clinic: There for you and your family Sore Throat High Fever Itchy Rash Persistent Cough Cuts that need stitches Ear Ache Sprain/Fracture And all those other discomforts that need treatment before your doctor can see you. Just walk in when you need care for a non-emergency condition. Don't forget we are there to serve you when other offices close! CDCHC After-Hours Clinic Weekdays: 6 10 PM Weekends: Noon 10 PM On the Swedish Cherry Hill campus, next to E R th Ave When you have four kids at home and you re working three jobs, you can t come to the other clinics during the day. We play the role of coordinating all her family s care. We make sure the parents don t fall through the cracks. Provider A guy came in straight from Snoqualmie Pass with a torn ligament to his knee. He had insurance but the Ski Patrol told him to come here. Provider Photo: Amánda Koster Productions, amandakoster.com All forms of health insurance are accepted. Uninsured patients are always welcomed. A sliding scale fee will be charged based on income and family size. 3

4 A big 'Thank You' to our volunteers Community Health Plan of Washington green-thumb volunteers Karen Spangler, Jennifer Diamond, Peggy McDaniel, Lindsay Scarey, and Rachell Jackson. The roses needed pruning. The weeds had multiplied. The vines were becoming part of the sidewalk... Our thanks to Karen Spangler, Jennifer Diamond, Peggy McDaniel, Lindsay Scarey, and Rachell Jackson of Community Health Plan of Washington (CHPW) for coming to our rescue. This team of volunteers spent much of a sunny summer afternoon greatly improving the look and health of the flowerbeds and bushes at our Country Doctor clinic site. What an improvement! Thank you to CHPW for connecting with CDCHC. HIV/AIDS, continued from page 1 d heterosexual woman in her early 40s living as Amanda puts it, on a spot on the street with her longtime partner. Amanda explains, It can take up to ten years before any sign of the disease appears. Education is the first and most important step in controlling HIV. How to take your meds; how absolutely imperative it is to stay on your meds; how to be intimate with the disease. How to live the life you want to live while still reducing risks In this case, Amanda also provided much-needed emotional support to two very scared individuals; secured a referral for eye care, connected her with BABES, a women s support group, as well as Bailey Boushay s day program, and put Margery on the list for temporary housing. Current program director and certified HIV specialist Karen Johnson, ARNP explains that each patient is required to come in every "There is nothing like it in the community. Both patients and staff are supported and grateful to be a part of something that so greatly impacts the outcomes of one's life!" six months for a check-up including lab work. It s not uncommon that new viral suppressants may have come on the market during that six-month window. Karen states, The priority is the clinical management of the disease. Identifying the right combination of meds and treatment regime to suppress the particular virus. Often we re also dealing with other health issues such as Hepatitis, Meth or sexually-transmitted diseases. Our patients situations are often far more complicated than the rest of us, states HIV Coordinator Haley MacLeod, RN. Gerry Knight and Richard Prasad put it this way about the HIV Case Management Program, There is nothing like it in the community. Both patients and staff are supported and grateful to be a part of something that so greatly impacts the outcomes of one s life! 4

5 Eat Out in Columbia City Everything came together perfectly for CDCHC s 6th annual event. Places were packed including some surprised restaurants new to Columbia City and the event. One long-time donor stocked up with six months worth of bread and cookies at Columbia City Bakery while others were seen with more than one quart of Full Tilt ice cream for their home freezer. Several guests turned the evening into a roving dinner. Our thanks to all of you who came down on a cloudless June evening to sample the potpourri of Columbia City eateries on behalf of CDCHC. Photo: Shutterstock.com Please show your support for these businesses throughout the year: Above: Board member Chris Salazar and colleague break for lunch at Geraldine s. Below: Board member Winnie Sperry and husband Sam enjoy a beer at the Hummingbird Saloon. Columbia City Ale House, seattlealehouses.com/columbiacity Columbia City Bakery, columbiacitybakery.com Full Tilt Ice Cream, fulltilticecream.com Geraldine s Counter, geraldinescounter.com Hummingbird Saloon, The-Hummingbird-Saloon Island Soul, islandsoulrestaurant.net la medusa, lamedusarestaurant.com Lottie s, Lounge.com El Sombrero, elsombrero2.com tutta bella, tuttabella.com/tuttabellacc Wabi-Sabi, wabisabicolumbiacity.com Watercress Vietnamese Bistro, watercressbistro.com 5

6 A Patient s Story: No longer afraid or in pain: Collaborative care at its best Photo: Amánda Koster Productions, amandakoster.com I have insurance now but I m not going anywhere! Renée was emphatic that we know how grateful she was to CDCHC for bringing her back to life. Renée explained I d lived the military life for 14 years. With that life came many benefits I took for granted. For various reasons, those benefits did not stay with us when my husband left. I d always worked but couldn t anymore from the chronic pain and then the depression hit hard Medical Resident, Chinyere Obimba, MD, was then an intern when Renée became her patient. When she came here she was ready to deal with herself and has been enthusiastic ever since. But her health issues were big. Dr. Obimba referred Renée to behavioral health counselor Zane Behnke who diagnosed Renée as I'd always worked but couldn't anymore from the chronic pain and then the depression hit hard. bi-polar and manic, a disease that made her depressed and anxious when she wouldn t take her meds. Zane explains, She had biosocial problems, afraid to drive, and had also developed sleep apnea. Renée s care plan demonstrates collaborative care at its best. An eligibility specialist signed Renee up for expanded Medicaid that enabled Renée to receive a muchneeded sleep machine. Renée was hooked up with the Department of Vocation Rehabilitation s job retraining program so she could find a new career compatible with her disabilities. I took advantage of Community Health Plans Mental Health Integrated Program to access phone consultation with a psychiatrist. Dr. Obimba continues the theme, With her new insurance, I was able to plug Renée into Harborview s Women s Clinic to deal with her dysfunctional bleeding. Through Homestep, a program that not only provides permanent housing for the homeless but, you have to earn your new home, Renée learned about setting and meeting goals. Adds Dr. Obimba, working with Zane, Renée is no longer afraid to take her meds and because of that her panic attacks have greatly reduced. She s able to drive. A lot of her pain was attributed to familial Connective Mixed Tissue Disease, a disease similar to lupus. Lifestyle changes and medication are keeping this under control. As is Renée s determination. Does she sometimes forget to take a med? Yes. Are there consequences? Yes. But she s come a long, long way from when Zane and I first saw her. 6

7 NEWS Fan Mail One of the best healthcare experiences I ve had at age 40. I like that I can access medical health care for a price that I'm capable of paying, because it's really hard to afford health care. The center provides high quality health care at an affordable price." My experience at Country Doctor gave me faith in the whole healthcare system. Our Assurance Country Doctor Community Health Centers will not trade, lend, or sell your name or any other information about you to any organization or person. Save the Date: Calendar of Events November 8, 2014 Annual Dinner Evening of Entertainment June 4, 2015 Eat Out in Columbia City Families living in shelters could use your help: New adult and kids socks Diapers and wipes Tooth brushes and tooth paste Feminine hygiene products 2015 monthly planners Please contact: Bernie Creaven, [email protected] Get connected. Check out CDCHC s Facebook page. Catch CDCHC s latest video on YouTube.You ll smile! ü Leaving a legacy to CDCHC h I would like to be contacted about making a legacy gift to Country Doctor Community Health Centers. For more information on options, please contact: Emily Bader, [email protected] 7

8 Country Doctor Community Health Centers th Avenue East Seattle, WA Working together for the health of our communities. NON-PROFIT ORG. U. S. POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE, WA PERMIT NO What a Difference a Night Makes Annual Dinner SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014 THE WESTIN SEATTLE 6:00-10:00 PM An Evening of Mime, Magic, and More PRESENTING SPONSOR Purchase tickets on-line: