Greater Delta Alliance for Health

Transcription

1 Health Education for Local Providers (HELP) Project Delta Medicine Assistance Program (DMAP) Expansion Annual Chronic Disease Summit & Provider Network Greater Delta Alliance for Health Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Cleveland, Chicot, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Grant, Jefferson, Lee, Lincoln, Lonoke, Monroe, Phillips, Ouachita, St. Francis, and Union Counties

2 Health Education for Local Providers (HELP) Project What is HELP? This project will provide healthcare workers and physicians in hospitals, community health centers, health departments, and rural clinics throughout the Arkansas Delta with free, continuing medical education (CME) or continuing nursing education (CNE) hours; via Arkansas tele health system of delivery. The teleconferences will be custom-tailored to address evidence-based care by considering the needs of rural providers practicing in the Delta through a coordinated and centralized scheduling program while allowing provider access to continuing education. In addition, after the live teleconference, the teleconference will be stored on the website. The website will have a registration system where participants register and create a user name / password. Each time they log on, the website identifies their healthcare specialty and gives the appropriate pre/post-test, evaluation form and continuing education certificate.

3 Health Education for Local Providers (HELP) Project Why? When looking at strategies to implement a patient-centered medical home, one of the most important aspects to implementation is empowering healthcare providers with the knowledge to help their patients understand their disease and communicate to those patients in a way that they understand. Primary care physicians must be updated on prevention, treatment, and resources and be able to relate this information to their patients in a way that the patient understands. In the Arkansas Delta, this means helping health care providers communicate with their patients on a third grade reading level.

4 Health Education for Local Providers (HELP) Project Who? Collaborating partners include the Greater Delta Alliance for Health member hospitals, Community Health Centers of Arkansas, UAMS Center for Distance Health and UAMS Center for Rural Health along with area hospitals, rural health clinics, and county health units enabling the project to be disseminated throughout all nineteen counties in the Arkansas Delta-Region A.

5 Health Education for Local Providers (HELP) Project What will we accomplish? A distance learning curricula for Delta healthcare providers fostering evidence-based practices and communication techniques, specifically addressing topics on diabetes (Year One), cardiovascular disease (Year Two), and obesity (Year Three) empowering them to strengthen their own medical homes. Increased attainment of chronic disease continuing education credits in the Delta through distance learning opportunities, specifically targeting rural healthcare providers in the region in primary care settings. Increased understanding and comprehension of chronic disease management practices among participants in the Delta Local healthcare providers will be able to meet the changes of healthcare reform and strengthen their own medical homes Local healthcare providers will be providing their patients with updated and evidenced-based care and prevention

6 Delta Medicine Assistance Program (DMAP) Expansion What is DMAP? The DMAP program is a free prescription assistance program designed to assist persons who have difficulty obtaining prescription medications due to fixed incomes, lack of insurance or other circumstances that limit their ability to fully comply with their physician s protocol to treat chronic health conditions. T

7 Delta Medicine Assistance Program (DMAP) Expansion Why? Hospital-based concepts seems to work more efficiently and with the proven ability to sustain the program. The hospital center concept provides the program with credibility and resources to ensure its success. Intake specialists are hired by the hospital itself and most have had some pharmacy background. The hospital itself requires that the position is HIPAA trained and certified as well as provide on-going education and access to resources needed to provide patients with appropriate services. In-patients of the hospital can be assisted in their hospital room prior to being discharged and physicians are accessible via mandated medical staff meetings on a monthly basis for updates and reminders. The hospital based prescription assistance program provides residents with the confidence in the program and easy access to assistance. The expansion will serve an additional 85 physicians in the Arkansas Delta

8 Delta Medicine Assistance Program (DMAP) Expansion WHO? Expanded DMAP programs will include: Ashley County Medical Center Drew Memorial Hospital Bradley County Medical Center McGehee Hospital/ Delta Memorial Hospital Dallas County Medical Center Ouchita County Medical Center/Christian Health Center Baptist Health-Stuttgart

9 Delta Medicine Assistance Program (DMAP) Expansion What will we accomplish? Improve chronic disease management among uninsured residents in the service area by increasing access to the Delta Medicine Assistance Program Decrease emergency room visits and hospitalizations by increasing patient compliance to recommended medications by providing additional DMAP sites throughout the service area

10 Annual Chronic Disease Summit What? GDAH and partners will host an annual Chronic Disease Summit each year for Arkansas Delta healthcare providers and partners; providing continuing education for various healthcare providers and workers, national speakers, available state and regional resources as well as an opportunity to network with state and regional partners. Why? To provide a venue in which healthcare workers and providers can come together to discuss best practices to improve chronic disease management in the Arkansas Delta; bringing local and state resources together under one roof

11 Arkansas Delta Provider Network What? The project will disseminate chronic disease information regularly to participating physicians and healthcare workers via as well as provide resource information and updates throughout the grant period. Participants will also be provided contact information for patient referral. Why? To continue to keep Delta providers updated and aware of resources that will address the needs of their patients. To encourage continued dialogue and referrals among Delta providers.

12 Getting healthcare providers to participate in continuing education due to busy schedules and not recognizing the importance Change is often very challenging in this rural community where the physicians are aging and things have always been done a certain way and someone new telling them that they need to participate might be taken with hostility Prescription Assistance Expansion- will it be necessary with Arkansas Medicaid Expansion? Our Challenges

13 Greater Delta Alliance for Health Mellie Bridewell Executive Director 2729 Highway 65 & 82 South Lake Village, Arkansas ( Gdaharkansas.org