*NEW* Focus Group Meetings – Need Member Input – Is Independent Practice on Hawai‘i Island Sustainable? EHI is concerned about the survival of independent practice in our community. Please join us to hear about ideas and provide feedback on ways that the IPA can build a foundation to strengthen our clinics, provide better patient access and recruit new providers. These are important meetings to chart the future strategic direction of the IPA and its activities. We encourage and need your input. RSVP attached.
*NEW* Medical Group Meeting A final meeting (12th) of IPA physicians interested in forming a “medical group” convened on September 4. Several physicians indicated interest in having the IPA drive formation of a primary care clinic that would employ them. Another option was to have the IPA provide full-service MSO services in a “package” where the MSO would take responsibility for hiring and managing clinic staff, handling billing functions and all general clinic operations. It was suggested that both options be open to the entire IPA membership. Please attend the “Focus Group Meetings” above if you would like more information.
*NEW* Screening, Brief Intervention & Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Grant EHI will receive additional grant monies to continue to develop the SBIRT program. The additional funding will cover screens from October 1, 2019-September 30, 2020. The IPA is currently wrapping up final screening activities for the grant period ending September 30, 2019. The IPA is still offering to pay our member clinics $10 per screen, $25 for a brief intervention and $25 for Referral to Treatment for correctly completed forms whether on paper or via eScreen. Offices utilizing eScreens (electronic screens) will receive a $2,500 participation bonus, free software and electronic tablets. EHI staff will provide training, workflow support and submit all of the required reporting data to the State of Hawai‘i. If you have any questions or would like to participate, please contact Jane at jbontuyan@ehiipa.com.
*NEW* KTA Flu Clinic – October 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM at the East Hawaii IPA Office Refer your patients to the IPA office to receive their flu shots at 670 Ponahawai St., Ste. 117! Everyone 6 months or older is strongly encouraged to receive a flu vaccine. Flu vaccines will also be offered by KTA to providers and staff at the HMSA Payment Transformation meeting on Tuesday, September 17 (see below). Flyer attached.
*NEW* JABSOM Admissions Task Force Committee Asking for Input A JABSOM (John A. Burns School of Medicine) committee has convened to streamline the admissions process and revamp applicant admission criteria. They are aware of our physician access problems and would like input on how the Hawai‘i Island physician community can get more involved such as providing input regarding criteria, conducting interviews and encouraging and recruiting applicants. The committee meets every 2-3 weeks. If you are interested in participating, please email Jo at jvitales@ehiipa.com.
QUALITY PERFORMANCE
“How to Be A Healthy Akamai Patient” Posters Available on Request Updated (after >10 years) and available for all offices! The information on these posters helps empower adult patients to take care of their health in partnership with their providers. Thanks to Dr. Dolan for input and suggestions. We are currently creating a pediatric version. Please let us know if you are interested in ordering these for your office and how many. You might consider placing this in your waiting or exam rooms. Poster is 11 x 17 and laminated. We are able to personalize/customize by adding your clinic’s name at the bottom. Example flyer attached.
Blood Pressure Training Workshops The last blood pressure workshop for this year will be on September 25. RSVP attached.
Need a Doc Campaign + Providers Accepting HMSA Patients If your office is accepting NEW HMSA PATIENTS, please let us know so we can help patients find a primary care provider. EHI’s “Need a Doc” campaign will help place patients with current member practices. You can view the material on our website here. If you have any questions, please contact Jo at 808-797-3113 or email jvitales@ehiipa.com.
EVENTS
2019 Alzheimer’s Walk, Queen Lili‘uokalani Gardens in Hilo, Saturday, September 21 Join the community and Walk to End Alzheimer’s! Registration starts at 7:00 AM,walk begins at 8:00 AM. Start a team, recruit family, friends, and coworkers, and raise awareness and funds! Register here.
*NEW* FREE CME = 7 HOURS Specialty Care for Rural Health and Tropical Disease – October 19 – Grand Naniloa Hotel Join Hilo Medical Center for their first annual CME Conference. 7:30 AM registration, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM conference with breakfast & lunch provided, and 4:00-5:00 PM cocktail hour. Please RSVP by Friday, September 27. This is a great opportunity to meet HMC physicians and learn.
Walk with a Doc – Lili‘uokalani Gardens Park – Dr. Craig Kadooka – Every Sunday, WWAD meets at the park across the street from Hilo Bay Café. Walkers gather at 8:00AM to hear a short healthcare talk, followed by stretching and then walking at your own pace. Anyone is welcome to participate.
PROVIDER RESOURCES
BRIGHT GREEN POLST FORMS – If your office would like “bright” green POLST forms for your office, please email jbontuyan@ehiipa.com.
HIPAA Online Training – EHI IPA offers online training as a membership benefit for $20 per person. The certification received after successful completion is effective for 2 years. If you are interested, please complete the attached form and fax to 808-935-4472 or email to Jo at jvitales@ehiipa.com and send a check to East Hawaii IPA, 670 Ponahawai St., Ste. 117, Hilo, HI 96720.
Healthcare Source HR Screening Tool Available for Members – EHI offers member offices use of a complimentary employee screening tool. The tool helps assess whether potential new hires are the right fit for your office! The tool rates candidates numerically by job performance, retention and service excellence. It also customizes key questions for face-to-face interviews. This program has been used successfully by hundreds of healthcare organizations. Candidates are sent a link to the assessment with results forwarded to a designated office email address. Please email Jo at jvitales@ehiipa.com if you are interested in learning more about this tool.
Mountain-Pacific Quality Health CMS Million Hearts Hypertension Control Challenge – Applications are now open to practices who want to be recognized in the CMS 2019 Million Hearts Control Challenge. Hawaii has only had one practice meet this challenge in the past and MPQH would like to encourage all providers to join! Visit the website to learn more.
CIN Recorded Webinar: How to Prevent Staff and Provider Burnout – Watch the recorded webinar here, featuring a conversation between a burnout researcher, Rachel Willard-Grace, and CIN managing partner, Sunita Mutha, exploring strategies to address burnout and promote resilience.
For additional resources on provider and staff burnout please visit the CIN Resource Kit: Improving Provider Well-Being. This resource kit now includes some of the resources that Rachel referenced in this webinar.
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American Heart Association FREE CME Webinars – View list of activities here. Type in “CME” in the Keyword search box and register for free.
American Heart Association WEBINARS: Blood Pressure Control Education Series:
“Navigating Blood Pressure Clinical Quality Measures” – Thursday, November 21, 12:30 – 1:30 PM SAVE THE DATE!
SAVE THE DATE! Hilo Medical Center Angiostrongylus Workshop – January 5-8, 2020 – Pre-registration form attached.
PATIENT RESOURCES
KTA Diabetes Self-Management Education – KTA will begin another round of Diabetes Self-Management Education classes at the East Hawaii IPA office. Please use the attached REFERRAL FORM. Please see flyer attached and refer your patients to this valuable resource!
Hilo Medical Center Diabetes Support Group – Every first Tuesday of the month, 4:00 PM. Katie Seaton, who has her bachelor’s in dietetics and is a current intern at HMC in the process of completing her master’s degree, will be providing recipes to support diabetes management. Samples will be provided. Contact Colleen Talich at ctalich@hhsc.org or 808-932-3034 with any questions.
Halau Mauli‘Ola Medical Nutrition Program – Stacy Haumea is relocating to 83 Maika‘i St., Hilo, for appointments Mon/Tue/Weds. OPEN 6/1/19 – she will continue to see patients with Hui Mālama on Thurs/Fri weekly. Flyer attached. NEW referral form attached.
Individual Nutrition Counseling Referral for Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi (HMONO) – Refer your patients to nutrition counseling with Stacy Haumea at HMONO using their referral form (here). Under the “Referred to” section, select HMONO Family Medicine Clinic.
Mountain-Pacific Quality Health – CARDIAC HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS. Flyer attached. Let us know if you’d like the IPA to print out copies for your office by calling 808-797-3113.
Mountain-Pacific Quality Health: New Patient Tool for Heart Health – Check the MPQH website for their heart health calendar. These are free for patients and can start anytime of the year and includes weight logs and health tips. These offer a fun and easy way for patients to monitor their weight. A calendar example (scroll to the bottom for the example) and order form can be found here.
Beacon Health – PCP Referral for Behavioral Health Support – Beacon Health offers behavioral health services for HMSA patients. Attached is the referral form (here), the overview of services (here), and the WHO-5 Well-Being index tool (here).