Chronic Care Planning Grant Underway

SNI to Assess CAPH Member Readiness for Chronic Care Improvement Initiative

Under a planning grant from the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF), SNI will conduct an assessment of CAPH member chronic disease management programs.  The assessment will gauge members’ interest in grants and technical assistance to enhance electronic disease registries and redesign care delivery.  SNI will hold phone interviews with member CEOs and conduct an online survey for CMOs, ambulatory care directors, and chronic care champions.  Based on this assessment, SNI will submit a grant proposal for significant funding from CHCF for chronic care.  This new program of support for SNI and for CAPH hospital systems would start in early 2007. For more information, please contact Hunter Gatewood, (510) 874-7103, hgatewood@caph.org.

CAPH Chronic Care Champion Featured in PBS Series

Remaking American Medicine: Health Care for the 21st Century is a four-part television series that explores the quality crisis and the innovative solutions being undertaken to transform healthcare. The programs will air on PBS Thursdays, Oct. 5-26, 7-8pm.   In particular, program 3, "The Stealth Epidemic" (airing Oct. 19), examines effective management of the chronic conditions that consume nearly 70 percent of all health care resources. This episode will highlight CAPH chronic care champion Dr. Anne Peters, from Los Angeles County DHS's Roybal Clinic, who is cited as "one of the nation’s top diabetologists." To learn more and see your local listings, please visit http://www.pbs.org/previews/american_medicine/. For details about episode 3, click here. You can also read more about this program and see a preview of "The Stealth Epidemic" at www.ramcampaign.org.

IHI Profile in Improvement

New York CMO Featured on IHI Web Site

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) recently featured Dr. Karen Scott Collins, Deputy CMO for the New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation, the largest public hospital system in the country. Dr. Collins was a keynote speaker at the 2005 CAPH conference. The article addresses how the IHI approach has transformed the New York City public hospital system, from seeing improvements in patient chronic care outcomes to the positive changes in staff perceptions of quality of care and how staff have embraced the IHI Model for Improvement. To read the full interview click here.

Taking Control of Your Diabetes Conference

Oct. 7 Conference on Diabetes in Santa Clara

For the second year, Take Control of Your Diabetes is partnering with the Diabetes Coalition, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Kaiser-Permanente and The Health Trust to present a patient-focused educational program. Last year, more than 1,200 patients, family members and clinicians were treated to a day of education, consultations (feet, eyes, medication, diet and exercise), demonstration and celebration of living with diabetes. TCOYD and its partners are presenting this educational conference again on Oct. 7, 2006 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. This year there is a special focus on kids living with diabetes. For more information about this event or to register, click here.

Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations Conference Information

Plan to attend the Fifth National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations: Building the Essential Link between Quality, Cultural Competence, and Disparities Reduction, Oct. 17 - 20 in Seattle. The conference will highlight leading work in the areas of health care quality, cultural competence, and disparities reduction.  SNI and the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH) will lead a session on Leadership Insights: Framing and Integrating Cultural Competence into Strategic Priorities (click here). CEOs from LAC+USC Medical Center, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and San Mateo Medical Center will share their insights in this panel discussion. Click here for registration information.

Kaiser Releases Bilingual DVD

Bilingual DVD to Raise Health Awareness for Latinos

Kaiser Permanente has recently produced "Escoge la Salud - Choose Health," a bilingual DVD and health reference guide that speaks to the unique health care needs of the Latino community. The DVD and health reference guides encourage Latinos to make healthy choices in simple ways and includes information on diabetes, obesity, children's health and focuses on five key messages. Kaiser is giving away 10,000 copies of this DVD and health guide to residents in Northern California (offer expires Oct. 15). Click here to order your free DVD and health guide. On the website you will also be able to download for free, sections of the DVD with the accompanying Health Guide Pages.