Health Pilots

What does it take for an entire network of safety net health centers to transition to a new electronic health record (EHR) system — one that enhances coordinated care and is better equipped to serve their communities?  For Community Health Center Network (CHCN), it was a multiyear journey involving many readiness assessments, drumming up excitement to encourage staff buy-in, and lots of collaborat...

A patient portal is a great innovation, but busy clinic staff don’t have time to help every patient get set up on them and answer all their questions about it. In addition, patients often need ongoing support on how to communicate with their provider on the website, get updates, and access their health records. Enter the Health Tech Navigators — people serving in a role that is for the community,...

We chat with Levi Baer, a facilitator and coach who believes that joy, justice, and community are all at the heart of meaningful progress. His work focuses on creating welcoming spaces that are grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and anti-racism. Levi shares with us that trust is a foundation for equity work, as well as collaboration. Here’s where you can learn more about...

Can a more advanced patient portal improve face-to-face visits? Appointments are often jam-packed with asking key questions, deploying screening tools, and then chronicling all those answers that it's increasingly difficult to also analyze patient data and provide insightful, in-the-moment guidance. Shasta Community Health Center bet that a revamp of its patient portal could enable patients to tak...

Scheduling appointments is one of the biggest challenges facing community health centers. Patients often lose those self-addressed postcard reminders, and manually calling patients to book a recall appointment is a major slog for clinic staff. The flurry of activity around COVID-19 tests and vaccines has only compounded that problem, as patients encounter jammed phone lines and long wait times. Bu...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen health care organizations innovate rapidly to meet the ever-changing needs of a global crisis. As we go into our third pandemic year, we’re taking a step back to examine whether healthcare is more or less equitable now. Listen to this candid conversation with three leaders about the changes and ongoing challenges to flip existing power dynamics within hea...

In need of a recharge? Perhaps a new approach to working through change? We're joined by Tabitha Thomas — a longtime crisis counselor and centering practitioner — who guides us through a ~12 minute centering practice.  Following the  meditation, Tabitha unpacks some of her learnings as a student of Emergent Strateg y, a book written by social justice facilitator and fellow somatics practitioner, A...

Similar to our last episode with Axis Health, we dive into another health center's digital health solution journey in remote patient monitoring (RPM) during the pandemic — piloting a platform and process that allows patients to take their blood pressure at home, with the data then gathered and assessed by the care team. We chat with Northeast Valley Health Corporation as they share some of the ear...

To kick off 2022, we're excited to have Dr. Mai-Khanh Bui-Duy from Salud Para La Gente share the impact of her organization's work as participants in our Connected Care Accelerator (CCA). Mai gives us insight into the benefits of engaging with her fellow participants, as well as how the program has supported her ongoing journey to provide telehealth. Listen to learn about the challenge of shifting...

What is remote patient monitoring? In this episode, we talk with Axis Community Health about launching a digital health solution that captures and records a patient's blood pressure data in the comfort of their own home — all in the middle of the pandemic. Our hope is by sharing the highs and of this pilot project, safety net organizations can apply these lessons learned to their own challenges. H...

“Positive childhood experiences can help a person become resilient or heal from adversity,” says Dr. Robert Sege, a pediatrician and a professor at the Tufts University School of Medicine. In this episode, Dr. Sege discusses the Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences, or HOPE, framework, a new way of seeing and discussing  experiences that support children’s growth and development. Here’s wher...

While “design thinking” is a dynamic improvement and innovation tool, it can also facilitate dehumanization and anti-Blackness. But when we combine the approach with community organizing — a powerful strategy for building people power and righting injustices — this collaboration has the ability to transform the well-being of our most vulnerable populations. Here’s where you can learn more about th...

Dr. Alicia Lieberman is a renowned psychologist, professor, author, and researcher who directs UCSF’s Child Trauma Research Program. As a trilingual and tricultural Jewish Latina born and raised in Paraguay, she has a special interest in cultural issues involving child development, child rearing, and child mental health. In this episode, she explains how she helped develop the TRIADS framework, a...

We can’t solve health inequities in a vacuum. To truly eliminate health disparities, it’s crucial to involve patients and the community and co-design solutions with them. We talk to folks who have partnered with community members and patients to tackle inequities linked to race, ethnicity, poverty, and class. Discussing their journey and challenges, these leaders tell care teams the crucial steps...

We've been talking a lot about "design thinking" on this podcast lately. Now, it's your chance to get involved in Catalyst, our award-winning training program that teaches an approach to problem solving that is rooted in understanding people’s needs and experiences. Learn about the application process, building new mindsets, and how you can contribute to the future of community health.  Here’s whe...

Luke Entrup is an executive coach and consultant who works with high growth startups to strengthen their organizational culture and leadership in an ever-changing environment. We know Entrup because he spent many years as director of innovation at West County Health Centers and Petaluma Health Center, and he is also an alumnus of CCI's design thinking training program. In this discussion, Entrup s...

Dr. Blake Gregory is the medical director at Alameda Health System and an alumna of Catalyst, CCI’s human-centered design training program. She shares how the "design thinking" skills she learned now play a central role in her work. Learn about the surprising benefits of having all staff engage in hiring, how Gregory uses "affinity clustering" on a weekly basis, and why  encouraging people to draw...

Why do we treat addiction so differently than we do all other chronic diseases? That's a question that Dr. Joe Sepulveda has been asking for years. A board-certified psychiatrist specializing in addiction treatment at the Family Health Centers of San Diego, he founded the organization’s medications for addiction treatment (MAT) program. He urges primary care providers to embrace addiction treatmen...

How do you create meaningful connections? Jill Rees of West County Health Centers, one of CCI's longtime collaborators, shares how she builds rapport with her patients, so that she can hear deeply authentic stories and get to the “why” behind their answers. Jill advises us to sit down, be real, and listen patiently. If you are looking to better engage end users, clients, or staff, there will be a...

Are you wondering how to create a culture of innovation within your organization? We know it isn't easy. So we're discussing how you can start to build a foundation for this important work.  Here’s where you can learn more about the people, places, and ideas in this episode: Lynne Maguire , innovation and strategy consultant CCI's Colorado Health Innovation Community (CHIC) Columbus Regional Healt...

Are you drowning in data, but no one is quite sure what to do with it? Do you find you’re spending more and more on technology systems, yet still don’t have the information you need? CCI's newest online course, Building a Data Driven Culture, is here to help. In this episode, our expert faculty discuss the fundamental concepts, techniques, and tools that will support your work to make the most of...

Are you interested in integrating self-care practices into your daily work? Dana Valley, the director of quality management at West County Health Centers, shares her own journey, as well as the short, fun rituals that help her staff and wider community to engage in mindfulness. Here’s where you can learn more about the people, places, and ideas in this episode:  Dana Valley, Director of Quality Ma...

Do you know someone who is unsure about taking the COVID-19 vaccine? If so, knowing their barriers and beliefs can help you understand how to start a conversation with them.  CCI and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) host a lively discussion about innovative community outreach practices for COVID-19 vaccination. We focus on key research around "vaccine personas," and fro...

Want to improve your team's problem-solving skills? Quality improvement is an evidence-based methodology that provides a step-by-step approach to improving performance. We’re celebrating the launch CCI's newest online course, ABCs of Quality Improvement. In this episode, our expert faculty explains why you should sign up for this free resource today!  Here’s where you can learn more about the peop...

We're talking about the 4 R’s framework which covers the different phases of the pandemic: readiness, response, recovery, and renewal. Our hope is that this scaffolding can help health centers and other safety net organizations navigate the crisis. Here’s where you can learn more about the people, places, and ideas in this episode:  Dr. Irene Sung, CCI coach Dr. Ken Epstein , CCI coach Resilience...