Health Talks

Teaching can be an effective tool for health centers in their recruitment and retention efforts. Setting up new programs or establishing relationships with existing programs can seem like a daunting task, however, many FQHCs have been able to create training programs to assist in developing the next generation of health care professionals. In this podcast we will hear from Erie Family Health Cente...

We chat with experts from Altura Health and Neighborhood Healthcare about a game-changing research grant. We're talking about a nationwide survey with leaders, providers, and medical staff from 40 community health centers, bringing in the important stuff – research, resources, and a dedication to kick value-based care up a notch. Tune in for expert advice on launching your own research projects, f...

Today, Shannon Goold and Dr. Jennifer Swoyer discuss launching a much needed medical respite program that provides healthcare services for individuals experiencing homelessness. Pillars Community Health and BEDS Plus partnered to launch the program within BEDS Plus in Summit, Illinois. The program addresses the needs of individuals who had a recent hospitalization, but lack a safe and caring place...

Today, we’re joined by Patsy Jensen as she reflects on her time as Executive Director of Shawnee Health Care. Patsy is retiring after decades of improving public health and the quality of healthcare in Southern Illinois. She shares why stayed at Shawnee, fun memories, and stories that made her proud of the work Shawnee does.

I’m joined by Kandis Draw from the Hospice and Palliative (HAP) Care Research foundation. We have an insightful chat about community health worker programs, education for grief and loss, and some stories from the front lines of community health care.

I’m joined by Emma Kelley, who’s our manager of workforce development, as well as my occasional co-host. We chat about how her work supports Illinois’ health centers, and she shares memorable stories from her time at IPHCA.

On today’s episode, we spoke with Jon-Michial Carter, CEO and founder of ChartSpan about their proactive, full-service Chronic Care Management (CCM) program. They handle patient enrollment, education, care plans, and prescription refills, allowing healthcare staff to focus more on in-person care. We also discussed how ChartSpan supports community health centers' unique needs, especially for social...

In this episode, podcast host Raj Savalia talks about the social determinants of health (SDOH). He discusses how SDOH impacts community healthcare, online resources to improve SDOH, and previews a new podcast series that aims to drastically improve SDOH.

We spoke with Dr. Arif Kamal from the American Cancer Society and discussed the evolution of cancer care, and how improving the social determinants of health are key to better outcomes.

Today's episode is the third of four in the peer recovery series. Our guests, Dr. Thomas Huggett and Dan Weigman from Lawndale Christian Health Center along with a patient who is currently in recovery share the impact of peer recovery support. We would like to personally thank the patient for their journey of recovery and how they are now paying it forward to others as peer in recovery in the comm...

Today's episode is the fourth and final episode in the peer recovery services. Our guest, Michelle Kavouras, is a Peer Doula at PCC Community Wellness. In this episode, Michelle shares the role of a peer doula and how they can help pregnant and postpartum patients who have experienced substance use disorder. Resources Mentioned: HB 1468 Summary - Creates the Family Care Plans for Infants and Famil...

Today's episode focuses on increasing harm reduction services in primary care. Our guests, Joan Liautaud and Colleen Ryan from Heartland Alliance Health, share how their health center has implemented harm reduction services for substance use disorder treatments. They also touch on ways to reduce stigma around harm reduction, while increasing Nacran education among staff and patients.

Today's episode is one of two on Harm Reduction and Narcan Education for FQHCs. Our guest, Kathleen Monahan is the State Opioid Response Project Director for IDHS/SUPR, and shared information on the Drug Over Dose Prevention Program (DOPP). Ms. Monahan spoke about how FQHCs can enroll in the DOPP and receive free Narcan to distribute to health center patients, as well as the communities they serve...

Today, Sarah Miller and Jennifer Schindl from Shawnee Health Services join us to talk about community health worker training program. We discuss how CHWs address social determinants of health and the importance making heart-to-heart connections with people to improve outcomes.

We’re joined by Emily Higgins and Sabrina Wilson from Eagle View Community Health System, Inc. in rural Illinois. Learn about how this health center’s community health workers (CHW) program improves community healthcare. We discuss the social determinants of health, making heart-to-heart connection’s with people, and integrating CHWs into each department of a healthcare organization.

Today we spoke with Tyra Jones, the lead community health worker trainer at the SIU School of Medicine. Listen as we discuss their health center's ECHO program for training community health workers. We also discussed how simulations and shadowing during training improve community healthcare.

We’re joined by Mia Webster Cross, Chief Community Program's & Outreach Officer at Family Christian Health Center. Learn about how this health center improves community care by leveraging their innovative community health worker program, hosting pop-up community events, and scaled up outreach.

Today's episode is the second of four in the peer recovery series. Our guest, Nathan Zeller from Chestnut Health Systems shares the steps Chestnut has taken to create a peer recovery friendly work place for their employees. We talk about the importance of supporting employees in recovery as well as organizations hiring peer support specialists in the mental health and substance use disorder space.

Today's episode is one of four that focuses on integrating peer recovery specialists into primary care. In this first episode, guests Charmaine Robertson and Chris Slone from Crossing Healthcare discuss the steps Crossing took to integrate peer recovery specialists into their current SUD services. They also touch on how they fund their current peer recovery services.

Yash Patel from Pillars Community Health Care has a unique background as an engineering candidate working at a health center. We discussed process improvement, EMRs, addressing care gaps, and how different perspectives on quality initiatives can improve patient outcomes.

We speak with Dr. Anthony Schalf from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) about preventative medicine. Preventive Medicine is a medical specialty focused on assessing and promoting the health of populations. Whether it’s called public health, community health, or population health, the idea is a focus on the health outcomes within a defined population, not just an individual pa...

In part 2 of our season 2 premiere, we talk about improving food access, income inequality, access to healthcare, housing, and transportation with Lacey Johnson of Erie Family Health Centers. We dive into strategies and programs that improve the quality of public health in Illinois. Resources Mentioned: - LISC – Organization that funds Uber Health at Erie: https://www.lisc.org/chicago/ - Northern...

In the season 2 premiere, we discuss the social determinants of health, such as food access, income inequality, access to healthcare, housing, and transportation with Lacey Johnson of Erie Family Health Centers. We dive into strategies and programs that improve the quality of public health in Illinois. Resources Mentioned: - LISC – Organization that funds Uber Health at Erie: https://www.lisc.org/...

Triste Smith, Chief Strategy Officer for Near North Health, gives an overview of their employee engagement program, “Joy@Work”, and explains the importance of “joy” to the program. Triste discusses the importance of employee feedback to a successful engagement program and shares some advice for other health centers who might want to launch a similar program.

Molly Robey, Director of Employee Experience and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Officer at Chestnut Health Systems joins IPHCA Health Talks to discuss their FQHC’s robust employee wellness program. Drawing from her experience with the program rollout, she shares advice for getting started, encouraging employee participation, measuring progress, and more.