Peer Collaboration

RCHC hosts regular convenings and discussions between health center staff through structured peer group meetings where we address common challenges, work on joint programs and grant initiatives, disseminate information, and share best practices and lessons learned.  Active peer groups include:

• Medical Directors, RCHC Contact: Colleen Petersen
• Dental Directors, RCHC Contact: Michelle Rosaschi
• Quality Improvement Leads, RCHC Contact: Michelle Rosaschi
• Operations/Nurse Managers, RCHC Contact: Teresa Tillman
• eClinicalWorks Users Group, RCHC Contact: Lisa Israel
• Data Standards and Integrity Council, RCHC Contact: Colleen Petersen
• Data Peer Workgroup, RCHC Contact: Colleen Petersen
• Chief Financial Officers, RCHC Contact: Heidi Burwell
• Advocacy, RCHC Contact:  Teresa Tillman
• Certified Enrollment Counselors, RCHC Contacts:
  1. Yesenia Mendoza, (Nutrition Assistance-CalFresh);
  2. Pamela Moore, (Health Insurance)
• Navigator Grant Supervisors, RCHC Contact:  Pamela Moore
• Social Determinants of Health, RCHC Contact: Claire Cain

Medical Directors

The RCHC Medical Director Peer Network Group convenes every other month to discuss current and emerging priorities, review and approve shared clinical guidelines and clinical decision support (CDS) tools for electronic health records, share best practices, and discuss health information tools to improve clinical care (e.g. health information exchange). This group is chaired by Dr. Danielle Oryn, RCHC’s CMO/CMIO.

RCHC Contact: Colleen Petersen

Current Work Groups:

• Gastroenterology (GI) and Infectious Disease Work Group
• Social Determinants of Health Work Group
• Substance Use Disorder Services Work Group
• Child Health Leads Work Group
• Women’s Health Work Group

Dental Directors

The RCHC Dental Director Peer Network Group meets on a quarterly basis and focus on common priorities and challenges.  This group is chaired by Dr. Barry Chang, Dental Director at CommuniCare Health Centers in Yolo County.

RCHC Contact: Michelle Rosaschi

Quality Improvement Leads

The RCHC Quality Improvement Leads meet every other month on the first Monday.  This peer group is chaired by rotating health center QI leads and agenda topics are determined by the members. The meetings are an opportunity to share promising practices and resources, receive RCHC program updates, strategize approaches to value based payments and pay for performance programs, and work together to improve population health outcomes.

The purpose of the peer group is to support the design, implementation and evaluation of systematic and continuous actions that promote the Triple Aim and lead to measureable improvement in health care services and population health outcomes across RCHC member community health centers.

Vision: Effective quality improvement includes the following four principles; focus on patients, QI work as systems and processes such as staff competency and peer review, team-based care and data driven strategies.  We are committed to rising as a team together as we pursue improvements and develop team strategies.

RCHC Contact: Michelle Rosaschi

Operations/Nurse Managers

The RCHC Operations/Nurse managers meets quarterly, and the purpose of this group is to ask questions from peers about workforce issues, best practices. This group is chaired by Teresa Tillman, COO at Redwood Community Health Coalition.

RCHC Contact: Teresa Tillman

eClinicalWorks Users Peer Group

The RCHC eCW peer group meets quarterly, and is primarily attended by clinical system builders.  Occasionally the group will have breakout sessions focusing on problem solving, sharing best practices, as well as other current priorities in the use of eClinicalWorks. This group is chaired by Dr. Danielle Oryn, RCHC’s CMO/CMIO.

RCHC Contact: Lisa Israel

Data Peer Workgroup

The RCHC Data Leads meet bi-monthly, as needed, on the second Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Agenda topics are determined by federal, state and agency reporting requirements, as well as, current evidence based care programs where the health centers collaborate. The meetings are an opportunity to learn about BridgeIT report updates, share aggregated data dashboards, look at performance against common benchmarks, and look at systems of data validation.

RCHC Contact: Colleen Petersen

Chief Financial Officers Peer Group

The Chief Financial Officers of RCHC’s members meet on a quarterly basis to collaborate on common financial priorities, challenges and interests.

RCHC Contact: Heidi Burwell

CEC Peer Group

All Certified Enrollment Counselors (CECs) representing member health centers in Redwood Community Health Coalition are invited to quarterly meetings to discuss best practices, policies, goals and challenges.  These quarterly meetings review best practices for client enrollment in benefit programs such as CalFresh, Medi-Cal, Covered California and CMSP. Meeting topics have included but are not limited to: community outreach and education; data management; quality improvement and compliance; privacy and security requirements; health literacy practices; enrollment, utilization and retention strategies; and how to provide cultural and linguistically appropriate services.  Meetings are generally facilitated by RCHC staff, however guest presenters and subject matter experts in nutrition assistance and health insurance programs are frequently invited to the quarterly meetings to share knowledge and resources.

RCHC Contacts:

1. Yesenia Mendoza (Nutrition Assistance-CalFresh)
2. Pamela Moore (Health Insurance)

Advocacy and Communications Committee

The RCHC Advocacy Committee is a standing committee with goals of advancing local, statewide and national policy, legislation and funding to enhance and protect health care access and the safety net. The committee’s works in collaboration with advocacy and communications activities through California Health+ Advocates, California Primary Care Association, and National Association of Community Health Centers. The Advocacy and Communications Committee is an open committee that any RCHC member or affiliate in good standing may join. There are no term limits. The Director of Policy and Communications supports the committee. The committee will meet roughly once a month, or as determined by RCHC staff leadership.

RCHC Contact: Teresa Tillman

Navigator Grant Supervisors’ Meeting

The Covered California Navigator Grant Supervisors meet monthly to discuss best practices, policies, program goals and challenges related to Covered California Navigator Grant Program administration.  The meetings are the fourth Friday of each month and are facilitated by RCHC staff; however all Supervisors are invited to contribute to the agenda and to host a meeting at their health center.

In addition to best practices for program administration and planning, meeting topics have included but are not limited to: enrollment counselor training; data management; quality improvement and compliance; privacy and security training; health literacy practices; outreach, enrollment, utilization and retention strategies;  and how to provide cultural and linguistically appropriate services.

RCHC Contact: Pamela Moore

Social Determinants of Health

The RCHC Social Determinants of Health Workgroup began meeting in November 2016 with the goal of enhancing the ability of member health centers to collect social determinants of health (SDH) data.

The scope of this work group is to:

1. Identify and agree upon a standard tool or list of questions for capturing SDH metrics. Work to ensure tool/questions align with Partnership HealthPlan’s future expectations for SDH data collection.
2. Build out the needed EHR templates/mapping/coding.
3. Establish options for possible workflows* including:
   • Asking SDH questions; and
   • Recording patient responses;

*We expect that workflows will vary by health center.

RCHC Contact:  Claire Cain