The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69895

Lisa Dolan-Branton, BSN, RN, Division of State and Community Assistance, HHS, HRSA, Bureau of Primary Health Care, 4350 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-594-411-, ldolan@hrsa.gov and Susan Lumsden, BSN, RN, Acting Branch Chief, Health Care Systems Branch, HHS, HRSA, Bureau of Primary Health Care, 4350 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814.

The newly authorized Healthy Communities Access Program (HCAP) builds on the experience of the Community Access Program (CAP) demonstration program. The purpose of HCAP and its predecessor CAP is to help health care providers develop integrated, community-wide systems that serve the uninsured and underinsured. These grants are designed to increase access to health care by eliminating fragmented service delivery, improving efficiencies among safety net providers, and by encouraging greater private sector involvement. Many of these model programs provide for integration of substance abuse and mental health treatment into the primary care model and have collaborative members that are social and human services organizations, and representatives of the faith community. Many of the existing CAP grants use their federal funding to develop and implement disease and case management protocols. Promotóres or community health workers are utilized to play a key role in health promotion, outreach, enrollment, and case management. Underscoring all CAP and now HCAP efforts, is the vision and reality of providing better health for more people. System efficiencies are supported and enhanced with improvements to Management Information Systems while disease and case management methods serve to reduce inappropriate and costly utilization of Emergency Rooms and redirect patient care into more appropriate settings. Creative financing, insurance products and next generation MIS are just samplings of the diverse and complex CAP projects. Exemplar programs are described.

Learning Objectives:

• · Analyze characteristics of Consolidated Health Centers and their effect on the delivery of quality health care to underserved populations in the community setting;
• · Analyze issues and partnerships affecting the delivery of quality community-based primary health care;
• · Describe effective community-based health programs and activities for prevention and disease management that affect patient and families behaviors and lifestyles; and
• · Describe effective programs and activities that are improving the delivery of care in many of our nation's communities.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: HHS, HRSA, Bureau of Primary Health Care
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.