2020 CPCA Virtual Annual Conference Recap -
The Time for Change is Now: Health Equity for All
The California Primary Care Association (CPCA) hosted the 2020 Virtual Annual Conference the week of October 12, 2020 in our new online training portal and we are proud to say it was a huge success! The overarching theme of this year’s event was “The Time for Change is Now: Health Equity for All.” The focus on health equity was certainly timely, as the Covid-19 pandemic has shed light on the vast racial health disparities that continue to persist within our most diverse communities and the urgent need to address the social injustices and institutional racism at the root of these inequities.
The conference consisted of live webinar general sessions each day as well as on-demand webcast sessions, which allowed attendees the flexibility to enjoy educational content as their schedules permitted in this new virtual environment. Each day of the conference started with a welcome video and followed a theme, which included Business Innovations, Clinical & Care Innovations, Policy & Advocacy, Strategic Leadership and Health Equity for All. Attendees were able to network with each other and the session speakers via both instant message and discussion forums within the conference platform. Attendees who were not able to view all of the sessions during the week of conference were able to access them through November 20, 2020.
In addition to viewing valuable and relevant educational content, the attendees also had the opportunity to visit the virtual tradeshow each day and chat face-to-face with our sponsors and exhibitors, whose unwavering support makes this conference possible. While attendees were not able to walk away with awesome “swag” in hand this year, they were able to watch videos, download valuable resources, connect with exhibitors and more! Many of our sponsors and exhibitors offered prize drawings throughout the conference and any attendee who visited every booth was issued a “Tradeshow Champion” badge and entered into the conference drawing on Friday morning, where we raffled off $500 in gift cards!
The last day of conference kicked off with a video presentation of CPCA’s 2020 Clinic Legacy & Hero Awards. Congratulations to all six of our awardees and thank you for your outstanding dedication to community health centers!
Clinic Legacy Awardees
Carole Press, CEO
Mendocino Community Health Clinic, Inc. (MCHC)
Ellen R. Silver, RNP, MSN , CEO
ParkTree Community Health Center
Deanna Stover, PhD, RN, FNP, CNSCEO, President & CEO
Community Health Association Inland Southern Region
Mary Szecsey, CEO
West County Health Centers, Inc.
Hero Awardees
Deborah Kelch
Recognized for her years of dedication to improving health care
in California and for her support of community health centers.
Joseph D. Gallegos, MBA
Recognized for his support and commitment in his
role as the NACHC liaison to the Western Region.
On the final day of conference, enlightening, topic-driven discussions within our “Equity Café” allowed attendees to engage with each other, discuss the lessons learned over the week of conference, and explore the pillars of CPCA’s next strategic plan, which will span over the next 10 years. The “Conversations for a Cause” within the Equity Café were led by CPCA senior leadership and facilitated by Integrated Work.
An amazing week of exceptional content and networking was topped off with an inspiring closing general session on Friday afternoon. Attendees had the pleasure of hearing from Keynote Speaker Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, best-selling author of “How to Be an Antiracist.” Dr. Kendi spoke of the importance of anti-racism work within the health center movement, at a time when Covid-19 has brought heightened awareness to racial health disparities at a national level. The conference ended with a powerful call to action. It is no longer acceptable to be “Not-Racist.” The time is now to be “Antiracist” by continually taking action to root out implicit bias and structural racism within the existing healthcare system and the policies that support it, transforming the system into one that creates health and wellness for all, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. The time for change is now!
Thank you to the attendees, speakers and exhibitors who made CPCA’s first virtual annual conference a great success and we look forward to seeing you next year!
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi