Welcome to the 2020/2021 CPCA Board of Directors!
David B. Vliet, MBA,CEO
Britta Guerrero,CEO
Louise McCarthy, President & CEO
Paulo Soares, CEO
Graciela Soto-Perez, CEO
Rakesh Patel, MD, CEO
Kevin Mattson, President & CEO
Benjamin Flores, MPH, President & CEO
Sherry Hirota, CEO
Lucresha Renteria, Executive Director
Doreen Bradshaw, Executive Director
Warren Brodine, CEO
Debra Farmer, President & CEO
Naomi Fuchs, CEO
Alvaro Fuentes, Executive Director
Jane Garcia, CEO
Kerry Hydash, President & CEO
David Lontok, CEO
Melissa Marshall, MD, CEO
Scott McFarland, CEO
Omar G. Moreno, CEO
Anitha Mullangi, MD, CMO
Danielle Myers, MD, Director of Health Informatics
Jonathan Porteus, Ph.D.,CEO
Tim Rine, Executive Director
Asa Satariano, CEO
Andrea Schwab-Galindo, CEO
Ralph Silber, Executive Director
Richard Veloz, MPH, JD, CEO
Christy Ward, CEO
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!
Working Together to Increase Civic Engagement for the 2020 General Election and Beyond
Earlier this spring, The California Endowment, in partnership with the California Primary Care Association (CPCA) and AltaMed Health Services, provided a grant opportunity to six community health centers (CHCs) from across the state with the goal of executing AltaMed’s “My Vote, My Health – Mi Voto, Mi Salud” program.
CPCA and Regional Associations Successfully Partner on Census 2020 Outreach
In June 2019, CPCA was designated the Health Sector Lead by the California Complete Count – Census 2020 Office and has been leading Census outreach work for community health centers (CHCs) in partnership with 11 regional clinic associations. CHCs’ diverse patient mix, and their close connection to community members, uniquely positioned them as essential leaders for communicating to patients the importance of participating in the 2020 Census.
A Message from the CMO:
Access to Accurate, Wide-Scale COVID-19 Testing
Our VP of Government Affairs, Andie Patterson, and I are members of the Governor’s Covid Testing Taskforce. We meet weekly with a broad group of stakeholders from around California. The Taskforce is led by California Department of Public Health’s infectious disease and immunization leaders.
Policy Prioritization 2021 – Moving Towards an Antiracist Policy Platform
This Fall, CPCA worked in close partnership with the Consortia Policy Group, the dedicated policy leaders of regional and statewide consortia, moved through a series of conversations to reevaluate CPCA’s policy priority platform. The COVID-19 pandemic and health equity – including addressing racism in the health care delivery system – were front and center in the conversation.
340B Update, Response, and Strategy
Community health centers (CHCs) are eligible to participate in the 340B drug discount program as “covered entities.” The 340B program requires drug manufacturers who participate in Medicaid and Medicare to provide discounts on the price of outpatient pharmaceuticals purchased by “safety-net” providers, such as CHCs.
Increasing Efforts to Protect and Support our Immigrant Communities
Anti-immigrant policies put in place by the federal administration have created an increased atmosphere of fear in our immigrant communities. This fear is referred to as the ‘chilling effect’ and it has discouraged many immigrants and their family members from enrolling into lifesaving services, such as Medi-Cal, out of fear that their immigration status, or that of a family member, will be affected.
Ensuring Health Equity
In 1970, the Black Panther Party directed all chapters to open healthcare clinics where volunteers dispensed basic medical care as well as housing assistance and legal aid. This action and other key efforts by early leaders in the health center movement helped to empower people to take ownership and control of their own healthcare while bringing health care services to low income and marginalized communities.
GROW: “Growing & Retaining Our Workforce”
Prior to March 2020, California faced a looming shortage of providers, especially in medically underserved regions. According to reports from the HealthForce Center at the University of California San Francisco, only two regions of California have ratios of primary care physicians per population above the minimum ratio recommended by the Council on Graduate Medical Education.
Continued Growth and Success in Connected Community
In November of 2019, CPCA successfully launched our peer learning platform, Connected Community. At the time, it was the newest member benefit, however when COVID-19 hit it became a valuable asset to host a full COVID-19 library, providing over 300 resources for health center continuity of care.
Efforts to Enhance Flu Programs to Increase Vaccination Rates
Influenza season is here, and public health experts are concerned about the potential negative outcomes of a dual pandemic – influenza and COVID-19
Delta Center Initiative
CPCA is honored to be one of eight statewide associations participating in the Delta Center California, a 2.5-year initiative that brings together behavioral health and primary care leaders to accelerate care improvement and integration in Medi-Cal through policy and practice change
Patient Centered Medical Home and HRSA Region 9 Virtual Training Program
Community health centers are well positioned for Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition for many reasons, and CPCA is committed to helping health centers with ongoing training and technical assistance.