Why Specialty Care?
The need for specialty care services for Partnership HealthPlan (PHC) patients in the Aliados Health region far exceeds the supply of available providers in multiple specialty areas. Aliados Health, PHC, the Sonoma County Medical Association and representatives from Aliados Health member health center CMOs/Medical Directors and Specialty Care Coordinators have participated in the Specialty Care Access Improvement Group in Sonoma County since 2014. This collaborative is convened and chaired by Aliados Health and has met monthly to develop strategies and share best practices for improving access to specialty care for PHC members served by community health centers in Sonoma County. Aliados Health is working to improve specialty care access through a grant from PHC in Marin, Napa, Yolo and Sonoma counties through 5 coordinated activities.
PROGRAM
Clinical Guidelines
End Stage Liver Disease (Cirrhosis) Guidelines
Clinical Decision Support
Under Development
Promising Practices
Under Development
Trainings
Aliados Health Training Calendar
What We Do – 5 Coordinated Activities
Activity 1: Specialty Care Visioning Session
Aliados Health conducted a Visioning Session in September 2016 to engage in a structured 4-county multi-stakeholder innovation process and feasibility analysis to develop regional systems-based strategies for improving specialty care access.
Activity 2: Combined Electronic and In-Person Specialty Consultation Models
Aliados Health will work with at least two local specialists in the Partnership network to explore options, test feasibility and pilot the addition of electronic consultation to current model of in-person specialty consultation.
Activity 3: Establish 3 Specialty Clinics in Local Health Centers with Specialist Physicians from Annadel Medical Group
Aliados Health and local health centers have initiated conversations to establish at least three specialty clinics at a local community health center to provide access to Sonoma County health center patients.
Activity 4: Reduce Demand for Gastroenterology Specialty Consultation through through Evidence-Based Guidelines for Primary Care Management of Hepatitis C, Cirrhosis and Colorectal Screening Across Health Centers
Consistent evidence-based primary care management of hepatitis C, cirrhosis, and colorectal cancer screening across Aliados Health member health centers.
Activity 5: Convene Monthly Specialty Care Access Improvement Group
Aliados Health, Partnership HealthPlan, Sonoma County Medical Association, health center executive leadership and referral coordinators, and local specialist champions will meet monthly to monitor progress and inform the other strategies of this project.
Who We Serve
Aliados Health has been working with member health centers, Partnership Health Plan, local multi specialty groups, community-based organizations, medical societies and others to address the challenging issues and disruptive market forces impacting access to specialty care for 153,559 vulnerable patients in Marin, Napa, Sonoma and Yolo counties facing challenges in obtaining specialty care.
While there have been many attempts from dedicated local health care organizations and individual physicians to improve access to specialty care, it is imperative to thread these individual attempts together and collectively stretch cross-county thinking to define an innovative systems-based specialty care vision for vulnerable populations served by these multi-county health centers.
Funders
This project is funded by Partnership HealthPlan of California.
Project Timeline
March 2016 through December 2018
Initial Results
Activity 1: Specialty Care Visioning Session
Our Improving Specialty Care Access Visioning Session was held on September 9, 2016. We had 47 healthcare innovators across 27 organizations spend a day imagining what the future of specialty care access could look like on a regional level. Center for Care Innovations along with Aliados Health spent several weeks synthesizing data from the visioning session to get guiding principles, building blocks and a strategy going forward to 2017 and beyond.
Guiding Principles
Building Blocks
Strategy
Activity 2: Combined Electronic and In-Person Specialty Consultation Models
Petaluma Health Center has piloted neurology consults with a local neurologist over internet.
Activity 3: Establish 3 Specialty Clinics in Local Health Centers with Specialist Physicians from Annadel Medical Group
Petaluma Health Center has begun a regional urology hub as of September 2016. Dr. Jim Palleschi joins Dr. David Rudnik at the health center to provide in-person urology consults to health center patients from our entire 4-county region. Plans are continuing for Endocrinology and Rheumatology specialty hubs in 2017.
Activity 4: Reduce Demand for Gastroenterology Specialty Consultation through through Evidence-Based Guidelines for Primary Care Management of Hepatitis C, Cirrhosis and Colorectal Screening Across Health Centers
Hep C, Cirrhosis and Colorectal Cancer workgroup has brought forth standardized treatment, medication, and screening guidelines. In conjunction with California Department of Public Health to create trainings for health centers around best practices for colorectal cancer screenings for 2017.
Activity 5: Convene Monthly Specialty Care Access Improvement Group
During the duration of this grant Aliados Health has chaired and coordinated this workgroup.
PROJECT PARTNERS
Aliados Health Health Centers:
- Alexander Valley Healthcare
- Alliance Medical Center
- Coastal Health Alliance
- CommuniCare Health Centers
- OLE Health
- Jewish Community Free Clinic
- Marin City Health and Wellness Center
- Marin Community Clinics
- Petaluma Health Center
- Santa Rosa Community Health
- Sonoma Valley Community Health Centers
- Sonoma County Indian Health Project
- West County Health Centers
- Winters Healthcare Foundation Inc.
Strategic Partners:
- Center for Care Innovations
- Partnership HealthPlan
Community Partners:
- Kaiser Permanente
- Sutter Healthcare Foundation
- California Primary Care Association
- MAVEN Project
- Operation Access
- Shasta Community Health Center
- St. Joseph Medical Group
- Open Door Health Center
- Petaluma Health Center English Patient Advisory Board
- Petaluma Health Center Spanish Patient Advisory Board
PROJECT CONTACT
For more information, please contact Michelle Rosaschi