Annual Primary Care Conference
Please click or scroll down for:
Looking Forward to Fall 2013 in Seattle, WA
Conference Highlights from Fall 2012 in Denver, CO
FALL 2013 - JOIN US IN SEATTLE
The 2013 NWRPCA/CHAMPS Annual Primary Care Conference will be held in Seattle, WA October 19-22, 2013.
Please click or scroll down for:
Registration
Hotel and Tourism Information
Conference Schedule
Call for Nominations: 2013 CHAMPS Awards
Registration will open in early August, please check back for more information. The early registration deadline will be September 27, 2013.
The conference will take place at the Seattle Waterfront Marriott in Seattle, WA. The hotel is located at 2100 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA and can be reached by calling 1-800-455-8524. Rate information, booking codes, and contact information will be added soon.
Please only make hotel sleeping room reservations that you are sure you will use to ensure your colleagues are also able to reserve sleeping rooms at the conference hotel - thank you!!
For information about nearby attractions, please visit www.seattle.gov/html/visitor/tourism.htm.
Planned tracks for the conference include Clinical, HR/Workforce, Fiscal, Leadership, Governance, Operations, Telehealth, PCMH, Policy, and Community Health Improvement. The conference brochure with full session details will be posted as soon as it is available; please check back in early August.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: 2013 CHAMPS AWARDS
Each year, CHAMPS presents awards to staff and board members of Region VIII Health Centers and related organizations to recognize exceptional contributions to the health center community. These awards are presented at the CHAMPS Annual Primary Care Conference in October, and over the years this process has allowed us to honor numerous highly deserving individuals from across the region for their outstanding advocacy, leadership, and dedication to the health center mission. We are now accepting nominations for the 2013 CHAMPS Awards in the areas of administrative leadership, board leadership, clinical leadership, legislative leadership, and advocacy of the underserved. Please submit your nominations by Monday, July 15th; the form (linked below) includes details about the process.
Click HERE to download a 2013 CHAMPS Awards Nomination Form.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2012 ANNUAL PRIMARY CARE CONFERENCE
CHAMPS and the Northwest Regional Primary Care Association (NWRPCA) welcomed attendees, exhibitors, and presenters from across the nation at this past year's Annual Primary Care Conference held October 14-17, 2012 in Denver, CO at the Westin City Center. Participants enjoyed formal and informal networking and educational opportunities with the Western Clinicians Network (WCN) as well as clinicians, board members, and administrative staff from health centers, Primary Care Associations, governmental offices, and related organizations in Regions VIII (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming), IX (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Islands), X (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington), and across the country.
Please click or scroll down to learn more about:
Photo Memories
CHAMPS 2012 Award Recipients
Notable Speakers
Educational & Networking Sessions
Other Conference Events
Session and Event Handouts and Recordings
CHAMPS has created a photo journal of the 2012 Annual Conference. Click on the link below to enjoy these conference memories.
- CHAMPS Photo Journal: CHAMPS Executive Committee, Mountain/Plains Clinical Network Steering Committee, CHAMPS Board of Directors Meeting, 2011 CHAMPS Awardees, Welcome Reception, Learning and Networking, Opening Plenary, Exhibitors, Sessions, and Closing Plenary and Raffle
Each year, in conjunction with the Annual Primary Care Conference, CHAMPS recognizes outstanding contributions to the Health Center movement by individuals in Region VIII. Nominations are submitted by Region VIII Health Centers and Primary Care Associations, and awardees are chosen by the CHAMPS Executive Committee. CHAMPS honored the following highly-deserving individuals with awards during the CHAMPS Board of Directors Meeting on Monday, October 15, 2012:
Senator Kent Conrad, North Dakota State Senator, was given the Legislator of the Year Award for championing accessible, affordable, and quality health care for all. For over 25 years, Senator Conrad has fought to preserve the rural health care delivery network through introducing the J1 Visa Waiver Program, championing telehealth, supporting the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, and serving on the Senate Budget Committee.
Janet Fieldman, Chief Foundation Officer of Pueblo Community Health Centers in Pueblo, CO, was presented the Outstanding Advocate of the Underserved Award for demonstrating dedication to the health center mission through exceptional leadership and service. Through her advocacy and fundraising work, she has contributed to increasing the number of patients her health center serves by nearly 10,000.
Pam Locken, Chief Executive Officer of Prairie Community Health in Isabel, SD, was awarded the Exceptional Administrative Leadership Award for demonstrating dedication to the health center mission through exceptional leadership and service. Over her more than 30 years as CEO, she has grown the health center from one small frontier site to five clinic sites and two school-based clinics. She has also been active on numerous state, regional, and national leadership committees and governing boards.
Kate McIvor, Executive Director of Cooperative Health Center in Helena, MT, was presented the CHAMPS Presidential Award for her commitment and vision with sincere appreciation for her steadfast leadership. Over her six years as the CHAMPS President, Kate has been an exemplary example of dedication, passion, professionalism, and collegiality.
Frank Taylor & Wally Wesener, Board Members of Metro Community Provider Network in Denver, CO, received the Exceptional Board Leadership Award in recognition of their service to Metro Community Provider Network and to the community. Both individuals have been active and passionate voices for health centers, speaking at the national level and providing an understanding of what health centers mean to their constituents.
Julie Wood, MD, Medical Director and provider at Community Health Care Center in Great Falls, MT, was given the Exceptional Clinical Leadership Award for demonstrating clinical excellence and commitment to providing quality health care for all. Over her 15 years of service, Julie has been exemplary in her work ethic, knowledge, and dedication in treating each patient with respect and dignity.
CHAMPS held its Annual Board of Directors Meeting on Monday evening. Board members received regional and national updates and calls for advocacy by the following speakers:
- Dan Hawkins, NACHC Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Research
- HRSA representatives Marguerite Salazar, HHS Region VIII Director; Margaret Davis, North Central Division Director; Patrick Gillies, HHS Regional Administrator; and Erica Grover, Public Health Analyst and NHSC Specialist
At the Opening Plenary on Monday morning conference participants enjoyed HRSA and NACHC Updates and a Keynote Address focusing on the current policy and healthcare environment. Speakers included:
- Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado
- Dr. Mary Wakefield, Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- Dan Hawkins, NACHC Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Research
- Marguerite Salazar, HHS Region VIII Director
The Wednesday Closing Plenary was given by T.R. Reid, widely respected Washington Post journalist and author, who shared what he discovered in his recent investigation into the cost disparities of medical service and care in the U.S., which was made into a PBS special: U.S. Health Care: The Good News.
EDUCATIONAL & NETWORKING SESSIONS
The conference offered attendees a broad range of educational and networking sessions organized around the following tracks: Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH), Clinical, Operations, Governance, Policy/Environment, Human Resources/Workforce, Finance, Governance, and Health System Transformation. More than 50 sessions, intensives, roundtable lunches, breakout meetings, and plenary sessions provided rich opportunities to learn from clinicians, administrators, and board members in Regions VIII, IX, X, and from other regional and national consultants and partners. Continuing Education credit hours were offered for dentists, physicians, nurses, accountants, human resources professionals, and board members.
The conference featured full day intensive Board Sessions from beginning to advanced levels, including:
- A two-part intensive Board Boot Camp: Roles & Responsibilities
- Strategic Planning for Board Members
- Recruiting Good Board Members
- Board Member Engagement and Retention
A new innovative session on Designing Tomorrow’s CHC Clinic took place on Sunday.
Diverse Clinical Sessions were offered throughout the conference including:
- Group Visits in the CHC Setting
- Oral Health Integration in Health Centers
- State Health Insurance Exchanges for CHC Leaders
- Behavioral Health Integration: More than the Sum of Its Parts
- Clinical Decision Support Systems: Do They Make a Difference?
- Primary Care Considerations for Improving Reproductive Health
- The Clinician’s Role in Regulatory Compliance
- Clinical/Policy: Creating Strong Alliances for Integrative Programs
Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Sessions addressed issues from application to implementation and integrating care:
- Change Concepts for PCMH Transformation: What Leaders Need to Know
- Implementing PCMH: Practical Tools from CareOregon’s PC3 Initiative
- PCMH and Social Determinants of Health
- Reducing Re-hospitalizations by Using Non-medical Personnel
- Managing Hypertension through PCMH Concepts
- Behavioral Health Integration Challenges in PCMH: Two Models
Multiple sessions were offered in the diverse Leadership and Policy Tracks, including:
- Health System Transformation (HST): Using Polarity Thinking to Sustain Change
- HST: Profiles in Change Leadership
- HST: Learning Lab: Applying the ITC model
- HST: A two-part session on Leadership is a Conversation
- Policy: What Does the Supreme Court Ruling Mean for CHCs?
- Policy: Innovative Payment Reform at the State Level
- Policy: Corporate Compliance: 340B Discount Drug Program
- Policy: Unfinished Business: the Integration of Primary Care and Public Health
- Population Health/Primary Care: National Outreach Guidelines for Underserved Populations
- Population Health/Primary Care: A Framework for Case Management to Improve Population Health
- Population Health/Primary Care: Potential Roles for CHCs in Policy and Programs
Additional Operations, Human Resources, Fiscal, and IT Sessions during the conference addressed a wide range of topics including technological developments, marketing, management, retention, and financial resources:
- Ops: A two-part session on Meaningful Use, Stage 2
- Ops: Using Lean Production Analysis to Effect PCMH Changes in a CHC Network
- Ops: Using Business Intelligence to Increase Performance
- Ops: What’s Not Happening in Your Billing Department?
- Ops: Project Management for CHCs
- Fiscal: New Markets Tax Credits and Tax-Exempt Bonds
- Fiscal: Procurement Process for CHCs
- Fiscal: Managed Care Organization Negotiations
- Fiscal: Federal Requirements Simplified for Grantees
- Fiscal: Behavioral Health Coding and Documentation
- Fiscal: ICD – 10 Planning and Implementation
- Fundraising: Finding the Right Revenue Mix: Fundraising
- Marketing: How to Boost the Impact of CHC Marketing
- Mid-Level Management: Critical Skills for Mid-Level Managers Concluding Sessions
- HR: A two-part session on HR Best Practices: Peer to Peer Facilitated Discussion
- HR/EHCI: Incorporating Teaching in Your Health Center Mission
- HR/Workforce: HR at the Strategic Planning Table
- HR/Workforce: Improving Retention: Recent Findings and Support Activities
- HR/Workforce: HR Train the Trainer: Empowering Teams through Conflict Management
Many separate Roundtable Sessions and Lunches held over two days for Board of Directors, Clinic Design Seminar participants, Chief Executive Officers, Human Resources, Chief Operating Officers, Clinicians, Chief Financial Officers, and attendees interested in the National LGBT Health Education Center gave conference participants the opportunity to collaborate with other experts in their fields.
The Annual Conference is more than board meetings, educational sessions, plenary speeches, and roundtable lunches! Participants had other formal and informal ways to learn about resources, win prizes, and inspire one another.
The Exhibitor Hall, Reception, and Raffle provided opportunities for attendees to learn about organizations representing business services, IT solutions, mission support, and healthcare services, equipment, and supplies. Participants visiting all exhibitor booths were entered into a raffle with great prizes including gift cards and technology gadgets.
This year's annual Prize Raffle raised more than $960 for Women’s Bean Project, a nonprofit that serves families in crisis by providing excellent culturally competent education, housing, and support services enabling families to achieve permanent stability. Conference participants from across Regions VIII, IX, and X were encouraged to donate raffle prizes and purchase tickets. Raffle prizes were distributed after the Wednesday Plenary.
The Welcome Reception on Monday evening featured a live band and an opportunity for networking and mingling.
The Region VIII Meet & Greet Reception offered an opportunity for health center representatives from Region VIII to network and share experiences with students, faculty, and other guests interested in health center careers.
SESSION AND EVENT HANDOUTS AND RECORDINGS
Many session and plenary speakers provided electronic versions of their presentations which have been posted on the NWRPCA website and are available to conference attendees. Additionally, many of the plenary and educational sessions were recorded - available audio recordings combined with presentation slides and/or video are now posted on the NWRPCA website for use by conference attendees.
Click HERE to review and download available Session Handouts and to listen to available Session Recordings using the username and password provided at the conference. After logging on, select "Conferences," then "2012 CHAMPS/NWRPCA Fall Primary Care Conference," and then scroll down to see the list of available handouts and recordings.
