August 18, 2009

Social networking is a great way to both dialogue with, and reach out to you, our patients, and donors. So, in addition to last month's launch of our e-newsletter, NECC joined Facebook and Twitter. Now our friends can stay connected to community health through a myriad of media.

Did you know that NECC started in 1971 as one of Los Angeles’ very first free clinics? That’s right, we were founded by a group of medical volunteers and concerned residents to make a difference in the Northeast communities of Los Angeles by improving the quality of life, specifically access to medical care for its indigent residents. Our first clinic was in Highland Park. Today we have two clinics on Figueroa in Highland Park just a stone’s throw from our first site.

With the recent addition of two new clinics, we brought much-needed health care to communities in downtown Los Angeles and Hawthorne. NECC now runs a total of 11 clinics in communities from Wilmington to Watts, downtown Los Angeles to Huntington Park, Highland Park to Hawthorne, all served by NECC.

Also, we’ve just done a website overhaul with the goal of making it both easier to use and more informative for you. Take a browse around. We hope you like what you see.
 
-Christopher Lau, MD
NECC Executive Director/CEO

California Wellness Foundation Funds New Patient Tracking Software

The California Wellness Foundation, headquartered in San Francisco, has granted Northeast Community Clinics $200,000 over three years for purchase of i2i Tracks. The new software system is expected to revolutionize the way community clinics like NECC tracks patients, especially those with chronic diseases, and report data to government and social service agencies and health collaboratives.

Tracking patients is one of the biggest challenges now facing NECC, due in part to the influx of so many new patients because of recent closures of other community clinics and urgent care facilities that could not stay afloat during recent state budget stalemates.

A Higher Level of Patient Care

"We believe i2i Tracks, a leading chronic disease and preventative health management system (CDMS), will help us track our patients more effectively and in the long run, provide a higher level of patient care," explains Dr. Christopher Lau, executive director/CEO. "Our focus initially will be tracking diabetic and asthma patients."

"By supplementing our current Patient Management systems with i2i, we can vastly improve our capabilities to provide complete health care services to our patient population," says Dr. Lau. "The addition of a system that automates tracking of patient health status, ongoing health problems and associated treatment can provide enormous benefits, both to Northeast and to our patients."

Improving Health

The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) is a private, independent foundation. Its mission is to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness education and disease prevention. TCWF is one of the state's largest private foundations. Since its founding in 1992, the Foundation has awarded 5,450 grants totaling more than $685 million.

The implementation of a visit/appointment tracking system with alerts, reminders, follow-up notifications and recalls relating to ongoing treatment can assure patients get all the care and treatment they should, thus improving their overall health and reducing the cost and health impacts of ongoing treatment (or the lack thereof).

i2i will include several new, electronic data interfaces among that system and NECC’s PECS system. These interfaces would automatically pass the needed data to the health management system for tracking and reporting purposes.

This would reap several important benefits, including increased efficiency and significant improvements in our patient data integrity and quality, according to Dr. Lau. The interfaces would also avoid the issues of entering patient data into multiple systems, since the required patient data would be automatically passed from system to system as needed. This would eliminate discrepancies in patient data and provide improvements in patient safety.

Having data ready for analysis and comparison to local and statewide community entities will allow providers to make quick and prudent policy changes in patient management, which ultimately insures the highest quality of patient care and disease management.

Kaiser Permanente, A Great Partner To NECC

Kaiser Permanente has been a great partner to NECC, supporting critical programs and donating much-needed equipment to clinics.

Recently, Tara O'Brien, Public Affairs Director of Kaiser South Bay, announced $5,000 in funding for Informed Teens Thrive! (ITT!), a program focused on vital issues facing teens and tweens in our Wilmington service area obesity, pregnancy, contraception, teen pregnancy and parenting, and sexually transmitted diseases. The program combines medical visits, nutritional counseling, health education and self-empowerment tools to promote healthier lifestyles and increased quality of life.

Last year the Los Angeles office provided $12,000 for A Health Child, which targets obese and at-risk children, ages 2-16 years, who are uninsured and reside in households living at or below the 200% Federal Poverty Level at our Highland Park clinic site.

In addition, Mario P. Ceballos, Community Benefit Manager for Kaiser Permanente's Los Angeles, spearhead the donation of three exams beds and an ultrasound to NECC from Kaiser's Los Angeles Medical Center.

Our patients and staff will benefit from these generous gifts and Kaiser Permanente's generosity and kindness.

Annenberg Foundation Funds Patient Navigation Program

The Annenberg Foundation recently awarded $12,000 for a Patient Navigation program, a pilot program designed to address the multiple barriers to care experienced by low income, indigent and recent immigrant/minority women we serve at our Women’s Health Center.

"Patients served by the Women’s Health Center are reflective of the ethnically diverse, low income neighborhood where the clinic is located," explains Dr. Christopher Lau, executive director/CEO. "These patients typically experience multiple barriers to receiving quality care, including low socioeconomic status, limited education, and cultural differences/limited English proficiency."

An Innovative Approach

Patient navigation is an evidence-based and innovative approach to health care that provides individualized assistance to high risk patients and families, according to Dr. Lau. "Patient navigators are trained, culturally sensitive and culturally competent health care workers who provide support and guidance throughout the care continuum. They help people ‘navigate’ through the maze of doctors' offices, clinics, hospitals, outpatient centers, insurance and payment systems, patient-support organizations, and other components of the health care system."

“Annenberg was eager to fund NECC’s Patient Navigation program because it addresses patients’ whole-person psycho social needs and provides  support and referrals for additional services that may improve the overall health and well-being of the patient,“ said Mark Eiduson, former Annenberg Program Director.

The Annenberg Foundation is a private family foundation that provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally.

Confused about how much fish to eat — and what kind? Here are some answers.
By Virginia Sole-Smith, Reprinted from Redbook Magazine

1. I'm worried about mercury contamination. Should I skip fish altogether?
Absolutely not. "You should be much more nervous about how you're risking your health if you don't eat fish," says Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., a cardiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, who coauthored a recent study analyzing the pros and cons of fish consumption. "Seafood is a key source of heart-healthy lean protein — everyone should aim to have two servings per week." And if you choose varieties rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna or salmon, you can reduce your risk of death from a heart attack by 36 percent, according to Mozaffarian's research. These fatty acids also play a crucial role in infants' brain development and may help lessen depression in adults.

If you're pregnant, thinking about conceiving, or feeding young children, do make sure that your two weekly fish servings come from species that are low in mercury. Mercury accumulates throughout fish's bodies after it's been released into the environment by natural and industrial sources. "Too much mercury can lead to developmental delays or cognitive problems for kids and even cause memory loss, unexplainable fatigue, and cardiovascular disease for adults," says Rebecca Goldburg, Ph.D., a senior scientist for the Environmental Defense Fund's Health and Oceans programs.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends avoiding large, predatory fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel tilefish, which accumulate the highest mercury levels. Instead, stick to low-mercury species like anchovies, Atlantic mackerel, wild Alaskan salmon, catfish, freshwater rainbow trout, oysters, shrimp, pollack, sardines, and canned light tuna, which has a lower level than canned albacore ("white") tuna. These choices are also rich in omega-3s, so you'll reap all the health benefits with fewer risks.

2. Which fish is healthier: farm-raised or wild?
"Both wild and farmed fish can be good choices," says Goldburg. Wild fish are generally caught in the ocean by fishermen using nets, lines, or traps, while farmed species are raised in underwater pens kept along the coast or even in tanks on land. Farmed fish tend to be lower in mercury because they're fed a controlled diet. Shellfish like mussels and American shrimp are particularly good when farmed because they eat a plant-based diet that contains very little mercury. But farmed carnivorous species such as salmon are fattened up with large amounts of wild-caught fish, which may contain the carcinogens PCBs (industrial compounds that pose neurological risks) and dioxin. With these fish, you're better off eating the wild varieties, which consume a more varied diet.

3. What are some easy ways to eat more fish?
Try "pizza fish," advises Joan Salge Blake, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association: Coat Pacific cod, farmed rainbow trout, or American tilapia with a chunky tomato sauce, sprinkle on low-fat mozzarella or Parmesan cheese and basil, and bake. American shrimp, mussels, and farmed bay scallops are easy to sneak into pasta sauces and stir-fries. "And I love to make salmon burgers," says Blake. Mix canned salmon with egg whites, breadcrumbs, and seasonings, shape into burgers, and grill.

"Eating out is also a great time to get your fish in, because you'll see it prepared in ways you'd never do at home, and it's usually the healthiest option on the menu," says Blake. "It's automatic portion control — they might give you a huge steak, but they never give you too many scallops." If you're eating sushi, limit salmon (sake), shrimp (ebi), and tuna (maguro), which tend to be high in mercury. Better choices: Atlantic mackerel (saba), farmed clams, oysters, squid (ika), and crab (kani).

Sun Safety Action Steps
Source: EPA