Archive for category: General Information

By Catherine Rice, Vice President of Marketing/Outreach

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which first began in 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as a Day of Unity to connect battered women’s advocates across the country. Domestic violence affects millions, both women and men, of every race, religion, culture and status. It’s not just punches and black eyes — it’s yelling, humiliation, stalking, manipulation, coercion, threats and isolation. It’s stealing a paycheck, keeping tabs online, non-stop texting, the constant use of silent treatment, or calling someone stupid so often they believe it.

Since the Violence Against Women Act passed in 1994, we’ve come a long way.

This landmark legislation, led by then Senator Joe Biden, combined new provisions that hold offenders accountable and provide programs and services for victims. Between 1993 and 2010, the overall rate of domestic violence dropped nearly two-thirds and state laws have reformed to address issues such as dating abuse in the workplace, stalking, employment discrimination and more.

Nearly three out of four Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence. And unfortunately, no one knows better of the traumatic impact than our very own Kallie Weas, MA.

Kallie’s Story

Kallie’s 23-year-old sister, Katie, and six-month-old niece were killed on Oct. 23, 2013 by Katie’s abuser-boyfriend. Last week, staff wore purple in support of Domestic Violence Month and Kallie and her family. Kallie’s family is celebrating their seventh-year anniversary. Purple ribbons were distributed to patients and staff.

“My sister and her baby daughter were killed by her abuser via a head on collusion,” Kallie reflects. “This was so devastating for all of us, including the innocent man driving the other car, who survived. To heal and remember Katie and her daughter, we launch a balloon for each year she and her daughter are no longer with us. In addition, my sister and I focus on educating people about domestic abuse.”

Kallie approached her supervisor, Lee Champion, RN, Clinic Director/Risk and Compliance Officer, and CEO Amy Falk, about bringing more awareness about domestic abuse to HPC.

“We often only associate October with “pink” and Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” Amy adds. “But for those impacted by domestic violence, including family members of the abused, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an opportunity to educate and bring awareness of this important public health priority. We applaud Kallie’s efforts to encourage conversation about this issue.”

Kallie can’t agree more. “I felt the best way to honor my sister is to make sure my colleagues, friends, patients and community better understand the signs of domestic abuse and what to do if a person is being abused. My older sister posts daily stats and information about domestic violence on social media. We each do something in our own way. I just want our staff and patients to know the signs and think about this issue—and not have to live through our nightmare.”

Kallie urges everyone to become informed, know the signs and take a stand. Please support survivors (and their families like Kallie’s) and speak out against domestic violence – not just in October but year-round.

Did you know?

• The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are victims of physical violence by a partner every year.
• Every nine seconds, a woman in the U.S. is beaten or assaulted by a current or ex-significant other.
• One in four men are victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.

Why do people in an abusive relationship stay with their partners?

There are a few reasons:

• Their self-esteem is destroyed, and they are made to feel they will never be able to find another person to be with.
• The cycle of abuse, meaning the ‘honeymoon phase’ that follows physical and mental abuse, makes them believe their partner really is sorry and does love them.
• It’s dangerous to leave. Women are 70 times more likely to be killed in the weeks after leaving their abusive partner than at any other time in the relationship, according to the Domestic Violence Intervention program.
• Statistics suggest that almost five percent of male homicide victims each year are killed by an intimate partner.
• They feel personally responsible for their partner, or their own behavior. They are made to feel like everything that goes wrong is their fault.
• They share a life. Marriages, children, homes, pets and finances are reasons victims of abuse feel they can’t leave.

Are you in an abusive relationship?

Sometimes, people don’t know if they are really in an abusive relationship because they’re used to their partner calling them crazy or making them feel like all the problems are their own fault.

Here are a few ways to know if you’re in an abusive relationship that you need to get out of.

• Your partner has hit you, beat you, or strangled you in the past.
• Your partner is possessive. They check up on you constantly wondering where you are; they get mad at you for hanging out with certain people if you don’t do what they say.
• Your partner is jealous. (A small amount of jealousy is normal and healthy) however, if they accuse you of being unfaithful or isolate you from family or friends, that means the jealousy has gone too far.
• Your partner puts you down. They attack your intelligence, looks, mental health, or capabilities. They blame you for all their violent outbursts and tell you nobody else will want you if you leave.
• Your partner threatens you or your family.
• Your partner physically and sexually abuses you. If they EVER push, shove, or hit you, or make you have sex with them when you don’t want to, they are abusing you (even if it doesn’t happen all the time.)

Signs Someone You Know Is Being Abused

Keep an eye out for things like:

• Excuses for injuries
• Personality changes, like low self-esteem in someone who was always confident
• Constantly checking in with their partner
• Never having money on hand
• Overly worried about pleasing their partner
• Skipping out on work, school, or social outings for no clear reason
• Wearing clothes that don’t fit the season, like long sleeves in summer to cover bruises

Are the Signs Different for Men?

They’re often the same. And that’s true whether the abusive partner is a woman or another man. It may be emotional or verbal, like taking away keys, medicines, or other essentials. Or things like constantly putting you down in public or on social media.

And it can be physical. To make up for differences in strength, abusive partners may try to attack you in your sleep, by surprise, or with weapons and other objects. They may also abuse your children or pets.

What to Do if You’re Being Abused

First, know that you deserve better and that this isn’t your fault. If you’re in an emergency, call 911.

It can be hard to decide whether to stay or leave. That’s why it may help to start with a call to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233). Call from a friend’s house or somewhere else where you feel safe.

You can also turn to friends, family, neighbors, your doctor, or your spiritual community.

Also make sure you have an emergency escape plan:

• Hide a set of car keys.
• Pack a bag with keys, extra clothes, important papers, money, and medicines. You might keep it at a friend’s house.
• Have a plan for calling the police in an emergency. You might have a code word, so your kids, family, friends, or co-workers know you’re in danger.
• Know where you’ll go and how you’ll get there.

By Laura Casey, BSN, RN, Health Partnership Clinic, Infection Control & Occupational Health Coordinator

Keeping hands clean is one of the most important things we can do to prevent the spread of germs. Hand washing is easy, and it takes about 20 seconds to do. By washing your hands with soap during the day, you can prevent the spread of germs.

Here’s the proper way to wash your hands:

1. Wet your hands with water and apply soap.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
4. Rinse your hands well under the water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

What if soap and water are unavailable?

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them in most situations. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Take the following steps when using hand sanitizer:
1. Apply the product on the palm of one hand.
2. Rub your hands together.
3. Rub the product over all surfaces of your hands, including in between fingers and underneath fingernails.
4. Allow your hands to dry completely before touching anything.
Hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in many situations, but they do not eliminate all types of germs. Hand sanitizers can be a safe and effective alternative to handwashing if soap and water are unavailable.

Hand Washing is Key!

Remember proper hand washing is key in the prevention of germs spreading from person to person—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic! During International Infection Prevention Week, Oct. 18-24, the clinic will be building awareness about the importance of proper hand hygiene with various activities. Tip sheets and other information will be available in the clinic lobbies, and helpful tips will be shared on social media.

By Wael S. Mourad, MD, MHCM, FAAFP, Chief Health Officer and Family Physician, Health Partnership Clinic

The COVID-19 pandemic was an inevitable yet unexpected calamity that traversed the globe with breathtaking speed. It was a true public health emergency that tested and continues to test the capabilities and expertise of our national medical and public health infrastructure. In addition, it has been a stress test on the capacity for leadership through crisis that health care organizations must exercise as they navigate through current and future waves of a pandemic with the highest mortality rate to strike the United States in a century.

Financial Impact

The macroeconomic impact of the pandemic has been well documented. In a depression, rising total debt that eventually reaches a tipping point is usually the underlying instigator of a domino effect that imparts a downward pressure on spending that negatively impacts the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Normally, it takes all the tools in the fiscal and monetary toolboxes of the federal government and federal reserve, respectively, to reverse the trend. And those tools are appropriate for the addressing the underlying problem of escalating total debt.

The interesting feature in the current financial crisis is that the underlying instigator of the financial downturn is a medical and public health cause not easily under the control of these governmental agencies, and the normal tools leveraged to address the financial downturn will not solve the underlying problem. Because spending is equivalent to income in an economy, a downward trending GDP results in drastically reduced income for companies as well as people, leading to cost cutting, salary reductions and ultimately higher unemployment and furloughs.

While times of medical crisis may present themselves as business opportunities for health care organizations, the nature of the pandemic has been the opposite, as patient volumes and health care transactions have been depressed by approximately 50 percent — a seismic shock to statements of operations across the country. In this fashion, the pandemic has demonstrated in a painful way that fee for service still rules the day.

Crisis Leadership Amidst the Fallout

A crisis goes to the heart of what leadership is. Leadership is setting a vision and direction for where the team, company, or organization needs to go. It includes explaining why this direction is important, and what steps can be taken to get there. It also includes soliciting help and securing buy in from the team. Traversing this often treacherous and uncertain path requires fortitude, confidence and creativity. These characteristics can inspire confidence and creativity amongst the team, as great ideas and momentum cannot come from one person alone. While leadership can come from any level in a company, it is a requirement for optimal outcomes that great leadership is demonstrated at the top.

At our organization during the first blows of a crisis, our communications during our morning huddles routinely included answers to these four questions:

• What is going on?
• What are we doing about it now?
• How do we get out of it?
• What is the ask from the team?

These questions will effectively fill in the gaps in the minds of the team, and thereby minimize the anxiety so that we can all move on together. People management is already complex and a challenge during the best of times, much less during a crisis. To move on is critical for the functions of adaptation, innovation and taking advantage of opportunities for potential growth.

Exploit and Explore

Exploitation refers to using the resources, capabilities and current market conditions to maximize value to the organization.  Exploring refers to the innovative and creative aspect of an organization that considers new services and new markets that are keys to a company evolving.  Kodak is a good example of a company that exploited but did not adequately explore.  Companies that have not struck the proper balance between exploiting and exploring are vulnerable to disruptive innovations, which are often fueled by new technologies as well as creative processes.  Despite this prospect and because of a lack of incentives, the balance is often shifted in favor of exploiting during normal times.

The COVID-19 pandemic however has provided powerful incentives for health care organizations to leverage the long available technologies of telemedicine, to familiarize themselves with the already published guidelines on coding for these visits, and to consider vendors who will interface with their electronic health records to improve communication with patients in forms such as texting, as well as to better monitor and improve quality measures.  Organizations that take advantage of these times to improve their infrastructure for quality and population health may emerge from this existential crisis better primed and positioned than their peers for value-based reimbursements in the future. And like in other industries suffering financial hardship, such as auto industry after the 2008 financial crisis, health care organizations will likely become leaner companies.

Pulling It All Together:  Public and Private Partnerships

My organization, Health Partnership Clinic, is one of over 1,300 federally qualified health centers in the United States. As such we are a captive audience for the federal government as it communicates its priorities during this pandemic and provides funding. Opportunities exist to continue to improve the alignment of the public health goals of our nation and the population health incentives of health care organizations.

While the federal government has capabilities to address rising debt and its consequences, it is less equipped to directly mitigate the spread of a pandemic with our public health infrastructure’s current state. This infrastructure needs to be as robust as our financial crisis management infrastructure in terms of responding to crises. Just like there is coordination between the governmental agencies and banks, there needs to be the same degree of intimate coordination and alignment of incentives and goals between public health agencies and health care organizations.

This coordination can only come from leaders, who can project a vision for population health outcomes, adoption of new technologies, reducing racial inequities and enhancement of public health preparedness. This direction to guide how federal funding and stimulus programs are implemented is needed to ensure that funding is directed toward activities that bring the most value to our patients and communities.

To learn more about Health Partnership Clinic, visit hpcks.org.

By Catherine Rice, Vice President of Marketing/Outreach

It’s been amazing and heartwarming to see the ongoing support of HPC during the COVID-19 Pandemic—with in-kind and monetary donations. To date, 50 individuals, businesses and organizations, like the Olathe Chamber of Commerce, have donated items or meals to the clinic. From breakfast and lunches to hand sanitizers, PPE, coupons for free drinks/treats to handmade masks, soap, paint and flowers, the donations keep rolling in. We’re so incredibly grateful.

Here is what our staff think about this outpouring of support:

“This pandemic has been a very difficult for all front-line workers. There is a lot of fear and stress working in health care right now, but we do it because our patients matter to us. The generous gifts of food and items from the community have meant so much to us. It is like the community is there right along with us, supporting us.” —Mayra Lemus, Medical Assistant

“I believe that these kind gestures from local partners and restaurants are a clear sign of solidarity. I can see that my colleagues and I are truly grateful for support our community has shown in the last weeks. During a time of crisis, it is wonderful that we can rally and truly be ‘stronger together’. Thank you.” –Cecilia Ponce, Behavioral Health Consultant

“I’m very thankful for the Olathe Chamber of Commerce for providing Health Partnership Clinic staff with lunch and breakfast meals during these difficult times we’re all going through. This generosity and kindness mean a lot to me and my coworkers. It makes us feel very appreciated of the vital work we do to keep our community healthy. And, it inspires me to be a better person for our community. Thank you again!” –Diana Zamora, Financial Aid Coordinator

“It’s a very busy time for me and my team, especially since some of my staff are still furloughed. Having lunch brought in really uplifts my spirit. It’s knowing people care and truly understand what a challenging time it is working in health care where things are constantly changing and not knowing each day if you have been exposed and are taking it home to your own family. In addition, budgets are tight for our staff—like many others living in our community. Every meal provided is money saved in our pockets to put toward bills or other needs. Bottomline, it is so encouraging for me to have so many people thinking of us and showing their support – it definitely makes this pandemic easier to bear.” —Billie Reese-Turner, Director of Billing and Patient Services, Health Partnership Clinic

To show our appreciation to these generous donors, we take photos and post them on Facebook and Instagram so everyone in our community knows what big hearts we have in Johnson, Miami and Franklin Counties. This is a win-win for HPC. In addition, many organizations and individuals –new to HPC– are learning about what we do. These connections may open even more doors to us.

We salute and thank all our donors.

(The bold-faced names are new additions to our donor list.)

Anonymous
Charlie Hustle LLC
Chick-fil-A
Culver’s
Davidson Promotional Products
Direct Relief
Dominos
Amy Falk (Paint)
Front Line Appreciation Group (FLAG KC) – Rick Krapes, Country Financial, Mickey the Cotton Candy Man and Jason’s Deli
FlorasourceKC
Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steak Burgers
Betty Gearheart (Masks)
GE Johnson Construction Company
Global Birthing Home Foundation
Heart to Heart International
Hibba Haider, MD
Home Depot
Hy-Vee
Indigo Wild
Rieger & Co.
Jersey Mike’s Subs
Kansas City Chinese American Association
Kansas Gas Service (Toni’s Lunch)
Sylvia Kenner (Masks)
Krispy Kreme
LRO Studios (Masks)
Lucia Jones Herrera, MSN, RN/UnitedHealthcare (Masks)
Marco Pizza
Mickey The Cotton Candy Man
Tracey Mikes (Masks)
Olathe Chamber of Commerce (Park Street Pastry, Strips, Olathe Downtown Diner, Tropical Smoothie Café, Chapala Mexican Restaurant)
Olathe Rotary Club
Olathe School District
Pizza Village
Pulley Wholesale Florist
QuikTrip
Restless Spirits Distilling
Catherine Rice (Paint/Snacks)
Sam’s Club
Michelle and Rachel Schneider (Masks)
Shawnee Mission School District
Simple Simon’s Pizza
Smoothie King
Sonic
The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC)
Union Horse Distilling Company
UnitedHealthcare
(List updated May 15, 2020)

The donations and delivery of meals wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering help of Debbie Sparks, Development and Marketing Manager, and Janice Santiago, Behavioral Health Resource Specialist. In addition, Andrea Acosta, Enrollment Specialist, and Marcie Nighswonger, Women’s Health Coordinator, and the clinical staff are always willing to lend a helping hand too. It’s quite a production to deliver 57 meals to four clinics and Administration.

If you are interested in donating meals or other staff appreciation items to HPC, call me at 913-730-3680.
For monetary donations, visit us at https://hpcks.org/give-back/.

By Wael S. Mourad, MD, MHCM, FAAFP, Chief Health Officer and Family Physician, Health Partnership Clinic.\

The patient comes first.

That mantra is at the heart of every decision we make for our clinics and everything that we do in health care. As a physician, there is not better compliment I can receive than I care for my patient. On an organizational level, there is no better compliment that we can hear than we are patient centered.

Moreover, as a primary health care organization, Health Partnership Clinic strives to be a medical home for our patients. That means that we offer team-based care led by a physician to provide comprehensive care with continuity, with the aim of achieving the best outcomes for living a full life.

We are so proud at Health Partnership to be a designated “Patient-Centered Medical Home,” or PCMH for short, at our Olathe and Paola sites, for our patients. The original definition of PCMH was crafted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians and the American Osteopathic Association over a decade ago. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) bestows formal recognition as a PCMH site.

In addition, the Olathe clinic has also received Distinction in Behavioral Health Integration. Behavioral health conditions are often first identified by a primary care provider. The addition of behavioral health care services at Health Partnership allows us to provide whole person care, decreases barriers to behavioral care and improves overall health.

Elements that must be demonstrated to receive this prestigious designation include the following:

• Access and communication processes
• Access and communication results
• Organizing clinical data
• Identifying important conditions
• Guidelines for important conditions
• Self-management support
• Test tracking and follow-up
• Referral tracking
• Measures of performance
• Reporting to physicians

From the above list, we can see that an organization must excel at communication, care coordination and quality improvement. These are areas that Health Partnership takes seriously as we strive for continuous organizational improvement.

By implementing protocols, training staff and motivating co-workers, achieving a true PCMH status may mean diagnosing a breast cancer for a mother and wife, preventing a heart attack for a father and husband and keeping a child healthy so he or she can thrive at school and fulfill a promising future. These are the types of outcomes, that help our patients and their families live a full life, that we aim to achieve.