White Coat: Provider Briefing On Healthcare Reform

White Coat: Provider Briefing On Healthcare Reform

Community Health Centers Value the Affordable Care Act, Seek To Protect Medicaid & Health Center Funding, & Hope to Be a Resourceful Partner to Elected Officials

#ValueCHCs #Fight4OurHealth

Santa Ana, CA – On April 26 , a panelist of several provider (doctors) and other healthcare professionals are slated to discuss several topics surrounding healthcare reform. The event will take place at the Delhi Center (505 E Central Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92707) from 11:00am-12:00pm. The aim is to highlight the successes of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the role community health centers play in delivering quality healthcare services in Orange County. The panelist of speakers will lend their expertise to elaborate on the following:

1. Value the Affordable Care Act: Since the implementation of the ACA, health centers experienced an increase in capacity and now service 60,000 more patients than they did in the year 2013. As a collective we urge future changes made to our healthcare system should be: tailored to patient needs, identify and address cost drivers and should recognize that cuts to funding do not lead to cost-effective solutions or alternatives.

2. Protect Medicaid & Health Center Funding: The Medicaid program is the health insurance life-line to the most vulnerable population in Orange County and is currently at risk of funding cuts. There are direct health center funding sources set to expire on September 30th, 2017.

3. Workforce: Doing less with more is sewed into the culture of health centers who are currently addressing a provider shortage. Programs such as the National Health Service Corps and Teaching Health Centers aim to engage physicians in community-based trainings. In addition, health centers use these programs as tools to recruit newly graduated health professionals. Health centers desire to meet the health care needs of their community, but need to be adequately staffed to do so. Funding for workforce is set to expire on September 30th, 2017 pending action by Congress.

Community Health Centers are one of the most cost-effective models in healthcare delivery. They continue to evolve and participate in innovative programs aimed at improving the care and health outcomes of patients. The future of healthcare is an ongoing nationwide conversation and the purpose of this event is to add to the dialogue and address community health center concerns.

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The Coalition of Orange County Community Clinics (COCCC) – is comprised of 26 health center members that operate 72 sites county-wide. The health centers serve 340,000 patients and produce over one million encounters annually. The Coalition works with safety net providers and key partners to create quality healthcare for vulnerable, underserved communities. The Coalition is committed to supporting the needs of its members through service, education, advocacy, and resources so that they can effectively serve their diverse, multicultural populations. #Fight4OurHealth – OC Coalition opposes any efforts to reduce quality and affordable healthcare coverage for Orange County residents. We call on our elected officials to work with us to build on the gains we’ve made to provide quality and affordable coverage.

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