Sixth National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations: Preconference Sessions Quality Care for Minority Patients: Small Practice Perspectives
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Preconference B-7 Quality care for minority patients: Small practice perspectives

Quality Care for Minority Patients: Small Practice Perspectives
Sunday, September 21, 2008: 1:30 PM-4:30 PM, Minn Marriott, 8th Floor - Gray's Bay
The majority of patients in the United States receive their primary care in solo and small group practices. However, these small practices face significant barriers to systematically carrying out large-scale quality improvement practices. In addition, many current approaches to improving quality of care require providers to invest in information technology and other tools to improve business practices and clinical care. But, for many small practices, it is not feasible to make significant investments in hardware and software, improved facilities, office staff and other health care personnel.
In an effort to understand what practices need to improve care for their diverse populations, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) launched a demonstration program, funded by The California Endowment, in which 20 small and solo physician practices with little to no experience in QI were provided financial and ongoing technical assistance to develop and implement a one-year QI project aimed at improving care for their minority patients. In addition, the Quality Improvement in Safety-Net Small Group Practices in California (QISS), also funded by The California Endowment, took an in-depth look at small group practices serving high-density African American, Latino, and Asian communities. QISS used focus groups, key informant interviews, surveys and site visits to acquire rich information about solo and small group practices serving minority patients in California. A stakeholder advisory committee  reviewed findings and recommended ways to advance policy, practice enhancement strategies, and community linkages.
This interactive session will highlight the experiences and lessons learned from these two projects. Panelists, including both physicians and office staff, will speak to the unique challenges small practices face when trying to improve care for diverse populations. Audience members will participate in small-group discussions on how small practices can collaborate with each other and with external organizations. Our discussions will have an emphasis on the unique characteristics of small practices operating with few resources and ways in which external and community organizations, including state/local medical societies, hospitals, local public health agencies and managed care organizations, can support their efforts.

Presentation Information:

Program: Preconference Sessions
Primary Category: Culturally Competent Care
Subtopics: Disparity reduction, Patient education, Clinical interactions, Program/intervention evaluations, Quality improvement, Data collection (on individuals and communities), Implementing disparity reduction programs

Region Addressed by Presentation: National
Organization: Clinic
Population/Demographic: Small/solo primary care practice
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Primary Care , Disparities Reduction, Cultural Competence


Website: http://web.ncqa.org/tabid/452/Default.aspx
Esther S. Han, MPH , Research, NCQA, Washington, DC
    Senior Health Care Analyst
    NCQA
    Research
    1100 13th Street NW Suite 1000
    Washington DC, USA 20005

    Phone: 202-955-3555
    Fax: 202-955-3599
    Email Address: han@ncqa.org

    Biographical Sketch:     Esther S. Han, MPH, is a Senior Health Care Analyst for Research at NCQA. As a senior analyst, Ms. Han manages projects focused on promoting culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services. She is the project manager for NCQA’s Technical Assistance Project, a demonstration grant program aimed at understanding and addressing barriers to care for minority patients in small, primary care practices. She also manages the publication and production of print and on-line guides to quality improvement in multicultural health care for physicians and various health care organizations. Ms. Han also manages NCQA’s annual health plan award program recognizing innovative practices for addressing health care disparities. Ms. Han’s work supports NCQA in the development of various measures assessing health plan performance in access, effectiveness and overall quality of care. Ms. Han received her Master of Public Health in health policy at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.
Sepheen C. Byron, MHS , Performance Measurement, NCQA, Washington, DC
    Assistant Director
    NCQA
    Performance Measurement
    1100 13th Street, NW
    Suite 1000
    Washington DC, USA 20005

    Phone: 202-955-3573
    Fax: 202-955-3599
    Email Address: byron@ncqa.org

    Biographical Sketch:     Sepheen C. Byron is an Assistant Director in the Peformance Measurement Department at NCQA. She leads internal and external advisory panels in order to inform measures development. Sepheen has focused on measures in the area of respiratory care and preventive services. Sepheen’s current project aims to create measures that address quality reporting at the clinician level. In addition to her measures work, Sepheen works closely on an initiative to produce a new evaluation program that will assess the capabilities of organizations to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate health care and reduce health care disparities. Prior to joining NCQA, Sepheen was a research analyst in the Center for Outcomes and Evidence at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. At AHRQ, Sepheen conducted research on the effectiveness and efficiency of health services and used findings to promote evidence-based decision-making. She worked primarily in the areas of clinical economics and health care disparities. Specific projects included the National Health Care Disparities Report and the Research Initiative in Clinical Economics. Sepheen received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia and her Master of Health Science from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Robert Otto Valdez, PhD, MHSA , Family & Community Medicine and Economics, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy, University of New Mexico, Alburquerque, NM
    Executive Director and Professor
    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy, University of New Mexico
    Family & Community Medicine and Economics
    1909 Las Lomas Road, NE
    Alburquerque NM, USA 87106

    Phone: 505-277-0130
    Fax: 505-277-0118
    Email Address: ROValdez@aol.com

    Biographical Sketch:     Dr. Robert Valdez is Executive Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center of Health Policy at the University of New Mexico where he is Professor of Family & Community Medicine and Professor of Economics. He conducts policy analyses and research at RAND where he is a Senior Health Scientist. He also operates Valdez & Associates a firm specializing in strategic planning and research & development. Dr. Valdez previously served as a founding Dean and Professor of Health Policy and Management at the MCP Hahnemann University School of Public Health. Previously, Dr. Valdez was Professor of Health Services at the UCLA School of Public Health and directed the health services doctoral studies program. Dr. Valdez has been active in health policy and health services research at the international, national, state, and local levels. In 1998, he served as Special Senior Advisor to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. From 1993 to 1996 he served in a dual capacity at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Public Health Service and Director of Interagency Health Policy, Health Care Financing Administration. His responsibilities covered a wide range of issues including children and adolescent health initiatives; managed care developments and their effects on the public health care system; care for the uninsured; and state health care reforms. Prior to joining the Department of Health and Human Services, he served as a Senior Advisor to the White House on health care reform. Dr. Valdez received his Ph.D. from the RAND Graduate School for Public Policy Studies where he specialized in studies of health care financing and quality of care for children.
Marian Mortimer , Fairview Village Family Practice, Camden, NJ
    Business Assistant
    Fairview Village Family Practice
    2961 Yorkship Sq
    Camden NJ, USA 08104

    Email Address: N/A

    Biographical Sketch:     Ms. Mortimer is a Business Assistant at the Fairview Village Family Practice in Camden,NJ.
Hitesh Patel, MD , McKinley Medical Clinic, Westminster, CA
    Physician
    McKinley Medical Clinic
    Westminster CA, USA
    Email Address: N/A

    Biographical Sketch:     Dr. Patel is a physician at the McKinley Medical Clinic in Westminster, CA.
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