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U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln stated, “Community Health Centers are a critical component of what is right and good about health care reform,” during her address to CHCA Annual Conference attendees. Craig Kennedy, Associate VP of Federal and State Affairs for NACHC, expressed his feelings that Community Health Centers are not simply the best model of care for the poor and uninsured, but are the best model of care for all primary health care. These sentiments pervaded this year’s conference. The conference theme, “Inspiring a Culture of Excellence: Innovation, Leadership, Quality,” aimed to prepare the Arkansas CHC staff members, board members, and partners in attendance for the landscape change of health care reform implementation. Over 200 attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors participated in this year’s conference.

The conference kicked-off with motivational speaker Scott Huse’s session, titled “Leadership and Quality: It Starts From Within You!” He led attendees to look at their own personalities and see how they fit into the overall organization, and to understand where others fit in the organization. The key to a healthy and productive organization is having the right people in the right places, and the key to becoming a happy and productive individual is being in the right place doing the right thing.

From learning how we as individuals fit within our organizations, conference goers then moved to understanding how CHCs fit in the grand picture of primary care and health care reform. John Cafazza, Jr., Director of the Central Mid-Atlantic Division of HRSA/BPHC brought an update on what CHCs have achieved in the last year, and what CHCs have to look forward to in policy changes, funding opportunities, as well as quality and data collection and reporting. Craig Kennedy, Associate VP of Federal and State Affairs for NACHC, followed with an overview of the big picture of health care reform and what it means for Community Health Centers. He stressed the importance of preparing in advance for the new funding and opportunities coming down the pike, and encouraged everyone to be involved in advocating and promoting health centers as part of the solution for ensuring health care access.

U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln addressed the group during lunch on the first day, further emphasizing the important role that Community Health Centers play in our state’s and our nation’s health care system. “As many Arkansans struggle to afford health care, I’ve seen firsthand how the Community Health Centers of Arkansas continue to help deliver quality and affordable care to individuals and families who would otherwise go without,” Lincoln said. “I’ve been proud to help secure funding and resources for CHCA throughout the years, and I was pleased to continue our conversation today about finding ways to help ensure that Arkansans have access to the care they need. We must preserve the critical role that Community Health Centers play in Arkansas.”

During the second day, the general session featured a panel of national and state leaders in Health Information Technology. The panel included Michael Lardiere, Director HIT, Sr. Advisor Behavioral Health, NACHC; Suma Nair, Director, Office of Quality and Data, HRSA/BPHC; Ray Scott, Arkansas HIT Coordinator, Arkansas Office of HIT; and Dr. John Fortney, Professor, Director, Division of Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, UAMS. The panel, moderated by Brett Tracy, CHCA Data/Policy/Legislative Analyst, provided a look at the various ways HIT is being used at national and state levels to improve availability and quality of care to all CHC patients. "Arkansas CHCs are building a bridge to a new delivery,” stated Tracy when speaking about health information exchange and preparation for HIT Meaningful Use requirements.

Lunch on the second day featured a presentation of the new CHCA website by Chris Hughes, CHCA Communications Coordinator. Highlights of the new website include a searchable interactive map featuring all 69 health center locations; a data and resources section containing a variety of useful and downloadable fact sheets, policy updates, white papers, reports, and other resources; a news section frequently updated with the latest news and discussions about CHCA and Arkansas CHCs; an interactive calendar of events; and a searchable job opening page. The presentation also highlighted CHCA’s current forays into the social media universe including Twitter - www.twitter.com/chc_ar, Facebook - www.facebook.com/CommunityHealthCentersofAR, LinkedIn, and Vimeo.

In addition to the general sessions and luncheon speakers, concurrent sessions were offered on both days and covered topics such as HIT, clinical quality, operations and financial management, social media, capital and workforce development, cultural competency, health literacy, and Health Center board strengthening. Each session provided another piece of the preparedness puzzle as Arkansas CHCs look to improve the future of primary care in Arkansas.

The following awards were presented at the conference: Ray Cockrill award – Capital Link, Eason-Shuler Advocate of the Year Award – Dr. Susan Jones (East Arkansas Family Health Center, Inc.), Norton Wilson Partner Leadership Award – Craig Kennedy (NACHC), Clinical Partnership Award – Dr. John Fortney (UAMS), Clinical Quality Leadership Award – Lynn Terral (CABUN Rural Health Services, Inc.), Clincial Quality Team Leadership Award – Chantal Sumlin, Misty McCoy and the Community Clinic ACIC Team (Community Clinic), Call to Action Advocate of the Year – Corning Area Healthcare, Inc., Outstanding Community Outreach CHC of the Year – White River Rural Health Center, Inc.

“2009 was a tremendous year for Arkansas CHCs. Due largely in part to ARRA and state funding, over 16,000 new patients came through their doors to receive the high quality, comprehensive care provided by Community Health Centers,” said Sip Mouden, CEO, Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. “However, there are still nearly 500,000 Arkansans who lack access to health care. We have work to do. Our annual conference was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and the people that have brought us where we are. More importantly, it was an opportunity to look forward to the future with eagerness and optimism, to begin planning and preparing for what lies ahead with health care reform, as we strive to bring health care access to all Arkansans.”

This year’s conference could not have taken place without the generous assistance from our sponsors, including the Health Resources and Services Administration/Bureau of Primary Health Care, National Association of Community Health Centers, Gold Sponsor - BKD, Silver Sponsors - McKesson and the Arkansas Minority Health Commission, and Bronze Sponsor - Ron Sherman Advertising.