LATEST NEWS


NHF introduces CHAMP Oral Health Training
 
National Health Foundation s CHAMP Training Team is excited to announce the addition of an oral health curriculum to its CHAMP training course. Oral health disease is a severe and extremely common problem among children who often lack the information or resources to access needed dental care. CHAMP training provides comprehensive information about health coverage program eligibility and enrollment to help uninsured children and families access appropriate healthcare coverage. Due to generous funding from the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, this new oral health curriculum introduces essential information about the importance of oral health and prevention and how to help families access oral health services with the overall goal of improving the oral health of children. The training will provide health advocates with lots of important information including;The severity of oral health disease for children, The importance of prevention of oral health disease and maintenance of oral health ,Oral health services covered by public and private health coverage programs ,Appropriate utilization or oral health services The new oral health curriculum will be offered starting in April. For more information, please contact Brooke Fox at 213-538-0774 or bfox@nhfca.org.

NHF Receives Support From AT&T Foundation
 
National Health Foundation (NHF) has received a grant from the AT&T Foundation that will enhance the breadth of services provided to the participants through the Harold Cares About Your Future Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program. NHF has designed and implemented the Pregnant and Parenting Teen program, a 10-week school-based program that combines individual and peer group educational sessions. Core activities include a series of weekly workshops and presentations that help each participant reach the following goals: avoid a second pregnancy; remain in high school with the goal of graduation; prepare for employment by learning job search and interview skills; gain enhanced parenting abilities; and utilize appropriate health care for self and child. A grant from the AT&T Foundation will support the initial development of a web-based data collection system to monitor program participants and outcomes, provide ongoing resources and education; and maintain strong interpersonal connections. NHF will be developing an evaluation system that will include: capturing the quantitative data to monitor program objectives and outcomes; maintain participant contact information; and provide ongoing resources, education and information to program participants. By capturing this data, NHF will have the ability to evaluate the impact of the program and will continue to provide resources and referrals to participants after graduation from the program. Ongoing resource and referral provision will occur when NHF will conduct quarterly email updates with the teen participants and graduates. For further information, please contact Danielle Cameron: dcameron@nhfca.org.

So California Patient Safety Collaborative Starts New Year
 
The Southern California Patient Safety Collaborative (SCPSC) is pleased to announce its new collaborative partner for 2009, the Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG). Selected as the new Quality Improvement Organization in California, HSAG is working with the National Health Foundation (NHF), Hospital Association of Southern California (HASC) and Convergence Health Consultants to continue to provide the Southern California Patient Safety Collaborative to 80 hospitals in the greater Southern California region. HSAG brings over 25 years of experience in health care quality improvement and clinical expertise to the collaborative. This year the SCPSC is continuing its efforts to improve patient care and safety by providing quarterly meetings and webinars to hospital members to network and learn strategic and innovative approaches to creating safer cultures within their organizations. The first 2009 meeting was a huge success with over 150 participants attending to hear dynamic speakers on Track 1 topics which include Central Line Blood Stream Infections, MRSA and Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP). The next meeting focusing on Track 2 topics which include Clostridium difficle-associated diseases, hospital acquired pressure ulcers, high alert medications and medication safety will take place in May. Data will continue to be collected on both Track 1 and 2 topics to demonstrate measureable impact in reducing the incidence of hospital acquired conditions and adverse events. For more information on the SCPSC, please contact Mia Arias, Senior Project Coordinator at marias@nhfca.org , or visit the SCPSC website at SoCalPatientSafety.org.

NHF's Pan Flu Hospital Surge Planning Model Findings Report Released!
 
NHF has completed its findings and technical reports for its Los Angeles County Pandemic Flu Hospital Surge Planning Model. The findings report presents estimates of utilization and unmet need from simulations of the Los Angeles County hospital system during moderate and severe flu pandemics. Findings also include the effects of several hospital interventions on reducing the numbers of individuals with an unmet need for hospital care. The findings report concludes with some policy recommendations to minimize pan flu morbidity and reduce the impact of a pandemic on hospital services. For a copy of the findings report Click Here. The technical report contains information on the theoretical background of the model, a discussion of the model’s conceptual framework, data sources, parameter estimation methods, and some limitations our modeling process. For a copy of the technical report Click Here. For more information please contact Heather Kun at hkun@nhfca.org or (213) 538-0753.