De c e mb e r 1 2, 20 1 7 " Bui l d ing He a l thie r C o mmuni ti e s "De c e mb e r 1 2, 20 1 7 " Bui l d ing He a l thie r C o mmuni ti e s "

Executive UpdateExecutive UpdateJan Cartwright, Executive Director

What an exciting year this has been for reasons within our stateand at the national level. Even Santa’s elves, who have beenbusy all year, are aware that Wyoming saw an increase of oneNew Start Health Center in Laramie and the reopening of theRock Springs Health Center. This news puts us at eight HealthCenters with 13 locations; and yes, I have to keep counting onmy fingers as things change so quickly! Again this year, WyomingHealth Centers deserve to be congratulated for being recognizedboth for quality care and several for Patient Centered MedicalHome designations. Our monthly webinar schedule wasenhanced and well attended and we got to pull together several Peer Learning Teams thatallows CEOs, CFOs and CMOs the opportunity to talk with one another about bestpractices and how to be most effective.

On the other hand, the news from Washington isn’t so positive right now. Health Centerfunding has “gone over the cliff”, meaning that Health Resources and ServicesAdministration (HRSA) is paying Health Centers with what remains of Health Centerfunding. Without the Congress passing a budget either before or after the Christmasrecess, 70% of Health Center funding will run out at least by the spring of 2018. Thatincludes reauthorization of the CHIP program and funding of other safety net programs likethe National Health Service Corps. The House has approved a budget that includes most ofthis, so it is now up to the Senate.

From an access to care standpoint, things were a little brighter for reproductive healthfunding as grants were announced this fall and did not preclude some of the organizationsthat had traditionally received them like the Wyoming Health Council. It is a relief thatwomen will continue to have access to health care at Title X clinics in Wyoming.

What is steadfast in our state and across the country is Health Centers’ dedication topatients, especially the most vulnerable. The staff at Wyoming Primary Care Associationsend our gratitude for that work to help people in Wyoming be healthy at Christmas andthroughout the year. We wish you and yours Happy Holidays and a New Year whereeveryone can thrive!

Jan CartwrightExecutive Director

Stars of the Quarter:Stars of the Quarter:Sarah Rockwell of CHCCWSarah Rockwell of CHCCW

Sarah Rockwell is the Outreach & EnrollmentCoordinator for CHCCW in Casper. She has done thiswork for years and has become an expert andresource for her peers in the state who provideenrollment assistance and for those in the communitywho need help with their health insurance options.

Sarah has been a go-to person for the PCA forspecial projects in the past including the developmentof a statewide work plan and acting as the talent in an ACA education video that has beenused by the Wyoming Department of Corrections for three years running. This year, Sarahhas showed up to every statewide Marketplace Assister Zoom meeting to representCommunity Health Center Certified Application Counselors and provide valuable insighton burgeoning issues. In addition Sarah represented CHCCW and MarketplaceEnrollment Assisters in the media with when she was interviewed by KCWY in Casper.Thank you Sarah for all that you do!

Staf f UpdatesStaf f Updates

Marketp lace Outreach and Enro l lment-Marketp lace Outreach and Enro l lment- This year is definitely aninteresting one for those who assist with enrolling individuals and families into MarketplaceHealth Coverage. Open Enrollment closes in two days and I am looking forward to sharingthe final enrollment numbers. Above are graphs featuring the cumulative enrollmentnumbers four week into Open Enrollment in comparison to the numbers in 2016.

In the meantime, I wanted to share some of the major changes that occurred this year inthe plans offered on Wyoming's Marketplace. Blue Cross Blue Shield went down to offeringonly 10 plans with three in each metal tier (Bronze, Silver and Gold) with one extra in theSilver Tier. Activity at the federal level resulted in the elimination of cost-sharing reductionsand increased premiums. With the Affordable Care Act still in effect, these changesaffected the Advanced Premium Tax Credits (APTC) in an interesting way. Many morepeople qualify for a bronze plan with a $0 monthly premium and in some cases the goldplan has a lower premium than silver plans.

-H.W.-H.W.

World AIDS Day-World AIDS Day- Did you know that in 2016, 20 peoplein Wyoming were diagnosed with HIV infection? This is a 150%increase from 2012 and now there are approximately 300people in Wyoming living with the virus. Nationally, over amillion people are living with the disease.

Community Health Centers across Wyoming are working hardto increase opportunities for HIV screening by staying abreastof the latest Centers for Disease Control testing protocols andensuring that the people within their communities are aware thatHIV screenings are available. Last week in observance ofWorlds AIDS Day, Community Action Partnership of NatronaCounty - Healthcare for the Homeless and the University of Wyoming Family MedicineResidency Program - Casper each held outreach events providing confidential HIVscreenings and education. (Pictured is Hailey Rodgers, CARE Program Case Managerwith the Casper-Natrona County Health Department. She hosted a table of giveaways at

the Healthcare for the Homeless Clinic for their Worlds AIDS Day event.)

The University of Wyoming Residency practice in Casper recently chronicled their journeyinto enhancing their HIV screening process. You can view it here.

-B.B. MSN, RN, PCMH Content Cer t i f ied Exper t-B.B. MSN, RN, PCMH Content Cer t i f ied Exper t

This jus t in. . .This jus t in. . .

Community Health CentersCommunity Health Centersof Central Wyoming Fightsof Central Wyoming Fights

the Flu and Feeds thethe Flu and Feeds theHungryHungry

By Cheryl Howard, Director of Marketing,CHCCW

The flu shot is a vital part of staying healthygoing into the winter season. Yet we findpeople are reluctant to take the time to gettheirs. In an effort to encourage ourcommunity members to obtain a flu shot wecreated a campaign to help others while beingimmunized. For the months of October,November, and December we are doing“Fight the Flu, Feed the Hungry” by donatingfour meals to the Wyoming Food Bank of theRockies for each flu shot given at our threeclinics. As they get a flu shot they receive asticker that says, “I got a flu shot and helped fight hunger!” We have promoted this projectvia social media, media partners, and with the non-profit we are supporting. The team hasreally gotten behind this fun initiative and we have seen a dramatic spike in our flu shotnumbers so far, this year.

Check-in with One of Wyoming's Newest HealthCheck-in with One of Wyoming's Newest HealthCentersCenters

Albany Community Health Clinic opened in the spring of 2017 with two employees, Dr. KatyHartman and Clinical Director Richelle Keinath. (Pictured left with WYPCA staff memberBrenda Burnett and former Director of Medical Education for UW Dr. Kevin Murray.) Nowthey have eight employees including Office Manager Jamie Alexis Nipgen (Pictured right)

Albany Community Health Clinic opened in April to offer comprehensive health services toLaramie residents and its surrounding areas. Their Clinic Director, Richelle Keinath, waskind enough to provide a brief update.

What k ind o f serv ices do you cur rent ly o f fer?What k ind o f serv ices do you cur rent ly o f fer? We offer primary care servicesand thanks to an AIMS grant award from HRSA we will provide mental health services witha focus on substance abuse.

How many s ta f f do you have?How many s ta f f do you have? We have eight staff members with two more in thepipeline.

What was the f i rs t month o f operat ion l ike? What was the f i rs t month o f operat ion l ike? I can remember about as muchabout our first month of operations as I can remember about the first month of having anewborn. It feels like a blur now, and I am a little bit grateful for the amnesia! I rememberthe excitement, the weight of the responsibility, and the strong sensation that we weren’tprepared for this and had a good 18 years ahead of us at least. I remember waking up a lotrandomly at 3:30 am, receiving gifts from friends- we got so many plants and flowers!- andbeing too overwhelmed to even keep a list of whom to thank. “Thank you!”, if you arereading this article!

When we first opened the doors, we had only two employees: Richelle was the front officeand the back office, and I was the doctor and the nurse. We were both the advertisingconsultants, the interior decorator, used furniture experts, and the janitor. Our mantrabecame, “Make it work.” At first, we were seeing an average of one patient a day and itseemed like all we could handle! Slowly, we began to add staff, and with each addition, theclinic began to run more smoothly. As we got the word out to the community, on-line, andthrough word of mouth, our patient numbers have been increasing at a steady rate!

How would you descr ibe the communi ty response to A lbanyHow would you descr ibe the communi ty response to A lbanyCommuni ty Heal th C l in ic? Communi ty Heal th C l in ic? I have been overwhelmed by the positive response of thecommunity to the Albany Community Health Clinic. People definitely seem to be aware thatthere is a need in the community for affordable primary care services. The DowntownClinic, a free clinic for low-income clients in Laramie, is our partner and does an excellentjob with the funding that they have. Federal funding allows the Albany Community HealthClinic to further their mission by extending services to an even broader population. I findthat once the structure of the clinic is explained, community members become excited thatit is available as an option. All people can help to support the clinic, simply by seeking theirmedical care at the clinic or telling a friend about it. If a person qualifies for the sliding feescale, they are supporting the clinic by allowing us to fulfill our mission. If a person is able topay in full, has insurance, or has Medicare or Medicaid, the income from their appointmenthelps us to provide services at a lower cost to others. This is an exciting way for people to“shop locally” and support increased equity in healthcare, simply by getting their annualcheck-up!

The His to r y Be hind the Na me : The His to r y Be hind the Na me : A Chuckline Rider was an early source of news

for ranchers. It was an unemployed cowboy who would ride from ranch to ranch

and exchange information for a meal.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

(HHS) under cooperative agreement number U58CS06849, Wyoming Primary Care Association in the amount of $631,548 with 10% of the

total project financed with nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be

construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.