Community Health Center of Cape Cod has promoted Kristy Brown, DO to Associate Medical Director for Quality Improvement. Dr. Brown will continue her role as a primary care provider, and her expanded responsibilities include reviewing and analyzing organizational quality improvement data and working closely with teams to identify opportunities, best practices and spread improvement. Quality improvement continues to be a primary focus at the Health Center, as the staff is continually looking to identify ways to improve the organization and the health of the community served. The Health Center started a Lean Oversight Committee to provide oversight, education, and resources to staff to foster a culture of sustained continuous improvement using best practices to provide exceptional patient care.

Dr. Brown’s promotion follows her staff recognition for outstanding contributions to Community Health Center of Cape Cod in FY 2017. While working part-time, she carried a panel of 700 patients, served as supervising medical provider and mentor, and led team quality improvement efforts resulting in benchmark chronic disease and health maintenance performance. Community Health Center of Cape Cod is just one of 13 health centers in Massachusetts this year to receive a Health Center Quality Leader Award by the Bureau of Primary Care.

Dr. Brown is board certified in family medicine. Prior to joining the Community Health Center of Cape Cod team, she was Assistant Professor in Family Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, where she did her residency and clinical training. She was also a clinical lecturer in family medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Assistant Residency Director of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, Ypsilanti Family Practice Clinic in Ypsilanti, MI. She received her medical degree from University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, and her undergraduate degree from University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Cape Cod Times– Community Health Center of Cape Cod has been recognized by the Bureau of Primary Health Care as a Health Center Quality Leader, according to a statement from the Mashpee-based health organization.

The center was one of just 13 health centers in Massachusetts to receive the award, which covers the 2016 calendar year.

Each February, the health center submits a uniform data submission report to the federal government, which includes a number of productivity and outcome measures from the prior year. For 2016, the outcomes ranked in the top 25 percent of all health centers nationwide for four measures: cervical cancer screening, adults screened for tobacco use, controlling high blood pressure and managing diabetes, the statement says.

The Bureau of Primary Health care is part of the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

To listen to the interview, click here.

CHC of Cape Cod’s Nutritionist Dena Irwin will teach a free class on navigating the grocery store aisles this Wednesday, December 13, at 1 pm. The class will include tricks and tips for making healthy, nutritious, and affordable choices at the grocery store, along with a guide to reading food labels.

Event Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Time: 1 pm- 2 pm

Location: CHC of Cape Cod, Mashpee Location
Administration Conference Room, Upper Level
107 Commercial Street, Mashpee, MA 02649

Media Contact: Alex Speck

Media Contact Phone: (917) 509-6813 (day of event)

Media Contact Email: [email protected]

For more information about the class, contact Alex Speck in the Development Office at 508-477-5990, or email Alex Speck.

Community Health Center of Cape Cod’s Addiction Program has received certification from the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS). CHC of Cape Cod is the only community health center in Southeastern Massachusetts with this accreditation. The BSAS certification is necessary to run and expand CHC’s Structured Outpatient Addictions Program set to launch in January. To obtain certification, CHC’s Addictions Program staff created new policies and procedures, separate from those of the Health Center. The BSAS certification ensures that insurance companies can reimburse the Health Center for visits and allows for Department of Public Health funding. This funding is instrumental in improving and expanding the Health Center’s Addictions Programs.

CHC’s SOAP program is a full-day outpatient addictions treatment program that will be available to all individuals, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. There will be same-day access to the program, and no one will be turned away. The main component of the SOAP program will focus on assessing patients’ barriers to care and to address substance abuse and co-occurring conditions. The objective of the program will be to assist individuals in establishing and reaching self-identified goals to maintain employment, stay in school, engage with family, be a contributing member of the community, maintain sobriety and achieve stable housing. A Medication-Assisted Treatment programs is also already in place and available.

Mashpee – Dr. Stephanie Prior, a physician at Community Health Center of Cape Cod since 2006, recently returned from Puerto Rico where she provided medical assistance for two weeks to residents devastated by Hurricane Maria. Stationed mostly in Arroyo, Patillas and Maunabo, Dr. Prior treated patients in clinics set up on basketball courts during the mornings and visited homebound patients in the mountains in the afternoons. Dr. Prior worked as part of a team from Heart to Heart International, an organization that strives to strengthen communities through improving healthcare access, providing humanitarian development and administering crisis relief efforts worldwide using volunteers and partners.

Dr. Prior’s Heart to Heart team was comprised of five health professionals, including two physicians, a paramedic, a certified midwife, and an EMT. Dr. Prior’s primary responsibilities included providing and refilling medications and performing general medical triage. She also administered vaccines for tetanus and the flu. As Puerto Rico continues to experience interrupted telecommunications, including internet and cell phone use, Dr. Prior said she and the team drove around the neighborhoods to announce the times they would be available to see patients. “For the most part, everyone was really well taken care of,” Dr. Prior said.

This is Dr. Prior’s second time working with Heart to Heart, and she completed a trip to Haiti in February 2016. Dr. Prior remains steadfast in her humility insisting that we should commend the people of Puerto Rico for their optimism and tenacity during such a difficult time.

Mashpee – Community Health Center of Cape Cod has once again been recognized by the Bureau of Primary Health Care as a Health Center Quality Leader. The bureaus announced the awards in mid-August for Health Centers’ performance in calendar year 2016. CHC of Cape Cod was one of just 13 health centers in Massachusetts to receive the Health Quality Leader Award

Each February, CHC of Cape Cod submits a Uniform Data Submission (UDS) report to the federal government, which includes a number of productivity and outcome measures from the prior year. For 2016, CHC’s outcomes ranked in the top quartile of all health centers nationwide for four measures: Cervical cancer screening, adults screened for tobacco use, controlling high blood pressure, and managing diabetes.

The Health Center’s use of an electronic health record, and their focus on health maintenance and evidenced based standards helped them achieve recognition for the third straight year. CHC of Cape Cod is working to improve its rankings even further in 2017, with a goal to be considered for the National Quality Leader Award in 2017.

For more information about CHC of Cape Cod and its services, visit the Health Center online at www.chcofcapecod.org.

The Community Health Center of Cape Cod Addictions Services team recently launched its newest outpatient therapy group: Step Forward. Step Forward is based on the “Stages of Change” model and is designed to help people who are in the pre-contemplative or contemplative stages of addictions recovery. The goal is to help individuals move from the beginning stages of change to goal setting and action, and then to make any necessary changes. Referrals to the program can be made by Health Center providers or other providers. Individuals can also choose to enter the program on their own, or can be referred by a friend or family member.

The CHC of Cape Cod Step Forward group meets once a week for seven weeks. It is expressly designed for individuals who are concerned about their substance use. The Step Forward curriculum includes exploration of how substance use is affecting an individual’s life, addictions education and the opportunity to identify a need for change and create goals for the future. The group is facilitated by a Licensed Independent Social Worker, who will aid participants through the seven week program. As participants set goals, the facilitator provides referrals for further treatment, social support groups, counseling, and more, as needed.

The Step Forward group meets every Wednesday at 10 am at Community Health Center of Cape Cod’s Falmouth office, at 210 Jones Road, Suite 22 in Homeport. For more information and to register for Step Forward, please contact Addictions Program Manager Yvonne Nickerson at 508-477-7090 or [email protected]. To learn about CHC of Cape Cod and their Addictions programming, please visit www.chcofcapecod.org.

As part of a yearlong  20^th Anniversary Celebration, CHC of Cape Cod will host a Family Fun Day at Cape Cod Children’s Museum this Saturday, October 21, from 10-12. Admission is free for those who mention CHC of Cape Cod! Activities will include a “Wellness Check-Up” for your child’s favorite stuffed animal and free play in the museum. The Health Center staff will be available to answer questions about their services and to provide information. Healthy snacks and refreshments will also be available.

Event Date: Saturday, October 21

Time: 10 am – 12 pm

Location: Cape Cod Children’s Museum
577 Great Neck Road South, Mashpee, MA 02649

Media Contact: Alex Speck

Media Contact Phone: (917) 509-6813 (day of event)

Media Contact Email: [email protected]

For more information about this and other 20^th Anniversary events, contact Alex Speck in the Development Office at 508-477-5990, or email Alex Speck.

Community Health Center of Cape Cod has promoted Theresa Guanci, DMD to Dental Director and has hired Madeline Bergin, BSPharm, RPh, CIP as Pharmacy Manager to help launch its dental office and retail pharmacy in their renovated Bourne location. The dental office is set to open in November, and the retail pharmacy will open before the end of the year. Both dental and pharmacy services will be open to the public.

Dr. Guanci, of Mashpee, was promoted to the position of Dental Director after she served as the Interim Dental Director and Staff Dentist. Dr. Guanci is a graduate of Boston University’s School of Dentistry and joined the Health Center in 2014. She completed the final year of her externship at the Health Center and decided to return. In addition to providing leadership in our Mashpee location, Dr. Guanci will launch the Bourne location dental services. The expanded Bourne location has two dental chairs, and services are available to all individuals, even if they are not a patient of CHC of Cape Cod.

CHC of Cape Cod will also open a retail pharmacy in the next few months at their Bourne location, and Ms. Bergin will serve at the Pharmacy Manager. Prior to joining CHC of Cape Cod, Ms. Bergin, of Bourne, was the original Pharmacy Manager of the satellite Stop & Shop pharmacy in Bourne for 15 years. She also served as the Pharmacy Manager for CVS Corporation for seven years. She graduated from University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy and has been a Registered Pharmacist in Massachusetts since June 1980. Ms. Bergin is an affiliate of the Massachusetts Pharmacists’ Association.

For more information about CHC of Cape Cod’s services, visit: www.chcofcapecod.org/services