Community Voices: Healthcare for the Underserved

Featured Articles

Community Voices: Speaking Out

Thought and Policy Leaders Convene for Multicultural Health Summit

The Men's Health Initiative in the Mississippi Delta

A Community at the Crossroads

Morgan Freeman's Father's Day Gift

"Good Health is Contagious! Catch Some on the Eastside"

Featured Community

Community Voices Miami

COMMUNITY VOICES MIAMI PROJECT UPDATES
Community Voices Miami has focused on the areas of community health workers (CHWs), men’s health, oral health, and school-based health along with other projects that impact or relate to health policy. Over the past three months, CVM has been engaged in launching the pilot phase of the Community Health Workers Project, which trained 20 CHWs on various issues related to their work. It has also been busy identifying oral health providers who accept Medicaid and examining overarching trends in oral health access. Furthermore, CVM collected information on men's health in poor, urban areas as a part of the Overtown Men's Health Study. Community Voices Miami has also been hard at work advocating for the decriminalization of the mentally ill and school-based health care.

Baltimore Community Voices
BALTIMORE MEN’S HEALTH CENTER AIDS TRANSITION
The Baltimore Men's Health Center provides a ray of hope for medically underserved men ages 19-64 in Baltimore and has taken on the role of ombudsman in assisting Center clients to maneuver the health care system. Recognizing the importance of case management to ensuring health care access, Center staff provide linkages to state and federal assistance programs, prescription drug programs for indigent patients, referrals to specialty and other ancillary services, and employment and educational opportunities. The center has provided more than 5,000 men with a medical home since it first opened its doors in April 2000. For more information please call Sherry Adeyemi at (410) 396-4502.

Community Voices New Mexico
NM: A HEALTHY STATE OF MIND
Work continues in the development of behavioral health strategies. A statewide Behavioral Health Advisory Committee has been focusing on recommendations to the State Medicaid Agency on a variety of program, quality, and resource issues. The NM Department of Health has developed Regional Care Coordinator Organizations that are focusing on resource allocations, prioritizing services, and quality assurance of state-supported behavioral health services to uninsured adults. A draft behavioral plan focusing on policy issues is under development. The policy draft is based on strategies needing review that were identified in the Community Voices policy brief "Forgotten Policy: An Examination of Mental Health in the U.S." The policy brief continues to be a major point of reference and discussion. Contact: Wayne Powell at (505) 272-1198.

Community Voices Oakland
DEFINING THE PROBLEM
In Alameda County, California, more than 7,100 residents now have health coverage through the Alameda Alliance for Health’s Family Care, a subsidized managed care health coverage product for families, including undocumented immigrants. By including the safety net providers in the Alliance’s network, the product is more effective for the most vulnerable populations. Contact: Luella at (510) 769-2243.

Denver Health Community Voices
DENVER CERTIFIES OUTREACH WORKERS FOR HEALTH
Denver Health Community Voices has partnered with the Community College of Denver to create a certification program for community health workers. The program takes two semesters to complete and offers workplace and vocational training, as well as cooperative education experience in the field. Classes began in January 2002, and are open to community outreach workers and others interested in health outreach. Financial aid is available to qualifying students, and job placement assistance is provided. Contact: Liz Whitley at (303) 436-6606.

FirstHealth Community Voices
FIRSTPLAN: A MODEL FOR COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH CARE
During the 2004 North Carolina legislative session, FirstHealth Community Voices shared the FirstPlan model in response to an invitation from supporters of a policy establishing the Health Insurance Innovations Commission. Charged with making recommendations to the legislature on finding innovative ways to improve access to and affordability of health coverage, the Commission was formed with broad bipartisan support. FirstPlan presents state policymakers with a community-based health coverage model that has already expanded access to care. FirstPlan was developed for businesses with 50 or fewer employees. Under First Plan, subsidies are available from FirstHealth and other outside sources to help low-wage employees pay for their health coverage. Rebecca Ballard, FirstPlan coordinator, has been named to the Commission as an advocate for the uninsured. For more information, contact Rose Young at (910) 215-5467.

Ingham Community Voices
Report Highlights Ingham Health Plan's Impact on Access to Health Care
(October 2004) The positive impact of Ingham Health Plan (IHP) on the community was showcased in the report, "Releasing the Power of People Who Care." According to the report released by the Capital Area Health Alliance, the IHP "dramatically increased access to care for the uninsured" with more than half of uninsured adults in Ingham County enrolled in the plan. The plan has demonstrated to be a viable safety net for the 31,000 Ingham County residents who have participated in the program. Current enrollment in the plan is at 13,700. The IHP was developed in part by Ingham Community Voices. For more information, contact Doak Bloss at (517) 887-4503.

National Program Office, Atlanta Georgia
National Program Office, Atlanta Georgia

The Community Voices: Healthcare for the Underserved initiative is managed by the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. To reach the national program office, please contact

Melva B. Robertson
Health Communications Specialist
Community Voices: Healthcare For the Underserved
National Center For Primary Care
Morehouse School of Medicine
720 Westview Drive S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30310
Office: 404-752-1977
Fax: 404-752-1198
mrobertson@msm.edu

Northern Manhattan Community Voices
CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BUILDS ON COMMUNITY VOICES NETWORK
The Northern Manhattan Community Voices Collaborative has served as anchor and network for implementing the federally-funded Community Access Program (CAP). An important part of the New York CAP program is the Care Coordination, Advocacy, Reconnaissance, and Education (CARE) initiative, a case management program that identifies patients who frequently use the emergency department (ED) for non-emergency and often preventable episodes.The use of technology and other interventions have helped to significantly reduce ED use. For more information on Northern Manhattan Community Voices Collaborative's case management programs, please call Jacqueline Martinez at (212) 304-7031.

National Program Office, Atlanta Georgia

Baltimore Community Voices

Community Voices Miami

Community Voices New Mexico

Community Voices Oakland

Denver Health Community Voices

FirstHealth Community Voices

Ingham Community Voices

Northern Manhattan Community Voices