As we near the 10,000 mark of those we’ve helped get coverage since October, we’re excited to offer a day of enrollment fun! This Saturday, we will have In-Person Assisters available to help get you enrolled in a health plan. Whether it’s Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) or a Qualified Health Plan, we can help! And why not have some fun while doing it?!

We’ll have games, prizes, a photo booth and lots of food. Bring your family, bring a friend, bring a neighbor – and have some fun!

Some important things to bring with you include (be sure to bring for your entire household):

• date(s) of birth, address(es), and contact information
• social security number(s)
• income information for 2012, 2013 and 2014 for all adults and minors age 14 or older
• tax returns and estimated tax status for 2012, 2013 and 2014
• information about health insurance available to your family (including employer-sponsored health insurance, Medicare, TriCare, etc.)
• passport, alien, or other immigration number(s) for any legal immigrants being enrolled

Please join us! Let’s have some enrollment fun!

CHAS Maple St. Clinic
3919 N. Maple St., Spokane
Saturday, March 29^th
10am-2pm

Click here for more details.

Spokane’s flu numbers are on the rise. 135 influenza hospitalizations have been reported in Spokane County according to the Spokane Regional Health District.

There is still time to protect you and your family from the flu! CHAS offers flu vaccines to everyone. That’s right – you don’t have to be a patient to walk-in to a clinic and receive a flu shot.

Additionally, many people qualify for a free flu vaccine and don’t even realize it! See below chart on income qualifications for free flu vaccines:

Getting the flu is no fun; protect yourself and the people you love. Get vaccinated today!

Flu Facts:

• Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick.
• The influenza virus is one of the most changeable of viruses. Changes may be small and continuous or large and abrupt.
  • Influenza Type A is divided into subtypes that can be found worldwide and include H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2 viruses.
  • Influenza Type B outbreaks can also cause epidemics, but the illness it produces is usually milder than Type A.
  • Influenza Type C flu viruses are not thought to cause a large epidemic and generally cause only mild respiratory infections.
• http://www.flufacts.com/treat/relieving-symptoms.jsp
• http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm

When I was getting ready to head home yesterday, I started receiving reports from some of my co-workers about how many people they had enrolled in health insurance through Washington Healthplanfinder. Some of the numbers reported were 36…and 52. I paused and thought, wow, that’s amazing! And then I got an email stating 59! What? Was that a typo? Two people enrolled 59 folks in just one day? Yes – that happened! I had to stop and pause a little longer.

Of course, those aren’t just numbers, those are people. Those are individual people who may have previously put off getting treatment because they didn’t have insurance and couldn’t afford to pay out-of-pocket for their visit. It may have been a decision between buying groceries, paying for gas, or getting that nagging cough checked out.

Because of the Affordable Care Act, in Washington State, adults between the ages of 19 up to 65 are now eligible for Medicaid if they have incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level. Broken down, it looks like this:

For others who may not qualify for Medicaid, there are tax credits available for those with incomes between 138%- 400% of the federal poverty level.

There has been so much misinformation and political talk about this subject that sometimes the negative seems to overtake the positive. But when I reflect on what it all really means, I simply become thankful. I’m thankful that I live in a country that is taking a step towards a healthier future. I’m thankful that I live in Washington State where my friends, family and neighbors can get the health care they deserve. I’m thankful that people like Richard (age 23), Kathleen (age 62), Mike (age 30), and Valentina (age 45) are now going to be able to seek care when they actually need it – or a novel idea – practice preventative wellness! Yes! Finally!

Richard, Kathleen, Mike, Valentina, and so many others are about to experience a life change. They are about to be granted one of the most important rights we all should have. Access to health care. And for that, I am thankful.

More information about health care in Washington State can be found at:

• Washington Health Benefit Exchange
• Washington Healthplanfinder

Kelley Charvet is the Communications Manager at Community Health Association of Spokane

CHAS Enrolls Over 2,800 in First 55 Days

Since the beginning of open enrollment, October 1st, CHAS In-Person Assisters (IPAs) have been busy!

In the first 55 days of open enrollment, our IPAs have enrolled 2,802 patients in Washington’s expanded Medicaid plan (Washington Apple Health) or a qualified health plan.  IPAs have been meeting with individuals throughout all CHAS clinics and at various community events, helping answer questions and complete the enrollment process. Despite issues with the federal online marketplace, Washington State’s Healthplanfinder has enrolled nearly 100,000 Washingtonians. In Washington, it’s working!

Recently, the Huffington Post referenced the success that is being experienced in Washington State: http://huff.to/17SiszT

Assistance is available via phone or in person. Visit any CHAS clinic during clinic hours or call 509.444.8200 for more information or to enroll in an appropriate health plan.

CHAS’ Pharmacy Department has become well-known for advancing the responsibilities of Pharmacists, not only in Spokane, but contributing to moving the profession forward nationwide!

One such recent effort which has spotlighted the Pharmacy Department is its’ involvement in the Patient Safety and Clinic Pharmacy Services Collaborative (PSPC).  According to HRSA’s website, the PSPC is “a breakthrough effort to improve the quality of health care across America by integrating evidence-based clinic pharmacy services into the care and management of high-risk, high-cost, complex patients.”

CHAS became involved in the PSPC in October 2010 stemming from a desire to have Pharmacists recognized as providers while tracking measurable patient outcomes.  A barrage of high-risk conditions were considered, but diabetes was selected as the focus because it closely aligned with work that was already being done at CHAS related to the Beacon and Patient Centered Medical Home initiatives.  The ultimate goal of CHAS’s PSPC efforts is to take patients with high-risk diabetes and stabilize them using an integrated care model.  And isn’t CHAS the perfect place to do such a thing?! With Pharmacists and medical providers all under one roof, it was a no-brainer!

Primary Care Providers can refer patients with complicated diabetes to the team, those whose A1cs are too high or those who simply have educational needs.  The model looks like this: a Pharmacist, who also happens to be a Certified Diabetic Educator, meets with the patient and performs a needs assessment which includes documentation of all medications, insulin titration needs, creating an educational plan and goal setting by the patient.  From there, the patient can be seen strictly by one or a combination of the team members which includes a primary care provider, pharmacist, and dietician.  The data measured which includes A1c, adverse drug events, potential adverse drug events and medication reconciliation is reported internally to Quality Improvement and nationally. 

To date, approximately 180 patients have enrolled in this integrated program.  Visits include in-person, over-the-phone, and monthly group educational sessions (see upcoming schedule below). “As predicted, the patient results have been great,” states Pharmacy Director, Heather McNamee.  Kelly Smoot, Pharmacist and Certified Diabetes Educator goes on to say that the team approach has made a bigger difference to patients than she originally thought.  “We’ve gotten a lot of positive patient feedback.  We’ve had a lot of patients lost in care and out of control for years, but now they feel like they have people they can call.” 

Another unexpected consequence of the PSPC program has been the increased role of the Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE).  “I never expected as many combo visits with the provider. It opens the door to help monitor for complications.  A lot of CDE’s don’t get to do this.  I love my job,” says Kelly.  

PSPC services are available in the following clinics: Valley, Maple, and North County, with hopes to eventually offer these at all locations. 

 2013 Diabetes Group Visits
Pre-registration is required.  Patients can call 509.444.8200 to register or for more information.

Valley Clinic

 Maple St. Clinic

 North County Clinic