Extending the scope of community health in and for Connecticut.
Emergency Preparedness
CHCACT plans, coordinates and conducts Emergency Preparedness activities for the health centers, through funding from the State of CT Department of Public Health and HRSA. Activities include quarterly meetings of the Community Health Emergency Response Network (CHERN), attendance at regional and statewide EP meetings, and N95 fit testing. CHCACT also works with health centers to coordinate and facilitate exercises to model appropriate responses to a variety of human and natural emergencies.
Health Center Controlled Network
The Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN), funded by HRSA, supports health centers in achieving meaningful use of ONC-certified electronic health records (EHRs), adopting technology-enabled quality improvement strategies, and engaging in health information exchange (HIE) to strengthen the quality of care and improve patient health outcomes.
HIV/AIDS & Hepatitis C Programs
CHCACT works with nine health centers in CT to help them provide health and support services to people living with and/or impacted by HIV or AIDS. These services include training for patients to better self-manage the disease, as well as care coordination, referrals and assistance with transportation. The HIV/AIDS Programs are part of HRSA’s Ryan White grant programs.
HUSKY / Insurance Enrollment
All health centers in Connecticut have on-site Certified Application Counselors (CACs), who help people enroll in HUSKY/Medicaid and Access Health CT insurance plans. Through funding from HRSA and the State of CT Department of Social Services, CHCACT facilitates training/technical assistance for CACs, helps troubleshoot individual cases, identifies and works to resolve systemic issues, and acts as a liaison with relevant state agencies.
Intimate Partner Violence & Human Trafficking Program
CHCACT participates in Futures without Violence’s “Project Catalyst,” as part of a team with the State of CT Department of Public Health and the CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV). This project is funding similar teams from four states to improve the health and safety outcomes for survivors of Intimate Partner Violence and human trafficking and to promote prevention.
Clinical Quality Improvement
CHCACT has a variety of programs that focus on improving clinical quality and health outcomes at health centers, such as PTN, HCCN and the Clinical Quality Committee. CHCACT’s goal is that patients at CT health centers receive the very best health care available in Connecticut!
Clinical Quality Improvement For PCAs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services selected the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut (CHCACT) as a Prime awardee of the Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractor. This designation will allow NQIICs to bid on Task Orders over the next five years.
Workgroups for Health Center Staff
One of the most important roles CHCACT has is to facilitate learning communities among health center staff and leaders. Through funding from HRSA, CHCACT runs the following workgroups that meet several times annually:
- Chief Executive Offer
- Chief Financial Officers/Billing Managers
- Chief Medical Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- Clinical Quality Committee
- Community Health Emergency Response Network (CHERN)
- Community Health Workers
- Dental Leaders’ group
- Health Care for the Homeless
- Human Resources Directors
- Infection Control
- Information Technology Directors
- Nursing Directors
- Patient Centered Medical care
- Risk Management
Members of these groups also communicate outside of meetings/trainings to share best practices and resources.
UConn Research Collaborative
CHCACT is pleased to be collaborating with the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) within the University of Connecticut. The intent of our collaboration is to facilitate and support the establishment of research partnerships between UConn faculty and clinical staff at community health centers throughout Connecticut.
Participation details are being drafted and will be provided here as soon as possible.
Access Health CT Navigator
Access Health CT seeks to partner with four organizations that are viewed as a trusted, local community voice with a presence in communities across Connecticut. Activities will include community outreach, enrollment, speaking engagements, and marketing, among others.
Previous Programs
AmeriCorps Service To Improve Community Health (STICH)
STICH is CHCACT’s AmeriCorps program. In this program, 20+ AmeriCorps members serve in health centers across the state, providing health insurance literacy, health education, community outreach, patient engagement and other services. This program is funded by the Connecticut Commission on Community Service.
Practice Transformation Network
The Practice Transformation Network (PTN), funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, joins together CHCACT member health centers, specialty providers, and others; provides clinical practices with resources, quality improvement expertise, coaching & training; shares best practices; and builds “on-the-ground” infrastructure and processes to deliver high quality care to prepare for value-based payment.
Dental Programs
CHCACT participates in and administers a variety of programs that focus on improving the oral health of Connecticut residents.
Project ECHO
CHCACT is the first primary care association to a Project ECHO Hub to support the implementation of clinics called “Chronic Pain and Opioid Management and Addiction Treatment.” The first content session will take place on August 17, 2018. The first four months of content were developed in collaboration with subject matter experts from the University of Connecticut (UCONN). Fifty-six clinicians from health centers across Connecticut will be participating in CHCACT’s Project ECHO during the first month. Together, the clinicians and subject matter experts will discuss best practices along with opportunities for clinicians to present cases for discussion and recommendations to further support clinical practice.