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The Virtual Dental Home: Implications for Policy and Strategy
07-01-12
Widely recognized problems with the U.S. health care system, including rapidly increasing costs and disparities in access and outcomes also exist in oral health. If oral health systems are to meet the "Triple Aim" of improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and...
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On the Road to Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records: A Survey of California Physicians
06-11-12
Report on findings from a 2011 survey of a sample of California physicians regarding the availability of electronic health records in their practices.
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What Determines Successful Implementation of Inpatient Information Technology Systems?
03-17-12
OBJECTIVES: To identify the factors and strategies that were associated with successful implementation of hospital-based information technology (IT) systems in US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, and how these might apply to other hospitals.
STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative analysis of 118...
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Health Reform and the Health Care Workforce
03-06-12
This monograph assesses how the Affordable Care Act will influence the demand for health care workers, as well as the nature of care they provide.
Full Publication
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Health Care Workforce Will be Tested by Reform
02-29-12
Much of the public discussion about health care reform has focused on whether various components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are constitutional, and whether the act can be repealed. But an arguably more important question is whether our health care work force is large enough to handle the...
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Registered Dental Hygienists in Alternative Practice In California, 2009 Descriptive Report
12-01-11
New workforce models in dentistry are being explored as potential solutions to improving the dental care delivery system for underserved populations. In 1998, California officially recognized a new dental health profession: the Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice (RDHAP). RDHAPs...
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Workforce Collaborative Trains Medical Assistants to Enhance Care at Community Health Centers
07-27-11
The Central Massachusetts Community Health Center Partnership (CMCHCP) is a collaborative effort of employers and training centers intended to address the workforce needs of Worcester area community health centers. The Partnership’s first project focuses on training incumbent and new medical...
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Franklin Square Hospital Center—Medication Safety Initiative Empowers Medical Assistants
07-27-11
Concern about medication errors inspired Franklin Square Hospital Center to develop a medication safety training program for medical assistants. This initiative empowered medical assistants to think independently, and inspired administrators to offer more standardized training and advancement...
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Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group - Clinical Career Ladder for Medical Assistants
05-30-11
Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group (NMPG) took the unusual step of developing a clinical career ladder for its medical assistants (MAs) in 2003, and, more recently, for its patient services representatives (PSRs). Medical assistants are the largest group of non-licensed employees at NMPG....
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PeaceHealth’s Team Fillingame Uses Patient Activation Measure to Customize the Medical Home
05-01-11
PeaceHealth Medical Group received a grant to pilot a patient-centered medical home in one of its practices in Eugene, Oregon. “Team Fillingame” revised staff roles and added a part-time mental health worker to address patients’ social, behavioral and medical needs. Using a patient activation...
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University of Utah Community Clinics - Medical Assistant Teams Enhance Patient-Centered, Physician-Efficient Care
04-01-11
The University of Utah Community Clinics’ success in achieving a remarkable financial turnaround empowered the organization to innovate further in order to improve the patient experience. The organization implemented a team-based model of care that increased the ratio of medical assistants (MAs)...
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UC Davis Family Practice Center—Medical Assistants Anchor Residency-based Medical Home
04-01-11
In response to long wait times and low patient satisfaction scores, the University of California, Davis Medical Center Department of Family and Community Practice redesigned its residency-based Family Practice Center into a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). This model expanded the role of...
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Collaborative Practice in American Dentistry: Practice and Potential
01-01-11
As the US seeks to improve the effectiveness and accessibility of the oral health care delivery system – in order to reduce stark disparities in oral health utilization and outcomes that exist in this country – new and innovative models of practice will be necessary. One model includes...
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Alternative Practice Dental Hygiene in California: Past, Present, Future
01-01-11
This study examines the development of the registered dental hygienist in alternative practice in California through an analysis of archival documents, stakeholder interviews, and two surveys of the registered dental hygienist in alternative practice. Designing, testing and implementing a new...
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Assessing Workforce Needs and Opportunities for School Based Health Centers in California
12-01-10
School based health centers go beyond the traditional services of a school nurse to provide comprehensive care – including primary and mental health care – to students. The centers are seen as a way to reach populations that would otherwise not be receiving appropriate care. California has many...
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Implementation of a Lifestyle Program in Primary Care by Nurse Practitioners
12-01-10
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe the implementation process and participant satisfaction with a lifestyle program provided by nurse practitioners (NPs) in primary care to adults at risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared to enhanced standard care.
DATA SOURCES: A mixed-method...
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The Special Care Center—A Joint Venture to Address Chronic Disease
11-01-10
The Atlantic City HEREIU Local 54 Health and Welfare Fund and AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center partnered to develop the “Special Care Center” (SCC), a new clinic that provides coordinated care management to patients with multiple chronic illnesses. The new center recruited and trained a group of...
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Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center Information Technology Propels Expansion of Medical Assistant Role
11-01-10
Kaiser Permanente Southern California has developed an innovative tool, the Proactive Office Encounter (POE), embedded in its cutting-edge electronic health record system, HealthConnect. The POE interface prompts medical assistants and licensed vocational nurses to remind patients at the time of...
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High Plains Community Health Center—Redesign Expands Medical Assistant Roles
11-01-10
High Plains Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center in Colorado, redesigned its workflow to increase productivity by increasing the number of support staff per provider. Medical Assistants (MAs) are cross-trained to rotate through front and back office roles in a team-based...
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Cabin Creek Health Systems-Medical Assistants Provide a Senior Medical Home
11-01-10
Cabin Creek Health Systems, a federally-qualified health clinic in West Virginia, trained a team of experienced Medical Assistants to provide risk assessments and care coordination to elderly patients, and to conduct home visits to frail elderly patients in remote rural areas. The organization...
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Union Health Center—Pioneering the Ambulatory Intensive Caring Unit
10-01-10
In 2005, the UNITE HERE (Union) Health Center in New York City embarked on a new initiative that expanded the role of medical assistants (MAs) to provide team-based care and health coaching for patients with chronic diseases. This initiative includes the creation of a career ladder for medical...
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Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Staffing Patterns in California's Licensed Community Clinics: 2005 - 2008
06-01-10
Physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) play a critical role in the delivery of primary care in California’s licensed community clinics. Between 2005 and 2008, however, clinics increasingly relied on PAs and NPs as care providers. The use of PAs increased more than the use of NPs....
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Medical Assistants in Community Clinics: Perspectives on Innovation in Role Development
06-01-10
There has been growing interest in expansion of the role of medical assistants (MAs) in community clinics, where their utilization has increased in recent years. Ten clinics identified as using MAs in an expanded capacity were studied for this brief. Innovative roles typically involved the...
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Improving Oral Health Care Systems through Workforce Innovations
06-01-10
The objective of this paper is to describe the purpose, rationale and key elements of the special issue, Improving Oral Healthcare Delivery Systems through Workforce Innovations. The purpose of the special issue is to further develop ideas presented at the 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) workshop...
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A Review of California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, Health Workforce Pilot Projects Program 1973-2007
05-13-10
California’s Health Workforce Pilot Projects (HWPP) program was established in 1972 and is administered by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. The HWPP program offers an opportunity to safely demonstrate and evaluate new approaches to care delivery before changing laws and...
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Payment Regulations for Advanced Practice Nurses: Implications for Primary Care
05-01-10
The shortage of primary care providers (PCPs) in the United States may be worsened with health reform if more individuals receive health insurance coverage. Previous research suggests that Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) can provide as high quality care and achieve the same health...
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The Increasing Role of Medical Assistants in Small Primary Care Physician Practice: Key Issues and Policy Implications
02-01-10
The purpose of this project was to understand the role of medical assistants in solo and small primary care physician practices. The study team described the background, training, and certification of medical assistants, assessed the gaps in their training, and discussed the impact these gaps may...
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Staffing Patterns in California’s Licensed Community Clinics: Registered Nurses, Licensed Vocational Nurses, and Medical Assistants
02-01-10
This issue brief describes utilization of Registered Nurses (RN), Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN), and medical assistants (MA) over the period 2005-2008. We found that the proportion of clinic sites reporting utilization of RNs and LVNs generally did not change during this period, while use of...
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Advancing Effective Communication, Culturally Competence, Patient and Family-Centered Care: National Commission to Create a Roadmap and Guidance for Hospitals
01-01-10
The Joint Commission developed Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient- and Family-Centered Care: A Roadmap for Hospitals to inspire hospitals to integrate concepts from the fields of communication, cultural competence, and patient- and family-centered care into their...
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Improving Access to Health Care in California: Testing New Roles for Providers
12-01-09
This issue brief examines the State of California’s Health Workforce Pilot Projects Program, which promotes demonstrations to test new practice models for improved care delivery by: 1) granting temporary legal waivers for providers to perform additional duties; 2) creating new provider categories;...