On January 4th, the WHI Safety Net Clinic Coordination team met for the first time. The group began with an assessment of the current state of safety net clinics in the county and identified six priority areas: 1) staffing, 2) mental health and substance use disorders, 3) patient advocate services, 4) revenue cycle management, 5) electronic medical records, and 6) transportation.
Executive directors, medical directors, and board members–representing the Corner Health Center, Hope Clinic, Neighborhood Family Health Center, Packard Health Clinic, and the Ypsilanti Health Center–discussed coordinating efforts. CHRT would facilitate these efforts, and the initiative would be chaired by Tom Biggs.
The safety net clinic work is highlighted in the WHI’s June 2013 Newsletter. In January 2014, the Safety Net Clinic Coordination Team Final Report was published. The study found that nearly 60% of patients treated in safety-net clinics were covered by the Washtenaw Health Plan and that safety-net clinics were well equipped to offer in-house social services to their patients.