Community Meetings to Raise Awareness of Health Challenges and Opportunities
Join Baltimore City Health Department Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot for a community meeting to learn about your 2011 Neighborhood Health Profile. Share community health concerns and ideas for change, discuss opportunities to work together to improve health, and receive health education materials. Not sure what council district you live in? Enter your address here to find out.
HCAM’s Operation Care Recognized with Prestigious Innovation Award
HCAM’s Operation Care has been recognized as an Innovative Clinical Project by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In this time of rising health care costs and tight budgets, Maryland’s consumers, hospitals, clinicians, insurance plans and community groups are working together to develop creative programs that enhance patient care, improve population health and cut costs. Operation Care is a partnership with the Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) which works to reduce the number of emergency room visits by helping individuals manage their health care needs and improve their quality of life.
Operation Care is an innovative program that works with patients referred by the BCFD as being high utilizers of 911. Each patient is assigned a case manager who provides outreach to locate the patient and complete a thorough medical and psychosocial assessment. The outreach worker and client work together to develop a mutually agreed upon care plan. Patients are then assigned to intensive, intermediate or limited case management, and receive assistance accessing and coordinating medical, specialty care and support services. By removing barriers to health care and linking them to wrap around services, such as personal care assistance or home health for on-going needs, patients are better able to manage their health care needs. On-going case management ensures appointment compliance, resolution of needs and a decrease in 911 calls. Visit the Operation Care page to learn more about this exciting program.
HCAM Will Attend Money Power Day 3/10/12
HealthCare Access Maryland is excited to be participating in Money Power Day on March 10th, 2012. This event is free for all those who attend and offers invaluable financial planning education and assistance on a first come first serve basis. This year services include (information from the Money Power Day Website):
Workshops:
- Starting a Small Business
- How to Grow Your Small Business
- How to Buy a Home
- Learn to Save so You Can Become an Investor
- Credit and Managing Your Finances
Financial Planning Clinic
Receive a FREE financial planning consultation on site. To qualify, you must either be a: (1) Single individual with an income of less than $25,000; or a (2) Family with an income of less than $50,000. Contact the FPA of Maryland Pro Bono Resource Center at 443-743-5610 to pre-register and learn how to prepare for the financial planning session.
Foreclosure Prevention Clinic
Tax Preparation Services
Get screened for FREE tax preparation services and even have your tax returns filed on site! To qualify, you must either be a: (1) Single individual with an income of less than $25,000; or (2) a Family with an income of less than $50,000. To schedule an appointment, click here and select the Money Power Day location.
Youth Zone
Children and Youth are WELCOME! There will be interactive educational opportunities for kids such as the Power Buck Trivia Game, financial video games, face painting, ceramic piggy banks, a photo booth, and more!
Credit Café
Exhibitor Hall
Receive information and resources from over 45 non-profit and for-profit service providers.
Benefits Zone
Meet with an EarnBenefits counselor or a representative from the Economic Security Initiative for Older Adults (55+) to see if you qualify for additional benefits such as energy assistance, tax credits, food stamps, WIC, health insurance, and more.
Medical Screenings
Service providers will be on-site to provide free medical screenings and help families access affordable healthcare services.
Document Shredding
A large truck from Incred-A-Shred will be located outside City College to shred your secure documents. Be sure to bring any documents that you would like to shred!
Stay tuned for more information and photos from this exciting event!
Free Diabetes Educational Series
Has diabetes affected you or a loved one? Even if diabetes isn’t a part of your life, take advantage of this free educational series sponsored by the Baltimore City Department of Human Resources, Towson University Center, and Mercy Medical Center at 201 East Baltimore Street.
Topics and sessions include:
Wear Red Day at HCAM!
National Wear Red Day® is a day of action to show support for women and heart disease awareness. On the first Friday in February each year, HCAM encourages it’s staff to wear red and show support for this great cause. No matter how old a woman is it’s important to take steps to prevent heart disease. Visit your doctor to identify your risk factors- 80% of Women in the US have one or more risk factors, and having just one doubles your chance of developing heart disease. Once a person has heart disease it cannot be “cured”. Raise awareness and encourage your friends, family and coworkers to wear red today! For more information on how to lower your risk visit the American Heart Lung and Blood Institute’s website.
Viral Hepatitits Awareness and Free Screening Day
Viral hepatitis is a highly contagious virus that infects the liver, causing liver disease, liver cancer, and premature death. Although hepatitis B and C are treatable diseases when detected early and properly managed, an estimated 4.6 million people living in the United States are currently infected with either hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Both are considered “silent diseases” because frequently, those infected have no obvious symptoms. Without proper screening and treatment, viral hepatitis patients frequently die from liver cancer or liver disease and can pass the infection on to others.
Please join us in Annapolis at the House of Delegates Office Building for an event to spread awareness about Viral Hepatitis on Wednesday March 7th, 2012. Free screenings will be offered to all who attend from 10:00am to 2:00pm. See the event flyer for more details.
Health Care Reform Hearing
From left to right, Dr. Uma Ahluwalia, Kathy Westcoat, and Dr. Peter Beilenson.
Marla Oros, President of the Mosaic Group and Chair of the HealthCare Access Maryland Board
Kathy Westcoat, President of HealthCare Access Maryland addressing the House of Delegates, Health and Government Operations Committee on the need for competent navigators as Maryland begins to implement health care reform.
If you missed the hearing yesterday please be sure to find it archived here and watch it today.
Kathleen Westcoat Testifies at Health Reform Hearing January 25th
On Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 1:00 P.M., a group of local health officials and advocates will come together to testify in the Maryland General Assembly about the challenges and opportunities related to reaching out to the uninsured. The group expected to testify includes Dr. Peter Beilenson, Howard County Health Officer, Dr. Uma Ahluwalia, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and Health Care Access Maryland President Kathleen Westcoat. This hearing is a great opportunity to hear the latest on Health Care Reform in Maryland, and Ms. Westcoat will be testifying on behalf of HealthCare Access Maryland.
To watch and listen to this hearing live please visit this link. On the left hand side of the page, access the folder titled “2012 Health and Government Operations”. Scroll down and click on the January 25th option. The hearing is not scheduled to start until 1:00pm and if the start time runs a few minutes late, the feed will be delayed. The video will be archived so feel free to watch or listen anytime. We encourage everyone to participate in the hearing, and pose any potential questions to our Facebook. Stay tuned tomorrow for a recap and photos of the hearing!
Life-Saving Budget Proposal From Governor O’Malley: Call Your Representative Today
This week Governor Martin O’Malley proposed as part of his Fiscal Year 2013 Budget that the tax on cigars and smokeless tobacco be raised to a level comparable to the tax on cigarettes.
This would be a tremendous public health victory for Maryland by dramatically reducing teen use of these deadly products and raising tens of millions of dollars that can be used to fund critical health care and tobacco control programs.
Please call or email your legislators right away to strongly urge them to support the Governor’s life-saving measure. Tell them to raise the tax on cigars and smokeless tobacco to save kid’s lives.