CHCF selected eight organizations to participate in Round Two of the California Improvement Network’s grant opportunity for expert consultation for the design of safety-net improvement programs. Awardees included clinic consortia, Medi-Cal health plans, and departments of public health.

Selected organizations received a small grant to support the cost of a consultant to inform and enhance their programmatic activities with their primary care safety-net partners. The awardees all serve as instructional hubs, and used these grants to enhance their programming, processes, and/or materials. These efforts furthered CIN’s goal to support quality improvement programs that in turn lead to better population health. A requirement of this grant opportunity was that the resulting program plans be implemented immediately with awardees’ safety-net primary care partners.

The awardees, their selected consultants, and their project work are outlined below. Available for download are two resources from these projects: presentation slides from a three-part course on the model for improvement, and a practice coach self-assessment tool.

Coalition of Orange County Community Clinics (COCCC): The Institute for High Quality Care assessed the needs of COCCC’s member health centers and designed clinic-level training for the implementation of the patient-centered medical home model of care.

Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC): The Institute for High Quality Care conducted a gap analysis of CCALAC’s membership and recommended options for support programs and training opportunities. Additionally, CCALAC conducted Lean / Six Sigma training for its staff to support its member clinics in using those improvement methods.

Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County (HIPSCC): Seamster Consulting designed and delivered a quality improvement master-trainer curriculum to HIPSCC staff and members of its safety-net coalition.

Partnership HealthPlan of California (PHC): Signal Key Consulting designed a practice coach development program, including course curriculum and an evaluation plan, for PHC staff serving community clinics as practice coaches in HEDIS-related population health improvement initiatives.

Health Center Partners of Southern California (HCP): Centerprise supported a strategic planning retreat to advance clinical integration efforts and conducted a network needs assessment to inform HCP’s technical assistance offerings.

California Health Care Safety Net Institute (SNI): Signal Key Consulting developed a program curriculum for SNI’s membership to reach their goals in 1115 Waiver-related primary care delivery systems. Additionally, Signal Key’s Hunter Gatewood coached SNI staff on foundational best practices in team-based primary care.

San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium (SFCCC): Kristene Cristobal Consulting helped shape a strategic plan and vision for SFCCC’s 2017 quality improvement efforts.

San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH): Kristene Cristobal Consulting developed a quality improvement (QI) roadmap to leverage SFDPH’s existing QI infrastructure, improve integration and coordination among SFDPH divisions, and enhance internal capacity to sustain and spread QI work.