October 02, 2008
The California HealthCare Foundation announced today it has selected five recipients for the LEAP Award (Leveraging Excellence, Advancing Practice), which recognizes the spread of model practices in California's health care delivery system and promotes innovative ways to address the growing needs of the state's underserved populations. The organizations will each receive $25,000.
The LEAP Award recipients are:
- Community Health Clinic Ole (Napa County),
- Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (Contra Costa County),
- Northeast Valley Health Corporation (Los Angeles County),
- Redwood Community Health Coalition (Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Yolo Counties), and
- Venice Family Clinic (Los Angeles County).
"The LEAP Award winners comprise clinics of different sizes and shapes and employ a variety of approaches to address problems ranging from latent tuberculosis infection to emergency room utilization to wait-times for specialty care," said Mark D. Smith, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of CHCF. "Perhaps most importantly, at a time when public hospitals and community clinics are searching for ways to serve more patients, all five models have the potential to be replicated."
Tuberculosis Screening and Treatment (Community Health Clinic Ole)
Clinic Ole developed an integrated program for addressing tuberculosis infection that features early adoption of the Quantiferon-Gold blood test to detect infection as well as a group visit for Spanish-speaking patients with latent tuberculosis infection. As a result, patient compliance and satisfaction have increased and the clinic has shown significant cost savings.
From another publication;
Sonoma County Health Department officials recently saw a presentation about Napa’s TB program and are interested in implementing a similar service.
