Patients entering a health care setting should have their tobacco status checked routinely.  For patients not ready to make a quit attempt, clinicians should use a brief intervention designed to promote the motivation to quit. Patients unwilling to quit at the time of their visit may have several reasons for their apprehension of the quitting process.  These reasons could include lack of information about the process, financial concerns, general fears about the process and the possibil...

Oklahoma’s youth may be its most valuable asset and important stakeholder. The State’s future outlook rests considerably upon the strength, development, and health of its next generations. Oklahoma’s children – similar to its adults – are often unhealthy, with higher rates of overweight and obesity than other youth (30.5% versus 27.8% nationally).  Unhealthy weight and unfavorable health outcomes often reflect harmful lifestyles.

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have become a major topic of discussion and concern for community health centers (CHCs). Unfortunately, much is still unclear about how ACOs will be setup or function. ACOs are generally understood to be a network of hospitals and other providers that agree to share accountability for the care provided to patients and any savings achieved among the ACO members.

Since the Institute of Medicine published their 1999 report entitled “To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System" and its sequel report in 2001 entitled “Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century", our national healthcare thought leaders have been projecting a vision of a completely redesigned delivery system that transcends the walls of any individual healthcare organization and individual provider. While this vision has been evolving, advancements in technology ...

As the calendar page turned to February, the US House Appropriations Committee proposed spending cuts of approximately $74 billion from discretionary spending and assigned subject area subcommittees the task of proposing deep reductions accordingly. In Oklahoma, the Legislature is gearing up for tough decisions as Session begins this month with a multi-hundred million dollar budget shortfall without the net of Federal Stimulus or Rainy Day dollars underneath – and that after the agency cuts and ...

The recent ‘monster’ storm that engulfed the United States and covered all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties with snowfall serves as a reminder of how important it is to be prepared when the sky breaks loose. Successful outcomes require being a few steps ahead of environmental change and understanding the inherent dangers of severe conditions. Not only must attention be given to external factors (e.g., record snowfall, bitter cold, brutal wind) but also internal considerations (e.g., emergency winter ge...

From the Executive Director For most, the new year brings resolutions for good things to come. Since February 2009 health centers have experienced SO many good things, our plates continually run over as a result of the deluge of growth. It should be re-emphasized that community health centers (CHC) currently provide care to nearly 20 million people in the fifty states as well as Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam making the CHC program the largest single health system in the nation.

The upcoming Oklahoma Clinicians’ Network (OCN) is a virtual training designed to bring a series of tobacco cessation trainings to your health center. These trainings can be completed online from the convenience of your office. Topics include: • Pharmacotherapy of tobacco cessation – ways to help your patients quite smoking or other tobacco use • Case-based approach to teach the basic clinical intervention steps to help patients quit smoking or using other forms of tobacco • Motivational intervi...