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CalOptima Health News
Back-to-School Health and Wellness Event
Notice of Funding Opportunity Portal Now Open
CalOptima Health Receives $2 Million for Care Traffic Control Command Center
Member Shares Health Care Journey
DHCS Releases Year One Report on CalAIM
CalOptima Health's New Medical Directors
National Health Center Week
International Overdose Awareness Day
Share Medi-Cal Renewal Messages
Community News
Addressing the Opioid Crisis
Rep. Lou Correa’s Caregiver Resource Fair
Orange County United Way Acquires 2-1-1
OCDE Civic Learning Institute
Register for AlertOC
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Back-to-School Health and Wellness Event | | |
Notice of Funding Opportunity Portal is Now Open | |
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In further support of the ongoing Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program (HHIP), CalOptima Health's Board approved the release of a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to help build the capacity of smaller, grassroots community-based organizations (CBOs) serving populations experiencing health disparities. This NOFO will identify CBOs and connect them to technical assistance that helps them more effectively partner with the health care sector, position their organizations as potential health care service providers and craft effective proposals that convey those concepts.
A series of learning experiences, skill-building sessions and 1:1 support will be offered to prepare these organizations for contracted partnership with CalOptima Health and, more broadly, partnership with the health care sector. In its initial phase, CalOptima Health will identify and onboard up to 20 CBOs. Eligible CBOs must have operating budgets of $5 million or less.
The NOFO is now available through this portal. All applications are due by September 15, 2023, at 5 p.m. (PST). Interested CBOs can contact Danielle Cameron or Jasmine Awadallah with any questions about submitting an application.
| CalOptima Health Receives $2 Million for Care Traffic Control Command Center | |
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From left: Kelly Bruno-Nelson, Executive Director of Medi-Cal/CalAIM, CalOptima Health; Michael Hunn, Chief Executive Officer, CalOptima Health; Young Kim, U.S. Representative (CA-40); Lou Correa, U.S. Representative (CA-46); Yunkyung Kim, Chief Operating Officer, CalOptima Health
On August 15, CalOptima Health hosted a media event to amplify the successful efforts of U.S. Representatives Lou Correa and Young Kim to award $2 million to support our Care Traffic Control Command Center. This marked the first time that CalOptima Health has received federal earmark funds. The media event featured remarks by Chief Operating Officer Yunkyung Kim and Representatives Correa and Kim, a check presentation and a tour of the future Care Traffic Control Command Center located on the third floor of our new building.
Yunkyung spoke about how the unique new center will bring together Healthcare in Action, our street medicine provider; behavioral health providers from Be Well Orange County and the County of Orange Health Care Agency’s Behavioral Health teams and CalOptima Health staff. They will work closely to coordinate delivery of services to people living on the streets. Having these teams co-located in the command center will remove barriers so access to care will be quicker and more streamlined. KABC ran this piece during the 4 p.m. newscast.
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Member Shares Inspirational Health Care Journey | | |
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Hai Hoang, Illumination Institute’s Chief Operating Officer and CalOptima Health Member Advisory Committee member, shared his health care journey as part of our member stories video series. Born in Vietnam, Hoang was diagnosed with osteosarcoma — a type of bone cancer — at age 7. Although doctors told his family he would not survive, Hoang resolved to be strong for his family and marched on until he was discharged from the hospital. He and his family moved to Orange County, where he became a CalOptima Health member and received access to whole-person care, including resources for healthy food and support with finding and communicating with his doctor. “My experience with CalOptima Health has always been very positive,” said Hoang. “Having been a member of CalOptima Health — seeing how they treat other people, seeing how they treated me — I am eternally grateful.”
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DHCS Releases Year One Report on CalAIM | |
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has released a report showing a notable increase in the number of Californians using the wide array of CalAIM benefits in the first year, since the initiative launched in January 2022. Highlighting the positive statewide impact of Enhanced Care Management (ECM), the report notes more than half of Medi-Cal members enrolled in ECM in 2022 were at risk of avoidable hospital or emergency department visits, more than 42,000 members had serious mental health or substance use disorder needs, and more than 36,000 members were experiencing homelessness. For Community Supports, the report ranks CalOptima Health near the top with:
- The second highest number of services provided in the state
- The fifth highest utilization rate in the state
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CalOptima Health Welcomes New Medical Directors | | | |
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Natalie Do, D.O., Pharm.D
Dr. Do is a double board-certified psychiatrist specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry. She attended pharmacy school at the University of Southern California, and she conducted HIV/AIDS research in Botswana as a Fulbright Scholar with the Botswana/Harvard AIDS Partnership. Upon her return to the United States, she practiced inpatient pharmacy while completing her medical education at Western University of Health Sciences. She completed her Adult/General Psychiatry residency at Loma Linda University and continued her training in psychiatry at UC San Diego in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry program. She is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Western University of Health Sciences. Her leadership roles include being Chair of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee at the Department of State Hospital Coalinga.
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Robin Hatam, D.O.
Dr. Hatam will lead CalOptima Health’s efforts to improve care for members with chronic and end-stage kidney disease, as well as support CalOptima Health’s network and hospital relations. He is a board-certified internist with experience working for prominent Medi-Cal and Medicare Advantage organizations. Dr. Hatam has been in many leadership roles, including Regional Medical Officer overseeing a large complex Medicare population and National Medical Director for Stars/HEDIS quality measures. In addition, Dr. Hatam developed and supported several programs at a Medi-Cal health plan where he served as a Medical Director overseeing concurrent review. He was also a practicing hospitalist caring for patients in Orange County. Dr. Hatam holds a bachelor's degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Western University of Health Sciences. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at Los Angeles General Medical Center + University of Southern California Medical Center.
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Claus Hecht, M.D.
Dr. Hecht is an emergency medicine specialist. He joins CalOptima Health in a new Medical Director position focused on serving those in our Street Medicine program. Dr. Hecht was most recently the Medical Director at the Orange County Fire Authority, a position he held since 2017. Prior to that, he served in emergency rooms across Southern California, including Corona Regional Medical Center, West Anaheim Medical Center, Western Medical Center Santa Ana and Eisenhower Medical Center and has more than 24 years of experience in the medical field. He received his medical degree from Saint Louis University School of Medicine and a bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine.
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CalOptima Health, Leaders Celebrate National Health Center Week | | |
International Overdose Awareness Day | |
August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day — join us in remembering those we’ve lost to drug overdose, acknowledging the grief of the family and friends left behind, and renewing our commitment to end overdose. According to the Orange County Health Care Agency, the rate of deaths attributed to opioid overdoses in the county has nearly tripled between 2017 and 2021. To protect our members against the tragic effects of the opioid epidemic, CalOptima Health’s Board of Directors recently approved spending $15 million from financial reserves to purchase and distribute life-saving naloxone, a medication that can restore breathing while waiting for emergency personnel to deliver care to someone experiencing a potential overdose situation caused by opioids, such as fentanyl, heroin or prescribed opioid medications.
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Share Medi-Cal Renewal Messages | |
Medi-Cal renewal is in full swing. Recent data from SSA shows that only 50% of households have returned their Medi-Cal renewal paperwork leaving them vulnerable to losing their coverage. You can help spread awareness by using CalOptima Health’s communications toolkit. The toolkit includes information and resources about the renewal process you can share with members and community stakeholders through your communication and social media pages. Thank you for your help!
DHCS published a new interactive Medi-Cal dashboard detailing statewide and county-level demographic data on Medi-Cal application processing, enrollments, redeterminations, and renewal outcomes. DHCS will update, and continue to adjust, the dashboard monthly throughout the remainder of the year-long redetermination process.
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Addressing the Opioid Crisis | |
Join the OC Health Care Agency for an in-person forum on Addressing the Opioid Crisis on Wednesday, August 30 from 6:30-8 p.m. The forum will help raise awareness of the increase of opioid misuse and the rise of fentanyl overdose deaths. Click here to register.
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Congressman Lou Correa’s Caregiver Resource Fair in Anaheim | |
Join Congressman Lou Correa's Caring for Caregivers Resource Fair event. The event will be held on Saturday, September 9 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. at Downtown Anaheim Community Service Center (250 E. Center St., Anaheim).
The event will offer families:
- Caregiver resources and special guest speakers
- Refreshments and TLC services
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Orange County United Way Acquires 2-1-1 Orange County | Orange County United Way has acquired 2-1-1 Orange County (211OC), a resource to residents in need of free or low-cost social services, including housing, food assistance, and other resources offered by local nonprofits and government agencies. Callers are connected to an Information & Referral Specialist, and assistance is offered in more than 206 languages. The service is expected to reach further into the community with the backing of Orange County United Way’s network of staff, volunteers, supporters and partner agencies. | | |
AlertOC is a mass notification system designed to keep Orange County, California residents and businesses informed of emergencies that may require immediate lifesaving actions. By registering with AlertOC, time-sensitive voice messages from the County or City in which you live or work may be sent to your home, cell, or business phone. Text messages may also be sent to cell phones. Click here to sign-up. | |  |
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OCDE Civic Learning Institute | |
The Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) is hosting a three-day Civic Learning Institute on September 12, 21, 2023 and April 25, 2024 as an opportunity to collaborate with teachers and administrators from local public, charter and private schools to broaden their understanding of the knowledge, skills and dispositions students need to become civic ready.
- Participants will learn how to support classroom relationships and social awareness.
- Participants will synthesize structures for encouraging academic conversations and speaking skills.
- Participants will develop a civic engagement project for their classroom or school.
K-12 Teachers and administrators are welcome to register and participate in the three-day series.
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CalOptima Health, A Public Agency www.caloptima.org
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