Caring as Communities

Opioids remain a leading cause of death, but success at lowering these numbers is being found through the use of opioid bridge programs that connect individuals reporting to the ED for relief from an opioid addiction with next-day addiction recovery programs. 

Arianna Campbell and Dr. Loni Jay, two experts in the California Bridge Program share what successful bridge programs need in this month's episode of Caring As Communities. 

It's said that "it takes a village," and caring for vulnerable and complex patient populations is no exception.

Listen as Dr. Enrique Enguidanos discusses with Victor Murray, Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, and Cesar Armendariz, Inland Empire Health Plan, what makes an effective coalition, strategies for getting started, and how communities are pulling together the skilled and financial resources to make these coalitions a reality. 

Medical respite care tries to bridge the gap for homeless men and women who are too sick to be on the street or be in the shelter, but not sick enough to need to be in the hospital.

Dr. David Munson, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, and Andy McMahon, Vice President, Health and Human Services Policy UnitedHealthcare Community & State, discuss how to implement successful respite programs in this episode of Caring As Communities.

Homelessness remains a key issue for half a million people in the US each year, with the prolonged pandemic and subsequent unemployment and evictions suggesting that number could climb.

Rob McCann, CEO of Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington and Damián Mazzotta, Founder and Chairman of The Shower of Hope and Principle of The Long Term Partners share innovative programs Spokane and greater LA are using to address homelessness—and better care for our communities in need.


Panelists:


Rob McCann, CEO of Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington. 

Rob joined Catholic Charities in 2000 where he has worked in a number of positions and where he works now as CEO and President. He has spent his career with an emphasis on service, working 4 years with the Catholic Relief Services, 2 years as a Jesuit Volunteer in Oregon and Mexico, and one year in East LA as a Youth Advocate in Gang Alternative Programming. Rob is currently a Board Member and past Chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops  National Advisory Board. 

He also serves on various community boards, including Providence Health Care, Sacred Heart Medical Center Foundation, Jesuit Volunteers Corps Northwest, Nazareth Guild, and Spokane County United Way. He has his undergraduate in Political Science and American Studies from Fairfield University, his Masters degree in Organizational Studies, and his Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University.

Damián Mazzotta, Founder and Chairman of The Shower of Hope and Principle of The Long Term Partners. 

Damián came to the United States 8 years ago to run La Opinión, the largest Hispanic News Media Outlet in the Country. Since 2015, he has served as a board member and fundraiser for multiple education non-profit organizations that support the most vulnerable kids and families of Los Angeles. In 2017, he co-founded End Homelessness California, including The Shower of Hope Program, bringing his 20 years of business development and administration experience to the non-profit sector. Today, the program is the largest mobile hygiene and community engagement operation in a US County ever, serving 27 locations per week. The non-profit also operates Safe Parking Lot Programs providing case management, restrooms, and security to individuals and families who sleep in their cars. In August, and through an unprecedented partnership with Los Angeles Community College District, End Homelessness California also started a transitional housing program for homeless and at-risk youth to provide a holistic approach to support students.  

In the last decade, Damián has been recognized and featured among the top 500 most influential people in Los Angeles by LA Business Journal and received Social Justice and Social Entrepreneurship awards by Los Angeles City and County—as well as local community organizations like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted shortcomings in our systemic approach to homelessness. Join Dr. Jim O'Connell, Founder of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, and Bobby Watts, MPH, MS, CPH, and CEO, National Health Care for the Homeless Council as they discuss what needs to happen at local, state, and federal levels to better house and care for the health of these vulnerable individuals. CORRECTION:  At 44:44, the statistic should be "only one out of every four households that qualifies receives assistance."

The history of racism in medicine dates back to the early days of our country. But even today—generations later—disparities in health continue to impact communities of color as implicit bias, social determinants of health, and other factors get in the way of fair and equal care for all.

Join us for our two-part series—Addressing Racial Disparities in Health—as Dr. Terralon Knight, Board Certified Family Physician and CEO/Founder of Knight Coaching, Dr. John Vassall, MD, FACEP, and Physician Executive for Quality, Safety and Equity at Comagine Health, and Dr. Kellee Randle, MD, Hospitalist and CEO of Equity Ventures Plus discuss the history of racism in medicine.


Terralon Knight, MD,  CEO/Founder of Knight Coaching

Terralon C. Knight is Medical Director of a major health insurance company and CEO/Founder of Knight Coaching, LLC. She is a native of Mississippi and received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Tougaloo College. She obtained her medical degree from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and completed her family medicine residency at University of Texas at Houston. 

Dr. Knight has a passion for the underserved, with much of her career spent serving communities in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. She has been a Medical Director with United Healthcare for eight years and she professionally coaches medical professionals looking to move into leadership and administrative roles. When she’s not working, she enjoys traveling, photography, and family game nights with her husband and three children. 

John Vassall, MD, FACEP, and Physician Executive for Quality, Safety and Equity at Comagine Health.

John Vassall is the Physician Executive for Quality, Safety and Equity at Comagine Health. The product of an immigrant family and an inner-city childhood, Dr. Vassall has his Master of Science (Microbiology) and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of Washington and internal medicine training at Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta Georgia’s public hospital. 

He has been a pioneer in addressing racial disparities—opening a clinic for Black Americans in Seattle and serving in the 80s as the Chair of the Board for the Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center, the last currently operating medical clinic in the United States started by the Black Panther Party. In addition, he has served in many leadership roles on a statewide and national level, including serving as member of the Board of the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity.  

Kellee Randle, MD, Hospitalist and CEO of Equity Ventures Plus, LLC.


Dr. Kellee Randle (Doctor Kellee) is a board-certified physician in internal medicine. She received her doctor of osteopathic medicine from the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center in 2010, and went on to complete her internal medicine training at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2013. Currently, she is a hospitalist in Dallas, Texas.

As the founder and CEO of Equity Ventures Plus, LLC, her mission is to educate healthcare professionals about implicit bias and empower minority communities to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings. She is respected for her medical opinion and known for her ability to make complex medical concepts understandable for her audiences.

In her spare time, Doctor Kellee enjoys volunteering with medical missions, traveling, exercising, reading, and spending time with her family. She is also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

The history of racism in medicine dates back to the early days of our country. 

Join us for our two-part series—Addressing Racial Disparities in Health—as Dr. Terralon Knight, Board Certified Family Physician and CEO/Founder of Knight Coaching, Dr. John Vassall, MD, FACEP, and Physician Executive for Quality, Safety and Equity at Comagine Health, and Dr. Kellee Randle, MD, Hospitalist and CEO of Equity Ventures Plus discuss the history of racism in medicine.


Terralon Knight, MD,  CEO/Founder of Knight Coaching

Terralon C. Knight is Medical Director of a major health insurance company and CEO/Founder of Knight Coaching, LLC. She is a native of Mississippi and received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Tougaloo College. She obtained her medical degree from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and completed her family medicine residency at University of Texas at Houston. 

Dr. Knight has a passion for the underserved, with much of her career spent serving communities in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. She has been a Medical Director with United Healthcare for eight years and she professionally coaches medical professionals looking to move into leadership and administrative roles. When she’s not working, she enjoys traveling, photography, and family game nights with her husband and three children. 

John Vassall, MD, FACEP, and Physician Executive for Quality, Safety and Equity at Comagine Health.

John Vassall is the Physician Executive for Quality, Safety and Equity at Comagine Health. The product of an immigrant family and an inner-city childhood, Dr. Vassall has his Master of Science (Microbiology) and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of Washington and internal medicine training at Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta Georgia’s public hospital. 

He has been a pioneer in addressing racial disparities—opening a clinic for Black Americans in Seattle and serving in the 80s as the Chair of the Board for the Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center, the last currently operating medical clinic in the United States started by the Black Panther Party. In addition, he has served in many leadership roles on a statewide and national level, including serving as member of the Board of the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity.  

Kellee Randle, MD, Hospitalist and CEO of Equity Ventures Plus, LLC.


Dr. Kellee Randle (Doctor Kellee) is a board-certified physician in internal medicine. She received her doctor of osteopathic medicine from the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center in 2010, and went on to complete her internal medicine training at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2013. Currently, she is a hospitalist in Dallas, Texas.

As the founder and CEO of Equity Ventures Plus, LLC, her mission is to educate healthcare professionals about implicit bias and empower minority communities to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings. She is respected for her medical opinion and known for her ability to make complex medical concepts understandable for her audiences.

In her spare time, Doctor Kellee enjoys volunteering with medical missions, traveling, exercising, reading, and spending time with her family. She is also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Although the opioid epidemic has been a rising concern for years now, the solutions available for those struggling with substance use disorder are slow to follow. Increased regulation about Sensitive Information—combined with the stigma of addiction—has posed unique challenges in the field of Medication Assisted Treatment. 


Listen in as Dr. Enrique Enguidanos interviews Drs. Eric Ketcham and Gregg Miller to discuss what can be done to improve the MAT care available and key strategies for addressing the opioid epidemic. 


Special Guests: 

• Eric Ketcham, MD, MBA, FACEP, FASAM, FACHE, and Emergency Physician & Addiction Specialist at Presbyterian Healthcare Services
  
  
• Greg Miller, MD, FACEP, Chief Medical Officer at Vituity

Moderator:

Dr. Enrique Enguidanos, CEO, Founder, and practicing ED physician at Community Based Coordination Solutions

The CDC recently indicated that a new record was established in 2019, with 71,000 Americans dying of drug overdoses. Since then, social distancing, unemployment, and the subsequent depression and anxiety have lead to a spike in substance use disorder and overdoses.

Listen as we discuss what can be done to address the rise in substance use disorder in the wake of COVID-19.

Guests: 

•  Anne Zink, MD, FACEP and Chief Medical Officer for the State of Alaska 
  
  Anne grew up in Colorado and moved through her training from College in Philadelphia to Medical School at Stanford and then Residency at University at Utah. She then decided to take a leap of faith to try a job in Alaska for a few years. She fell in love with the people and the place, but also the medicine. Alaska is a small isolated microcosm on the US health care market where certain forces like the distance, lack of referral centers, and no managed care challenge individual providers to help create better systems of care that are directly related to bedside care. In 2016, she helped Alaska pass legislation similar to Washington state's "Seven Best Practices" and has been working closely with state and federal agencies since then to expand and extend its work to include VA, DOD, and IHS facilities (and more!). What she has loved about Alaska is that it matters more if you catch your own fish than which school you went to—which helps keep her love for the mountains, her family, and her friends a top priority.
  
  
  
  
• Hon. Nathaniel Schlicher, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP, St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Regional Director of Quality Assurance for Franciscan Health System and Associate Director of the TeamHealth Litigation Support Department.
  
  
  Nathan attended Law School and then Medical School at the University of Washington before completing an EM residency at Wright State in Dayton, Ohio, with board certification in Emergency Medicine. He recently completed his Masters in Business Administration with an emphasis in Health Care.
  
  
  As Legislative Affairs Chairman of the Washington State Chapter of Emergency Physicians, Dr. Schlicher spearheaded the “ER for Emergencies” program to replace the State’s plan to deny ER services to Medicaid patients. He created and has edited five editions of a textbook on the importance of advocacy by physicians, “The Emergency Medicine Advocacy Handbook.” He currently serves as President Elect of the Washington State Medical Association and is a Past President of the Washington Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He has previously served as the Legislative Advisor on the Board of Directors of the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association. He also spent a year in the Washington State Senate, representing the 26th District, where he continued his work on healthcare advocacy. He continues to work with interested parties on health policy topics, including renewed focus on the opiate and mental health crises affecting the state.
  
  
  

Learn the mental health challenges faced by providers across the country—including burnout and suicidal ideation—with the country's leaders in provider health research and advocacy.   


Special Guests:
 

• Bernard Chang, MD, PhD, FACEP and Vice Chair of Research and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center 
  
  
• Lisa Wolf, PhD, RN, CEN, FAEN, and Director, Emergency Nursing Research at the Emergency Nurses Association.

Moderators: 

• Kat McDavitt, Head of External Affairs at Collective Medical
  
  
• Dr. Enrique Enguidanos, CEO, founder, and practicing ED physician for Community Based Coordination Solutions