February 2011 Issue

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Metropolitan Mental Health Stakeholders approves 2011 legislative agenda

In January, the Metropolitan Mental Health Stakeholders (MMHS) approved its 2011 Missouri legislative agenda, which outlines priorities the MMHS will focus on during the 2011 legislative session. MMHS members share a common goal of working collaboratively to provide high-quality and comprehensive psychiatric, alcohol and drug abuse, and developmental disability behavioral health services in a cost-effective manner.

2011 Missouri Legislative Agenda:

• Preserve 2010 Missouri Department of Mental Health funding for community-based Alcohol and Drug Addiction (ADA), Comprehensive Psychiatric Services (CPS) and Developmental Disability (DD) services
• Maintain and expand Medicaid funding for ADA, CPS and DD services
• Keep Missouri Department of Mental Health as the mental health authority for the state according to the constitution
• Do not put services for the seriously mentally ill, the developmentally disabled and those suffering from serious addictions under commercial managed care. These services are already properly managed by local nonprofits and the Department of Mental Health.

MMHS Advocacy Principles:

1. Develop an organized communication strategy to convey the MMHS public policy agenda
2. Partner with other behavioral health advocates and physical health organizations
3. Identify opportunities to increase advocacy effectiveness and increase collaborative efforts

The MMHS's legislative committee is chaired by Theresa Reyes-Cummings, director of program development with Jackson County Community Mental Health Levy Fund.

Mental Health Stakeholders' System Change Committee finalizes charter

The newly formed System Change Committee is finalizing its charter and structure. The committee will be a formal planning and advisory body charged with developing recommendations and assessing transformational initiatives to enhance behavioral health care for children in the Kansas City region. The committee is part of the original design of the Children's Enhancement Project and will advise the Metropolitan Mental Health Stakeholders.

Structure:

• The System Change Committee will be comprised of executive level leaders that can commit resources, state-level leadership and front-line staff members who regularly address the needs of the region's children with behavioral health issues.
• A committee chair will be elected annually.
• The Regional Health Care Initiative will provide staff support.
• The committee will communicate with Kansas providers as needed.
• The committee will continue to seek guidance and develop new ideas.
• The committee will seek input from parents, guardians and other family members

Definitions:

• Region: Northwest Missouri Department of Mental Health region.
• Children: Birth through age 21.
• Metropolitan Mental Health Stakeholders: Regional committee of behavioral health stakeholders that meet monthly to address critical issues affecting vulnerable populations.
• Behavioral Health: Services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental illness and drug and alcohol addictions.

Guiding Principles:

• Committee-recommended initiatives will be evidence-based.
• Recommendations will be made based on what is good for the children.
• Initiatives will be family- and child-centered.
• Initiatives will be focused on the holistic needs of the child.

The committee meets the second Monday of every month at 3 p.m. at the Mid-America Regional Council. If you are interested in participating in this committee please contact Jody Denson.

Swope Health South clinic now open to public

On Jan. 28, Swope Health South held a grand opening at 8825 Troost Ave., Kansas City, Mo., and is now accepting new patients in the south Kansas City area. Swope Health Services is committed to providing individuals and our communities with the best health care possible. Services provided include family medicine, physical exams, laboratory services, pregnancy testing, well-baby checkups and immunizations.

New data provides more complete picture of health coverage and assessment

Two important sets of information on health issues have recently been made available. The first is a report commissioned by the REACH Healthcare Foundation and produced by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC). The second is a set of data from the Missouri Hospital Association covering preventable hospitalizations and behaviors and outcomes.

Last year the REACH Healthcare Foundation commissioned MARC to develop a regional health analysis to help inform their strategic planning process, with two principle sections. The first analyzed newly available American Community Survey data from 2008 that included detailed information on health coverage and the makeup of the populations that are covered or uninsured. The second part of the study compiled available demographic, health and health access data — most of which was available at the county level. The report concluded that there is an extensive population of medically vulnerable people in the Kansas City area — 445,000 persons uninsured or on Medicaid, or 25 percent of the total population — rising poverty, obesity and diabetes rates were of concern, and that there are considerable health disparities across counties. The report and county health profileswill be updated every other year. MARC Regional Health Care Assessment

The Missouri Hospital Association has released two sets of county level health data, including Kansas counties in the Kansas City metro area. The first is a report on preventable hospitalizations and the second is on behaviors and outcomes. These reports were prepared to help hospitals and other not-for-profit health care entities fulfill their federal community assessment reporting requirements. The reports will be updated every three years. Assessing the Health of Our Communities

eHealthAlign continues to make progress

The eHealthAlign (eHA) Board continues its work to serve as the regional health information exchange for the Kansas City area and 25 surrounding counties.

• Discussions are underway with multiple hospitals in the Kansas City area about participation in the eHA Health Information Exchange. Contract discussions with one major hospital continued throughout January, and a final agreement was submitted by eHA for hospital approval.
• eHA is in the final stages of bringing a permanent CEO on board.
• eHA is working with Kansas Health Information Network (KHIN), the new statewide health information exchange in Kansas, to finalize agreements for centralized help-desk services in Kansas and for Missouri counties supported by eHA. The help desk will provide day-to-day customer support. Significant financial savings may be achieved if the eHA help-desk function can be centralized using KHIN services.
• All other functions that a health information exchange supports will continue under the direction of eHA.

For additional information please contact Jason Mitchell, M.D., eHA board chair, at 913-906-6000.