2022 CPCA Virtual Symposia: Focused Learning and Engagement on Timely Topics
Workforce Symposium
CPCA hosted the second annual Workforce Symposium to bring experts and partners across the state to discuss new and innovative solutions for complex and multi-layered healthcare workforce challenges. This year’s sessions focused on building community health centers (CHCs) as employers of choice; creating integrative, multi-disciplinary, and diverse care teams; and leveraging legislation and policies to develop the healthcare workforce. The event featured six virtual sessions over the course of three days where participants engaged in breakout sessions and learned from experts and each other. For example, the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) joined us to talk about building strategic workforce plans and health professions training programs. CHCs such as Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, La Clinica de la Raza, and Vista Community Clinic built on that discussion and described their approaches to “growing their own” allied health staff. They walked participants through the development of their Community Health Worker, Dental Assistant, and Medical Assistant training programs. In addition, the symposium offered virtual networking opportunities to further enhance engagement and share a variety of resources to support CHC workforce goals.
Emergency Preparedness Symposium
CPCA's 2022 Emergency Preparedness Symposium was designed to disseminate best practices and share innovative projects that directly relate to emergency preparedness at community health centers (CHCs). The three-day event’s theme was Diversifying our Preparedness, and featured interactive and engaging workshops relevant to today’s emergency preparedness environment.
Session highlights included Shasta Community Health Center’s COO, Brandon Thornock, who spoke about the challenges faced during wildfires and snowstorms, lessons learned, and resources they have put in place to better prepare for natural disasters in the future. Health Center Partners’ Director of Operations, DJ Phalen, led an engaging session on preparing for and responding in an active shooter situation; focusing on mindset, situational awareness and how to personally respond. The event concluded with Sonoma Valley Community Health Center’s CIO, Jacob Smith, leading a discussion-based seminar on executing an exercise specifically designed to examine capacities and capabilities to plan for, respond to, and recover from a cybersecurity incident.
Compliance Symposium
CPCA held the third annual Health Center Compliance Symposium in early March of this year. This program is designed to provide health center compliance staff with knowledge and resources to support robust compliance programs at their health centers.
This year’s event took place virtually across three days and offered multiple group learning sessions for attendees to hear directly from industry experts as well as network with and learn from their peers. HealthRIGHT360’s Deputy Chief of Compliance Cris Navarro presented on Supporting and Enhancing Compliance Initiatives, which focused on how health centers can utilize tactics learned through the COVID-19 pandemic to create and improve their compliance efforts in a virtual environment. Other session highlights included presentations and resources to support effective internal monitoring and auditing, staying current with HIPAA compliance, clinical documentation and improvement, and navigating compliance with substance use disorder records laws.