MPCA Annual Conference

Resilience 2.0: Thriving on all Cylinders

This year’s annual conference comes during a time of great uncertainty for us all. As Community Health Centers face the fallout of COVID-19 in many areas – from financial stability, to patient outcomes, to the social and emotional toll it has taken, there is a great need to focus on resilience and recovery in these times.

CHCs are on the front lines of this pandemic each and every day. Our conference this year will weave together the theme of resilience with sessions on payment reform, security risk assessment in the face of increased virtual care, using a Trauma-Informed lens to look at organizational and individual wellness, as well as using Trauma-Informed care to guide us through the staggering health disparities that COVID-19 has laid bare for our Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community in Maine.

Virtual sessions will take place every Thursday in October. Sessions will include:

October 1: The Role of FQHCs in American Healthcare

Our healthcare system is in crisis, and FQHCs must adapt by adopting reforms. Join us as our keynote speaker, Mark Friedberg, MD, MPP, Senior Vice President of Performance Measurement and Improvement, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts, opens Resilience 2.0: Thriving on all Cylinders with a broad discussion on professional satisfaction and the role of FQHCs in American Healthcare. He will highlight the benefits and challenges of value-based care, demonstrate the issues of provider burnout, and the interconnectedness of organizational resiliency. Dr. Friedberg comes to us from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts, after having spent over 10 years as a health services researcher at the RAND Corporation.

October 8: Improving Health Center Cybersecurity
Patients and health centers use and depend on technology more and more each day. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend and introduced additional technologies to solve emerging problems, such as remote monitoring for patients with chronic disease. As technology becomes more integrated to address both current and future needs, it becomes critically important to ensure that patients’ data remains secured. You won’t want to miss Cybersecurity Lead Nathan Botts, PhD, MSIS, Senior Study Director – Healthcare Delivery Research & Evaluation, HITEQ Center, as he reviews health center cybersecurity requirements and provides recommendations and strategies for assessing risk and improving cybersecurity policies and procedures.

October 15: MPCA Board Orientation
MPCA Leadership and Staff will present a Board Orientation, available only to MPCA Board Members. This session will cover topics such as the history of the Community Health Center (CHC) movement, the role of the Primary Care Association (PCA), and an overview of specific programs unique to Maine’s PCA. There is no fee associated with this session, and we encourage all MPCA Board Members to attend.

October 22: Fostering Resilience – Trauma Informed Care and Self Care
It has become apparent that a mental health crisis is brewing in the US. Trauma, ACEs and a pandemic have created a toxic environment that providers and their patients must face. National Trauma Informed Care (TIC) expert Arabella Perez, LCSW, Assistant Clinical Professor, University of New England will open this session with a broad overview of Trauma Informed Healthcare and then narrow her focus for the second hour to discuss self-care techniques for the healthcare professional, utilizing a trauma-informed lens. She will also explore how TIC can help organizations and providers attend to self-care and community care, fostering resilience for both patients and providers.

October 29: Antiracist Healthcare and Health Equity
Our country has been convulsed by the awareness of systemic racism; health centers see first-hand the evidence of unequal healthcare outcomes based on race. In this session, Regina Phillips, MSW, Co-Founder and Consultant, Cross-Cultural Consulting and Arabella Perez, LCSW, Assistant Clinical Professor, University of New England will lead a discussion on the history of racism in health care, and how that legacy continues to affect care for black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). During the second hour, they will be joined by BIPOC healthcare providers who will discuss their personal experiences with healthcare equity and systemic racism and help participants to better understand the needs of this population as well as how providers and organizations can best work together to serve BIPOC in Maine, particularly as we face the dire COVID-19 disparities in our state; time will be provided for a robust Q&A.

Clinical & Administrative Excellence Awards will be presented on Oct. 1, 8, 22, and 29 

One of the highlights of our Annual Conference each year is our Clinical & Administrative Excellence Awards. With the continued uncertainties posed by COVID-19 keeping us from being together in person this year, we have planned something a little different to recognize our award winners for their leadership, dedication, and support of Maine’s Community Health Centers and their patients. There will be special award presentations during the first two and last two virtual sessions of our conference to celebrate the accomplishments of these outstanding individuals. If you are not planning on attending one of the sessions, but would like to join in the festivities, select the Awards Ceremony category when you complete your registration to receive the online links to join in the celebration.

Oct. 1
Behavioral Health Excellence Award
Unsung Hero Award #1
Unsung Hero Award #2

Oct. 8
Carol Eckert, MD Memorial Award
Clinical Support Excellence Award

Oct. 22
Community Champion Award
Excellence in Oral Health Award

Oct. 29
Nurse Practitioner Excellence Award
Holly Gartmayer-DeYoung President’s Award
MPCA Staff Award

Click HERE for the conference agenda.

CME, Dental CE, and CEU credits will be available pending approval.