Optimus Health Care Inc

HEALTH CENTER CLUSTER

HEALTH CENTER CLUSTER

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING FOR HEALTH CENTERS

OP EARLY INTERVENTION SVCS W/RESPECT TO HIV DISEASE

OP EARLY INTERVENTION SVCS W/RESPECT TO HIV DISEASE

ARRA - CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

HEALTH CENTER CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT FUNDING

HEALTH CENTER INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FUND - JUSTICE INVOLVED - IN OPERATION SINCE 1976, OPTIMUS HEALTH CARE, INC. (OPTIMUS) IS A PATIENT CENTERED FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER THAT CONTINUOUSLY GROWS ITS NETWORK THROUGHOUT MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREAS IN FAIRFIELD AND NEW HAVEN COUNTIES, CONNECTICUT (CT). FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS, OPTIMUS HAS BEEN PART OF THE TRANSITIONS CLINIC NETWORK (TCN), A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO ELIMINATING RACIAL HEALTH AND ECONOMIC DISPARITIES CAUSED BY MASS INCARCERATION. OPTIMUS’ TRANSITION CLINIC ANNUALLY SERVES ABOUT 50 JUSTICE-INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS REENTERING (JI-R) THE COMMUNITY AFTER INCARCERATION. THE STATE OF REENTRY 2024 REPORT, EXAMINING THE CT DEPT OF CORRECTION (DOC) CENSUS AS OF JUNE 1, 2023, HIGHLIGHTS MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCY, AND HOUSING CHALLENGES FACED BY RETURNING CITIZENS. AMONG THOSE WITH SENTENCES ENDING WITHIN 6 MONTHS: 93% REPORTEDLY HAD A SUBSTANCE USE PROBLEM (48% SERIOUS OR EXTREMELY SERIOUS); 37% HAD A MODERATE TO SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER; 74% WERE ASSESSED AS NEEDING SOME LEVEL OF NURSING CARE. BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HISPANIC/LATINX ARE OVERREPRESENTED WITHIN CT’S PRISONS. THE CT PRISON POPULATION WAS 42% BLACK, 29% WHITE AND 28% HISPANIC, WITH MEN COMPRISING 88% AND WOMEN 2%. THIS PROJECT WILL DEMONSTRATE INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION WITH CT’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO ENHANCE THE CONTINUITY OF CARE FOR JI-R INDIVIDUALS. THE PROJECT WILL BE SUPPORTED BY TCN TO PROMOTE EXISTING EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS AND STRENGTHEN PRE-RELEASE PLANNING AND CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION. THE MODEL OF CARE IS DESIGNED TO CT’S PRISON LANDSCAPE. AS A SMALL STATE, CT IS COMPARABLE IN SIZE TO MANY STATE COUNTIES. CONSEQUENTLY, ITS PRISONS OPERATE BASED ON FUNCTIONALITY RATHER THAN GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. FOR EXAMPLE, WITHIN OPTIMUS’ HRSA APPROVED SERVICE AREA, THE BRIDGEPORT CORRECTIONAL CENTER HOLDS MANY PRE-TRIAL INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD NOT BE THE SUBJECT OF THIS OPPORTUNITY. OPTIMUS’ CARCERAL PARTNER INCLUDES BRIDGEPORT CORRECTIONAL CENTER AND IS NEGOTIATING WITH DOC TO IDENTIFY JI-R INDIVIDUALS ACROSS CT RETURNING TO OPTIMUS SERVICE AREA. A SPECIAL EMPHASIS IS ON ADDRESSING THE HEALTHCARE NEEDS OF JI-R WOMEN GIVEN THE LACK OF SERVICES IN THE GREATER BRIDGEPORT AREA FOR THIS POPULATION. THE PROJECT WILL ENHANCE PARTNERSHIPS WITH CURRENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT INCLUDE CAREER RESOURCES INC. (CRI), A STATEWIDE LEADER IN RE-ENTRY PROGRAMS AND EMPLOYMENT WITH STRONG TIES TO DOC. CRI WILL COLLABORATE WITH DISCHARGE PLANNERS, COURT ADMINISTRATORS, AND PROBATION DEPARTMENTS, AND CONDUCT OUTREACH WITHIN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES TO COMPILE LISTS OF PATIENTS SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE WITHIN 90 DAYS. CRI WILL ALSO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS TRANSITIONING TO DOC HALFWAY HOUSES FOR FOLLOW-UP. WITHIN 30 DAYS OF RELEASE, A CASE MANAGER WILL MEET THE JI-R INDIVIDUAL IN THE CARCERAL OR COMMUNITY SUPERVISED SETTING TO ASSESS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, INCLUDING INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE SCREENING, HEALTH INSURANCE STATUS, FOOD ASSISTANCE, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND OTHER REFERRALS. THE CASE MANAGER, PAIRED WITH A NURSE, WILL PERFORM CLINICAL ASSESSMENTS, RAPID HIV AND HCV TESTING IF NEEDED. THE NURSE WILL COORDINATE APPOINTMENTS WITH OPTIMUS MEDICAL PROVIDERS AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS VIA TELEHEALTH. PATIENTS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS WILL BE REFERRED TO RECOVERY NETWORK OF PROGRAMS, A SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT CENTER IN OPERATION FOR 50 YEARS. SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY'S COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS WILL SUPPORT THE PROJECT BY PROVIDING AN ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE FOR 8 HOURS PER WEEK AND SUPERVISING DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE OR FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER STUDENTS FOR ADDED CAPACITY. UPON RELEASE, THE PATIENT WILL BE ESTABLISHED AS A PATIENT AT OPTIMUS OR BE PROVIDED A WARM HAND OFF TO A HEALTH CENTER LOCATED WHERE THE JI-R INDIVIDUAL WILL RESIDE. PROJECT COSTS INCLUDE STAFFING (CASE MANAGER, NURSE, PROGRAM DIRECTOR) OUTREACH SERVICES (CRI), TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TCN), AND TECHNOLOGY.

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

FY 2020 EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR CORONAVIRUS TESTING (ECT)

ARRA - INCREASE SERVICES TO HEALTH CENTERS

FY 2023 EXPANDING COVID-19 VACCINATION

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT PATIENT CENTERED MEDICAL HOME FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS GRANT PROGRAM

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (ACA) GRANTS FOR SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS CAPITAL PROGRAM

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS - ABSTRACT SUMMARY OPTIMUS HEALTH CARE (OPTIMUS) PROPOSES TO UTILIZE CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDS UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT CATEGORY TO ENHANCE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS BY INTEGRATING ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD (EHR) SYSTEMS WITH HIV DATA. THIS INITIATIVE AIMS TO ADDRESS CRITICAL GAPS IN OPTIMUS’ CURRENT SYSTEMS, PARTICULARLY THE LACK OF SEAMLESS INTEGRATION BETWEEN EPIC AND CAREWARE, WHICH HAS LED TO MANUAL DATA ENTRY, INEFFICIENCIES, AND ERRORS. BY DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN, OPTIMUS SEEKS TO ENSURE CONTINUITY OF CARE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV (PLWH) DURING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES AND NATURAL DISASTERS, SUCH AS HURRICANES, FLOODS, AND DISEASE OUTBREAKS. THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON ELIMINATING DOUBLE ENTRIES, IMPROVING DATA ACCURACY, AND STRENGTHENING ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO CRISES, ENSURING THAT VULNERABLE POPULATIONS CONTINUE TO RECEIVE UNINTERRUPTED CARE AND SUPPORT. THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY INCLUDES SEVERAL KEY COMPONENTS: CONDUCTING AN ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT TO IDENTIFY VULNERABILITIES, DEVELOPING AN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN TAILORED TO PLWH, INTEGRATING EPIC AND CAREWARE SYSTEMS TO AUTOMATE DATA SYNCHRONIZATION, AND TRAINING STAFF ON EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS. OPTIMUS WILL ALSO COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS THE GREATER BRIDGEPORT CARE CONSORTIUM, TO COORDINATE RESPONSE EFFORTS AND ENSURE A RESILIENT SYSTEM OF CARE. ADDITIONALLY, THE INVOLVEMENT OF PLWH THROUGH FOCUS GROUPS AND A PATIENT ADVISORY BOARD WILL ENSURE THAT THE PLAN IS PATIENT-CENTERED AND RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. TO ADDRESS POTENTIAL CHALLENGES, SUCH AS TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES IN INTEGRATING EPIC AND CAREWARE, OPTIMUS WILL ENGAGE A THIRD-PARTY DEVELOPER WITH PROVEN EXPERTISE IN EHR INTEGRATION. THE ORGANIZATION WILL ALSO IMPLEMENT MITIGATION STRATEGIES, INCLUDING PILOT TESTING, DATA VALIDATION, AND REGULAR AUDITS, TO ENSURE DATA ACCURACY AND SYSTEM EFFECTIVENESS. FURTHERMORE, OPTIMUS WILL EXPAND TELEHEALTH SERVICES AND ESTABLISH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO MAINTAIN CONTINUITY OF CARE DURING EMERGENCIES. THE PROJECT WILL BE EVALUATED USING KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS), SUCH AS THE PERCENTAGE OF PLWH RECEIVING UNINTERRUPTED CARE DURING EMERGENCIES, STAFF READINESS DURING DRILLS, AND REDUCTIONS IN MANUAL DATA ENTRY ERRORS. QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK FROM PLWH AND STAFF, COLLECTED THROUGH TOOLS LIKE QUALTRICS, WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS TO REFINE AND IMPROVE THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN. BY INTEGRATING THE PLAN INTO ITS ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY, SECURING DIVERSE FUNDING SOURCES, AND LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY, OPTIMUS WILL ENSURE THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE INITIATIVE, ULTIMATELY ENHANCING THE RESILIENCE OF THE RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM AND IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR PLWH IN BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS - PORTIA HOWARD WILL BE THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR OUR CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT -ADVANCING INTEGRATION OF HIV PRIMARY CARE WITH ORAL HEALTH – A KEY STRATEGY FOR HIV CARE INNOVATION AT OPTIMUS HEALTH CARE. MS. HOWARD IS CURRENTLY THE HIV PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR OPTIMUS HEALTH CARE. THE PRIMARY SITES OF THE PROJECT WILL BE LOCATED AT 982 EAST MAIN STREET AND 471 BARNUM AVENUE IN BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT. REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ON THIS PROPOSAL SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO ALEXANDRA MCGOLDRICK, CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: (203) 520-9865, EMAIL: AMCGOLDRICK@OPTHC.ORG. OPTIMUS HEALTH CARE (OPTIMUS) PLANS TO USE CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDS UNDER 1) HIV CARE INNOVATION FOR DEVELOPING STRATEGIES, POLICIES, AND PROCEDURES TO IMPROVE CARE COORDINATION AND INTEGRATION OF HIV PRIMARY CARE WITH ORAL HEALTH. OUR PROPOSED ACTIVITY WILL EXPAND ACCESS TO ORAL HEALTHCARE FOR LOW INCOME, UNINSURED, AND UNDERSERVED PEOPLE WITH HIV BY OPTIMIZING OUR USE OF A MOBILE VAN AND OTHER SITE FACILITIES AND BY DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE WORKFLOWS AND ESTABLISHING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO TRACK AND COORDINATE REFERRALS FOR ORAL HEALTH. BASED ON 2022 TRACKING, ONLY 30% OF OPTIMUS’ 247 RWHAP PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED ORAL HEALTH CARE WHICH IS CITED AS ONE OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY UNMET NEEDS. OUR PROPOSED METHODS TO ADDRESS THE STATED ORAL HEALTH NEEDS OF OUR RWHAP CLIENTS INCLUDES UNDERSTANDING THE BARRIERS SUCH AS FINANCIAL CONCERNS, STIGMA, PATIENT FEAR AND DISCOMFORT WITH DENTISTS, AND LOW HEALTH LITERACY AND LACK OF EDUCATION ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HEALTH. OPTIMUS WILL ENGAGE A TEAM OF INTERNAL EXPERTISE TO HELP ANALYZE OUR CURRENT WORKFLOW AND MITIGATE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING ORAL HEALTH SO WE CAN ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR INTEGRATION OF CARE. THE TEAM WILL BE HEADED BY OUR DENTAL DIRECTOR AND WILL BE ASSISTED BY THE HIV LEAD CASE MANAGER IN COORDINATION WITH THE QUALITY & TRANSFORMATION OFFICER AND HEALTHCARE ANALYTICS DELIVERY SPECIALIST TO MONITOR P ERFORMANCE. OUR CLINICAL DIRECTOR FOR LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO BE ADVISING ON THE WORKFLOW TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE TRAINING FOR THE STAFF. OUR GOAL IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF RWHAP PATIENTS WHO ACCESS ORAL HEALTH FROM 30% TO 50% AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM PERIOD. THE PROJECTS’ OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: 1) EVALUATE CURRENT ORAL HEALTH SERVICES AND PROVIDE APPROPRIATE TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR CLINICAL AND OTHER STAFF IN DEVELOPING THE EXPERTISE TO MANAGE ORAL HEALTH CARE FOR PWHA; 2) IMPROVE CLIENT FLOW BY ESTABLISHING LINKAGES AND REFERRALS TO HIV MEDICAL CARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO ENSURE A CONTINUUM OF CARE; 3) ESTABLISH THE USE OF A MOBILE CLINIC TO IMPROVE PROXIMITY TO CARE; 4) ENHANCED INVOLVEMENT OF PLWH IN SERVICE DELIVERY; 5) INCREASED EDUCATION ON IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HEALTH; 6) INSTITUTE PERFORMANCE MEASURES TO ENSURE A CONTINUUM OF ORAL HEALTH. OPTIMUS IS REQUESTING $150,000 TO SUPPORT THE STAFFING REQUIRED TO ADVANCE THIS CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FOR THE PERIOD OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2024.

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS

FY 2023 BRIDGE ACCESS PROGRAM

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS

FY 2020 CORONAVIRUS SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR HEALTH CENTERS

RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM PART C EIS COVID-19 RESPONSE

SPECIAL PROJECTS OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE