Reflecting on two years of progress and a decade of Legacy Health Partners
By Albert Chaffin, MD
Medical Director, Legacy Health Partners
Medical Director, Telehealth
This month marks the tenth anniversary of the inaugural Legacy Health Partners (LHP) board meeting, offering a perfect opportunity to reflect on our shared accomplishments. Since October 2022, when I began my role as LHP Medical Director, we have made significant strides in improving provider access to our online resources, educational opportunities, a continued focus on DEI, and network performance, all of which help us meet our goal of better patient care.
One of our major achievements has been the growth in popularity of the Clinical Collaboration Series, which has fostered a culture of continuous learning and professional development. Topics we have covered include psychiatric treatment in primary care, obesity management, diabetes care, and surgical supply standardization. Notably, our recent session on menopause garnered over 200 registrants—our largest turnout to date—underscoring the importance of these discussions to our providers.
I have made it a point to meet providers at their clinics in person or virtually. This ongoing collaboration with our clinics, spearheaded by the Provider Outreach and Engagement team, has deepened partnerships across our network. These visits have revealed key areas for process improvement and helped to build stronger ties with our providers. The Quality and Performance Improvement (QPI) team has also played a crucial role in adding value and offering complimentary services like collecting data behind the scenes, which reduces the administrative burden on staff, while improving the accuracy of performance metrics. This is a key factor in our providers receiving credit for their hard work and impacts their eligibility for shared savings.
As we reflect on these achievements, it is also important to highlight our commitment to a continued focus on determinants of health equity. We have woven health equity into the fabric of what we do at LHP – from creating new quality measures, reviewing current metrics, focusing on underserved populations to make actionable change, and creating a board and committees with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
At this milestone, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the dedication and hard work of our LHP team. Together, we have made remarkable progress, and I am confident we will continue achieving remarkable things in the years to come. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to excellence and for being an integral part of our journey.
Network Spotlight: Breast cancer awareness month
One in eight women get breast cancer. Nearly all survive when it’s caught early. That’s why we recommend mammography to all women over 40.
All Legacy Breast Health Centers have earned the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers accreditation for excellence and are designated by the American College of Radiology as Breast Imaging Centers of Excellence.
A 3-D mammogram is the best tool for early breast cancer detection. The exam experience is the same whether it’s 2-D or 3-D screening. But the 3-D results allow doctors to see tumors that may have otherwise been hidden and reduce false alarms. We have nine convenient 3-D mammography locations throughout Portland and Vancouver. Find one close to you and schedule your appointment today.
If additional tests are needed, we use advanced, non-invasive technologies to screen for breast cancer, including:
- Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI)
- MRI
- Ultrasound
- 3-D Ultrasound
Your patients can call directly for an appointment:
503-413-7800 (Oregon)
360-487-1800 (Washington)
Legacy Health also offers a High Risk and Genetics clinic for individuals with a high risk of developing certain cancers. Here they have access to specially trained providers with expertise in a broad range of cancer risk assessments, genetic counseling and screening management. Our goal is to provide patients with the best preventive care and early cancer detection. Please call the High Risk and Genetic Counseling office for more information or to schedule a visit.
Providers can refer in Epic or can:Call: 503-413-6534
Fax: 503-413-7491
Recording available for Clinical Collaboration event on Menopause
Earlier this month, LHP hosted another great Clinical Collaboration event: It's Getting Hot in Here: Navigating the Latest Strategies for Managing Menopause. This informative session was led by three women’s health physicians: Jennifer Lin, MD from Women’s Healthcare Associates Northwest Gynecology Center – Tualatin, Michelle Sang, MD from Synergy Women’s Health Care, and Lara Williams, MD from The Oregon Clinic Obstetrics and Gynecology North.
If you missed it, or want to watch it again, a recording of the event is now available and is included in LHP’s Resource Library.
And for those who want to learn more about menopause, a new documentary film called “The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause” premiered on PBS October 17, ahead of World Menopause Day. This film breaks new ground as the first-ever broadcast film accredited to provide Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits. The film confronts the healthcare system's neglect of menopause, offering evidence-based solutions for managing symptoms and empowering women to thrive during this pivotal life stage. It also highlights disparities faced by Black and Brown women in accessing appropriate care.
Quality Corner: Patient education for respiratory symptoms
It’s the time of year when we begin to see an uptick of respiratory illness. Now is a great time to provide information regarding vaccination, prevention and when to seek care for respiratory illness at patient touch points. Some recommendations:
- Room signage regarding universal precautions and when/where to seek care.
- Phone hold messages with immunization information.
- Use reminders in your EHR to prompt providers and staff to ask about vaccination status.
- Utilize your EHR to pull high-risk patient lists for outreach via phone, text or portal.
- If you use online check in, add vaccination status to pre-visit questionnaires.
- Update your website with patient education, including when to seek care.
- Immunize.org is a great website for patient and staff education, VIS forms, official CDC vaccine schedule guidance (including catch up schedules), and practice support tools such as standing orders templates for vaccination.
Click here for a few resources to help your patients stay healthy.
Better Health Program
Legacy Virtual Care Clinic now seeing patients
Announcements, deadlines, and reminders
- Final financial results are in for 2023, and our clinically integrated network earned nearly $1.1 million in shared savings! LHP will be distributing earnings based on your results in LHP’s performance measures to your practice via direct deposit and your outreach advisor will share specific performance and earning details. Click here for the 2023 Impact Summary to see our collective accomplishments and the impact we made on both cost and quality.
- Apply for an LHP Quality Award - Last call for practices to submit an improvement project you have been working on for our annual LHP Quality Awards. We want to recognize your entire staff for your hard work and help share information and ideas across our entire network. Download the application form and submit it by October 31. LHP provides financial awards to the top three winners ($2000, $1500, $1000 respectively) to help support your efforts and recognize clinics by delivering team treats, awards, and sharing how practices implemented improvements so other practices can try similar strategies. We look forward to hearing about your projects and celebrating your results. Good luck!
- Open LHP Board and Committee Seats - Help lead LHP in our next phase and apply by Nov. 1 for a seat on the board of managers or one of our three board committees: Clinical Collaboration and Performance Improvement; Finance and Contracting; and Quality and Membership. The LHP board of managers and board committees strive for diversity in representation and we encourage applications from people of color, women, and those in the LGBTQI+ community. Responsibilities for each role are outlined within the application packet, meetings are held virtually, and board and committee members receive an annual stipend for their service. Thank you for your time and consideration!
- Providers still have time to choose one Learning Module from LHP’s video library to watch by December 31 if you have not done one already. Modules include clinically relevant information from subject matter experts on a wide range of topics. The videos are between 15-30 minutes and contribute toward your CI score which determines the amount of money you earn from LHP’s incentive program for 2024.
- Remember to bookmark the LHP Resource Library in your internet browser for quick access to measure toolkits, workflows, and patient outreach and education to help you choose the right care at the right time in the right place.
