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2017 Community Benefits Report

Tracey KasnicA Message from Our Chief Nursing Officer

Confluence Health is committed to creating safer, healthier places to live, but that commitment does not stop where our properties do. For us to be successful, we need to reach out to the communities we call home.

Four years ago we created a blueprint for our community benefit efforts intended to address some of the most pressing health needs of the patients we serve. Along with community organizations, public health departments, families, donors and others, we have worked to:

  • Enhance access to mental and behavioral health
  • Improve access to quality healthcare
  • Prevent and treat obesity
  • Improve education
For us as a community to find success in this effort, cooperation is essential. That means partnering with other groups and people in our community so we effectively care for every patient who needs us. The successes highlighted in this report would not exist without the efforts of such partners. From opening a new clinic in Ephrata to hosting classes on everything from cooking to end of life decisions, we embark on all our outreach partnership efforts with the goal of meeting the needs of our patients, families, and communities.

While we are proud of the positive steps we have taken with and for our community, we acknowledge there is still so much to do to assure the well-being and vitality of our community. It’s a journey we are looking forward to.

As always, we will remain committed to our mission of improving our patients’ health by providing safe, high-quality care in a compassionate and cost-effective manner.

Sincerely,
Tracey Kasnic, MBA, BSN, RN, CENP

Chief Nursing Officer

Enhance Access to Mental and Behavioral HealthMental and behavior health

Our mental and behavioral health experts treat children with addiction, depression and other problems that affect their development, safety and well-being. In order to offer timely access to high quality, effective, behavioral health services that improve the medical outcomes for patients, we recently embarked on a significant expansion of our Behavioral Health Service Line.

Confluence Health is committing to enhance access to mental and behavioral health:

  • Recruiting new providers:
    • 5 new providers hired in 2017 to present
    • 19 new to Behavioral Health since 2016
  • 6 Post-doctoral residents onboarding summer of 2017
  • Continued integration of Behavioral Health into Primary Care services
  • 37.9% increase in patient visits in 2017

Improve Access to Quality HealthcareQuality healthcare

Access to health care impacts one’s overall physical, social, and mental health status and quality of life. Our commitment to providing high quality accessible healthcare has never been stronger. We focus on gaining entry into the health care system, accessing a location where needed health care services are provided (geographic availability), and finding a health care provider whom the patient trusts and can communicate with (personal relationship).

Confluence Health is committing to the following strategies to improve access to quality healthcare:

  • Expansion of new clinic in Ephrata, WA
  • Utilization of technology (MyChart & Telehealth)
  • Confluence Health employed 25 new providers in 2017
  • Confluence Health is currently recruiting for 45 provider positions
  • Expanded telehealth services (Cardiology, Behavioral Health, Women’s Health)

(Telehealth is a collection of means or methods for enhancing health care, public health, and health education delivery and support using telecommunications technologies. Telehealth encompasses a broad variety of technologies and tactics to deliver virtual medical, health, and education services.)

Prevent and Treat ObesityWeight loss

We work in clinics and the community to help children, teens and families make healthy changes to prevent and reduce obesity. Through education, advocacy and research, we promote healthy eating and active living to improve quality of life. Obesity is linked with higher risk for several serious health conditions, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, asthma, and arthritis.

Confluence Health is committing to developing programs and resources to prevent and treat obesity:

Improve EducationCSI program

There are many barriers to education in our community. One barrier to high school graduation is teen pregnancy and Confluence Health is actively working with local partners in Okanogan County to decrease the incidence of teen pregnancy through education and awareness. We have also partnered with a local school district to establish a school-based clinic. We are also proud to bring local teens the CSI Program (Caring Student Interns). The CSI program is for teens between the ages of 14 and 15. Teens with an interest in learning about health careers will have the opportunity to learn medical skills.

Confluence Health is committing to the following programs and resources to improve education:

  • Decrease teen pregnancy through education and awareness
  • Community partnership with local advocacy groups
  • Monitor state graduation rates
  • Student intern programs – educating and learning about health careers
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