Uninsured adults typically have a hard time finding health care for themselves and often see a doctor only when they cannot put it off any longer. Many insurance plans, private and public, cover eligible children up to the age of 18 only. Once children turn 18, they are on their own for insurance through a fulltime employer or self-pay, and the costs can be prohibitive. CCI offers a sliding scale reduced-fee program for uninsured adults and families, and homeless people in need of care will be seen free of charge. CCI participates in a variety of programs to cover costs including Montgomery County’s “Rewarding Work” program, “Healthcare for the Homeless, Inc.” in Baltimore, and municipal support from the City of Gaithersburg for city residents. True costs always exceed available funds, so donations and contributions from generous individuals and local business and civic partnerships play a vital role in support for CCI.

Message from the Chair

Message from the Executive Director

Message from the Medical Director

Performance Improvement Committee Report

Program Committee Report

Finance Committee Report

CCI Partners 2004-2005

Message from the Executive Director
Mark Langlais

Thirty three years and counting -- that’s how long CCI has been providing health care to the medically underserved and uninsured. It is interesting how each year brings new and different challenges. This year, CCI faced an increased demand for WIC and primary health care services. The WIC program’s enrollment grew from 17,000 to 18,400 participants, and new primary care patient numbers increased by nearly 2,500 children and adults. CCI’s Board of Directors and staff anticipated some of this growth and began to add staff, service hours, new programs, and to update facilities. The new WIC information system automated manual tasks allowing staff to see more participants, more efficiently, resulting in more people being enrolled in the program. The primary care program saw an increase of more than 900 hours of provider time, accomplished by the addition of board-certified Family Practitioners to serve more uninsured adults. Agency reports document more than 19,480 primary care encounters last year, a significant increase of 24% over FY04.

Two new programs were implemented in FY05. With a Community Impact Grant award from Kaiser Perma-nente, staff began addressing the growing problem of childhood obesity. The program targets families with at-risk children from ages 5 to 18 years old. The program matched children and their parents with a nutritionist, who developed a tailored physical activity and diet plan. More than 30 children participated in the program during the fiscal year. The CSG and Maryland Home and Community Care Foundations provided seed funding for a 340B Pharmacy Program. In cooperation with Langley Park Pharmacy, CCI is able to offer uninsured patients medications at a deeply discounted price (49% of wholesale). An immediate benefit emerged: more patients could afford to pay for their medications and better manage their acute and chronic health care problems.

Facilities were improved and expanded during the year. The Germantown WIC and Takoma Park health centers installed upgraded telephone systems. Existing space at the Takoma WIC and primary care program was increased by 4,000 square feet. The center now has the capability to accommodate the thousands of people who use CCI services at this important down-county location. The center also houses a mental health suite and discussions are underway to offer this much-needed service to patients. Thanks to a grant from the Montgomery County Council, new equipment was purchased to furnish the exam rooms. The Kiwanis Club of North Bethesda contributed to the purchase of an adult exam table, and a specialized cabinet with an overhead shelf unit built for the on-site lab. CCI has also received a County Executive grant, which will help purchase additional equipment for all three centers for the new fiscal year. On May 25, 2005, the center was dedicated and named “The Marilyn K. Freeland, R.N., Family Health Center” in honor and memory of a past CCI Board Chair, Board Emerita, and health advocate.

During FY05, the senior staff held meetings to evaluate management level effectiveness. One of the outcomes is a new department of Performance Improvement, and another resulted in the re-assignment of management functions to different staff. A third recommendation called for the creation of a Human Resource Department. This new department includes a new senior staff position to advise CCI on all personnel issues and regulations. CCI’s new Medical Director started in March of 2005, bringing with him a wealth of performance improvement and clinical experience.

During the next fiscal year, the CCI/WIC program will relocate the Germantown and Wheaton centers to more modern facilities, and the primary care staff will begin the arduous task of preparing for JCAHO reaccreditation. These and other efforts continue the agency’s strategic focus on evaluating and improving services for people in need.