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ABOVE: A healthy three-year old patient handles the beautifully carved wooden duck Dr. Rachel Witten just gave him. Every year since 2000, CCI has received more than 100 heirloom-quality toys created by the Woodworkers for Children Charity, Inc. The nonprofit group of carvers is a valued member of the CCI pediatric patient community and the staff eagerly anticipates the “Christmas in June” visits, too! Message from the Incoming Chair Message from the Executive Director Message from the Medical Director Performance Improvement and Program Committee Report Women, Infants and Children (WIC) !0th Anniversary
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Message from the Executive Director This year, CCI’s 34th, the CCI/WIC program celebrated its 10th anniversary. The program has grown from an initial enrollment of 7,600 in 1996 to more than 20,000 women and children in 2006, an increase of 163 percent. CCI/WIC operates in five locations throughout Montgomery County. The busiest center is located in Takoma Park with more than 7,600 participants enrolled, making it the largest WIC center in the state of Maryland. Over 80 percent of women enrolled in the WIC program breastfeed their infants, well above the state and national averages. Last year the program received a U.S.D.A. grant to relocate the current Wheaton center to a larger and more convenient location for participants. CCI is pleased to report that the State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene renewed the WIC contract for an additional five years. The significance of the fact that WIC services contribute to health and well-being of women and children cannot be overstated, and everyone at CCI looks forward to continuing to be a part of this important program. CCI’s primary care program continued to grow at a steady rate during fiscal year 2006. Nearly 8,000 patients made CCI their medical home, an 11-percent increase over the prior year. Providers’ clinical time increased by 11 percent, or more than 600 hours, and more hours are planned for next year. Capital improvement grants totaling more than $60,000 were received from the Montgomery County Council, Montgomery County Executive, a private family foundation, and the Kiwanis Club of North Bethesda. The grants were used to purchase new and replacement medical and diagnostic equipment needed in two of the health centers. Who can forget the worse natural disaster of the century, Hurricane Katrina! Evacuees from the Gulf Coast found their way to Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. They were in need of health care and nutrition services and CCI responded. The American Red Cross and local governments referred more than 50 evacuees to the CCI/WIC and primary care program for services. Staff immediately mobilized internal resources and coordinated with Quest Diagnostics, a private reference laboratory, to ensure that all evacuees received free physician visits and laboratory tests for six months after the storm. Staff was very pleased that CCI was able to help these people, even if only in a small way. Some of these patients are still with us today. CCI’s Board of Directors approved the staff’s recommendation to add prenatal and delivery to the array of available services. This new program will begin in January 2007 at the Freeland Family Health Center and will be integrated with the existing WIC, pediatric and family practice services. Every year for the last 34, CCI has improved the quality of care and filled gaps in services, and if history serves us well, year 35 will bring even more new programs. |
