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Norma Forbes Please describe your background and current activities and work related to the rural health industry: I have worked in health care administration for over 30 years. I have a diverse background in health care strategic planning, information technology and management. I have served in leadership positions in a variety of health care organizations, including hospitals, insurance companies, primary care clinics, and health care consultants. Currently I am the Executive Director of Fresno Healthy Communities Access Partners or Fresno HCAP. This is a non-profit coalition of twelve safety net and health care policy and advocacy organizations dedicated to ensuring access to affordable and appropriate health care for the underserved populations of Fresno County and the San Joaquin Valley. Fresno HCAP's focus is on enhancing insurance coverage and improving delivery systems. Probably the best example of important work for the rural health industry is the Medically Indigent Services Project (MISP) underway. HCAP has completed an assessment of the current state of MISP in Fresno County and is holding a summit June 4th in Fresno to share these results and discuss the opportunities provided by the Medicaid Waiver. Access to MISP services is especially challenging in our rural areas and we are proposing a redesign of the delivery system to address this, focusing on wellness and prevention in partnership with the primary care and rural clinics. In addition, for over five years I have worked with Joel Diringer and three local industry/labor agricultural coalitions in the San Joaquin Valley, Salinas Valley, and Ventura region to bring together worker and employer groups to study and reach a consensus on health coverage issues for the agricultural workforce. A consensus report was shared in a Sacramento legislative briefing in August 2009 under the sponsorship of three legislators. Now, these three groups are continuing to bring the work to next level through broadened outreach and partnering on the local, state and national levels to address issues of health reform and the proposed Medicaid waiver. The coalitions propose to 1) continue the dialogue on the local level, 2) engage statewide agricultural, labor and other health coverage and business groups, and 3) bring the concerns of California agriculture to the national level. Lastly, Fresno HCAP provides management and use of One-e-e-App, an electronic application tool that screens for eligibility in public programs such as Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, Kaiser Child Health Plan and Healthy Kids. It is available wherever there is internet connection. HCAP leads the Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization (OERU) partnership of eight organizations (Centro La Familia, Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indigenga Oaxaqueno, West Fresno Health Care Coalition, Clovis Unified School District, Clinical Sierra Vista, Fresno Health Consumer Center, Fresno Center for New Americans, and HCAP). In providing application assistance to all of Fresno Count, we have successfully enrolled over 10,000 children into these programs. Now HCAP is piloting public access to these programs in Fresno County. We recently have expanded our services to include referral to public services needed by economically strained families: Food stamps, WIC, low cost utility, low cost auto insurance, earned income tax credit, and many more. Please list recent organizational and leadership skills of importance to rural health: As HCAP Executive Director, I work with 12 strong health care organizations (Community Medical Center, Central California Faculty Medical Group, Fresno Metro Ministry, Central Valley Health Policy Institute, St. Agnes Medical Center, Fresno County Department of Community Health, Clinica Sierra Vista, UCSF-Fresno Medical Education Program, Children's Hospital Central California, Valley Health Team, Fresno/Madera Medical Society, and Kaiser Permanente. I am the CHI Program Administrator working with 17 organizations to provide leadership to the Children's Health Initiative of Fresno County. I am on the Policy Committee of Covering Kids and Families. I am on the Policy/Communication Committee of California Children's Health Initiatives. I am currently leading an Access to Care Task force of over 40 members representing county health, social services and executive departments, elected officials, safety net clinics, medical society, hospitals, businesses, health plans, policy researchers/analysts and community advocates. Out of this has come a specialty care project focusing on using telemedicine to connect and teach primary care doctors and specialists, in addition to streamlining the referral processes. Please describe why you want to serve on the Board of Directors and what contribution you see making to the organization: I have a passion for increasing access to care to underserved areas. I live in Visalia (Tulare County) and work in Fresno County, so I am familiar with the access to care needs of both. With the opportunity for Health Reform, much needs to be done to prepare Fresno County to take advantage of this. I am a proven health care leader as demonstrated by my experience and current projects. I have listed the big collaborative projects I am leading to show my strength and experience in collaboration. I was recently interviewed by NPR and quoted in Time Magazine on the impact of health reform on agricultural workers. I have good relationships with funders and media. Our rural areas need to be able to get their fair share and must work collaboratively to make that happen. I would like to join the CSRHA Board to achieve this. Biography: Please click here.
2010
CSRHA Board Elections |
