by Bart Caylor | Jul 10, 2019
Health centers are leading the way in integrating oral health with primary care. Much can be learned by exploring the models that health centers have developed and adopted to achieve integration. This Monograph, supported by the DentaQuest Foundation and authored by Hannah L. Maxey, PhD, MPH, RDH, Assistant Professor and Director of Health Workforce Studies, Department of Family Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, presents information on five health centers that have successfully integrated oral health with primary care. It has been developed for the purpose of organizing and presenting information on successful models which may be useful to health centers and other organizations considering the implementation of similar initiatives. Each health center’s model is summarized within the framework of the five domains of the Integration of Oral Health and Primary Care Practice initiative (IOHPCP), and full information on each of the models, such as the role of all care team members, is found within the profile for each health center.
by Bart Caylor | Jul 10, 2019
Ensuring that Indiana communities have the capacity to meet the increasing need for substance use disorder services is of critical importance to health care systems, professional training programs, and community organizations. Therefore, this report aims to understand the substance use disorder workforce capacity in Indiana and its relation to ED utilization for substance use services.
by Bart Caylor | Jul 10, 2019
Workforce shortages have been documented across a broad spectrum of health profession disciplines in Indiana. Currently, federal, state and local programs exist to recruit and retain health professionals in our state; however, these programs have had minimal impact on the underlying factors that contribute to the problem. Additional steps must be taken to expand the supply of health professionals to adequately meet the growing need for health care services among Indiana residents. While many health professional shortages exist, this brief will focus on the primary care physicians and nurses needed to provide medical homes for residents of our state.
by Bart Caylor | Jul 10, 2019
Over the past few years, and in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the result of the 2012 Presidential election, access to health care services has been in the forefront of health care discussions. Driving these discussions are rising chronic disease rates, skyrocketing health care costs, and the ever increasing number of individuals falling into that black hole known as the “uninsured” — all of which are major burdens on Indiana’s health system. Regardless of ones perspective on health reform, the links between primary health care access, health outcomes, and health care costs are undeniable [1-3]. People with access to primary health care services live longer, healthier lives, and the overall cost of their health care are less than those without access to these services. Ensuring a strong primary health care system across the State of Indiana is crucial to ensuring the health of Hoosiers and improving the efficiency of Indiana’s health system. However, before our current system can be strengthened, it must be understood. This begs the following questions: what is primary care?; why is it important?; who provides these services?; and where are they located? The development and implementation of health policies and primary health care programs that would secure Hoosier health relies on the ability of the State of Indiana to make informed decisions.
by Bart Caylor | Jul 10, 2019
Understanding Indiana’s healthcare workforce is critical to ensuring that Indiana residents have access to high quality care, to developing programs that train practitioners to meet future needs, and to recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals in Indiana. The mental health workforce in Indiana is composed of social workers, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric/mental health advanced practice nurses. The data summarized here were collected during biennial license renewals in 2012 and 2013, and in a 2014 survey of psychiatric nurses.
