21st National Conference Roundtables: An Overview of Consequences of Strategic Interventions in the State of California

Last Updated on April 16, 2022 by Lee Burnett, DO, FAAFP

At the 21st National Conference (See 21st National Conference on Primary Health Care Access April 12-15, 2010 in Kaua’i) , plenary sessions will be devoted to strategic interventions in various states. Special attention will be paid to the state of California, whose fiscal shortfalls are greater than almost anyplace in the world.

The woes of the most populous state will be the focus of several case studies, some suggesting harrowing consequences of systemic failures, others suggesting important results from ongoing and newly developed strategic initiatives.

Stanford University’s Virginia Fowkes will lead off the session on the Golden State, with a discussion of how AHECs (Area Health Education Centers) – partnerships that link health professions schools to areas of workforce need. In her presentation  “AHECs:  a solution for consequences?” she will argue that AHECs engage in numerous partnerships through their host organizations and their advisory boards.  These partnerships include educational, clinical institutions, and other organizations interested in the health professions work force needs in their respective regions.  Through these partnerships, they conduct their training and advocacy.

A look at the types of partnerships they create provides perspective on how AHECs are positioning themselves regionally and nationally to be players in current and future health initiatives, such as, teaching health centers, the primary care extension model, and other ideas proposed in health care reform.

Other Californians who will contribute to this series of plenary panels and presentations will include Doctors Hector Flores of the White Memorial Medical Center, Jamie Osborn of Loma Linda University, Rick Flinders of the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency, Charles Vega of the University of California, Irvine, Ana Bejinez-Eastman of Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital, Whittier and Jimmy Hara of the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Health System, as well as Delight Erickson, FNP, of the Sutter Health/Memorial Hospital Rural Health Clinic in Los Banos.

The leadoff roundtable is entitled 21st National Conference Roundtables: Mission-Oriented Innovations in Teaching Physicians – The Residency-Based Patient Centered Medical Home, Medicaid HMO and Federally Qualified Health Center, and will consist of Doctors Bejinez-Eastman, Osborn and Vega.

The second roundtable is entitled 21st National Conference Roundtables: Strategic Non-profit Sector Initiatives Promoting Primary Health Care Access in California and consists of Ms Erickson and Doctors Flinders and Hara.

Doctor Flores will be a reactor to subject matter covered by Ms Fowkes’ introduction and the two roundtables. Another Californian, Warwick Troy, Ph.D. of Shueman Troy Consultants in Pasadena,  will act as a “thought provocateur” during the Golden State session.