CMO Corner: Lawrence Magras, MD, MBA, FHM, FAAPL
Essentials of Behavioral Health in Primary Care Virtual Conference – October 17th and 24th, 2020

Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT), in partnership with the Connecticut Behavioral Health Partnership/Beacon Health Options, is hosting its 5th annual Essentials of Behavioral Health in Primary Care Conference. . . read more

This is an integrated behavioral health program intended to educate primary care providers (PCPs) in the early identification, accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and appropriate referral of patients with psychiatric disorders. This conference is being offered to PCPs enrolled in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CMAP) at no cost. We have worked to ensure a varied program for professional development and networking opportunities.

This year’s program will cover the following topics:

  • Brief intervention skills for primary care providers
  • Assessment and treatment of opioid use disorder in primary care
  • Standard and alternative treatments for acute and chronic pain
  • Identifying and treating suicidality in primary care
  • Alcohol use disorder
  • Tobacco use disorder in youth

CME credits will be awarded based on the extent of the provider’s participation in the activity.

To learn more and to register for this conference, click here.

Flu Season is Coming!

HUSKY Health covers flu vaccines. Make sure your patients are protected!

Member Outreach Efforts & Prevention

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been widespread in our state. Connecticut residents have found themselves in situations that they never would have predicted just a short period of time ago. Many of these individuals and their families are facing financial hardships and are now eligible for Medicaid coverage. . . read more

In 2020, the total membership has increased about 5% from March to June while a -1% decrease was shown for the same period in the previous year. Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT) has been working with the HUSKY Health population to safely navigate them through the healthcare system during these challenging times.

In early March, we identified members at greatest risk for poor outcomes if they were to contract the virus. The identification was based on findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and includes individuals with chronic conditions and other risk factors. These members, in addition to established members in our Care Management programs, were contacted by our Care Management teams to provide them with information on the virus and community resources that addressed immediate needs such as food insecurity and housing. Currently we are encouraging HUSKY Health members to contact their PCPs to seek care for preventive services including well-visits, cancer screenings, and immunizations (now that many practices have safely reopened). CHNCT also assists new and existing members in finding a PCP in their area if they do not already have one. We are committed to supporting you in delivering care to your HUSKY Health patients and will continue to share the most up-to-date information about the COVID-19 virus with HUSKY Health members as it becomes available.

New Care Management System

Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT) is proud to announce the replacement of our existing Care Management system with GuidingCare®, an innovative, web-based solution. The system is designed to be member-centric and more intuitive for both CHNCT staff and providers who will be able to enter authorization requests and communicate more efficient. . . read more

We are configuring GuidingCare® to meet our collective needs, and will be launching the system on December 1, 2020. GuidingCare® will replace the current system used by providers to request authorization. The software is designed to streamline processes both inside and outside of the organization to become more efficient and responsive to our member’s needs.

To minimize the administrative burden placed on providers and to ensure a smooth transition to the new system, over the next several weeks, CHNCT will be offering opportunities for system demonstrations and training.

Thank you for your continued support of the HUSKY Health program.

Learn More: Health Literacy

One thing that will never change is the importance of health literacy. Patients’ abilities to understand and follow providers’ instructions is crucial for overall well-being. Our webinar, “Health Literate Organizations: Providing Optimal Equitable Care,” aims to explain how health literacy affects health outcomes and will tell you how to become a Health Literate Organization (HLO) and obtain related resources. To view this webinar, please click here1.

Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT) offers webinars on many useful topics. To see what else is available, please visit our Provider Webinar web page by visiting www.portal.ct.gov/husky, clicking “Information for Providers,” followed by “Reports & Resources,” and “Provider Webinars.”

1 You can download this webinar’s companion slides by clicking here.