Relationship-Centered Care in the Clinic-Community Context: Building Competencies for Health Equity & High Value Care

Objectives Examine the current health care landscape as it relates to patient & community engagement Study and apply sense-making concepts that inform clinicians and care teams in their work with patients with complex needs Motivate participants to learn more about resources for care coordination and community-based suppor

Mask Use During COVID-19: A Social-Ecological Analysis.

To limit the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued recommendations that individuals wear face masks in public. Despite these recommendations, the individual decision to adhere and wear a mask may not be a simple decision. In this article, we examine the decision to wear a mask from a social-ecological perspective. Through critical analysis of societal, interpersonal and community, and intrapersonal influences, it is clear that the decision to wear a mask is multifaceted and influenced by constructs including public health recommendations and government mandates, racism and cultural norms, geography, household income, age, and personal attitudes. Understanding the multifactorial influences on mask wearing during COVID-19 is crucial for informing the creation and distribution of inclusive public health messaging regarding mask wearing now in the midst of an unprecedented health crisis, and in future unforeseen public health emergencies

Using Focus Groups to Identify Characteristics of an Ideal Working Environment for Advanced Practice Clinicians

Advanced Practice Clinicians (APCs) in collaborative practice represent a diverse and valuable group of health care professionals, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives. Because these healthcare professionals have been identified as part of the solution to physician shortages, it is critical for health networks to examine and address issues affecting collaborative relationships. We invited our network APCs to participate in focus group sessions to determine both attributes and barriers to an ideal work environment. Four major themes emerged: (1) compensation, (2) network representation, (3) employment structure, and (4) workplace culture. While issues relating to compensation and representation were prevalent, discussions also revealed the importance of relationships and communication. To ensure successful collaboration and, thereby, reduce clinician turnover, leaders must address gaps between the existing and ideal states in structural factors affecting job satisfaction (Themes 1-3) as well as the behavioral factors represented in workplace culture (Theme 4)