What to expect: Our new Chief Health Equity Officer, stopping opioid overdose with naloxone + (New!) All Sites Quality Reports
Meet our new Chief Health Equity Officer!
We are excited to announce that Omar Guzmán, MD, has joined the Alliance as our first Chief Health Equity Officer (CHEO). Dr. Guzmán will support the Alliance’s mission to provide accessible, quality health care by guiding the health equity initiatives.
A little background
Dr. Guzmán is a board-certified emergency medicine physician. He is a graduate of the inaugural cohort for the Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship through the American Medical Association.
How he will lead
As CHEO, Dr. Guzmán will focus on building relationships with community organizations and provider partners and implementing impactful programs to address health disparities. He plans on advancing health equity for our members by addressing gaps in care.
Dr. Guzmán’s commitment to health equity
Dr. Guzmán has a longstanding commitment to identifying barriers to health for communities, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
As a lifelong resident of the Central Valley, Dr. Guzmán has a deep understanding of the social and structural drivers of health that impact the overall health of residents, especially those in rural communities.
He is co-founder of the Street Medicine Program in Visalia, which provides care to underserved populations, particularly to those experiencing homelessness.
Dr. Guzmán’s accomplishments, honors and awards include Health Care Sector Representative for Tulare County Task Force on Homelessness, Top Latino Leader by the Council for Latino Workplace Equity and Physician of the Year by the Central Valley Medical Student Association.
3 things to share with patients about naloxone
As part of the Naloxone Distribution Project efforts to reduce opioid overdose deaths, Alliance members can now pick up free doses of the life-saving drug at Alliance office locations. Our offices are distributing naloxone in its nasal spray formula.
As an Alliance provider, you play a critical role in educating patients about the risks of opioid use and the life-saving benefits of having naloxone on hand.
Here are 3 things we encourage you to share with your patients:
Know the dangers and risks of opioids.
Opioids such as heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid medicines are very dangerous if not used the right way or if combined with other substances like alcohol.
Naloxone is a life-saving drug that can stop an opioid overdose when given right away.
Naloxone has few known side effects and no potential for abuse. It is a simple but powerful tool to have with you. Since most opioid overdoses happen at home, having this drug on hand helps you to be sure you have the needed tools to respond to an opioid-related emergency.
Every second counts when someone overdoses, so it’s important to know how to use it.
Having naloxone ready can save a life.
If you think someone is having an overdose:
- First, call 911.
- Next, tilt the person’s head back.
- Place the tip of the naloxone nasal spray in one nostril until your hand touches the bottom of their nose.
- Firmly press the plunger to push the drug into the person’s nose and wait 2-3 minutes for a response.
For more information about how to use naloxone, view this fact sheet from the California State Board of Pharmacy.
All your sites’ data in one report: New feature in Provider Portal Quality Reports
New for Provider Portal account holders, you can now pull Quality Reports that consolidate data from every site associated with your account. This feature allows you to view a combined report listing based on month and measure for all your sites. You also have the option to continue to view reports based on each individual site associated with your practice.
The All Sites reporting capability was requested by Care-Based Incentive (CBI) leads at practices to assist with data review of member care needs. Our monthly quality reports provide the most up-to-date information on members indicated for preventative services.
Please note: the All Sites functionality only applies to practices and members who have multiple CBI sites associated with their account.
If you have questions, please email [email protected].
