Want to get involved?

Contact Us: If you have comments, ques ons, or
sugges ons about our newsle er, or about what we
do at CCI Health & Wellness Services, let us know!
Contact Jessica Wilson at jessica.wilson@cciweb.org
or via mail at:
CCI Health & Wellness Services
A n. Jessica Wilson
8630 Fenton St., Ste. 1204
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Ways to Give: Give online at www.cciweb.org.
If you work for the federal government or if
your employer operates a workplace giving
campaign, you can give through our United
Way number (#9274) or CFC number (#51045).
Or, send a gi by mail to the address at le .
Thank you for your support!
Volunteer: Send an email to
spring 2017 newsle er
volunteer@cciweb.org to learn more about

2016
volunteer opportuni es. I have some good news to share!
We were no fied this month that an Heres how you helped us
addi onal five of our health center make a dierence in 2016:
loca ons have been ocially recognized
as pa entcentered medical homes
(PCMH) through the Na onal Commi ee
for Quality Assurance (NCQA). That brings
our total number of PCMHrecognized
prac ce sites to six! Research has shown
that PCMH recogni on leads to higher
quality, lower costs, and be er pa ent
8630 Fenton St., Ste. 1204
and provider experiences of care. In short,
Silver Spring, MD 20910
PCMH cer fica on means caring for
people be er, and NCQA recogni on
shows us that were headed in
the right direc on.

A focus on quality isnt new for CCI

Health & Wellness Services. Out of the
1,375 FQHCs in the U.S., only 275 are
accredited by the Joint Commission, and
CCI Health & Wellness Services has been
one of them for 14 years. The Joint
Commission creates standards that set a
www.cciweb.org high bar for pa ent safety and quality of
care. We take pride in reaching that high
bar because we believe that our pa ents
deserve the best possible care that we
can provide.

This journey isnt possible without

people like you, so thank you for your
con nued support. Be er quality of care
means a healthier community, and that
is a goal we can all get behind.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Knolho, MPH

CEO & President
The Messy Work of Clinical Quality New & Improved
a conversa on with Dr. Marcela Cmpoli

Celebra ng new & expanded sites

By Hannah Roop, Grant Writer
Dr. Cmpoli, originally from Argen na, recently joined CCI Health & Rockville: We are proud to partner
Wellness Services to serve as our Clinical Quality Director. For an with two local nonprofits to open
amateur like me, clinical quality seemed abstract, but I learned
much from Dr. Cmpolis perspec ve on the nature and importance Ta , a center that provides the
of quality improvement. She uses AHRQs defini on to summarize shortest path to a be er life for our
clinical quality as doing the right thing, at the right me, in the right
way, for the right personand having the best possible results. communitys most vulnerable
members. Interfaith Works,
HR: What are important trends that you see in quality right Cornerstone Montgomery, and CCI
now? Health & Wellness Services will
MC: Well, there is no packaged solu on. We can bench share the space providing
mark, we can follow the Baldridge [Excellence] framework, (respec vely) a womens residen al
even bring the Studer Group to our organiza on; perfect! center, behavioral health services,
But the deployment of the framework will be adapted to insurance. Its very expensive, its not easy to access; the and primary and dental care.
our environment and culture, becoming a unique approach wai ng me for an appointment can be three or four
for CCI Health & Wellness Services, very dierent from any months. So what happened here is that there [were] We received a record Kathleen Knolho MPH (Right, CCI Health
other organiza on using the same tools. If you dont volunteer providers coming into the clinic. The policy was & Wellness Services President & CEO), and
number of gi s this year Carie Guthrie Cho (Le , President & CEO,
understand the need to change, and the need to change first come first serve, so people would be wai ng in line Cornerstone Montgomery) with Maryland
con nuously, quality is very hard as a technical work. since six am when the clinic would open at nine. Then, the and we just wanted to Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford (Center)
at the Ta opening celebra on.
provider would [see the first pa ent] who, for example, not say thank you. People like >>>
HR: Thats so interes ng, because I think of quality as rules only needed a tooth pulled, but needed a root canal and
and order, but it sounds like its much more fluid. two extrac ons. That would be two hours treatment, with
you are making a

MC: The order is in the chaos. For example, I can say to you another 20 pa ents wai ng in line. The hardest part here dierence every single day. From le to right:
follow this rule. You are going to follow the rule for two was to nego ate with the specific provider how to Warren Hansen
Because of you, people in (Oce of
days, three days, and the fourth day say, ok, I dont care. streamline his process. We worked on many contact points Councilmember
But if I ask you to bring [the people you work with] and say, in the process, and we added value to the wai ng me. We our community receive Roger Berliner), CCI
Board Chair Eric
lets sit down together and build a solu on for this, the saw [that] many of [the pa ents] would take the day o in healthcare that wouldnt Stroud, Kathleen
solu on will be made richer by the experience that you order to get to that appointment, so we would use that Knolho, Jane
have. And, you are commi ed to the change because your wai ng me to educate them in dierent preven ve oral
otherwise be possible. We Redicker (President &
CEO of the Silver
ideas were heard. It is not easy, but it is the most health techniques. cant thank you enough! Spring Chamber of
Commerce), and
sustainable kind of solu on, because it comes from the Suzanne Lo jelm
people involved in the project. So yes, quality is not simple. HR: Do you see quality improvements trickle down to impact (oce of Senator
the community? How? Chris Van Hollen)
Its kind of organiza onal therapy. You come to the therapist >>>
with all your challenges, and the therapist will just say, And MC: All we do in the healthcare se ng impacts our
why do you think that happened? What do you think the community in so many ways. People want access to the Silver Spring: On November 20, #GivingTuesday, the CCI Health & Wellness Services
solu on could be? health system in their most vulnerable me: when sick, family came together to celebrate the ocial opening of our expanded Silver Spring
when pregnant, when desperate, when hungry. Can you im health center. Now, pa ents can receive adolescent care, dental services, primary
HR: Can you talk about a me youve seen a quality change agine a system where these people can access the care they care, and behavioral health services all in one beau ful place.
make a big posi ve impact? need when they need it? When you have moms struggling

MC: Actually I can men on numerous mes where a small
change made a big impact. Some mes we believe that
quality only seeks big changes that come from the execu ve
team. Experience, however, has showed me that many of
the most important changes come from the sta and
frontline people, from the pa ents and their family members
just by experiencing the system at each point of contact.
One of the most remarkable interven ons I remember is
one in which the team reduced the wai ng me in a dental
clinic from four and a half hours to 45 minutes.
HR: Wow, the wait me was four hours?
MC: Well, imagine the dental care for people without
to get behavioral health for their children because Gaithersburg: This
insurance is pu ng too many barriers, you say, why? Thats primary care prac ce
not quality of care. Many are looking at the cost of behavior has been one of our
al health treatment. No one is looking at the cost or the im busiest, and we
pact of this child without healthcare in the long term. Thats needed more space to
the nonquality cost. meet the communitys
needs. Last year, we
HR: If you could wave a magic wand, what is the one thing received a grant to
you would change to improve our healthcare system? start renova ng a
MC: For me, health is a right that should be granted for loca on next door
every single individual through open access to healthcare. that gave us plenty of space for our primary care services. The new space was
So, if I could wave a magic wand I would grant healthcare completed in January, increasing our capacity by 33 percent!
access for all. For me thats basically it. Access for all.
The Messy Work of Clinical Quality New & Improved
a conversa on with Dr. Marcela Cmpoli

Celebra ng new & expanded sites

By Hannah Roop, Grant Writer
Dr. Cmpoli, originally from Argen na, recently joined CCI Health & Rockville: We are proud to partner
Wellness Services to serve as our Clinical Quality Director. For an with two local nonprofits to open
amateur like me, clinical quality seemed abstract, but I learned
much from Dr. Cmpolis perspec ve on the nature and importance Ta , a center that provides the
of quality improvement. She uses AHRQs defini on to summarize shortest path to a be er life for our
clinical quality as doing the right thing, at the right me, in the right
way, for the right personand having the best possible results. communitys most vulnerable
members. Interfaith Works,
HR: What are important trends that you see in quality right Cornerstone Montgomery, and CCI
now? Health & Wellness Services will
MC: Well, there is no packaged solu on. We can bench share the space providing
mark, we can follow the Baldridge [Excellence] framework, (respec vely) a womens residen al
even bring the Studer Group to our organiza on; perfect! center, behavioral health services,
But the deployment of the framework will be adapted to insurance. Its very expensive, its not easy to access; the and primary and dental care.
our environment and culture, becoming a unique approach wai ng me for an appointment can be three or four
for CCI Health & Wellness Services, very dierent from any months. So what happened here is that there [were] We received a record Kathleen Knolho MPH (Right, CCI Health
other organiza on using the same tools. If you dont volunteer providers coming into the clinic. The policy was & Wellness Services President & CEO), and
number of gi s this year Carie Guthrie Cho (Le , President & CEO,
understand the need to change, and the need to change first come first serve, so people would be wai ng in line Cornerstone Montgomery) with Maryland
con nuously, quality is very hard as a technical work. since six am when the clinic would open at nine. Then, the and we just wanted to Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford (Center)
at the Ta opening celebra on.
provider would [see the first pa ent] who, for example, not say thank you. People like >>>
HR: Thats so interes ng, because I think of quality as rules only needed a tooth pulled, but needed a root canal and
and order, but it sounds like its much more fluid. two extrac ons. That would be two hours treatment, with
you are making a

MC: The order is in the chaos. For example, I can say to you another 20 pa ents wai ng in line. The hardest part here dierence every single day. From le to right:
follow this rule. You are going to follow the rule for two was to nego ate with the specific provider how to Warren Hansen
Because of you, people in (Oce of
days, three days, and the fourth day say, ok, I dont care. streamline his process. We worked on many contact points Councilmember
But if I ask you to bring [the people you work with] and say, in the process, and we added value to the wai ng me. We our community receive Roger Berliner), CCI
Board Chair Eric
lets sit down together and build a solu on for this, the saw [that] many of [the pa ents] would take the day o in healthcare that wouldnt Stroud, Kathleen
solu on will be made richer by the experience that you order to get to that appointment, so we would use that Knolho, Jane
have. And, you are commi ed to the change because your wai ng me to educate them in dierent preven ve oral
otherwise be possible. We Redicker (President &
CEO of the Silver
ideas were heard. It is not easy, but it is the most health techniques. cant thank you enough! Spring Chamber of
Commerce), and
sustainable kind of solu on, because it comes from the Suzanne Lo jelm
people involved in the project. So yes, quality is not simple. HR: Do you see quality improvements trickle down to impact (oce of Senator
the community? How? Chris Van Hollen)
Its kind of organiza onal therapy. You come to the therapist >>>
with all your challenges, and the therapist will just say, And MC: All we do in the healthcare se ng impacts our
why do you think that happened? What do you think the community in so many ways. People want access to the Silver Spring: On November 20, #GivingTuesday, the CCI Health & Wellness Services
solu on could be? health system in their most vulnerable me: when sick, family came together to celebrate the ocial opening of our expanded Silver Spring
when pregnant, when desperate, when hungry. Can you im health center. Now, pa ents can receive adolescent care, dental services, primary
HR: Can you talk about a me youve seen a quality change agine a system where these people can access the care they care, and behavioral health services all in one beau ful place.
make a big posi ve impact? need when they need it? When you have moms struggling

MC: Actually I can men on numerous mes where a small
change made a big impact. Some mes we believe that
quality only seeks big changes that come from the execu ve
team. Experience, however, has showed me that many of
the most important changes come from the sta and
frontline people, from the pa ents and their family members
just by experiencing the system at each point of contact.
One of the most remarkable interven ons I remember is
one in which the team reduced the wai ng me in a dental
clinic from four and a half hours to 45 minutes.
HR: Wow, the wait me was four hours?
MC: Well, imagine the dental care for people without
to get behavioral health for their children because Gaithersburg: This
insurance is pu ng too many barriers, you say, why? Thats primary care prac ce
not quality of care. Many are looking at the cost of behavior has been one of our
al health treatment. No one is looking at the cost or the im busiest, and we
pact of this child without healthcare in the long term. Thats needed more space to
the nonquality cost. meet the communitys
needs. Last year, we
HR: If you could wave a magic wand, what is the one thing received a grant to
you would change to improve our healthcare system? start renova ng a
MC: For me, health is a right that should be granted for loca on next door
every single individual through open access to healthcare. that gave us plenty of space for our primary care services. The new space was
So, if I could wave a magic wand I would grant healthcare completed in January, increasing our capacity by 33 percent!
access for all. For me thats basically it. Access for all.
Want to get involved?
Contact Us: If you have comments, ques ons, or
sugges ons about our newsle er, or about what we
do at CCI Health & Wellness Services, let us know!
Contact Jessica Wilson at jessica.wilson@cciweb.org
or via mail at:
CCI Health & Wellness Services
A n. Jessica Wilson
8630 Fenton St., Ste. 1204
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Ways to Give: Give online at www.cciweb.org.
If you work for the federal government or if
your employer operates a workplace giving
campaign, you can give through our United
Way number (#9274) or CFC number (#51045).
Or, send a gi by mail to the address at le .
Thank you for your support!
Volunteer: Send an email to
spring 2017 newsle er
volunteer@cciweb.org to learn more about

2016
volunteer opportuni es. I have some good news to share!
We were no fied this month that an Heres how you helped us
addi onal five of our health center make a dierence in 2016:
loca ons have been ocially recognized
as pa entcentered medical homes
(PCMH) through the Na onal Commi ee
for Quality Assurance (NCQA). That brings
our total number of PCMHrecognized
prac ce sites to six! Research has shown
that PCMH recogni on leads to higher
quality, lower costs, and be er pa ent
8630 Fenton St., Ste. 1204
and provider experiences of care. In short,
Silver Spring, MD 20910
PCMH cer fica on means caring for
people be er, and NCQA recogni on
shows us that were headed in
the right direc on.

A focus on quality isnt new for CCI

Health & Wellness Services. Out of the
1,375 FQHCs in the U.S., only 275 are
accredited by the Joint Commission, and
CCI Health & Wellness Services has been
one of them for 14 years. The Joint
Commission creates standards that set a
www.cciweb.org high bar for pa ent safety and quality of
care. We take pride in reaching that high
bar because we believe that our pa ents
deserve the best possible care that we
can provide.

This journey isnt possible without

people like you, so thank you for your
con nued support. Be er quality of care
means a healthier community, and that
is a goal we can all get behind.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Knolho, MPH

CEO & President