Presentation: Affordable Care Act 101
Times: 4:00 & 5:00
Speaker: Suzanne Schlattman, Community Outreach and Development Director for Health Care For All, Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative (MCHI).
Since joining MCHI in 2006, Ms. Schlattman has raised over $2.5 million for the organization, and led successful public education campaigns targeting various Maryland audiences, including small businesses, young adults and low-income working families. These efforts have resulted in over 20,000 Marylanders gaining health care coverage.
She has led a distinguished academic career. A 2006 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of McDaniel College, she was awarded the college’s Mary Ward Lewis Prize for “top college woman.” In 2009, Suzanne received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Maryland and Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, following a research fellowship at the Innovations Institute at University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Ms. Schlattman also served on the board of directors for the Baltimore Intersection, a new nonprofit for equipping at-risk youth with advocacy skills and leadership development. Youth are mentored to channel their energy and frustrations to have a profound impact on their communities. The students’ most recent victory was their campaign to build support for the Maryland DREAM Act in Baltimore City. She also serves on the Strategic Mission Planning Team of Christ Lutheran Church and is an active member of her neighborhood association, the Greater Remington Improvement Association.
Presentation: Health Insurance Literacy 101
Times: 4:30 & 5:30
Speaker: Michael Shaw, Executive Director of Calvert Healthcare Solutions.
Since its founding in 2001, Calvert Healthcare Solutions (CHS) has served its community through partnerships with local physicians, the Calvert County Department of Social Services (DSS), the Health Department, and Calvert Memorial Hospital (CMH). The sole purpose has been to provide primary health care to uninsured Calvert County adults.
In 2010, the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission awarded a grant to Calvert Healthcare Solutions to increase access to primary care, specialty care and mental health services. In the past three years, CHS has enrolled 493 clients and provided for more than 3,300 doctor visits. This has resulted in significantly decreased use of the hospital emergency department for non-emergent reasons. Also during this time, CHS has screened nearly 1,800 community residents for program eligibility with CHS, Medicaid and discounted sliding scale coverage offered by local doctors.
Grant funding from CareFirst has enabled CHS to expand its community outreach by providing care coordination for residents being treated for diabetes and high blood pressure. This program has improved the medical outcomes for these clients and in turn increased their quality of life. Continuing a partnership with Calvert Primary Care, CHS will extend this program through next year.
In early 2013 Calvert Healthcare Solutions was awarded a grant to direct education and enrollment efforts for expanded Medicaid and Qualified Health Products (insurance) in compliance with the Affordable Care Act throughout Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s Counties.