CHOICE Projects

CHOICE has four key strategies to improve community health:

1. Convene diverse stakeholders to jointly plan and act to improve the regional health system.

CHOICE staff help shore up faltering services and develop new initiatives as needs arise. Our roles range from convening planning sessions to rolling up our sleeves to dive into health assessments in our region. CHOICE recognizes that our community’s ability to help clients is only as effective as the local services available to meet their needs. As needs grow and resources dwindle, these services are becoming increasingly fragile, making our mission even more critical to the regional health system infrastructure.

2. Design and implement quality improvement initiatives to improve the quality of and access to health care services while reducing costs.

Collaborative organizations like CHOICE create a unique opportunity to identify and address problems in the health system. Working together with our diverse members, we develop a comprehensive picture of the challenges we face in the region and coordinate approaches to address them.

3. Promote healthy policy choices.

Health care policy development happens at the largest levels of government, but ultimately impacts the way local providers serve local individuals. CHOICE has long been involved in local, state and national efforts to create a better health system for everyone.

4. Provide client services to fill critical gaps.

CHOICE programs are developed within the community to deliver safety-net services to the families and individuals most in need.

CHOICE’s vision of better health for everyone at less cost is achieved through several projects and programs:

Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD)

CHOICE administers the Lewis and Thurston County chapter of this statewide program, which provides family dental education and connection to dental providers for children six and under who are enrolled in Washington Apple Health (Medicaid). One project of this program focuses on educating pregnant women and their caregivers on the importance of good oral health during pregnancy. The goal is to encourage Apple Health clients to make full use of the preventative care that their insurance provides.

Cascade Pacific Action Alliance (CPAA)

CHOICE serves as the backbone organization for the Cascade Pacific Action Alliance (CPAA), which was designated by the state as an Accountable Community of Health in July 2015 as a major component of the Healthier Washington initiative. The Alliance is made up of a broad cross-sector group of stakeholders from a seven-county region (Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Thurston, and Wahkiakum). The goal is to improve health in our communities through collective action on a shared agenda of regional priorities.

The CPAA includes a regional Council of 44 members, a smaller group that serves as the Support Team, and a work group that guides the Youth Behavioral Health Coordination Project.

Navigator Program

Since 2013, CHOICE has been one of ten regional Lead Organizations for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange’s In-Person Assister/Navigator program. CHOICE’s navigator network recently expanded for Open Enrollment 3, to now include Clallam, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties. CHOICE’s navigators enroll eligible individuals into Qualified Health Plans and Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) through Washington Healthplanfinder, an online marketplace, by providing in-person assistance to potential insurance clients. The goal is to enroll residents in health insurance plans and decrease the uninsured rate in our region, thereby improving access to health care services.

Regional Care Transitions (RCT)

This project seeks to promote a sustainable and coordinated approach to care transitions using patient-centered interventions that improve health outcomes, avoid preventable ED visits and hospital readmissions, and reduce health care costs in Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties.

 

Past Projects