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The Community Clinics Health Network Diagnostic Services for Women Under 40

The Community Clinics Health Network (CCHN) received a grant in the amount of $350,000 from Susan G. Komen for the Cure San Diego to cover the cost of diagnostic services for uninsured or underinsured people under 40 who reside in San Diego or Imperial Counties. CCHN has been receiving funding from Susan G. Komen for the Cure San Diego since 2004. CCHN’s role in this project is as a diagnostic services fund manager and third party administrator. CCHN collaborates with 16 community clinics and health center organizations (clinics) with just over 100 sites in the two county area to implement this program and has developed a comprehensive network of specialists who can provide the diagnostic services at Medicare rates. When a clinic identifies an individual in need of diagnostic services, the clinic completes an authorization request form for the patient. The referring community health center also identifies a participating diagnostic provider.  This system offers patients in need of services the choice of provider and maximum flexibility regarding provider affiliation, geographic location, and cultural competence. Since this grant cycle began on April 1, 2012, CCHN paid for a total of 506 diagnostic and corresponding ancillary services to 107 unduplicated patients. Services include diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, surgical consultations, biopsies and MRIs. This fund helps provide a definitive diagnosis, which is often a gap in the continuum of care. If an individual has received a definitive diagnosis of cancer, funding is available for low-income, uninsured women of any age through the state of California’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program.

Through this grant, the Community Clinics Health Network (CCHN) also helps to coordinate breast cancer services throughout the counties by holding annual Breast Health Resource Update meetings. Employees from breast health organizations throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties are invited to attend and share information and materials about their program and services. These organizations are also instructed on how to continue to access the Komen diagnostic funds. CCHN also works closely on a regular basis with the Every Woman Counts, Project Access and 211 San Diego programs to help coordinate services for local patients.

The Community Clinics Health Network (CCHN) was established in 1993 to provide managed-care contracting and support to San Diego community clinics and health centers. Today, the mission of CCHN has expanded to provide quality and technology services to community clinics and health centers to improve quality of care, health outcomes and business efficiencies. CCHN is a non-profit subsidiary of the Council of Community Clinics, which provides centralized support services to 16 member community clinic and health center organizations operating over 100 sites in San Diego, Imperial and Riverside Counties. One in six individuals in San Diego and Imperial Counties relies on a member community health center for their primary care which adds up to over 580,000 people, over 80% of whom live at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.