Purpose Fall 2022

Fall 2022

Dear Friends,

I’m not surprised that year 50 was so remarkable for us. Between expanding our Silver Spring health center (p. 9), laying the foundation for a family medicine residency program (p. 10–11), and having our most productive outreach year ever (p. 4), I knew we were poised for new heights.

I couldn’t be prouder of what this team accomplished in 2022. We channeled the excitement of our anniversary and applied it toward our mission. That’s the CCI way.

In my upcoming book, Finding Your Way in the Nonprofit Sector: Your portable mentor for avoiding pitfalls and seizing opportunities, out this month through Advantage Forbes Publishing, I talk about the need for resilience in the work we do.

“The social services sector needs people who are oriented toward continuous quality improvement, but the approach needs to be positive and forward looking rather than continually focusing on problems in the present. The idea is to get beyond those problems, to find solutions to them, to see how future circumstances might be a little better, rather than wallowing in the problems.

The need for change is what created the social services sector in the first place, so change is a constant.

To succeed in this continually changing world, you must be able to deal with the unknown and be comfortable with constant change. You need resilience, which enables you to persist through change, even when it’s difficult.” pg. 75

CCI embodies what works in the social services sector. We innovate in anticipation of the public health problems of tomorrow as we use tenacity and compassion to solve the problems our community faces today. We begin every response with, “yes, it can be done,” and we never waver in our optimism. And though there are times when things don’t go as planned, we always come out stronger and better prepared for whatever challenge may come our way.

And with you standing side by side with us, we’ll continue to change, for the better, the landscape of health in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties from this generation onward.

Thank for you joining us on this journey to health equity.

Sonya

Bruton, Psy.D., MPA CEO & President

CCI

Health Services

We have reached the final days of CCI’s year-round 50th-anniversary celebration—and we have many new milestones to add to our five-decadestrong history!

Congratulations, Dr. Bruton!

Toward summer’s end, Dr. Bruton received the John Gilbert Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) at their 52nd annual NACHC Community Health Institute & EXPO in Chicago.

The coveted award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a high level of excellence in community health care.

“Award of Excellence recipients represent the best and brightest voices of the community health center movement. We would not be where we are today without their visionary leadership and dedication to providing quality health care to all, regardless of ability to pay,” said Rachel A. Gonzales-Hanson, Interim President & CEO of NACHC.

“We are humbled by their accomplishments and inspired by their commitment to ensuring health equity in underserved communities.”

As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Bruton utilizes her knowledge and skills to help others.

Recently, she played a pivotal role in our refugee health program, conducting intake visits for refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine and completing neuropsychological testing assessments to detect learning disorders and memory impairments.

In Dr. Bruton’s acceptance speech, she put out a riveting call for collaboration to everyone in attendance, stating:

I am because you are. All we need to do now is harvest and excavate knowledge and power and advance the community health center model so that soon we become the answer to all the medical needs of the community.

There For Our Neighbors

What a year it’s been for the CCI outreach team! You could find us out and about at different events letting our neighbors know who we are and how we help keep our community healthy. Here’s a quick rundown of what we’ve been up to in the last few months.

In May, we participated in Bike to Work Day with other local organizations.

In June, we were at Summer Mercado, a street festival that caters to Takoma Park’s vibrant Latino/a community. That same weekend we celebrated the LGBTQIA+ community at Pride in the Plaza in downtown Silver Spring. Both events had spirited turnouts, and many left with information about CCI and our services.

In August, we attended the Ama Tu Vida festival, distributed bags filled with health products and nifty gifts to patients and stakeholders during National Health Center Week, and hosted a baby shower for our WIC participants (more on the next page!)

October kept up the pace with our flagship Run Baby Run event (check out p. 12–13.)

We also participated in the Takoma Park Street Festival, coordinated two breast cancer screening events (one with the local chapter of Delta Sigma Theta), and hosted several flu clinics for staff and patients.

Now that the cooler months are here, we know event opportunities will slow down. But if anything is happening in the area, you can bet that the CCI team will try to be there. Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up to date with our whereabouts! @CCIcares on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Pride in the Plaza

Takoma Park Street Festival

Gifts, Games, & Support: CCI’s WIC Baby Shower

By Jose Luis Diaz, WIC at CCI Director

CCI’s WIC team hosted a community baby shower at Wheaton Library to celebrate National Breastfeeding Month in August. The afternoon event combined fun games and door prizes with educational activities and resources. In addition, each expecting WIC participant received a gift bag filled with useful items for their new babies as well as other giveaways courtesy of several partnering organizations.

The baby shower provided a fantastic opportunity to educate new parents on the importance of breastfeeding. During the event, our counselors introduced breastfeeding to attendees, shared tips on increasing milk production, demonstrated holding techniques, and offered helpful nutrition information. True to our commitment to delivering culturally competent and accessible care, we provided all content in both Spanish and English.

Breastfeeding education is CCI WIC’s cornerstone service. WIC counselors receive extensive training to supplement their own experiences, which places them in a unique position to provide trusted and practical advice that increases participant success.

Our team views breastfeeding education as an essential part of the nutrition services we offer, helping us meet our mission to safeguard the health of adults, infants, and children living with low incomes.

The 2022 CCI WIC baby shower was a huge success, exceeding our expectations in every way. Of course, we couldn’t have done it without the support of our generous sponsors, including Amerigroup, Korth Construction, Priority Partners, and United HealthCare. We are hopeful that the CCI WIC baby shower will be an annual event as we are eager to continue celebrating our community and spreading the word about the many benefits of breastfeeding.

NEW CCI LEADERS

Cesar Arias, M.D., FAAP

Dr. Arias is our new Chief Medical Officer, overseeing CCI’s clinical operations and ensuring we meet the high standards we set to improve community health outcomes and foster a positive in-office experience for our patients.

A practicing physician for over two decades, Dr. Arias previously served in leadership positions for several health centers within the Baltimore Medical System. He has made it his life’s mission to further health equity and provide quality care for historically marginalized communities.

Dr. Arias received his M.D. from Universidad Central del Este, a private university in San Pedro de Macorís in the Dominican Republic.

Parastoo Golestani, D.D.S.

Dr. Golestani joins CCI as our first-ever Chief Dental Officer after two decades of owning and operating successful dental practices throughout the Washington metropolitan area.

Entrepreneurial and results-driven, Dr. Golestani believes in using her clinical expertise and business knowledge for good. She is eager to help CCI reach more of our neighbors with dental care and lead our program to new heights.

Dr. Golestani received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) from the University of Maryland and has practiced dentistry since 1995.

We are thrilled to introduce the newest members of our leadership team, Drs. Cesar Arias and Parastoo Golestani.

We would like to extend our gratitude to Dr. Melissa Clark for serving as our CMO over the last two years. Thank you, Dr. Clark!

MEET OUR BOARD

SHARON THAMES

Sharon Thames has served on the CCI Board of Directors for over a decade, motivated by her commitment to our mission.

“CCI provides quality care while still being affordable— that’s what makes us unique.”

In the last ten years, Sharon has seen CCI grow significantly. She attributes our progress to Dr. Bruton’s leadership as CEO & President.

“Sonya’s leadership has helped us as an organization tenfold. Her appointment as CEO & President has come at an exceptional time, especially considering the COVID pandemic. In an era where you do not see many Black, female CEOs, she is paving the way for future leaders.”

Sharon believes her sense of serenity is due to her upbringing. She was born and raised in Maryland, obtaining her B.S. in Organizational Management from Columbia Union College (now Washington Adventist University) and her M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.

When she’s not performing her duties as a Board Member, she enjoys being at home with her family.

Sharon believes everyone has a purpose.

“Purpose is fundamentally the reason why something is done.

An aim, a goal. I know that CCI is being run with a purpose to serve the communities of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.”

Next Level Silver Spring

In the previous issue of Purpose, we took our readers on a guided tour of our new headquarters located on Georgia Avenue in beautiful downtown Silver Spring. Four months later, most of our Support Center staff has settled into the building, which provided our team with a burst of energy and continues to stimulate both creativity and connection.

Opening our new headquarters was a pivotal moment for CCI, but it’s only the beginning of our development plans. In fact, we’re already well underway with our next project—one that has the potential to make a substantial impact on our community’s health.

We are excited to announce that we have begun the expansion of our Silver Spring health center on Fenton Avenue! The updated health center will virtually double in size, providing us with the much-needed room to accommodate more patients, hire more talent, and offer more services. Slated to open in January 2023, CCI’s updated Silver Spring health center will feature: 28 exam rooms

Designated areas for specific health conditions and needs

A renovated dental clinic

A demonstration kitchen to provide education on diet and nutrition

Once completed, our Silver Spring health center will be the first of its kind in Montgomery County. It will serve as the largest community health center in the county, which is a feat in itself. But more importantly, what makes the health center truly remarkable is the type of services we’ll offer—and the statement we’ll make with them.

Specialized health services such as cooking courses and condition-specific care spaces are typically unavailable in a traditional community health setting, making them out of reach for the populations we serve. But our health center will prove that doesn’t need to be the case. An essential component of health equity is the willingness to innovate, and we hope that by offering these modern services, we can set a precedent of what community health can—and should—be.

We can’t wait to provide more updates soon. But, for now, we hope you enjoy the sneak peek into the construction process. And get ready because there is much more to come!

Meet DR. RILEY

In November 2021, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded CCI a Teaching Health Center grant to fund a family residency program in Prince George’s County.

In the year since, our team has been hard at work to develop the program, which included hiring Dr. Mia Riley as our Graduate Medical Education Program Director. We spoke with Dr. Riley to learn more about her and the Teaching Health Center program’s status.

Dr. Riley, tell us a little about yourself. I am a native Marylander and wanted to be a physician from a very young age. When I was accepted at the Howard University College of Medicine, it was a dream realized. I knew I would receive outstanding training at Howard and be afforded the opportunity to serve medically underserved communities in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

After graduating from Howard, I chose to complete my residency training at the Georgetown University – Providence Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program because of the program's robust clinical training, mission, and targeted area of service delivery also in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

When I completed my formal training, I stayed at Georgetown as a faculty member in the Family Medicine Residency Program. I carry a proud legacy of educators in my family and have been exceptionally fortunate to marry my passions for teaching and medicine.

To continue to live out these passions at CCI, with the charge of developing our Teaching Health Center, is certainly quite a privilege. With our collected will, I am motivated to ensure that CCI's Teaching Health Center will offer a premiere residency training experience.

What was it about the Teaching Health Center that resonated with you?

I am committed to making an indelible impact on the medical care provided to my community. I have been deeply troubled by the shortage of primary care physicians evident across our country and the daunting statistics here in the state that I call home.

Our Teaching Health Center is an opportunity to train knowledgeable, compassionate, and culturally competent physicians to deliver quality patient care in Prince George's County.

I saw the Program Director role as an amazing opportunity to contribute my skills and passion toward creating a residency program that would be influential in our community.

Furthermore, CCI’s mission and vision guided my decision to join; I wholeheartedly share CCI’s philosophy of care.

Dr. Bruton’s vision to launch a Family Medicine residency program to decrease physician shortage in Prince George’s County is a testament to our organization’s commitment to breaking down barriers to health care access.

What are some of your goals for the Teaching Health Center?

My goal is to train full-spectrum Family Medicine physicians equipped to practice medicine in any corner of the world but choose to practice here in Maryland. Our resident physicians will have unique opportunities to serve refugee patients and integrate infectious disease management into their primary care practice. Their training will have a double impact—preparing them to be full-scope independent physicians and trusted health partners in their communities.

I envision a cohort of resident physicians who embody and amplify CCI's mission and values, unapologetic about providing culturally competent, patient-centered care in every room they enter. Our Teaching Health Center will train a workforce of physicians whose purpose is to impact the health outcomes of generations of families, particularly those in Prince George's County.

What will this program mean for Prince George’s County?

Three words: health care transformation.

We know that primary care physician shortages and the resulting health care access challenges remain an ongoing crisis across the United States. Unfortunately, Prince George's County is not isolated, with staggeringly low primary care physician ratios to the number of county residents.

Our Teaching Health Center will introduce new physicians into the community and bolster the county's primary care workforce. We anticipate that many of our graduates will choose to stay in the county and continue to serve our patients. Therefore, our Teaching Health Center is crucial to improving health care access and outcomes for the residents of our community. We are confident and excited that this program will positively catapult our community's health and overall wellness.

By Kevin Bruton, Marketing Assistant

As we anxiously watched the news of Hurricane Ian making its way up the coast, we hoped the storm would change direction or fizzle out. We questioned if the race should go on or if we should cancel. But we knew this year’s Run Baby Run 5K was more than just a fundraising race.

CCI was celebrating 50 years of service to the community while simultaneously holding the 5K for its 5th year. This made this year’s Run Baby Run even more important as it marked a significant milestone.

Many options were on the table and we weighed them all. We talked to meteorologists. We talked to runners about how weather conditions would impact their choice to run. We thought about how rain and wind would impact the course. Would people show up? Would we have enough volunteers? Would runners, their families, and friends have a good time despite a chance of rain?

The answer was a resounding YES! Despite the wet and, at times windy, conditions the mood was jubilant as runners, joggers, walkers, and those with strollers wound their way through Wheaton Regional Park.

“The cool air and light rain felt great and running among the trees was just an incredible experience,” said CCI Staff Writer, Parker Pillsbury. “This was one of the most enjoyable races I’ve ever done.”

The event was paired down due to the weather and the birthday party festivities we had planned for after the race was postponed. However, the race participants were treated to an energetic warm-up facilitated by Fit4Moms before embarking on the 3.1-mile.

“This was our first 5K as an entire family. My girls ran most of the trail and had fun,” said CCI’s Population Health Director, Camesha Thompson.

Back at the start line bagels courtesy of Bethesda Bagels were available for those who needed a quick carb after the race. Dodging raindrops, staff and volunteers began distributing medals and a small but fun celebration began to form as two enormous sheet cakes, emblazoned with the CCI logo and the 50th-anniversary logo were shared with all.

With 275 registered participants and just shy of $100,000 raised for our prenatal program, Run Baby Run was a success despite Ian.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Give Locally. Give Health. Give to CCI.

Dear supporters and partners,

CCI reached an important milestone in 2022: 50 years of serving the community. We couldn't have made it without your help. You allow us to be the answer.

We answer the needs of tens of thousands of patients seeking affordable and accessible health care throughout Montgomery and Prince George's counties. Because of you, we can:

Deliver primary health care to patients of all ages.

Support new parents amid one of the most challenging yet rewarding times in a person's life.

Expand behavioral health services by hiring more staff to meet the growing need.

Welcome and support our new neighbors through our robust refugee health program.

Provide nutritious foods and breastfeeding support to over 40,000 expecting new parents.

Empower community members to maintain their smiles with dental care, education, and resources.

Support affordable and confidential family planning services.

Help bridge the gap for our patients' medication assistance needs. And much more!

Purpose magazine may detail what our team has accomplished as of late, but it's also our way of showing you what your support has helped our team accomplish. You can help us continue to be the answer for our patients by supporting our mission. Visit cciweb.org/get-involved/donate/ to donate to our work today.

Thank you!

Sincerely, Jennifer Pusatere Development Director

P.S. Remember: all donations to CCI are tax-deductible.

WEAR YOUR CCI PRIDE

T-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags . . . you want them? We got them!

CCI’s merch store features a ton of sleek and modern designs to keep you looking fresh and help us give our patients the best.

Don’t wait another moment!

Head over to cciweb.org/store shop around, and support our work today!