Fall/Winter 2021
On the
EVE
of 50
A
On January 1, 2022, CCI Health & Wellness Services steps into its 50th year
s I look ahead to that moment, I am struck by the
birthed CCI and the dedicated hearts and hands which
glow that comes from 50 candles burning. I’m
developed it into what we have today. I look forward to
proud to share that our future looks bright. The
sharing those names and stories during our celebratory year.
five decades of trials and triumphs that shaped us
have also prepared us prepared us for an era of growth and change. With the new year will come a new name, new logo,
For now, I acknowledge those who are CCI’s current caretakers. I am thankful to the donors who fortified us
new associated colors, and new spaces from which to serve.
fiscally, the partners who amplified our voice, the patients
We are entering a new season.
team members. CCI staff continue to show up and offer
In this period, we get to reimagine our contribution to
of our communities. They demonstrate ingenuity and
Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Our first step will be to expand our reach while broadening our scope. This will happen through increased services, enlarged sites, and the launch of new access points. We will continue to be changemakers and disrupt the status quo to
who trusted us to take care of them, and each of our everything they have to advance the health and well-being innovation, support teammates and our mission, and lead with compassion and care even on the most difficult days. Because of them, I know that we will still be serving this region at the end of the next 50 years, operating within trends that we set and evolving existing models of care.
deliver health equity. Our movements will remain nimble and our thinking agile to keep up in a landscape where speed is the new currency. However, during the past year, my journey has reminded me of the importance of slowing down, taking a deep breath, and expressing appreciation. The next phase of CCI’s life cycle is anchored by growth and change built on a foundation of gratitude. I am thankful for the pioneers who
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Sonya Bruton, Psy.D., MPA President and CEO CCI Health & Wellness Services
Give eal . Give o . Give Locally. CCI Health Services is more than just a doctor's office. It's a nonprofit medical practice grounded in community Give Health. service. Since 1972, CCI has been striving to create a mo Give to CCI. equitable health care experience for local communities m CCI Health Services is more than just a doctor’s office. It’s a nonprofit medical practice grounded in community service. Since 1972, CCI has been striving to create a more equitable health care experience for local communities made vulnerable by social, economic, and cultural barriers.
vulnerable by social, economic, and cultural barriers.
When you give When you giveto toCCI CCI,you're you’re supporting supporting the CCI H ALTH S IC S (C health and wellness journey of 60,000+ friends the health and wellness journey of 60,000+ Prince George’s County. A home and build trusted re andfriends neighbors. and neighbors.
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C S (CCI) is a community health center serving ontgomery a Make a Difference. unty.Join At our CCI,Board patients have the opportunity to establish a medi of Directors. CCI Health & Wellness Serviceswith we know we cannot care team. stedAtrelationships their
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do our work without the support and voices of our communities. The input our patients and neighbors provide is vital to what we do—keeping individuals and communities healthy.
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A Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), CCI is dedicated to That’s why we need people like you, who believe that meeting the community’s unique health needs. That means we o we can build better health together.
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You can make all the difference in the health and wellness of your friends, family, and community. Learn more about becoming a CCI Board Member.
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Health care to all
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A#ChooseCCI discount on a sliding scale
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Telehealth
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RUN BABY RUN 5K RACE
RUN baby
Run
Neighbors, supporters, and families alike came out to participate in CCI’s 4th annual Run Baby Run 5K race! Nearly 200 attendees joined us for some exercise through beautiful Brookside Gardens-one of our best turnouts yet. Abigail Hines, came out on top in the women’s group, clocking in a fantastic time of 20:46, while Jordan Johnson was the men’s winner, finishing the race at a very impressive 17:32. Our community baby shower, hosted by CCI’s own WIC Co-Director Jose Luis Diaz, was a huge success, drawing in 48 families (over 100 people!) to the event. And when all was said and done, we raised over $43,000 for our prenatal services—a record for the race! We want to thank each participant, vendor, and fundraiser for their involvement this year. We look forward to next year’s event!
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Purpose Newsletter — Fall/Winter 2021
We want to thank each participant, vendor, and fundraiser for their involvement this year. We look forward to next year’s event!
Purpose Newsletter — Fall/Winter 2021
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SUMMER EVENT
BLOCK
Party
of the year
Over 500 neighbors joined CCI for our first-ever block party! For a sunny afternoon at our Greenbelt health center, families enjoyed fun activities, dined on delicious (and free) food, and danced to the latest hits spun by DJ Dre. More importantly, though, those who came received essential, preventative health care services, including HIV tests and first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Our team planned the event to help families unwind after a stressful year and to encourage the youth in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties to take their health and well-being seriously. It was a day filled with delighted adults, smiling children, and empowered neighbors. The block party exemplified what CCI does best—showing our community that we care by connecting with them on a personal level. We can’t wait to start planning next year’s event!
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Purpose Newsletter — Fall/Winter 2021
BLOCK PARTY
Purpose Newsletter — Fall/Winter 2021
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ACHIEVEMENTS AND MILESTONES
Achievements CCI is a team driven by results and impact. In everything we do, we strive to reach peaks and set new standards in health care. Thousands of neighbors in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties depend on us to do our jobs well and be there for them in their time of need. Here’s what our team has accomplished in the last six months alone.
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Our President & CEO, Dr. Sonya Bruton, received the
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HRSA awarded CCI with two Community Health Equality
2021 Health Care COVID-19 Hero Award presented by the
Recognition badges: Advancing HIT for Quality and
Daily Record. It was a well-deserved honor. Dr. Bruton’s
COVID-19 Testing. These badges designate notable
leadership has been imperative in navigating through
achievements in access, quality, health equity, and
the pandemic. Our entire team is grateful to have her
health information technology.
experience and guidance. 2•
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Committed to investing in our community, CCI
In July, Dr. Bruton and CCI appeared on Studio 501c3,
purchased a building in downtown Silver Spring to
a Montgomery Community Media program that
house our administrative offices. The new move will
highlights local nonprofits making a real difference in
help us significantly expand our medical space and
the community.
services in the Silver Spring area. Stay tuned for more
During National Breastfeeding Month in August, CCI
information in the new year!
promoted the importance of breastfeeding to our
We invite you to keep track of our work in the community
patients and followers. Our successful campaign
following us on social media @CCIcares on Facebook,
featured the stories of our own WIC Breastfeeding
Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Peer Counselors.
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Purpose Newsletter — Fall/Winter 2021
ACHIEVEMENTS AND MILESTONES
National Health Center Week
Every August, Community Health Centers nationwide
The tour also led to an exciting collaboration with
come together to celebrate National Health Center Week,
Councilmember Glass to reach the community with free
an annual event that recognizes the critical work of health
flu shots at farmer’s markets in Olney in partnership with
centers and the communities they serve. Throughout the
Amerigroup and in Silver Spring with Priority Partners.
week, the many groups that make health centers what they
In total, we vaccinated nearly 150 people! We thank both
are receive special focus and appreciation for being a part
Councilmembers for taking the time to learn more about
of this shared mission.
CCI’s history, service, and value to the community. We look
As always, CCI was happy to join the celebrations. For Patient
forward to working with them more in the future.
Appreciation Day, we distributed goodie bags to our patients provided by UnitedHealth Community Plan of Maryland. And for Staff Appreciation Day, our executive leadership team filmed a special video for CCI’s staff thanking them for their work. They also hosted giveaways and raffles! National Health Center Week is about health center advocacy, as well. During the week, CCI extended invitations to local elected officials to visit our Takoma Park health center. We were honored that Montgomery County Councilmembers Evan Glass and Will Jawando accepted our invitations. The Councilmembers toured our health center, learning more about services and seeing for themselves CCI staff with council-member Will Jawando
how important we are to the community.
Advocates For All June serves as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and National Men’s Health Month—two critical issues that impact thousands of our neighbors. Throughout the month, CCI published content to celebrate and raise awareness of both movements to our
And for our National Men’s Health campaign, our goal was to break down some of the harmful misconceptions of masculinity. Expectations of how men should be may hinder them from receiving care, leaving them vulnerable
social media followers.
to preventable health issues. Aided by our male staff who
For Pride Month, we asked our LGBTQIA+ staff members if
much-needed dialogue on the intersection between image
provided their likeness for our campaign, we started a
they would be willing to share their stories to encourage
and health.
acceptance in our wider community. Many of our colleagues jumped at the opportunity to speak their truth. They bravely detailed their experiences through video and text, touching our followers and fostering a deeper understanding of identity and equality for all. Purpose Newsletter — Fall/Winter 2021
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Board Member
BOARD MEMBER HIGHLIGHT
Service. Eventually, he settled down at the FDA for more than two decades, working in safety surveillance for drugs and biological products. After retiring from the FDA and Public Health Service (PHS), he spent more than five years in Gaithersburg at MedImmune, the manufacturing component of AstraZeneca for vaccines and other biological products.
Dr. Robert Wise CCI Board Treasurer
Although retired now from full-time work, he still provides medical epidemiologic consultations, usually involving COVID-19 and its vaccines over the last year. “I hope and expect to see continued stabilization and growth in our services to people without good access to medical care through other channels. At the same time
Dr. Robert Wise responded in 1991 to a notice in the City of Rockville’s newsletter about an opening for a volunteer position at a local community health center.
that CCI sustains the progress it has made while continuing to further develop, it can serve as an example from which similar organizations can learn, and it can supply critically needed well-informed advocacy for improvements in ways to make medical care more accessible to
With a background in Medicine and Public Health, Wise was no
everyone,” says Wise.
stranger to the world of health care. “I thought that volunteering as a CCI board member would help me to understand how safety-net health care works in this country.” He had majored in Sociology and Anthropology as a Carleton College undergraduate in rural Minnesota and then moved to Chicago for medical school at Northwestern and later to Boston for a
The word “purpose” as defined by dictionary.com means “the reason why something exists.” Wise believes that CCI’s purpose is to provide medical care to people without access elsewhere.
master’s degree in Public Health at Harvard. Outside of being a long-time board member, Wise enjoys spending time with his wife and video chatting with his children
“The fact that CCI is a fundamentally charitable organization appeals to me, and its evolving integration into our absurdly
and their first grandchild.
complex collection of national health care systems is fascinating.
His most challenging projects include thinning and organizing
until we more radically revise medical care in this country, but in the
files and piles accumulated over the last 40 years and
meantime, I like to feel that in a small way I can support CCI as an
the exploration of a few research ideas in endocrinology,
increasingly important local band-aid covering the medical needs of
hematology, and automotive safety. He also enjoys yard work
people without health insurance. An essential board and management
and biking with his wife.
goal must be to sustain the organization’s financial stability so that we
Understanding safety net health services will probably remain elusive
can continue serving this primary target population, people who lack Wise was fortunate to have experiences in rural Guatemala, first
health insurance or face language and cultural barriers to care from
for a few weeks in a vaccination program as an undergraduate
other sources. Other key objectives include constantly looking for
and then for a couple of months as a medical student. He also
ways to enhance the quality of our services and to extend the scope to
lived in Guatemala for a year as a resident in International Health
additional kinds of care to more people.”
with the Pan American Health Organization and then had a few
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consulting jobs in West Africa, followed by two years as a U.S.
Wise believes in the mantra, “If a job is worth doing, it’s worth
Public Health Service officer in CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence
doing right.”
Purpose Newsletter — Fall/Winter 2021
RUN BABY RUN 5K RACE SPONSORS
Thank You CCI Supporters! Everyone deserves quality and affordable health care.
And remember: it takes a community to change a
Unfortunately, society’s inequities make access difficult
community. Each of us needs to do our share to ensure
for many of our neighbors. Barriers such as inadequate
our friends, family, and neighbors remain healthy. If you
housing, poverty, and underinsurance threaten the well-
haven’t already received your flu shot for the season, be
being of already underserved populations, increasing their
sure to get one as soon as you can—and encourage those
risk of preventative illness and death.
close to you to do so, as well!
Greater health equity is essential to the community, and
On behalf of the entire CCI team, thank you for your
that’s why CCI commits to using our voice and influence to
unwavering support and dedication to both our patients
tirelessly advocate for lasting change in health care. And as
and our mission.
a diverse team reflective of the patients we serve, we are in Gratefully,
a unique position to achieve it.
Jennifer Pusatere But we can’t do it alone. We need your passion and support
Development Director
to help us advance our mission in creating a more equitable health care experience for all. We invite you to make a gift towards our efforts and our critical services by visiting www.cciweb.org/get-involved/. A monthly contribution will have the greatest impact!
Purpose Newsletter — Fall/Winter 2021
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Attn. Jennifer Pusatere