P.S. Each passing year means greater strides. I invite you to read our recently published 2023 Community Health Impact Report and learn about the care we delivered to over 68,000 patients and participants with the help of allies like you. Scan the QR code below to read more.
“When you start climbing, you know better than to spend your time looking down, because that’s not the way that you want to be going. You need to concentrate and focus on where you need to go.”
Words from my father that echoed in my mind as I scaled Chimney Rock in my native North Carolina. I was a teen just days into the outdoors and wilderness experience that is Outward Bound, questioning whether I had what it takes to complete the intensive program. For a moment on that mountain, I thought about looking down. But with my father’s wisdom as a guide, I set my sights high, persevered, and reached the top.
I recently shared that story and other anecdotes from my life on Stronger Together, a storytelling program hosted by our partners at the Primary Care Coalition. Afterward, I reflected on that defining experience on Chimney Rock. I was moved by how my father’s words seemed to arrive right when I needed them, reminding me that CCI’s work embodies the same spirit as we empower our neighbors through a care delivery that provides just in time.
Providing what is needed when it’s needed is evident throughout the pages of this edition of Purpose. We jump right in by detailing the latest program updates, all of which will positively impact the health of tens of thousands of patients in the next year. We then bring attention to the lack of gender-affirming care in Montgomery County and our response to the shortage. We’ll introduce a new campaign on sexual and reproductive health, update readers on our outreach efforts, and highlight our amazing scheduling team. Finally, we close with an insightful interview with our Dr. Maria Liza Kilby, CCI pediatrician for the past 22 years.
Everyone has their mountain to climb, but the one you and I trek together will lead to health equity in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. There’s nowhere for us to look but up. Thank you for taking this journey with me.
Sincerely,
Sonya Bruton, PsyD, MPA CEO and PresidentCCI now operates six School-Based Wellness Centers inside Montgomery County public high schools, providing well-child exams, sick care, chronic illness management, health screenings, vaccinations, and other services.
At the end of this year, CCI will open a new 48,000-square-foot location in Greenbelt. It will not only house our Family Medicine Residency Program but also provide a large meeting space for our CenteringPregnancy® participants and an on-site pharmacy.
In January 2024, CCI received accreditation for our Family Medicine Residency Program from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). By meeting the standards and compliance set by the ACGME, CCI will officially launch our residency program in 2025.
Building upon our Drug Discount Program, CCI will make it easier for patients to receive and refill prescriptions. We will open our first on-site pharmacy in Gaithersburg in 2024.
Montgomery County sets itself apart as a leader in equity with each executive action and local initiative. That’s especially clear to LGBTQIA+ folks like me, who recognize the County’s concerted efforts to protect the community’s rights. From the passage of the LGBTQ Bill of Rights in 2020 to the recent establishment of the LGBTQ Advisory Group, our County demonstrates compassion and exemplifies what’s possible. Yet, as the results of the 2023 LGBTQ+ Community Survey revealed, there's still some work to do.
The survey showed that the LGBTQIA+ community faces barriers to care in Montgomery County, particularly our trans, non-binary, and gender expansive neighbors, whose feedback painted a picture of health care severely behind the times.
Among the findings in the report, several were especially troubling:
• More than 25% of respondents reported having to educate their health care provider on their sexual orientation or gender identity so that they could receive appropriate care.
• 41.1% of respondents reported difficulties finding a local provider that offered gender-affirming medical care. 41.8% said the same about genderaffirming mental health care.
• Respondents who self-identified as trans, gender expansive, or questioning were four times more likely to report experiencing harsh or abusive language from a provider.
These outcomes are unacceptable and frankly surprising, given Montgomery County’s record of furthering acceptance and safety in our neighborhoods. Thankfully, leadership acknowledges the issue and shares the concern, with Council Vice President Kate Stewart even joining CCI in a joint statement demanding greater gender-affirming care access and equitable treatment.
But action is how we’ll right the wrongs trans, nonbinary, and expansive folks continue to face. That means leaders from different sectors throughout the community coming together to put in the work. As community health leaders in Montgomery County, we know that starts with us—and we have a plan.
As it stands, there are only two locations specializing in gender-affirming care in Maryland, neither of which are located in Montgomery County. The local shortage means burdening our trans, non-binary, and expansive neighbors with a commute into D.C. or Baltimore or limiting them to a nearby health clinic that potentially lacks the training required to deliver care effectively and respectfully to the population.
Recognizing the urgent need, we decided to innovate a space offering the quality health services our LGBTQIA+ neighbors deserve. Our Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) health center will become a health care home long overdue and much needed within our community.
Scheduled to open in Silver Spring in 2025, our SGM health center will boast ten exam rooms, lab services, and an on-site pharmacy. It’ll create over two dozen jobs and comprise health professionals rigorously trained in gender-affirming care within CCI’s established culturally competent and patientcentered framework. The comprehensive health services expected at our seven centers will be a mainstay, coupled with new services relevant to the population served, including hormone therapy and peer and same-day PrEP.
Clinicians and support personnel will build relationships with patients with the utmost sensitivity to their lived experiences, partnering to help define and attain their unique health and gender goals. Trans, non-binary, and expansive folks who choose us for care will once again take the lead in their health journeys, but this time, they’ll thrive through provider empowerment, not ignorance.
It’s time to dispel the harmful notion that a population earns the right to specialized care. Rather, the challenge is for health care to earn the confidence of a population. Proud allies like CCI garner inspiration and courage from the LGBTQIA+ community to commit our resources toward wellness in the name of liberation. And as we continue to partner with Montgomery County leadership and advocates to secure health justice, I wholeheartedly believe that restoration of trust in health care is on the horizon. I can see it from our health center.
Safe Sex, No Regrets is CCI’s latest public health campaign to bring awareness to our sexual and reproductive services. According to the CDC, in 2022, more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in the United States. While reported gonorrhea cases declined and chlamydia cases remained steady, there has been a dramatic increase in syphilis and congenital syphilis cases.
CDC data also shows there are significant disparities in reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In 2022, half of the reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were among adolescents and young adults aged 15–24 years old. Additionally, these disparities persist among some racial and ethnic groups due to lack of access to sexual health services and distrust of the health care system.
At CCI, we are committed to raising awareness and increasing safe, affordable care for all our neighbors, which includes maintaining our 100% linkage to care rate for newly diagnosed HIV patients and remaining a notable health services partner at outreach events. In 2023, we participated in 20 community events at local public schools to provide general health information and sexual and reproductive health resources.
CCI’s Safe Sex, No Regrets Promise:
exual health screenings and tests. Through our family planning program, our services are often free or very low cost.
mergency contraception. No matter the situation or circumstance, we provide access to the care our patients need when they need it most.
pert, Confidential care. We help our patients make the bestinformed decision. They can always turn to us to have the tough conversations they may not feel comfortable having elsewhere.
Students at Wheaton High School play CCI's sexual health matching game where they match which sexual behavior is no risk, low risk, or high risk for STIs.
As a Community Health Center, CCI is always looking for opportunities to provide health information and services directly to our neighbors, whether at a local school or small business. We know how important it is to meet people where they are and frequent the most. Check out where we’ve been lately and what’s up next:
• Blood Drive (Silver Spring)
• Black Business Expo (Rockville)
• Wheaton High School Health Fair (Wheaton)
June 16
• AAHP Community Day (Germantown)
• Seneca Valley High School Health Fair (Germantown)
• National Youth HIV/AIDs Testing Day (Rockville)
Hoops for Health Prince George’s County Basketball Tournament Hoops for Health is an initiative to promote physical activity, family bonding, and overall well-being within the community. This event will focus on fathers/guardians and their children, encouraging them to participate in basketball-related activities to foster a healthy lifestyle and strengthen their relationships.
August 4–10
National Health Center Week
National Health Center Week (NHCW) is an opportunity to highlight the commitment and passion of America’s 1,400+ Community Health Center staff, board members, and supporters who make it possible to provide quality, comprehensive health care services to more than 30 million patients across 14,500 communities annually.
August 10
4th Annual CCI Block Party
CCI’s Annual Block Party, held at our Greenbelt health center, encourages youth in the community to take control of their health. We highlight our services, including confidential and free resources. We also include representation from other health, fitness, career, and education organizations in the community. In 2023, more than 900 community members attended.
At CCI, our scheduling department is a critical part of our internal and external operations. Led by the Scheduling Center Manager Katia Howell, the 12-person team works 100% remotely, but the communication is constant.
They are “the first voice of the company.”
To best serve callers, scheduling team members must know general information about our health centers and so much more. For example, if a patient calls to receive a specific type of care, a team member must know each provider’s scope of practice to schedule the appointment correctly. Additionally, when a representative from a health insurance agency calls, they have to know the proper protocol to get their questions answered.
Like any other patient-facing role at CCI, our scheduling team knows the importance of maintaining a positive attitude even when interacting with patients who are frustrated or upset. In one instance, Stephanie, CCI’s Scheduling Center Specialist, received a call from a patient about a very painful toothache. There weren’t any immediate openings, but Stephanie worked with the dental team to get this patient seen right away.
Because of Stephanie’s patience and commitment to service, the patient sent her a thank you card. It’s in these moments that we recognize how impactful our work is to the community.
From Katia:
“I love my team. Every day I tell them thank you and make them feel appreciated. People may think that we just sit here but the job is more than just scheduling patients. We are there to serve the patients, help out with campaigns, and schedule additional services such as Uber rides.”
On average, the CCI scheduling team answers 20,000 calls per month.
What is your role and how does it help CCI achieve our mission?
What did you do before CCI and what made you want to join the team?
What’s your favorite thing about CCI?
Are there any achievements you’ve received at work or outside of work that you want to highlight?
Anything else you’d like to share:
My role as a pediatrician is to play with the kids—at least for 1/10th of the time! The other 9/10th, I'm helping prevent, diagnose, and treat health conditions in our pediatric population, optimizing the health and well-being of our patients, their families, and the community. I also play a role in positively influencing those around me in a challenging field.
Your CCI journey:
I initially worked as a hospitalist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, D.C. Then, a friend who worked at the CCI Gaithersburg health center at the time recruited me to do PRN coverage. That was 22 years ago! I fell in love with CCI and outpatient community health and am proud to have been here since.
What I love about CCI is the patients I serve, the people I work with, and the idea that I'm making a difference in someone's life and the community.
I am proud to be the first recipient of the CCI Spirit Award in 2018. However, my greatest achievement is raising three wonderful, happy, healthy children (now adults), three dogs, and a happy husband (happy when I'm not charting at home or on vacation, that is!)
It has been amazing to witness the evolution of CCI to CCI Health Services in the past 22 years, from three small health centers with five or six providers to the sizable organization we are today. Back then, there were no registered nurses, community health workers, or referral specialists. We didn't even have dental or infectious disease departments. Now look at us! And what's even more impressive is how we have always been steadfast, staying true to our mission. Our founder, Mark Langlais, and former CEO, Dr. William Flynt, would be amazed to see how far we've come. I know I'm amazed, proud, and grateful for CCI.
