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Both in-person, and virtual participant registration options are available. Register for each session “a-la carte” style, or choose half-day or whole-day session bundles. Scroll to view agenda details.
About the Summit
The Southwestern Primary Care Research & Innovation Summit celebrates the champions of “Health Equity for All” by showcasing innovations in practice-based research, quality improvement, and patient-centered primary care and community-engaged health programs from community health, academic and other organizations in the Southwestern United States.
Our goal is to bring together primary care clinicians, researchers, patients, public health professionals, students, academics, and others to share their projects, passion, commitment, and enthusiasm for transforming patient care through community collaboration and patient-centered approaches.
This is a hybrid continuing education event. Registration will be available for both in-person and virtual attendees. There is no cost to attend this activity!
- Feature Regional Community-Oriented Primary Care Innovations:
Showcase research, quality improvement, innovations, and lessons learned from diverse community-oriented initiatives and projects that facilitated meaningful improvements in patient care, health equity, and community health outcomes. - Network:
Create a forum for building opportunities around facilitating, coordinating, and improving integration of Quality Improvement and Research in primary care operations through highly interactive, discussion-based workshop sessions. - Create Tomorrow
Highlight future healthcare leader’s scholarly contributions to the healthcare community and connect learners to faculty, projects, and potential future employers at diverse healthcare sites throughout the southwest region.
Specifically, this event is designed to disseminate best practices in community oriented primary care by featuring projects, works in progress, and care delivery models that:
- Address public health priorities, health equity, and social determinants of health
- Make diversity and inclusion intentional
- Collaborate with and empower communities – projects founded on partnerships and forge trust with patients and community-based partners to shape priorities and services based on assessed health needs and social determinants of health.
- Foster meaningful patient partnerships – projects that embed the patient/family voice and the lived experience of patients in program development, delivery, and evaluation.
- Facilitate innovations in team-based systems change – models that develop the capacity of multidisciplinary teams to facilitate evidence-based, sustainable improvements in patient care; team-based innovations in processes and workflows based on collaborative learning, co-creation of innovations, and coordinated change.
- Address rural health disparities
- Advance integrated approaches to patient care
The 2024 Research & Innovation Poster Fair – a central focal point of the Primary Care Research & Innovation Summit – represents El Rio’s 8th annual of its kind. This virtual showcase will go live for the public in mid-April 2024 as the official “kick-off” activity for the Summit, setting the stage for the live, multi-session continuing education activity on May 8, 2024. All posters are submitted digitally and will be hosted on an immersive, interactive virtual platform.
El Rio Health – Manning House Ballroom
450 W. Paseo Redondo
Tucson, AZ 85701
Virtual Attendee Website: (link and login instructions provided upon registration)
summit agenda
TUES - 05.07.24
Pre-Summit Workshop: Role of IRBs in Fostering DEI in Research
5:30 - 6:30p
Exploring Ways to Foster Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Research
CHRISTINE MELTON-LOPEZ
Director, Human Subjects Protection ProgramUniversity of Arizona
During this workshop, learners will discuss how IRBs can support more inclusive research, the IRB’s role in increasing diversity in research, and how researchers can approach subject selection with an equity lens.
Location:
Virtually, or in person at:
El Rio Manning House
450 E. Paseo Redondo
Tucson, AZ 85701
Snacks & Refreshments will be provided for in-person attendees!
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the foundational principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and their significance in the realm of research.
- Explore best practices for integrating DEI principles into various stages of the research process, from design to implementation and analysis.
- Gain familiarity with research methodologies and strategies that promote inclusivity, address biases, and ensure diverse perspectives are accounted for in research endeavors.
WED - 05.08.24
The "Main Event"
7:30 - 8:30a
In-person attendees:
Registration Opens at 7:30a. Coffee, refreshments, and breakfast are included! This session is your opportunity to:
- Network with colleagues
- View featured posters
- Meet & greet with recipients of the 2024 Poster Awards
Virtual Attendees:
Please log in to the attendee website by 8:20 to check in for the first session.
8:30 - 9:00a
FELIPE PEREZ, MD, FAAFP
DIO & Director of Medical and Health Profession Education
Director of Family Medicine Residency Program
El Rio Health
9:00 - 10:15a
The Health Equity Journey: An Actionable Framework for Identifying & Closing Gaps in Equity
BRYAN O. BUCKLEY, DrPH, MPH, MBA
Director, Health Equity Initiatives
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
Description:
- Aligning staff and leadership to meet equity goals.
- Identifying gaps in care, including data, policy and practice.
- Standardizing processes to improve the quality of care provided to all members.
10:15 - 10:45a
Navigating Social Determinants of Health Needs Through an Innovative Population Health Model
LIZZIE GARCIA
Prevention Manager
Mariposa Community Health Center
MIRIAM MORALES, MPH
Community Care Coordination Manager
Mariposa Community Health Center
MICHELLE MORALES
Information Services Manager
Mariposa Community Health Center
10:45a - 12:00p
Navigating Afghan Health-Seeking Behaviors: Exploring Barriers and Cultural Dynamics
ANNIE KUNZ, LCSW
Program Supervisor,
Services to Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat (SASIC) program
JFCS of Southern Arizona
OMID RAHIMI, MD, MPH
Case Management Coordinator,
Services to Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat (SASIC) program
JFCS of Southern Arizona<br>
ALONA SUKHINA, MD
Pediatric Medicine
El Rio Health
12:00 - 12:45p
In-person attendees enjoy a catered lunch and some time to network!
12:45 - 2:45p
Advancing Health Equity for Transgender and Gender Diverse People
This discussion incorporates the lived experience of Transgender and Gender Diverse people who will share their personal life experiences and their experiences interacting with the healthcare system.
TRACEY KURTZMAN, MD
Pediatric Medicine
El Rio Health
JESS HENSEL, MD, FAAFP
Associate Medical Director, Family Medicine
El Rio Health
PATIENTS with diverse lived experiences
2:45 - 3:00p
Get up and move… hydrate, etc. But come back for the Poster Awards & Talk Show up next!
3:00 - 4:30p
Join us as we formally honor the recipient of the Best Overall: Carlos M. Flores, Create Tomorrow Award and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place recipients of the Community Impact, Innovation, and Relevance Awards.
Submitted posters are evaluated and scored by qualified reviewers in a blind peer-review process to determine the winners. Following the awards presentation, recipients will talk about their projects, findings, and lessons learned during the Poster Awards Talk Show – a moderated interview with El Rio’s Chief Clinical Officer, Douglas Spegman, MD, MSPH, FACP.
4:30 - 5:00p
CLINT KUNTZ, DBH
Chief Executive Officer
El Rio Health
MEET THE SPEAKERS
Christine Melton-Lopez
IRB Workshop
Director, Human Subjects Protection Program
University of Arizona, Research Innovation & Impact
Felipe Perez, MD, FAAFP
OPENING SPEAKER
DIO & Director of Medical and Health Profession Education
Director of Family Medicine Residency Program
El Rio Health
Bryan Buckley, DrPH, MPH
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Director of Health Equity Initiatives
National Council on Quality Assurance (NCQA)
Lizzie Garcia
Session 1 presenter
Prevention Manager
Mariposa Community Health Center
Michelle Morales
Session 1 presenter
Manager of Information Services
Mariposa Community Health Center
Miriam Morales, MPH, BSHA
Session 1 presenter
Manager of Care Coordination
Mariposa Community Health Center
Annie Kunz, LCSW
Session 2 presenter
Program Supervisor – Services to Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat (SASIC)
JFCS of Southern Arizona
Omid Rahimi, MD, MPH
SESSION 2 Presenter
Case Management Coordinator – Services to Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat (SASIC)
JFCS of Southern Arizona
Alona Sukhina, MD
Session 2 Presenter
Pediatric Medicine
El Rio Health
Jess Hensel, MD, FAAFP
Panel Presenter
Associate Medical Director, Family Medicine
El Rio Health
Tracey Kurtzman, MD
Panel Presenter
Pediatric Medicine
El Rio Health
Douglas Spegman, MD, FACP
AWARDS MODERATOR
Chief Clinical Officer
El Rio Health
Clint Kuntz, DBH
CLOSING SPEAKER
Chief Executive Officer
El Rio Health
Presenting PARTNERS
2024 Planning committee
EL RIO HEALTH
Erin Dougherty, PhD, MPH
Manager, Grants & Research
Committee Co-Chair
El Rio Health
Felipe Perez, MD, FAAFP
Director, Medical Residency Program
Committee Co-Chair
EL RIO HEALTH
Tara Radke, MPH
Chief of Grants & Research
El Rio Health
Desirée Rose
Director of Continuing Medical Education
EL RIO HEALTH
Marisa Rowen, PharmD
Pharmacy Associate Director
El Rio Health
Lori Ritter
Quality & Innovation Coordinator
Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc.
Darlene Melk, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Mariposa Community Health Center
Angelica Serrano
Director of Population Health
Mariposa Community Health Center
Philip Williams, MD
Associate Medical Director
MHC HEALTHCARE
Karen Weber, DO
Senior Medical Director
San Ysidro Health
Nikol Lang, MPH
Research Specialist
San Ysidro Health
Linda Salgin, MPH
Senior Program Manager
TMC Health
Sean Elliott, MD
Pediatric Infectious Disease
ATSU - SOMA
Christine Morgan, EDD, CHES
Assistant Professor
Residency Education Manager