The Magic of Collaboration

By Hillery Tsumba
Director, Organizational Strategy, Primary Care Coalition

col·lab·o·ra·tion, noun, the act of working together to complete a goal

Collaboration is how the Primary Care Coalition and its partners have achieved so many shared goals over the years in Montgomery County. It seems like a simple process, "You do what you do. I'll do what I do. We'll do amazing things together!"

But things are rarely that simple. Although collaboration is magic when everything goes smoothly, it often takes experience, practice, and a concerted effort to get it right. That includes an intentional long-term investment of time, resources, and considerable emotional energy to continuously involve partners in every aspect of vision, design, and operations.

State Names PCC to Develop Blueprint
for Healthcare Workforce Database

Faced with an aging database of scattered healthcare workforce information, the state of Maryland recently selected the Primary Care Coalition (PCC) to develop a blueprint for a new statewide clearinghouse that will provide information on physicians and other healthcare workers in real-time. This will enable the appropriate deployment of licensed healthcare workers where they are needed, matching the locations of where physicians live with population data. It will also open new possibilities for healthcare in Maryland, adding critical characteristics like the languages physicians speak and matching that to patient numbers and cultural needs.

The Maryland Department of Health selected the Primary Care Coalition to develop the blueprint for the statewide database to ensure that a sufficient supply of healthcare workers is available to meet the specific needs of diverse Maryland communities and provide culturally-appropriate care to the patients they serve.  

"We consider this to be another one of our exciting Powered by PCC Health Force projects that will change the face of healthcare in our community and across the country," said Project Director Shawnda Sullivan. "We are excited at the opportunity to develop a blueprint for an accurate and responsive workforce database that will ensure that Maryland residents have access to the physicians, nurses, and technicians who meet their specific needs for quality health care." Sullivan is a senior director for PCC's Community Physician Engagement Manager for Nexus Montgomery and Population Health.

Last Call for Mary C. Jackson Award Nominees –
Deadline is May 20

Don't miss the May 20 submission deadline to nominate a worthy Primary Care Coalition worker for the Mary C. Jackson "Good Works, Done Well" Award. Nominate someone you think deserves recognition for their work on behalf of the people in Montgomery County who need accessible, professional, and compassionate human services. The award is named in honor of PCC's former deputy director, who devoted her entire professional life to developing programs to help underprivileged and underserved children and their families. If you know a PCC employee or volunteer who demonstrates compassion and care and has a proven track record of collaboration, go to this page and submit your nomination before 5 p.m. on May 20.

Our Pitch Line is Open!

We’re very excited to announce PCC’s third-ever storytelling show will be happening this November 10^th at the AFI Theatre in Silver Spring. The best part? The pitch line is now open, and we want to hear from you.

If you're a PCC staffer or partner, what makes your work personal and meaningful? If you're a client, how have the services provided by PCC and partners touched you/your family? For everyone, what have you learned along the (hard) way? What keeps you trying to make the world--or any part of it--a little bit better? The ideal story is a little bit irreverent, a lot heartfelt, and totally you.

Find out more about the kinds of stories we want to hear, and take the opportunity to connect with our community on a whole new level by pitching your story here.

May 20, 12 noon – 4 p.m., Spring Fling Picnic, David C. Driskell Community Park in Hyattsville, MD, hosted by Independence Now. Register by emailing shampton@innow.org.

May 22, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration, Marian Fryer Town Plaza, 2424 Reedie Dr., Wheaton, sponsored by the Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships and the Wheaton Urban District, featuring cultural performances, activities,
and giveaways.

May 26, 1 – 2 p.m., Housing Seminar: How to Look for and Obtain Subsidized Housing, hosted via Zoom by Independence Now. Register here.

May 27, 6 – 7 p.m., Scavenger Hunt, via Zoom, sponsored by Independence Now. A COVID-themed scavenger hunt in your own home, with a chance for participants to get to know each other and have fun by sharing an object that is important to them. Please register
in advance.

May 28, 10 a.m. – 12 noon, Free Adaptive Tennis Exhibition, Quince Orchard Swim and Tennis Club 16601 Roundabout Dr., Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20878. Sponsored by Independence Now in conjunction with National Tennis Month and thanks to the staff of Quince Orchard Swim and Tennis Club, the Veterans Administration, the Soldiers in Transition Brigade, and other collaborative groups for the support of Adaptive Tennis US. The exhibition will showcase how tennis can be a pathway to healing.

June 26, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Summer Picnic, Black Hill Regional Park, Boyds, Maryland, hosted by the Down Syndrome Network of Montgomery County.