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From the Director

From the Director

 

In 2006 I joined a grassroots initiative to improve health care for adults with developmental disabilities (DD).  The Office of Developmental Primary Care (ODPC) was established in 2007 to train health professionals and to support this initiative.  The ODPC is a program of  the UCSF Department of Family and Community Medicine.  It is well positioned to change the way we provide care.  From its inception, we have partnered with self-advocates, family members, service and health professionals.  Collaboration is our strength.  We’ve made a lot of progress.  The ODPC:

  • Provides primary care to some of the most medically fragile and behaviorally complex patients  in the Bay Area
  • Wrote many policy briefs and proposals to educate policy makers
  • Helped research teams make their work more relevant and targeted to improving health outcomes and quality of life
  • Trained over 2,200 health professionals and developed a popular website

 

The grassroots initiative formed the CART Collaborative.  The CART Collaborative studied the issues and developed a vision for the CART Model, an organized system of care.  We have made a lot of progress in developing clinical services, advocating for policy change, collecting data, and training.

 

Over time the CART Collaborative leadership and membership have evolved.  We remain true to the vision.  Over the next years we look forward to supporting our partners as they advocate for change.  The needs of people with DD cannot be neglected as we implement the Affordable Care Act and other health system changes.

 

We are excited to partner with Special Hope Foundation, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), and The Arc of California on this new phase.  We invite you to join us to improve the health and quality of life of people with developmental disabilities.

 


Clarissa Kripke, MD, FAAFP
Associate Clinical Professor
Director, Developmental Primary Care
Chair, Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Disability Issues
Associate Editor, American Family Physician

 

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