7.001 - 1 Caseload Management

Revised August 2019 VII. Caseload Management – Appointment Scheduling, Overview and Definition

PROCEDURE 7.001 Implementing Office: Community Health Administration (CHA) Revised August 2019

Approved by:

_______________________ LaQuandra S. Nesbitt MD, MPH; Agency Director Review by Legal Counsel:

____________________ Phillip Husband, Esq.; General Counsel Effective Date: 01/01/2016

I. Authority USDA

II. Reason for the Policy CFR § 246.2 Definitions CFR § 246.7(f)(2) Timeframe for Processing Applicants

III. Applicability DC WIC State Agency and Local Agency Staff

IV. Policy Statement 1. The local agency shall begin the processing standards for providing services to applicants at the initial point of contact, that is, when the applicant visits or makes an oral or written request for benefits to any clinic. 2. The local agency staff must schedule assessment appointments according to Policy and Procedure 7.002-7.006 of this functional area. 3. The Local agency shall provide early morning and evening appointment hours at a minimum of 50% of its clinics, or all clinics if the local agency has two or less sites. 4. The local agency shall provide certification, re-certification appointments and check pick-up availability at all times during the hours of operation. 5. When there is sufficient staff, the local agency should stagger their individual lunch hours to ensure that coverage is provided for WIC services between the hours of 11:00am - 2:00pm. 6. The Local agency shall notify the State Agency of any changes in clinic hours and operations that affect appointment scheduling at least 14 days in advance of the effective date.

V. Caseload Management Definitions Local agency shall use the following definitions of caseload management terms: a. Accessibility – The ease with which WIC information and services can be obtained by the public. b. Appointment no-show rate – The number of persons who fail to keep a scheduled appointment for WIC services divided by the total number

7.001 - 2 Caseload Management

Revised August 2019 scheduled, multiplied by 100 and expressed as a percent (e.g., 10/30 = no show rate of 33%). c. Applicant – Anyone who contacts the local agency to request WIC benefits. d. Capacity – The optimum or maximum number of participants who can be served in a given setting and with a given staff configuration. e. Certification – Documentation of the eligibility of an applicant for WIC services using the specified criteria. f. Eligibility assessment – The review of categorical, residential, financial and nutrition/medical risk criteria to determine the eligibility of WIC applicants. g. Priority appointments – Appointments made within 10 calendar days of telephone or on-site request for pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants and children (potential Priority I-III), and migrant farm workers and their family members. See Policy and Procedure 8.002 Priority System for definitions of Priorities I-VI. h. Walk-in – A person who comes to the WIC clinic without an appointment or referral from a health professional and is assessed for WIC services on the same day. i. Reserved appointments – Time held to assess high-risk patients referred from clinics within health or medical center, hospital or outreach event

VI. Procedures The following process must be followed by local agency coordinators and supervisors concerning establishing caseload: 1. Ensure that all WIC employees understand the caseload management definitions. 2. Establish customer convenient early, evening, and Saturday hours for appointments at a minimum of 50% of all sites. If a Local Agency has two or fewer sites, all sites must establish customer convenient hours as indicted above. 3. Notify the State Agency of changes in clinic hours and operations that affect appointment scheduling at least 14 calendar days in advance of the effective date. 4. The State Agency must be informed as soon as possible whenever there are Local Agency site closures as the result of building maintenance issues (such as no air conditioning). Every attempt possible must be employed to alert participants who have scheduled appointments during the emergency closure of the site location. The WIC Local Agency Director can also coordinate with the State Agency IT Help Desk to generate a mass text message to alert participants of the closure and indicate the expected day/date of re-opening. Participants must be directed to a nearby WIC site during the closure of their regular WIC site.

VII. Appendix N/A

7.001 - 3 Caseload Management

Revised August 2019

VIII. Reference 7.002 Appointment Scheduling – Screening Applicants for Assessment Appointments 7.003 Appointment Scheduling – Minimum Number of Assessments 7.004 Appointment Scheduling by Priorities 7.005 Appointment Scheduling Sheet 7.006 Appointment Scheduling – Emergency Situations 8.002 Priority System