January 25, 2016
New Funding Announcements! Click here to learn more.
Announcements
CHCACT is Hiring. Check our job bank for opportunities to work at CHCACT or Federally Qualified Health Centers in Connecticut.
Project ECHO, is looking for participants! Project ECHO is a video based intervention that joins primary care medical and behavioral health providers and specialist to discuss cases and brief didactics to improve health outcomes for patients with complex conditions. Click here to learn more.
AmeriCares is looking for Arabic and Farsi speaking nurses and doctors who are willing to volunteer to help with the Syrian humanitarian crisis. AmeriCares will cover all costs associated with travel to and from Lesbos, lodging, food and incidentals while on the island, and will coordinate all logistics. AmeriCares is seeking people who can making at least a 2 week commitment; 3 weeks or more is ideal. Please contact Garrett Ingoglia at gingoglia@americares.org or 202.487.4484 for more information.
National Association of Community Health Centers has partnered with Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN) and the Florida Association of Community Health Centers (FACHC) and designed a four day course for clinicians new to the world of FQHCs. Click here for more information.
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Trainings, Webinars & Conferences
Please check our Calendar of Events for upcoming trainings!
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Funding Opportunities
Check out the new CHCACT Funding Opportunities page here!
HRSA is soliciting applications for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part F Dental Reimbursement Program (DRP) to improve access to HIV oral health services for low-income, underinsured, and underserved people living with HIV (PLWH) and to support related education and training for the delivery of dental care to PLWH.
HRSA solicits applications for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part C Capacity Development Program to assist current Part C recipients in their efforts to strengthen their organizational infrastructure and to increase their capacity to develop, enhance, or expand access to high quality HIV primary health care services for low-income, uninsured, underinsured, and underserved people living with HIV (PLWH).
Invest Health, a joint venture of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Reinvestment Fund, is accepting Letters of Intent from mid-sized cities that will be chosen to collaborate on ways to improve health in low-income neighborhoods. Up to 50 mid-size cities will receive grants of up to $60,000. Deadline is January 29, 2016. Click here to visit the website to access funding guidelines.
The State Departments of Social Services (DSS), Mental Health & Addiction Services (DMHAS) and Children & Families (DCF) are seeking applications from agencies who treat adults and wish to seek designation as Enhanced Care Clinics. This RFA is for Regions 1 & 5, the Southwest and Northwest areas of the state. Learn More!
The Bureau of Primary Health Care solicits applications for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Oral Health Service Expansion (OHSE) funding. The purpose of this supplemental funding opportunity is to increase access to oral health care services and improve oral health outcomes for Health Center Program patients. Learn more!
The RGK Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations in the general areas of education, community and health/medicine. These grants are not geographically-restricted and are awarded on an ongoing basis. Learn more!
The Cigna World of Difference Grants Program looks for nonprofits with which to collaborate on projects to overcome barriers to their health and well-being. Learn more!
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Ask CHCACT!
“Ask CHCACT” features Outreach & Enrollment and other questions from health center staff, answered by your favorite CHCACT staff members! Send your questions to ask@chcact.org!
Arianne Cacciatore answers this week’s question:
Q: When does Open Enrollment end for this year?
A: Open Enrollment ends on January 31st. Most individuals enrolling in a Qualified Health Plan between now and 1/31 will have coverage beginning on March 1st. Individuals with special circumstances – for example, those who have recently lost their employer-sponsored coverage – can apply now and still have coverage beginning on February 1st.
As a reminder, individuals and families can apply for coverage through HUSKY throughout the year. Additionally, people who experience a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) can apply during the year for coverage from a Qualified Health Plan through Access Health CT. Qualifying Life Events include marriage, divorce, a move to a different county or state and change in family size. Please note that pregnancy does not count as a QLE. You can use this screener to determine if you have had a Qualifying Life Event!
Upcoming CHCACT Meetings
Coffee & EnRolls. Coffee & EnRolls will be held at 9:00am every Tuesday. To join, please call: 866-670-8282, passcode 240 419 3770#. Please contact Deb Polun for information.
CYFAN Steering Committee Meeting. The CFYAN Steering Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 26th, 2016 at the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut (1484 Highland Avenue, Suite 2, Cheshire, CT 06410). The meeting will be from 10:00AM to 12:30PM. For more information, please contact Kathy Pitner.
Clinical Quality Committee. The CQC Committee will meet on Thursday, January 28th, 2016 at the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut, 1484 Highland Avenue, Suite 2, Cheshire, CT 06410. The meeting will be from 2:00PM to 4:00PM. For more information, please contact Antonio Diaz-Carrera.
All CHCACT Staff can be reached by calling 860.667.7820.
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This Week in Health Policy News
Here is a sampling of health policy news from around the state. If you see something in your local newspaper that you would like featured here in future weeks, please contact Deb Polun at dpolun@chcact.org. Check out all the Health Policy News from the past month here!
Featured Stories
1.22.16 Fairfield County Business Journal: New Health Clinic in Greenwich (feat. Family Centers)
1.22.16 Norwich Bulletin: $40 Million Coming to Region from Bond Commission (feat. UCFS)
1.22.16 New Haven Register: “Q” House Likely to Get $14.5M to Rebuild (feat. CS-Hill)
1.16.16 Bristol Press: Wheeler Clinic to Help Bristol Public Schools
1.15.16 The Day: Human Services Expo Lets Providers Network Help More Clients (feat. UCFS)
1.15.16 Greenwich Post: Family Centers Names Diaz Manager of New FQHC
State Health News
1.20.16 Hartford Business Journal: CT Health Council Campaign Touts Health Sector’s Impact in State
1.20.16 Hartford Business Journal: Smoking in CT Carries High Price Tag
1.15.16 CT Mirror: DPH Asks Providers to Report Suspected Zika Virus Cases
1.15.16 CT Mirror: Spending and Enrollment Up, But Medicaid Per-Person Spending is Down
1.14.15 CT Mirror: DSS Commissioner Bremby Doesn’t Get Kansas Job
1.13.16 Hartford Business Journal: Report – CT ACOs to Serve 163K CT Medicare Enrollees This Year
1.12.15 CT Mirror: CT To Study Other States to Target Health Costs, Market Changes
ACA/Health Reform News
1.25.16 CT NewsJunkie: Access Health CT CEO Says State Based Exchanges Face Challenges
1.25.16 CT Health I-Team: Federal Waivers Could Make Health Insurance Accessible, Affordable
1.21.16 CT Mirror: Connecticut Insurance Exchange to Tighten Sign-Up Rule
1.21.16 CT Mirror: With 10 Days Left, ConnectiCare Leads Exchange Sign-Ups
1.18.16 Hartford Business Journal: Insurers Push Price Transparency Innovation
1.15.16 Kaiser Health News: Hispanic Children’s Uninsured Rate Hits Record Low
1.14.16 Kaiser Health News: Obama Seeks to Offer New Incentive for States to Expand Medicaid
1.12.16 Kaiser Health News: Slipping Between Medicaid & Marketplace Coverage Can Leave Consumers Confused
1.8.16 CT NewsJunkie: Health Insurance Enrollment Climbs Steadily
1.8.16 AP: Tax Filing Issues Could Jeopardize Health Law for Many
1.8.16 NY Times: Obama Vetoes Bill to Repeal ACA and Defund Planned Parenthood
National/Other Health News
1.22.16 Governing: How States Have Made it Easier to Sign Up for Medicaid
1.18.16 NY Times: Using Phones to Connect Children to Health Care
1.18.16 NY Times: What’s New in the Dietary Guidelines
1.14.16 NY Times: Heartburn Drugs Tied to Kidney Problems
1.12.16 Governing: Up to 1 Million People Could Lose Food Stamps in 2016
January 2016 Governing: Can Technology Help Prevent Drug Overdoses?
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Resources
CHCACT maintains and regularly updates resources on clinical issues, human resources, HIPAA, SNAP and more! Click here to check out CHCACT’s Resources!*
2014 UDS data for FQHCs are available here!
The TB Toolkit for CHCs/FQHCs is a web-based product that includes tools that can be used by community providers as well as TB programs and health departments for outreach to community health centers. Tools include existing resources that have been developed by the Global TB Institute, the other RTMCCs and CDC. The toolkit is meant to be a dynamic product which can be continually updated based on the availability of new information and user feedback. The first draft of the toolkit is posted at: http://globaltb.njms.rutgers.edu/educationalmaterials/tookitfqhc.html.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health has new resources, including data, for chronic diseases on its web site. Check out the information here!
Weekly Outreach & Enrollment Newsletter. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) produce the CMS Weekly Assister Newsletter. This weekly Newsletter is the best resource for O/E staff to stay up-to-date on information on health insurance marketplace changes, frequently asked questions, and general advice. To sign up, email CACQuestions@cms.hhs.gov with the subject line: “Add to listserv”
Scope of Project Webpage: HRSA has released a new “Scope of Project” Page on the BPHC website. This page provides a “one-stop-shop” for Health Center Program Scope of Project and Change-in-Scope policy, process, and resources. View the new Scope of Project webpage.
Capital Link Publications. As part of their assistance to health centers, Capital Link has developed a collection of resource publications to assist health centers in accomplishing specific tasks related to the capital development process. These publications are provided to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Primary Care Associations (PCAs) free of charge. Their resources, including publications, reports, and past webinars are available here.
* Some Resources are password-protected. If you would like a password for www.chcact.org, please contact Tasheenah Brown.
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Events/Educational Opportunities
Click here to view our full events calendar. Click here for NACHC Seminars/Conferences/Webcasts.
Welcome to our events calendar! The calendar is updated on a regular basis with upcoming events, webinars, educational opportunities, outreach activities and more. You can sort the calendar by category and subscribe to calendar updates by clicking here.
Categories
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