April 13, 2015
Calls to the US Senate are still needed to address the impending Federal Funding Cliff!
The House of Representatives passed HR 2, which contains the necessary fixes for health centers, National Health Service Corps, Teaching Health Centers and the CHIP program (HUSKY B). Keep up the calling to let Senators Blumenthal and Murphy know you support a quick vote in the Senate on HR 2! Get the details on how to call and what to say here.
In This Week’s Issue
Announcements
Trainings, Webinars & Conferences
Funding Opportunities
Ask CHCACT!
Upcoming CHCACT Meetings
Resources
This Week in Health Policy News
Events/Educational Opportunities
Announcements
Congratulations to Fair Haven Community Health Center for being upgraded to NCQA PCMH Level 3 status!
Tweet of the Week
Our @CommHealthCorps folks with @MayorBillFinch of #Bridgeport on Mayors’ National Day of Service @americorps pic.twitter.com/MoULuochn7
— CHCACT (@CTHealthCenters) April 7, 2015
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New on Get-Centered
Our Get-Centered Blog features a new blog about CT Mission of Mercy and Part 2 of a video about UCFS‘s Bettor Choices program!
SBIRT in Your Corner
Learn more about CT SBIRT here!
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Trainings, Webinars & Conferences
Be sure to check the Events/Educational Opportunities calendar at the end of this newsletter for more webinars and trainings!
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Funding Opportunities
NEW! The State of Connecticut Department of Public Health is seeking proposals to implement programs and initiatives that will lower the rate of tobacco use in Connecticut and prevent the initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults. There are four components included within this request for proposal: State and Community Interventions, Mass-Reach Health Communication Interventions, Cessation Interventions, and Evaluation. Proposals are due June 17th. Learn more here.
NEW! The Office of Policy & Management has issued a new RFA for its Nonprofit Grant Program. Up to $30 million will be available for nonprofit organizations. Proposals are due June 26th. Learn more here.
The Northeast Regional Nutrition Center of Excellence has announced a new grant to support the implementation of research programs in the northeast region that will expand the evidence base that supports effective nutrition education for diverse low-income program participants. The agency will support 4-5 proposals of $50,000 each. Proposals are due April 16th. Learn more.
HRSA has announced the FY 2015 Health Infrastructure Improvement Grant application, due April 21, 2015. Approximately $150 million in ACA funding will be made available to support 150-175 awards for existing Health Center Program grantees to increase their patient capacity and to provide additional comprehensive primary and preventive health services to medically underserved populations through the alteration/renovation, expansion, or construction of a facility. Learn more here.
SAMHSA has announced a Capacity Building Initiative for Substance Abuse & HIV Prevention Services for At-Risk Racial/Ethnic Minority Youth and Young Adults. Community-based organizations are encouraged to apply by Thursday, April 23rd. Learn more here.
HHS has announced a modified FOA for Healthy Food Access Project Funding under the Health Food Financing Initiative. The agency seeks to fund projects that increase healthy food access in low-income communities and foster self-sufficiency for low-income families by creating sustained employment opportunities in low-income communities. Deadline to apply is April 24, 2015.
The Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program allows non-profit organizations in CT to apply for “Focused Giving” projects. Proposals can range from $25,000-$250,000 and can be submitted April 20th-May 1st. Learn more here.
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce released the 2015 Health Careers Opportunity Program Funding Opportunity Announcement (HCOP). The purpose of HCOP is to increase the diversity of the health care workforce through the training of individuals from educationally or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The deadline to apply is May 15th. Learn more here.
The Connecticut Health & Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) has announced two grant opportunities for non-profit organizations. Please click here to read about the Nonprofit Grant Program and the Targeted Investment Program.
New Markets Tax Credits Allocation Awards Announced. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) announced $3.5 billion in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation awards aimed at revitalizing low-income communities and increasing economic opportunity nationwide. More information is available here. Applications for CDFI & CDE Certification are being accepted on an ongoing basis. Click here for application trainings and deadlines.
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Ask CHCACT!
“Ask CHCACT” features Outreach & Enrollment questions from health center staff, answered by your favorite CHCACT staff members! Send your questions to ask@chcact.org! Ask CHCACT columns are also archived on the Outreach & Enrollment Resources section of the CHCACT web site. This site is now available to the public, with no log-in requirement!
Sam Pach
Community Health Corps Member
Sam Pach answers this week’s question:
Q: I still have clients who have not been able to file their taxes due to problems with their 1095As. Some received 1095As with incorrect information while other haven’t received the form at all. With April 15th only days away, how should I advise them?
A: On Friday, April 10th, Access Health CT acknowledged that there were still some individuals who were experiencing difficulties with their 1095As. These people need to file for an extension using IRS form 4868 by April 15th. Here is information on how to file for an extension. Here is Form 4868 in Spanish and English . Here is an article from the Hartford Courant that goes into this information in detail. If a person still has not received his/her 1095A he/she should contact Access Health CT at 866-230-8920 in addition to filing for an extension.
Upcoming CHCACT Meetings
Monthly SNAP Outreach Meeting. The next meeting of SNAP Outreach Workers is Tuesday, April 14th from 1-3:00 pm at CHCACT, 100 Great Meadow Road, Ste. 400, Wethersfield. There will also be a training on the ConneCT system from 9:30-12:00 on the same day at CHCACT for new SNAP Outreach Workers and/or those needing a refresher.
Coffee and EnRolls. The next Coffee & EnRolls call will be Tuesday, April 21st from 9-10:00 am. All CACs and supervisors are invited to join. Please call 866-670-8282, participant passcode 240 419 3770#.
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.
State Health News
4.13.15 CT Mirror Op-Ed: Proposed Cut in Dental Reimbursement Could Jeopardize Children’s Care
4.13.15 Hartford Business Journal Op-Ed: Outsourcing Services, Medicaid Reform, Regionalism Key to Restoring CT Competitiveness
4.10.15 CT NewsJunkie: State Considers Eliminating Property Tax Exemption for Hospitals
4.10.15 CT NewsJunkie Op-Ed: Connecticut’s HUSKY Key in Best-in-Nation ACA Implementation
4.9.15 CT NewsJunkie: People Behind the Budget Cuts Make Their Pitch
4.9.15 Hartford Business Journal: Independent Hospital Alliance Signs ACO Deal with Aetna
ACA/Health Reform News
4.14.15 CT Post: Survey – Nearly 9 in 10 Americans Now Have Health Coverage
4.11.15 CT Mirror: Some Obamacare Customers Will Need to File for Extensions
National/Other Health News
4.13.15 NPR: Why Some Doctors are Hesitant to Screen Smokers for Lung Cancer
4.13.15 Governing: Why Health Depends Partly on Where People Live
4.7.15 Governing: How Cities Rank in the Well-Being of their Residents
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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!*
CT Mirror has a new resource detailing out the second-most popular language in each CT census tract. This information could be useful for staffing decisions and grant writing. Use the resource here.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health has new resources, including data, for chronic diseases on its web site. Check out the information here!
Blueprint for Impact is a database designed to help nonprofits demonstrate their impact. Check it out!
The United Ways of Connecticut have released a report on low-income families in our state. “ALICE” is a study of “Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed” families. Get the report here.
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has created a resource page with information about the potential health center funding cliff, which could cut FQHC federal grants by 70%. The page has background information, talking points, external analysis, sign-on letters and more. Check out NACHC’s page to arm yourself with the tools you need to advocate for Congress to “Fix the Cliff!”
The CT Health Foundation has created “Covering Connecticut 2014: Because Coverage is the Foundation for Good Health,” a resource packet providing town-by-town information about health insurance coverage and health care access.
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 Deb Polun.
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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.
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