April 21, 2014
In This Week’s Issue
Announcements
Trainings & Webinars
Funding Opportunities
SBIRT
Ask CHCACT!
Upcoming CHCACT Meetings
Resources
This Week in Health Policy News
Events/Educational Opportunities
Announcements
NACHC invites you to join President and CEO, Tom Van Coverden as well as NACHC Policy and Advocacy staff for an important TeleForum call this Thursday, April 24 at 2 PM regarding the outlook for Health Centers in the year ahead and the next phase of the Access is the Answer campaign. During the call you will receive the latest updates on Health Center policy and advocacy strategy and get the chance to ask your questions directly to the experts. If you missed this year’s Policy & Issues Forum you won’t want to miss this call to learn more about Health Center policy priorities, messaging, and advocacy strategy to ensure continued success of the Health Centers Program. Click here to sign-up to receive the call Thursday at 2 PM EST, or join directly by dialing 1-877-229-8493 and entering PIN: 15035.
Recall: FreeStyle Blood Glucose Meters for Erroneously Low Blood Glucose Results. Abbott Diabetes Care is requesting that users of the FreeStyle and FreeStyle Flash Blood Glucose Meters discontinue use of these meters and call Abbott for a new unaffected meter. Click here to read more about this recall, including the notice from the USDA.
CMS Releases Physician Payment Data to General Public. For the first time ever, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has publicized Medicare Part B payments to providers in a publicly accessible database. Providers can access information about their own payments and should be prepared to answer questions from patients about the data.
Congress passed The Excellence in Mental Health Act on March 31, 2014. The new law establishes a two-year, eight state Medicaid demonstration project. Participating states will receive 90% FMAP for the range of health services, including primary care screening, mental health, substance use, and crisis services delivered by Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. Click here to read more about the law from The National Council for Behavioral Health, including the new Demonstration Programs.
The New HRSA Policy Information Notice was announced recently. This PIN details Health Center Budgeting and and Accounting Requirements for non-grant funds. The entire notice is available here.
The 2014 National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program is now open. All applications must be completed by May 15, 2014. Click here for program details and application packets.
The 2014 NURSE Corps Scholarship Program application cycle is now open.All completed applications must be submitted by May 22, 2014 to be considered. Click here for all program details, including upcoming informational webinars.
The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) announces the introduction of the Collaborative for Healthy Communities, a $130 million, three-year, national initiative that will provide a new source of capital for community health centers across the country from a diverse set of actors. Read more about the announcement here.
Enroll America announces open registration for its first-ever national conference, June 16-18 in Washington, DC. The conference, called State of Enrollment: Getting America Covered, brings together key health coverage leaders from around the country to debrief on the first open enrollment period and hear from experts on all aspects of outreach and enrollment in Medicaid and the new health insurance marketplaces. Registration and details are available at stateofenrollment.org.
Send us your success stories! How are the outreach and enrollment efforts going at your health center? How many people have you helped so far? We’d love to know. Please send your success stories to ask@chcact.org.
Tweet of the Week
“This is going to be part of your legacy” – @ChrisMurphyCT to #CT‘s #FQHC certified app. counselors, who enrolled thousands @AccessHealthCT
— CHCACT (@CTHealthCenters) April 17, 2014
Click Here to See Photos from Senator Chris Murphy’s
Visit to Southwest Community Health Center!
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New on Get-Centered
Guest Blog by Christine Hahn, UCONN MPH Student
SBIRT in Your Corner
FQHCs are currently recruiting for three open Health Educator positions – check out the CHCACT Job Bank for listings.
And, learn more about CT SBIRT here!
CT Mission of Mercy is coming!
Free Dental Clinic
April 25-26, 2014
XL Center in Hartford
Click here to register to volunteer, to donate or to learn more!
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Trainings & Webinars
The Sylvia Ratelle STD/HIV Prevention Training Center of New England in collaboration with Connecticut Association of School Based Health Centers present a program for Connecticut School Based Health Center Clinicians called, Keeping It Real: Responding to the Sexual Health Needs of Adolescents on April 25, 2014 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Click here for details and a printable flyer.
The SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions Telebehavioral Health Training and Technical Assistance Series is designed to help safety net providers and rural health clinics understand and adopt telebehavioral health services. The implementation of telehealth services for mental health and substance abuse allows for increased access to these services, particularly in rural or underserved areas. The 6-session training will provide health centers with the tools/resources necessary to identify and implement a telebehavioral health program. Learn more here.
The CT Department of Public Health announces Cardiovascular Disease Genomics: Getting to the heart of the matter, an important training opportunity related to heritability and heart disease – and important red flags that can identify risk yet are frequently overlooked. Please note that the American Heart Association has awarded credits for the symposium, making them available at no charge to attendees. The training is scheduled for May 1 from 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM at the Connecituct Hospital Association. More information can be found here.
The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers announces a Pre-Community Health Institute Session called “Passing the Test – HRSA’s 19 Program Requirements” taking place on May 6, 2014 from 10 AM – 3 PM. Health Center CEOs, COOs, Board Chairs, and other key leadership staff at FQHCs and Look-Alikes are encouraged to attend. The cost is $100 for health centers outside of Massachusetts. Registration details are available at their website here.
The CT-RI Public Health Training Center announces the following webinars:
Updates on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines: Coverage, Impact and Future Directions. Thursday, May 8, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
CT Healthy Homes – From Carpets to Cosmetics: Chemical Risks in Consumer Products. Wednesday, May 14, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
The CT Department of Public Health announces Programa de Manejo Personal de la Diabetes, a program designed to help empower Spanish-speaking persons with diabetes to build self-confidence and to better manage their diabetes. Training dates are May 29-30 and June 5-6. More information and requirements can be found here.
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Funding Opportunities
CT Health Foundation announces the availability of funding to increase the diversity of consumers participating in health reform engagement and advocacy. CT Health anticipates funding 4 to 6 grant requests ranging in size from $25,000 to $50,000, with a deadline of April 21, 2014. To learn more about this opportunity, click here.
The Aetna Foundation announces the opening of its 2014 Regional Grants Program – GoLocal: Cultivating Healthy Communities. This grant program will help to support initiatives that encourage healthy eating and active living, particularly within low-income, underserved and minority communities. Grants will be awarded for $25,000 and $50,000 over two cycles, April 10, 2014 – June 5, 2014 and June 16, 2014 – July 30, 2014. Visit the Aetna Foundation website for more information.
Ask CHCACT!
“Ask CHCACT,” a new advice column, will feature questions from health center staff, answered by your favorite CHCACT staff members! For the first several months, the column will focus exclusively on Outreach & Enrollment. 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!
Will Simmons answers this week’s question:
Will Simmons, Community HealthCorps Member, answers this week’s question.
Q: I signed up for a private insurance plan through Access Health CT and I heard that preventive services are free, is this true? What are preventive services?
A: Yes, for all non-catastrophic plans (so all bronze, silver, and gold plans), preventive/wellness services and screenings are completely free. This is one of the consumer protections that was built-in to the Affordable Care Act. Many preventive screenings are covered at no cost, so be sure to visit your primary care doctor to start putting your new insurance to work for you. Some examples of these free services include immunizations (shots), colonoscopies when over 50, tobacco use screenings/cessation interventions, and screenings for conditions such as HIV, high blood pressure, obesity, as well as other conditions for at-risk populations. Additionally, many women’s health screenings and tests are also covered as preventive services along with extensive preventive care for children. Check out the full list of covered screenings here: https://www.healthcare.gov/what-are-my-preventive-care-benefits/#part=1
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Upcoming CHCACT Meetings
“Coffee and En-Rolls” – a bi-weekly meeting for Certified Application Counselors (CACs) and their supervisors, facilitated by CHCACT consultant Fran Freer and AmeriCorps member Will Simmons. Join us every other Thursday @ 9:00 am to share Best Practices and hear the latest news about Access Health CT and enrollment: 888-994-2509, participant passcode 519603#. (Please note new number). Upcoming dates: April 24th, May 8th, and May 22nd.
All CHCACT Staff can be reached by calling 860.667.7820.
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Resources
The American College of Physicians (ACP) has launched a High Value Care Coordination Toolkit intended to improve communication about referrals between primary care and subspecialist providers. The toolkit includes a checklist of information that must be provided in a generic referral to a subspecialist, a checklist of information that must be provided in a subspecialist’s response to a referral request, model care coordination agreement templates between several providers and care settings, and an outline of recommendations to providers that can help them prepare patients for referral using a patient- and family-centered approach.
Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! – HHS and the Administration for Children and Families has launched Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! to encourage healthy child development, universal development and behavioral screening for children, and support for the families and providers who care for them.
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.
New Rural Mental Health and Substance Abuse Toolkit Launched. The Rural Assistance Center, University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center, and the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis launched this toolkit, designed to help rural communities and organizations develop and implement programs that meet the targeted mental health needs of communities based on proven approaches and strategies.
ECRI has developed Asthma Care for the Pediatric Patient. Asthma is a challenging, common, chronic childhood illness associated with significant school absenteeism, emergency department visits, and hospital admissions. Racial and ethnic disparities in both asthma management and outcomes put safety net populations at particular risk. This self-assessment checklist will help healthcare providers assess and develop a patient-focused asthma treatment plan.
ECRI Institute has archived recordings of many webinars and trainings including the Optimizing Healthcare Outcomes for the Pediatric Population webinar. Visit the website here to browse a list of the archive. A login is required to access the recordings. If you would like a login, email Clinical_RM_Program@ecri.org or call (610) 825-6000 ext. 5200.
Be Involved in Your HealthCare Brochure – The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released an easy-to-read brochure for patients to help them be prepared before, during, and after medical appointments.
Intimate Partner Violence in the U.S. Report – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released Intimate Partner Violence in the United States – 2010, a report describing the prevalence and impact of intimate partner victimization (IPV) using data from the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. The report also includes opportunities for IPV prevention and ways to interrupt IPV patterns.
The HUSKY Eligibility Manual was updated in February! Visit the CT Voices website to download the updated manual. The newest edition of reviews:
Eligibility guidelines for HUSKY A, B, and D (coverage for children, youth, parents, pregnant women and low-income adults), including common points of confusion and potential barriers to enrollment. It does not address the HUSKY C program (coverage for the aged, blind and disabled).
Eligibility rules and tips for special populations, such as newborns, young adults, 19 and 20 year-olds, and immigrants.
The applications process and resources available for assistance.
How to renew HUSKY coverage each year.
HUSKY benefits and services.
The new state marketplace, Access Health CT, the main portal through which applications for HUSKY are processed.
Resources for Population Health Improvement Workshop Video –The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Roundtable on Population Health Improvement held a workshop as part of an effort to advance the integration of primary care and public health. The workshop focused on a wide range of resources to help with population-based interventions and improving population health. View the Population Health Improvement Workshop Video.
Core Competencies and Resources for the Integrated Workforce: New Core Competencies and Resources. The SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions (CIHS) and the Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce have released a new resource to help establish standards of excellence for team members working in integrated care settings. Use the nine competencies outlined in Core Competencies for Integrated Behavioral Health and Primary Care to shape workforce training, inform job descriptions, and recruit ideal candidates. Be sure to visit the workforce section of the CIHS website for up-to-date resources relevant to each competency and to all parts of the integrated care team.
For the past two months, the National Council for Behavioral Health has hosted a Behavioral Health Centers of Excellence crowdsourcing project on our Conference 365 blog. The concept paper, biweekly blog posts by Dale Jarvis, and your responses are literally shaping our definition of what behavioral health centers of the future look like.
Linking Costs to Outcomes. “Value”— defined as the best patient outcomes at the most affordable prices — is the buzzword in current health reform discussions. Use this Basic Cost and Caseload Calculator to reduce patient wait times, increase staff productivity, & improve quality of documentation.
The American Lung Association’s Freedom from Smoking program is a FREE 7-week program designed to provide the support needed in comfortable, confidential group settings to help people quit smoking. The program will be offered in six locations throughout eastern CT this Spring. To learn more, click here or call Carolyn Wilson at (860) 448-4882, ext. 318.
On behalf of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), ECRI Institute is providing FREE Risk Management and Patient Safety Resources. Each edition includes hot topics from clinical risk management and healthcare news and is provided every other week at no cost to your health center. To learn more about your free risk management resources go to: https://www.ecri.org/Clinical_RM_Program.
Evidence-Based Practice Program and Effective Health Care Program Reports – The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released new reports that provide informative evidence-based practices and summarize the research findings on benefits and harms of different clinical treatment options. View more information on AHRQ reports.
Rural Care Coordination Toolkit – The Rural Assistance Center (RAC) and Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis launched a Rural Care Coordination Toolkit to help rural communities and organizations identify and implement a care coordination program. This toolkit contains resources to help communities develop programs that can improve quality and continuity of care, as well as patient outcomes, building on best practices of successful care coordination program models. The toolkit is available for free on the RAC website.
AmeriCorps has developed this infographic which shows all the great ways they impacted America’s health in one year.
Check out the FQHC Resources Library on the CHCACT web site here! It’s chock full of webinars and other informative resources and includes a message board to facilitate communication across centers. To gain access to the Resources section, contact Deb Polun, at dpolun@chcact.org.
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This Week in Health Policy News
Here is a sampling of health policy news from around the state in the past few weeks. 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.
Featured:
4.17.14 New Haven Register: Forum Focuses on Heroin Addiction in Connecticut (feat. Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center)
4.11.14 Reminder News: Connecticut Ground Zero for Income Inequality (feat. Generations Family Health Center)
State Health News:
4.21.14 CT News Junkie: Clock is Ticking on Hospital Conversion Legislation
4.21.14 Hartford Business Journal: Business Execs See Opportunity in Urgent Care
4.21.14 CT Mirror Op-Ed: Caution – All “Independent Practice” for APRNs Not Equal
4.18.14 Hartford Courant: Hartford Medical Marijuana Dispensary Will Expand Arrow Pharmacy Chain
4.18.14 CT Health I-Team: Nursing Home Disclosure Bill – Transparency or Intrusion?
4.17.14 CT Mirror: The Basics – CT’s Efforts to Expand Patients’ End-of-Life Care Options
4.17.14 CT News Junkie Op-Ed: Easing Restrictions on Nurse Practitioners Will Improve Access to Care
ACA/Health Reform:
4.21.14 CT Mirror: CT Obamacare exchange lags in attracting small businesses
4.20.14 NY Times: Health Law Fund-Raising Detailed
4.17.14 CT Mirror: Obamacare Exchange Final Tally – 208,301 People Signed Up
National/Other Health News:
4.21.14 Kaiser Health News: 15-Minute Visits Take a Toll on the Doctor-Patient Relationship
4.21.14 Reuters: Kids’ Trips to the ER for Pain, Coughs Often End With Codeine
4.18.14 NY Times: Free Samples Influence Doctors’ Prescriptions
4.18.14 NY Times: Health Care Spending’s Recent Surge Stirs Unease
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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 new 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.
Comments About the Bulletin
For any questions or comments about This Week in CHCACTion, please contact Deb Polun.
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