July 1, 2014
July is UV Safety Month
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun are the main cause of skin cancer. UV damage can also cause wrinkles and blotches or spots on your skin. During the month of July, join us in taking action to prevent skin cancer and reduce the risk of UV damage.
You can take these easy steps to protect your skin:
Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.
Cover up with long sleeves and a hat.
Check your skin regularly for changes.
For more information, visit the Department of Health and Human Services
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
2014 Health Center Quality Awards: Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition – HRSA has announced the availability of funds for health centers that have been recognized as PCMH by July 1, 2014. HRSA will award the supplemental base awards to health centers based on information on the PCMH website. Please check to verify that your health center’s information is correct no later than Friday July 11, 2014. Click here for more information about this opportunity, and to verify your health center’s information.
ICD-10 Workshops for FQHC Staff. CHCACT is hosting two days of training for FQHC staff to build upon lessons from the March 25th ICD-10 training in Hartford. This time, workshops will be held at Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted on July 10 and Generations Family Health Center in Willimantic on July 25. To accommodate different schedules, each workshop day will be broken into 2 sessions – just pick whichever location and session work best for you!
Click here for details about the July 10th workshop in Winsted
Click here for details about the July 25th workshop in Willimantic
National Health Center Week is coming! August 10 – August 16 is less than two months away. Don’t forget to check out all the helpful resources on the NHCW website at healthcenterweek.com
Did you know that there is a proposed settlement of the Shafer v. Bremby Medicaid applications delay class action suit? The judicial hearing on approval of the settlement is September 22 at 2PM. To help reach as many class members as possible so they know about it and have the opportunity to comment if they would like to do so (written comments due September 8), please consider posting the following announcements on your web sites:
Have You Applied for Medicaid? Or do you think you may in the future?
If you have applied for Medicaid (also known as HUSKY A, C, or D) or you must submit medical bills to get on Medicaid (“spend down”), then you should read this notice. It tells you about the proposed settlement of a lawsuit intended to fix the problem of delays in getting on Medicaid.
http://ctlawhelp.org/files/flyers/HUSKYSettlementNotice.pdf
¿Ha Solicitado los Beneficios de Medicaid? O piensa usted que pueda en el futuro?
Si usted ha solicitado los beneficios de Medicaid (también conocido como HUSKY A, C, o D) o debe presentar facturas médicas para obtener los beneficios Medicaid (“spend down”), entonces usted debe leer este aviso. Le informa sobre el acuerdo propuesto de una demanda destinada a solucionar el problema de los retrasos en obtener los beneficios de Medicaid.
http://ctlawhelp.org/files/flyers/HUSKYSettlementNotice-ES.pdf
SAVE THE DATE! Join United Community & Family Services (UCFS) for a ribbon cutting ceremony as they celebrate the completion of their renovation/expansion project and National Health Center Week. August 13, 2014 from 7:45 AM – 9:30 AM in Norwich. More details are available here.
Take Action Now: Access is the Answer Support Letter Collection. NACHC has a goal set for every Health Center to collect 5 letters of support from local elected officials and 10 letters of support from community partners. The local support letter drive is a crucial step in the Access is the Answer Campaign. Click here for more details.
SAVE THE DATE! The American Lung Association 2014 Annual Influenza Update will take place at Woodwinds (29 School Ground Road in Branford), September 11, 2014, 8:00 AM – 3:45 PM. For more details, contact Michelle Caul (860-838-4370).
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
Did you know that voting can be good for your health? Just another reason to help your community vote in 2014! http://t.co/ujMLxbskK4
— CHCACT (@CTHealthCenters) June 26, 2014
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New on Get-Centered
Our New Get-Centered Blog features a reflection from our CEO, Evelyn Barnum on the recent farewell event for Norwalk Community Health Center’s Larry Cross.
SBIRT in Your Corner
Learn more about CT SBIRT here!
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Trainings & Webinars
SAMHSA-HRSA: Screening for Viral Hepatitis within Behavioral Health Organizations. Individuals with behavioral health disorders experience much higher rates of preventable and treatable viral hepatitis than the general population, and viral hepatitis is frequently undetected for years. Effective screening, strategies for prevention, and emerging resources for treatment will allow integrated behavioral health providers to play a critical role in efforts to stem the tide of transmission and the hidden but devastating progression of the illnesses these viruses cause. The first of two webinars on this topic, join this webinar to learn practices for the effective identification, treatment, and prevention of viral hepatitis. Topic areas will include epidemiology, public health and psychological issues and concerns, strategies for outreach and patient engagement in treatment. July 9, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM. Click here to register.
(Date Changed): Community Health Vote. Best Practices for conducting an effective voter engagement program. Nonpartisan voter engagement can help health centers and other safety net providers meet their organization’s mission and maximize effectiveness by educating and engaging the public. By fully and energetically working to engage staff, board and patients, you help ensure that the promise of our democracy is fully realized. The Community Health Vote program is conducted in a completely nonpartisan manner in compliance with the law governing organizations with 501c3 status. *Now July 9, 2:00 PM. Click here to register
ICD-10 Workshops for FQHC Staff. CHCACT is hosting two days of training for FQHC staff to build upon lessons from the March 25th ICD-10 training in Hartford. This time, workshops will be held at Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted on July 10 and Generations Family Health Center in Willimantic on July 25. To accommodate different schedules, each workshop day will be broken into 2 sessions – just pick whichever location and session work best for you!
Click here for details about the July 10th workshop in Winsted
Click here for details about the July 25th workshop in Willimantic
SAMHSA-HRSA: The Foundations of Culturally Appropriate Integrated Services for LGBT Individuals. Integrated primary care and behavioral health providers can create culturally appropriate, highly accessible integrated care to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community with behavioral health conditions. Join CIHS and the CDC National Behavioral Health Network for Tobacco & Cancer Control to discuss ways to evaluate current organizational barriers to accessing care, strategies for reducing these barriers, and actionable steps for implementing culturally appropriate services. Review how to internally evaluate your agency’s services, and leave with an understanding of best practices and resources to increase engagement efforts with the LGBT community. July 16, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM. Click here to register.
NACHC Corporate Compliance. The Maine Primary Care Association is hosting a Corporate Compliance training July 23-24 in Portland, ME. The training will be led by a team from Feldesman, Tucker, Leifer, Fidell, LLC, and is intended for FQHC CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CMOs, Board Members, Compliance Officers, QA Directors, and Site Directors. Full registration details are available here.
Motivational Interviewing for Health Practitioners. Facilitating successful shifts in patient health behavior is a key challenge for practitioners and a measure being scrutinized by insurers. There is considerable evidence that Motivational Interviewing (MI) is effective in strengthening people’s own motivation to change attitudes and behaviors related to diet, exercise, substance misuse, smoking, diabetes management, depression management, medication adherence, HIV/AIDS risk reduction, and more. This weekly training will meet Thursdays from July 10 – August 7. More information, including registration details, can be found here.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Behavioral Health Integration: A Key Step Towards the Triple Aim. It’s no secret that behavioral health and physical health are inseparable — when patients have both behavioral health and chronic medical conditions they experience poorer outcomes and higher costs than patients with a medical condition alone. Integrating behavioral health and primary care is a key component of the Triple Aim, leading to better outcomes, better patient experience of care, and lower per capita costs, particularly for patients with multiple chronic conditions. Begins August 14, 2014. Details are available here.
COPE (Collaborative Opioid Prescribing Education) for REMS. Prescribing opioids safely ultimately depends on the trust between prescriber and patient. Training can enhance trust by improving communication and collaborative skills. COPE-REMS is an interactive, self-paced, online training developed at the University of Washington-Seattle. This no-cost, online CME course is aimed at opioid prescribing providers—including physicians, registered nurses, ARNPs, physician assistants, psychologists—and other care managers who are involved in treating patients with chronic pain. Click here for more information.
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Funding Opportunities
REMINDER from HRSA: There are several critical actions you must take to ensure competitive Health Center Program applications can be submitted successfully. First, your organization must have an active SAM.gov registration at the time of application submission. Second, you must have an active AOR (Authorized Organization Representative) in Grants.gov that is approved to submit an application. As a matter of HHS grants policy, without a current SAM.gov registration and a registered AOR, your application will be rejected in grants.gov without further consideration.
Click here to view all of HRSA’s open funding opportunities.
HRSA 14-092 Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network on School-Based Health Services. This announcement solicits applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2014 Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network on School-Based Health Services (CoIIN-SBHS) Program. It provides a mechanism for gathering and analyzing new and critically needed information for improving practice and quality of care among school-based health centers (SBHCs) and comprehensive school mental health programs (CSMHPs), identifying trends and emerging best practices for the field of school-based health services, supporting the development of innovative practices, explicating the attributes of successful model programs, and explaining how low performing programs can improve. Closing date for applications: July 17, 2014. Click here for more details.
HRSA 14-147 Reproductive and Environmental Health Network. This announcement solicits applications for a new project entitled Reproductive and Environmental Health Network. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) seeks to administer a cooperative agreement that will improve maternal and fetal health outcomes through providing education, individualized counseling, improved access to resources, and advancing the knowledge base related to the safety of exposures to medication and environmental agents before, during, and after pregnancy. The purpose of the Reproductive and Environmental Health Network funding opportunity is to fund a national organization to improve maternal and fetal health outcomes by providing evidence-based information on the safety of exposures in pregnancy and lactation. Closing date for applications: July 21, 2014. Click here for more details.
HRSA 14-084 Promoting Health Services for Women. This announcement solicits applications for the Promoting Preventive Health Services for Women initiative. The purpose of this initiative is to improve women’s health across the lifecourse by increasing the use of clinical preventive services. This will be accomplished by: Increasing the number of women enrolled in health insurance; Raising consumer awareness of the importance of clinical preventive services; and Supporting providers in the delivery of quality preventive services. These objectives will be accomplished by a coalition of organizations representing women’s health care providers who will: Develop and implement strategies to assist uninsured women in obtaining health insurance coverage; Develop and implement strategies to promote awareness among consumers about the importance of clinical preventive services; and Provide information and training to providers to support the quality provision of these services. Closing date for applications: July 21, 2014. Click here for more details.
HRSA 15-008 Service Area Competition. The Health Center Program targets the Nation’s neediest populations and geographic areas by currently funding approximately 1,300 health centers that operate over 9,000 service delivery sites in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin. In 2013, more than 21 million patients, including medically underserved and uninsured patients, received comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services through the Health Center Program. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications for the Health Center Program’s Service Area Competition (SAC). Closing date for applications: July 23, 2014. Click here for more details.
HRSA 15-009 Service Area Competition. Health centers improve the health of the Nation’s underserved communities and vulnerable populations by ensuring access to comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications for the Health Center Program’s Service Area Competition (SAC). The FOA details the SAC eligibility requirements, review criteria, and awarding factors for organizations seeking a grant for operational support for an announced service area under the Health Center Program, including Community Health Center (CHC, section 330(e)), Migrant Health Center (MHC, section 330(g)), Health Care for the Homeless (HCH, section 330(h)), and/or Public Housing Primary Care (PHPC, section 330(i)). For the purposes of this document, the term “health center” refers to the diverse types of health centers (i.e., CHC, MHC, HCH, and/or PHPC) supported under section 330 of the PHS Act, as amended. Closing date for applications: July 30, 2014. Click here for more details.
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.
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. The second cycle is June 16, 2014 – July 30, 2014. Visit the Aetna Foundation website for more information.
Fiscal Year 2014 ACA Health Center Expanded Services (HRSA-14-148). HRSA has released the FY 2014 Health Center Expanded Services (ES) supplemental funding opportunity (HRSA-14-148) for current Health Center Program grantees. ES funding will support increased access to comprehensive primary health care services, including oral health, behavioral health, pharmacy, and/or vision services, at existing health center sites. All eligible grantees should have received an email communication with an access code for this EHB-only application. Applications are due by 5:00 PM on July 1, 2014. More information is available here.
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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.
Featured Stories
6.27.14 CT Mirror: Consumers Call Anthem Rate Hike Proposal Unaffordable (feat. A. Shaw, Generations)
6.27.14 New Haven Register: Ansonia’s “I Care” Health Fair Has Sights on Community
6.24.14 Insurance News Net: Connecticut Partnership for Patient Safety Forms Board
State Health News
6.30.14 CT Mirror: GAO – CT Small Businesses Paid More Than Most Others for Health Insurance
6.26.14 CT NewsJunkie: Healthcare Panelists Discuss Need to Adapt or Go the Way of Kodak
6.26.14 Hartford Courant: Pharmacists Meet to Prepare for Dispensing Marijuana
6.24.14 Kaiser Health News: Advocates Worry Connecticut Decision Could Undermine Autism Coverage
6.24.14 WNPR: How Healthy is Connecticut?
ACA/Health Reform
6.30.14 WNPR: Access Health CT Changes Course, Releases Public Information
6.30.14 Kaiser Health News: Supreme Court Limits Contraceptive Mandate for Certain Employers
6.24.14 CT NewsJunkie: Access Health CT Looking into North Haven Woman’s Policy Cancellation
National/Other Health News
6.30.14 WNPR: Excessive Drinking Causes 10% of Deaths in Working Age Adults
6.30.14 CT Post: Mass General Hospital to Screen All Patients for Substance Abuse
6.26.14 CT Health I-Team: Low-Dose Aspirin May Reduce Risk of Some Cancers
6.25.14 CT Mirror: How Much Will That MRI Cost? Patients Often in the Dark
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Resources
Quality in Action: Increasing Access to HIV Testing, Care, and Treatment. Patients and other members of your community may not know that they are living with HIV infection. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 6 people living with HIV are unaware of their infection. People who do not know they are HIV positive will not receive the care and treatment they need to stay healthy. They also may unknowingly pass HIV to others. Knowledge of their HIV status allows people to make informed decisions about lifestyle choices and high-risk behaviors that may result in HIV transmission. You can review this Special Edition Quality in Action newsletter with your board, providers, and staff.
New Interactive Summer Safety Guide from Stamford Hospital. In the woods, at the beach, or at the park, this new guide provides facts and tips for keeping you and your family healthy this summer. Click here for the safety guide.
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.
ECRI Institute has made the webinar “Building and Maintaining an Effective Triage System” available in its archive for those who were unable to participate last month. The webinar is available here. You will need log-in credentials from ECRI to access their resources. If you need access, send an email to Clinical_RM_Program@ecri.org or call (610) 825-6000 ext. 5200.
Key Findings from the 2013 Kaiser Women’s Health Survey –The 2013 Kaiser Women’s Health Survey addresses a wide range of topics that are at the heart of women’s health care as a result of the ACA. The findings presented in this report examine women’s coverage, access, and affordability to care, as well as their connections to health providers and use of preventive services. The report can be found here.
The National Institute for Children’s Health Quality has developed a free, interactive Collaborative Action Now to Defeat Obesity (CAN DO) Playbook. Details are available here.
SAMHSA has released a helpful Behavioral Health Barometer. It contains data that you may find useful for grants and reports. It is available on their website here.
The PBRN Resource Center is pleased to announce the recent launch of a PBRN Playlist on the AHRQ Primary Care YouTube Channel. This playlist contains video recordings of national webinars hosted by the AHRQ PBRN Resource Center. The channel and all recordings can be accessed here.
ECRI Institute announces new resources for Credentialing and Privileging Non-Physician Providers and Staff. Credentialing is not just for physicians and other clinical providers. HRSA Policy Information Notice (PIN) 2002-22 states that health centers must credential any individual who is required to be licensed, registered, or certified by the state, commonwealth, or territory in which the health center is located. This list includes, but is not limited to, licensed independent practitioners (LIPs) (e.g., physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives) as well as other licensed or certified personnel such as registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, physician’s assistants, laboratory technicians, social workers, medical assistants, dental hygienists, and nutritionists. The list should include locum tenens and volunteers as well. Click here to read their Get Safe! announcement and access their checklists and other resources.
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 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.
Check out the This Week in CHCACTion! Resources Archive on the CHCACT web site here! It’s chock full of webinars and other informative resources compiled from our weekly bulletins. You can also visit a password-protected FQHCs Resources Library which includes a message board to facilitate communication across centers. To gain access to the FQHC Resources, contact Deb Polun, at dpolun@chcact.org.
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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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