March 10, 2014
Health Justice CT needs your help deciding the winners of this year’s video challenge! The seven finalists have been decided, and range from laugh-out-loud mash-ups to beautiful storytelling. Watch all of the videos about enrollment, and vote, comment and share these videos until March 31, 2014. Click the banner above or visit the Health Justice CT Challenge website for more information.
In This Week’s Issue
Announcements
Funding Opportunities
Ask CHCACT!
Upcoming CHCACT Meetings
Resources
This Week in Health Policy News
Events/Educational Opportunities
Announcements
Do you participate in the 340b program? Did you know the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) requires all 340b-covered entities to recertify their information each year in order to continue participating in the 340b program? The recertification has begun for Health Centers and it is absolutely critical that Health Centers recertify before the March 14th, 2014 deadline in order to continue participating in the 340b program.
Congratulations Optimus Health Care for being recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for reaching PCMH Program Level: 3, the highest distinction!
ECRI Institute, on behalf of HRSA, presents a FREE webinar that examines common diagnostic challenges for pediatric care and provides strategies to help minimize risks and improve patient safety and quality. The webinar will be presented March 11 from 12:00 PM -1:00 PM and repeated March 12 from 3:00 PM – 4:00PM.
Community Health Center Essentials: 2-Part Webinar Series – In an effort to provide CHC staff with the tools and training necessary to successfully navigate the transformed healthcare environment, NACHC is pleased to present our free 2-part Webinar Series: Community Health Center Essentials. The purpose of this series of webinars is to help CHC staff develop a better understanding of those managed care and financial concepts that vital to CHC business operations. Session I has passed, but session II is still open!
Session I: Managed Care 101: ”The Basics” Thursday, March 6th 2:00 PM-3:30 PM.
Session II: Key Financial Concepts for Clinicians Thursday, March 13th 2:00 PM-3:30 PM
For more information and to sign up for the webinars, click here.
Connecticut Association of School Based Health Centers is offering an exciting training opportunity, Fostering Diversity in School Based Health Centers, on Friday, March 21, 2014 from 8:00 AM – 2:30 PM. This training is for mental health clinicians, nurse practitioners, and all other school based health center staff. Cultural competency is now required for licensure by the State of Connecticut for all mental health clinicians, and is required for all SBHC staff in DPH-funded sites. This event will satisfy these requirements. For more information and to register, click here.
The New England TB Consortium announces a webinar in recognition of World TB Day, offering both primary care provider and health department perspectives. Tuesday, March 25 at 12:00 PM.
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.
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.
Access is the Answer – The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) launched a new advocacy campaign called Access is the Answer to show every policymaker, and every American, that protecting and investing in Health Centers is a solution to many of the problems that still face the future of healthcare in America. To read more about the campaign and learn what you can do, click here.
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
Our Board is having its monthly meeting, discussing exciting new projects for #CT #FQHCs inc. new #RyanWhite funds pic.twitter.com/eVqceyATQg
— CHCACT (@CTHealthCenters) March 6, 2014
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New on Get-Centered
Guest Blog by Sheri Pascal, Community HealthCorps member, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Days of Service
Community HealthCorps member Caitlin Comfort assists with arts and crafts activities at the Peabody Museum in New Haven on Sunday, January 19 in honor of MLK Day.
SBIRT in Your Corner
Three new Health Educators have started working at CHS, CS-Hill, and First Choice. Have you met the Health Educator at your FQHC? Check out the CHCACT Job Bank for open Health Educator positions.
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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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. To learn more about this opportunity, including upcoming information sessions, click here.
HRSA has announced HRSA-14-055: This announcement solicits applications for a new Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) multi-site initiative entitled System-level Workforce Capacity Building for Integrating HIV Primary Care in Community Health Care Settings – Demonstration Sites. Due Date for Applications: March 10, 2014
HHS announces Mobilization for Health: National Prevention Partnership Awards Program. The program seeks to establish integrated, collaborative local, state, regional, and tribal partnerships to increase community awareness and action on preventive health services. Learn more here.
HRSA announced 14-073: The announcement solicits applications for Affordable Care Act Patient Centered Medical Home – Facility Improvements (P-FI) Grant Program. Due date for applications: March 14, 2014.
HRSA announced 14-057: The announcement solicits applications for Health Information Technology (HIT) Capacity Building for Monitoring and Improving Health Outcomes along the HIV Care Continuum. Due date for applications: March 31, 2014.
HRSA announced three funding opportunities under the Healthy Start Initiative have been reopened. The Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health funding opportunity represents a substantial change in the program. The opportunity was originally offered between December 5, 2013 and January 21, 2014. This current competition has a deadline of March 31, 2014.
The Boston Bruins offers grants to 501(c)(3) organizations working to improve the lives of children in New England. The foundation accepts applications throughout the year, but its annual deadline is April 1, 2014.
Connecticut Department of Public Health announced three Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Requests for Proposals, all due April 7, 2014:
RFP #2014-0912 Care Coordination
RFP #2014-0911 Family Professional Partnership
RFP #2014-0910 Community Collaborative
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!
Fran Freer answers this week’s question.
Fran Freer answers this week’s question.
Q: Hi Fran- With the open enrollment deadline coming up, will people still be able to use Access Health CT to enroll for Medicaid/HUSKY after March 31st?
A: Yes. The Access Health CT portal will still be available for Medicaid/HUSKY enrollments after open enrollments for QHP’s ends.
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Upcoming CHCACT Meetings
“Coffee and En-Rolls” – a weekly meeting for Certified Application Counselors (CACs) and their supervisors, facilitated by CHCACT consultant Fran Freer and AmeriCorps member Will Simmons. Join every 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)
Public Speaking Training for SNAP Outreach Workers – This all-day training will begin at 9:00 AM on March 11 at the CHCACT office. Unfortunately, this training cannot accommodate additional participants and will only be open to SNAP OWs. For more information, please contact Heidi Elsinger (helsinger@chcact.org).
ICD-10 Training will be held March 25 from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM at a location to be announced. To register, email Andriana Evangelista (aevangelista@chcact.org).
All CHCACT Staff can be reached by calling 860.667.7820.
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Resources
Stamford Hospital wants to help you fight the Flu. Share this helpful pocket guide with your networks!
ECRI Institute has archived recordings of many webinars and trainings including the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Risk Management Virtual Conference. Visit the website here to browse a list of the archive. A login is required to access the recordings.
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.
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
3.6.14 New Haven Independent: Home-Stretch Obamacare Campaign Launched (Featuring CS-Hill Health Center!)
State
3.10.14 CT Mirror: Proposal to Let Nurse Practitioners Practice Independently Advances
3.10.14 CT Mirror: Child Hospitalization Dips Following Flu Shot Requirement
3.10.14 Hartford Business Journal: QU Med School Gets OK to Increase Class Size
3.10.14 Hartford Business Journal (Editorial): Legislative Overreach Threatens Hospital Deals
3.8.14 Hartford Courant: Health Care Consultant Qualidigm Looks to Grow, Diversify
3.4.14 CT Mirror: Analysis – Obamacare Won’t Replace Mental Health Cuts
3.4.14 CT Mirror: For Some New Medicaid Clients, Delays Getting Care, Prescriptions
Health Reform
3.10.14 Kaiser Health News: Obamacare on Campus – Reaching the Young and Uninsured
3.6.14 Kaiser Health News: Marketing Mistakes Hurt Latino Enrollment in California
National/Other
3.10.14 New Haven Register: AG Holder – Heroin, Painkiller Overdose Deaths are Urgent Public Health Crisis
3.7.14 Governing: Why Physician Licensing is a Problem for Telemedicine
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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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