March 17, 2014
Have you heard about NACHC’s new campaign called Access is the Answer? The goal is 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. We’re asking all FQHC’s and community partners to join the effort!
Click the link above to find out more about the campaign, and click the banner to learn 14 ways you can get involved by collecting signatures.
In This Week’s Issue
Announcements
Funding Opportunities
Ask CHCACT!
Upcoming CHCACT Meetings
Resources
This Week in Health Policy News
Events/Educational Opportunities
Announcements
March 16 – 22 is National Poison Prevention Week. Click here for lots of information and ways to raise awareness!
Health Justice CT is sponsoring a Twitter Town Hall on Tuesday, March 25 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM. Kevin Counihan from Access Health CT will answer questions with the hashtag #EnrollCT. Click here for more details.
Mission of Mercy: All participating dental providers are eligible for insurance coverage purchased by Mission of Mercy. The coverage includes the following:
Limits of Liability: $1,000,000 per incident, $3,000,000 policy aggregate
No deductible
Coverage would be specific to the Mission of Mercy event only.
Please note that FQHC providers will not be covered under FTCA if they participate in the clinic.
The insurance application is available here and must be submitted to Brenda Jewell-Swarz (brenda@jewellpro.com) no later than Monday, April 21. For more information about the event or to register, visit cfdp.org
NACHC and CMS want to know how we can help you be ready for the ICD-10 transition by October 1, 2014. NACHC distributed a survey to all health center CEOs on Monday, March 10. CEOs should look for this survey in their inbox, complete it, or delegate to his/her designee/ICD-10 project lead. Please complete this survey as soon as possible so CMS and NACHC can better understand where FQHC’s are in the process and where to channel additional training and technical assistance to assist with the transition. For more information, please contact Shane Hickey, Director IT Support at NACHC: shickey@nachc.com
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 HHS Family Planning National Training Centers is hosting a webinar Tuesday, March 24 at 2:00 PM called Answers About Health Plan Contracting to provide strategies to overcome common barriers to network participation by safety net providers. It will also feature Marketplace experts from HHS available to answer questions. Click here for more information.
The SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions is offering a webinar on The Role of Peer Providers in Integrated Health, Tuesday March 25 at 1:00 PM. Peer providers can provide many key roles in integrated health, including navigation, linkage to clinical and community resources, assist in activation of self-management, and provide ongoing social and emotional support. For more information and to register, click here.
BPHC is hosting a conference call: Health Center O/E: What Happens After Open Enrollment? Wednesday, April 2, 2014 from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM to discuss expectations for O/E grantees after the conclusion of open enrollment on March 31, 2014. This call will also cover the requirements for Quarter 3 health center O/E reporting due in EHB on Thursday, April 10, 2014. Access the call the day of the session using the following dial-in information, 1-800-779-0641 passcode: 4657950.
The CT-RI Public Health Training Center is offering two upcoming training opportunities called Grant Writing 101 for Public Health Officials. Wednesday, April 9 and Wednesday, April 16 both from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM. Click here for more details.
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.
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
Read 14 ways you can gather signatures to help @NACHC save America’s health centers! #AccessIsTheAnswer http://t.co/TbjjWUsUQt
— CHCACT (@CTHealthCenters) March 17, 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
FQHCs are currently recruiting for 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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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.
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 14-057: 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!
Will Simmons answers this week’s question.
William Simmons
Community HealthCorps Member
Q: Hi Will- Someone in my family or household is undocumented. Could Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) use my insurance or Medicaid/HUSKY application to take action on this person’s immigration status?
A: No. ICE is not allowed to use any of the information obtained through these applicantions to begin removal proceedings for applicants or their families. ICE has formally outlined its policy in a memo available here.
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Upcoming CHCACT Meetings
Health care and the Homeless
“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)
Health Care for the Homeless – Consumer Involvement in ACA Education and Outreach will be held Friday, March 21 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM at CHCACT. In this training, we will view the presentation from the National Health Care for the Homeless Council and share and develop strategies to connect this sometimes difficult-to-reach population to the benefits offered by the ACA. Please RSVP to Jennifer Succi (jsucci@chcact.org) by Wednesday March 19, 2014.
ICD-10 Training will be held March 25 from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM at the Lyceum in Hartford. To register, contact Andriana Evangelista (aevangelista@chcact.org).
All CHCACT Staff can be reached by calling 860.667.7820.
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Resources
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
3.15.14 Norwich Bulletin: UCFS Offers Free Dental Screenings
3.13.14 Republican-American: Child Clinic to Change hands, Not Services (feat. StayWell)
3.13.14 CT By the Numbers: 14 CT Mayors Will Spotlight National Service, Joining Colleagues Nationwide
State Health News
3.16.14 Hartford Courant: High Stakes Fight Heats Up Over Bill to Allow Aid-in-Dying
3.13.14 CT NewsJunkie Op-Ed: Protections Needed for Step Therapy
3.12.14 CT NewsJunkie: Malloy Seeks Restrictions for e-Cigarettes
3.12.14 New Haven Register: Yale Doc, Panel Address Hidden Fees, Shift in Health Services
Health Reform/ACA
3.17.14 CT NewsJunkie: Harp Uses Phone Tree to Warn of Obamacare Deadline
3.17.14 Hartford Business Journal: After Slow Start, HealthyCT Shifts Gears
3.14.14 CNBC: States’ “Paid” Obamacare Rates
3.12.14 CT Mirror: Latest Obamacare Confusion – Exchange Plan Provider Networks
3.12.14 Our Health Policy Matters Blog: Climate Change in Insurance Exchanges
3.12.14 CT Health I-Team: Yalies Target Young Adults for Health Coverage as Deadline Nears
3.11.14 CT Mirror: Access Health Has 152,561 Enrollees; Not Clear How Many Were Uninsured
National/Other
3.14.14 Politico: GOP Leaders Ready to Quell States’ Food Stamp Revolt
3.13.14 Hartford Courant: CDC – Women Can Get HIV From Other Women During Sex
3.12.14 CT NewsJunkie Op-Ed: Exposing the Tragic Myths of the World’s “Greatest” Health Care System
3.11.14 Governing: Why Some Poor People Have Better Health Outcomes Than Others
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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.
Agenda
Month
Week
Day
Agenda
Categories
CHCACT event
community/outreach
conference
local event
meeting
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webinar
workshop/training
Tags
aca (27)
access health ct (9)
aco (1)
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ahec (1)
ahrq (1)
aids (4)
ambulatory care (1)
antibiotics (1)
baltimore (2)
behavioral health (36)
benefit (1)
berlin (1)
bloomfield (1)
bod (4)
boston (1)
bphc (3)
bridgeport (13)
cancer (5)
care management (1)
ccpa (1)
cdc (3)
charter oak (2)
chcact (1)
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children (11)
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cifc (1)
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connecticut (109)
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dot (1)
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