The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) released the opioid response plan developed through public engagement and expert input. The preliminary report was prepared by an expert panel after review of more than 300 public comments, a public meeting on December 21, 2017, and input from state agencies. 

 

"This crisis has plagued our state for too long," said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary.  "Governor Jim Justice has asked that we utilize all resources at our disposal to combat this epidemic. The effects of the drug problem are impacting all parts of DHHR including - Behavioral Health, Children and Families, Medical Services, and Public Health.  Beginning today, our primary focus is to fight this problem on all fronts, and this plan is a crucial step in meeting that goal.  Governor Justice has pledged his full support to DHHR to battle this ever-growing issue." 

 

The plan notes that West Virginia suffers from the highest rate of drug overdose mortality in the United States, with more than 880 deaths in 2016. Driving this public health crisis is the opioid epidemic, a dual challenge involving both prescribed opioids, such as oxycontin, and illicit opioids, including heroin and fentanyl.

 

The opioid response plan includes high-priority, short-term recommendations in six areas:

Prevention:

Early Intervention:           

Treatment:          

Overdose Reversal:         

Supporting Families with Substance Use Disorder:            

Recovery :            

Find the complete Opioid Response Plan  here. 

This plan, developed by the Rural Health Advisory Council and staff from the State Office of Rural Health, represents the vision and goals for the health and well-being of the people in rural West Virginia. Advocates for the best healthcare for the people of West Virginia have offered their ideas through surveys, conference calls, meetings, and email correspondence. This plan focuses on key health problems, identifies objectives, and associated actions intended to address those problems.

 

Please take the time to review the objectives and strategies, and even to prioritize what you feel are the most important for further discussion and collaboration.  Click here for a copy of the State Rural Health Plan.

The West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources, Office of Epidemiology & Prevention Services (OEPS) has created a Harm Reduction Program (HRP) page on their website. On this page, they have created an interactive map that lists all of the Harm Reduction Programs in the state. By clicking on each map point, the location and hours of the HRP is available. OEPS is working with the Great Rivers Harm Reduction Coalition and others to ask other HRPs to contact the office with their information so the map can be updated appropriately. The HRP page is located at www.harmreductionwv.org. 

Click here to be linked directly to the interactive map. 

Registration for the 5^th Annual West Virginia Practice-Based Research Network (WVPBRN) Retreat is now open. This year's retreat activities will include poster and oral presentations highlighting current WVPBRN projects, a PBRN successes and challenges panel, and networking opportunities to discuss future projects and initatives. Deadline to register for the retreat is February 13, 2018. Please feel free to contact Andrew Denny, Network Coordinator (304-581-1922) or Stacey Whanger, Network Manager (304-581-1821) if you have any questions.

Click here for more information. 

The next opportunity for Congressional action to fix the Health Center Funding Cliff is February 8, 2018. It's time for us to rally the troops and send a message Congress can't ignore! On Tuesday, February 6, we ask that the Health Center Advocacy Network participate in a Day of Demonstration - Red Alert for Health Centers. There are LOTS of ways to demonstrate and demand immediate action to fix the Health Center Funding Cliff - check out suggested formats here - but at a minimum you can join the demonstration by wearing red in support of health centers and the patients they serve. Make sure to share your pictures and events on social media with the #RedAlert4CHCs hashtag demanding immediate action to fix the cliff. Don't forget to ask your friends, partners, colleagues and others to wear red too. For more information and resources for the Day of Demonstration, here.

HRSA's new Health Center Program Site Visit Protocol (SVP), which aligns with the Health Center Program Compliance Manual issued in August 2017, is scheduled to go into effect at the end of January. The new SVP will serve as the tool for assessing health center compliance with the Health Center Program requirements during Operational Site Visits (OSVs) and on-site reviews for initial FQHC Look-Alike Designations.  Read more. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has kicked off the New Medicare Card campaign, designed to promote awareness to beneficiaries, their families, caregivers, and advocates, with a reminder to be wary of scam artists and provide tips for protecting themselves. 

 

What you need to know:

In April 2018, CMS will begin a year-long process of sending Medicare beneficiaries a New Medicare Card that will have a unique Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI), thereby removing the social security number from the Medicare card.    Medicare will automatically mail the new card at no cost to the address on file with Social Security. There's nothing Medicare beneficiaries need to do!  If they need to update their official mailing address, they should contact Social Security Administration by visiting the online my Social Security account .

 

CMS has materials that you can order FREE of charge and FREE delivery.  If you click on https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/New-Medicare-Card/Partners-and-Employers/Partners-and-employers.html   you will see flyers in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Japanese, Arabic and Korean that partners can download and print, or click on the link there that lets you ORDER these products.  Instructions on How To Order are available here.   It's an easy 2 step process to open an account, find any Medicare publication, order and it will be shipped to your address on the account!

 

What we are asking :

We ask your organization to do what it can to help inform and protect people with Medicare.   CMS has provided new resources that you can use.  Below are direct links to the new materials. 

How you can help :

If there is additional information you need, or any feedback you can share, contact  [email protected]    

As of CDC's 2017 National Diabetes Statistics Report, 30.3 million people, or 9.4% of the total U.S. population, have diabetes. Of these 30.3 million, only 23.1 million are diagnosed-while the other estimated 7.2 million are undiagnosed. Additionally, more than 1 in 3 adults or 84.1 million people in the U.S. have prediabetes. Among adults age 65 and older, nearly half have prediabetes.

According to 2016 UDS data,  an estimated 14.3% of Federally Qualified Health Center patients nationwide have diabetes . Of these 2 million plus patients living with diabetes, approximately 32% have uncontrolled diabetes, with HbA1c equal to or above 9% or have had no test in the prior year.

These numbers illustrate the need for targeted quality improvement and identifying promising practices to address diabetes and the needs of diabetic patients in the health center population.

You can find the full guide here.

A new video, Changing Care, Changing Lives: The Community Health Center Story, features interview segments with health center leaders across the U.S. who reflect upon the history, mission and growth of their organizations and the community health center movement as a whole.  View the video to be informed, inspired and proud of the great services that health centers in West Virginia provide.

The 2018 update of Chapter 13 of the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual - Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) services - provides information on requirements and payment policies for RHCs and FQHCs, as authorized by Section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act. This chapter now includes payment policy for Care Management Services in RHCs and FQHCs as finalized in the Calendar Year (CY) 2018 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule. All other revisions serve to clarify existing policy.  Updated Policy Manual for RHCs and FQHCs.

The National Network for Oral Health Access, a HRSA-funded national cooperative agreement is hosting a webinar, Calories, Cavities and Kids: The Role of Dental Professionals in Addressing Childhood Obesity, Monday, Feb. 5 at 2:00 - 3:00 pm EST.  Oral healthcare providers have an excellent opportunity to promote healthy weight in children due to their contact with pediatric patients and conversations with parents about sugar-containing beverages, the single largest category of caloric intake in children. Robin Wright, PhD, Director of the Research and Policy Center of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, will discuss the barriers that prevent oral health professionals from providing interventions related to childhood obesity and offer effective strategies for oral health professionals to address childhood obesity in collaboration with other health professionals.  Register here .   Continuing Dental Education (CDE) credit is available.

Beginning today, January 23, and ending February 20, NACHC and Feldsman Trucker Leifer Fidell (FTLF) are offering an updated live session of the popular webinar series, The New Health Center Compliance Manual & Its Impact on the Program Requirements.  The series is designed to provide FQHCs with technical assistance on implementation of the manual - and now includes tips for the new Site Visit Protocol, which is BPHC's assessment process beginning January 22, 2018.

(Complete Webinar Series) Health Center Compliance Manual & Its Impact on the Program Requirements Webinar Series
January 23 through February 20, 2018 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM ET

Introduction to the Compliance Manual; The Heart of Your Health Center: Need, Services, Service Delivery Model and Continuity of Care (Chapters 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 12)
January 23, 2018 | 1:00 PM ET - 2:30 PM ET
 
Making Care Affordable While Maximizing Reimbursement: The Sliding Fee Discount Program & Billing and Collection (Chapters 9 and 16)
January 30, 2018 | 1:00 PM  -  2:30 PM ET
 
Quality & Personnel Dynamics: Ensuring Appropriate Clinical Staffing to Provide High Quality Care (Chapters 5 and 10)
February 6, 2017 | 1:00 PM ET - 2:30 PM
 
Internal Controls: Managing Your Grant Funds (Chapters 12, 13 and 15)
February 13, 2017 | 1:00 PM  - 2:30 PM ET

Understanding the Roles of Management & Governance (Chapters 11, 19, and 20); the OSV Process As it Stands Today
February 20, 2017 | 1:00 PM  - 2:30 PM ET

According to the 2016 UDS, health centers nationally served more than 330,000 veterans; in West Virginia, more than 10,300 received care at an FQHC.  Here are some resources that can assist health centers in caring for veterans.