Member Spotlight:

Community Health Center Celebrate Milestones, Honor Primary Care Physicians
Congratulations to Mallory for 25 Years!
25th Anniversary Celebration
Dr. Arenia C. Mallory Community Health Center
June 22, 2018
Trivia: Click to learn who Dr. Mallory was...

Dr. William L. Booker Day
Friday, June 29, 2018
Aaron E. Henry Community Health Center
Dr. William Booker
Dr. Booker is a vital part of the Aaron E. Henry CHC medical team. He has served a Family Medicine Physician to patients in the health center for over 30 years and according to the AEH team “he has been and continues to be phenomenal”. MPHCA caught up with Dr. Booker to learn of his dedication and he answered the following:

"I was born and raised on a plantation in the Mississippi Delta. We all vowed that we would all return home and make an effort to raise the standards in our home communities once we were properly prepared to do so. When I finished medical school I never considered working or living anywhere else because this is HOME."

MPHCA salutes Dr. Booker as June 29, 2018 is designated as “Dr. Booker Day”. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently updated regulations for fall protection systems and preventing falls. The goal of OSHA’s final rule on falls is to better protect workers in general industries from these hazards by updating and clarifying standards and adding training and inspection requirements. OSHA’s fact sheet provides an overview of new standards  for general industry walking-working surfaces and fall protection. The new rule requires inspections of work site walking surfaces to identify hazards and to prevent employees from using the walking-working surface until the fall hazard has been removed or repaired.
Updates from NACHC’s Colleen Meiman on Rural Broadband Funding
After months of aggressive efforts on the part of NACHC and others, we learn that the FCC issues a press release about raising the cap for the Rural Broadband subsidies, and while nothing is final yet, it is good news. In summary:

  • The FCC Chairman has “circulated a draft order” to his colleagues to “take mediate action to significantly increase funding for the Universal Service Fund’s Rural Health Care Program.” In order for the Order to take effect, at least two of the other FCC Commissioners must approve it; however,
  • They can do this at any time (e.g., without waiting for a formal Commission meeting) and the press release stresses the importance the FCC acting “immediately” to “address a critical funding crisis.” Based on Colleen’s meetings with the Commissioners’ staff, she is optimistic that they will get the votes.
  • The order would increase the RHCP funding cap to $571 million annually, which is where it would be if the cap had been increased for inflation since it was first set at $400 million in 1997. It will also allow unused funds to be carried forward into future years.
  • The new cap would apply starting in the current funding year – meaning that the 15% or 25% cuts that health centers learned about in March would be rescinded. (It is not yet clear if the cuts from the previous funding year would be rescinded.) Thanks Colleen!

2018 UDS Manual Now Available



 The manual provides:
  • An introduction and overview of the UDS
  • Instructions for completing each of the tables
  • Information on how to submit the data through HRSA’s EHBs
Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure Proposed Regulations
Governor Phil Bryant Chairs Meeting of the Occupational Licensing Review Commission (OLRC) on June 6 th to discuss Board Of Medical Licensure Regulations on Collaborations between physicians and Nurse Practitioners and Prescribing, Administering and Dispensing of Medications.   See Meeting Notes and Contact for Additional Information .
Mississippi Business Journal is looking for nominations to identify and honor outstanding men and women in the health care industry whose contributions have increased the well being of the community.
Nominations can be submitted below or download your  PDF nomination form , fill it out and then e-mail to  events@msbusiness.com , or mail to Mississippi Business Journal 200 N. Congress Street, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201.
CMS Updated Measures on SUD and Opioids May 2018 :

The CMS Adult Health Care Quality Measures for Medicaid (Adult Core Set) includes four Substance Use Disorder (SUD) measures:

  1. Use of Opioids at High Dosage in Persons Without Cancer (OHD-AD)
  2. Concurrent Use of Opioids and Benzodiazepines (COB-AD)
  3. Initiation and Engagement of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse or Dependence Treatment (IET-AD)
  4. Follow-Up After Emergency Department Visit for Mental Illness or Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse or Dependence (FUA/FUM-AD)
 
Click here to make Hotel Reservations
As a vendor or sponsor, you will get the opportunity to have a captive audience during a special vendor reception with targeted decision makers and promote your brand with hundreds of community health care professionals from around the state and beyond.

News to Use
Training Opportunities
"You Are the Key: Best Practices for HPV Cancer Prevention"
Tuesday, June 12|2:00 -3:00 p.m. ET
Continuing education credits are pending  

Overview of HITEQ Center Resources (Webinar)
June 13, 2018|11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Price:  FREE

Effective Use of Medication Assistance Treatment in an Opioid Dependent Population Part Two
Thursday, June 21, 2018|8:00 – 5:00 PM|Hilton, County Line Road, Jackson
For More Information Click Here .

Homeless / Social Determinants of Health Panel Discussion (Webinar)
June 21, 2018|11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Price:  FREE

Creating Access LGBT Health Conference
June 22, 2018|12:00 – 5:00 pm | Price:  $75|Hilton Garden, Jackson Downtown

Integrating Data Between Primary Care and Behavioral Health Services (Webinar)
June 26, 2018|3:00 – 4:00 pm (EST) | Price:  FREE
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES 
CHECKING YOUR PCMH STATUS:
 
If your Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition is valid by July 1st of this year, you may be eligible to receive a 2018 Health Center PCMH Recognition Quality Award. View the table of health centers with a valid PCMH recognition status, and the number of sites with PCMH recognition .  If your health center's PCMH recognition is accurate, you do not need to take action. If it is inaccurate, as some appear to be, please submit an update to your PCMH recognition information via HRSA's Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) as soon as possible. View instructions for submitting an update, including the acceptable forms of required documentation . If you have questions about your health center's PCMH recognition information, contact the HRSA Accreditation and Patient-Centered Medical Home Initiative or contact Dr. Sonja Fuqua at MPHCA.
New Opioid Funding Opportunities:
BD Helping Build Healthy Communities aims to identify, award, and share successful community health innovations with other safety net providers, officials, and the public to generate awareness of health centers’ unique ability to address community needs.

Up to five (5) Awards of $200,000 each will be made in 2018 for Medication Therapy Management Programs.
Eligibility Criteria
  • Organizations from all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are eligible to apply
  • Applicants must be federally-qualified health centers, or look-alikes, and NACHC member
  • Regional health center consortia and statewide associations are not eligible to apply
  • Past Award winners may reapply if they have not received funding the past two award cycles
To learn more about the awards program and to apply, click here.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity is now accepting applications for the next   Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH)  program cycle. The 5 - year cooperative agreement will "provide funding to communities to improve health, prevent chronic diseases, and reduce health disparities among racial and ethnic populations with the highest risk, or burden, of chronic disease." Deadline, July 16th.

Application Deadline: July 1, 2018
Awards grants in the areas of education, human services, and health. Specific project initiatives include food and hunger; economic development; daycare programs; hospital and healthcare agencies; health screenings; health education; AIDS/HIV prevention and education; and equipment for healthcare facilities.


Application Deadline: Rolling
Support well-established nonprofit organizations across the nation that address issues within four major areas of interest: education, health, culture, and social service. Health interests include cancer, geriatrics, neonatology, perinatology, pediatrics, women's health, and the disabled.
The Hearst Health Prize , in partnership with the Jefferson College of Population Health, is now accepting applications for the 2019 award. The winner will receive a $100,000 prize, with $25,000 awarded to up to two finalists, in recognition of outstanding achievement in managing or improving population health. The goal is to discover, support and showcase population health programs that have made a measurable difference. Deadline, August 9th, 3:00 p.m. (ET).