June 14, 2018
NYS EXCELS IN FEDERAL MEDICAID PERFORMANCE REVIEW, IMPROVING LIVES OF RECIPIENTS STATEWIDE
June 1, 2018, Press Release from NYS Department of Health



The NYS Department of Health (NYS DOH) announced that through NYS Medicaid  redesign efforts, providers are exceeding their goals, resulting in improved health care throughout the state. New York handily passed its first federal test of the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment, (DSRIP) on four key statewide performance measures:
  • Statewide metrics performance. 
  • Success of statewide projects.  
  • Total Medicaid spending.
  • Managed Care plan expenditures. 
As part of the program established in 2014, New York was required to submit a statewide report card to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) detailing performance.
 
"Medicaid redesign is improving health care and lives throughout New York State, while saving taxpayers millions of dollars each year," said NYS DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard A. Zucker. "Thanks to Governor Cuomo's leadership, we continue to exceed not only our own goals, but federal standards in making Medicaid more efficient and accountable."
 
Currently in its fourth year, DSRIP has 25 Performing Provider Systems (PPS) made up of hospitals, providers and community-based organizations, who collaborate to provide Medicaid members and the uninsured with higher quality, more coordinated care. Through community-level collaborations and a focus on system reform, the ultimate goal of these projects is to improve quality of care and achieve a 25 percent reduction in avoidable hospital use over the five years of the program.

Through DSRIP, NYS has  exceeded performance goals on the majority of measures in place, related to the transformation of care. Statewide metrics show several areas of improvement including the following critical measures:  
  • Preventable hospital readmission.
  • Preventable emergency room visits.
  • Patient Connection to Consistent Source of Primary Care.
  • Access to timely appointments.
Additional report highlights include:   
  • Statewide Medicaid spending for emergency department and inpatient spending came in under target from the previous year.
  • New York State has far exceeded the 10 percent goal of Managed Care Organizations' (MCO) service dollars being contracted by Value Based Payment (VBP) arrangements instead of Fee for Service. (Under Value Based Payment, MCOs and providers agree that a portion of compensation is dependent on provider performance.)
  • Majority of DSRIP performance and quality metrics were achieved.
"A passing grade on all four of the milestones proves that we are making monumental progress toward improving care for millions of New Yorkers," said NYS Medicaid Director, Donna Frescatore. "While we are on a clear path to success, our work is far from over. In the months and years ahead, we will shift our focus toward improving performance metrics and health outcomes as we work to change the culture of health care."   
 
New York must submit a statewide report card to CMS for each year remaining in the demonstration, which ends on March 31, 2020. Failure to meet any of the four milestones will result in a financial penalty of overall DSRIP dollars from the federal government.
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION VALUE BASED PAYMENT tablet_illustration.jpg SURVEY

T he Suffolk Care Collaborative (SCC) is requesting your assistance in completing our Community Based Organization (CBO) Value Based Payment Survey.  As health care increasingly moves toward Value Based Payment models, the SCC seeks to better understand and determine how to support our CBOs.  To participate in the brief 15 minute CBO Value Based Payment Survey, please use this link using a Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer browser.  Kindly submit your survey as soon as possible, but no later than June 30, 2018.
 
The SCC thanks you in advance for your participation. For questions contact Stephanie Burke (  stephanie.burke5@stonybrookmedicine.edu). 

To learn more about Value Based Payment models, we encourage you to visit our online Value Based Payment Training on the SCC Learning Center
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE PROGRAMS
Suffolk County Community College

 
Suffolk County Community College's Office for Continuing Education, in conjunction with the TechHire grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, is offering two opportunities to earn credentials.  These workforce programs have no tuition costs for eligible individuals ages 17-29.  

Online Health Information Technology Program
This program will introduce health care delivery transformation and use the electronic health record (EHR) to prepare participants for employment in the changing health care environment.  Upon completion of the program, eligible students may sit for the Certified Associate in Health Information & Management Systems (CAHIMS) examination, a nationally recognized credential.   Click here for the Admission Application.  Informational flyer can be found here .

Career Development Bootcamp
Students will participate in classroom and online instruction to develop career skills and is targeted to those who have graduated from high school but not yet attending college.  This course is designed to prepare students with practical knowledge, strengthen time management and organizational skills and expose students to health information technology applications.  Upon successful completion, students will earn a National Workforce Readiness Credential.  For immediate consideration, complete the attached form.

For further information about these programs, please contact Andrea Dunkirk at 631-451-4552 or email dunkira@sunysuffolk.edu.  
TREATING TOBACCO DEPENDENCE TRAINING

Sponsored by Suffolk County Department of Health Services in cooperation with NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and Suffolk Care Collaborative (SCC).  

When:   June 22, 2018 -- 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Where:  SCC, 1393 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge

Deadline to register is June 15, 2018.  Breakfast and lunch will be provided.  6.75 CASAC credits available.  For questions contact Wanda Ortiz at 631-853-4017 or Wanda.Ortiz@suffolkcountyny.gov.  Click here for registration form and flyer.  
MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING WORKSHOPS  time_2_learn_vector.jpg
Nassau Queens Performing Provider System

Our neighboring PPS will be holding full-day Motivational Interviewing workshops for healthcare and social service professionals.  Learn techniques to guide discussions with patients that can lead to health behavior change.

A light breakfast and lunch will be provided.   For a full description about Motivational Interviewing and to register, click on the respective training dates below.

MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2018
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
MONDAY, JULY 16, 2018
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
The DeMatteis Center, 101 Northern Blvd, 1st Floor - Conference Room 2, Greenvale
The DeMatteis Center, 101 Northern Blvd, 1st Floor - Conference Room 2, Greenvale
DIABETES EDUCATION WORKSHOP
Free 6-week Series   

Cornell Cooperative Extension Suffolk County is offering a free 6-week diabetes education workshop starting June 19, 2018.  The group meets on Tuesday's from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm at the Commack Public Library, 18 Hauppauge Road, Commack.  

Attendees will learn new, practical ways to live better and healthier with tools to manage and take control of their health.  

Registration is required.  For more information and registration, contact Jane Juran at 631-727-7850, ext. 340.  Click here for flyer.  
JULY HEALTH AND WELLNESS OBSERVANCES

July provides several opportunities to promote health and wellness awareness.  Here are several resources to help community leaders and healthcare providers start planning ways to communicate, educate and involve the community they serve.

MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
Mental health conditions do not discriminate based on race, color, gender or identity. Anyone can experience the challenges of mental illness regardless of their background. However, background and identity can make access to mental health treatment much more difficult.  National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month  was established in 2008 to start changing this.

Help spread the word through the many awareness, support and advocacy activities available on the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website.  

ULTRAVIOLET (UV) SAFETY MONTH  
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has named July as Ultraviolet (UV) Safety Month. The goal is to spread the word about how important it is to protect everyone's skin from the harmful effects of UV rays. This presents an opportunity for health care professionals to bring awareness to their patients - not just during July but all year long.  For more information about raising awareness in July for UV safety and skin cancer risk, click here.  
Community word cloud with magnifying glass, concept
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS
Bi-weekly spotlights highlighting opportunities for community engagement throughout Suffolk County

SCC COMMUNITY CONSUMER ADVISORY COUNCIL  
Community members are invited to join the Community Consumer Advisory Council, which gives an opportunity for community members, leaders and health care providers to meet to talk about health programs in your neighborhood.
Council meetings take place four times throughout the year in the evening.  If you are interested email CommunityEngagement@stonybrookmedicine.edu.

FAMILY SERVICE LEAGUE SUMMER GALA AT THE BEACH
July 13, 2018, 7-11 pm, Oceanbleu at Westhampton Bath & Tennis, Dune Road, Westhampton Beach.   Underwriting and Sponsorship Opportunities Available.  Visit website for details about the event or email tohare@fsl-li.org.

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
Visit SCC's Community Engagement page for on-going neighborhood programs here.  Partners can request to have their community events posted on the bulletin board by clicking here.

JULY IS NATIONAL MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH AND ULTRAVIOLET (UV) SAFETY MONTH
If you would like to promote special events in recognition of National Minority Mental Health Month or UV Safety Month on our Community Bulletin Board or newsletter, submit them here.  





Please visit our Community Engagement page  for our calendar of events and  resources.
DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

Led by Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center's Diabetes Wellness Education Services team, MyHealth Long Island is offering the American Diabetes Association's Diabetes Self-Management Education Program beginning June 18, 2018, 5-7 pm. Classes will be held at 280 Union Avenue, Holbrook.  

For more information or to make a reservation, email diabetesservices@bmhmc.org or call 631-687-4188.  Click here for informational flyer.  
WORKSHOP ON POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS AND ACCUMULATED STRESS INJURY
An Emotional, Behavioral and Neurological Perspective

This workshop will take place at the Association for Mental Health and Wellness, 2040 Ocean Avenue, Ronkonkoma, on  Friday, June 15, 2018, 9 am to Noon.   

3 Continuing Education Hours available for LMSW/LCSW/LCAT/LMFT.  Click here for cost and registration.  
CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINICS EXPANSION GRANT 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) released a funding opportunity for fiscal year 2018  Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) Expansion Grants.  SAMHSA anticipates awarding 25 eligible providers up to $2,000,000 annually to increase access to and improve the quality of community behavioral health services through the expansion of CCBHCs.  Applications are due July 9, 2018. For a program description and details on eligibility click here.  
PATHWAYS TO SAFER OPIOID USE TRAINING   learning_enter_key.jpg

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Health.gov) recently published Pathways to Safer Opioid Use , an interactive training that promotes the appropriate, safe, and effective use of opioids to manage chronic pain. It's based on the opioid-related recommendations in the   National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event Prevention.   In this training you will learn how to identify risk factors, use a multidisciplinary, team-based approach for treating patients with chronic pain and more.  Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) and Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit available.
NYS DOH ANNOUNCEMENTS
   
NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR STATE HEALTH POLICY BLOG POST HIGHLIGHTS NYS
The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) published a blog post highlighting NYS's plan to address  the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) through Value Based Payment (VBP).

The blog, which is co-authored by Ryan Ashe, Director of Medicaid Payment Reform for the NYS Department of Health, explains how New York's Medicaid program is moving to a VBP model that not only promotes high-quality, coordinated care, but also rewards providers who address the social determinants of health.  It also explains how the VBP Roadmap spurs providers and communities to address population health in order to reward value over volume.  Click here for the full blog post.

AGE-FRIENDLY HEALTH SYSTEMS WEBINAR
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's 2018 State of the State book includes a goal for New York to have 50 percent of its health systems age-friendly within the next five years. To kickoff this project, the NYS Department of Health, in collaboration with the John A. Hartford Foundation, will be hosting an Age-Friendly Health Systems webinar on Tuesday, June 20, 2018, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
 
This webinar will cover:
  •  What an Age-Friendly Health System is and why they are important.
  • The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Age-Friendly Health Systems Initiative.
  • How organizations can take steps to become age-friendly.
Age-Friendly Health Systems provide a specific set of evidence-based geriatric best practice interventions that:  
  • Provide better health outcomes for older adults.
  • Reduce waste associated with low-quality services.
  • Increase utilization of cost-effective services for older adults.
  • Improve reputation and market share.
To register, click here.  If you have any questions, please contact the Aging and Long Term Care (ALTC) team at ALTCteam@health.ny.gov

***************      REMINDERS      ***************

HEALTH WORKFORCE RETRAINING PROGRAM GRANT OPPORTUNITY
Application deadline is June 22, 2018, at 4 pm.  Click here for NYS Grant Opportunity webpage and search for Health Workforce Retraining Program for details.  

EMPIRE STATE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 
Proposals are due on June 19, 2018.   T he 2018 Request for proposal can be found here.  

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS:  RAPID TRANSITION HOUSING PROGRAM
Application deadline is  June 29, 2018, at 4 pm.   For more information or to apply visit NYS DOH website .  

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH INNOVATION APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE
Application deadline is June 15, 2018, at 5 pm.  Innovation applications available here.  
Job woman showing hiring sign. Young smiling Caucasian   Asian businesswoman isolated on white background.
SCC CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The SCC is pleased to invite qualified career seekers to apply for open positions. All job descriptions for current opportunities are posted here.
  
Current job openings:
  1. Director, Behavioral Health Services Integration
  2. Financial Operations Manager
  3. Administrative Assistant
  4. RN Care Manager
  5. Social Worker
For more information, please contact the Suffolk Care Collaborative.
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