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WVPCA Weekly Outlook
A Newsletter on Community Centered Healthcare
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Emergency Management News - WVPCA News - O/E
State News - National News - Funding Opportunities
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Two West Virginia University Medicine doctors speak out against medicinal marijuana at Monongalia County West Virginia Board of Health meeting
Read the entire article from WVNews here.
Lab loses all COVID-19 tests
Read the entire article here WOWKTV here.
US panel endorses widespread use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
Read the entire article from WVNews here.
Can I stop wearing a mask after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
Read the entire article from WVNews here.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Challenges Facing CHCs |
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NACHC Chief Medical Officer Ron Yee shares what we know so far about health centers and the COVID-19 vaccine strategy in the latest NACHC Blog.
The goal is to ensure efforts to fight the spread of the virus are aligned and coordinated and that health centers are sufficiently resourced for the long battle ahead. However, the COVID-19 vaccine is uncharted territory for all providers. There are many logistical hurdles that NACHC is tracking. For instance:
Staffing: Health centers have more than 50,000 nurses, medical assistants and outreach staff on the ground ready to organize once a safe and approved vaccine becomes available. At this point, we estimate that to vaccinate all current health center patients and staff, as many as 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine would be necessary. More doses would likely be needed to vaccinate additional community residents. Protecting health center workers on the frontlines is also a vital concern as more than 12,000 health center workers have been infected by COVID-19.
Vaccine Hesitancy: Immunizations are a very important part of primary care prevention, and health centers have a solid history of optimizing immunization coverage in at-risk populations as a trusted health care source. But we also know that many members of our patient populations have skepticism about government vaccination programs — and, certainly, a COVID-19 vaccine will be no exception. We need to prepare now and develop culturally responsible messaging for patients, providers and care teams around the following key issues for the COVID-19 vaccine that address: safety, access, quality, cost, and timeliness. The other challenge is that the COVID-19 vaccine will require two doses to be effective and require in-person visits at a time when many patients have been staying at home and avoiding preventive care services.
Storage & Logistics: There is a lot we don’t know but once the COVID-19 vaccine is ready for distribution the focus will be on storage and cold chain technology management. Human resource needs for the release of vaccines to health center sites will also be a consideration, as well as the management of supply needs (syringes, needles, documentation tools such as tablets, and protective gear for workers). NACHC is also communicating with the Bureau of Primary Health Care regarding FTCA coverage on COVID-related activities for health centers, including administering vaccines.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Helpful Resources |
The rollout of the first COVID-19 vaccines is both exciting and daunting, but there is a great deal that we can do in preparation for this rollout.
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FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: 340B Drug Pricing Program |
You’re a master of your craft, and we’re big fans! Please join BKD & The West Virginia Primary Care Association for the last installment of our Financial Management Training Series. Our healthcare pros will provide helpful guidance on the 340B Drug Pricing Program. Topics will include recent challenges, compliance requirements, and strategies to help increase compliance and savings.
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Describe compliance initiatives and performance improvement strategies
- Recognize current 340B Drug Pricing Program challenges for community health centers (CHC)
- Discuss 340B Drug Pricing Program manufacturer barriers and evaluate strategic tools to measure effects
Presenters: BKD Trusted Advisors - Brian Bell, Managing Director and Ingrid Brauer, Senior Consultant II
Target Audience: CHC CFOs, COOs, and operational and finance leaders.
There is no cost for health centers for this training event.
CPE Information: Up to 1.5 CPE credits in the Specialized Knowledge field of study may be awarded upon verification of participant attendance, during live broadcast.
Registration closes on December 16, 2020 at 12:00 PM EST.
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The Deadline is December 15 to enroll in a plan for 2021 health coverage. |
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'Most Accurate' Broadband Availability Map Unveiled |
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West Virginia officials now have a more accurate map to help direct broadband expansion efforts across the state. The new West Virginia Broadband Availability map is a publicly available geographic information system (GIS) map with details of existing, ongoing and pending publicly supported projects; Rural Digital Opportunity Fund eligible areas (which are unchallenged areas that are currently unserved); Federal Communications Commission Form 477 maps; and detailed, granularly mapped areas that are unserved or underserved inside census tracts that otherwise were considered entirely served.
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HHS Proposes HIPAA Change: Things To Know
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HHS' Office for Civil Rights released proposed modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is part of HHS' Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care initiative, which analyzes federal regulations that interfere with healthcare providers and health plans' efforts to better coordinate care for patients.
The proposed changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule include strengthening individuals' access to their own health information, facilitating greater family and caregiver involvement in the care for individuals and access to their PHI during emergencies or health crises and reducing administrative burdens on HIPAA-covered providers and health plans.
Things to know:
- The proposed changes aim to strengthen patients' access to their PHI by permitting individuals to inspect their PHI in person, including taking notes or using other personal resources to view and capture images of their records.
- HIPAA-covered entities' current 30-day required response time to give individuals access to their PHI would be cut to 15 days.
- The modifications would create a pathway for individuals to direct sharing of their PHI in the EHR among covered healthcare providers and health plans.
- The proposed rule would require specifications for when electronic PHI must be provided to the individual at no charge.
- The changes would require HIPAA-covered entities to post estimated fee schedules on their websites for both PHI access and disclosures with an individual's valid authorization as well as provide individualized estimates of fees for an individual's request for copies of PHI.
- The modifications would eliminate the requirement of obtaining an individual's written acknowledgment if receiving a provider's Notice of Privacy Practices.
- Public comments on the NPRM will be due 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register.
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CMS Proposes New Rules to Address Prior Authorization and Reduce Burden on Patients and Providers |
On December 10, under President Trump’s leadership, CMS issued a proposed rule that would improve the electronic exchange of health care data among payers, providers, and patients and streamline processes related to prior authorization to reduce burden on providers and patients. By both increasing data flow and reducing burden, this proposed rule would give providers more time to focus on their patients and provide better quality care.
For More Information:
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HP-ET Initiative: Readiness to Train Assessment Tool (RTAT) |
HRSA’s Health Professions Education and Training (HP-ET) Initiative will use the Readiness to Train Assessment Tool (RTAT™) developed by Community Health Center (CHC), Inc., to help health centers assess and improve their readiness to engage in health professions training programs.
The HRSA HP-ET Initiative will enhance health centers’ capabilities to recruit, develop, and retain their workforce by exposing health and allied health professions students, trainees, and residents to education and training programs conducted at health centers.
Every staff person in a health center has the expertise to offer valuable input. Every person is invited to complete an initial set of questions in this survey about the topic of general readiness to engage in health professions training. This is a very important topic as we plan for the future of workforce training. In addition, if you feel you can comment on your health center’s readiness to engage in one or more specific health professions training program(s), we welcome you to continue on and share your opinions on up to three different health professions training programs. For those of you who want to proceed with these sections, we have provided a drop-down list of programs to choose from. You will see that we have included a wide range of programs, from medical assistant or dental assistant training, to NP and PA students, to postgraduate residents and fellows in multiple disciplines—and more.
Once survey results are compiled, the WVPCA can help you develop a targeted strategic workforce plan that will include health professions trainings and pipeline programs that can meet the needs of your community, as well as offering T/TA to help you achieve your workforce goals.
Please contact Shannon Parker, WVPCA Director of Health Center Operations at Shannon.parker@wvpca.org should you have any questions or concerns.
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HIV National Strategic Plan Posted for Public Comment |
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and its Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP), has been coordinating development by federal partners throughout HHS and other departments of the next iteration of the national strategy to address the HIV epidemic. The draft HIV National Strategic Plan: A Roadmap to End the HIV Epidemic 2021-2025 (HIV Plan) provides a framework to end HIV by 2030. Please consider providing feedback to this important HIV Plan as the federal government moves forward with efforts to end the HIV epidemic.
OIDP has published a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register to solicit input on the draft HIV Plan. HHS seeks input from a broad mix of stakeholders on whether the plan’s goals, objectives, and strategies appropriately address HIV and whether there are any critical gaps.
The draft HIV Plan and a link to the Federal Register notice for public inspection are posted on www.HIV.gov. All comments must be submitted electronically to HIVPlanComments@hhs.gov no later than 5:00 pm ET on December 14, 2020.
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Upcoming Training Opportunities |
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CDC COVID-19
Partner Update: Ten
Truths about COVID-19
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Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and leader of CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force; Dr. Cliff McDonald, Medical Officer, CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response; and Dr. John T. Brooks, Chief Medical Officer, CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response will present. Michelle Putnam, Deputy for Partnerships and Risk Management, CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response will moderate.
Dr. Messonnier will give late-breaking information about the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. McDonald will share updates on CDC’s COVID-19 Emergency Response.
Dr. Brooks will discuss ten important truths about COVID-19 and provide the facts and data behind each, as well as answer questions about the recently updated quarantine guidance from CDC.
Monday, December 14, 2020
3:00 - 4:00 PM EST
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UDS Mapper Advanced Topic Webinar: Geographic and
Data Concepts Important
for Population Health
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This one-hour webinar will give some background on population health and explore geography for clinical settings, patient service areas, and more. The webinar is geared toward users who are familiar with the UDS Mapper.
The UDS Mapper is a collaboration between the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and is part of the HealthLandscape online mapping platform.
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
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Fiscal Year 2021 Ending the HIV Epidemic - Primary Care HIV Prevention Funding Now Available |
HRSA released the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Ending the HIV Epidemic - Primary Care HIV Prevention (PCHP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (HRSA-21-092). HRSA will invest approximately $83 million in health centers located in the 57 geographic locations identified by Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America, with the goal of increasing the number of health centers in the geographic locations that are focused on HIV prevention.
FY 2021 PCHP will support expanding HIV prevention services that decrease the risk of HIV transmission, focusing on supporting access to and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Health centers with service delivery sites in the geographic locations that did not receive FY 2020 PCHP funding will be eligible to apply. Technical assistance (TA) resources are available on the PCHP TA webpage.
FY 2021 PCHP applications are due in:
• Grants.gov: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 (11:59 p.m. ET).
• HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks: Monday, March 1, 2021 (5:00 p.m. ET).
HRSA will host a TA webinar for applicants:
Wednesday, December 16 | 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Call-in: 888-942-9260 | Passcode: 2706135
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Community Health Center Resources |
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Jackson Kelly attorneys provide limited consultation to all members of the WVPCA at no charge, as part of the WVPCA contract. There is no limit to the number of calls which any member may make. All inquiries within the scope of professional competence of firm attorneys will be addressed. Inquiries which require expertise not available through the firm will be promptly identified and, when requested, Jackson Kelly will assist in referring the matter to accounting firms, insurance agents, or others as circumstances warrant.
All inquiries, responses and consultation services provided by the firm lawyers will be provided without additional charge beyond the retainer amount, except for matters which require formal opinions, representation of record in litigation, transactional work, e.g. the purchase or sale of real property, or matters which require continued representation, research or consultation beyond a single inquiry or document review.
Justin M. Harrison is a labor & employment lawyer with Jackson Kelly PLLC. He is available for consultation through a special retainer relationship with the WVPCA. Justin can be reached at 304.340.1358 and via email at justin.harrison@jacksonkelly.com.
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Jackson Kelly attorneys provide limited consultation to all members of the WVPCA at no charge, as part of the WVPCA contract. There is no limit to the number of calls which any member may make. All inquiries within the scope of professional competence of firm attorneys will be addressed. Inquiries which require expertise not available through the firm will be promptly identified and, when requested, Jackson Kelly will assist in referring the matter to accounting firms, insurance agents, or others as circumstances warrant.
All inquiries, responses and consultation services provided by the firm lawyers will be provided without additional charge beyond the retainer amount, except for matters which require formal opinions, representation of record in litigation, transactional work, e.g. the purchase or sale of real property, or matters which require continued representation, research or consultation beyond a single inquiry or document review.
Justin M. Harrison is a labor & employment lawyer with Jackson Kelly PLLC. He is available for consultation through a special retainer relationship with the WVPCA. Justin can be reached at 304.340.1358 and via email at justin.harrison@jacksonkelly.com.
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Risk Management Manual for Health Centers Now Available! |
The Risk Management Manual for Health Centers is now available on the ECRI Institute Clinical Risk Management Program website! Designed to support a proactive approach to risk management at health centers and free clinics, the Manual provides background, tips, and how-tos in a manageable format.
Specific areas that are covered include:
Risk Management Programs & Plans
Claims and Lawsuits
Role of the Risk Manager
Patient Grievances and Complaints
Communication with Patients
Credentialing and Privileging
Communication among Providers, Staff, and Community Partners
Tracking Systems for Diagnostic Tests, Referrals, and Hospitalizations
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COVID-19 Resources for Health Centers |
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Federally qualified health centers and free clinics are on the front line in testing and treating patients who may have been exposed to COVID-19. Use these resources to keep your staff and patients safe:
In addition, ECRI's COVID-19 Resource Center includes free resources addressing the provision of clinical care and managing the supply chain. Updated several times per week, highlights include:
Additional guidance is available directly from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), including:
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Debra Boyd | Chief Financial/Chief Operations Officer
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To sign up to receive the WVPCA Weekly Newsletter: |
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1700 MacCorkle Avenue, SE
Charleston, WV 25314
Phone: 304.346.0032
Toll Free: 1.877.WVA HLTH
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This project is/was supported partially/fully by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U58CS06834 State and Regional Primary Care Associations. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. |
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