February 26, 2021
2021 TPCA PARTNERS
Thank you for your commitment to
our state's most vulnerable patients!
2021 DIAMOND PARTNER
2021 GOLD PARTNERS
2021 Group Purchasing Partners
Become a TPCA partner in 2021
by contacting Susan Swartz at susan.swartz@tnpca.org
Hosting a vaccine event? Share your photos and news with us!
We want to help spread the word about what's going on at Tennessee's CHCs.
TPCA Publications Available Online Now!
Legislation to Protect the 340B Program Filed in the General Assembly
The 340B Drug Pricing Program is a federal program that requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide discounts on prescription drugs purchased by covered
entities, including community health centers who offer needed services to uninsured, Medicaid and other vulnerable patients.

340B savings help community health centers expand access to care for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured patients. If health centers lose 340B savings, they will have to cut back or
eliminate many of the services they provide in their communities.

In recent years, third parties have accelerated practices that reduced 340B savings intended for
community health centers through a practice known as ‘discriminatory reimbursement’.

Losing 340B savings means patients will lose access to affordable medications and have to travel over 100 miles to receive services for behavioral health, dental, OB-GYN, pediatrics, and infectious disease care.

TPCA is supporting SB1206/HB1349, sponsored by Senator Briggs and Representative Helton, and SB1617/HB1398, sponsored by Senator Reeves and Representative Helton. This legislation would prohibit third parties from discriminating against 340B covered entities, including community health centers.
TPCA NEWS: STAFF UPDATES
TPCA is excited to announce the addition of several new staff members!

Looking to get in touch with a TPCA staff member? Visit us at at TNPCA.org!
Desireé Kelly, DrPH
Workforce Strategies & Evaluations Manager
Mary Moore
Grants Manager
Elizabeth Wolff, MD, MPA
Provider Consultant
COVID-19 VACCINE RESOURCES
Tennessee Begins COVID-19 Vaccination of Adults Age 65 and Older, Teachers

As of February 22, Tennessee is registering Tennesseans aged 65 and older and those in Phase 1b of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 vaccinations. Phase 1b includes staff members of kindergarten through 12th grade schools and child care facilities.

TDH has launched a new online scheduling tool that allows users to book their appointment for COVID-19 vaccination at participating health department sites when they are eligible to do so. Tennesseans can access the system at covid19.tn.gov and select their county to schedule an
appointment. Users will enter their demographic information and will then be able to choose a date and time for their vaccination appointment. Tennesseans who have already registered for a COVID-19 vaccination do not need to re-enter their information in the new system.
Administration to Deliver More Than 25 Million Masks to Over 1,300 Community Health Centers

As part of his National Strategy to defeat COVID-19, President Biden announced on Wednesday a new effort to make masks more easily available to communities hard hit by the pandemic. The Administration will deliver more than 25 million masks to over 1,300 Community Health Centers across the country as well as 60,000 food pantries and soup kitchens, reaching some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD), will deliver millions of masks to Federally Qualified Community Health Centers across the country. These approximately 1,300 health centers will be eligible to receive high-quality masks for free.
TPCA COVID-19 Resources Page & Members-Only Toolkit

TPCA created a COVID-19 Resources page that contains information and tools for health centers and the general public on a variety of COVID-19 related topics including TPCA’s COVID-19 vaccines, updates, human resources & operations, telehealth, and PPE.

TPCA Members may also access the COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit for the latest in TN COVID-19 Vaccine distribution as well as timely and relevant resources.
NACHC COVID-19 Vaccine Communications Toolkit

NACHC has created a COVID-19 Vaccine Communications Toolkit for community health centers. The toolkit currently contains key messages about COVID vaccines, Vaccine FAQs, sample social media posts & graphics, press release and PSA templates, posters for health centers to display about why team members should get vaccinated (in English and Spanish, and “I Got Vaccinated Because…” Selfie signs (in English and Spanish).
TDH COVID-19 Vaccination Resources

The Tennessee Department of Health continues to develop resources to help residents understand the distribution plan roll out.

This dashboard shows the number of vaccinations administered in the state, the percent of each county’s population that has been vaccinated, and vaccination by site type.

This document is updated daily and contains information on whether or not each county has vaccine available, based on the number of doses given by COB that day.


This tool allows individuals to project when they may receive the COVID-19 vaccine based on information including their county, age, and work place.
WEEKLY Open COVID-19 Webinar for Healthcare Professionals

Join the TN Department of Health for a weekly open Q&A webinar hour for health care professionals to ask questions about the Tennessee COVID-19 vaccine allocation and distribution plan and COVID-19 vaccines.

TDH provider calls occur every Friday.
TPCA MEMBER NEWS
Cherokee Health Systems Tapped to Receive Vaccines from Biden Administration

Last week, Cherokee Health Systems (CHS) was announced as part of the Biden Administration's next cohort of health centers that will receive direct shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine. TPCA is honored that the Administration has put their confidence in our member organizations and the community health center movement as a leader in equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

In speaking to TPCA about CHS' involvement in this program, Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Suzanne Bailey, stated, "This is an honor aligned with CHS’ values and plan to prioritize our most vulnerable patients for vaccination. We recognize that prioritizing distribution to underserved populations requires targeted and proactive efforts to build trust and engagement.

CHS staff, including those who have become experts in addressing vaccine hesitancy and disparities from CHS’ participation in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) initiative and community members, known and trusted by minority communities, will form a CHS Equitable Distribution Taskforce. The task force will assist CHS in hearing concerns, addressing misinformation, conducting grass-roots community outreach and scheduling, and developing solutions to practical and logistical barriers to becoming vaccinated.

CHS is grateful for the partnership and collaboration of TPCA. This is meaningful work and such a special place for health centers to stand—working collectively to end the COVID-19 pandemic."
CHC WORKFORCE
There's Still Time to Complete the
Readiness to Train Assessment Tool™ 

Deadline is February 28th!

The Readiness to Train Assessment Tool™ (RTAT™) is a survey instrument that allows health centers to assess their organization’s readiness to engage in health professions training programs. TPCA is encouraging all CHCs to submit at least one RTAT survey response by February 28th. Make sure your team is represented in HRSA's health professions training initiative!

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. Please provide your input!



Thank you to the following health centers for taking the time to participate!

Chota Community Health Services
Christ Community Health Services
Community Health of East Tennessee
Connectus Health
Lewis Health Center
Lifespan Health
Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center
Mercy Community Healthcare
Neighborhood Health
Rural Health Services Consortium
Rural Medical Services
HITEQ LEARNING COLLABORATIVE
HITEQ Learning Collaborative Series: Ending the HIV Epidemic

To support health centers in leveraging data and health IT for routine HIV prevention, screening and referral, the HITEQ Center in collaboration with Region 4 Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCN) is launching a free learning collaborative -- Ending the HIV Epidemic: It Begins with Data and a Conversation. 

This learning collaborative will provide participating health centers a series of four structured virtual learning sessions where they will engage with subject matter experts and their colleagues in peer-to-peer learning and discussion. Discussion topics will include baseline HIV-related data, HIV screening implementation and workflows, and role of PrEP and HIV prevention in primary care.
STATE POLICY UPDATES
Tennessee General Assembly Back in Session

The Tennessee General Assembly resumed business this week after taking last week off due to inclement weather across Tennessee. Legislators re-convened and spent much of this week hearing budget presentations from state departments. The House and Senate bill filing deadlines how now passed; TPCA is working to analyze bill language to determine potential impact on health centers and patients. 
TPCA's State Advocacy Week

In lieu of a traditional in-person Hill Day at the Tennessee State Capitol and in response to the COVID-19 environment, TPCA will be holding a virtual Advocacy Week from March 8-12. The week will be a time for community health centers to connect with legislators by arranging virtual or in-person meetings and connecting via other avenues such as social media.

Please contact emily.waitt@tnpac.org with any questions or if you would like more information on how to connect with your legislators.
FEDERAL POLICY UPDATES
Biden Administration COVID-19 Vaccine Direct Distribution Program 

The direct distribution of COVID vaccines to CHCs officially launched last week with the first 25 participating CHCs able to order their vaccines starting on Monday. The second and third cohort of CHCs were informed last week that they were eligible for the program. As noted in the Member News section, TPCA member Cherokee Health Systems has been selected as part of the next cohort.

The Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) is using a data-driven approach to determine which community health centers will be among the first to be eligible for direct distribution. Among other factors, BPHC is considering the number of hard-to-reach patients (e.g., homeless, migrant, public housing resident, limited English proficiency), and community health centers’ capacity as indicated on their weekly report. BPHC is also looking at the number of patients over age 65, and the size of the general population.
COVID-19 Stimulus Package

This week, the House has considered President Biden’s Biden $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus relief bill (the American Rescue Plan) through the budget reconciliation process. The House Budget Committee advanced the package, and it is expected to go to the House Floor on Friday, February 26th for a vote. The bill will then be sent to the Senate for their consideration. Congress is working to pass the legislation before the March 14th expiration of public benefits that were reinstated in the December 2020 stimulus package.

The package currently includes $7.6 billion for community health centers and $800 million for the National Health Service Corps., $200 million for the Nurse Corps, and $330 million for Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program. We expect there will be some changes to the package in the Senate but do not expect changes to the CHC provisions.
NACHC Policy and Issues Forum

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) will be holding the annual Policy & Issues Forum virtually this year from March 14-18. In lieu of the traditional day on the Hill in Washington, D.C., NACHC will be converting the event to virtual meetings with Members of Congress.

TPCA will arrange meetings with members of the TN Congressional Delegation during the week of March 14. Please note, you do not have to register for the Policy and Issues Forum to participate in the virtual visits with Members of Congress.
340B

340B Recertification
The annual recertification period for 340B participation will close on Monday March 1.  Recertification is mandatory for community health centers and centers who fail to recertify midnight on March 1 will lose eligibility to participate in 340B for a minimum of 4 months. For more information, see the 340B recertification webpage or contact the call center at apexusanswers@340bpvp.com or 1-888-340-2787 (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST).

340B Sign-on Letter
The House of Representatives is circulating a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter to presumptive Health and Human Services Secretary nominee, Xavier Bacerra to take actions upon confirmation to protect the 340B program by assessing penalties on manufacturers, halting changes to convert the program to a post-sales rebate model, refunding covered entities, and setting the Administrative Dispute Resolution panel.

Several members of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation have signed the letter including: Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-1), Congressman Tim Burchett (R-2), Congressman Jim Cooper (D-5), Congressman John Rose (R-6), Congressman David Kustoff (R-8), and Congressman Steve Cohen (D-9).
ADDITIONAL NEWS & RESOURCES
NACHC Learning Opportunity for Guidance in Embedding a Pediatric Weight Program in Your Health Center with NACHC and the Weitzman Institute

The National Association of Community Health Centers is recruiting up to 20 health centers to
join a learning community to address pediatric obesity in their health center organizations.

Participant health centers will commit to the following:

  • Identify a multidisciplinary team on your staff
  • Team will participate in 8 virtual learning sessions over 4 months (March through June 2021) with national obesity and implementation experts (CEs offered)
  • Four coaching calls to support teams to be a success
  • Activities between calls to advance organizations pediatric obesity programs for their health center organization
  • Team members will be provided the learning and tools for organization, provider, care team and family engagement, hosted on an online platform 

Letter of Intent submissions are due by March 1, 2021.
NACHC Community Health Worker Learning Collaborative

NACHC is pleased to announce a new, online Learning Collaborative that will focus on the role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in COVID-19 vaccine patient education, assessment of barriers and vaccine distributions.

This Learning Collaborative will serve as a platform for health center staff (in partnership with staff from their respective Health Center Controlled Network [HCCN] and/or PCA) to develop workflows that strengthen CHW roles, capture relevant structured data within the health center electronic health record (EHR), and share challenges, resources, and promising practices. This Learning Collaborative is designed to provide a foundation for health centers, HCCNs/PCAs to integrate CHWs within team-based care models, and build their skills for patient outreach, assessment of patient barriers, and connection to resources.

Application is open until March 5th, 2021.
TPCA Partners with TDH to Offer CHCs IUDs and NRT Patches

TPCA will once again be partnering with the Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) to offer Community Health Centers participating in a 340B Discount Pharmacy Program free Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) patches.

This year TDOH will only be reimbursing for 3 brands of IUDs: Liletta, Nexplanon, and Paragard. There are no restrictions on brands of NRTs. If you’d like more information on how to participate in this project, see this IUD-NRT Project Overview.

Health centers will need to submit pre-order forms by March 12, 2021.

If you’d like to participate, email Devin Rush to get a pre-order form.
HRSA Challenge Competition to Address Declining Vaccination Coverage
and Well-Child Visits

HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau launched the Promoting Pediatric Primary Prevention (P4) Challenge competition last month to respond to declining rates of childhood vaccination coverage and well-child visits due to COVID-19.

The P4 Challenge will award $1 million in prizes for innovative approaches to increase access to and utilization of well-child visits and/or immunizations services within primary care settings. Partnerships with state and local organizations are encouraged, and submissions must include a primary care provider who delivers health services to children.

It’s easy to enter Phase I of the P4 Challenge. The only requirement is a 3-5-page concept paper. You can find guidance on the concept paper structure in the submission requirement section below.

  1. Sign up for updates Exit Disclaimer
  2. Read the submission requirements, eligibility rules, and evaluation criteria for the P4 Challenge.
  3. Webinar took place on January 15, 2021. A recording of the webinar along with the slides will be available soon.
  4. Develop your 3-5-page innovative approach.
  5. Submit your response along with this submission form (PDF - 322 KB) to MCHBP4Challenge@hrsa.gov by March 15, 2021 by 5:00 PM ET.

HRSA expects to select up to 50 Phase 1 winners and up to 20 Phase 2 winners.

Phase 1 submissions are due by March 15, 2021.
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We want to help spread the word about what's going on at Tennessee's health centers.
This publication is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,830,669, with 15 percent financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.