December 18, 2019
  WVPCA Weekly Outlook Newsletter
    A Newsletter on Community Centered Healthcare
 

We offer this publication as a member service of the West Virginia Primary Care Association (WVPCA).

If you have questions regarding our organization, WVPCA membership, or if you have content to suggest for this newsletter, please contact Pam Moore, Member Relations Coordinator, by email or by phone at (304) 346-0032.

Sincerely,

West Virginia Primary Care Association
1700 MacCorkle Avenue
Charleston, WV 25314-1518
304-346-0032
1-877-WVA-HLTH

News 
Flash!

In observance of the winter holiday season, The WVPCA offices will be closed Dec 24th and 25th. We hope you are able to take some time to celebrate the season, spend time with friends and family, and have a safe and happy holidays! 
Newsletter Quick Break

The WVPCA newsletter will take a quick hiatus after this issue. We'll be back soon after the new year with tons of new articles, training opportunities, and all things community health center.

See you in 2020! 
Open Enrollment Extension for Plan Year 2020
CMS's primary goal is to provide a seamless Open Enrollment experience for HealthCare.gov consumers and ensure that those Americans who want coverage offered through the Exchange can enroll in a plan. In an abundance of caution, to accommodate consumers who attempted to enroll in coverage during the final hours of Open Enrollment but who may have experienced issues, starting at 3:00PM EST today, December 16 we are extending the deadline to sign up for January 1 coverage until 3:00AM EST December 18

This additional time will give consumers the opportunity to come back and complete their enrollment for January 1 coverage. While the website and the call center remained open for business on December 15, with over half a million consumers enrolling throughout the day, some consumers were asked to leave their name at the call center.  Those consumers who have already left their contact information at the call center do not need to come back and apply during this extension because a call center representative will follow up with them later this week.
Marketplace Webinar Invitation: Dental Plans & Appealing Coverage Designations
Please join us for Marketplace updates and two webinar presentations.  Our first presentation will cover will cover how a consumer can apply for and select a stand-alone dental plan through the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM).

For our second presentation, we will provide an overview of how consumers can appeal an eligibility determination to the Marketplace when they believe there was a mistake or disagree with a decision.

Who Should Attend:  Navigators and certified application counselors (CACs).
 
When:  Wednesday, December 18 from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM ET
 
 
Space is limited - we strongly encourage individuals from the same organization to gather in a common room and participate as a group using a single computer.
State NewsStateNews

The Health Plan Clarifies that Its Marriage with WVU Medicine is Off

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Health Plan says its proposed long-term partnership with WVU Medicine is off.

The Health Plan, a managed care organization based in Wheeling, put out a statement on Wednesday titled, "The Health Plan and West Virginia University Health System agree to terminate transactional agreement."
The bottom line, according to The Health Plan, is the two will no longer become a single entity.

The  statement confirmed that the managed care organization on Nov. 27 notified the state Insurance Commission that a deal proposed months ago has been terminated.
"While this effective transaction is no longer moving forward, The Health Plan remains committed to building a statewide integrated healthcare finance and delivery network that will include all major health systems," the Health Plan stated.

The full article is available here
Upcoming Training OpportunitiesTraining_News
Prescribe HIV Prevention: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Training with Dr. Judith Feinberg
January 16, 2020 | 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
 
Please join the West Virginia Primary Care Association and Dr. Judith Feinberg, Professor of Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry, WVU Medicine to learn more about Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV in your communities. Given the current state of the rapid increase in HIV cases in West Virginia, now is the time to improve HIV screening as well as assessing patients for risk of HIV. Let's all work together to prescribe prevention of HIV.  Registration for this one-hour webinar is available  here.

Learning Objectives:
  1. Describe the components of a sexual history
  2. Name potential candidates for PrEP
  3. Name the tests that should be performed prior to initiating PrEP
  4. Describe the process to prescribe PrEP
  5. Identify the monitoring that should be conducted while someone is taking PrEP
Target Audience:  Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Certified Nurse Midwifes
WV Project ECHO Announces Two Upcoming Training Events



For more information  on both events, visit wvctsi.org/ wvprojectecho and to submit cases, go to https://idr.wvctsi.org/endo. All case submissions and questions welcome, so please let us know what topics you'd like to hear about during this session. 

For more information contact Jay Mason, Kayetlyn Edinger, or Mithra Mohtasham.
National NewsNatNewsNew
Primary Care Physicians in U.S. Struggle More to Coordinate Care and Communicate with Other Providers But Offer Patients More Health IT Tools
A strong primary care system can help prevent illness, manage patient care across multiple providers, and reduce health care costs. Essential to such a system is effective communication. To address patients' needs, primary care physicians often must communicate and exchange information with specialists, hospitals and other care settings, social service providers - and, of course, the patients themselves.

The Commonwealth Fund surveyed more than 13,000 primary care providers in 11 high-income countries - Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States - to compare their experiences providing extended access to patients through home visits or after-hours care, coordinating care among different providers, and using health information technology. The results of the survey, conducted January to June 2019, are  published in the January 2020 issue of Health Affairs.

The full article and all of the results from this study can be accessed here.
HHS Launches National HIV Program
HHS is announcing Ready, Set, PrEP, a national program that will provide HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications to thousands of Americans. Truvada for PrEP ®  and Descovy ®  are safe and effective medications that keep people from getting HIV and this program will bring the nation one step closer to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.
 
More than one million Americans could benefit from taking PrEP medications but only a small percentage are using this effective HIV prevention tool. The Ready, Set, PrEP program provides access to PrEP medications at no cost for people who qualify. Over the next ten years, Ready, Set, PrEP will increase access and ensure these life-changing drugs are available to people at high risk.
 
To qualify for Ready, Set, PrEP, individuals must test negative for HIV, have a valid prescription, and not have prescription drug coverage. All prescriptions are fully covered for qualifying participants, however, the costs of necessary clinic visits and lab tests may vary depending on income. Individuals can find out if they qualify by visiting GetYourPrep.com or calling 855-447-8410.
 
For more information about Ready, Set, PrEP, visit HIV.gov.  There, you will also find information cards, posters, consumer flyers, and other available resources for easy downloading and printing to help promote the program to potential participants in your community. 
 
Ready, Set, PrEP  is a key component of the  Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE) initiative. EHE aims to reduce the number of new HIV infections in the United States by 75 percent in five years and by 90 percent in 10 years. By increasing awareness and access to PrEP, the Ready, Set, PrEP program will provide thousands of people a safe, effective way to prevent HIV and bring our nation one step closer to ending the HIV epidemic. 
 
Recognizing the importance of expanded access to HIV PrEP medications, CVS Health, Walgreens, and Rite Aid have donated their dispensing services to HHS. Beginning no later than March 30, 2020, as part of these donations, qualified patients can obtain the PrEP medications at the more than 21,000 combined CVS Health, Walgreens, and Rite Aid locations throughout 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands or through mail order-all at no cost to patients. These pharmacies represent about a third of all the pharmacies in the United States. CVS Health, Walgreens, and Rite Aid will also provide patient counseling and take steps to promote patient adherence to the regimen.  Between now and March 30, 2020 patients will be able to access PrEP medications through this program at thousands of participating pharmacies.
 
Thank you in advance for your support in increasing the uptake of PrEP medications among those who can benefit most from PrEP. The time is now to end the HIV epidemic in the United States.  Working together, I know we can achieve this goal.

Funding OpportunitiesFunding_News

Five community non-profits have been awarded grants from Medline and the Medline Foundation for playing a key clinical role in providing care for underserved, underinsured and uninsured patients. Funding will support innovative initiatives around pertinent issues such as cancer, diabetes and prenatal care.

The five award recipients are:

  • Community Healthnet Center
  • Angel Harvey Family Health Center of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago
  • Osceola Community Health Services
  • Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center
  • Vista Community Clinic
Medline will announce the 2020 Grant Programs in the coming weeks. Visit the  Community Impact Grant Program website to learn more about all grant recipients and how to apply.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) offers matching grants to support community-based initiatives that provide dental homes to children who are under-served and/or have limited access to oral healthcare.
Funding may be used for:
  • Child oral healthcare
  • Clinic supplies, instruments, and equipment
  • Salary
  • Education and/or outreach to recruit dentist participation in program activities
  • Special healthcare needs
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories
Application Deadline: Dec 20, 2019
Sponsor: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

For eligibility information and to apply click here
Community Health Center ResourcesCHCResources
 
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.
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

View an archived webinar that provides a guided tour of the Manual and key features. For access to the ECRI Institute Clinical Risk Management Program website or any other questions, email clinical_rm_program@ecri.org.
ECRI Institute 
 
The  ECRI Institute  offers numerous policy templates that can be used as guidance consistent with the needs of community health centers. To take a look at their library of policy templates, click  here .

If you are not an ECRI member, creating a free account before accessing these materials is required. ECRI Institute resources are provided for free on behalf of HRSA.

To Access Policies: 
  • From the main page, click on the clinical risk management link on the left hand side of the page
  • Click sample policies and tools listed under tool-kits on left side of page
Click on the + sign to access individual templates.
WVPCA Staff

Sherri Ferrell, MBA | Chief Executive Officer
Debra Boyd | Chief Financial/Chief Operations Officer
Staci Arnold, MBA | Data Service & Integration Specialist
Jennifer Boyd, PA-C, PCMH-CCE | Clinical Consultant
Warne Dawkins, MBA | Health Data Analyst
John Kennedy, MA | School-Based Health/Behavioral Health Coordinator
Pam Moore | Member Relations Coordinator
Shannon Parker, MBA, PCMH-CCE | Director of Health Center Operations
Amanda West | Staff Accountant
Emma White, RN | Clinical Quality Improvement Coordinator 
To sign up to receive the WVPCA Weekly Newsletter, click HERE
West Virginia Primary Care Association
  1700 MacCorkle Ave. Charleston, WV 25314| (304) 346-0032 | WWW.WVPCA.ORG
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