UPCOMING TRAINING & EVENTS
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June 20
June 20
June 26
June 27
July 4
TPCA Closed for Independence Day
July 12
July 25
July 31
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Are you attending an event at TPCA?
Click here for a list of nearby hotels!
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Attention
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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
.
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2019 Uniform Data System Manual Now Available
(From HRSA)
-- The
2019 Uniform Data System (UDS) Manual
serves as a comprehensive guide for health centers to understand UDS reporting requirements. It includes an overview of the UDS, instructions for completing each of the data tables, and information on how to submit the data through HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks. Changes for 2019 UDS reporting include data to better capture mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services, reporting virtual visits, the addition of an electronic-specified statin therapy for cardiovascular disease clinical quality measure (CMS347v2), and workforce development data.
HRSA recently held a technical assistance (TA) webinar highlighting changes for the 2019 UDS data collection and reporting activities.
Watch a recording
if you missed the webinar. Slides are available on the
UDS Resources webpage
.
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National Health Center Week
Mark your calendars for
National Health Center Week
2019, August 4-10! This year’s theme is "America’s Health Centers: Rooted in Communities." If your health center is hosting an event during NHCW, please complete
this form
and NACHC will use the information to try to match your event with a sponsor. Be sure to also send details about your event to emily.waitt@tnpca.org.
Check out
this page
if your health center is looking for creative event ideas.
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Federal Funding Update
On June 4, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the primary committee with jurisdiction over health care issues in the House of Representatives,
heard from witnesses
about the importance of the Community Health Center program, the Teaching Health Center Program, and the National Health Services Corps. The hearing provided witnesses with an opportunity to discuss the crucial role of health centers in communities across the country, and their efforts to improve health outcomes and bend the cost curve.
Funding from the Community Health Center Fund, which comprises $4 billion of Section 330 grant funding, was reauthorized for a two-year period in February 2018 and will expire on September 30, 2019. Several pieces of legislation have been introduced that support sustained, long-term health center funding.
View this chart
for a helpful comparison of legislation.
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Teaching Health Centers
On May 30, Representative Phil Roe (R-1) announced the introduction of
H.R. 2815, the Training the Next Generation of Primary Care Doctors Act
, which would extend funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program through 2024 and create 250 new residency slots at health centers over five years. The bill also would increase the number of Teaching Health Centers from 56 to 72 in five years, and give more primary care physicians the opportunity to train at community health centers.
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Input Needed for Important Survey of Health Center CEOs
Health center CEOs recently received a survey on: 1) the impact on community health centers of recent or pending policy changes, including Medicaid work requirements and policies affecting immigrant families; 2) how health centers are responding to the opioid crisis; and 3) the financial and patient care-related challenges health centers face. This survey is being conducted by George Washington University's Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy, in partnership with NACHC, the Kaiser Family Foundation Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured, and the RCHN Foundation.
Input is critical for developing federal and state policy agendas and informing needed technical assistance. All CEOs of federally funded health centers in the 50 states and DC should complete the survey as soon as possible. If you are a CEO and have not received the survey link, please contact the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy at ggprogram@gwu.edu. The survey should only be completed online, but a preview of the questions is available
here
.
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Emergencies Happen: What Health Centers Need to Know
(From HRSA)
-- Recent tornadoes and severe weather, and the hurricane season kickoff on June 1, remind us that emergencies can impact health centers at any time.
Health centers and Primary Care Associations play a critical role in providing services and resources before, during, and after emergency events. During emergencies, PCAs gather critical health center information and report the status of service delivery sites to HRSA.
For health centers in impacted areas, HRSA asks that you report site-level status to your PCA as soon as you are able. Project officers are available if health center staff have questions about program requirements or scope of project. Please also visit the HRSA Health Center Program
Emergency Preparedness and Recovery Resources
website for information about change in scope for temporary sites, 340B program enrollment under emergency declarations, and FTCA coverage during emergencies.
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Loan Repayment for Providers in Rural Communities
(From HRSA)
-- A new
National Health Service Corps
(NHSC) program, the Rural Community Loan Repayment Program, will expand and improve access to quality opioid and SUD treatment in rural, underserved areas nationwide. Health care clinicians qualified to provide SUD treatment may be eligible for this loan repayment in return for service at an NHSC-approved SUD treatment facility. For more information, visit the
NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program website
and sign up for updates.
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Clinicians Corner: Measles
(From HRSA)
-- The current measles outbreak in the U.S. is a reminder of the critical role health centers play in protecting the most vulnerable patients from vaccine-preventable diseases. Measles is spreading in communities where a large number of people have not been vaccinated, despite scientific data documenting that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and effective.
What can health centers do?
- Take every opportunity to educate both parents and patients. Research shows the strongest predictor of whether a patient gets vaccinated is a recommendation from their health care professional.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides strategies to improve immunization rates in infants and children. AAP reminds providers that it is important to give your strong recommendation for immunization. AAP also provides resources for office strategies to increase vaccination rates, such as standing orders, pre-visit planning, Electronic Health Record prompts, and immunization reports.
- The CDC has tips on talking to parents who express concerns about vaccinations. Among them, consider sharing a mix of science and anecdotes. In addition, it’s important to listen and respond to parents’ questions; your openness to hearing their concerns plays a major role in building trust about your recommendation.
- Don’t forget adults! According to the CDC’s Adult Vaccine Resources, most adults are not aware they need vaccines and it is critical that health care professionals routinely assess vaccinations status. Parents’ acceptance of their vaccines may translate to acceptance for their children.
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Diabetes in Special and Vulnerable Populations -- Webinar Recordings and Resources
(From HRSA)
-- Fourteen HRSA-funded NCAs recently partnered to deliver a four-part national learning webinar series for health centers, Primary Care Associations, and Health Center Controlled Networks. The series’ goal is to increase foundational knowledge of effective strategies to prevent, treat, and manage diabetes among special and vulnerable Health Center Program populations. It focuses on co-morbidities associated with diabetes (e.g., oral health, behavioral health, SUD, obesity, and social risk factors).
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Final Week: Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Medication-Assisted Treatment Expansion
(From HRSA)
-- Next Monday, June 10, is the deadline to apply for the
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Medication-Assisted Treatment Expansion (RCORP-MAT Expansion)
. Apply in
Grants.gov
. HRSA plans to invest approximately $8 million in rural communities as part of this funding opportunity. Successful RCORP-MAT Expansion award recipients will receive up to $725,000 for a three-year period of performance to establish or expand medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in eligible hospitals, health clinics, or tribal organizations located in high-risk rural communities.
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PARTNER-SPONSORED TRAINING & EDUCATION
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MAT 2.0: Evidence-Based Practices in Substance Use Disorder Treatment
(From HRSA)
-- Experts from the HRSA-supported University of California San Francisco
Clinician Consultation Center’s Substance Use Warmline
will share evidence-based practices and resources on MAT for patients with SUD. They will discuss the MAT model from assessment and induction to management and monitoring, provide case-based examples, and answer provider questions about patient considerations during a 30-minute question-and-answer session. (Note: This webinar was previously scheduled for Friday, May 10.)
Wednesday, June 12
2-3 p.m. (Eastern)
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Health Centers in the News
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TPCA Names New HIT Manager
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Raul Marrero has joined TPCA as health information technology manager. He has more than 10 years of IT experience, most recently as clinical systems administrator and EMR specialist for Community Health Systems in St. Cloud, Fla. Marrero graduated from Ashford University, where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in education studies and educational technology leadership, respectively. He holds a graduate certificate in instructional design and technology.
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