UPCOMING TRAINING
& EVENTS
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February 19
February 20
February 26-27
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Health centers may utilize the TPCA Exclusion and Debarment Service to screen employ- ees, contractors, vendors, directors, and volunteers. This service helps health centers save valu-able resources and achieve operational excellence.
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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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Updated Federal Poverty Guidelines
(From HRSA)
-- The 2020 poverty guidelines are in effect as of Wednesday, January 15.
Click here
to see the new guidelines.
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State Update on the Novel Coronavirus
(From TDH)
-- The Tennessee Department of Health provided an update this week regarding the recently reported novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. The outbreak started in Wuhan City, China, but cases have been identified in a growing number of other international locations, including the United States.
There are many helpful resources that have been developed in the last week that can help you to prepare for a potential case in your practice or facility, or to simply learn more about the rapidly developing situation.
If you suspect the novel coronavirus in a patient, please call TDH at 615-741-7247. TDH staff will consult with providers and the CDC to determine if patients meet criteria for 2019-nCoV laboratory testing. At this time, diagnostic testing for 2019-nCoV can be conducted only at the CDC.
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Tennessee Quit Week is February 3-7
(From TDH)
-- The Tennessee Department of Health joins partners across the state in celebrating the fifth annual Tennessee Quit Week February 3-7, 2020. This year’s theme is “Seeing 2020 Tobacco-Free,” and the goal is to inspire Tennesseans to live healthier lives by taking advantage of the state’s free resource, the
Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine
,
to quit using tobacco products.
“In Tennessee, 31 lives are lost each day as a direct result of smoking,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “In addition to these tragic early deaths, tobacco use costs our state upward of $6 billion each year in lost productivity and health care costs, preventable losses that hurt the prosperity of our state and those who live and work here.”
Click here
to find resources and learn how you can be a part of Tennessee Quit Week 2020.
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State Legislature Back in Session
The Tennessee General Assembly is back in session. All new legislation must be filed by February 5 in the House and February 6 in the Senate. Governor Bill Lee will present his State of the State address on February 3 and will release his budget proposal that same day.
TPCA is monitoring a number of bills and will talk with legislators about priority issues during TPCA’s Hill Day on February 26. Health centers are encouraged to join TPCA’s bi-weekly policy update calls to hear details about legislative proposals, regulatory issues, and other topics of interest. Contact
emily.waitt@tnpca.org
if you would like to join the calls.
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2020 NACHC Policy & Issues Forum
(From NACHC)
--Registration is open for NACHC’s 2020 Policy & Issues Forum, which will take place March 16-19 in Washington. D.C. This year’s conference theme is “America’s Health Centers – Sustainability for 2020 and Beyond.” The four-day schedule of events includes cutting-edge topics, interactive trainings, and compelling speakers to advance health center professionals into a future of both opportunity and challenge. Health center advocates will also descend on the halls of Congress to fight for long-term and stable funding in the new decade. Please note that Congress will not be in session during the P&I Hill Day on Wednesday, March 18. Although Congress will be in recess, attendees can still participate in meetings with health care staffers.
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Public Charge Rule
In a 5-4 ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court voted to allow the Trump Administration’s public charge rule to go into effect by lifting a nationwide injunction. The rule, proposed by the Department of Homeland Security in August, expands the categories of public benefits under consideration when determining if an individual is a public charge, or primarily dependent on the government for subsistence.
The expanded categories of public benefits include Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and several housing programs. Public charge determinations could be used to deny individuals legal entry into the U.S. or lawful permanent resident status (green card status) and may also impact some individuals seeking to extend or adjust their status as a temporary foreign national (for example: students, visitors, temporary workers, and trainees).
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2020 Census
The 2020 Census kicked off in Alaska earlier this month. Official invitations to respond to the 2020 Census will begin arriving in mid-March, and by Census Day on April 1, every home will have received an invitation to respond to the Census. Data from the Census are used to help guide billions of dollars in federal funding for health care programs, including the Health Centers Program, Medicaid, Medicare Part B, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
For more information on the 2020 Census, visit the
Census Bureau’s website
. If you are interested in displaying health care themed posters to promote the Census in your health center, please send an email to
emily.waitt@tnpca.org
.
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Health Center Year of the Nurse 2020
(From NACHC)
-- The World Health Organization has designated 2020 as
Year of the Nurse and Midwife
in honor of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. According to 2018 Uniform Data System data, there are 28,000 advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), registered nurses (RNs), and licensed practical nurses (LPNs/LVNs) in the community health center workforce.
Each week in 2020, NACHC will highlight individual nurses, groups of nurses, or specific nursing roles in health centers and their contributions to health centers and their communities, and will create a compendium of at least 52 distinct nursing stories over 12 monthly themes.
Click here
to nominate a nurse or share a story.
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Health Centers in the News
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Now Open! 2020 Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program
(From HRSA)
-- The
Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program
supports registered nurses (RNs), advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), and nurse faculty by paying up to 85% of their unpaid nursing education debt. In exchange, participants serve for at least two years at a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses, or an eligible school of nursing in the case of nurse faculty. Before you apply, learn about application details including eligibility and service requirements in the
2020 Application and Program Guidance
.
Applications will be accepted through Thursday, March 12. Technical assistance calls will be held in February; participants should prepare for these sessions by reading the Application and Program Guidance.
- Call 1 -- February 13, 2-3 p.m. (Eastern)
- Call 2 -- February 27, 4-5 p.m. (Eastern)
Dial in: 1-888-455-2923
Pass code: 7642165
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Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General
(From the CDC)
--On Thursday, January 23, Vice Admiral Jerome Adams, U.S. Surgeon General, released a new report titled “Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General” at a press conference in Washington, DC. The report highlights the latest evidence on the health benefits of quitting smoking and proven treatments and strategies to help people successfully quit. This evidence supports what we already know:
- Smokers have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and are more likely to have serious health problems compared to nonsmokers.
- The risk of developing diabetes increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the health benefits of quitting begin right away.
- People with diabetes who quit smoking have better blood sugar management. Studies have shown that insulin can start to become more effective at lowering blood sugar levels eight weeks after a smoker quits.
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PARTNER-SPONSORED EDUCATION & TRAINING
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Rural Healthcare Providers Symposium February 27-28
(From Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center)
-- The Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center will be hosting a Rural Healthcare Providers Symposium February 27-28. The goal of this event is to develop a network of primary care and oncology providers to foster collaborative research and practice initiatives to improve cancer prevention, early detection, and care delivery.
Keynote and Topics
The keynote speaker for this event will be Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health. She will be presenting on the second day of the symposium. Other panelists and speakers include representatives from the American Cancer Society, Tennessee Department of Health, Alabama Department of Health, the Tennessee Primary Care Association, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Panel discussion and speaker topics will be:
- cancer prevention and screenings;
- telehealth efforts in rural communities; and
- resources for rural health providers.
Physicians will be able to earn up to 5.5 CME credits for attending the full symposium. For registration and more information,
click here
.
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HCV Treatment Training Opportunity
The AIDS Education and Training Center Program will host a half-day training entitled "From Diagnosis to Treatment: Building an HCV Toolkit" on February 27, from 1-2 p.m. (Eastern) in LaFollette. The training is designed for clinical providers (physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and nurses) who are new to HCV who are new to HCV treatment.
Click here
for more information and to register. To complete a survey on HCV treatment and training needs,
click here
.
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