National Physician Assistant Week is celebrated every year from October 6-12. Treating patients in today’s complex healthcare settings takes a whole team of professionals. Among these medical workers are physician assistants, broadly trained in a wide spectrum of conditions and tasks. Their education focuses on patient education, preventive care, and chronic care management. They can help patients improve their quality of life and manage chronic conditions. Physician Assistants are unsung heroes and deserve their moment in the limelight, so this week is to celebrate them and be thankful for their effort.

The WVPCA would like to recognize the PA’s that work across the Mountain State in our Community Health Centers. Every day you make a difference, one patient at a time!

The WVPCA, in conjunction with HRSA/BPHC will be hosting the 2022 Uniform Data System Training, presented by Ellen Radis, M.M.H.S., senior program manager at Advocates for Human Potential (AHP). The 2022 UDS Virtual Training event will be conducted in a series of 2 trainings with a Q&A session included on November 2nd. Participants should plan to attend all sessions for a full and comprehensive understanding of the complete UDS report. During the training, attendees will gain an understanding of reporting the UDS including; the patient profile, reporting clinical services and quality of care indicators, operational and financial tables, and other required UDS reporting forms.

The annual training will be conducted virtually, via ZOOM, in a series of 2 trainings as follows:

Please join the WVPCA and Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) as they provide an overview of the Readiness to Train Assessment Tool (RTAT) and guidance on beginning your health center's strategic workforce development planning. The speakers will present the results of the national assessment of health center readiness to train health profession students, as well as the state level data. Participants will leave the session equipped with a strong understanding of how to use the tool to identify barriers in advancing health professions training. Participants will also receive an overview of upcoming CHC Inc. Learning Collaborative that is designed to effectively move participating organizations from planning to implementation of replicable models.

PRE-WORK: Participants will be asked to review individual RTAT results beforehand.

TARGET AUDIENCE: COOs, Workforce Directors, HR Directors, etc.

Assisters are invited to take the 2023 Assister Certification Training. In preparation for the Marketplace Open Enrollment Period starting November 1, 2022 for the 2023 Plan Year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated the Assister Certification Training curriculum.

Please note: If you have accessed MLMS before and taken assister certification training in the past, please be sure to login vs. creating a new account. If you have had changes to your status, or changed organizations, you do not need to create a new account. You can update your information in your existing account.

The CDO application window typically runs from June 1 to August 31, annually. To support organizations in FFM states during the Unwinding period, the Marketplace will extend the current CDO application window to November 1, 2022, and will open another CDO application window once the Medicaid Unwinding begins. These application window extensions will enable eligible organizations in FFM states to apply to become a CDO, which will provide them with access to FFM and Medicaid Unwinding technical guidance, training materials, and consumer support resources such as the Complex Case Help Center (CCHC).

CMS invites new applicant organizations who want to become a CDO for Plan Year 2023 to apply during CMS’ Open Season, which has been extended to November 1, 2022.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Carole Johnson joined United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and other HHS leaders to release the HHS Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration, which outlines the Department’s policy plan for ensuring there is no wrong door to mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

The 2022 West Virginia HIV and Hepatitis C Provider Prevention and Care Survey is now is ongoing through the month of October. Your participation in the survey is voluntary and anonymous.

This data is being collected by the Bureau for Public Health (Bureau) at the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources as they are currently developing the 2022-2026 HIV and Hepatitis C Elimination Plan as required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The plan aims to accelerate progress toward meeting national goals while allowing West Virginia to design a service delivery system that reflects local vision, values, and needs. 

If you have any questions, please contact Tennysa Mace at tennysa.f.mace@wv.gov.

The Bridge of Hope Application is now open and can be found on The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation’s website at https://tgkvf.org/special-initiatives/bridge-hope-scholarship/. This scholarship is for those who are in active SUD recovery and interested in pursuing a training or education program. The application closes on November 1st. 

Please join the AETC National Clinician Consultation Center in partnership with the AETC National Coordinating Resource Center, Health Resources and Services Administration’s HIV/AIDS Bureau (HRSA HAB) and Bureau of Primary Health Care (HRSA BPHC) for the Providing Care to People with Substance Use Disorders webinar developed for clinicians and other health care providers. This webinar will be October 26, 2022 from Noon to 1PM.

The newly released National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan (2022-2025) calls for a coordinated and re-energized national HIV response at multiple levels, acknowledging people who inject drugs as one of several priority populations which continue to experience disparities across various HIV-related outcomes. Substance use and HIV care integration is one approach to provide comprehensive, person-centered medical services – yet clinics encounter differing challenges and opportunities when trying to implement an integrated model of care.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Million Hearts® team released the Million Hearts® Health Equity Implementation Funding Opportunity in partnership with the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) Cardiovascular Health Team. This one-time opportunity is available to fund up to 6 organizations at up to $50,000 per recipient for implementing evidence-based strategies to improve cardiovascular health and advance health equity through a focus on priority populations in alignment with the Million Hearts® 2027 framework. The implementation period runs from January through July of 2023. The application period runs from October 3 through 8:00pm ET on November 1, 2022. You can access the full Request for Proposals here.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), made up to $25 million available for HRSA-funded health centers to increase equitable access to maternal health care in underserved communities. Award recipients will develop and pilot innovative models of care delivery to improve health outcomes and address clinical and health-related social needs for patients at the highest risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. This funding will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis by ensuring better access to comprehensive, coordinated health care, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

Applications from HRSA-funded health centers are due in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, December 5, and in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks on by 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, January 13, 2023. Visit HRSA’s fiscal year 2023 Quality Improvement Fund-Maternal Health webpage for the notice of funding opportunity, technical assistance (TA) information, and other resources. Join the QIF-Maternal Health applicant TA session:

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.

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.

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.