CHCANYS 2020 Advocacy Day is MONDAY!
This year’s Advocacy Day will take place on Monday, March 2 at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Please join us, and invite your colleagues, friends and family to come along! Advance registration is required. This year's program will begin at 10:00 a.m. and run until 11:00 a.m., after 11:30 a.m. attendees will meet with their Assembly members and Senators. Please note that attendees are responsible for making their own appointments with Assembly members and Senators. A light breakfast and boxed lunch will be provided. To view CHCANYS Advocacy Day 2020 priorities and resources, visit our webpage .
CHCANYS Dorothy Kartashevich Consumer Awardee Announced
During this year's Annual Meeting, CHCANYS will recognize Joann Baker for her outstanding service at Urban Health Plan, a Bronx FQHC with over 24 locations serving over 89,000 patients. She has been a member of the Board since 1997 and exemplifies the work of the Health Center Movement.
 
MRT II Announces Additional Public Comment Forum in NYC; CHCANYS Submits Proposal
The New York State Medicaid Redesign Team II (MRT II) has scheduled an additional public comment forum to be held in New York City on March 2 . This event replaces of a previously scheduled MRT II Member meeting scheduled for that day. The meeting will be held at the John E. Reeves Great Hall at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). It is open to the public and will be streamed live online here . Registration for those wishing to offer public comment begins at 10:00 a.m. with the forum scheduled to run from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
CHCANYS submitted a proposal to the MRT last week that would create a 3-tiered payment methodology for NYS Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) certified providers that directs funds to safety-net providers while also incorporating value-based payment principles. This methodology was initially developed by CHCANYS Reimbursement and Clinical Committees in 2018 and had been previously shared with the Department of Health, Department of Budget, and Governor’s office.
 
NACHC Hill Day and Policy and Issues Forum Prep Webinar on March 4
NACHC’s Capitol Hill Day will be held in Washington, DC on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. Congress will not be in session at this time, but participants will meet with Congressional staff.  CHCANYS will be scheduling all meetings  with Congressional offices   for health center attendees. To prepare for Hill Day, NACHC is hosting a 2020 Hill Day prep webinar on March 4, 2020 from 3 pm – 5 pm. Register by clicking here .The webinar will cover the current environment in Washington, DC, 2020 Policy Papers, P&I conference logistics, and advocacy action items.
 
New Public Charge Rule Takes Effect
The new public charge rule  is officially in effect. It is applied to applications and petitions submitted on or after February 24, 2020. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will NOT consider an immigrant’s receipt of the newly listed benefits before February 24, 2020 in the new public charge determination test. To prepare your health center staff for public charge, check out CHCANYS’ checklist  or download this webinar:  Preparing Health Center Staff for Public Charge Implementation .  Other resources, including multilingual fact sheets about the new rule are available on the New York Immigration Coalition’s website  here . National resources can be found on the Protecting Immigrant Families  webpage .  Advocates across the state and nationally continue to fight the new changes to the rule and other threats to immigrant communities through ongoing advocacy and lawsuits.
 
New Funding Available for Nonprofits to Help Ensure Every New Yorker is Counted in 2020 Census
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced this week that up to $5 million in second round census funding will be made available to nonprofits, including faith-based nonprofits, that are participating in the New York State Complete Count Census campaign. The funding will help fund nonprofits in their efforts to reach at-risk and hard-to-count communities and ensure they are counted during the 2020 Census. Applications may be submitted for a thirty day period that ends on March 26; nonprofits can find more information on the NYS Census  website and apply for pre-qualification  here .
 
State Announces $40M to Respond to Potential Novel Coronavirus Pandemic
Governor Cuomo this week announced a $40-million emergency appropriation for the New York State Department of Health to respond to a potential novel coronavirus pandemic. The Governor also announced he will propose legislation to grant authority to DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker to ensure local health departments and public and private hospitals statewide take certain actions and measures in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak as needed. DOH will convene local health departments and hospitals statewide to review protocols, best practices, and procedures to help ensure they are prepared to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. Click here for more information.

CHCANYS Emergency Management Team continues to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak
Please note the following resources that may be of interest to you:
 
  • PRE-RECORDED WEBINAR: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Preparedness and Response for Primary Care Providers
Our partner, the National Nurse-led Care Consortium (NNCC) , a designated National Health Center Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP) with the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), hosted a webinar on February 20, 2020 with a presentation by Dr. Neil Gupta (CDC) followed by a Q&A session. This webinar was designed specifically for primary care providers and community health centers in particular. You can view the recording of this webinar and download the slides (PDF) by visiting this page .

  • COVID-19 "What's New" Weekly Update Email from CDC
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is launching a new weekly E-newsletter on COVID-19 outbreak. Sign up here to receive these weekly updates, delivered right to your inbox every Monday, so you can stay current with this rapidly evolving situation.

Important Agency Website Updates
CDC, DOH, and DOHMH continue to update their coronavirus websites with important guidance for health care providers. The following resources were either added or updated with additional information in the past week:

 
Registration Open! 6 th Annual Emergency Preparedness Seminar – March 19, 2020
On March 19, 2020, in partnership with NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Community Health Care Association of NYS (CHCANYS), will host its Sixth Annual Emergency Preparedness Seminar for Community Health Centers (CHCs).

The presenters for this year's Seminar, will discuss the role that community health centers, aka federally-qualified health centers (FQHC) can play in regards to response during and after emergencies and disasters. We will be covering the following topics*:

  • CHCANYS Emergency Management Projects in Support of FQHCs
  • Determining Potential Roles for Health Centers in Citywide Response Plans
  • NYC Health Care Coalition Response Plan and How Health Centers Connect
  • A Successful ESF-8 Partnership: NYC Measles Response
  • MINI-TABLETOP EXERCISE: Surge Planning for Large-Scale Outbreaks
 
*Agenda is subject to change.

Click to learn more and to register . Seating is limited – please register soon.
 
Is Your Health Center Trauma-Informed?
CHCANYS, in partnership with SUNY Buffalo’s Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC), is continuing to recruit Health Centers to join a unique Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) Learning Collaborative from March to December 2020.

This learning collaborative will empower your health center to identify a team of three ‘Champions’, participate in training and peer learning activities, and join a network of support and resource sharing.

The Five Guiding Principles of a Trauma Informed Approach include:
Safety – Trustworthiness – Choice – Collaboration – Empowerment

To access the FAQ sheet – please click here .
To access 1-pager – please click here .

For more information and to apply, contact questions@chcanys.org
Managed Care Contracting Training with FTLF--REGISTER NOW!
CHCANYS, in partnership with  Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP , is excited to announce two opportunities to participate in an intensive managed care contracting training in New York. These two-day trainings will offer NYS health center executives and leadership an opportunity to gain insights and develop strategies for negotiating favorable managed care contracts. 
 
The agenda for the two-training events will be the same and include:
Day One  focuses on negotiating strategies and PPS legal protections
Day Two  focuses on key terms of participation, provider networks, and legal risk areas
 
Training Information:
 
CAPITAL REGION TRAINING
When:  April 28 & 29, 2020
Where:  Hampton Inn & Suites , 25 Chapel St., Albany, NY 12210
 
NEW YORK CITY TRAINING
When:  June 9 & 10, 2020
Where:  DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton , 455 South Broadway, Tarrytown, New York, 10591
 
 
If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please contact   questions@chcanys.org .
Compliance & Risk Management Academy: Join us for Investigations 101 with FTLF - 3/12 in NYC
The next offering in the Compliance & Risk Management Academy partnership with  Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP  (FTLF) is  Investigations 101: Planning, Documentation, and Interviewing  with FTLF partners  Molly Evans and  Dianne Pledgie . During this in-person training, participants will learn about investigation plan strategies , interviewing and evidence gathering techniques, and processes for reporting investigation results internally and externally.
When:  March 12, 2020 from 1pm- 5pm

In addition, our next webinar  Beyond HIPAA: Ensuring Patient Confidentiality  is scheduled for   June 23, 2020 1pm- 2:30pm and your registration includes access to the live session, as well as the recorded session on  learning.ftlf.com .   More information and registration is available on the  academy registration page .  *** Please note an there’s exclusive offer for those who register for two (2) or more academy events- access to a virtual, interactive Q&A session with FTLF partners.  Save the date of May 6 from 1-2pm and be sure to register for at least two upcoming events to receive the exclusive invitation to join.   Have questions or need assistance?
Reach out to us at  questions@chcanys.org  for more information.
 
SAVE THE DATE! CHCANYS Finance University
In partnership with:
  • CohnReznick LLP
  • Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP
  • Health Resources and Services Administration
Office of Federal Assistance Management
Division of Financial Integrity
 
When:  June 11th, 2020
Where:  Baruch College
14th Floor, Room 14-220
55 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010
 
Agenda and registration coming soon!
 
Have a question? Contact us at  Questions@CHCANYS.ORG

Free Buprenorphine Waiver Eligibility Trainings for Clinical Providers
The NYSDOH AIDS Institute in partnership with local hospitals are sponsoring free Buprenorphine Waiver Eligibility Trainings for Clinical Providers. In response to the opioid overdose deaths in New York State, increased access to buprenorphine treatment for opioid overdose disorder is urgently needed. Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Medical Residents, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and Certified Nurse Midwifes are welcome and highly encouraged to attend this training. The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry designates this live activity for a maximum of 4.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s). For more information on the trainings, including dates and locations, please click here .
 
Free Webinar on Verbally Screening Pregnant Women for OUD and Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)
The New York State Department of Health’s (NYSDOH’s)  New York State Perinatal Quality Collaborative (NYSPQC) , in collaboration with the NYS Opioid Use Disorder, Maternal Outcome, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Initiative (OMNI) Team, is pleased to offer an educational webinar as part of the  NYS OUD in Pregnancy & Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Project  focused on verbally screening pregnant women for OUD, and Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT). The webinar, which will take place on  Wednesday, March 25, 2020, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM,  will be open to all NYS birthing hospitals and providers, and will feature presentations by Adriann Combs, DNP, NNP-BC, Clinical Director OB/Gyn Service Line at Northwell Health, and David Garry, DO, FACOG, Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Stony Brook Medicine. 
 
Upon completion of the webinar, participants will:
  • Understand the importance of using a standardized questionnaire to verbally screen all pregnant women for OUD;
  • Be aware of various standardized questionnaires to verbally screen pregnant women for OUD;
  • Better understand the SBIRT process; and
  • Have knowledge of helpful tips for implementation of verbal screening for OUD and SBIRT.
 
Please  click here  to register for the webinar. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email from  cgreene@nichq.org  with instructions for joining the webinar. If you do not see the e-mail in your inbox, please check your spam/junk folder.  
 
Upcoming Opportunity: Join the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control Program (DCPC)
Launching in July 2020, work with CHCANYS practice facilitators to improve the prevention and management of patients with pre-diabetes and diabetes OR hypertension and high cholesterol at your health center. Participating sites will receive:
  • Individualized and group practice facilitation to improve population health management, team-based care processes and workflows for optimal patient care;
  • Support in engaging with community-based partners for referrals to diabetes prevention, diabetes self-management, nutrition, and lifestyle change programs;
  • Technical Assistance in the engagement of pharmacists and other non-physician team members in the management of diabetes and CVD;
  • Access to clinical quality measures and clinical tools in the CPCI tailored specifically to identifying and targeting patients with these chronic conditions; and
  • Opportunities to present promising practices, challenges, and lessons learned to the NYS DOH, CDC and Statewide Peer-Learning Network
Want more information? Check out the  informational flyer , fill out this  general interest form  and don’t forget to  register for our informational webinar  taking place on March 24, 2020 from 12:00 - 1:00 pm.
 
PCMH Office Hours, Next Call on March 19 th
Join the upcoming PCMH Office Hours Call taking place on March 19 th , 2020 from 12 – 1 pm focused on In-House Health IT Tool Optimization for Patient Engagement and Practice Efficiencies. This call is free to attend, but advanced registration is  required.   Click here  to get started. Each monthly session in this interactive, peer-learning series will include presentation of key information about system design strategies for the care and management of your patients either at risk of developing diabetes, or currently managing a diabetes diagnosis, in addition to other co-morbidities and social determinants of health.  Discussion will be led by health center colleagues, our consulting partners at Comagine Health, and special guest speakers. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the NYS-HCCN at  hccn@CHCANYS.org.
 
Sexual & Reproductive Health Sub-Committee 2020 Q1 Learning Sessions
The Sexual and Reproductive Health Sub-Committee will be hosting learning session at a new date and time: the 2 nd  Thursday of the month from 12:00 – 1:00 pm. The next call will be taking place on March 12 th , focused on the benefits of utilizing Peer Educators to reach and educate special populations, Kristin McDonough, Supervisor of Health Education & Outreach at The Door. If you’re interested in joining the subcommittee, please reach out to Mercy Mbogori at  mmbogori@chcanys.org . The Zoom joining information may be found below.  
 
Webinar link:  https://zoom.us/j/150586730
Dial-in number: 646 558 8656
Meeting ID: 150 586 730
 
Join the Oral Health Subcommittee!
The purpose of the Oral Health Sub-Committee is to give the dental community at health centers statewide a voice on the Clinical Committee related to information sharing and promising practices. Members discuss oral health topics and quality improvement matters, such as sharing successful strategies and resources to improve the delivery of care for patients. All members of FQHCs are welcome to join! For more information, please  click here . If you are interested in joining, please contact Gabriela Gonzalez at  ggonzalez@chcanys.org . 
 
Meeting Frequency:   4 th  Friday of every other month from 9 am to 10 am. Please see below for the 2020 schedule:
  • March 27th
  • May 12-13 - face to face meeting
  • July 26th
  • September 25th
  • November 10-12th - face to face meeting at the CHCANYS Conference, details TBD.
 
Join the HIV/STI/HPV Subcommittee!
The HIV/STI/HPV convenes the first Friday of the month from 12-1 pm. The next meeting will be taking place on March 6 th , 2020 dedicated to a robust discussion on applying a trauma informed model of care to sexual health. The presenters include Clinical Mangers of Behavioral Health at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, Dr. Morris Roy, PhD and Kate Filmore, LCSW. To join the subcommittee call please  click here  to register in advance. Feel free to contact Meital Fried-Almog at  malmog@chcanys.org  for more information on the HIV/STI/HPV or  click here .