Hello, just a reminder you are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in the West Virginia Primary Care Association.  Don't forget to add paula.beasley@wvpca.org to your  address book, so you don't miss any issues of the WVPCA Weekly Outlook!  
February 26, 2020
  WVPCA Weekly Outlook Newsletter
    A Newsletter on Community Centered Healthcare
NewsFlash




Ben Fields: The medical conundrum (Opinion) 
 Read the entire article, originally from the The Charleston Gazette Mail 
here.
 
Checkup for $30 , Teeth Cleaning $25 : Walmart Gets Into Health Care
 
Read the entire article, originally from Bloomberg Business Week   here.

Highmark WV launches first-in-state technology-enabled opioid treatment program
Read the entire article, originally from WVNews  here.

Read the entire article, originally from WVNews  here.

Breaking a sweat - and new ground for physical activity across WV
Read the entire article, originally from  Williamson Daily News   here.
 
WVPCA NewsWVPCA_news


On February 14, 2020, the WVPCA attended Rural Health Workforce Day at the WV Capitol.  Associations, health professions schools, and health care organizations had the opportunity to:
 
*             Hear and interact with legislators, legislative experts and providers
*             Talk with legislators concerning the issues and policies vital to the rural health workforce
*             Increase awareness of the role rural health and healthcare workforce plays in our state 
               policy
*             Voice opinions regarding WV's rural health workforce status



Using LEAN/Six Sigma Principles 
to Improve Health Outcomes

Join the West Virginia Primary Care Association (WVPCA) as we have partnered with Jennifer Calohan, and the team at CURIS Consulting, to offer our members a highly interactive learning collaborative focused on using LEAN/Six Sigma principles and practices to improve health outcomes.  The collaborative will be a combination of onsite training workshops, supported peer-to-peer networking, remote trainings, webinars, and individualized coaching sessions. Improving diabetes outcomes will be used as the case study for the learning collaborative; however, the principles learned can be applied to improve processes and outcomes throughout your health center.

During the 10-month collaborative timeframe, teams will receive training from subject matter experts, collaborate with one another in peer-to-peer learning activities, and develop strategies to enhance the programs and services available to the patients/communities they serve. Participants will develop new strategies and strengthen existing organizational infrastructure, leadership structure, quality management programs, and front-line care delivery models while being supported by an expert faculty/ facilitator.

Each participating team/member will receive a comprehensive compilation of resources and materials to support ongoing improvements at their Community Health Center. Support will be provided by the WVPCA Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN) as sponsors of this work and by the CURIS team. Learning Sessions will be provided in a combination of onsite/in-person workshops, remote webinar sessions, and virtual 1:1 office hours for each participating health center. 

Upon completion of the webinars and onsite sessions, participants will receive a certificate of completion. The program will provide participants with core components of LEAN/Six Sigma to assist with preparation for yellow and/or green belt professional certification.

Target Audience:  This event is intended for CEO, COO, CMO, Medical Directors, Quality & Operations team members. This learning collaborative is not open to non-CHC staff. 

 Registration closes March 23 at noon.

For detailed information click here.


Please join the WVPCA and Nell Stuart, MS, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator as we dive into the progressive nature of Type II Diabetes.  To better understand how to treat people with diabetes holistically, it is important to understand the pathophysiology of this chronic disease.  This webinar is appropriate for clinical providers who want to review diabetes and for those who want a better understanding of the disease. 1 Nursing CE will be available (pending)

Target Audience:  Physicians, PA-C, NPs, Nurses, Medical Assistants, Care Managers, Community Health Workers, and Social Workers.

Objectives:  
1. Discuss the natural history of Type II Diabetes.
2. Discuss the implications of T ype II D iabetes as a progressive disease on treatment goals for the patient.
3. Be aware of the gaps in care that exist in the treatment of  T ype II D iabetes which results in confusion to the patient.

Registration closes March 4 at noon.

For detailed information click here.
State NewsStateNews

Our Community Together:  A Collective Impact on HIV in West Virginia.   This conference is intended to address medical and first responder issues surrounding the recent HIV outbreaks that are currently impacting our residents and ourselves.  This can't miss event is offered at no cost and is being held on March 26, 2020 at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel and offers medical educational credits.  For additional information and registration information click here.
Attendees will be provided the most recent information regarding HIV prevention to include impact of stigma, PrEP and NPEP, HIV case finding in the primary care setting and prevention in the setting of commercial sex work.  This conference will also address burnout and mental health among first responders.  
   
March 26, 2020
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel - Huntington, WV
Click here to register.

Seating is limited and registration must be completed by March 23rd.  


Peer recovery is an individualized journey that offers a unique perspective and understanding of the difficulties associated with substance use disorder and its impact. Peer Recovery Support Specialists (PRSS) are an essential component to the Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Continuum of Care.
 
Through shared understanding and respect, PRSS staff help link individuals to treatment and encourage them to stay engaged in the recovery process.
 
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Behavioral Health is hosting quarterly regional PRSS trainings to provide educational opportunities on important issues pertaining to addiction and recovery. Hopefully, the trainings will provide more "tools in their toolbox" when working with individuals in recovery.
 
Each participant will receive a copy of the agenda and a training certificate which can be used toward certification hours if approved by their respective credentialing boards or agencies.
 
Regional Training Dates and Locations are listed below. 
No charge to attend, but space is limited so register early!
 
Topics: Peer Ethics, Anti-Stigma Among Peers, and Compassion Fatigue
 
Wednesday, March 11, 2020 | Kanawha County (Charleston)
University of Charleston (Ballroom)
2300 MacCorkle Ave, SE, Charleston, WV 25304
Registration begins at 12:00 pm
Sessions from 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm
 
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 | Raleigh County (Beckley)
Beckley Raleigh County Convention Center
200 Armory Dr., Beckley, WV 25801
Registration begins at 12:00 pm
Sessions from 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm
 
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 | Randolph County (Elkins)
The Robert C. Byrd Center for Hospitality & Tourism (Conference Room B)
Davis & Elkins College
100 Campus Drive, Elkins, WV. 26241
Registration begins at 12:00 pm
Sessions from 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm
 
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 | Wood County (Parkersburg)
WVU Parkersburg - Multipurpose Room 1536
300 Campus Drive, Parkersburg WV, 26104
Registration begins at 12:00 pm
Sessions from 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm

SchoolBasedHealth

The National Nurse-Led Care Consortium and the School-Based Health Alliance are convening a virtual learning collaborative, Advancing Partnerships with Schools to Address Diabetes Risk Factors in Elementary School Children, to assist health centers that collaborate with an elementary school(s) to enhance their work and provide targeted interventions for students with pre-diabetic indicators along with school-wide interventions to prevent diabetes. It is designed to enhance pre-existing health center/school partnerships. To register for the four sessions that will occur on March 3, March 10, March 24 and March 31, all from 2:00 - 3:30 pm, click here.
PCMHCorner

Evidence of NCQA PCMH Effectiveness

The latest research on the Patient-Centered Medical Home and its impact on quality, cost and patient experience.
 
Patient-Centered Medical Homes are driving some of the most important reforms in healthcare delivery today. A growing body of scientific evidence shows that PCMHs are saving money by reducing hospital and emergency department visits, mitigating health disparities, and improving patient outcomes. The evidence we present here outlines how the medical home inspires quality in care, cultivates more engaging patient relationships, and captures savings through expanded access and delivery options that align patient preferences with payer and provider capabilities. This report will be updated as new evidence of PCMH implementation is released.
 
Download the Evidence Report here.  

If you have any PCMH questions, please contact Shannon Parker at shannon.parker@wvpca.org  or Emma White at  emma.white@wvpca.org.
National NewsNationalNews
CDC Reports Flu Vaccine Is About 45% Effective

The effectiveness of the current season's influenza vaccine is about 45 percent, according to a new CDC report  .

The research team used the U.S. Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network to examine data for 4,112 children and adults with acute respiratory illness from Oct. 23, 2019, to Jan. 25.

They estimated that the current flu vaccine's effectiveness against both types of flu was 45 percent. They also estimated that the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing the B/Victoria strain was 50 percent and in preventing A(H1N1)pdm09 was 37 percent.

The vaccine's effectiveness was higher among children and adolescents who are 6 months to 17 years old, than among adults.

"Vaccine effectiveness estimates are consistent with those from previous seasons," researchers wrote.

The CDC estimates flu has caused 26 million illnesses, 250,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths this season.
 
Please join WVPCA in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, March 18 during the NACHC Policy & Issues Forum (P&I) as we meet with the West Virginia congressional delegation to advocate for health centers and the people who count on you for access to care. We will need to again secure federal appropriations in the upcoming federal fiscal year to avoid an interruption in 330-grant funding. It is critical for health center needs to be heard in Washington and heard early so we don't get overlooked. We need to educate our Members of Congress on the value primary care centers offer and the need to protect this federal investment in access to quality affordable primary health care."Hill Day" for health center legislative visits will be on Wednesday, March 18. The full schedule, registration and other information can be found on the  NACHC 2020 P&I Website.  
Updated I-9 Employment Verification Form Now Available

A new version of the I-9 employment eligibility verification form has been issued. The new version is dated Oct. 21, 2019 but will not become mandatory until May 1, 2020. Through April 30, employers can choose to use the previous version dated July 17, 2017 or the new edition. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) publishes a paper I-9 Form and an electronic, fillable I-9 Form.

 The new version of the paper form has no changes from the prior version. Changes have only been made to the electronic, fillable I-9 Form which includes additional countries in the Country of Issuance field in Section 1 and other minor changes. 

The I-9 form is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the U.S.   All U.S. employers must properly complete the Form I-9 for each person they hire for employment in the U.S., including both citizens and noncitizens. 
New hires and employers must complete the form. Employers are required to retain the completed forms for a designated period and make them available for inspection when needed. 
New Scope of Project 5A Accuracy Tool 

To support health centers' continuous compliance, BPHC has released a new tool: Health Center Self-Assessment Worksheet for Form 5A: Services Provided. This tool will help health centers assess and evaluate the accuracy of their HRSA scope of project, specifically the accuracy of Form 5A, and may be used to facilitate conversations between health centers and Project Officers.
Health centers should direct their health center-specific questions on the tool or their scope of project to their Project Officer. Other stakeholders can direct questions to Health Center Program Support online or at 877-464-4772, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday (except federal holidays).
Upcoming Training OpportunitiesUpcomingNationalTraining
Community Intervention:  Syringe Services Program and Employing People Who Use Drugs  

This webinar series is appropriate for physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers, public health practitioners, and other health professionals who would benefit from the information. 
A variety of the listed topics will be discussed at this event.
  • Harm Reduction/Safe Injection
  • Linkage to Care
  • Medication-assisted therapy for substance use disorders (i.e. buprenorphine, methadone, and/or naltrexone)
  • Pain management
  • Opioid use disorder
  • Cultural competence
  • Stigma or discrimination
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST
Register here 
_____________________________

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will have learned to...
  • Describe the process for acceptance into a problem solving court program;
  • Identify three (3) interventions that problem solving courts typically provide to individuals arrested for drug misuse or for crimes associated with drug misuse; and
  • Compare recidivism rates for individuals sentenced to traditional correctional facilities with those who are deferred to problem solving courts.
Target Audience: Physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers, public health practitioners, and other health professionals who would benefit from the information.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET
______________________________

Webinar:  Promising Practices on Addressing Stigma and HIV in Primary Care Settings

Experts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the HRSA-funded Southeast AIDS Education Training Center will discuss various forms of stigma and how it impacts patient outcomes.   They will also share stigma reduction resources to assist health centers providing services to people living with HIV.

Thursday, March 5, 2020
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET
_________________________


  WVHAMP is a combined in-person and tele-mentorship training program designed to support primary care providers to diagnose, evaluate and manage their patients with chronic hepatitis C developed in consultation with West Virginia Medicaid. 

WVHAMP provides a mentorship platform accessible for primary care providers caring for high-risk individuals throughout West Virginia, especially in rural settings.

This is crucial as West Virginia has the highest rate of new acute hepatitis C infections in the nation! 

GOAL: to improve the health of individuals in underserved communities by building a primary care workforce trained by experts to screen, diagnose, offer curative treatment, and follow persons with chronic hepatitis C.
Participating WVHAMP primary care providers will receive training on hepatitis C epidemiology, diagnosis, management, curative treatment, follow-up and prevention. Thus, primary care providers throughout the state will be equipped with the skills needed to treat and cure patients with hepatitis C in their local communities. This will increase the number of individuals who are cured and help to reduce the number of West Virginians who can transmit hepatitis C to another person.
 
THE INITIAL DAYLONG TRAINING WILL BE HELD IN BLUEFIELD ON THURSDAY, MARCH 5.  
FREE HOTEL ROOMS ARE AVAILABLE FOR MARCH 4.
___________________________
West Virginia Cancer Resource Survivorship Summit 

The West Virginia Survivorship Resource Summit sponsored by the American Cancer Society through a grant from the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health/Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease/Comprehensive Cancer Control Program has announced registration is now open.  The goal of the Summit is to share the National Cancer Survivorship Resource Center survivorship guidelines toolkit and to describe aspects of clinical care for the post-treatment cancer survivor in both the cancer setting and primary care.

March 20, 2020
Event Registration-8:00 am - 8:25 am
Program - 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Breakfast (light) and 
lunch will be provided.
 
Please bring a non-perishable food item to donate, all donations will be made to a WV Food Bank.
_______________________________
Funding OpportunityFundingOpportunity

The WV Immunization Network is now accepting applications for its Take Your Best Shot (TYBS): Adolescent Immunization Pay for Success Project. Last year, the WV Immunization Network had revised TYBS into a Pay for Success (PFS) pilot project linking funding to performance in increasing immunization rates for influenza, HPV and Men B. This 2020-2021 project will follow the same format as last year. The purpose of this strategy is to ensure that high-quality, effective immunization services result in increased adolescent vaccination rates. Eligible lead agency applicants include public and private entities, such as local health departments, community health centers, hospitals, school-based health clinics, private clinics or other organizations.

If you have questions about the TYBS project or application, please contact Barb Thaxton, WIN Program Manager at Barbara.thaxton@wvruralhealth.org.

Applications are due by 5pm on March 13, 2020.
CommunityHealthCenterResourceCommunity Health Center Resources
 
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 
Paula Beasley | Education and Communications 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
STAY CONNECTED:
This project is/was supported partially/fully by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U58CS06834 State and Regional Primary Care Associations. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.