Ready to take your Azara DRVS utilization to the next level? Want to learn more about maximizing the Azara tools for performance improvements? Need to refresh your knowledge of the basic concepts DRVS? If so, please join the West Virginia Primary Care Association (WVPCA) and Azara Healthcare for the exciting AZARA ACADEMY webinar series. During these ninety minute webinars, health centers will have the opportunity to learn more about Azara DRVS, digging deeper into functionality and tools. Azara DRVS experts will demonstrate how DRVS can be leveraged for value based initiatives, care management, efficient patient visit planning, quality improvement, and other important functions and uses.  

After attending these sessions health centers will have the opportunity to schedule their NO-COST ninety-minute WVPCA AZARA ACADEMY Learning Lab session hosted by an Azara Coach. The Learning Lab will offer hands on training to assist the health center in further exploring the topics covered in the DRVS Academy sessions within their own organization. Please contact the WVPCA for more details.

Target Audience: All levels of DRVS users including but not limited to: CHC Leadership, Clinical Managers, Quality and Care Management Staff, Nurses, IT/EHR Managers, Behavioral Health and School Based Health Directors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on all of us – teenagers arguably have had their daily lives disrupted more than most with changes to school, missed milestones including proms and graduations, and forced separation from friends and family.

Community Health Center, Inc. and its Weitzman Institute partnered with the School-Based Health Alliance to create the “Teens & Vaccines” podcast and gave teens a platform to talk about their experiences over the last year, their thoughts and questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, and their hopes for the future. The podcast is produced and led by teens from across the country.

The first four episodes are available now on Soundcloud.

Visit this web page during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month for shareable social media messages, downloadable graphics, and health resources. 

Check out the OMH Knowledge Center online catalog for publications and resources that highlight the importance of spreading awareness on how to avoid and help dissipate mental health stigma in minority communities. 

Quarterly 340B Program site registration is open from July 1 to 15. Health centers will be able to register a site that has been verified as implemented and with a site status reflected as “active” in EHBs Form 5B through Friday, Aug. 27. After that date, the system will close to prepare for the Oct. 1 start. Email the 340B Prime Vendor Program or call 888-340-2787 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-6:00 pm) to register a new site or ask questions. You will need to provide the following information when calling: health center name, site/clinic name, site IDs for all sites, HRSA/BPHC grant number, contact name and email address and authorizing official name and email address. The authorizing official will receive an email message that the account is unlocked, and a registration may be submitted. 

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, families will start to see payments automatically deposited into their bank accounts or mailboxes every month beginning July 15. The Child Tax Credit was expanded to $3,000 for each child between ages 6 to 17 ($250 a month) and $3,600 for each child under age 6 ($300 a month). All working families will get the full credit if they make up to $150,000 for a couple or $112,500 for a family with a single parent.

The pocket guides were created by Dr. Linda Frank and the Regional Partners of the MidAtlantic AETC, and are available for download at: https://www.maaetc.org/p/2021newpocketguides or with all of our pocket guides and clinical tools at: https://www.maaetc.org/p/clinical-tools.

Visit the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Optimizing Virtual Care technical assistance (TA) webpage for the Notice of Funding Opportunity, pre-recorded TA webinar, and other resources.

The opening of the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) reporting portal and release of several resources by U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) on July 1 provided many of the clarifications needed for providers to finalize their usage and reporting of the funds. Many of the clarifications include additional opportunities for providers to use and retain these much-needed funds.  

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.