December 17, 2021
UPCOMING TPCA
TRAININGS & EVENTS
i2i Webinar Series:
Beginner Track Part 2
Reviewing Different Types
of Morning Huddles and
Running Reports
The TPCA office will be closed.
i2i Webinar Series:
Intermediate Track Part 1
Advanced Searches
CMS Vaccine Mandate Update

On Wednesday, December 15th the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit overturned a nationwide preliminary injunction that had halted implementation of the CMS COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care facilities, including community health centers.

The 5th Circuit Court did however, issue a narrow preliminary injunction that continues to halt implementation of the rule for the 14 states that brought the lawsuit. Tennessee is not among one of the 14 states that filed suit, which means health centers in Tennessee are again required to comply with the CMS Interim Final Rule on COVID-19 vaccination for staff.

When the U.S. District Court for Western Louisiana first ordered a preliminary injunction of the Interim Final in November, the original vaccine mandate implementation deadlines of December 6 (Phase 1) and January 4 for (Phase 2) were no longer in effect. With the 5th Circuit Court decision, the timeline is not immediately clear for when enforcement of the CMS vaccine mandate will resume.

TPCA is following developments closely and will provide additional information when it becomes available.
COVID-19 UPDATES
TPCA COVID-19 Resources Page

TPCA created a COVID-19 Resources page that contains information and tools for health centers and the general public on a variety of COVID-19 related topics including COVID-19 vaccines, updates, human resources & operations, telehealth, and PPE.

TPCA Members may also access the COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit for the latest in TN COVID-19 Vaccine distribution as well as timely and relevant resources.
FEDERAL POLICY UPDATES
Registration is Open! NACHC Policy & Issues Forum

NACHC's 2022 Policy and Issue (P&I) Forum in Washington, D.C. is scheduled for Monday, February 14 - Thursday February 17, 2022 with the Hill Day on Wednesday, February 16, 2022.

The Policy & Issues Forum will be a hybrid event, with in-person and virtual options.
National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps Loan Repayment

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps program have received a historic level of funding for FY 2022 and are expected to be able to provide loan repayment to significantly more clinicians than ever before. It is likely that every CHC will be eligible to have its providers funded under the NHSC Loan Repayment program this year, regardless of HPSA score.

January 13, 2022 is the deadline for clinicians to apply for loan repayment through the Nurse Corps.

February 3, 2022 is the deadline for clinicians to apply through the National Health Service Corps.
Infrastructure: Senate Aims to Pass Build Back Better (BBB) Act

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) intends to pass the Build Back Better (BBB) Act before Christmas, although the legislation faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

The House already passed the $2 trillion reconciliation bill on November 19. The House version of the BBB Act includes $2 billion for community health center infrastructure. The bill also contains funding for primary care workforce programs including $3.37 billion for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, $2 billion for the National Health Service Corps, and $500 million for the Nurse Corps.

Federal Budget

Congress passed legislation this week to raise the debt ceiling, narrowly missing the December 15 deadline when a failure to act would have risked the U.S. entering default. The legislation also includes phased Medicare sequestration cuts that were set to be reinstated on January 1, 2022, and postponed Medicare cuts to offset the costs of the American Rescue Plan.
340B

PROTECT 340B Act of 2021
Representatives McKinley (R-WV) and Spanberger (D-VA) introduced the PROTECT 340B Act to combat discriminatory reimbursement policies that threaten health centers’ abilities to provide patients with 340B-eligible medications. 

Please consider reaching out to your Members of the House and asking them to support H.R. the PROTECT 340B Act of 2021.


Need a refresher on 340B? Check out the TPCA Policy Blog!
TPCA MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
Cory Howard, Chief Operating Officer, Cempa Community Care, was named to the fourth class of Leadership Tennessee NEXT. The program will include 30 professionals who are advocates for diversity throughout Tennessee.
The Knoxville Area Urban League recently partnered with Cherokee Health System to provide mobile healthcare and hopes to have Cherokee’s Mobile Clinic at their facility every month.
Christ Community Health Services will receive a $489,356 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program.
Health care can be hard to come by if you don't have a permanent address. However, Neighborhood Health in Nashville has extended its reach to the streets.

When the pandemic hit, Neighborhood Health saw patient numbers drop off. Since July 2020, nurses and at least one doctor have sought out people experiencing homelessness to make sure their medical, dental and mental needs are met.
ADDITIONAL NEWS & RESOURCES
Funding Opportunities

Substance Use Disorder
HRSA’s Office of Rural Health Policy recently released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for 50 grants of roughly $1 million each available to providers in underserved rural areas to enhance prevention and treatment of Substance Use Disorder. Community health centers are eligible to apply, provided they are part of an established network that includes at least three other separately-owned entities.

Applications are due January 13, 2022.



Residency Programs in Rural Areas
HRSA published a Notice of Funding Opportunity to make 14 awards to develop accredited residency programs in rural areas, for primary care and other disciplines. Each award would be for roughly $750,000 annually. These awards are described as “start-up funding” and long-term funding is not assured.

Applications are due December 20.
Partner With TPCA in 2022!
Take advantage of TPCA’s opportunities to reach health center leadership and staff,
industry players, and community stakeholders!
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We want to help spread the word about what's going on at Tennessee's health centers.
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.