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WVPCA Weekly Outlook
A Newsletter on Community Centered Healthcare
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Emergency Management News - WVPCA News - Outreach and Enrollment News - State News - National News - Funding Opportunities
Upcoming Training Opportunities - What We're Reading
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All Community Health Centers are Taking
Part in Weekly Community Vaccination Events
Preston-Taylor Community Health Centers Offer Vaccine
Clinics to Students 16 and Older at Grafton High School
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School officials announced that they will begin conducting vaccination clinics, to better defend their high school aged students from the sometimes-deadly disease.
Taylor County Superintendent of Schools Christy Miller revealed that after Governor Jim Justice lifted the age restrictions for those wishing to receive the vaccine, school officials began talks to see if the clinics would be possible.
Taylor County Schools had reached out to Preston-Taylor Community Health Centers, Inc. to seek assistance with the efforts, which will be carried out in conjunction with the WVDE.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer our older students the opportunity to receive their vaccinations and are pleased to be able to work alongside Preston-Taylor Community Health and the WVDE to ensure that everyone who wants vaccinated has the opportunity,” Miller voiced.
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WV health officer urges care during Easter travel, gathering as COVID-19 rates worsen and variants spread
Read the entire article from WVNEWS here.
Pandemic means far fewer eyes on kids' welfare
Read the entire article from WVNEWS here.
CDC says vaccinated people unlikely to spread coronavirus
Read the entire article from WOWKTV here.
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CDC Reports the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccines are Very Effective in Real-World Conditions at Preventing Infections |
The coronavirus vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are proving highly effective at preventing symptomatic and asymptomatic infections under real-world conditions, federal health researchers reported on Monday.
Consistent with clinical trial data, a two-dose regimen prevented 90 percent of infections by two weeks after the second shot. One dose prevented 80 percent of infections by two weeks after vaccination.
The news arrives even as the nation rapidly broadens eligibility for vaccines, and the average number of daily shots continues to rise. The seven-day average of vaccines administered hit 2.76 million on Monday, an increase over the pace the previous week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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As the supply of COVID-19 vaccine for health centers becomes more predictable and more abundant, vaccination clinics become more feasible. NACHC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Clinic Operations Toolkit supports health centers in preparing and administering COVID-19 vaccine clinics. The toolkit includes information and resources on scheduling, workflows and processes, data tracking, billing and more.
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Tips for Talking About the Three COVID-19 Vaccines |
Are your patients asking questions about the three COVID-19 vaccines that are now available? CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Recipient Education web page offers tips and vaccine fact sheets in English and Spanish. The materials include proven communication strategies and tips for effectively setting expectations and answering questions from COVID-19 vaccine recipients. |
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FCC Decision to Launch Second Round of COVID-19 Telehealth Program |
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) applauded the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision to launch the second round of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program which provides $249.95 million to support telehealth services through healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In January, Senator Manchin led a bipartisan letter to the FCC asking the agency to prioritize small, rural healthcare providers that were left out of the first round of funding.
“Our state’s Congressional delegation has been a staunch advocate for broadband and telehealth expansion, and ensuring that the FCC allocates funding for COVID-19 telehealth projects equitably is just the most recent example of that advocacy,” Sherri Ferrell, CEO of the West Virginia Primary Care Association, said. “West Virginia’s community health centers appreciate the opportunity to compete for funding to expand or improve telehealth services for the state’s most rural citizens.”
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Coalfield Health Center
Receives 2021 Rural Health Award
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The WVPCA is proud of all the 2021 Rural Health Award recipients. Congratulations to Coalfield Health Center in Chapmanville, as they were selected as the 2021 Outstanding Rural health Organization by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). NRHA’s Rural Health Awards are given each year to individuals and organizations in the field of rural health who have dedicated their time and talents to improving the health and well-being of others.
“We’re extremely proud of this year’s winners, particularly because of the extra challenges rural
health care providers have faced since the COVID-19 pandemic began,” says NRHA CEO Alan
Morgan. “They have each made tremendous strides to advance rural health care, and we’re
confident they will continue to help improve the lives of rural Americans.”
Coalfield Health Center is this year’s Outstanding Rural Health Organization. Located in the
heart of Logan County, one of the most rural counties in West Virginia, Coalfield helps bolster
the health of a community that has some of the worst outcomes in the country. Coalfield has
served not just as a primary care center for patients regardless of ability to pay, but as an educational, research, and community outreach hub for more than 10 years.
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Health Insurance Marketplace Extended Through Summer |
The Biden administration announced Tuesday that a special enrollment period opened in February to allow people to sign up for health insurance through the federal health insurance marketplace is being extended until Aug. 15.
The marketplace was initially reopened earlier this year until May 15, allowing people in 36 states to sign up or change their health insurance plan outside of the annual open enrollment period or a qualifying life change.
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Mountaineer Health Initiative-Building Child Resilience After COVID-Panel Discussion |
The Mountaineer Health Initiative and WV Clinical and Translational Science Institute will convene a virtual panel focusing on child development, nutrition, mental health, education, and physical activity for the Spring 2021 Meeting of the Minds: Building Child Resilience After COVID. The panel composed of experts and those working on the front of lines with children will be held on Thursday, April 15th from 4-6 p.m.
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AMA Launches Playbook for
Sharing Medical Records with Patients
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The American Medical Association has announced the release of a new online resource to help physician practices navigate legal and operational challenges associated with providing patients access to their digital health information.
The new resource, dubbed the Patient Records Electronic Access Playbook, comprises four sections of educational information and reference resources with tips, case scenarios and best practices for protecting patients' privacy while giving them and their providers convenient electronic access to their health records.
"As technology plays an increasingly important role in collecting and exchanging health data, the AMA believes that providing patients with improved information access and better information privacy are not mutually exclusive goals," said AMA board chair Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD.
The playbook offers information on various topics for patient record sharing, including accounts and types of information, forms and formats for sharing records, and patient requests/involvement of third parties.
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2021 NHSC Scholarship Program Application Cycle Open |
About the Program:
The NHSC Scholarship Program applicants include health professional students studying to become physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives or physician assistants with a commitment to practice in underserved communities. In exchange, they commit to serve a minimum of two years in high-need, underserved communities. Scholars receive one year of financial support (up to four years) for each year of service at an NHSC-approved site. Accepting applications through May 11, 2021 at 7:30 PM EST.
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Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program
FY21 Application is OPEN!
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The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program. This program will increase the number of dental and dental hygiene faculty in the workforce. Grantees will create and manage a loan repayment program for individuals who serve as full-time dental faculty.
Please note: The funding opportunity has been modified to include grant award preference to applicants who provide loan repayment to pediatric dentistry faculty.
Eligible applicants are:
- Programs of general, pediatric or public health dentistry in public or private nonprofit dental or dental hygiene schools
- Approved residency in general, pediatric, or public health dentistry
- Advanced education programs in the practice of general, pediatric, or public health dentistry
HRSA expects approximately $800,000 to be available in FY 2021 to fund eight (8) grantees.
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Funding and Financial Opportunities |
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Reimbursement for COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Fees |
Health centers, as you engage in efforts to support vaccine distribution, are asked by to HRSA to consider HRSA’s COVID-19 claims reimbursement program for uninsured patients. Through this program, healthcare providers who have conducted COVID-19 testing or provided treatment for uninsured individuals with a primary COVID-19 diagnosis can request claims reimbursement. Providers can also request reimbursement for COVID-19 vaccine administration to the uninsured. See FAQs about the program.
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CMS Updates 2021 Federal Poverty Level Standards |
On March 18, the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) issued an Informational Bulletin providing 2021 guidelines for the federal poverty level (FPL). These guidelines are used by states to determine eligibility for their Medicaid and CHIP programs. |
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PPP Application Deadline Moving to May 31 |
Applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will now be accepted through May 31, 2021. The extension from the original March 31 deadline was passed by the House and Senate and has moved on to President Biden for signature. Health centers are eligible for First Draw PPP Loans if they have 500 or more employees but fewer than 500 employees per location. Existing PPP borrowers that did not receive loan forgiveness by Dec. 27, 2020, can reapply for a First Draw PPP loan.
If borrowers previously returned some or all of their First Draw PPP loan funds, they may request to modify their First Draw PPP loan amount if they did not accept the full amount for which they were eligible. Second Draw PPP Loans are only available to entities that have received, plan to use, or have used the First Draw PPP loan for authorized uses in its entirety. Entities must have no more than 300 employees per location and can demonstrate at least a 25 percent reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020.
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Emergency Broadband Benefit Program |
HRSA has an exciting opportunity to help health center patients obtain the internet access they need to connect with virtual health care, jobs, and education. Eligible health center patients may apply for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program when it opens in late April. This bulletin provides background information, ideas on how you can prepare to help, and resources.
The EBB program lowers the cost of high-speed internet service to ensure people have the connectivity they need during the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. By the end of April, $3.2 billion in funding will be available to provide qualifying households discounts on their internet service bills and an opportunity to receive a discount on a computer or tablet. The EBB program is similar to the Lifeline program with expanded eligibility, vendors, and subsidies. This benefit is available directly to eligible consumers on a first come, first served basis. For more information, see the recorded technical assistance webinars and other materials from the FCC-supported technical assistance provider Universal Service Administrative Company.
How You Can Help
- Share information about the EBB program with patients.
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FCC’s EBB webpage (note that the content is available in several languages)
- Fact sheet
- Provide access to the internet at your health center and basic technical support so that patients can complete the application.
HRSA encourages you to develop your plan now to support patients to apply promptly after the application period is announced; funds are expected to go quickly. Health Center Program strategic partners (Health Center Controlled Networks, National Training and Technical Assistance Partners, and Primary Care Associations) can support health centers in their efforts.
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HRSA Healthy Grants Workshop Registration |
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced that registration for the 2021 Healthy Grants Workshop – Presented as a Web Series, in now open. Register now for up to eight sessions.
There is no cost to attend and you can attend as many sessions as you would like.
The first session begins in May, followed by a new session every two weeks through August 24. Each session includes two to three topics, from grants policies, financial monitoring, and grant budgeting, to Prior Approvals, an Electronic Handbooks overview, and more.
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Upcoming Training Opportunities |
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MAI Series: Impact of Racism on Health Inequities |
Join the University of Maryland Regional Partner of the MAAETC.The Third in the MAAETC's Minority AIDS Initianvie (MAI) virutal event series.The objectives of this event include: discuss the history of health inequities within minority communities, describe how ethnicity/cultural orientation and other social determinants of health (SDOH) increases the likelihood of BIPOC experiencing poorer health outcomes with infectious diseases such as HIV, and identify specific strategies to employ in addressing healthcare disparities in vulnerable patient populations.
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
2:00 PM EST
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Impact of Racism on
Health Inequities
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Join the University of Maryland Regional Partner of the MAAETC. The Third in the MAAETC's Minority AIDS Initianvie (MAI) virutal event series.The objectives of this event include: discuss the history of health inequities within minority communities, describe how ethnicity/cultural orientation and other social determinants of health (SDOH) increases the likelihood of BIPOC experiencing poorer health outcomes with infectious diseases such as HIV, and identify specific strategies to employ in addressing healthcare disparities in vulnerable patient populations.
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
2:00 PM EST
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Hot Topics HIV 2021 Prevention and Reproductive Choices for Women- Virtual |
Join the West Virginia Regional Partner of the MAAETC. This virtual conference will focus solely on HIV and Women. According to CDC 2016 data more than 7,000 women received an HIV diagnosis in 2016. Black/African American women are disproportionately affected by HIV, compared with women of other races/ethnicities. Conference attendees will gain knowledge of issues related to women with HIV and women without HIV as well as issues related to pregnancy options and referrals.
Thursday, April 14, 2021
10:15 PM EST
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Promoting Vaccine Confidence in Older Adults |
Community-dwelling older adults are a high priority group for COVID-19 vaccination, but their concerns regarding vaccine safety or availability may continue to leave them vulnerable to serious illness. Speakers from the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders (NCECE) will review approaches to build trust through tailored interventions that incorporate community norms and address barriers to vaccine uptake in this patient population. NCECE is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
Thursday, April 8, 2021
1:00 PM EST
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The Intersection of Public Health and Motivational Interviewing during COVID-19 |
This webinar aims to introduce healthcare practitioners to the usefulness of motivational interviewing (MI) in fostering collaborative conversations promoting public health behaviors, such as mask wearing and vaccine uptake, and navigating uncertainty in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. MI has been defined as person-centered method of guiding to elicit and strengthen personal motivation for change. It is designed to help people change a desired behavior by leveraging their own values and beliefs. MI is an egalitarian, empathetic "way of being". It is a collaborative communication style that uses specific strategies such as reflective listening, shared decision-making, and eliciting change talk. This interactive webinar will discuss how practicing MI can help practitioners cope better with the “new normal,” support patients in practicing public health behaviors, and address the challenges of the impact of the pandemic.
Thursday, April 15, 2021
2:00 PM EST
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Are you social media savvy and involved in healthcare? If so, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and CDC may have a volunteer job for you: the COVID-19 Community Corps, “Politico” reports. The corps—similar to West Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccine communication strategy—is tasked with sharing unified, accurate messaging to encourage those who are COVID-19 vaccine hesitant to get their shot(s).
There is bad news for primary care in the United States; investment is low and declining, even before the coronavirus pandemic. This is the major finding from a report published by the Primary Care Collaborative on primary care spending from 2017 to 2019. West Virginia’s spending on primary care is middling to near the bottom third depending on how narrowly or broadly primary care is defined.
While few experts believe telehealth usage will hit the peak levels seen early in the coronavirus pandemic anytime soon, certain patient-provider behaviors in healthcare delivery and access may have changed permanently. A recent “Harvard Business Review” article by a healthcare executive with NYU’s Langone Health provided some tips on how to “humanize” the telehealth experience.
If you come across something worth sharing, please feel free to forward to Joshua Austin, WVPCA Policy and Communications Director at joshua.austin@wvpca.org.
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Community Health Center Resources |
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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.
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Pandemic Operational Recovery Guide |
Operational disruptions to ambulatory care during and after a pandemic are significant. These disruptions may change many aspects of care delivery in ways that impact providers, staff, and patients alike.
Care may be temporarily limited or delivered in nontraditional ways, and recovery of operations may represent a "new normal."
The handbook contains links to tools as well as links to additional resources for a more comprehensive discussion of individual topics. Readers can refer to descriptive "Strategy" headings in each section, and consult the recommendations, tools, and resources that follow for more detailed information. Although some tools and resources focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, they can be adapted to respond to other public health emergencies.
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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
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Debra Boyd | Chief Financial/Chief Operations Officer
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To sign up to receive the WVPCA Weekly Newsletter: |
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1700 MacCorkle Avenue, SE
Charleston, WV 25314
Phone: 304.346.0032
Toll Free: 1.877.WVA HLTH
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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. |
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