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WVPCA Weekly Outlook
A Newsletter on Community Centered Healthcare
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WVPCA News - Outreach and Enrollment
State News - National News - Funding Opportunities
Upcoming Training Opportunities
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Do you need to wear a mask indoors where you live? Check this map
Read the entire article from NPR here.
Managed care group reports improved vax rate among W.Va. Medicaid recipients
Read the entire article from MetroNews here.
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The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America is a ten-year initiative beginning in FY 2020 to achieve the important goal of reducing new HIV infections to less than 3,000 per year by 2030. As HRSA has noted, community health centers are an integral partner in reducing HIV in the communities they serve. Please join the West Virginia Primary Care Association (WVPCA), HITEQ, MAAETC, and Gilead for an exciting five-part webinar series to assist health centers with preparing to meet the goal of the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative by sharing useful strategies both with data/HIT and clinical interventions.
HIV prevention is one of the four pillars of Ending the HIV Epidemic as outlined by HRSA.
Please join the WVPCA in welcoming Jarrod Coffey, PharmD and Senior Medical Scientist in HIV Prevention as he defines PrEP, reviews prescribing guidelines and follow-up care, and describes how PrEP in primary care is integral in the prevention of HIV.
PRESENTER: Jarrod Coffey, PharmD, AAHIVE Senior Medical Scientist HIV Prevention Medical Sciences, Gilead Sciences
OBJECTIVES:
Following this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Define Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
- Discuss the importance of implementing PrEP in a primary care setting
- Describe the process of prescribing PrEP
- Discuss strategies for leveraging resources
See webinar series information here.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives.
This event is intended only for Community Health Center Staff.
Registration closes on September 27, 2021 at 4:00 PM ET.
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2021 Annual CHC Leadership Retreat |
Please mark your calendars for our upcoming "Annual CHC Leadership Retreat" that will take place on September 19-21, 2021. After careful consideration, we have decided to have this year's conference as an in-person event and it will be held at the Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, WV. Registration and additional details will be coming soon.
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“The Chemistry for Strong Communities” National Health Center Week 2021 |
National Health Center Week (August 8 – 14) is an annual celebration with the goal of raising awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s health centers over the past five decades.
Community Health Centers serve as the beacon of strength, service, and care in their communities. In moments of pain and loss, they offer support and love. In moments of triumph, they offer hope and a vision for the future. Let’s come together this week to celebrate the roles Community Health Centers have played in both our recent moments of loss and triumph. This National Health Center Week honors those front line providers, staff, and beloved patients who lost their lives during the (ongoing) coronavirus pandemic. From the very beginning of the crisis, Community Health Centers began finding innovative ways to provide preventative and primary care to their patients.
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Assister Training on the MLMS to “Go-Dark” |
Plan year 2021 Marketplace registration and training for agents and brokers will close, or “go dark,” on the Marketplace Learning Management System (MLMS) on Monday, August 2, 2021 at 6:00 PM ET, to prepare for the launch of Marketplace registration and training for plan year 2022. During this “go-dark” period, assisters will not be able to access the certification training. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services anticipates that the 2021 Assister Certification Training will be available later this summer.
Assisters who need to take the current training before the 2021 training is available should complete the 2020 Assister Certification training prior to its removal on August 28.
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One Month Left to Enroll in, or Change,
Health Insurance Marketplace Coverage
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report on current trends and challenges to accessing affordable health care in rural America. Analysts found that, although uninsured rates have fallen in rural areas, other barriers to care such as geographic distances, infrastructure limitations, and provider shortages contribute to rural health disparities. The report comes less than a month before the special enrollment period for qualified individuals and families ends on August 15. As noted in the HHS brief, 65 percent of the 1.9 million rural uninsured individuals in HealthCare.gov states may be able to find a zero-premium plan on the platform.
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HRSA COVID-19 FAQs Updated |
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has made several updates to its Health Center Program COVID-19 FAQ page. Updates address:
- Supplemental funding to support health centers in responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency
- Economic relief options available beyond Health Center Program funding to address health center payroll, revenue, and other financial concerns due to the COVID-19 public health emergency
- HRSA extension of project/designation periods of health centers in a 2- or 3-year project/designation period that ends in FY 2022
- Helping health centers determine if they are going to complete an FY 2022 SAC/RD or a Budget Period Progress Report (BPR)/Annual Certification (AC)
- What health centers should do if there are new COVID-19 public health guidelines that impact the delivery of health center services, e.g., directives to cease non-emergency medical or dental services
- What health centers can do to support routine immunizations
- Current guidance on the reimbursement methodology for distant site telehealth visits under Medicare
- Up-to-date information regarding which health centers have ordered vaccines through the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program, how the program was rolled out, and that health centers are encouraged to complete the biweekly Health Center COVID-19 Survey
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Delta COVID-19 Variant Now Dominant Strain Worldwide, U.S. Deaths Surge |
The Delta variant of COVID-19 is now the dominant strain worldwide, accompanied by a surge of deaths around the United States almost entirely among unvaccinated people, U.S. officials said.
U.S. cases of COVID-19 are up 70% over the previous week and deaths are up 26%, with outbreaks occurring in parts of the country with low vaccination rates, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said during a press briefing.
The seven-day-average number of daily cases is now more than 26,000, more than twice its June low of around 11,000 cases, according to CDC data.
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CDC Reverses Course on Indoor
Masks in Some Parts of US
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course Tuesday on some masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
Citing new information about the ability of the Delta variant to spread among vaccinated people, the CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.
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CMS COVID-19 Vaccine Messaging |
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking action to protect the health and safety of our nation’s patients and providers in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Please refer to these publication, which will be helpful:
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Set a Vacci-“Date”! Getting our Adult Patients
on Track with Recommended Vaccinations
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Join the WV Immunization Network for their upcoming webinar: Set a Vacci-“Date”! Getting our Adult Patients on Track with Recommended Vaccinations on August 5, 2021 beginning at 12:00 PM. During this webinar, the featured presenter will provide an overview on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted adult vaccinations, discuss the recommended adult vaccination schedule, share effective strategies to address common questions about adult vaccines and incorporate a strong recommendation for vaccination into routine practice.
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Discuss the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on vaccination rates
- Interpret CDC adult immunization schedules
- Describe adult vaccination recommendations
- Examine reasons for vaccine hesitancy and how to address them
Featured Presenter: Dr. Gretchen Garofoli
Gretchen Kreckel Garofoli, PharmD, BCACP, CTTS, is an Associate Professor at West Virginia University School of Pharmacy in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and completed a Community-Based Pharmacy Residency at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. Her current practice site is Waterfront Family Pharmacy in Morgantown, WV where she focuses on immunizations, diabetes care, medication synchronization, adherence packaging, and medication therapy management. She also serves as a site coordinator and preceptor for the PGY-1 community-based pharmacy residency program at West Virginia University School of Pharmacy. Dr. Garofoli's areas of interest include immunizations, diabetes management, medication therapy management, compounding, and program development and implementation in the community pharmacy setting. Dr. Garofoli was the 2011 recipient of the West Virginia Pharmacists' Association Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award, the 2015 recipient of the American Pharmacists' Association Distinguished New Practitioner Award, and the 2018 recipient of the West Virginia Pharmacists' Association Excellence in Innovation Award. She recently served as the coordinator of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management Immunizing Pharmacists Special Interest Group for the 2020-2021 Academy year. Her research interests include immunizations, diabetes, pharmacist provided screenings, and the impact of pharmacy-based patient care programs.
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Upcoming Grant Writing Development Series |
The West Virginia Partnership for Health Innovation (WVPHI) announces their Grant Writing Development Series opportunity. This is an innovative cohort-based grant writing training for individuals working for a healthcare organization (e.g., public health, behavioral health, hospitals, community health centers, health departments, nonprofit organizations focused on social determinants of health, etc.) in West Virginia.
The Goals
- Increase the skills and knowledge of participants to identify, write, and develop competitive grant applications.
- Create supportive partnerships among professionals to advance the health and well-being of West Virginians.
- Put knowledge into action through grant writing and grant review practice.
Process
- Up to 20 participants working in the healthcare field in West Virginia (e.g., public health, behavioral health, hospitals, community health centers, health departments, nonprofit organizations focus on social determinants of health, etc.).
- Must participate in all sessions and actively apply what you are learning by creating your own proposals.
- Complete registration
- WVPHI will notify you of your acceptance.
This free webinar is available through the West Virginia Partnership for Health Innovation’s Covid Capture Healthcare Sector Team. For more information, contact Deb Koester at DebKoester.wvphi@gmail.com.
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National Minority Donor Awareness Month |
National Minority Donor Awareness Month is a collaborative initiative of the National Organ, Eye, and Tissue Donation Multicultural Action Group to save and improve the quality of life of diverse communities by creating a positive culture for organ, eye, and tissue donation.
National Minority Donor Awareness Month stems from National Minority Donor Awareness Week, founded in 1996 by the National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP) to bring heightened awareness to donation and transplantation in multicultural communities – focusing primarily on African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native communities.
In addition to MOTTEP, the National Multicultural Action Group includes the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation, the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, Donate Life America, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the National Kidney Foundation.
One of the reasons why minority donor awareness is so important is over half of those on the organ transplant waiting list are minorities. At the same time, only just over 30% of donors are minorities. Additionally, over 70% of those waiting for a lifesaving kidney transplant are of a minority background.
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Biden Administration to Invest More Than $1.6 Billion to Support COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation in Vulnerable Communities |
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing COVID-19 response efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will invest more than $1.6 billion from the American Rescue Plan to support testing and mitigation measures in high-risk congregate settings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and detect and stem potential outbreaks.
As COVID-19 cases rise among unvaccinated people and where the more transmissible Delta virus variant is surging, this funding will expand activities to detect, diagnose, trace, and monitor infections and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in homeless shelters, treatment and recovery facilities, domestic violence shelters and federal, state and local correctional facilities– some of the hardest hit and highest risk communities across the country.
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Apply to Become a Healthy People 2030 Champion |
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) invites your health center to become a Healthy People 2030 Champion. These are organizations committed to working toward Healthy People's overarching goals and objectives. HHS will recognize Champions on health.gov, and Champions will receive a digital badge to highlight their participation on their own websites. Champions will also get information, tools, and resources to help them promote Healthy People 2030 among their communities, partners, and others. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis. |
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Funding and Financial Opportunities |
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HRSA Announces $50 Million in Funding to Optimize Use of Virtual Care in Health Centers |
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced the availability of up to $50 million for HRSA-funded health centers to further efforts to advance virtual care. This competitive, one-time funding opportunity will support health centers in optimizing the use of virtual care to increase access and improve clinical quality for medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations.
Application Due Date:
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Tuesday, August 17, 5 p.m. ET in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs)
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Upcoming Training Opportunities |
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Schedule Changes for Today with Macrae Webcasts
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HRSA has made changes to upcoming Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates webcasts.
- The Aug. 19 session was canceled.
- The Sept. 30 session is moved to Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 3:00 PM.
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Join HITEQ—a national training and technical assistance center under contract to the HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care to support health centers in full optimization of their EHR/HIT systems—on a webinar that shares insights for health centers seeking to assess and address provider burnout.
Drawing from recent research, the webinar will highlight associations between the use of quality improvement strategies, EHR capabilities, and satisfaction among practices with zero-burnout versus high-burnout. Key, and sometimes surprising, takeaways regarding leadership, workplace environment and culture, EHR use, and more from this research will be discussed.
Join the webinar, “Is Zero Burnout Possible in Primary Care? Insights from Recently Published Findings Among 715 Practices”
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
3:00 PM ET
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“Closing the Loop on the Referral”: How a Health Center Medical-Legal Partnership Cracked the Code to Facilitate Electronic Data-Sharing between Partners |
In this national webinar, join Siouxland Community Health Center to discuss how they joined forces with an HCCN and their civil legal services MLP colleagues to overcome the greatest tech challenge for MLPs: “closing the loop on the referral.” The team will share best practices to help other health centers advance their MLP practice beyond screening and referrals to conducting real-time tracking and analysis of legal needs interventions in the EHR.
Friday, August 13, 2021
2:00 PM ET
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2020 Uniform
Data System Trends
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Join a HRSA webinar to learn about 2020 Uniform Data System (UDS) trends in health center patient demographics, staffing and clinical quality measures. Gain insights on how health center awardees and look-alikes continued to deliver quality primary health care services to their communities during the pandemic, including expanding telehealth use and offering new lines of services such as COVID-19 screening and testing.
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
3:30 PM ET
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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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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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