What's New
Don’t Miss a Message from HRSA
The email notices sent by HRSA’s
Electronic Handbooks (EHBs), specifically in reference to communications about
Service Area Competition (SAC)/Renewal of Designation, will come from “HRSA
GEMS” (oitgems@hrsa.gov).
By adding this email address to a “safe senders” or contacts list, you may avoid messages going to your junk
folder.
SAC HRSA-19-014 Deadline Reminder
SAC applications for
service areas with an April 1, 2019, project period start date (HRSA-19-014) are due in
Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, September 17, and EHBs by 5:00 p.m. ET
on Wednesday, October 17. Technical assistance (TA) materials are available on
the SAC
TA website.
Helpful Tips for Submitting Diabetes Action Plans
As a part of the HRSA Health
Center Program Diabetes Quality Improvement Initiative, 2018 operational site
visits and diabetes targeted TA visits include action planning relating to the Uniform
Data System (UDS) diabetes measure.
Make sure health center staff
register for Action Plan privileges in EHBs, which will allow them to access
the Action Plan. Important Tip: After reviewing the Plan, click “Mark as Complete”
and then “Confirm and Send” to return the Plan to HRSA. See the Diabetes Action
Plan User Guide for illustrations of the EHBs steps.
Once HRSA has approved your
diabetes Action Plan, you can track progress, send quarterly progress notes for
HRSA staff to review, and finally resolve the Action Plan finding after the
three diabetes performance improvement actions have been achieved.
For assistance with the EHBs
Action Plan module, please contact the
BPHC Helpline online or by phone:
877-974-BPHC (2742) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday
(except federal holidays).
A
recent HRSA webinar
focused on diabetes performance improvement and action planning. Watch the
recording.
Health center colleagues shared how they prepared for the root cause analysis
discussion of their UDS diabetes measure at recent site visits and their
performance improvement action plan. Presentations featured Lorain County
Health & Dentistry (Ohio) and Share Our Selves (California).
HRSA's Health Workforce Advisory Committee Nominations
HRSA's Federal Advisory Committees advise or make
recommendations on matters relating to HHS programs, responsibilities, or
activities. HRSA receives nominations on a continuous basis. Visit
the HRSA Federal Advisory Committees web page for more information.
Two of the Health Workforce Program’s Advisory Councils request
nominations for voting members of their National
Advisory Council on Nursing Education and Practice and
Advisory
Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry. If
you are interested in learning more or to submit your nomination, contact BHWAdvisoryCouncil@hrsa.gov.
CMS Proposes Revision to Care Management and Communication-based
Technology Services
CMS issued a Federal Register Notice seeking comment on the proposed rule that
addresses changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule and other Medicare
Part B payment policies. The proposed changes seek to ensure that payment
systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative
value of services, as well as changes in the statute. The proposed rule is open
for comments until Monday, September 10. Learn more.
The calendar year 2019 Physician
Fee Schedule Proposed Rule proposes revisions to care management services
payments and payment for virtual communication services (not telehealth) for
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Centers (RHCs). A
recent webinar, “Care Management and Communications-Based Technology Services
in RHCs,” describes these revisions. (View the webinar recording and materials at
the Rural Health Information Hub.) While the
information in the webinar is specific to RHCs, the same provisions apply to
FQHCs.
2018–19 Flu Season: Recommendations
of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
Flu season is coming and CDC
recently published an update to the recommendations of the Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices. See their current
recommendations.
U.S.
Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Update
USPSTF released a final
recommendation statement on screening for cervical cancer. They found women
aged 21-65 years benefit from screening; the recommended methodology depends on
age. View their
screening recommendations and the evidence on which these are based.
Resources
Health Center Program Disaster Relief Page
Earlier this year, HRSA refreshed
its Health Center Program disaster relief page. It brings together guidance about Change in
Scope for Temporary Sites, FTCA coverage, and 340B enrollment during an
emergency.
Apply by August 31: STAR² Center
Recruitment Bootcamp
The Association of Clinicians for
the Underserved is a HRSA-funded National Cooperative Agreement (NCA). Join
their STAR² Center Recruitment Bootcamp to revamp your recruitment processes in
just 30 minutes a week! This is a “back to basics” program of webinars, office
hours, and assignments intended for health center staff with limited
recruitment experience. The program will run from September 26 to December 19. Apply by Friday, August 31.
An Overview of Free Training and Support Resources for Obtaining
the DATA-2000 Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine for Treating Opioid Use
Disorder
HRSA hosts experts from SAMHSA’s
Providers Clinical Support System (PCSS) – Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Program. Speakers will provide information on no-cost training and mentoring
programs that health center prescribers (physicians, nurse practitioners, and
physician assistants) and their primary care teams can access to receive the
training and educational resources they need to support evidence-based
treatment of opioid use disorder.
Wednesday, September 12
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Conference line: 866-454-4207
Passcode: 778222
Clinician Consultation Center
Substance Use Warmline
HRSA sponsors The
University of California-San Francisco’s Clinician Consultation Center Warmline
to support primary care providers at health centers. Get free, expert clinical
advice on substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for managing complex patients with
addiction, chronic pain, and behavioral health issues. Both online and phone
consultations are available. The Warmline is accessible by phone toll free at
855-300-3595 and operates from 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday. Providers
can also upload cases online. Learn more.
Medical Respite Training Symposium
The National Health Care for the Homeless Council is a HRSA-funded
NCA. Join the National Health Care for the Homeless Council and Respite Care
Providers’ Network for the first-ever Medical Respite Training Symposium from
October 1 to 2 in Phoenix, Arizona. This singular, CME-accredited conference
features two days of intensive workshops illuminating the unique care model
that is medical respite care. Learn more and
register now.
Advancing Excellence in Transgender Health
Conference
The National LGBT Health Education Center, a HRSA-funded NCA,
developed the Advancing Excellence in Transgender Health conference in response
to numerous queries from clinicians and health care staff seeking to learn
about providing high-quality care for adults, adolescents, and children who are
questioning their gender identity or who identify as transgender or gender
non-binary.
This
conference (September 21 to 23) is designed to train the whole health care team
(including physicians, behavioral health care providers, physician assistants,
nurses, and other staff) in providing competent and confident
gender-affirmative health care, grounded in research evidence and best clinical
practices.
See a list of
topics, more information, or register now.
Infection Control and Prevention Resources
and Accreditation and Patient-Centered Medical Home Initiative
HRSA supports accreditation and recognition for health centers
that meet national quality standards through the HRSA Accreditation and Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition
Initiative. Among these standards, infection control and prevention are pivotal
for the delivery of high quality care and patients’ safety. According to the
CDC, “All health care settings, regardless of the level of care provided, must
make infection prevention a priority and must be equipped to observe Standard
Precautions.”
The
following list of infection control and prevention TA resources may be useful
for your health center.
CDC
The Joint Commission’s information and
recommended strategies relating to patient safety and infection control:
The Joint Commission’s training and TA
resources:
ECRI Institute’s Infection Control Resources
(login required):
For
additional questions on accreditation, please contact
us.
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