What's New
Service Area Competition (SAC) HRSA-19-015 and HRSA-19-016 Deadline Reminders
SAC applications for service areas with a May 1, 2019, project period start date (HRSA-19-015) are due in EHBs by 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 7.
SAC applications for service areas with a June 1, 2019, project period start date (HRSA-19-016) are due in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 6, and EHBs by 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 11.
Technical assistance materials are available on the SAC technical assistance website.
New FAQ Available: Upcoming SAC and RD Application Reviews and Awards
HRSA has released a new set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) focused specifically on the FY 2019 SAC and Renewal of Designation (RD) Application Review and Award Process. We encourage you to read through the FAQ to learn more about what to expect for the upcoming fiscal year.
Updating Your Authorizing Official’s Contact Information
Please confirm or update the contact information for your health center’s Authorizing Official in EHBs—the Authorizing Official will be the only one able to receive and respond to EHBs requests for information during the FY 2019 SAC and RD application review period.
For general inquiries about updating your Authorizing Official information, contact Health Center Program Support online or by phone: 877-464-4772 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET., Monday through Friday (except federal holidays). For specific questions related to your health center, please contact your Project Officer.
Hurricane Michael Recovery and Operations
For health centers in areas impacted by Hurricane Michael, please visit the Health Center Program disaster relief page for important guidance documents and resources including information on change in scope for temporary sites, 340B Program enrollment under emergency declarations, and FTCA coverage in emergency events, including volunteer health professionals.
In-Person UDS Training Opportunities Available October through January 2019
HRSA collaborates with the PCAs to host in-person UDS trainings nationwide. Here’s a schedule of opportunities available through January 2019. The full-day program explores the preparation of the 2018 UDS Report and the associated tables, including a discussion of the recent changes and the definitions necessary to complete the report. The UDS training is aimed at individuals who are responsible for gathering and reporting the data; management and clinical staff who need to understand the definitions and concepts; and staff who use the data in their program management and quality improvement activities.
Webinar Recording Available: Using UDS Data and Reports for Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement
The webinar HRSA hosted earlier this month explored how to identify and access standard UDS reports in the EHBs, interpret data in the reports, and use the data for tracking performance and quality improvement efforts. View the recording.
 Your Opportunity to Shape Our Future
HRSA wants your input to shape future initiatives and contribute to continuous improvement efforts! We have two opportunities for you to share feedback with us.
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Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey
We launched our annual survey last week for Health Center Program stakeholders to identify critical factors related to their satisfaction.
Your organization’s Project Director (as established in EHBs) should have received an email with a link to the survey. The email comes from “CFI Group on Behalf of HRSA BPHC.” This survey link cannot be forwarded; only the Project Director may complete the survey. If the email address in EHBs is no longer valid, the Project Director can request a new link by emailing BPHCreviews@hrsa.gov. Be sure to check your spam folder!
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Final Week: Health Center Training and Technical Assistance Needs Assessment
We’ve recently encouraged health center staff to complete an assessment of your organization’s training and technical assistance needs. As part of a HRSA-funded National Cooperative Agreement (NCA), the National Association of Community Health Centers is conducting this assessment in collaboration with the other 19 HRSA-funded NCA organizations. These organizations will use the findings to develop new initiatives.
If you haven’t yet completed it, this survey remains open to all health center staff for one more week. For more information, please contact KaRon Campbell.
We know how valuable your time is, and that’s exactly why we hope you’ll take the time to give us feedback—so that we can make improvements to give you the information and assistance you need when you need it!
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HHS Awards $293 Million to Expand Primary Health Care Workforce
Last week, HRSA announced $293 million in awards to primary health care clinicians and students through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps programs.
"These programs connect primary care providers with the rural, urban, and tribal communities across the country that need them most,” said HRSA Administrator George Sigounas, MS, Ph.D. “In addition to providing essential medical and dental care, these clinicians are on the front lines helping to fight pressing public health issues, like the growing opioid epidemic."
Read a blog post by Dr. Sigounas on Corps Community Month.
HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau Launches Remote Pregnancy Monitoring Challenge
HRSA launched a Remote Pregnancy Monitoring Challenge, with submissions for Phase 1 accepted through Tuesday, November 27.
Many women who are low-income in both rural and urban communities face personal barriers (e.g., work, childcare, transportation, education, culture, and language), health system barriers (e.g., hours of operation and lack of services), and environmental barriers (e.g., location and connectivity or cell phone coverage) in accessing prenatal care. This challenge will award up to $375,000 over three phases for innovative solutions that increase remote and virtual access to quality care for low-income pregnant women. Such innovations may include alleviating barriers to quality.
Drug Take Back Day is Coming
The President proclaimed October as National Substance Abuse Prevention Month and this Saturday, October 27, is the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Take Back Day. This semiannual occurrence encourages community members to contribute to substance abuse prevention by returning unwanted prescriptions.
As the nation is fighting an opioid epidemic and other drugs are surfacing in local communities, and in order to help people find easier access to screening and treatment for their friends and or family members, we encourage health centers to partner with local Drug-Free Communities (DFC) coalitions and other community-based providers to raise awareness about substance use screening and treatment services in their communities.
Find resources to engage your patients in screening and treatment. To identify the DFC-funded coalition nearest you, visit the Office of National Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP) grants webpage.
Resources
Integrating Opioid Use Disorder Treatment into Health Workforce Training
In case you missed the recent Workforce Grand Rounds Webinar Series: Integrating Opioid Use Disorder Treatment into Health Workforce Training, the recording is now available. You will be able to download the presentations directly from the recording.
Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Resources, Best Practices, and Case Videos
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has collaborated with emergency department experts at Yale University to develop a set of research-based resources to help emergency medicine clinicians treat people with opioid use disorder. Health centers may also benefit from this information.
The tools highlight buprenorphine treatment, and include a treatment algorithm, provider resources to support patient conversations, discharge instructions, case videos, and more.
Promoting Professionalism: Addressing Behaviors that Undermine Accountability, Reliability, and a Culture of Safety
Join HRSA’s next Patient Safety Leadership Speaker Series webinar featuring Gerald Hickson, M.D., one of the world's leading experts on how disruptive practitioner behavior impacts patient safety and litigation risk. Dr. Hickson will discuss strategies to identify high-risk practitioners, address negative behaviors, and promote organizational support for accountability, reliability and a culture of safety. Hosted by ECRI Institute on behalf of HRSA.
Tuesday, November 6
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Using Bright Futures to Achieve Excellence in Well-Child Care
Learn about the Bright Futures National Center (BFNC) and the revised Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition, from one of its co-editors. During this HRSA-sponsored webinar, a subject matter expert will review updates to the Guidelines and new content, including new health promotion themes, visit screening recommendations, anticipatory guidance, and more. She will discuss how to efficiently and effectively integrate these new recommendations into your health center’s work and answer questions about the BFNC and Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition.
Tuesday, October 23
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Call-in: 888-810-8157
Passcode: 9835735
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Event
The Indian Health Service, HRSA, and other federal partners will host a webinar on efforts to decrease domestic violence in American Indian/Alaska Native communities.
Monday, October 29
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Call-in: 888-324-0793
Passcode: 7911142
Building the Pipeline of Peers and Community Health Workers in Health Centers
The National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC), MHP Salud, and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) are all HRSA-funded NCAs. They’re launching a new learning collaborative for health centers interested in expanding and enhancing their Community Health Worker programs. The goal is to include up to eight health centers with established Community Health Worker programs that are exploring opportunities to strengthen and expand these programs. Apply now; applications are accepted through Tuesday, October 30.
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