What's New
New Access Points Funding Opportunity Now Available (HRSA-19-080)
On January 11, HRSA announced the availability of $50 million in New Access Points (NAP) funding to provide operational support for new Health Center Program service delivery sites.
Applications are due in Grants.gov by Tuesday, March 12 (11:59 p.m. ET), and HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) by Thursday, April 11 (5:00 p.m. ET).
Please read the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), visit the NAP technical assistance (TA) webpage, and watch a prerecorded NAP TA presentation for more information.
You are also invited to a live question and answer session:
Thursday, January 31
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast day of the session
Call-in: 888-233-9404
Passcode: 4021879
Submit your questions to the NAP Technical Assistance Team in advance.
Update on 2019 Uniform Data System Changes
In 2018, HRSA released the proposed Program Assistance Letter (PAL) for 2019 Uniform Data System (UDS) Changes to highlight updated changes to the UDS for calendar year 2019. We have made an update based on stakeholder feedback: we will not add the “Closing the Referral Loop: Receipt of Specialist Report” measure in 2019 reporting. We will release the approved PAL as soon as it becomes available.
The 2019 UDS Manual will include additional details regarding these changes and will provide guidance in preparation for reporting data beginning January 1, 2020. We will continue to update you in the Digest and on the UDS Resources webpage.
Reminder: 2019 Health Center Controlled Networks NOFO Due Date Approaching
Applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2019 Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCN) (HRSA-19-011) NOFO are due in EHBs by Tuesday, January 29.
Applicants must use the Goals and Objectives Development Guide resource when calculating baseline data for the Project Work Plan.
 |
|
New FTCA Site Visit Protocol
FTCA-deemed health centers are already familiar with FTCA site visits. Now we have streamlined the process into one document, the FTCA Site Visit Protocol, to help you find the information you need. |
HUD Policy Brief on Data Matching – Understanding the Impact and Potential for Health Centers
Corporation for Supportive Housing, a HRSA-funded National Cooperative Agreement (NCA), published a new HUD policy brief. Health centers increasingly address social determinants of health for their patient population through partnerships and linkages to local housing and service resources. Many resources exist through partner federal, state, and mainstream infrastructures that should be part of a health center’s “toolbox” to aid in linking patients to local housing. Matching data from the homeless crisis response system to claims data from health centers is one way to identify and engage individuals in both systems who are experiencing homelessness and are medically vulnerable. Health centers can be key partners in linking eligible individuals who are experiencing homelessness to sustainable affordable housing and in providing integrated care.
National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Opportunities
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) provides financial assistance to health care professionals in exchange for a commitment to work at approved sites in high-need, underserved areas. This week the NHSC opened the application cycle for two programs – its Loan Repayment Program (LRP) and a new Substance Use Disorder Workforce LRP (SUD Workforce LRP). Both applications close on Thursday, February 21, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
- The NHSC LRP awards up to $50,000 toward student loans in exchange for a two-year commitment to work at approved sites in high-need, underserved areas.
- The new NHSC SUD Workforce LRP provides up to $75,000 in exchange for a three-year commitment and expands eligible disciplines and site types for loan repayment. The program is open to health care professionals who provide SUD treatment services at NHSC-approved SUD sites.
|
Rural Residency Planning and Development Grant Program Now Accepting Applications
HRSA is accepting applications for the FY 2019 Rural Residency Planning and Development Program in Grants.gov. Applications are due by Monday, March 4. Learn more about rural residency programs in an upcoming webinar series offered by North Carolina Area Health Education Centers:
Part 1: Accreditation for Rural Programs
Tuesday, January 22
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Part 2: Financing GME Programs
Monday, January 28
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Attention Primary Care Associations: Funding Announcement for Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program
Primary Care Associations may be interested in encouraging state participation in this recently announced NOFO for the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program. The program promotes behavioral health integration in pediatric primary care by supporting the development of new or the improvement of existing statewide or regional pediatric mental health care telehealth access programs, thereby facilitating access to and availability of telehealth (including by telephone) psychiatric consultation and care coordination to pediatricians and other pediatric primary care providers. Learn more.
Resources
New Resource Center from HRSA and the National Association of Community Health Centers
HRSA and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), a HRSA-funded NCA, developed the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse, which provides an up-to-date selection of high-quality TA resources relevant to health centers. We created the Clearinghouse to collect, in a single location, all the great resources our TA partners create, including on these priority topics:
- Diabetes
- Behavioral health/SUD
- Special and vulnerable populations
- Health IT/data
- Finance
- Workforce
The site is searchable by keyword, topic area, type of resource, and other search fields. You can submit resources and promising practices to be considered for the site. You also can ask questions about resources and get connected with our TA partners.
|
January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month – Spotlight on Substance Use
According to CDC, about one in every 33 babies is born with a birth defect. Helping women avoid harmful substances – including alcohol, tobacco, opioids and other illegal drugs – before and during pregnancy is a critical way for primary care providers to prevent birth defects and other negative birth outcomes. Here are some of the latest guidelines and resources.
-
Alcohol
CDC reports that over one in 10 pregnant women report alcohol use in the past month, and 2-5% of children may exhibit a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), representing one of the leading preventable causes of developmental disabilities in the United States.
-
Opioids
Use of opioids and other pain medications during pregnancy has been linked to heart, abdominal, and neural tube defects, as well as other negative birth outcomes, such as preterm labor and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.
Available for Health Centers: Waiting Room Video Shown to Positively Impact Viral Suppression
CDC has posted the Taking Care of Me video intervention developed for people living with HIV from diverse cultural backgrounds. This 29-minute waiting room video is appropriate for HIV clinics and other HIV community-based agencies. It focuses on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, retention in care, and sexual risk reduction. Download it or learn more.
The video was evaluated using a quasi-experimental trial among all patients attending two HIV clinics during a 10-month period. The evaluation, published in PLOS One, showed that there was an increase of prescriptions of ARTs to patients exposed to the video and an overall improvement in viral suppression at the clinics.
State Strategies and Promising Practices to Support Delivery of Substance Use Disorder Services
Experts from the National Academy for State Health Policy will highlight policies that support and incentivize the delivery of high-quality SUD treatment services to health center patients. Presenters will discuss promising state strategies in areas such as integrated care, stigma, value-based reimbursement, telehealth, and provider capacity building.
Wednesday, January 23
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the webinar the day of the session
Call-in: 800-593-9913
Passcode: 9283710
Send questions to QualityDivision@hrsa.gov.
Improving Cervical Cancer Screening Rates: Perspectives from a Health Center and a Health Center Controlled Network
In honor of Cervical Health Awareness month, HRSA will host a webinar for health centers to explore perspectives from La Red Health Center and OCHIN, Inc., on initiatives to improve cervical cancer screening rates.
Tuesday, January 29
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Call-in: 888-233-9404
Passcode: 9859485
Laying the Foundation for Obesity Assessment and Management: An Introduction to the AAP Obesity Prevention, Assessment, and Treatment Algorithm
Save the date for a Bright Futures webinar presented by HRSA. A member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Obesity Leadership Workgroup will address these topics:
- Key components of a comprehensive obesity assessment (for patients ages 2-21) in the context of a well visit
- Ways to engage patients and families in treatment
- Obesity-specific family history, physical exam and review of systems
- Potential laboratory and diagnostic tests for those at risk of co-morbidities
- Key Bright Futures anticipatory guidance
Thursday, March 7
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Call-in: 888-399-8606
Passcode: 6921792
In case you missed it:
Visit the Primary Health Care Digest archive.
Do you forward the Digest to others?
Encourage them to subscribe.
|
Connect with HRSA
