Clinicians Corner for Heart Month, New Access Points Q&A Session, and More! HRSA PHC Digest

HRSA BPHC Primary Health Care Digest

February 19, 2019

Judith Steinberg

Clinicians Corner: Diabetes and Heart Care Intersect
It’s American Heart Month! In 2012, HHS established Million Hearts®, a five-year initiative co-led by CDC and CMS with the aim of preventing a million cardiovascular events over the next five years. The initiative continues with the same goal for 2022.

According to Million Hearts®, nearly a third of individuals across the nation have hypertension and 36% are obese, two risk factors for cardiovascular disease. One in three deaths in the U.S. is due to cardiovascular disease and one in six health care dollars is spent on cardiovascular disease. A focus on cardiovascular disease prevention and care very much complements the Health Center Program Diabetes Quality Improvement Initiative. Patients with diabetes are at increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The bottom line: prevention and management can save lives, improve quality of life, and save dollars.

Last fall, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) released updated Standards of Care. The announcement mentioned a first-ever endorsement from the American College of Cardiology. The ADA states that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability for people with diabetes and so the new standards “aim to reduce heart attacks, strokes, heart failure.”

HRSA-funded health centers exceed both the national average and Healthy People 2020 Goals for blood pressure control (according to 2017 UDS and NCQA data). This is great news, but we can always do more.

Throughout this month’s Digests, we’re sharing resources that can inform your efforts to help patients prevent and manage cardiovascular disease. In addition, I encourage you to revisit the special diabetes-focused edition of the Digest we produced last fall. Many of the lessons learned, promising practices, and resources may be applicable.

The CDC Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge is a competition to identify clinicians, practices, and health systems that have demonstrated exceptional achievements in working with their patients to control hypertension. Champions achieved at least 80% blood pressure control (blood pressure reading <140 mmHg/<90 mmHg) among their hypertensive population ages 18 to 85. In 2018, CDC recognized five HRSA-funded health centers as Hypertension Control Champions. I hope you’ll plan to attend our webinar to hear from three of these health centers:

How We Became Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Champions
Thursday, February 21
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Call-in: 888-233-9404
Passcode: 2662064

Thank you for all that you do to help patients facing cardiovascular challenges.


We’ve redesigned HRSA’s Primary Health Care Digest to help you more quickly get to the information you need. Click the links below to jump to the sections that interest you most.

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Jump To:  Substance Use Disorder & Behavioral Health  |  Workforce  |  Oral Health  |  American Heart Month
  |  Additional Resources


What's New

NAP Resources – New and Upcoming
Tomorrow, HRSA will hold a second question and answer session for New Access Points (NAP) applicants:

Wednesday, February 20
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast day of the session
Call-in: 800-779-8419
Passcode: 9842068

The NAP technical assistance (TA) webpage has several new or related resources:

You may submit your questions in the webcast room up to 30 minutes before the call starts. Additionally, continue to send your NAP questions to Health Center Program Support, as some of these will be shared during tomorrow’s call.


Fixed: Contact Form Email Address Error
We received feedback that the BPHC Contact Form encountered an error when a user entered an email address longer than 30 characters. We have fixed this issue and hope that individuals with longer email addresses will again feel comfortable using the web form to contact Health Center Program Support. You may also contact us by phone: 877-464-4772 from 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday (except federal holidays).


Health Center Program Support Email Change
Health Center Program Support (formerly the BPHC Helpline) is updating its email address from bphchelpline@hrsa.gov to HealthCenterSupport@hrsa.gov. By adding the new email address to a “safe senders” or contacts list, you may avoid messages going to your junk folder.


Deadline Reminder: SAC-AA NOFO HRSA-19-099 for Eight Service Areas
Applications are due in the HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) by 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 6, for HRSA-19-099, the Service Area Competition-Additional Areas (SAC-AA) funding opportunity for the Bishop, CA; Worcester, MA; Baltimore, MD; Jackson, MI; Fayetteville, NC; Perth Amboy, NJ; Caguas, PR; and Naranjito, PR service areas. TA materials are available on the SAC-AA TA website.


Review Process for Service Area Competition or Renewal of Designation Applications
A few months ago, HRSA created this graphic, which illustrates what to expect after submitting a SAC or Renewal of Designation (RD) application to HRSA. Take a look to learn more about the updated HRSA review process.

A new quick reference guide tells SAC and RD applicants how to manage correspondence requests from HRSA about their application. It will help you respond quickly to the EHBs correspondence request 14-day turnaround time.

For more details, check out our fiscal year (FY) 2019 SAC and RD application and review award process Frequently Asked Questions.


340B Recertification Due by February 25
Less than one week remains for covered entities to recertify and retain their 340B participant status before the Monday, February 25, deadline. All covered entities, including HRSA-funded health centers and look-alikes, who do not recertify by the deadline will be terminated from the HRSA 340B Program starting on Monday, April 1. You will require a new registration and not be eligible to participate in the 340B Program until July.

To recertify, Authorizing Officials (AOs) and Primary Contacts (PCs) must first set up user accounts by visiting the HRSA 340B Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System (340B OPAIS) and choosing “I am a participant.” It is the covered entity’s responsibility to ensure they have created their accounts before recertification to allow successful completion of the process.

For questions or assistance, contact the 340B call center at apexusanswers@340bpvp.com or 888-340-2787 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET). Watch a recording of HRSA’s 340B Program Recertification webinar for reference.


Substance Use Disorder & Behavioral Health

Substance Use Disorder and Child Welfare Resource Available
The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, a SAMHSA partner, offers health professionals TA, resources, and tools to provide services to children and families affected by substance use disorders.


Workforce

National Health Service Corps

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 (RRPD) Program in Grants.gov. Applications are due by Monday, March 4.

The RRPD is a collaboration between HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce and Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to develop new rural residency programs or Rural Training Tracks (RTT) in family medicine, internal medicine, and psychiatry to support expansion of the physician workforce in rural areas. Awardees will receive TA from the RRPD Technical Assistance Center for the duration of the project period. Hospitals, medical schools, and community-based ambulatory settings that have a rural designation, along with consortia of urban and rural partnerships, are eligible to apply for a grant award.

Questions? Contact Tracey Smith or Jemima Drake.


Oral Health

Resources for National Children’s Dental Health Month
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Your health center may be interested in the following resources, featuring current national guidelines and promising practices in maternal and pediatric oral health care:

We’ll share some oral health promising practices from HRSA-funded health centers in an upcoming Digest.


HRSA UDS Sealant Measure Frequently Asked Questions Now Available
The National Network for Oral Health Access, a HRSA-funded NCA, has released its annual HRSA UDS Sealant Measure Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) guide. Developed in consultation with oral health specialists and HRSA staff, it answers questions about the HRSA UDS Sealant Measure for children ages 6-9 years at risk for dental caries.


American Heart Month

Million Hearts

Help Patients Achieve and Maintain Blood Pressure Control
Health centers play an important role in their patients’ heart health. Check out resources that can help improve outcomes:


Additional Resources

Her Health, Her Housing: Improving Services for Women Experiencing Homelessness
Learn how to improve services for women experiencing homelessness through trauma-informed, quality care in eight CME-accredited webinars from The National Health Care for the Homeless Council, a HRSA-funded NCA. Their virtual training series features national experts and explores a variety of topics including the intersection of violence against women and homelessness, how to improve care for pregnant women who are homeless, and more. Learn more and register for individual webinars.


The 2019 Community Health Center Chartbook
This new resource from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), a HRSA-funded NCA, features graphs, figures, and maps showing health centers' services, patients, finances, workforce, economic impact, challenges, and more.


Social Media in Healthcare: Lessons for the Digital World
In today’s digital age, it is easier than ever to share information and reach a massive audience within seconds. However, it is also easier than ever to share incorrect, sensitive, or private information in a way that is public and permanent. Misuse of social media can impact a health center's reputation, violate patient privacy, and even impact patient care. A webinar from ECRI Institute, presented on HRSA’s behalf, will address some of the most common topics related to social media, including:

  • Implementing a social media plan in your health center
  • Responding to negative reviews about the health center posted online
  • Addressing smartphone risks other than social media (e.g., distractions, texting)
  • Responding to patients who record office visits

Real-life scenarios and case studies will highlight the potential pitfalls of social media use as well as important risk management strategies.

Join one of these two sessions:

Tuesday, March 5
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Wednesday, March 6
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Patient Safety Week Webcast: Improving Diagnosis in Primary Care
Patient Safety Week is March 10-16. HRSA will host a webcast featuring Dr. Gordon Schiff, a general internist and Associate Director of Brigham and Women’s Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Quality and Safety Director for the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care. Dr. Schiff will speak on improving diagnosis in primary care.

Wednesday, March 13
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the event


Patient-Centered Medical Home Office Hours
HRSA contracts with The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) to provide TA and training to health centers on the NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition process. We encourage health centers to attend an upcoming open forum hosted by NCQA’s Government PCMH Recognition Programs (GRIP), which will address questions related to NCQA’s PCMH standards, applications, and survey process.

Monday, March 4
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here

For more information, visit the HRSA Accreditation and Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition Initiative webpage.


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Technical Assistance & Training

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Visit the training calendar to learn details about or register for events.

Through Feb. 26

Trauma-Informed Care Learning Series: Assessing and Treating Trauma
Hosted by the Illinois Primary Care Association
Wednesday, February 20
11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Register here for the series

Workforce Grand Rounds Webinar Series: Telehealth Training Models for the Health Workforce
Hosted by HRSA
Wednesday, February 20
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Register here

NAP Q&A Session
Hosted by HRSA
Wednesday, February 20
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast day of the session
Call-in: 800-779-8419
Passcode: 9842068

How We Became Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Champions
Hosted by HRSA
Thursday, February 21
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Call-in: 888-233-9404
Passcode: 2662064

NACHC Pharmacy Office Hours: Uses of 340B Savings
Hosted by NACHC, a HRSA-funded NCA
Thursday, February 21
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join office hours the day of the session
Submit a question in advance

Health Centers as Assets in their Communities: Assessing Your Environment
Hosted by Capital Link, a HRSA-funded NCA
Tuesday, February 26
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here


UPCOMING

The Vital Role of Behavioral Health: Effective Integration in a Model of Team Based Care
Hosted by the Community Health Center, Inc., a HRSA-funded NCA
Wednesday, February 27
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here

School-Based Health Centers & Medical-Legal Partnerships: A Partnership for Social Equity in Children and Adolescents’ Health
Hosted by the School-Based Health Alliance and the National Center for Medical Legal Partnerships, HRSA-funded NCAs
Thursday, February 28
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

The Health Information and Technology, Evaluation and Quality Center (HITEQ) Highlights: A Roadmap for Building a Data Driven Culture
Hosted by HITEQ, a HRSA-funded NCA
Thursday, February 28
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Introduction to the UDS Mapper
Hosted by HRSA
Monday, March 4
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Patient-Centered Medical Home Office Hours
Hosted by The National Committee for Quality Assurance
Monday, March 4
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Social Media in Healthcare: Lessons for the Digital World
Hosted by ECRI Institute on HRSA’s behalf
Tuesday, March 5
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Register here

OR: Wednesday, March 6
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here

BPHC All-Programs
Tuesday, March 5
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Webcast information coming soon
To submit questions in advance, send an email to bphcta@hrsa.gov by Friday, March 1, with the subject line "BPHC All-Programs Question."

Virtual Training Series - Her Health, Her Housing: Improving Services for Women Experiencing Homelessness
Hosted by The National Health Care for the Homeless Council, a HRSA-funded NCA
All sessions from 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
**1.0 CME credit** per session
Register here for webinars in the series

Laying the Foundation for Obesity Assessment and Management: An Introduction to the AAP Obesity Prevention, Assessment, and Treatment Algorithm
Hosted by HRSA
Thursday, March 7
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Call-in: 888-399-8606
Passcode: 6921792

Patient Safety Week Webcast: Improving Diagnosis in Primary Care
Hosted by HRSA
Wednesday, March 13
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the event

UDS Mapper Advanced Topics
Hosted by HRSA
Wednesday, March 20
11:00 a.m.-noon ET
Register here

Migratory and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Registration and UDS Reporting
Hosted by the National Center for Farmworker Health, a HRSA-funded NCA
Thursday, March 28
2:30-3:30 p.m. ET
Register here