What's New
Reminder: New Access Points Applications Due in EHBs April 11
New Access Points (NAP) applications were due in Grants.gov on Tuesday, March 12. The required supplemental information is due in HRSA's EHBs by Thursday, April 11 (5:00 p.m. ET). Visit the NAP TA webpage for TA resources, including animated videos with helpful tips for completing the EHBs application forms.
New Funding Opportunity: Oral Health Infrastructure
On Friday, March 22, HRSA announced the availability of $76 million in one-time supplemental funding for Oral Health Infrastructure (OHI) to support health center infrastructure enhancements. These investments will increase access to new or enhanced high-quality, integrated oral health services, including those provided via telehealth and virtual dentistry.
Applications are due in Grants.gov by Monday, April 22 (11:59 p.m. ET), and EHBs by Tuesday, May 21 (5:00 p.m. ET). Visit the OHI TA webpage for more information and contact the OHI TA Team with questions.
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2019 Site Visit Protocol Update Now Available for Preview
HRSA has updated the Site Visit Protocol (SVP) in response to feedback from stakeholders including health centers, strategic partners, site visit team reviewers, and HRSA staff. No changes were made to the Compliance Manual or to Health Center Program requirements.
The 2019 SVP Update is now available for public preview. It will go into effect for site visits that start after Thursday, April 18.
As part of HRSA’s commitment to continuous quality improvement, the updated SVP increases clarity and continues to provide HRSA the information necessary to perform its oversight responsibilities using a standard and transparent methodology that aligns with the Compliance Manual. Check out the 2019 SVP Summary of Updates and SVP Frequently Asked Questions.
Emergencies Happen: What Health Centers Need to Know
Recent severe weather across the U.S. is a reminder that emergencies can impact health centers at any time. Health centers and Primary Care Associations (PCAs) play a critical role in providing services and resources before, during, and after emergency events. During emergencies, PCAs gather critical health center information and report the status of service delivery sites to HRSA. For health centers in impacted areas, we ask that you report site-level status to your PCA as soon as you are able. Project Officers are available if health center staff have questions about program requirements or scope of project.
Please also visit the HRSA Health Center Program Emergency Preparedness and Recovery Resources website for information about change in scope for temporary sites, 340B program enrollment under emergency declarations, and FTCA coverage during emergencies.
2019 Uniform Data System Approved Program Assistance Letter Released
HRSA has released the Program Assistance Letter (PAL) to highlight approved changes to the UDS for calendar year (CY) 2019. The approved changes in this PAL include:
- Updating quality of care measures to align with CMS electronic-specified clinical quality measures (eCQMs)
- Adding mental health and substance use disorder tables by provider
- Adding a column in Table 5: Staffing and utilization to capture virtual visits
- Removing Table 5A: Tenure for health center staff
- Replacing coronary artery disease measure with statin therapy for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease
- Revising Appendix D: Health center electronic health record capabilities and quality recognition
- Adding Appendix F: Workforce
Health Center Program awardees and look-alikes will use the reporting changes detailed in the PAL for reporting data beginning January 1, 2020. The 2019 UDS Manual, which we expect to release this spring, will include additional details regarding these changes.
UDS Reporting Survey
As part of the UDS Modernization Initiative, new functionalities within the EHBs and new offline reporting features were introduced for the 2018 reporting period. We invite all health centers to provide feedback for improvement through a short survey, which should take no more than five minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary and all responses are anonymous. The survey will close on Friday, May 3.
Calendar Year 2020 Requirements for FTCA Medical Malpractice Coverage
HRSA expects to release, in the near future, a new PAL to describe the process for Health Center Program grantees to submit applications for FTCA initial deeming and redeeming for CY 2019 and 2020.
Join a TA webinar about the CY 2020 FTCA Health Center Program Deeming Application:
Thursday, April 11
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
SUD-MH Tri-Annual Progress Reporting TA Office Hours
If you received fiscal year (FY) 2018 Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health (SUD-MH) Services supplemental funding, HRSA will hold SUD-MH Progress Reporting TA office hours to provide updates and reminders for the next report submission and answer questions about reporting requirements. Visit the TA website for other resources.
Wednesday, April 10
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Call-in: 888-233-9404
Passcode: 3415759
School-Based Health Alliance and National Center for School Mental Health Call for Sites
The School-Based Health Alliance, a HRSA-funded National Cooperative Agreement (NCA), and the National Center for School Mental Health invite states, in collaboration with local entities, to apply to participate in a 12-month Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network (CoIIN). Learn more and apply by Friday, May 31.
Funding Opportunity: Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies
HRSA recently published a new Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program (RMOMS). HRSA expects approximately $1.8 million available to fund up to three health networks in this cooperative agreement pilot program.
HRSA Study Explores How Health Centers Can Conduct Research to Address Underserved Patient Needs
Researchers conducted a qualitative study of the Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN), established in 2010 by HRSA. CHARN’s mission is to support research led by health centers that would address the needs of safety-net populations, populations not typically represented in research, across the United States.
Read the journal abstract and how HRSA’s health centers are making a difference for safety-net populations.
Substance Use Disorder & Behavioral Health
Opioid Use Disorder: The Role of Adverse Childhood Events and Motivational Interviewing
The detrimental effects of OUD have been well described over the past 10 years, and primary care providers have an important role to play in addressing and treating OUD. HRSA will host a webinar to provide actionable information for all members of the primary care clinic team on adverse childhood events (ACEs), the impact on and association with OUD, and how identifying ACEs provides a foundation for trauma-informed care. Additionally, we will address techniques for motivational interviewing with evidence-based literature supporting approaches for OUD. Finally, we will review case studies derived from practice for discussion of practical interventions.
Thursday, April 4
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
FY 2018 SUD-MH Office Hours
See reminder above.
HIV
Nurse Consultant for HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau
The HIV/AIDS Bureau’s Division of Community HIV/AIDS Programs, which works with Part C and D funded clinics, is hiring a Nurse Consultant with experience in clinical HIV care to provide specific focus on advising and consulting in regards to the HIV care and treatment of people living with HIV. Apply by Friday, April 5.
NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines for Determining AIDS Funding Public Comment Opportunity
NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) seeks public input on the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines for Determining AIDS Funding. Public feedback will assist OAR to advance NIH HIV/AIDS mission and the development of a five-year strategic plan for HIV/AIDS and related research for fiscal years 2021-2025. Please comment by Saturday, April 13.
Community Health Workers in HIV Care: Insights from the Field
Community Health Workers (CHW) bridge health providers and communities and help to increase access and improve the quality of HIV care services. Learn about the role of CHWs and how they serve as an integral part of the HIV health care system in HRSA-supported recipients. CHWs will share real-world examples of their work in linkage and retention in HIV care for people living with HIV. Boston University, with support from HRSA, is presenting this interactive webinar series on the use of CHWs in HIV delivery care systems. This webinar series is part of the Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative-funded project entitled “Improving Access to Care: Using Community Health Workers to Improve Linkage and Retention in HIV Care.”
Thursday, May 2
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Diabetes
Call for Applications: Strategies for Diabetes Management with Vulnerable Populations Learning Collaborative
The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), Health Outreach Partners (HOP), and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC)—all HRSA-funded NCAs—will convene a learning collaborative focused on diabetes management in special populations. This cohort of clinical and non-clinical health center staff will learn about effective population-specific approaches, document efforts and effectiveness, and establish new goals using the framework of a Change Map to guide their diabetes prevention and management work.
Applicants must be existing or potential Health Center Program grantees and must have at least one staff member representing clinical and one staff member representing non-clinical practices. A total of 2-3 clinical and non-clinical health center staff must attend four learning sessions between May and August. Apply by Friday, April 12.
Diabetes in Special & Vulnerable Populations: A National Learning Series
Fourteen HRSA-funded NCAs partnered to create a four-part national learning webinar series for health centers, PCAs, and Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCNs). The series’ goal is to increase foundational knowledge of effective strategies to prevent, treat, and manage diabetes among special and vulnerable Health Center Program populations. It focuses on co-morbidities associated with diabetes (e.g., oral health, behavioral health, SUD, obesity, and social risk factors).
Here is the next session:
Diabetes Continuum of Care: Using Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Integration to Address Older Adults with Cognitive Impairments and Diabetes
Tuesday, April 9
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Learn more and register for individual webinars.
Workforce
Community Health Workers in HIV Care: Insights from the Field
See the announcement above.
Oral Health
New Funding Opportunity: Oral Health Infrastructure
See the announcement above.
Oral Health Infrastructure Toolkit
HRSA and the National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA), a HRSA-funded NCA, will host a webinar to promote the FY 2019 OHI funding opportunity and to highlight the new OHI Toolkit.
The Toolkit includes resources, tools, and promising practices to guide health centers in their work related to infrastructure enhancements that provide new or enhance existing high-quality, integrated oral health services. The webinar will review the Toolkit, which includes a readiness assessment for expansion, relevant HRSA resources, and infrastructure enhancement and expansion strategies.
Friday, April 12
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Register here
National Public Health Week
Join Us in Working to Build a Healthier Nation
In recognition of National Public Health Week (April 1-7), find resources and tools below related to public health focus areas that are critical to building a healthier nation.
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Healthy Communities
Social risk factors are the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work and, age, and they can be major barriers to health. Learn how to screen for and address them in this video curriculum developed through a HRSA-funded NCA.
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Violence Prevention
Intimate partner violence (IPV) and human trafficking (HT) are significant yet preventable public health problems. HHS-funded IPV Health Partners provides health centers with evidence-based practices and resources around IPV and HT, like this domestic violence toolkit to help health centers prepare and implement a response to IPV in your clinic.
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Rural Health
HRSA supports national organizations providing free training, TA, and resources to health centers serving migratory and seasonal agricultural workers, including these HRSA-funded NCAs: Migrant Clinicians Network, the National Center for Farmworker Health, Farmworker Justice, Health Outreach Partners, and MHP Salud.
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Technology and Public Health
Telehealth and health information technologies are powerful tools that can enhance and coordinate health care. HRSA supports Telehealth Resource Centers, HCCNs, and the Health Information Technology, Evaluation, and Quality Center (HITEQ) (a HRSA-funded NCA), which provide training, TA, and resources to promote optimization of these tools.
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Global Health
CDC’s Center for Preparedness and Response provides resources to help Americans prepare and respond during emergencies, from natural disasters to global disease outbreaks like the Zika virus or pandemic influenza.
National Minority Health Month
Get Active and Healthy for National Minority Health Month
The theme for this year’s National Minority Health Month is “Active and Healthy.” The HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recently released the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines provide health professionals evidence-based guidance to help patients engage in physical activity, healthy eating, and improve their health.
Additional Resources
Site Visit Promising Practices Report on the Clearinghouse
The Health Center Program Site Visit Promising Practices Report covering visits from January 20, 2018, to June 30, 2018, is available on the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse. HRSA and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), a HRSA-funded NCA, developed the Clearinghouse, which provides an up-to-date selection of high-quality TA resources relevant to health centers. The Clearinghouse collects, in a single location, resources on a variety of topics created by HRSA’s TA partners. The site is searchable by keyword, topic area, type of resource, and other search fields.
Leveraging Technology to Support Outreach: Innovative Outreach Practices from the Field
Health Outreach Partners (HOP), a HRSA-funded NCA, is taking submissions for technology-focused outreach practices they can include in their 2019 Innovative Outreach Practices Report. If you are a health center or an outreach worker using technology or social media to meaningfully support your patients, let HOP feature you! Learn more, or submit a practice by Monday, April 15.
Patient-Centered Medical Home Teleconference
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 TA session hosted by NCQA’s Government PCMH Recognition Programs (GRIP), which will address questions related to NCQA’s PCMH standards concepts and documentation requirements.
Thursday, April 11
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Call-in: 844-676-8471
Conference ID: 1400361
Speakers will cover the first part of this presentation during this call.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Webinar Recording Available
HRSA’s recent webinar featured a new campaign from the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and two health centers that have made evidence-based systems changes to reach 80% screening rate. If you missed it, watch the recording to see:
- The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable introduce their new campaign, 80% in Every Community, and marketing research.
- Ammonoosuc Community Health Services discuss their usage of the iFOBT test, EMR preventative care form, and culture of quality improvement.
- Columbia Basin Health Association dive into their success with the FIT test, Azara Pre-Visit planning, and quality programs.
AHRQ’s New Question Builder App Helps Patients Prepare for Medical Visits
AHRQ recently launched a new mobile app to help patients be more engaged in their own health care. The Question Builder app, available at no charge for smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers on iTunes and Google Play, helps patients prepare and organize questions and other helpful information prior to medical visits. Learn more.
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