What's New
Health Center Controlled Network Meeting
Emerging technology trends and their impact on health centers took center stage at a two-day meeting of Health Center Controlled Network leaders that included visits to both HHS and HRSA headquarters. HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan told meeting participants that the shift in emphasis from procedures to outcomes is a department priority, and will include reforms in Medicare payments that will affect health centers and ripple through the entire American health care system. “Your work here today will continue to help health centers across the country. We at HHS are eager to support that work,” Hargan said.
Health Center Program Associate Administrator Jim Macrae noted that meeting participants play an important role in improving quality at health centers by using sophisticated data analysis techniques. He asked that they continue their efforts and help health centers adapt to emerging priorities such as ending the HIV epidemic and expected changes in health care financing.
National Health Center Training and Technical Assistance Partnerships Funding Opportunity Now Available
Last week, HRSA announced the availability of $22 million in National Health Center Training and Technical Assistance Partnerships (NTTAP) Cooperative Agreements funding (HRSA-20-022). These agreements succeed current National Cooperative Agreements (NCAs). NTTAPs will provide national-level training and technical assistance (T/TA) to health centers and look-alikes directly and through partnerships.
Applications are due in Grants.gov by Friday, November 15 (11:59 p.m. ET), and in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) by Tuesday, December 17 (5:00 p.m. ET).
Join a live TA webinar:
Wednesday, September 25
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the webinar
Call-in: 888-942-9652
Passcode: 6215604
Following the opening of the application module in EHBs there will be a live question and answer session:
Wednesday, October 23
11:00 a.m.-noon ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Call-in: 888-324-6995
Passcode: 2989923
Service Area Competition for June 1 Starts: Now Releasing September 26
The expected release date for fiscal year 2020 Service Area Competition (SAC) Notice of Funding Opportunity, HRSA-20-020, has changed to Thursday, September 26. This competition is for service areas with a June 1, 2020, project period start date (current project period end date of May 31, 2020). The revised schedule is available on the SAC TA webpage.
Application Deadline Reminders
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SAC Applications for March 1 Starts
SAC applications for service areas with a March 1, 2020, project period start date (HRSA-20-017) are due in EHBs by 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 25.
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SAC Applications for April 1 Starts
SAC applications for service areas with an April 1, 2020, project period start date (HRSA-20-018) are due in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, September 30, and in EHBs by 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 30.
TA materials are available on the SAC TA webpage.
Quarterly 340B Program Registration
Quarterly 340B Program site registration is open from October 1 to 15. Health centers are still able to register a site that has been verified as implemented and with a site status reflected as “active” in EHBs Form 5B through November 22. After November 22, the system will close to prepare for the January 1, 2020 start. Email the 340B call center or call 888-340-2787 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET) to register a new site or ask questions.
You will need to provide the following information when calling:
- Health center name.
- Site/clinic name.
- Site IDs for all sites.
- HRSA/BPHC grant number.
- Contact name and email address.
- Authorizing official name and email address.
The authorizing official will receive an email message that the account is unlocked and a registration may be submitted.
Testing the Feasibility of Changes to the Uniform Data System
HRSA launched the Uniform Data System (UDS) Modernization Initiative to reduce reporting burden, improve the quality of UDS data, and engage stakeholders in the change process. As part of this initiative, and with health centers across the country as participants, we formed the UDS Test Cooperative (UTC). It will provide us with early, evidence-based feedback about UDS changes to consider for national rollout. By participating, health centers can influence how we evolve UDS. Find out how you can participate.
Reporting UDS Clinical Tables to Support Quality Improvement
At this webinar, we will address Tables 6A, 6B, and 7 clinical measures, discuss strategies for evaluating reported data, and identify benchmarks for assessing quality.
Thursday, September 26
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here
As the Health Center Program prepares for the 2019 UDS reporting cycle, this is one of several learning opportunities we’re presenting to help you better understand UDS and receive TA on UDS reporting requirements. Additional sessions will take place on Thursday, October 3, and Thursday, October 17. Visit our Technical Assistance Calendar for details.
Final Week to Give Us Your Feedback!
This is the final week for HRSA grantees to complete the 2019 HRSA Grantee Satisfaction Survey. Your feedback helps us understand what we’re doing well and where we need to make improvements. Please take a moment to give your input using the unique link sent to your inbox. If you have questions, please email HRSAGranteeSurvey@hrsa.gov.
Substance Use Disorder & Mental Health
Do You Need Help Connecting to Your State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program?
The Institute for Intergovernmental Research presents Office Hours with the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Training and TA Center (TTAC). The PDMP TTAC at Brandeis University (funded by the Justice Department) provides comprehensive services and resources to help support the use and effectiveness of PDMPs in combating the misuse and diversion of prescription drugs.
This interactive session with PDMP experts will introduce the center and its resources, provide an overview on how to get connected to your state PDMP, and discuss PMDP and electronic health record integration. Experts will be available to answer participant questions and there will be an opportunity to request additional PDMP assistance for your health center.
Tuesday, September 24
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Call-in: 800-832-0736
Room number: 8466499
For questions, please contact the Quality Division.
Substance Use Warmline Office Hours: Evaluation and Management of Perinatal Opioid Use Disorder
Experts from the HRSA-supported Substance Use Warmline—a free, telephone consultation service available to health centers that provide integrated behavioral health services—will discuss best practices on providing care for pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD) and approaches to addressing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. Warmline experts will also share methods for supporting health center clinical staff regarding the evaluation and management of OUD in pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Thursday, September 26
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Call-in: 877-917-3408
Passcode: 8797088
Resources You Can Use!
Health centers are the first line of care in providing integrated behavioral health services. In 2018:
- Health centers screened and identified nearly 1.1 million people for substance use disorder (SUD).
- Health centers provided medication-assisted treatment to nearly 95,000 patients nationwide (an increase of 143% since 2017).
- Nearly all health centers provided mental health counseling and treatment, and 67% provided SUD services.
Looking for ways to boost your center’s SUD services? Visit our Substance Use Disorders and Primary Care Integration page. It includes training materials produced as part of the Opioid Addiction Treatment Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes (OAT ECHO). These resources may also help your clinicians get the answers they need:
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Substance Use Clinician Warmline
This HRSA-supported resource provides clinician-to-clinician consultation (via phone or online), assisting primary care clinicians and health center staff in addressing the challenging issues related to treating SUD, chronic pain, and behavioral health.
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National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
NIDA provides resources and materials on substance use and addiction based upon scientific research to improve the prevention and treatment of SUD and enhance public awareness of its unhealthy consequences.
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CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
Resources and materials for medical health professionals prescribing opioid pain medication for patients 18 and older in primary care settings.
HIV
Promising Practices to Advance PrEP Implementation in Primary Care Settings
Join HRSA to learn more about Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a highly effective HIV prevention tool used to prevent new infections for individuals at high risk. Speakers Christopher Hurt and Paul Seligmann will share their experiences supporting PrEP prescribing and implementation in primary care settings.
Wednesday, October 2
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
For questions, please contact the Quality Division.
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Diabetes
The National Diabetes Prevention Program: Where We Are, Where We’re Going
Join a webinar presenting the results of a national scan of Primary Care Association (PCA) stakeholders around implementation of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP). This webinar is co-hosted by two HRSA-funded NCAs, the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), and features speakers from those organizations, CDC, and HRSA, among others. These speakers will provide resources to address areas of need identified in the scan results.
Monday, September 30
1:30-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Workforce
Promote Your Job Opportunities at the Next HRSA Virtual Job Fair
HRSA virtual job fairs are free online recruitment events that connect students and clinicians with health centers in underserved communities nationwide. Health centers can register now for the next one:
Wednesday, October 16
6:45-10:15 p.m. ET
Employer registration closes Wednesday, October 2.
Job seekers may register until the event.
Participation is via phone and computer and is open to all National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps-approved health centers currently recruiting medical, nursing, behavioral health, and dental providers and trainees. Email VirtualJobFairs@hrsa.gov with questions.
Join a Postgraduate Residency Learning Collaborative
Community Health Center, Inc., (CHCI, a HRSA-funded NCA) will lead an eight-month learning collaborative to help health centers implement a postgraduate residency training program. Content will include transformational strategies and coaching support provided through:
- Videoconference learning sessions with 10-12 primary care teams across the country.
- Bi-weekly coach mentoring provided by CHCI’s certified coach mentors.
- Access to web-based resources.
Learn more or register now.
Oral Health
New Promising Practice: Improving Oral Health in Rural Colorado
Dental sealants prevent 80% of cavities in children. One of the UDS clinical quality measures reported annually for each HRSA-funded health center is the percent of children ages 6-9 years that received dental sealants. Learn how Clinica Campesina Family Health Services improved dental health outcomes for patients in rural Colorado.
OHI Webinar Series
As part of the fiscal year 2019 OHI funding, the National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) is offering a series of four webinars on strategies for oral health infrastructure enhancements. (NNOHA is a HRSA-funded NCA.)
This webinar series is a companion to the NNOHA OHI Toolkit released in April. The webinars will highlight health centers who have completed infrastructure enhancements and expansion of their dental programs to increase access to oral health care. Each session offers 1.0 Continuing Dental Education credit.
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Brick and Mortar Expansion
Wednesday, September 25
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
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Mobile Dentistry
Monday, October 7
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
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Teledentistry
Monday, October 28
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
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School-Based Dental Programs
Wednesday, November 13
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Telehealth
HRSA Telehealth Learning Series: Centers of Excellence – Leveraging Academic Excellence to Advance Telehealth Knowledge
This HRSA webinar will highlight the work of the Telehealth Centers of Excellence. Speakers from the Medical University of South Carolina and University of Mississippi Medical Center will review their core telehealth programs, including tele-ICU, tele-stroke, school-based telehealth, tele-emergency, and diabetes remote patient monitoring. They will also discuss how to develop tiered quality of care metrics and apply population health research approaches to telehealth outcome measures. For more information, contact Nancy Rios.
Tuesday, September 24
4:00-5:00 p.m. ET
Register here
View archived sessions from the telehealth learning series:
Telehealth Resource Centers
Are you starting a telehealth program and need support? Already have a telehealth program and want to improve it? Telehealth Resource Centers provide free TA to all HRSA grantees, including Health Center Program grantees. These centers are funded by the HRSA Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
National Hispanic Heritage Month
During National Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize Hispanic and Latino Americans who have given the gift of life through organ, eye, and tissue donation, and those awaiting a life-saving organ transplant.
More than 113,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, and more than 22,000 of them are Hispanic and Latin Americans. Health center patients can share the gift of life during National Hispanic Heritage Month by joining the 145 million people in the U.S. who have already signed up to be organ, eye, and tissue donors. Resources your health center can share:
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Additional Resources
Strategies for Addressing Maternal Depression Through Primary Care and Home Visiting Partnerships
HRSA will host a webinar on how primary care and home visiting partnerships can enhance efforts to prevent, identify, and treat maternal depression. The presentation will feature maternal depression expert Dr. Darius Tandon; speakers from HRSA partner the Education Development Center; and primary care providers and home visitors working together on this issue in their communities.
Wednesday, September 25
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the webinar the day of the session
Call-in: 888-390-3415
Passcode: 5411340
For questions, please contact the Quality Division.
Million Hearts Releases Tobacco Cessation Change Package
CDC's Office on Smoking and Health and Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention invites you to use the Million Hearts Tobacco Cessation Change Package. This is the third Million Hearts change package, each of which offers quality improvement resources to help health systems and clinical teams systematically address cardiovascular disease risk factors. CDC developed it for use in outpatient, inpatient, and behavioral health care settings to increase the reach and effectiveness of tobacco cessation interventions and to incorporate these interventions into the clinical flow.
Addressing tobacco use and dependence in health systems:
- Is cost-effective across a variety of settings.
- Helps meet quality measures.
- Can reduce hospital readmission.
- Can increase patient satisfaction with their care.
- Can save lives and help patients avoid preventable heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and other smoking-related diseases.
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