What's New
340B Recertification Due by February 24 About two weeks are left for covered entities to recertify and retain their 340B participant status. Covered entities that do not recertify by the deadline of Monday, February 24, will be terminated from the HRSA 340B Program starting on Wednesday, April 1. They will require a new registration and not be eligible to participate in the 340B Program until July.
To recertify, Authorizing Officials and Primary Contacts 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, email the 340B call center or call 888-340-2787 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET).
Grants 101 Workshops HRSA's Office of Regional Operations will host Grants 101 webinars for anyone interested in learning about HRSA grants. These will highlight how to find HRSA funding opportunities and understand the HRSA grant application process. They will also provide resources to assist with applications.
HRSA Grant Programs TA Tuesday, February 18 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET Register here
HRSA Grant Programs TA: Creating a Competitive Grant Proposal Wednesday, February 19 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET Register here
HRSA Grants 101 Thursday, February 27 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET Register here
National Donor Day Valentine’s Day is also National Donor Day. This annual observance shines a spotlight on organ, tissue, marrow, platelet, and blood donation—and the people who make it possible. Signing up is the ultimate gift of hope to the 113,000 people on the national transplant waiting list. One donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of up to 75 people! Encourage patients to sign up online today.
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Telehealth Resource Center Program Request for Information HRSA seeks feedback about a future funding opportunity for the Telehealth Resource Center Program. We may use the responses collected to inform policy development and program decision making, among other purposes. Find out more or comment by Friday, March 6.
Comments Requested on Federal Health Information Technology Strategic Plan HHS seeks public comment on its draft 2020-2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan by Wednesday, March 18. The plan focuses on health IT as a catalyst to empower patients, lower costs, deliver high-quality care, and improve health for individuals, families, and communities. The HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology led the development of the plan, which was coordinated with 25 federal organizations.
Substance Use Disorder & Mental Health
New Tool Empowers Local Leaders to Take Action Against Rural Drug Addiction USDA’s new Rural Community Action Guide: Building Stronger, Healthy Drug-Free Rural Communities presents information community leaders can put into immediate action. It provides background, recommended action steps, and promising practices. The topics are based on lessons learned at rural roundtable discussions held in over a dozen states, as well as the experiences of several rural stakeholder partners.
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Pharmacotherapy for Depression and Anxiety in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder HRSA and the National Clinician Consultation Center offer an interactive office hour session aimed at helping health center clinicians make vital medication treatment decisions. Participants will learn to:
- Describe the relationship between OUD and comorbid mood and anxiety disorders.
- Identify the available evidence for treatment of depression and anxiety in patients with OUD.
- Design a medication regimen for patients with comorbid OUD and depression or anxiety disorders.
Wednesday, February 19 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET Register here
Opportunities from The HRSA Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Technical Assistance (TA)
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Peer-Mentoring Program: This program will connect organizations to share ideas and models for primary care and behavioral health integration. Apply to be a mentor or mentee by Monday, February 24.
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Communities of Practice: Space is still available in two Communities of Practice we advertised previously, and the Center has added two more:
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Virtual TA: Do you have questions about integrating mental health and substance use services in primary care settings? Submit a request today and receive tailored TA to get answers.
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Medication-Assisted Treatment in Primary Care: Foundations of Implementation
Presenters will review the current state of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, share strategies health centers can use to prepare for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) implementation, and present a case study featuring the steps a health center took to build their MAT program. Thursday, February 27 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET Register here
HIV
Ending the HIV Epidemic: Community Engagement Highlights Webcasts HRSA invites you to a two-part webcast series on the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE) initiative. Learn about key themes discovered during 2019 EHE community engagement events. HRSA Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) recipients in the EHE-focus jurisdictions will share best practices and highlight models of care in their communities.
Presentations from RWHAP Part B Recipients South Carolina and Kentucky and RWHAP Part C Recipients University of Louisville 550 Clinic and Eau Claire Cooperative Health Center Thursday, February 13 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET Join the webcast the day of the session
Presentations from RWHAP Part A Recipients in Phoenix, AZ; Boston, MA; and Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL Tuesday, February 18 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET Join the webcast the day of the session
Sexual Health and Wellness for LGBTQIA+ Older Adults Because older adults are less likely to be tested for HIV, they can experience a higher incidence of comorbid health conditions.
The National Center for Equitable Care for Elders and the National LGBT Health Education Center, both HRSA-funded National Cooperative Agreements (NCAs), present a webinar series addressing the importance of discussing safe sexual practices with LGBTQIA+ older adults and the value of connecting individuals to HIV prevention methods like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
Part 1: Thursday, February 20 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET Register here
Part 2: Thursday, March 19 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET Register here
Diabetes
Advancing Partnerships with Schools to Address Diabetes Risk Factors in Elementary School Children A new learning collaborative from The National Nurse-Led Care Consortium and the School-Based Health Alliance, both HRSA-funded NCAs, will provide targeted interventions for students with pre-diabetic indicators or school-wide interventions to prevent diabetes. The target audience for this learning collaborative is:
- Health centers with an established collaboration with an elementary school(s).
- Primary Care Association staff who provide assistance to health centers that seek to collaborate with elementary schools in preventing diabetes.
Register here for the collaborative, which commences in March.
Workforce
Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program NOFO HRSA plans to invest approximately $26.7 million through the Addiction Medicine Fellowship (AMF) program to increase access to board certified addiction professionals who are practicing in underserved, community-based settings that integrate behavioral health with primary care services. Applications are due by Tuesday, February 25.
Retention Academy: Resources for Retention The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved’s STAR2 Center invites health center teams to apply for this year’s Retention Academy. The cohort will focus on critical components of a workforce retention plan: health center mission, work culture, career pathways, and compensation and benefits. Learn more and apply by Friday, March 6. The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is a HRSA-funded NCA.
SDOH Academy The SDOH Academy announces the 2020 Learning Collaborative Series and the launch of the SDOH Academy website. (Note: The SDOH Academy was founded by a HRSA-funded NCA.) The latest learning collaboratives will help health centers (1) humanize enabling services data; (2) build a workforce to care for sexual and gender minority patients; (3) reduce disparities through community partnerships; and (4) create equitable emergency and disaster preparedness. Register for sessions and check out other virtual trainings. You can find additional SDOH resources in the Health Center Clearinghouse.
Oral Health
Fluoride Varnish and Silver Diamine Fluoride: A Resource Guide Funded by HRSA, the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center recently published the Fluoride Varnish and Silver Diamine Fluoride Resource Guide to help health professionals and consumers learn more about these products to promote oral health and prevent oral disease. The guide provides descriptions of materials on data and surveillance, professional education and training, and public education.
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American Heart Month
February is American Heart Month. We’ll feature resources and learning opportunities throughout the month.
American Heart Month Partner Toolkit Uncontrolled high blood pressure, or hypertension, is dangerous and far too common. In fact, 1 of 3 adults in the U.S. has the condition. High blood pressure usually has no signs or symptoms, but it does have consequences. CDC’s Heart Health Month Toolkit contains social media messages, shareable graphics and tools, and resources and tools for clinicians and staff.
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Supporting Patients with High Blood Pressure Good provider-patient communication is essential to patient-centered care, especially when supporting patients with heart health risks. The CDC Million Hearts® initiative’s Visit Checklist for Supporting Patients with High Blood Pressure provides language to start patient conversations. It guides providers through establishing trust, sharing and explaining difficult information, and engaging in shared decision-making.
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Additional Resources
Optimizing EHRs for Tracking Referrals and Test Results ECRI Institute (on HRSA’s behalf) presents a webinar on using electronic health records (EHRs) and health information technology (HIT) to improve tracking and follow-up for patient referrals and test results. Jennifer Fabre, Chief Health Information Officer and Director of Quality and Risk Management at Teche Action Clinic (Louisiana), will share her organization’s efforts to improve referral tracking processes, including challenges encountered, lessons learned, and practical tips for other health centers and free clinics. ECRI Institute will also share results from work with health centers.
ECRI Institute’s Partnership for HIT Patient Safety provides resources on safe practices, including a closing-the-loop toolkit and implementation guide. Speakers will share resources during the webinar. ECRI Institute will offer the webinar at two times:
Tuesday, February 18 Noon-1:00 p.m. ET Register here
OR
Wednesday, February 19 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET Register here
Patient Safety Awareness Week: Achieving Safe and Reliable Health Care HRSA is hosting Dr. Allan Frankel, an internationally recognized expert in patient safety. He will discuss the socio-technical framework for promoting a culture of safety, effective leadership, and continuous learning. He will provide practical strategies for improving safety, focusing on teamwork, psychological safety, and accountability.
Tuesday, March 10 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET Join the webcast the day of the session Call-in: 888-795-3252 Passcode: 3284388
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Risk and Safety Resource Spotlight: Resources to Improve Diagnostic Test Tracking Processes Health centers should ensure that effective test tracking and communication strategies are in place in order to make timely diagnoses, initiate appropriate treatment, follow up on identified concerns, and provide high-quality care for patients. ECRI Institute’s Clinical Risk Management Program includes checklists, tools, and other resources to help:
All resources are free for health centers, look-alikes, free clinics, and Primary Care Associations. Contact ECRI Institute for access.
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Active People, Healthy NationSM Earlier this month, CDC released new maps using data from 2015-2018 that highlight geographic and racial/ethnic disparities in physical inactivity across the U.S. These data illuminate the efforts needed to increase physical activity. To address this issue, CDC has launched Active People, Healthy NationSM, to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027. Join this new initiative and promote it using these communication resources.
The Health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders Served at Health Centers: Uniform Data System 2018 Report The Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO, a HRSA-funded NCA) published a new report examining the current patient demographics and use of health centers serving Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. It also highlights the differences between these centers and the national average of all health centers in the U.S.
Training for New Clinical Directors New Chief Medical or Nursing Officers, Dental Directors, and Behavioral Health Directors should consider this training opportunity for continuing education and networking presented by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC, a HRSA-funded NCA). This is a pre-conference activity that will take place March 14-15, in conjunction with NACHC’s annual Policy and Issues Forum in Washington, DC. It will provide core knowledge and competencies that health center Clinical Directors need to function as effective managers, leaders, and advocates for their health centers and communities. Find out more.
2020 Western Forum for Migrant and Community Health The Northwest Regional Primary Care Association announces registration for the 2020 Western Forum for Migrant and Community Health, February 19-21, in Sacramento, CA. Join your colleagues in sessions focused on HHS priority topics, including chronic disease prevention and management, childhood obesity, mental health, substance use disorder, health workforce, emergency preparedness, SDOH, and policy and environmental updates related to the health of agricultural workers and their families. Learn more or register by Wednesday, February 12.
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