What's New
Budget Period Progress Report for September 1 Starts
HRSA released the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Budget Period Progress Report (BPR) Non-Competing Continuation for award recipients with a September 1, 2020, budget period start date (5-H80-20-007). This includes health center award recipients that were look-alikes prior to the FY 2019 New Access Points awards.
Submissions are due in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) by 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, April 17. Technical assistance (TA) materials are available on the BPR TA webpage. Contact the BPR Response Team with questions.
Updated Resource for Health Centers Considering Mergers, Acquisitions, and Other Organizational Changes
HRSA has updated its TA resource (TAR) on Health Center Mergers, Acquisitions and Other Organizational Changes and Related Successor-in-Interest Requests. It provides information for Health Center Program awardees considering changes to their organizational structure, such as mergers or acquisitions, that may impact the status of their federal award. Additionally, the TAR provides specific guidance regarding when a prior approval request to HRSA for recognition of a new Health Center Program award recipient, also referred to as the “Successor-in-Interest” (SII), is necessary. The TAR also provides information on the review criteria, timeline, and process HRSA will utilize in making decisions regarding requests for recognition of a SII.
As a reminder, decisions regarding changes to a health center’s organizational or corporate status are the sole responsibility of the health center’s governing board. Related questions may be directed to your designated Grants Management Specialist and the BPHC Project Officer listed on your Notice of Award.
National Practitioner Data Bank
Did you know that you can query the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) on all types of health care practitioners , not just physicians and dentists? The definition of health care practitioner per the NPDB Guidebook is “an individual who is licensed or otherwise authorized by a State to provide health care services.” Get answers to frequent health center questions on the NPDB Health Center page.
Health Center Patient Survey
Your health center may be contacted by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) to assist with recruiting patients to participate in the Health Center Patient Survey. Direct questions to Health Center Program Support online or at 877-464-4772, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday (except federal holidays).
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2020 Centering Implementation Awards
In 2018, Centering Healthcare Institute (CHI) launched a plan to expand access to the Centering model of group health care in communities where group care can have the greatest impact. They developed a program offering free implementation support and facilitation training to eligible sites—primarily in health centers.
CHI is awarding these services to up to 50 sites on a rolling basis in 2020. Qualified sites can get up to two years of free services to start Centering Pregnancy group prenatal care or Centering Parenting group pediatric care. These awards address the financial barrier to starting Centering that face many centers in resource-limited communities. Learn more and apply now.
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 2020 Recommended Immunization Schedules
Substance Use Disorder & Mental Health
Opportunities from The HRSA Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Technical Assistance (TA)
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New Virtual Clinical Case Conferencing Modules
Participate in weekly virtual clinical case conference sessions. We will use the Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) model to present patient cases for clinical feedback from expert faculty and peers.
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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
Promising Practices on Addressing Stigma and HIV in Primary Care Settings
Experts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the HRSA-funded Southeast AIDS Education Training Center will discuss various forms of stigma and how it impacts patient outcomes. They will also share stigma reduction resources to assist health centers providing services to people living with HIV.
Thursday, March 5
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Diabetes
New Diabetes Data Available
CDC’s “National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020” provides the state of diabetes in the U.S. through analyses of the most recent health data on diabetes and related complications. The main findings include: 34.2 million Americans (1 in 10) have diabetes, and 88 million American adults (1 in 3) have prediabetes. The report discusses health complications, risk factors, mortality rates, and costs.
Workforce
HRSA’s National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program Application Opens
HRSA’s National Health Service Corps (NHSC) opened its application for all three loan repayment programs:
The application closes Thursday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Eligible clinicians providing primary medical, dental, or behavioral health care services or evidence-based SUD treatment can qualify for loan repayment up to $50,000 for the NHSC LRP, up to $75,000 for the NHSC SUD Workforce LRP, and up to $100,000 for the Rural Community LRP. Learn more about eligible disciplines, site types, and service commitment.
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American Heart Month
It’s American Heart Month. We’re featuring resources and learning opportunities throughout the month.
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TODAY: Participate in an Interactive Virtual Town Hall on Resistant Hypertension
Learn about factors that contribute to resistant hypertension and evidence-based options for treatment and control. Join other health centers during the interactive portion to share experiences and ask questions about treating patients with this condition.
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Addressing Hard-to-Control Hypertension: Let Us Count the Ways
Tuesday, February 25
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Register here
The M.A.P to Improving Blood Pressure Control
Successfully controlling and managing high blood pressure requires a consistent combination of actions. The American Medical Association, in partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine, have developed M.A.P. Checklists to help clinicians maintain consistency. M.A.P. stands for:
- Measure accurately.
- Act rapidly.
- Partner with patients, families, and communities.
Download the checklists from AHRQ’s site and share with your clinical team and patients.
Understanding Heart Health Recognitions for Health Centers
- HRSA Million Hearts badge
- HRSA National Quality Leader – Heart Health badge
- CDC Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Champions
Each of these distinctions applauds excellence in quality improvement and management of the heart health of patients. But what are the differences between these recognitions?
In 2019, HRSA used three CMS electronic-specified clinical quality measures (eCQMs) to determine eligibility for the two distinctions we issue. To be eligible for a heart badge, a health center needed to report in its Uniform Data System (UDS) submission:
- At least 80% of adult patients screened for tobacco use and receiving cessation intervention/counseling.
- At least 80% of adult patients with Ischemic Vascular Disease (IVD) receiving aspirin therapy.
- At least 80% of adult patients with hypertension having their blood pressure controlled (< 140/90 mmHg).
To receive a National Quality Leader – Heart Health badge, health centers needed to reach 80% on all three measures and meet two additional criteria (see below).
For their Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Champion recognition, CDC uses only the third of these eCQMs (hypertension control).
Here are the full eligibility criteria:
 Earning any of these recognitions is an impressive achievement. Here are the numbers of health centers that received each award last year:
- Million Hearts badges: 38 health centers
- National Quality Leader – Heart Health badges: 22 health centers
- CDC Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Champions: 5 HRSA-funded health centers recognized
Congratulations to Esperanza Health Centers in Chicago, IL, and Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa, Inc., in West Burlington, IA, for receiving all three of these distinctions in 2019!
Check your health center data page to see what badges HRSA awarded to your health center. Questions? Contact Health Center Program Support online or by phone (877-464-4772).
Additional Resources
Reaching 80%: A Health Center Discussion on Colorectal Cancer Screening
Our next interactive session in HRSA’s Data for Decision-Making Speaker Series focuses on practices for improving colorectal cancer screening rates. Learn from NOELA Community Health Center (New Orleans, LA), winner of The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable's grand prize 80% by 2018 National Achievement Award in 2019. NOELA dramatically increased its colorectal cancer screening rate from 3% in 2012 to 80% in 2018.
Thursday, March 26
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Submit a colorectal cancer question in advance.
Teen Pregnancy in the Hispanic Population Living in Public Housing: The Importance of Prevention
The National Center for Health in Public Housing, a HRSA-funded National Cooperative Agreement (NCA), presents a new learning collaborative that will explore the role of Community Health Workers in teen pregnancy initiatives for the Hispanic population living in public housing. Learn more or register.
Learning Collaborative: Adverse Interpersonal Relationships in Older Adults
Incidents of elder mistreatment, abuse, and neglect often go undetected by clinical and support staff, despite estimates that 1 in 10 adults over age 60 have experienced some form of abuse. The National Center for Equitable Care for Elders, a HRSA-funded NCA, offers a learning collaborative to help health center staff understand:
- Elder abuse.
- Consequences of adverse interpersonal relationships in populations aging in place at home as well as in residential facilities.
- Perpetration of abuse by family members and domestic partners.
Register now or learn more.
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