What's New
Newly Released: 2020 Uniform Data System Approved Changes Program Assistance Letter
HRSA released the 2020 UDS Approved Changes Program Assistance Letter (PAL) to highlight changes to the Uniform Data System (UDS) for calendar year 2020 approved by the Office of Management and Budget.
Health Center Program awardees and look-alikes will use the reporting changes detailed in the approved PAL when reporting data beginning Friday, January 1, 2021. The 2020 UDS Manual will include additional details regarding these changes. Stay tuned to the Digest and the HRSA website for more details.
Updated Patient Targets Releasing Soon
Later this month, each Health Center Program award recipient will receive access to its updated patient target. We will send an email to the Authorizing Official and Project Director registered for each H80 award in EHBs. The message will include a direct link to the updated patient target and a response deadline for confirmations, questions, and adjustment requests. Look for additional information in future Digests.
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Congratulations to the 2020 80% in Every Community National Achievement Awards Health Center Honorees
The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable’s (NCCRT) 80% in Every Community National Achievement Awards recognize individuals and organizations who make a significant impact toward getting colorectal cancer screening rates of 80% and higher in communities across the nation. Two of this year’s honorees are HRSA-funded health centers. Congratulations to Norton Sound Health Corporation (AK) and North Hudson Community Action Corporation (NJ)! Read how they did it in the Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month section.
Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates Webcast
Save the date for the upcoming Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates webcast. (Formerly, the BPHC All-Programs webcast.)
Tuesday, March 24
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Webcast link coming soon
Submit a question in advance, by Friday, March 20
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Enabling Services: Improving Access to Care
Many patients of HRSA-funded health centers can benefit from enabling services that improve access to care. Using data from the 2014 Health Center Patient Survey and the UDS, HRSA researchers were able to link enabling services that address social determinants of health, such as transportation and health education, to increased use of routine care, and patient satisfaction. Learn more about this study and read other Health Center Program research articles.
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UPDATED Health Center Facility Loan Guarantee Program Instructions
The HRSA Health Center Facility Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) guarantees up to 80% of financing to support health center capital infrastructure projects for eligible Health Center Program awardees. A guarantee helps health centers access capital funding and reduce financing costs for alteration/renovation, construction or expansion efforts. The updated LGP instructions will assist health centers in applying for the program and offer prospective participants and lenders a comprehensive overview of program eligibility, process, and administrative and policy requirements. Send questions and/or requests for additional information to the LGP Team.
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.
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Substance Use Disorder & Mental Health
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Notice of Funding Opportunity
HRSA recently released the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) NOFO (HRSA-20-031). HRSA plans to award approximately 89 grants to rural communities as part of this funding opportunity. Applications are due by Friday, April 24, in Grants.gov.
Successful RCORP-Implementation award recipients will receive $1 million for a three-year period of performance to enhance and expand substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), service delivery in high-risk rural communities. They will implement a set of core SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery activities that align with HHS' Five-Point Strategy to Combat the Opioid Crisis.
HIV
Diabetes
HRSA Diabetes TA Site Visits
To support our Diabetes Quality Improvement Strategy, HRSA has allocated a limited number of diabetes targeted TA visits for this year. During each 1.5-day visit, consultants will assist health centers with developing and/or maximizing diabetes resources, systems, and capacity in order to improve diabetes prevention, monitoring, and treatment. No action plan is required for these visits. If you are interested in receiving on-site diabetes TA, contact Debra Bergen by Monday, March 16.
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 National Cooperative Agreements (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 this month.
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.
Attend an online Q&A session:
March 12, 19, 26, or April 2, 9, 16, 21
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET
Join a session
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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Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
We’re featuring resources and learning opportunities throughout the month.
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 (NCCRT) 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 CRC question in advance
Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures, 2020-2022
Colorectal cancer is third most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and women. It is the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women, and the second overall when men and women are combined. The American Cancer Society’s Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures, 2020-2022 report provides a comprehensive overview of colorectal cancer in the U.S., including statistics on colorectal cancer occurrence as well as information about risk factors, prevention, early detection, and treatment.
2020 80% in Every Community National Achievement Awards Health Center Honorees
As mentioned above, two HRSA-funded health centers are honorees in this year's NCCRT “80% in Every Community National Achievement Awards”:
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Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC), Alaska
NSHC serves 20 tribes in the Bering Strait region. Many communities are only accessible by airplane, and five villages do not have running water or sewer. The Alaska Native population served has significantly higher colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates compared with national averages. NSHC has been able to increase colorectal cancer screening rates from 7% in 2013 to 70.5% in 2019 by:
- Proactively identifying patients in need of screening.
- Providing stool tests with no out-of-pocket costs.
- Offering colonoscopy screening each month.
- Coordinating necessary arrangements including travel, housing, food, and escorts for patients.
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North Hudson Community Action Corporation (NHCAC), New Jersey
NHCAC, a certified Patient-Centered Medical Home, is the largest health center in New Jersey and serves over 86,000 predominately Hispanic/Latino patients. NHCAC reached an 84% screening rate in 2018 by implementing:
- Patient navigation.
- Patient and provider reminders.
- Reduced structural barriers (including transportation and client costs).
- Screening recommendations to eligible patients at all health center visits, including dental and behavioral health visits.
Additional Resources
Behind the Label with FDA: The First Major Update to the Nutrition Facts Label in Over Two Decades
Join HRSA Registered Dietitian Clinicians for a lunch and learn session with guest presenter Dr. Robin A. McKinnon from the FDA, who will provide information on the first major update to the Nutrition Facts Label in over two decades. Contact Bramaramba Kowtha with questions.
Thursday, March 19
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Join the webcast the day of the session
Call-in: 888-469-1606
Passcode: 6327121
Cultural Competency and Health Literacy Learning Collaborative
The National Center for Health in Public Housing, a HRSA-funded NCA, has identified a need for training on cultural competence and health literacy to improve service delivery for non-English-speaking patients. This learning collaborative will focus on addressing this need. Learn more and register before the first session on Wednesday, March 18.
Health Begins at Home: Integrating Public Health Nursing and Legal Services for Community Wellness
The National Nurse-led Care Consortium, a HRSA-funded NCA, offers a four-part learning collaborative that will explore the efficacy of evidence-based home visitation programs (including Nurse-Family Partnership and Parents As Teachers) for community health centers. Speakers will also provide an overview of the nursing-legal partnership model and describe its application in a variety of settings, including health centers. There is 1 CME/CNE credit available for each module (total of 4 CEs available). Learn more or register now.
National Quality Initiative to Improve School Health
The School-Based Health Alliance, a HRSA-funded NCA, invite states to apply to participate in a yearlong school-based health center Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network (CoIIN) focused on making measurable improvements in the health of students during the 2020-21 school year. Successful applicants will form a CoIIN team comprising both state and local partners, including at least five school-based health centers. Learn more or apply by Tuesday, March 31.
Analysis of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health Outcomes at Health Centers: UDS 2018 Report
This report, developed by the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO, a HRSA-funded NCA), examines the impact of chronic disease outcomes of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) at health centers. It highlights the similarities and differences between NHPI-, NH-, and PI-serving health centers to health centers in the continental U.S., Hawai’i, and the Pacific region. It aims to improve understanding of NHPI communities served by health centers, and to help identify priorities and opportunities to improve NHPI health.
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