|
Health centers are well-positioned to play an important role in delivering critical services and assisting local communities during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We appreciate all you are doing to address the outbreak, particularly among the nation’s most vulnerable individuals and families.
We will send additional bulletins regularly as we have new information available.
Health Center COVID-19 Information Collection
HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced today that health centers are being asked to begin filling out a twice-weekly survey to help track the number of patients who have undergone testing at each health center, along with other critical information about health center operations during the pandemic. Secretary Azar said, “Health centers are on the frontlines of providing accessible, affordable care in many of our communities, and health centers have been and will be playing a vital role in the COVID-19 response.” HRSA Administrator Tom Engels said, “This announcement is a strong step to making sure we know what health centers are going through so HRSA can do all we can to support them as they take on the task of responding to COVID-19.”
Each health center will receive an electronic, easy-to-use survey twice a week via email (reducing the need for telephonic, email, or other methods of gathering critical COVID-19 related information), on Monday and Thursday afternoons. The first survey, with instructions, will be sent tomorrow, March 19.
HRSA will use the information collected to assess health centers’ needs throughout the COVID-19 response, to share critical information related to testing, cases, and impacts at health centers, and to better understand training and technical assistance, funding, and other resource needs.
This effort was made possible by a Paperwork Reduction Act waiver granted under the public health emergency declared by Secretary Azar in late January. The HRSA paperwork reduction waiver follows other HHS actions to reduce regulatory burdens to support the COVID-19 response.
FAQs will be forthcoming at Health Center Program COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). If you have questions, please contact your Project Officer or Health Center Program Support. Thank you for your participation in this important information-gathering effort.
Questions?
If you have questions about the Health Center Program and COVID-19, please contact 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). If you use the online form, select “Coronavirus Inquiries (COVID-19)” as the issue type.
Links
|
Sign up for eNews
Connect with HRSA
