What's New
Integrated Behavioral Health Services Year 2 Awards
HRSA awarded Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) year 2 funding with the FY 2020 Quality Improvement Awards (QIA) through a single Notice of Award (NoA). Here’s how you can determine how much funding you may have received for each award:
- Visit the FY 2020 QIA awards page to see if you received QIA funding and, if so, how much you received.
- Subtract your QIA amount from the total amount awarded in the NoA (as noted in box 12e) to determine your IBHS second year of funding amount.
If you have any questions related to your funding, please contact your assigned Grants Management Specialist. Additionally, please be certain to review all terms included on the NoA to understand the specific requirements and expectations for the FY 2020 QIA and IBHS funding.
FY 2020 Expanding Capacity for Coronavirus Testing Progress Reporting Session for Look-Alikes
HRSA will host a progress report session to provide guidance for Look-Alike Expanding Capacity for Coronavirus Testing (LAL ECT) recipients to respond to their first quarterly progress report due Monday, October 12. The reporting module opens in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) on Thursday, October 1. Progress report resources, including details of requirements, are available on the LAL ECT TA web page.
Tuesday, September 15
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
Call-in: 888-709-9420
Passcode: 4920680
FY 2021 Service Area Competition EHBs User Guide
The FY 2021 Service Area Competition (SAC) applicant EHBs user guide is now available. Find it, along with other resources, on the SAC TA webpage.
Live Question & Answer Session: Health Center Facility Loan Guarantee Program
Join us for a live session to answer your questions and get more information about the Health Center Facility Loan Guarantee Program (LGP). Please review the recorded webinar overview of the HRSA Health Center Facility Loan Guarantee Program, the application process, and other resources available on HRSA’s website prior to the live session.
Tuesday, September 22
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
Call-in: 888-995-9723
Passcode: 9739800
Deadline Reminder: Service Area Competition Applications for April 1 Starts
Service Area Competition (SAC) HRSA-21-005 applications are due in:
- Grants.gov: Monday, September 14, by 11:59 p.m. ET.
- EHBs: Thursday, October 15, by 5:00 p.m. ET.
TA materials are available on the SAC TA webpage.
Preparing Health Centers for the Future – Precision Medicine Research
For two years, 46 HRSA-funded health centers have partnered with NIH’s-All of Us Research Program to Advance Precision Medicine, and now they have a story to tell:
- Over 200,000 patients and community members reached.
- More than a 26% increase in patient portal registration.
- Over one million health records shared with researchers.
The goal of this partnership was to support the acceleration of health research and medical breakthroughs that will enable individualized prevention, treatment, and care, by contributing to the development of the most diverse health database in history.
Health centers have played a critical role in achieving this goal by performing patient and community outreach, education, and health information technology (HIT) optimization. Join a webinar to hear from them. They will share their experience and suggest how your health center can prepare and position itself to participate in future precision medicine research opportunities.
HRSA Advancing Precision Medicine Effort and Lessons Learned Overview
Thursday, September 10
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Register here
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Increasing Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Residents in Public Housing: Launching an HHS-HUD Initiative
The Flu Linkages to End Access Disparities (Flu LEAD) pilot project is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), HRSA, and the Ambulatory Team of the COVID-19 Healthcare Resilience Working Group—the HHS-coordinated response to COVID-19.
The project’s goal is to increase influenza vaccination coverage among residents of HUD-assisted communities and improve community health and resiliency by fostering partnerships between HUD-assisted communities and local HRSA-funded health centers. Join the initiative leads for a webinar launching the pilot project.
Tuesday, September 15
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Reporting Visits in the Uniform Data System
This TA session will provide detailed information on what counts as a visit in the Uniform Data System (UDS) (in-person and virtual), how a visit defines a patient, common questions around reporting visits, telehealth, and what we learned from reporting virtual visits and the selected service addendum in 2019.
Wednesday, September 16
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here
Health Care Use, Cost, and Quality for Medicaid Beneficiaries - A Data for Decision-Making Speaker Series Webinar
Join HRSA for an informative webinar focused on exploring potential differences in the care and cost for patients receiving care by health centers and patients receiving primary care in other settings. The work draws on national Medicaid claims data and examines special populations such as pediatric patients and individuals experiencing opioid use disorders.
Thursday, September 17
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates
The upcoming Today with Macrae will include speakers from health centers and Primary Care Associations:
BPHC REACH and Health Equity Panel Discussion
Thursday, September 17
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Access details coming soon
Need a refresher on BPHC REACH? Review the slides from the June 29 Today with Macrae.
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Funding Opportunity for Rural Health Network Development Planning
HRSA recently released the notice of funding opportunity for the Rural Health Network Development Planning Program (Network Planning) (HRSA-21-021). HRSA plans to award 20 grants to rural communities as part of this funding opportunity. Read more.
COVID-19
Deadline for COVID-Related Provider Relief Fund Extended to Sunday, September 13
Providers participating in state programs for Medicaid, Medicaid managed care, Children's Health Insurance Program, dental providers, and certain Medicare providers may still apply for emergency funding related to the pandemic. Learn more.
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials
NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) formed the COVID-19 Prevention Network to respond to the global pandemic. They are now enlisting volunteers to participate in clinical trials. Health centers can encourage participation by talking with patients and pointing them to reliable information about clinical trials.
The COVID-19 Prevention Network’s website includes:
Please share these resources with your patients and encourage them to consider joining a nearby trial.
Reminder: Survey Deadline Change
Due to Labor Day, we extended the deadline for the weekly COVID-19 survey. We also adjusted the deadline in response to your feedback and to make it easier for respondents in all time zones.
The survey you received on Friday, September 4, is due by 11:59 p.m. your local time tomorrow (Wednesday, September 9).
Questions on how to complete the survey? Check out our User Guide. As always, thank you to all of the health centers and look-alikes that complete these weekly surveys!
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FAQs
We continually update our COVID-19 FAQs webpage. Other resources:
Unique Challenges for Agricultural Workers During COVID-19
Farmworker Justice, Health Outreach Partners, Migrant Clinicians Network, and the National Center for Farmworker Health (all HRSA-funded NTTAPs) present a learning collaborative to explore emerging issues affecting agricultural workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be four sessions, each focusing on one topic to better meet the unique challenges of this population during the pandemic and its aftermath. Topics include leveraging the expertise of community health workers, patient engagement strategies like telehealth, and strategic outreach practices. Sessions begin in October. Register now.
Identifying the Enabling Services Workforce for Social Determinants of Health Screening and Documentation
The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Health Outreach Partners, MHP Salud, and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (all HRSA-funded NTTAPs) invite you to join this webinar and explore strategies to screen special and vulnerable populations for social determinants of health (SDOH) and build effective practices to begin addressing SDOH through enabling services. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, this training will highlight the critical importance for enabling service providers to collect social risk data among health center patients.
Wednesday, September 30
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
National Recovery Month
This is an observance held every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with mental and substance use disorders to live healthy and rewarding lives. Now in its 31st year, Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those living in recovery. |
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Building the Nation’s Peer Recovery Support Services Infrastructure
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy invites health centers and health center partners to a webinar highlighting the federal, state, and community-based initiatives underway to build a peer recovery support services infrastructure nationwide.
Monday, September 21
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Register by Friday, September 18
SAMHSA’s 2020 National Recovery Month Webinar Series
Webinar topics include supported employment, communities of recovery, and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. Learn more.
HIV
Ending the HIV Epidemic: USPSTF HIV Recommendations and PrEP Resources for Health Centers
Learn about the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s (USPSTF’s) Final Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Recommendations and PrEP implementation guidelines, as well as resources from The National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center, a HRSA-funded NTTAP. Experts will share the latest guidelines and recommendations for HIV screening and PrEP prescribing practices for HIV-negative patients that may be at risk for contracting HIV.
Thursday, September 17
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Diabetes
Childhood Diabetes Prevention Learning Collaborative
Farmworker Justice, Health Outreach Partners, and the School-Based Health Alliance (all HRSA-funded NTTAPs) invite you to join a learning collaborative aimed at improving diabetes prevention in children of migratory and seasonal agricultural workers. Sessions begin in October. Learn more and register by Friday, September 25.
Workforce
STAR2 Center 2020 Recruitment Boot Camp
The Association for Clinicians for the Underserved's* STAR2 Center invites health center workforce staff to join a 2020 Recruitment Boot Camp and complete an overhaul of their recruitment process. This “back to basics” boot camp will guide the cohort through mix of webinars, discussions, and projects to update recruitment processes and lay the groundwork for additional workforce planning. Learn more and apply for the learning collaborative by Tuesday, September 22.
*The Association for Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
STAR2 Center Sessions at ACU Virtual Conference
Join the STAR2 Center for two free sessions as part of the 2020 ACU Virtual Conference. These sessions will inform participants about the important role of a Chief Workforce Officer and connect attendees with tools and resources to bolster their workforce programming. Learn more.
Chief Workforce Officers – Who, What, When and WHY?
Friday, September 18
11:00 a.m.-noon ET
Join the day of the session
Utilizing the STAR2 Center to Build and Sustain a Strong Health Center Workforce
Friday, September 18
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
Deadline Approaching: Your Input Needed!
HRSA recently published two Requests for Information (RFI). We will collect feedback on the areas of consideration outlined in the RFIs, as well as more general feedback or suggestions, through Friday, September 18.
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Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Scoring Criteria RFI:
HRSA seeks public input and feedback to inform policy considerations related to changes to HPSA scoring criteria and on possible additions or alternative approaches to HPSA scoring, as well as to solicit additional ideas and suggestions.
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Maternity Care Health Professional Target Area Criteria RFI:
HRSA seeks public input and feedback to inform policy considerations related to the establishment of criteria for Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas and to solicit additional ideas and suggestions related to the RFI’s topic areas.
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Telehealth
Teledentistry Learning Collaborative
The National Network for Oral Health Access, a HRSA-funded NTTAP, invites health centers to participate in a virtual learning collaborative on teledentistry. The goal is to increase access to oral health services through synchronous teledentistry by using more efficient practice systems, patient engagement, provider recruitment/retention, and clinical improvements. Apply by noon on Friday, September 18.
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.
Additional Resources
Addressing Sickle Cell Disease in America: A Blueprint for Action
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will release a new report later this week outlining an action plan and strategies for addressing the care and treatment of people with sickle cell disease—a life-threatening, inherited blood disorder affecting more than 100,000 Americans. The report will make recommendations on transitions from pediatric to adult care; research innovations, particularly gene-editing approaches; and the role of patient groups and community-based organizations.
Members of the committee that wrote the report will present their findings and recommendations during a webinar:
Thursday, September 10
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Centering Health Equity in Health and Housing Partnerships in Times of Crisis and Beyond
This new publication from the Corporation for Supportive Housing, a HRSA-funded NTTAP:
- Provides background on factors that drive racial and ethnic inequities in health and housing, which become even more apparent in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Explores the approach of centering equity—prioritizing an explicit focus on eliminating inequities experienced by Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, and people from other marginalized groups—and its importance, especially in times of crisis.
- Provides recommendations on how health and housing system partners can center racial equity in their work together to advance health equity.
Addressing SDOH is Vital to the Patient-Centered Medical Home Model
Health centers are already working to reduce health disparities in their communities by considering the impact of SDOH on their patients. The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) program supports this goal by helping centers identify, assess, and address SDOH. Once specific SDOH are recognized, the PCMH model helps centers identify and manage patients who may benefit from a more comprehensive model of care that uses focused outreach.
To learn more about how PCMH recognition can help improve quality of patient care through SDOH assessment, visit the National Committee for Quality Assurance PCMH Toolkit for Health Centers.
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