What's New
Deadline Reminder: Service Area Competition Applications for March 1 Starts
Service Area Competition (SAC) HRSA-21-004 applications are due in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) by 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 24. TA materials are available on the SAC TA webpage.
Capital Assistance for Disaster Response and Recovery Efforts Post-Award Question & Answer Session
HRSA recently awarded over $79 million in construction and other capital support to 165 HRSA-funded health centers. The Capital Assistance for Disaster Response and Recovery Efforts (CADRE) funding will help ensure access to high-quality health care services for communities impacted by disasters and increase health center capacity to respond to and recover from past and future emergencies. Visit the CADRE TA page for resources.
HRSA will host a webinar to assist CADRE award recipients with the requirements of the funding.
Wednesday, September 23
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
Call-in: 888-942-8162
Passcode: 8928279
Proposed Updates to the Service Area Needs Assessment Methodology and Unmet Need Score
Join us for a webinar to learn about proposed updates to the Service Area Needs Assessment Methodology and the Unmet Need Score (UNS). We used the initial UNS in the 2019 New Access Points funding opportunity to quantify unmet need for preventive and primary care services in proposed service areas. For more background information, visit our Strategic Initiatives webpage.
The webinar will provide an overview of the initial UNS and proposed updates for the next version of the UNS, including possible measure additions and deletions and other modifications based on feedback from stakeholders. The session will also provide stakeholders with an opportunity to ask questions and share feedback.
Wednesday, September 30
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
Call-in: 888-282-9633
Passcode: 2271888
FY 2020 Expanding Capacity for Coronavirus Testing Progress Reporting Session for Look-Alikes
HRSA will host a progress report session to provide guidance for fiscal year (FY) 2020 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 EHBs on Thursday, October 1. Progress report resources, including details of requirements, are available on the LAL ECT TA web page.
TODAY
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Join the session
Call-in: 888-709-9420
Passcode: 4920680
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.
TODAY
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
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. 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: 888-324-8110
Passcode: 9739800
HHS Releases Rural Action Plan
HHS recently released the Rural Action Plan, the first HHS-wide assessment of rural health care efforts in more than 18 years and the product of HHS’s Rural Task Force, a group of experts and leaders across the department first put together by Secretary Azar in 2019.
The plan outlines existing and upcoming federal activities to improve care in rural communities. It examines the key challenges facing rural communities and lays out a four-point strategy to transform rural health and human services: 1) build a sustainable health and human services model for rural communities; 2) leverage technology and innovation; 3) focus on preventing disease and mortality; and 4) increase rural access to care.
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COVID-19
COVID-19 Treatment Clinical Trials
We recently asked you to encourage your patients to consider volunteering for clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines. There are also clinical trials for COVID-19 treatments for which your patients may be eligible.
There are no proven treatments for people who have symptomatic COVID-19 but are not sick enough to be in the hospital. To try to change that, NIH funds The ACTIV-2 Study, which is conducted by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group.
If you have adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19, consider encouraging them to join this clinical trial. The trial website includes helpful information:
Health Center Survey on COVID-19 – We Want to Hear from You
Have you completed this week’s survey to help us understand your needs and how we can help? Your feedback will help us provide you with the information and resources most relevant to your health center’s needs in the fight against COVID-19. Thank you for continuing to share your invaluable insight!
Last week, 68% of health centers and 61% of Health Center Program look-alikes submitted data through the weekly COVID-19 survey. Please help us boost that percentage this week by completing your survey today!
Please note: In response to your feedback, we recently made a change to the deadline to make it easier for respondents in all time zones. The survey you received on Friday, September 11, is due by 11:59 p.m. your local time today.
Questions on how to complete the survey? Check out our User Guide.
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FAQs
We continually update our COVID-19 FAQs webpage. We recently added a new question:
- What changes have been made to the Operational Site Visit (OSV) process?
Other resources:
Thank You for Helping Kids Catch-Up!
If you missed it, see our bulletin highlighting your stories of how you helped kids catch up on important immunizations.
Finance Office Hours for Health Centers: Strategies for Managing COVID-19
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and its partners have joined forces to provide timely information and resources to support health centers through this challenging time. Topics will address real-time challenges based on health center input and feedback. NACHC is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
Wednesday, September 16
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Additional dates: Wednesday, November 18, and Wednesday, December 16. Submit questions in advance to trainings@nachc.org.
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.
Building the Plane While Flying It, Part 2: Health Care for the Homeless, Telehealth, and COVID-19
The National Health Care for the Homeless Council, a HRSA-funded NTTAP, presents the second in their series featuring representatives from three Health Care for the Homeless health centers featured in the Council’s recent publication on telehealth. During this interactive conversation, they will outline how to engage clients through telehealth to enhance the experience, develop low-literacy messaging, and engage clients with limited or no access to internet or broadband services.
Tuesday, September 29
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
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
Substance Use Disorder & Mental Health
SAMHSA’s 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report Data Findings
Last week, SAMHSA released the latest data findings from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). It provides estimates of the use of illegal substances, prescription drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, as well as mental disorders, treatment, and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders in the United States. NSDUH data also help to identify the extent of substance use and mental illness among different sub-groups; estimate trends over time; and determine the need for treatment services.
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
Telehealth for HIV Care: A Follow-Up Discussion
This webinar is part of HRSA’s Telehealth Learning Webinar Series. The series’ goal is to highlight successful projects/best practices as well as resources to promote and further the use of telehealth technologies for health care delivery, education, and health information services.
Tuesday, September 29
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
**1.0 CME available**
Participants in this webinar will:
- Understand how telehealth is transforming access to quality care and treatment for people with HIV during COVID-19.
- Gain a deeper understanding of the telehealth technical resources available to care for HIV.
- Identify opportunities to leverage existing resources and infrastructure development to support the extension of telehealth services.
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 a 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.
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
Telehealth
Telehealth for HIV Care: A Follow-Up Discussion
See announcement above.
Building the Plane While Flying It, Part 2: Health Care for the Homeless, Telehealth, and COVID-19
See announcement above.
Health Information Technology, Evaluation, and Quality Highlights: Telehealth Considerations and Strategies for Special and Vulnerable Populations
This webinar will focus on strategies to reach and serve special and vulnerable populations using telehealth. Special and vulnerable populations include migratory and seasonal agricultural workers, older adults, people experiencing homelessness, people with limited English proficiency, and rural communities with limited access to broadband. We will share how telehealth promotes health equity and increases overall access to quality health care for special and vulnerable populations.
Thursday, October 15
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
This webinar is presented through a partnership of four HRSA-funded NTTAPs: the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders, the National Center for Farmworker Health, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, and the Health Information Technology, Evaluation, and Quality (HITEQ) Center.
Additional Resources
Screening Methods and Using Outreach and Enabling Services to Address SDOH
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 health centers and look-alikes to explore effective strategies to screen for SDOH and build effective practices to address SDOH through the provision of outreach and enabling services, especially during times of crisis. This learning collaborative begins in early October. Learn more or apply by Wednesday, September 30.
Possibilities, Probabilities and Creative Solutions Training
This training opportunity from NACHC is in partnership with the American College of Healthcare Executives. This highly interactive seminar (presented over three consecutive Mondays in October and November) will offer non-traditional approaches to health center leadership that can help spur the innovative thought needed to achieve better organizational results. Participants will learn approaches for overcoming staff member objections and techniques for stopping problems before they become even bigger ones.
Continuing education credit is available. NACHC offers a discounted registration fee for health center staff. Register by Friday, October 9, for an additional $100 discount.
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