What's New
Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates As soon as it’s available, we will post the recording from last week’s Today with Macrae on the COVID-19 Information for Health Centers webpage.
In addition to the panel discussion on health equity, we shared updates including a reminder that progress reports for HRSA coronavirus funding are due in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) on Monday, October 12. The reporting module will open on Thursday, October 1. Find resources on the related TA webpages, accessible via the Program Opportunities webpage.
Save the date for these upcoming Today with Macrae sessions (all at 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET):
Thursday, October 1 Thursday, October 29 Tuesday, December 1
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Service Area Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity Released for June 1 Starts HRSA released the sixth fiscal year (FY) 2021 Service Area Competition (SAC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), HRSA-21-007. This NOFO announces service areas where the current award recipient is in a 1-year project period that ends May 31, 2021. Applications are due in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, November 16, and in EHBs by 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 17.
Current award recipients should refer to box 6 of the most recent Notice of Award to obtain their project period length and end date. TA materials are available on the SAC TA webpage.
Quarterly 340B Program Registration Quarterly 340B Program site registration is open from October 1 to 15. Health centers will be able to register a site that has been verified as implemented and with a site status reflected as “active” in EHBs Form 5B through Friday, November 27. After that date, the system will close to prepare for the January 1, 2021 start.
Email the 340B Prime Vendor Program or call 888-340-2787 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET) to register a new site or ask questions. You will need to provide the following information when calling:
- Health center name.
- Site/clinic name.
- Site IDs for all sites.
- HRSA/BPHC grant number.
- Contact name and email address.
- Authorizing official name and email address.
The authorizing official will receive an email message that the account is unlocked and a registration may be submitted.
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 session Call-in: 888-324-8110 Passcode: 9739800
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
HRSA’s Health Professions Education and Training Initiative: Readiness to Train Assessment Tool Survey Training Call HRSA’s Health Professions Education and Training (HP-ET) Initiative will enhance health centers’ capabilities to recruit, develop, and retain their workforce by exposing health and allied health professions students, trainees, and residents to education and training programs conducted at health centers.
The HP-ET Initiative will use the Readiness to Train Assessment Tool (RTAT™) developed by Community Health Center (CHC), Inc., a HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP), to help health centers assess and improve their readiness to engage in health professions training programs. CHC, Inc. is conducting a webinar for all health centers to learn more about the tool.
Wednesday, September 23 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET Register here
Following the webinar, the Primary Care Association (PCA) in your state will contact you with a link to take the RTAT™. Once you have your survey results, your PCA can help you develop a targeted strategic workforce plan that will include health professions trainings and pipeline programs that could meet the needs of your community, as well as offer training and TA to help you achieve your workforce goals.
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
Safely Deliver Flu Vaccines to Your Patients Due to COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to protect patients and communities from influenza. CDC is working to make sure patients can get vaccinated in a safe setting that minimizes risk of exposure to COVID-19 or other diseases. See their “Interim Guidance For Immunization Services During The COVID-19 Pandemic.”
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently updated its recommendations for prevention and control of seasonal flu with vaccines for the 2020-2021 flu season, recommending influenza vaccination of persons aged ≥6 months.
Rural Health Resources Roundup The Rural Health Resources Roundup is a series for health and human services organizations in rural communities. The series features 30‑minute, pre‑recorded sessions that focus on a specific topic and spotlight a HRSA program, resource, or new funding opportunity. Each session requires registration for access.
STI National Strategic Plan for Public Comment HHS coordinated development of the first-ever STI National Strategic Plan to address the nation’s sexually transmitted infections (STI) epidemic. They have published a Request for Information in the Federal Register to solicit input on the draft STI National Strategic Plan. HHS seeks input from a broad mix of stakeholders on whether the plan’s goals, objectives, and strategies appropriately address the STI epidemic and whether there are any critical gaps.
COVID-19
COVID-19 Clinical Trials Clinical trials are underway for both COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 treatments. Health centers can encourage participation by talking with patients and pointing them to reliable information.
Volunteers participate in clinical trials to help others and to contribute to moving science forward. NIH’s Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities provides resources to support these conversations with patients. Please encourage your patients to volunteer for a clinical trial today!
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Vaccine trials: NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recently formed the COVID-19 Prevention Network to respond to the global pandemic. They are now enlisting volunteers to participate in clinical trials to help find a vaccine.
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Treatment trials: NIH funds the ACTIV-2 Study to evaluate medications to improve the symptoms of COVID-19. If you have adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19, consider encouraging them to join this clinical trial.
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 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, 69% of health centers and 60% 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 18, 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:
- Does FTCA coverage apply to health center staff engaged in COVID-19 clinical research trials?
Other resources:
Adapting School Partnerships to Address Prediabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic The National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (NNCC) and the School-Based Health Alliance, both HRSA-funded NTTAPs, announce a new series for reducing diabetes risk in elementary school children through school partnerships ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes). The goal is to educate participants on the power of health centers and school partnership programs to address prediabetes risk factors in elementary school-aged children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants must commit to incorporating knowledge and skills from the training into their work. CME/CNE may be available. Sessions begin in October. Learn more or apply now.
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 (NHCHC), a HRSA-funded NTTAP, presents the second in their series featuring representatives from three Health Care for the Homeless health centers featured in NHCHC’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 (AAPCHO), Health Outreach Partners, MHP Salud, and NHCHC (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
NIH Funds Community Engagement Research Efforts in Areas Hardest Hit by COVID-19 NIH is funding community engagement research efforts in areas hardest hit by COVID-19, with a goal to quickly launch outreach efforts that help reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable populations. Learn more about this effort led by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Telehealth and Tobacco Cessation During COVID-19 Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. Individuals who smoke are at greater risk of a more severe case of COVID-19, should they contract it. The American Lung Association, a CDC Million Hearts® partner, shares the promising practice of using telehealth to encourage tobacco cessation, allowing health professionals to continue to address the ABCs of heart health. Listen to the podcast.
Substance Use Disorder & Mental Health
SAMHSA’s 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report Data Findings SAMHSA recently 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.
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
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.
STI National Strategic Plan for Public Comment See the announcement above.
Diabetes
National Diabetes Prevention Program Focus Group The National Center for Farmworker Heath, a HRSA-funded NTTAP, and the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists invite health center staff to participate in a focus group. You’ll be asked to share your experiences and unique needs related to delivering the CDC's National Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle change program. Your feedback will help the hosts improve workforce training and resources related to delivery of evidence-based health related programs. They are especially interested in how to improve access and engagement of agricultural workers and other special populations in these programs.
Thursday, September 24 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET Register here
National Diabetes Prevention Program: Lessons Learned for PCAs and Health Centers Last fall, AAPCHO and NNCC facilitated a national webinar and four-part learning collaborative for health center and PCA stakeholders. Now they invite you to hear federal updates from HRSA and CDC leaders, as well as lessons learned and diabetes prevention best practices for health center and PCA colleagues.
Wednesday, October 14 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET Register here
Adapting School Partnerships to Address Prediabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic See the announcement above.
Workforce
Employer Registration Closes This Week: HRSA's Virtual Job Fair HRSA’s Virtual Job Fairs are free online recruitment events that connect students and clinicians with health care delivery organizations.
Wednesday, October 7 6:45-10:15 p.m. ET
Employer registration: If you are a National Health Service Corps (NHSC)- or Nurse Corps-approved facility with open opportunities (CLOSES Friday, September 25).
Job seeker registration: If you are a health care professional seeking a career helping rural and underserved communities.
New Disciplines, Same Program: 2021 NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program HRSA has opened this year’s 2021 NHSC Students to Service (S2S) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) application cycle with new disciplines. Final-year nurse practitioner and certified nurse-midwife students are now also eligible. These students, along with current medical and dental students in their final year of school, can apply for awards of up to $120,000 in exchange for a three-year commitment providing primary care services at NHSC-approved sites. Review the 2021 NHSC S2S LRP Application and Program Guidance for more information on how to apply by the deadline: 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 5.
Telehealth
Telehealth for HIV Care: A Follow-Up Discussion See the announcement above.
Building the Plane While Flying It, Part 2: Health Care for the Homeless, Telehealth, and COVID-19 See the announcement above.
Telehealth and Tobacco Cessation During COVID-19 See the announcement above.
Rural Health Resources Roundup See the 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.
National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) is a time to celebrate the contributions and histories of the Hispanic and Latino community. HRSA highlights the generosity of Hispanic and Latino organ donors and raises awareness about the more than 22,000 Hispanics and Latinos waiting for a life-saving organ.
The success of a transplant is often greater when organs are matched between people of the same racial or ethnic background. So, the more of us who register, the better the chance that those on the waiting list will find the right match.
To sign up, visit www.organdonor.gov/register.html or donaciondeorganos.gov/r5r/inscribirse.html. Stay up-to-date and “Like” us on Facebook @Organdonor.gov and @Donaciondeorganos.gov.
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National Suicide Prevention Month
This month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness. See resources from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Additional Resources
Supporting Family Caregivers of Older Adults with Dementia A learning collaborative from the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders will focus on skill-building in supportive care approaches for older adult patients with dementia and their caregivers. Participants will also have access to a one-year membership to the Center to Advance Palliative Care’s full library of online training courses at no charge, including free continuing education credit. Sessions begin in October. Learn more and apply today.
Screening Methods and Using Outreach and Enabling Services to Address SDOH AAPCHO, Health Outreach Partners, MHP Salud, and NHCHC (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.
Avoiding Stalled Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) transformation is a rewarding process that requires a commitment of time and resources. It’s essential to stay on top of the process. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) shares tips for avoiding a stall in your transformation in their PCMH Toolkit for Health Centers. For example, create a timeline when you enroll and adjust it after each check-in, based on PCMH evaluator feedback. This will trigger next steps and new internal deadlines for your center to remain on track.
In case you missed it: Visit the Primary Health Care Digest archive.
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