Today with Macrae, Health Center Patient Survey, and More! HRSA PHC Digest

A Newsletter from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)

HRSA BPHC Primary Health Care Digest

March 2, 2021

Today With Macrae

Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates
Join Jim to hear more about funding, COVID-19 vaccination, and other topics.

2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the session

If you prefer to join by phone: 833-568-8864.
When prompted, enter meeting/webinar ID: 161 317 0572.


Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Congratulations to the 2021 80% in Every Community National Achievement Awards Honorees
It’s Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month! As part of its annual observance, the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT) announced the 2021 80% in Every Community National Achievement Awards honorees, which include a HRSA-funded health center: Esperanza Health Centers (Chicago, IL). Esperanza raised its screening rates from 43% in 2015 to 80% in 2017—and they have stayed above 80% since.

Join NCCRT’s webcast to celebrate these and other national achievements and to hear the latest state of the field updates. Hear from the NCCRT co-chairs and speakers from CDC and the American Cancer Society.

Tuesday, March 16
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here


In This Issue

  • What’s New includes information about the 2021 Health Center Patient Survey.
  • COVID-19 includes direction on how providers may request reimbursement as they vaccinate those without insurance.
  • Behavioral Health includes a new funding opportunity from SAMHSA and new resources.

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Jump To:  COVID-19  |  Behavioral Health  |  HIV  |  Workforce  |  Telehealth  | 
                National Kidney Month
  |  Additional Resources


What's New

Feedback

2021 Health Center Patient Survey Data Collection Begins
The 2021 Health Center Patient Survey (HCPS) is underway. Most of the health centers that are participating in the 2021 HCPS have already been identified, and initial data collection has begun. Efforts are being made to maximize efficiencies, given health centers’ engagement in the COVID-19 pandemic response.

This survey, last conducted in 2014, provides HRSA with valuable data on patients’ experiences with the care and services they receive at health centers. While COVID-19 continues to present challenges, collecting data will be critical to understanding how the pandemic has impacted the country’s most medically underserved populations, and will provide a voice to the patient experience.


SBSS

Available Now: School-Based Service Sites Funding
HRSA released the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Health Center Program Service Expansion – School-Based Service Sites (SBSS, HRSA-21-093) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Technical assistance (TA) resources, including a webinar overview of the NOFO, are available on the SBSS TA webpage.

HRSA will host a question and answer session for applicants:

Tuesday, March 2
3:30-4:30 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session


Deadline Reminder: Service Area Competition Applications for September 1 Starts
FY 2021 Service Area Competition (SAC) HRSA-21-008 applications are due in HRSA's Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) by 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 18. TA materials are available on the SAC TA webpage.


FY 2020 Ending the HIV Epidemic – Primary Care HIV Prevention Tri-Annual Progress Report Due Soon
The third FY 2020 Ending the HIV Epidemic – Primary Care HIV Prevention (PCHP) tri-annual progress report opened yesterday in EHBs. Progress reports are due by Monday, March 15. Your progress report should cover the reporting period beginning Sunday, March 1, 2020, through Sunday, February 28. Find progress reporting TA resources on the PCHP TA webpage.


HRSA Seeks Health Center Patients to Share Thoughts and Opinions on Health
HRSA seeks English-speaking health center patients to participate in virtual discussions about health. Patient feedback will help HRSA create easy to understand health materials for everyone. We’ll hold 90-minute Zoom sessions in March and May. Participants will receive monetary payment. If you have patients who may be interested, please have them email Heidi Palacios or call (972) 503-3100 x407 by Monday, March 15.

Note: Not all who express interest will be able to participate, as we are aiming to speak with individuals representing a variety of backgrounds.


Updated Guidance on 2021 Marketplace Special Enrollment Period
HHS recently announced a Special Enrollment Period for individuals and families to enroll in health insurance coverage through the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Enrollment will be open through Saturday, May 15. Last week, CMS released technical guidance for Marketplace stakeholders, which includes FAQs. CMS also released a memo on the current schedule of planned maintenance.


Seeking Public Input on Clinical Algorithms That May Promote Bias in Medical Decision-Making
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality seeks public input on clinical algorithms used in medical practice that may introduce bias into decision-making or negatively affect access, quality, and health outcomes among racial and ethnic minority groups. Learn more or provide comments.


Anti-Trafficking Training
The Administration for Children and Families released the Core Competencies for Human Trafficking Response in Health Care and Behavioral Health Systems tool. This tool identifies core competencies that health care professionals can develop to best serve individuals who have experienced or are at risk of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.


Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 2021 Recommended Immunization Schedules


COVID-19

New Janssen Vaccine - Health Center COVID-19 Survey Update
This past weekend, the FDA granted emergency use authorization for the Janssen COVID-19 (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine. In turn, we want to share a related update for our weekly COVID-19 survey.

This new vaccine is a single-shot vaccination. Here is how you should report the numbers related to the various available vaccines:

  • Questions about “initiating” the vaccine should include only administration of the first shot for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine series. If you administered the Janssen vaccine, do not count doses administered for these questions. These are questions 15 and 17 (and 22, 24, and 26 in the addendum for Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program participants who received vaccine in the past week).

  • Questions about “completing” the vaccine should include administration of the Janssen vaccine, as well as administration of the second shot for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series. These are questions 16 and 18 (and 23, 25, and 27 in the addendum for Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program participants who received vaccine in the past week).

Thank you to those who complete the weekly survey! As a reminder, the survey you received on Friday, February 26, is due by 11:59 p.m. your local time today.


Special Populations Roundtable – Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program
Join several HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs) for a bi-weekly roundtable discussion about the COVID-19 vaccination rollout for special populations. Subject matter experts will convene every other Friday to provide health centers with updated information about the COVID-19 vaccine. They will respond to questions from health centers and other community partners. Health center participants will also be invited to join a moderated chat platform (Slack) for real-time peer discussion and Q&A.

Friday, March 12 | Friday, March 26 | Friday, April 9
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Speaker Series Webinar: Social Determinants of Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Join HRSA for an informative and timely webinar on the role of social determinants of health (SDOH) in the COVID-19 pandemic. The session will include an overview of the foundational science for SDOH, as well as a discussion about identifying effective integrative, multilevel approaches to improve health and address health inequities as part of the pandemic response. Dr. Shannon Zenk, Director of NIH’s National Institute on Nursing Research, will present.

Wednesday, March 31
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Reimbursement for COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Fees
Health centers, as you engage in efforts to support vaccine distribution, please consider HRSA’s COVID-19 claims reimbursement program for uninsured patients. Through this program, health care providers who have conducted COVID-19 testing or provided treatment for uninsured individuals with a primary COVID-19 diagnosis can request claims reimbursement. Providers can also request reimbursement for COVID-19 vaccine administration to the uninsured. See FAQs about the program.


Long-Term Services and Supports and COVID-19: Ensuring Access to Services
Hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures with support from HRSA, this webinar will highlight state policy options to enhance access to long-term services and supports and keep older adults and people with disabilities safe during the pandemic. These options include supporting the direct care workforce, allowing flexibility for in-home and community-based services delivery, and ensuring safety of nursing home residents.

Friday, March 5
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Tips for Board Chairs and Other Board Leaders during the COVID-19 Pandemic
This article from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) provides tips and ideas for board chairs, board officers, and committee chairs who may hold new or more involved leadership roles as the pandemic continues. NACHC is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.


Announcing the HHS Mask Distribution Program
On Wednesday, February 24, to support President Biden’s call to “mask up” for 100 days in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the White House announced a partnership between HHS and the Department of Defense to deliver free masks to HRSA-funded health centers and Health Center Program look-alikes. This initiative recognizes health centers as vital partners in community-based outreach efforts to reach vulnerable populations. Health centers and look-alikes will receive no-cost, high-quality, washable masks in child and adult sizes, packaged in pairs of two, for distribution to patients, staff, and community members. Read more in the bulletin we sent last week.


Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program
HRSA and CDC recently launched the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program to address health equity in vaccine delivery by providing a direct supply of COVID-19 vaccines to health centers who serve particularly hard-to-reach and disproportionately affected populations. The program has begun incrementally at select HRSA-funded health centers. As national vaccine supply increases, all HRSA-funded health centers and Health Center Program look-alikes will have the option to access vaccines through the program.

We have added a category to our COVID-19 FAQ webpage, Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program, which contains a dozen questions about the program. General FAQs about vaccine administration are available in the Vaccinations category. As a reminder, other COVID-19 resources on HRSA’s site include our coronavirus-related funding FAQ page and COVID-19 Information for Health Centers and Partners.


CDC Article Highlights Trends in Health Centers’ Telehealth Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Using data from 245 health centers that completed the voluntary weekly Health Center COVID-19 Survey, a new CDC article reviews trends in telehealth use, including by U.S. Census region and urban/rural classification, during a 20-week period. Study results underscore the need to sustain expanded telehealth use among health centers and to continue to address barriers to telehealth adoption, particularly in the south and rural areas.

For other articles about quality care delivered by health centers, visit our Health Center Library. For more information about survey results—including links to dashboards—visit our Health Center COVID-19 Survey page.


COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution: Health Center Resource Clearinghouse
The Health Center Resource Clearinghouse now includes a COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution page. This new page includes a peer-sharing opportunity where health centers, Primary Care Associations, and Health Center Controlled Networks can submit templates, manuals, or other resources. NACHC and other HRSA-funded NTTAPs add new resources daily. Learn more in NACHC’s Health Center Resource Clearinghouse COVID newsletter.


Coping with COVID-19: Trauma-Informed Care for Frontline Maternity and Pediatric/NICU Providers
Free continuing education credits are being awarded for a 1-hour online education program on providing trauma-informed care during the COVID pandemic. Credits are available for nurses, physicians, social workers, and marriage and family therapists. All others, including health care providers, community workers, and anyone working with birthing people and new parents will receive completion certificates. Giving Birth during the COVID-19 Pandemic and two other trainings were developed as part of the HRSA-funded Maternal Telehealth Access Project.


Behavioral Health

Funding Opportunity: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment
SAMHSA is accepting applications for FY 2021 Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) grants. The purpose of this program is to implement SBIRT services for children, adolescents, and/or adults in primary care and community health settings with a focus on screening for underage drinking, opioid use, and other substance use. SAMHSA plans to issue approximately 10 awards of up to $995,000 per year for up to 5 years. Learn more or apply now.


Telehealth

New Telebehavioral Health Care Best Practice Guide
HHS recently shared a new best practice guide on telehealth for behavioral health care. Behavioral health – like other areas of health care – has changed significantly due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. It is now easier for mental health providers to offer and be reimbursed for telebehavioral health services. Telehealth can also make behavioral health services safer and more private and convenient for patients who can access care from their home. Find resources in the telebehavioral health best practice guide on getting started, developing a strategy, billing, preparing patients, and more.


STAR2 Center Recruitment Boot Camp: Mental Health Edition
Building on the success of previous Recruitment Boot Camps, this learning collaborative will focus on the special considerations needed to recruit a diverse, mission-driven, and patient-centered mental health workforce. This boot camp will leverage the STAR2 Center’s expertise in recruitment and retention and provide real world examples through the facilitation provided by expert faculty Dr. Adijat Ogunyemi, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 13 years of health center experience. Apply by Friday, March 5. The STAR2 Center is part of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, which is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.


New Grant for Behavioral Health Training Programs
Looking for financial support to prepare behavioral health paraprofessionals through community-based trainings? HRSA is accepting applications for the FY 2021 Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals. The application closes on Monday, April 12. Download the NOFO.


HIV

The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS Meeting
The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS will hold its 70th full Council meeting next week. Learn more.

Monday, March 8, and Tuesday, March 9
2:00-5:00 p.m. ET each day
View the meeting via livestream


AHEAD Dashboard

Enhanced AHEAD Dashboard Now Available
Last week, HHS released an enhanced version of the America’s HIV Epidemic Analysis Dashboard (AHEAD). This online visualization tool tracks Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative data. The recent update allows you to filter national data, view updated HIV diagnoses and linkage to care data, and compare data across county-level EHE geographic areas. Read more about AHEAD and the latest enhancements.


Workforce

National Shortage Designation 2.0: Update Preview Auto-HPSA Portal Training
HRSA is updating all automatically designated Health Professional Shortage Area (Auto-HPSA) scores as part of the Shortage Designation Modernization Project (SDMP), also called National Shortage Designation 2.0, tentatively planned for summer of 2021.

Register now for a training session on Thursday, March 4, or Tuesday, March 9, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET to access your facility-specific Update Preview within the Auto-HPSA portal.


Several HRSA-funded NTTAPs present learning collaboratives:

  • SDOH Screening Tools for Public Housing Residents
    The National Center for Health in Public Housing will convene a learning collaborative that will guide participants through a range of evidence-based SDOH screening tools that are relevant for public housing residents. The learning collaborative will include five learning sessions. Each session will focus on a specific domain such as housing, health literacy, maternal and child health, and behavioral health. Apply now.

  • Building Capacity for Care Coordination Through PACE
    Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) promote safe community living for the growing population of older adults, many of whom have complex health needs and varying levels of social support. The National Center for Equitable Care for Elders offers a learning collaborative. Speakers and participants will discuss the features and benefits of this model within a health center context and explain the PACE provider application process. Apply by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, April 2.

  • Aligning the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse Structure and Diversifying Clearinghouse Resources to Meet Health Center Needs
    This NACHC learning collaborative focuses on how to align the Clearinghouse’s content and delivery with health centers’ specific needs. Participants will take a deep look into the Clearinghouse site and provide feedback and recommendations to make its resources more accessible and relevant for health center staff, leadership, and boards. Apply or learn more.

  • STAR2 Center Recruitment Boot Camp: Mental Health Edition
    See the announcement above.

HRSA Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program Funding
Does your institution want to increase the number of dental and dental hygiene faculty in the workforce? The HRSA Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program (DFLRP) wants to help! DFLRP funds institutions to create and manage a loan repayment program for individuals who serve as full-time dental and dental hygiene faculty.


New Grant for Behavioral Health Training Programs
See the announcement above.


Telehealth

CDC Article Highlights Trends in Health Centers’ Telehealth Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic
See the announcement above.


New Telebehavioral Health Care Best Practice Guide
See the announcement above.


March is National Kidney Month

National Kidney Month


37 million people in the U.S. have chronic kidney disease. The symptoms can be vague, which can cause a delay in early interventions that could prevent or delay the need for dialysis. Learn more about health care professionals’ role in educating colleagues and patients about risk, prevention, and management of chronic kidney disease. NIH's National Kidney Month Toolkit can help your health center raise awareness.


Additional Resources

Housing and LGBTQIA+ Older Adults: A Webinar Series
This two-part webinar series will explore the impact of housing as a SDOH, particularly for LGBTQIA+ older adults. It will explore multiple factors that can lead to increased challenges for LGBTQIA+ older adults when securing safe and stable housing. This webinar series is presented by several HRSA-funded NTTAPs: the National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center, the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council.

The one-hour sessions begin at 11:00 a.m. ET on:

Tuesday, March 16
Tuesday, March 23

Register for the series.


2021 Virtual Forum for Migrant and Community Health
The National Center for Farmworker Health, the Northwest Regional Primary Care Association, and the North Carolina Community Health Center Association, announce registration for the 2021 Virtual Forum for Migrant and Community Health, which will take place March 22-26. This free opportunity will include educational sessions on critical HHS priority topics, including diabetes prevention and treatment, emerging issues, COVID-19, mental health, HIV, SDOH, agricultural worker identification and increase to health care, among many others, with continuing education edits provided. Learn more or register now.


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Technical Assistance & Training

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Visit the training calendar to learn details about or register for events.

Through March 9

Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates
Tuesday, March 2
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the session
Or join by phone: 833-568-8864;
meeting/webinar ID: 161 317 0572

Patient-Centered Medical Home Office Hours: High Risk Populations
Hosted by the National Committee for Quality Assurance
Tuesday, March 2
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here

School-Based Service Sites Applicant TA Session
Tuesday, March 2
3:30-4:30 p.m. ET
Join the session

Responding to Child Victims of Trafficking
Hosted by the Administration for Children and Families
Wednesday, March 3
2:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
Call-in: 888-233-7142
Passcode: 769-5708

Integrated Primary and Behavioral Health Care Services and Value-Based Reimbursement
Hosted by a HRSA contractor
Wednesday, March 3
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
**1.0 CE credit available**

National Shortage Designation 2.0: Update Preview Auto-HPSA Portal Training
Thursday, March 4
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

OR

Tuesday, March 9
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Assessing Your Community Using the UDS Mapper
Thursday, March 4
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

FTCA Office Hours for Health Center Clinical Leaders
Hosted by NACHC, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Register here for either session

Thursday, March 4
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET

Thursday, April 22
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET

Long-Term Services and Supports and COVID-19: Ensuring Access to Services
Co-hosted with the National Conference of State Legislatures
Friday, March 5
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Upcoming

Engaging Community Health Workers in Emergency Response
Hosted by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Wednesday, March 10
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Creating Screening, Referral, and Service Delivery Workflows for a Medical-Legal Partnership
Hosted by the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Thursday, March 11
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Special Populations Roundtable – Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program
Hosted by several HRSA-funded NTTAPs
Friday, March 12
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Housing and LGBTQIA+ Older Adults: A Webinar Series
Hosted by several HRSA-funded NTTAPs: the National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center, the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council Register for the series

Tuesday, March 16
11:00 a.m.-noon ET

Tuesday, March 23
11:00 a.m.-noon ET

Understanding the Needs of Family Caregivers
Hosted by the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Tuesday, March 16
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here

March 2021 Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Webcast
Hosted by the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable
Tuesday, March 16
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Patient Safety Awareness Week Event: Becoming a High Reliability Organization
Hosted by HRSA in partnership with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Practitioner Data Bank, and the Indian Health Service
Wednesday, March 17
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here

MHP Salud: COVID-19 and CHWs Virtual Technical Assistance
Hosted by MHP Salud, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Thursday, March 18
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Get access information

2021 Virtual Forum for Migrant and Community Health
Hosted by The National Center for Farmworker Health (a HRSA-funded NTTAP), the Northwest Regional Primary Care Association, and the North Carolina Community Health Center Association
Monday, March 22-Friday, March 26
Learn more or register now

Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates
Tuesday, March 23
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Access details coming soon

Addressing Adolescent Relationship Abuse in School-Based Health Care
Hosted by the School-Based Health Alliance, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Wednesday, March 24
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

UDS Mapper Advanced Topic Webinar: UDS Mapper and Social Determinants of Health—Transportation
Friday, March 26
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Special Populations Roundtable – Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program 
Hosted by several HRSA-funded NTTAPs
Friday, March 26
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here

National FQHC Telehealth Training and TA Partners Roundtable
Hosted by the HRSA-funded National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers and NACHC, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Friday, March 26
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Speaker Series Webinar: Social Determinants of Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Wednesday, March 31
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Special Populations Roundtable – Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program
Hosted by several HRSA-funded NTTAPs
Friday, April 9
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Webinars are hosted by HRSA unless otherwise noted.