What's New
Fiscal Year 2019 Integrated Behavioral Health Services Staffing Impact Form Due Monday, May 3
For health centers that reported less than 0.5 FTE in their January 2020 Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) progress report, HRSA extended the due date of the 0.5 FTE requirement by 12 months (to Friday, April 30, 2021). By that date, IBHS recipients are to have added a total of 0.5 FTE in substance use disorder and/or mental health personnel.
Health centers are required to report this in an IBHS Staffing Impact Form. For health centers who have not yet reported their status on the staffing requirement, the form is available in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) for submission by Monday, May 3. Health centers that must complete this final submission will receive email reminders from EHBs. Find more information on the IBHS technical assistance webpage.
Quarterly 340B Program Registration
Quarterly 340B Program site registration is open from April 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, May 28. After that date, the system will close to prepare for the July 1 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.
TOMORROW! Patient Safety Awareness Week Event: Becoming a High-Reliability Organization
Please join HRSA and other federal partners for a special program in honor of Patient Safety Awareness Week. The speaker will discuss high-reliability organizing as the next wave of innovation in keeping patients safe. She will cover the fundamentals of high reliability, helping health care organizations learn how they can operationalize these concepts.
Wednesday, March 17
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here
Federal Panel Discussion on Rural Health
HRSA’s Office of Regional Operations, in partnership with the New England Rural Health Association, invites you to an interactive facilitated federal panel discussion featuring speakers from HRSA and several other HHS agencies. Dr. Marcia Brand, former HRSA Deputy Administrator, will lead and moderate an engaging opportunity to learn about government resources, current priorities, and new and exciting upcoming initiatives. The event will include informal breakout sessions with panelists, for the audience to interact one-on-one with experts. Learn more about the event.
Thursday, March 25
Noon-1:30 p.m. ET
Register here (requires free registration)
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
COVID-19
New and Updated FAQs
With the recent expansion of the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program to 700 additional health centers, we have made updates and additions to the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program section of our COVID-19 FAQ webpage.
General FAQs about vaccine administration are available in the Vaccination section, including a new question:
Are health centers required to assess eligibility for sliding fee discounts for patients and others presenting for COVID-19 vaccination?
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.
HHS Mask Distribution Program Update
Consistent with President Biden’s national strategy to defeat COVID-19, the Department of Defense, in partnership with HHS, will deliver free masks to HRSA-supported health centers and Health Center Program look-alikes. The mask delivery timeframe has been updated to begin by late April.
Health centers who want to opt out can still do so by contacting Health Center Program Support online or via phone at 877-464-4772, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday (except federal holidays).
Weitzman ECHO Series on COVID-19
The Weitzman Institute presents a weekly webinar series focusing on COVID-19 vaccine administration for health centers. Sessions cover policies, procedures, roles and responsibilities, and different approaches for organizing vaccination events. These webinars take place on Wednesdays at noon for the next six weeks. Learn more or register now. The Weitzman Institute is part of Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC), a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
Mitigating Burnout and Maintaining Provider Satisfaction during Vaccination Rollouts
The COVID-19 pandemic forced health centers to change the way health care is delivered. As health centers continue to meet community needs related to the pandemic and engage in mass vaccination efforts it will be important to consider lessons learned over the past year. In this webinar series, speakers from the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) will explore provider burnout and satisfaction in the context of the pandemic, lessons learned, and strategies that health centers can take to minimize burnout and maintain provider satisfaction in the next several months. ACU is a HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP).
Wednesday, March 31 | Wednesday, April 7 | Wednesday, April 21
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Register for the series
Promoting Vaccine Confidence in Older Adults
Community-dwelling older adults are a high priority group for COVID-19 vaccination, but their concerns regarding vaccine safety or availability may continue to leave them vulnerable to serious illness. Speakers from the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders (NCECE) will review approaches to build trust through tailored interventions that incorporate community norms and address barriers to vaccine uptake in this patient population. NCECE is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
Thursday, April 8
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Resources to Address COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence
In a recent blog post, NIH Director Francis Collins, MD, discusses new research based on an analysis of nearly 600,000 people vaccinated in Israel, finding that the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 infection dropped by 94 percent a week after individuals had received both doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
To increase demand and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, CDC’s Vaccinate with Confidence: Building Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines provides a strategic framework with recommended tactics. The resource provides six ways to help build vaccine confidence, key resources, and toolkits for key groups.
Health Center and Look-Alike COVID-19 Survey
Thank you to those who complete the weekly survey! As a reminder, the survey you received on Friday, March 12, is due by 11:59 p.m. your local time today. If you have questions about how to complete the survey, visit our Survey User Guide.
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Behavioral Health
SDOH and Addressing Health Disparities in Integrated Care Settings
COVID-19 has exposed the myriad of ways that minority populations and chronically underserved communities experience disproportionate physical and behavioral health disparities. Speakers will present recent epidemiological data outlining these health disparities, discuss SDOH within these populations, and present strategies that you can use to simultaneously integrate behavioral health needs while working to reduce health disparities.
Wednesday, April 7
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
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.
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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 Notice of Funding Opportunity.
HIV
Addressing the Unique Needs of Black Women with HIV
March 10 was National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. In honor of this observance, HRSA invites you to the second in our Women's Health Leadership Series. Learn how HIV disproportionately impacts Black women in the U.S., and how they often face stigmas related to HIV status, gender, race, and ethnicity.
Thursday, March 25
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Contact HRSA’s Office of Women’s Health for more information about the Women's Health Leadership Series.
HHS also shared these resources, which address HIV prevention among women and girls:
Ending the HIV Epidemic: Sexual Health in Primary Health Care Settings
Join HRSA and the Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) to discuss the importance of obtaining a detailed patient sexual history in primary care health settings for appropriate care and diagnosis of HIV. You will learn how to obtain a sexual history in primary care settings to potentially decrease the chances of a patient being lost to follow up. This will include addressing patients that have encountered barriers to care in the past and how to overcome shame and stigma that may be associated with testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), or their sexual preferences.
Thursday, April 22
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Diabetes
Community Health Workers and Peer Specialists: Key Roles in Addressing Diabetes Control before and during the COVID-19 Health Pandemic
This issue brief showcases the important role of front-line community health workers/peer specialists in leveraging connections with their communities for diabetes control in response to demand and challenges of the COVID-19 health pandemic. MHP Salud and the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), both HRSA-funded NTTAPs, developed the brief.
Workforce
Mitigating Burnout and Maintaining Provider Satisfaction during Vaccination Rollouts
See the announcement above.
SDOH Academy 2021 Breakthrough Series
The SDOH Academy offers health center staff a “Breakthrough Series” of webinars and office hours where their faculty will help you break through the clutter to access resources, experts, and peer linkages. The series takes place in April and will equip participants with the tools needed to increase their competency in four core SDOH response strategies. Learn more or register for the series. The SDOH Academy was founded by the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership, a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
Several HRSA-funded NTTAPs present learning collaboratives:
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Building Staff Resilience and Response during Public Health Disasters
Join the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium for five sessions on building staff resilience during public health disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This interactive (ECHO) learning collaborative is being offered in collaboration with the National Council for Behavioral Health and will use the teachings and principles of trauma-informed approaches and resilience to address how participants can create sustainable culture change in their organizations and communities. Register before the first session on Tuesday, March 23.
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Advancing Team-Based Care
CHC will provide transformational strategies and coaching support to help primary care practices in health centers implement and advanced models of team-based care. Participating teams will use assessments of their current team-based care model to identify areas for process improvement and role optimization; use quality improvement concepts and skills with coaching support to systematically achieve one or more specific aims; and contribute to the learning among participating practice teams. Apply by Friday, March 26.
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FUSE: Frequent Users Systems Engagement
FUSE is a proven model for identifying frequent users of hospitals, jails, shelters and/or other crisis public services and then connecting them to supportive housing. For health centers that are screening and documenting for SDOH, FUSE provides a pathway to use health and other system data. It also establishes effective housing partnerships to improve health and housing outcomes for patients that experience homelessness and have other co-occurring health and behavioral health conditions. CSH invites health centers to learn the history of the FUSE model, how data are applied to FUSE projects, and overcoming data-sharing challenges. Health center participants will learn actionable steps to initiate a FUSE program. Learn more or apply by Friday, April 2.
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Aging with Respect: A Framework for Addressing Intimate Partner Violence in Older Adults
Intimate partner violence in later life is often undetected by health care providers, in part due to misconceptions and the complexity of elder mistreatment. Speakers from Futures Without Violence and NCECE will review the various forms of abuse and discuss approaches for successful prevention and interventions that focus on safety and wellness for older adult patients. Learn more or apply by 5:00 p.m. ET, Friday, April 16.
School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA), a HRSA-funded NTTAP, presents two learning collaboratives on SDOH:
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Improving Health Center SDOH Care for Children & Adolescents
This is an opportunity to improve and expand existing SDOH screening for children and adolescents by developing and maximizing school and community partnerships while learning about sustainable business practices for SDOH screening and care. Learn more or apply by Friday, April 16.
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SDOH Screening in School-Based Health Centers
SBHA invites school-based health centers to create and develop a sustainable screening practice, while learning best practices for SDOH care coordination with school and community partners. Learn more or apply by Friday, April 16.
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Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
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TODAY: Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Webcast
As part of its annual observance, the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT) will host a webcast to celebrate 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.
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
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Additional Resources
Recording Available: Charting the Roadmap to Value-Based Reimbursement for Integrated Care
Value-based reimbursement (VBR) offers the opportunity to transform the health care system using a more equitable, integrated, and person-centered approach. A recent HRSA webinar covered the basics of VBR and what providers need to know and do to transition successfully to this model. Topics included elements of a strategic “roadmap” that health centers can use as they plan for VBR and as they move towards health care that is viable and sustainable for all. Watch the recording.
Intimate Partner Violence and Human Trafficking: Collaboration between Medical-Legal Partnerships, FQHCs, and Domestic Violence Programs to Support Patients
Two HRSA-funded NTTAPs—the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership and Futures Without Violence—are joining forces to share strategies on how medical-legal partnerships can successfully partner with health centers and community-based domestic violence programs to improve health outcomes, decrease isolation, and support health care for survivors. Presenters will highlight how civil legal service providers partner with health centers to address the increased needs of individuals affected by intimate partner violence/human trafficking (IPV/HT) during COVID-19. The audience can ask questions about their challenges or share successes as health care, social service, and legal services staff in addressing the needs of patients experiencing IPV/HT.
Wednesday, March 24
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Suggested reading ahead of the session: "Medical-Legal Collaboration and Community Partnerships: Prioritizing Prevention of Human Trafficking in Federally Qualified Health Centers."
Heart Health Office Hour Recording is Available
Missed the inaugural session of our quarterly Heart Health Office Hours? Watch the recording. The session, with a focus on controlling hypertension, featured presentations from the CDC Million Hearts® Initiative, the North Hudson Community Action Health Center (NJ) and Lorain County Health & Dentistry (OH).
Heart Health Office Hours advance evidence-based interventions and promotes best and promising practices that allow for access to comprehensive, culturally competent, and quality primary health care services and improved heart health. The next quarterly Heart Health Office Hours, surrounding innovative approaches to lifestyle modification referral pathways, will be in May.
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