What's New
Fiscal Year 2022 Project/Designation Period Extensions
As you heard during last week’s Today with Macrae, HRSA will extend the project/designation periods of health centers in a 2- or 3-year project/designation period that ends in fiscal year (FY) 2022. Health centers receiving this extension will complete an FY 2022 Budget Period Progress Report/Annual Certification instead of a Service Area Competition/Renewal of Designation (SAC/RD) application.
Your health center will soon receive an extension if:
- Your project/designation period ends between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022, AND
- You did not receive an extension last year, AND
- You are not currently in a 1-year project/designation period.
For questions about extensions and FY 2022 required applications/submissions, contact the SAC or RD TA Teams via the BPHC Contact Form.
School-Based Service Sites Notice of Funding Opportunity Eligibility-Related TA Updates
We updated the HRSA-21-093 School-Based Service Sites (SBSS) TA resources to provide additional eligibility guidance related to Form 5B: Service Sites. The TA resources clarify that for all school-based service sites (mobile or fixed; proposed in the application or currently in scope), you must select the “School” option in the Site Setting field of Form 5B. Review the new FAQs and the revised Form 5B: Service Sites sample for details. SBSS applications are due in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, April 2, and in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) by 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 20.
Today with Macrae Wrap-Up
Here is the recording of last week’s Today with Macrae session. The slides are available on the COVID-19 Information for Health Centers and Partners webpage.
Here are a few links we shared (others appear throughout this issue):
Please save these dates for upcoming sessions (2:00-3:00 p.m. ET, except as noted).
Thursday, April 15 | Tuesday, May 4 (extended to 3:30 p.m. ET) | Thursday, May 27
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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 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 TA webpage.
Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
You have an exciting opportunity to help health center patients obtain the internet access they need to connect with virtual health care, jobs, and education. Eligible health center patients may apply for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program when it opens in late April. See a bulletin from last week for background information, ideas on how you can prepare to help, and resources.
Ensuring We Can Reach You
In communicating about the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program, we’ve recently encountered some challenges reaching certain health centers.
First, please make sure you are subscribed to this Digest newsletter. We use the same mailing list to send out other important communications. If you received this as a forward from someone else, please take a moment to subscribe today. Doing so will ensure you receive future bulletins about the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program and other important topics.
Secondly, please make sure your health center’s contact listings in EHBs are accurate. Please be sure to double check:
- Names.
- Phone numbers.
- Email addresses.
- EHBs roles and rights.
Consider establishing a regular schedule to review this very important information. For assistance with updating EHBs roles and rights, contact Health Center Program Support online or by phone: 877-464-4772, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday (except federal holidays).
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Get Answers! Health Insurance Marketplace Resources Available
HHS 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 (through Saturday, May 15).
CMS recently released technical guidance for Marketplace stakeholders and a memo on the current schedule of planned maintenance. The following resources may also be useful for assisters and consumers:
Learn about Changes to the Federal Definitions of Rural
Download the slides or the recording of a webinar hosted by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health that explores the recent changes to the rural definition HRSA uses to determine eligibility for grants. The recording also includes discussion of proposed changes to designations set by the Census Bureau and by the Office of Management and Budget (e.g., Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Urbanized Areas) and how those proposed changes relate to HRSA’s definition.
Title X National Grantee Conference: Call for Posters and Proposals
HHS invites you to submit a proposal to present at the virtual Title X Grantee Conference (July 13-16), which will bring together over 250 Title X grantees with a shared interest and commitment to providing family planning services. Learn more or submit a proposal.
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.
How States Use Federal Medicaid Authorities to Finance Housing-Related Services
Using HRSA funding, The National Academy for State Health Policy just released How States Use Federal Medicaid Authorities to Finance Housing-Related Services. To address the housing needs of their Medicaid enrollees, states can leverage a variety of federal Medicaid authorities to deliver housing-related support services to individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions. This report explores the various federal waivers states used to increase supportive housing and reduce their Medicaid costs.
COVID-19
Health Center COVID-19 FAQs
We recently made some changes to our COVID-19 FAQs webpage. We updated a question on considerations for health centers providing monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19.
We also added these questions:
- Can the 90-day timeframe for temporary credentialing and privileging of volunteers and other health center staff brought on to provide COVID-19 vaccines be extended?
- Which individuals are now eligible to be vaccinated at health centers participating in the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program?
Other resources:
NACHC COVID-19 Resources
NACHC encourages you to check out these useful resources:
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COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Clinic Operations Toolkit: This toolkit serves as a guide for health care providers and organizations preparing for and honing their COVID-19 vaccine administration processes. It includes tools, advice, workflows, and best practices from health centers across the country.
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Basic Preparations for Fluid Operations during a Pandemic: This packet contains basic, sample procedures and workflows informed by health centers that are currently managing “new normal” operating procedures. “Fluid operations” are a result of circumstances and may include partial, physical opening of some sites while virtually delivering other services; rapid closure and then re-opening of sites and services based on local COVID-19 health indicators; and rapid response to emerging needs requiring redeployment of staff and communication to patients and/or community members.
NACHC is a HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP).
Recording Available: Health Center Engagement in the ACTIV-2 Clinical Trial
NIH recently hosted a webinar explaining how health centers and patients can still participate in the development of new oral, inhaled, and infused COVID-19 therapeutics. Watch the recording (use Chrome) to get a quick overview on how health centers and/or their patients can participate in this NIH-funded, once-in-a-lifetime clinical research opportunity. A very short Q&A follows the 25-minute presentation.
CDC Guidance on Talking About Vaccines
Patients may ask you for advice on how to talk to their family or friends about COVID-19 vaccines. Consider sharing this CDC guidance with them. The webpage offers tips for having productive conversations, and the menu on the left side can connect them to important and reliable information on topics such as the different vaccines and safety.
 Getting the Second Dose
CDC recently shared a report on COVID-19 Vaccine Second-Dose Completion and Interval Between First and Second Doses Among Vaccinated Persons. Most people in the U.S who got the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus vaccines also got the second dose. The authors encourage providers to help their patients get the second dose on time.
The Ad Council and COVID Collaborative’s COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative Toolkits
The Ad Council developed communications toolkits to help community partners educate and provide answers to their members and stakeholders, and build confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. These free, easy-to-use toolkits include messaging tips, videos, FAQs, social and digital media assets, educational events, and CDC-vetted research.
Social Determinants of Health in the Context of COVID-19 – Speaker Series
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
Mitigating Burnout and Maintaining Provider Satisfaction during Vaccination Rollouts
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 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
Supporting Peer Work during a Pandemic
Peers are an important component of supporting people experiencing homelessness in accessing health care and navigating complex support systems. This National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) webinar will feature peer staff and individuals who supervise peers speaking on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on peer support work and behavioral health. Speakers will also discuss the challenges and strategies for recruiting and orienting peers. NHCHC is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
Monday, April 12
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Predicting ‘Long COVID Syndrome’ with Help of a Smartphone App
NIH Director Francis Collins recently wrote about a new model to predict long COVID syndrome with the help of a smartphone app. Long COVID syndrome describes individuals who experience a constellation of symptoms long after recovering from the initial stages of COVID-19.
Using data from the COVID Symptom Study’s smartphone-based app, the research team found that a simple algorithm—based on age, gender, and number of early symptoms–accurately predicted almost 70% of cases of long COVID. Download the COVID Symptom Study app to get involved.
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 26, 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.
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
Expanding Access to Medication-Based Treatment for OUD in Underserved Rural Areas Utilizing Telehealth
Even before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, only about 1 in 10 Americans with a substance use disorder (SUD) received needed treatment. Rural populations face additional challenges in accessing medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) due to a short supply of treatment programs and credentialed providers within a reasonable proximity. Today, the need to physically distance presents further challenges. Speakers at this webinar from HRSA’s Office of Regional Operations will discuss tips and promising strategies for addressing SUD among vulnerable populations in rural areas with a focus on individuals with OUD.
Thursday, April 15
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Register here
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.
Behavioral Health Workforce Development TA and Evaluation Program
This new program will develop and provide tailored TA to maximize collaborative learning that will improve the behavioral health workforce. The awardee will provide TA to current and future mental health and substance use workforce grantees. We encourage interested health professions schools, academic health centers, state or local governments, and public or private nonprofit entities that train health professions to learn more about the eligibility requirements. Apply by Monday, May 3.
National Health Service Corps Receives $800 Million
See the announcement below for information on the National Health Service Corps SUD Workforce Loan Repayment Program.
Supporting Peer Work during a Pandemic
See the announcement above.
HIV
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
Prepping for Your Own PrEP Delivery Model
NACHC is seeking 10 health centers to participate in this three-month learning community. It will focus on building a health center's capacity to establish or improve HIV prevention services around PrEP and telehealth. There will be four peer-to-peer sessions where sites will discuss clinical workflows for HIV, identify gaps in HIV prevention services and PrEP care, and identify patient engagement strategies through telehealth and other care coordination efforts. Learn more or apply now.
Ending the HIV Epidemic: Sexual Health and Taking a Sexual History
Watch a recorded webinar to learn the importance of taking in-depth sexual history and promoting positive sexual health in clinical settings, regardless of a patient’s sexuality. Speakers from HRSA and the Pacific AETC used case presentations and real-world scenarios to illustrate their recommendations.
Diabetes
Diabetes Prevention and Best Practices
MHP Salud, a HRSA-funded NTTAP, invites health center staff to join a learning collaborative focused on the current and future landscape of diabetes among migrant and seasonal agricultural workers (MSAW). Participants will learn recommendations for how to best support this community. It is designed for health center staff, community health workers (CHWs), and other enabling service staff who interact with the MSAW community. Sessions begin in April. Register now.
Workforce
National Health Service Corps Receives $800 Million
HRSA’s National Health Service Corps (NHSC) opened its application for all three loan repayment programs and its NHSC Scholarship Program with an additional $800 million available for awards. The increase in funds are part of the American Rescue Plan for pandemic relief and will support the largest number of NHSC clinicians in program history. Visit HRSA’s website for more information, including eligibility, site types, and service commitments:
Applications for all three are due by 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 6.
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Nurse Corps Scholarship Program Now Open
The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program provides financial support to students enrolled in nursing degree programs in exchange for a commitment to serve in high-need areas across the country. This year, Nurse Corps has additional funding for awards. Scholarship support includes tuition, fees, other reasonable educational costs, and a monthly living stipend. Find out if you qualify and apply by Thursday, May 6.
Behavioral Health Workforce Funding Opportunities
See the announcements above.
Mitigating Burnout and Maintaining Provider Satisfaction during Vaccination Rollouts
See the announcement above.
Several HRSA-funded NTTAPs present learning collaboratives:
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SDOH Screening Tools for Public Housing Residents
The National Center for Health in Public Housing will guide participants through the practical aspects of identifying and implementing an SDOH screening process at their health center. The series will go beyond the basics by covering issues such as: building trust; integrating data; evaluating impact; and reimbursement for SDOH screening and referrals. Learn more or register now.
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All-Hazards Emergency Preparedness and Response for Community Health Centers
Participants and experts will discuss an all-hazards, multidisciplinary preparedness approach, as well as specific measures health centers should take to comply with the CMS Rule for Emergency Preparedness, to conduct after action reporting and business continuity planning. Topics will range from planning for and responding to natural disasters, cybersecurity threats, active shooters, and other emergencies. This is co-hosted by the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium and NACHC. Learn more or register now.
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NACHC’s 2021 Revenue Cycle National Learning Collaborative for Health Centers
Revenue cycle and front office managers can gain support for real-world challenges with approaches to developing strategic leadership skills, health center knowledge, and peer contacts that they can use now and throughout their careers. Participation is limited to 25 people. Learn more and apply now.
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Prepping for Your Own PrEP Delivery Model
See the announcement above.
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Diabetes Prevention and Best Practices
See the announcement above.
School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA) 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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Final Session: Health Center Medical-Legal Partnership Toolkit Webinar Series
The National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership, a HRSA-funded NTTAP, is hosting a five-part webinar series to disseminate their Health Center Guide toolkit. The toolkit provides the health center community with information and resources to start, strengthen, and sustain a medical-legal partnership (MLP). Visit the webinar series page to see recordings of parts 1-4 or register for the final session:
Moving Upstream to Address SDOH and Health Equity at a Policy Level
Tuesday, April 6
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Participants will hear from experts about how MLPs are one of the only interventions that can both address patients’ individual needs and improve policies affecting SDOH. Panelists will illustrate the types of projects and strategies MLPs can utilize to help health centers move upstream from patients to policy, and learn more about opportunities for MLPs to engage other stakeholders in the health care delivery system to identify and address "unhealthy" regulatory, administrative, or legislative policies.
Additional Resources
Million Hearts Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Forum Recording
Self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring has been proven to have a positive effect on improving blood pressure control. CDC’s Million Hearts® and NACHC have partnered to provide a quarterly forum, highlighting SMBP practices.
The first forum session for this year focused on the economic case for SMBP and explored updates and opportunities for the coverage of home blood pressure monitor devices and reimbursement for the delivery of SMBP services. Watch the recording.
Register for the 2021 Million Hearts® SMBP forum meetings.
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HHS Launches Free E-Learning Program for Maternal Health Care Providers
The HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) recently launched a new, free and accredited e-learning program: Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Maternal Health Care. The program, available via OMH’s Think Cultural Health website, is designed to develop maternal health care providers' knowledge and skills related to CLAS. OMH encourages all physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, certified nurse midwives, and certified midwives to take this program and earn up to two continuing education credits at no cost. Learn more about the class in this on-demand mini-webinar.
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