American Rescue Plan Funding
Applications Due Friday: Funding Opportunity for Health Center Program Look-Alikes
Eligible Health Center Program look-alikes (LALs) have until Friday, May 14, to submit their American Rescue Plan Funding for Look-Alikes (ARP-LAL; HRSA-21-115) applications in Grants.gov. Visit the ARP-LAL TA webpage for a complete list of eligible LALs, application instructions, deadlines, and other TA resources. Also review new items on the ARP-LAL FAQs webpage, which we update regularly.
Funding for Health Centers
Health centers have until Monday, May 31, to complete and submit American Rescue Plan Funding for Health Centers (H8F) award submissions in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs). See the H8F TA webpage for submission guidance, steps to add your H8F grant to your EHBs portfolio, and recordings of the question and answer sessions.
We continually update our American Rescue Plan Funding for Health Centers FAQs, and recently added some examples related to potential uses of H8F funding to enhance early childhood health to the H8F Activities and Allowable Uses of Funds webpage.
Funding Opportunity for Health Center Construction and Capital Improvements
Health centers have until Thursday, June 24, to submit their American Rescue Plan - Health Center Construction and Capital Improvements (C8E) applications in EHBs. Visit the C8E TA webpage for award submission guidance, information about upcoming question and answer sessions, and other resources. See also the C8E FAQs webpage, which we continually update.
Funding for Training and TA
HRSA awarded over $32 million in American Rescue Plan funding to Primary Care Associations (PCAs), National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs), and Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCNs).
Read the bulletin for information about upcoming question and answer sessions, and see the new FAQ webpages:
Award recipients will have until Monday, June 28, to submit information about planned activities and costs. They should add these grants to their EHBs portfolio to view and complete the submission.
What's New
Calendar Year 2022 Federal Tort Claims Act Deeming Applications Instructions and Tool Kit
Applications for medical malpractice coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) opened Friday, April 23, in EHBs. We’ve extended the completion deadline to Friday, June 25.
The HRSA guidance for both new applications (deeming) and renewal of existing coverage (redeeming) for health center staff is available in Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2021-01. Details about coverage for health center volunteer health professionals are available in PAL 2021-02.
Our website includes information to help you with the application process including:
- Four pre-recorded TA webinars.
- A tool kit that includes FTCA-approved templates you can use as application submissions and attachments to demonstrate compliance in the risk management and credentialing sections of the application.
Introducing the Service Area Status
Join a webinar to learn about the Service Area Status (SAS). The SAS describes the health, social, and economic status of a health center’s service area. HRSA developed the SAS by leveraging the Service Area Needs Assessment Methodology and the data used to calculate the Unmet Need Score.
Speakers will provide an overview of the SAS and describe potential use cases. You’ll have an opportunity to ask questions and share feedback on the SAS and its potential uses. We’ll post the slides in advance on our Strategic Initiatives webpage.
Tuesday, May 25
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
If you prefer to join by phone: 833-568-8864
When prompted, enter meeting/webinar ID: 161 518 5232
HRSA Telehealth Learning Series: An Overview of Licensure Compacts
Speakers will share information on HRSA programs and resources that support licensure compacts and telehealth. They’ll review several licensure compacts, discuss interstate licensure compacts, and highlight examples of how expedited licensure processes have allowed physicians and other health care professionals to extend their reach through telemedicine.
Monday, May 17
12:30-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Spanish Language Financial Modules for Board Members
The National Association for Farmworker Health and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) created the Spanish version of NACHC’s successful Modules on Board Financial Oversight. Five short, online modules help health center board members understand their financial responsibilities, read financial statements, understand cash flow and key performance indicators, and ask the right questions of leadership. Access the English version. Both organizations are HRSA-funded NTTAPs.
Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Applications Open TOMORROW
Applications for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program will open tomorrow, Wednesday, May 12. The FCC’s EBB toolkit has resources and materials to help you prepare to assist your patients with their application. See our recent bulletin for background information on this exciting program.
If you missed the HRSA Telehealth Learning Series session on federal broadband programs, watch the recording.
Contacted Health Center Program Support? Rate Our Service
Whether you've had a pleasant experience or feel we could do better, the Health Center Program Support team would like to hear from you. Please make sure to fill out the customer service survey embedded in the auto-generated email you receive after we resolve your issue or complete your request.
|
National Advisory Council on Migrant Health to Meet this Month
The National Advisory Council on Migrant Health (NACMH) will hold a four-day virtual meeting Tuesday, May 25, through Friday, May 28. The event is open to the public. Visit the NACMH webpage to register, see the agenda, and view the Federal Register Notice.
NACMH advises and makes recommendations to the HHS Secretary on policy, program development, and other topics related to migrant health centers and other organizations that serve migratory and seasonal agricultural workers and their families.
Funding Opportunity for Rural Maternity Care
This HRSA funding opportunity is part of the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program, introduced in 2019 to address the lack of services in rural areas. Recipients will be networks that have already been established by three or more separately-owned entities and include one HRSA-funded health center or LAL, among other requirements. Applications are due on Friday, June 4.
COVID-19
Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program Office Hours: Best Practices for Overcoming Staffing Shortages
Regardless of whether or not your health center participates in the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program, you’re invited to join this week’s office hour. Vaccine program participants are strongly encouraged to join.
La Clinica Health Center (Oakland, CA) will share best practices on overcoming staffing shortages by recruiting medical and non-medical volunteers to increase vaccine administration.
Wednesday, May 12
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund
HHS recently announced the COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund (CAF): a new program covering costs of administering COVID-19 vaccines to patients enrolled in health plans that either do not cover vaccination fees or cover them with patient cost-sharing. Since providers cannot bill patients for COVID-19 vaccines, the CAF addresses an outstanding compensation need for providers vaccinating underinsured patients. See the CAF program fact sheet for a quick overview.
Providers can learn about enrollment, claims submission, and the payment process at a webcast:
Wednesday, May 12
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
COVID-19 Lotería (Bingo) Game (Multi-language)
COVID-19 Bingo is a game co-developed by Farmworker Justice and Rural Women’s Health Project to share COVID-19 messaging with farmworker families. The game is available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mixteco, and Mam. Farmworker Justice is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
I Heard That the COVID-19 Vaccine Will…
In a recent blogpost, Veterans Administration officials use CDC information to address common misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccines. Health centers might reuse this messaging in your own efforts.
 |
|
These COVID-19 related items ran in previous issues of the Digest.
|
Promising Practices for Recruiting Vaccinators
Some health centers are facing challenges recruiting qualified individuals to support and expand their vaccination capacity. If you have promising practices, sample recruitment tools, or template documents, please consider sharing on the NACHC Health Center Resource Clearinghouse Vaccine Distribution page.
Resource Guide for Health Centers: Community Health Workers and COVID-19 Vaccine
In this resource guide, MHP Salud provides examples, tools, and best practices to help health centers better integrate Community Health Workers/Promotores(as) into their COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Complete a free registration to access. MHP Salud is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
|
Webinar Recording: Learning Lessons from COVID-19 and Preparing for Future Emergencies
Watch the recording of our recent webinar featuring three health centers sharing promising practices related to migration to telehealth, staffing changes and challenges, and more.
Addressing Financial and Legal Problems to Improve the Mental Health of Adults and Children during the Pandemic
The National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership (NCMLP), a HRSA-funded NTTAP, invites you to a webinar. Experts in social determinants of health (SDOH) and medical-legal partnership interventions will discuss how financial strains are associated with suicide attempts and should be considered when assessing mental health interventions. Speakers will also address how legal services delivered alongside social, medical, and behavioral health services can help improve children’s overall health and well-being.
Tuesday, May 18
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Health Center COVID-19 FAQs
We continue to add new questions to our COVID-19 FAQs webpage.
Other resources:
Hepatitis Awareness Month
Join a webinar TODAY about updated hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing guidance. Speakers will address why changes were needed and offer a demonstration of how clinicians are implementing the updated recommendations.
Going Viral for Hepatitis:
Getting Back to the Basics
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Resources to help your health center improve testing and diagnosing:
|
Behavioral Health
Strategies for Addressing Health Disparities in Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders
Speakers will focus on understanding health disparities for racial/ethnic/linguistic minority groups. They will outline strategies to enhance access to treatment services, including buprenorphine and naloxone along with methadone.
Wednesday, June 2
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Addressing Financial and Legal Problems to Improve the Mental Health of Adults and Children during the Pandemic
See the announcement above.
Community Mental Health Centers Grant Program
This SAMHSA program will enable community mental health centers to support and restore the delivery of clinical services that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and effectively address the needs of individuals with serious emotional disturbance, serious mental illness, and individuals with either of these conditions plus substance use disorders. Learn more or apply by Friday, May 21.
HIV
Webinar Recording: Ending the HIV Epidemic: Sexual Health in Primary Health Care Settings
Watch the recording of a recent webinar presented by HRSA and the Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center on the importance of obtaining a detailed patient sexual history in primary care health settings for appropriate care and diagnosis of HIV.
Workforce
These deadlines have been extended:
-
Nurse Corps Scholarship
HRSA’s 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. Support includes tuition, fees, other reasonable educational costs, and a monthly living stipend. Find out if you qualify. Apply by 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 26.
-
National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Programs
Applications are open for HRSA’s National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loan repayment programs. Visit HRSA’s website for information on eligibility, site types, and service commitment. The application deadline is extended to 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 27.
HRSA-funded NTTAPs invite health center staff to join upcoming learning collaboratives:
-
Addressing Provider Burden
Join the Health Information Technology, Evaluation, and Quality (HITEQ) Center in peer-to-peer learning and discussion about electronic health record training practices, and workflow and documentation support to reduce provider burnout. Participants will be encouraged to consider the broad scope of provider burnout and the opportunities their particular settings may have for meaningful interventions. Learn more or register (under “Resource Links”).
-
Every Person Counts: Leveraging SDOH and SOGI Data for LGBTQIA+ Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander-Serving Health Centers
Gain in-depth knowledge about SDOH and sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) documentation for LGBTQIA+ Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Community members, health center staff, and facilitators from the two host organizations (Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations and National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center) will provide context, promising practices, and data utility from a national perspective. Apply here.
Virtual 2021 Biennial Workforce Summit
The 2021 Biennial Workforce Summit is a joint effort of workforce-focused NTTAPs: NACHC, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved’s STAR2 Center, and Community Health Center, Inc./Weitzman Institute. Speakers will discuss workforce matters related to the COVID-19/post-COVID-19 environment, technology, and the integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. Featured speakers include HRSA officials.
Wednesday, May 26, and Thursday, May 27
Noon-5:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Additional Resources
Ten Strategies for Creating Inclusive Health Care Environments for LGBTQIA+ People
Creating welcoming, inclusive, and affirming health care environments is critical for increasing access to care for LGBTQIA+ people. This guide presents strategies health centers can apply to become more affirming and welcoming for LGBTQIA+ patients and staff, setting a foundation for comprehensive organizational change. The National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center and the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders, both HRSA-funded NTTAPs, collaborated on this resource.
What are Innovative Approaches to Lifestyle Modifications for Hypertensive Patients?
Join our second quarterly Heart Health Office Hours. Learn best practices for controlling hypertension, patient challenges, and lessons learned from the YMCA of the USA’s Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program and a HRSA-funded health center.
Wednesday, May 26
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
|
Northwest Regional PCA 2021 Virtual Spring Summit
The Northwest Regional PCA Spring Summit includes carefully curated content plus innovative workshop and skills-enhancing opportunities. Learn from prominent speakers, hear federal policy updates, and network with colleagues in a digital setting. New this year: Region X peer learning, collaboration, networking, and professional development. This conference does offer CE credits.
Wednesday, May 19-Friday, May 21
Register here
In case you missed it:
Visit the Primary Health Care Digest archive.
Do you forward the Digest to others?
Encourage them to subscribe.
|
Sign up for eNews
Connect with HRSA
