What's New
Managing Extreme Heat
Farmworker Justice and Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN) recently developed the Heat-Related Illness Clinician’s Guide to educate health center staff on the prevention and treatment of heat stress, including factors that increase migratory and seasonal agricultural workers’ risk of suffering from this condition. Farmworker Justice and MCN are HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs).
|
Deadline Next Week
Please verify and, if necessary, update your health center’s Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition status. We must receive updates by next Friday, July 9.
Download this table to view the number of sites with PCMH recognition for each health center. Please review the table to make sure your health center’s information is correct. If your health center serves multiple states, check the number of sites for EACH state. Use those numbers to calculate the total number of PCMH-recognized sites in EHBs.
- If the information is correct, you do not need to take further action.
- If the information is incorrect, submit an update in EHBs. See instructions for submitting an update, including the acceptable forms of required documentation.
If you have questions, please contact Health Center Program Support.
|
American Rescue Plan Funding for Native Hawaiian Health Care
Current Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act award recipients have until Friday, July 2, at 11:59 p.m. ET/5:59 p.m. HT to submit their FY 2021 American Rescue Plan—Funding for Native Hawaiian Health Care (ARP-NH) application in Grants.gov.
Review the FAQs for applicants. Visit the ARP-NH TA webpage for application instructions, a recording of the question and answer session, and other resources.
Deadline Reminder: Service Area Competition Applications for January 1 Starts
Service Area Competition (SAC) HRSA-22-002 applications are due in:
-
Grants.gov: Monday, July 12, by 11:59 p.m. ET.
- EHBs: Wednesday, August 11, by 5:00 p.m. ET.
TA materials are available on the SAC TA webpage.
September 1 Start Date? Review Your Patient Target
We recently updated patient targets for Health Center Program award recipients with a September 1 budget period start date. On Thursday, June 24, we sent an email to the Authorizing Officials and Project Directors of these health centers, which indicated whether the health center would complete an FY 2022 SAC or Budget Period Progress Report. The email also included a direct link to the updated patient target. Health centers that will complete an FY 2022 SAC for awards starting September 1, 2022, should review their patient target and take appropriate action in EHBs by Thursday, July 15.
View the recorded tutorial of the EHBs Patient Target Management Module. Other resources are available on the SAC TA webpage, including how to access your patient target in EHBs. Submit questions using the BPHC Contact Form (select “Patient Targets” on the “BPHC Category” screen).
Staffing Transformation Following PCMH Recognition among HRSA-Funded Health Centers
Join HRSA for a webinar exploring how PCMH recognition at health centers has affected staffing capacity to deliver team-based integrated care. PCMH recognition aims to improve patient outcomes, and has been promoted through the Health Center Program with training, TA, and funding support. We’ll feature findings from a recent analysis of data from the Uniform Data System and the HRSA accreditation and PCMH recognition initiatives to identify changes in health center staffing infrastructure.
Wednesday, July 14
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Quarterly 340B Program Registration
Quarterly 340B Program site registration is open from July 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, August 27. After that date, the system will close to prepare for the October 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.
CMS Announces $80 Million Funding Opportunity Available for Navigators in States with a Federally-Facilitated Marketplace
CMS issued the 2021 Navigator Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which will make $80 million in grant funding available to Navigators in states with a Federally-Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) for the 2022 plan year. CMS encourages current and past Navigators to apply, especially those who focus on education, outreach, and enrollment efforts to underserved and diverse communities. Apply by Tuesday, July 6.
Certified Application Counselor Designated Organization Application Open Season
Organizations operating in an FFM state that want to provide enrollment assistance to consumers for plan year 2022 must apply to CMS to become a certified application counselor designated organization (CDO), if they are not already a CDO. Open season for applications ends on Tuesday, August 31. CDOs oversee certified application counselors, who are trained and able to help consumers seeking health coverage options through the Marketplace. Learn more.
COVID-19
Free Child Care for Individuals Getting Vaccinated
If you missed our bulletin last week, four of the nation’s largest child care providers are offering free child care to all parents and caregivers getting vaccinated or recovering from vaccination from now until Sunday, July 4. Read more.
Adolescent Vaccination Town Hall
If you missed our recent webinar, the recording is now available. Speakers discussed ways to increase the number of adolescents vaccinated at health centers. Health center providers and pediatric health experts discussed the challenges and best practices to vaccinate adolescents.
Upcoming COVID-19 Survey Frequency Changes
The current survey is due TODAY at 11:59 p.m. your local time.
As we recently announced, we’re changing the frequency of the Health Center and Look-Alike COVID-19 Survey, including the addendum for Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program participants. After this week, the survey will become biweekly—meaning that you will receive it every two weeks instead of every week. So you’ll receive a survey this Friday, July 2, but then not again until Friday, July 16.
Beginning with the July 16 survey, you will be asked to report two weeks of data in each survey. For example, the July 16 survey will cover Saturday, July 3-Friday, July 16. We are working to update the survey questions and the Survey User Guide to reflect these changes. We expect those updates to be completed by no later than Thursday, July 15.
As a reminder, Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program participants are required to complete this survey, including the addendum.
|
 Health centers across the nation have distinguished themselves in responding to the current pandemic. Here’s a recent example:
Ensuring Equitable Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines for Hispanic Patients Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers (Milwaukee, WI) has focused on working with partners and sharing information online in Spanish to promote vaccine equity among their Hispanic patients, who make up more than 85% of their total patient population.
Through partnerships with two local health systems, Sixteenth Street has administered over 11,000 COVID-19 vaccines to patients since early March. Their participation in the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program increased their reach. After they began participating in March, they administered nearly 1,600 vaccines within one week!
For several months, Sixteenth Street has hosted regular Facebook Live events in Spanish. These Pregunte al Doctor (Ask a Doctor) events featured two of their pediatricians. In addition, as a member of the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership, Sixteenth Street helped ensure the group’s new patient-focused health information website was available in Spanish. Read more about Sixteenth Street’s vaccination program.
|
How is your health center helping your community address COVID-19? Send your story to our Health Center Stories inbox. We are especially interested in hearing about efforts to promote equity in vaccine distribution and boost vaccine confidence. We may share your story in future issues of the Digest, on Today with Macrae webcasts, or via HRSA social media.
If sharing a photo, please include a high-resolution image along with the names of everyone in the picture, and make sure each person has signed a HRSA Photo Release Form.
|
 |
|
These COVID-19 related items ran in previous issues of the Digest.
|
Managing in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond
Register now for a webinar series hosted by the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved’s (ACU) STAR2 Center. This series focuses on managers at health centers and the skills they need to have a positive impact on their workforce. Speakers will cover increasing employee engagement, policies and procedures, the logistics of changing care teams, and incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion work into management. The ACU is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
TODAY: Tuesday, June 29
1:00-1:45 p.m. ET
Wednesday, June 30
Noon-12:45 p.m. ET
CDC Guidance for “Long COVID”
CDC released much anticipated guidance for physicians treating patients struggling with lingering and complicated problems after COVID-19 (long COVID). This includes patients who are experiencing illness at least four weeks after an acute infection.
Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine Expiration Date Update
FDA recently authorized an extension of the shelf life for the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine from 3 to 4.5 months (an additional six weeks). Visit the Janssen Expiry Checker to confirm the latest expiration dates. The FDA extension applies to refrigerated vials of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine that have been held in accordance with the manufacturer’s storage conditions.
Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy among Direct Service Workers
Vaccine uptake among direct service workers is particularly important, but this group experiences many barriers to vaccination, including culturally competent and accessible information, paid sick leave and/or time off, and transportation. Experts will discuss the demographics of the direct service workforce, barriers to vaccination, strategies to increase vaccine confidence and uptake, and promising practices. Hosted by the HHS Administration for Community Living and CMS.
Thursday, July 1
3:00-4:30 p.m. ET
Register here
Health Center COVID-19 FAQs
We continue to update our COVID-19 FAQs webpage. Other resources:
Behavioral Health
New Payment Opportunity for Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics under the DATA 2000 Waiver Training Payment Program
The Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act, Section 6083, made $6 million available to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and $2 million available to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) under the DATA 2000 Waiver Training Payment Program. The program is a collaboration with SAMHSA. HRSA is accepting applications for payment under this new program from FQHCs and RHCs employing buprenorphine waivered providers. Watch a video on how to apply, and access FAQs.
Harm Reduction for Healthcare in Health Center Setting
This three-part video series from the Corporation for Supportive Housing provides an overview of what harm reduction is and why it is important in working with those with substance use disorder (SUD) in the health care setting. Targeted to health center boards and leadership, the videos highlight what harm reduction is, how it can be applied in the health center setting, and strategies to incorporate into training, policies, and workflows. Together, the three videos are about 20 minutes long. The Corporation for Supportive Housing is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
SOAR Human Trafficking Training for Substance Use Disorder Treatment Providers
Stop, Observe, Ask, Respond (SOAR) training strengthens the ability to identify and help people with SUD who have also been involved in human trafficking. The training helps health care providers to screen patients and also trains staff to respond to patient needs, work with community organizations that provide services, and collect and analyze data to improve programs and policies. Visit HHS' SOAR to Health and Wellness Training Program website for more information.
HIV
Ending the HIV Epidemic Quarterly Stakeholder Webinar
Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. is a bold national plan that aims for a 75% reduction in the number of new HIV transmissions in the U.S. by 2025 and at least a 90% reduction by 2030. The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health hosts quarterly Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative stakeholder webinars to provide updates, highlight harm reduction models, and answer questions.
Wednesday, July 14
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Register here
Hypertension
Recordings: Introduction to Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring
Watch the recordings of our two-part webinar series on self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring.
-
Part 1 recording: Speakers from HRSA, CDC’s Million Hearts® initiative, and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) highlighted key resources for health centers to use and reference as they prepare to implement SMBP.
-
Part 2 recording: HRSA-funded health centers shared their experiences planning for and implementing SMBP, including challenges and best practices learned along the way.
Workforce
Call for Applications: Teledentistry Learning Collaborative
The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) is seeking health centers to participate in a virtual learning collaborative on teledentistry. The goal is to increase access to oral health services through synchronous teledentistry by using more efficient practice systems, patient engagement, provider recruitment/retention, and clinical improvements. Apply by Friday, July 16, at 2:59 a.m. ET. NNOHA is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
Understanding and Applying SDOH Screening Data to Address Barriers to Health
The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), Health Outreach Partners, MHP Salud, and National Health Care for the Homeless Council invite health centers to learn strategies to screen special and vulnerable populations for social determinants of health (SDOH) and build effective practices to begin addressing SDOH through outreach and enabling services.
Wednesday, July 21
3:00-4:30 p.m. ET
Register here
Topics will include:
- Identifying enabling service workforce providers for SDOH screening and documentation.
- Showing the value of enabling service staff and how they can impact clinical decision-making.
- Demonstrating the impact of analyzing SDOH screening data on increasing capacity to address SDOH.
All host organizations are HRSA-funded NTTAPs.
Managing in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond
See the announcement above.
Telehealth
Patient Info about Telehealth Available in Six New Languages
Released earlier this year in English and Spanish, CMS’ brochure, “Telehealth: What to Know for Your Family,” helps patients learn about:
- Types of care they can receive through telehealth.
- How to prepare for an appointment.
- What to expect during a telehealth visit.
It is now available in Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese. Download brochures on CMS’ website.
Call for Applications: Teledentistry Learning Collaborative
See the announcement above.
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
