$20 Million for Native Hawaiian Health Care, Health Center Week Events, and More! HRSA PHC Digest

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

HRSA BPHC Primary Health Care Digest

August 17, 2021

News

Biden-Harris Administration Provides $20 Million to Support Native Hawaiian Health Care
The Biden-Harris Administration announced that it is providing $20 million to Native Hawaiian health care entities to aid their response to COVID-19. This funding is being distributed by HHS through HRSA. It provides six Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act award recipients resources to strengthen vaccination efforts, respond to and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and enhance health care services and infrastructure in their communities.

Visit the American Rescue Plan (ARP)—Funding for Native Hawaiian Health Care technical assistance (TA) page for information about the award recipients, resources, frequently asked questions, and more.


CDC Guidance on Additional COVID-19 Vaccine for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People
Please see our bulletin from yesterday for information about the CDC’s updated recommendations.

Today

This afternoon, CDC’s Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Call will discuss the current data on COVID-19 vaccines in immunocompromised people, the role of additional doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, patients who should be considered to receive these additional COVID-19 vaccine doses, results from the August 13 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting, and CDC’s guidance on additional COVID-19 doses in immunocompromised people.

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

We expect the slides will be available under “Call Materials” on the COCA Call webpage later today, and a recording will be posted on the page a few hours after the event ends.


UDS Logo

Register Now: 2021 Uniform Data System Reporting Webinar Series
Prepare for 2021 Uniform Data System (UDS) report submissions by signing up for our TA webinars, scheduled for September and October. Other resources are available on our UDS Resources webpage.

These webinars will provide detailed information for health center staff on how to count visits and complete clinical, financial, and operational tables in the UDS. Speakers will also share strategies for successful UDS report submissions, opportunities for quality improvement, and COVID-19 impacts across measures.


National Health Center Week Celebrations
Vice President Kamala Harris (top right) delivered remarks to celebrate National Health Center Week—and your great work—at Unity Health Care in Washington, D.C. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra also celebrated the week in this video.

If you missed it, please watch HRSA’s thank you video.

Health Center Week Pictures

Across the country, communities joined in celebrating the incredible work of our nation’s health centers. In New Jersey, HRSA Regional Administrator Cheryl Donald (bottom right) joined national, state, and local leaders for an annual celebration to raise awareness about the mission and accomplishments of community health centers. Over 30 non-profits at the event provided housing assistance, utilities applications, Get Covered NJ health coverage assistance, food, prizes, and more. During this event, 22 attendees received COVID-19 vaccinations.

In California, HRSA Regional Administrator CAPT John Moroney (left) joined Oakland-based health center leaders and patients to discuss a joint agency effort in the Northern California region to increase access to COVID-19 prevention and treatment services among underserved communities, including among HUD-assisted households and people experiencing homelessness. Following the program, walk-in appointments were available for area residents to receive COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.


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Jump To:  COVID-19  |  Behavioral Health  |  Hypertension Workforce  |  Oral Health  |  Telehealth  | 
                Additional Resources


What's New

HHS Secretary Becerra Visits Atlanta Health Centers

Secretary - Southside

At Southside Medical Center, Secretary Becerra joined in a discussion on health care coverage and access. From left to right: Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, Southside CEO Dr. David Williams, Secretary Becerra, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Rep. Nikema Williams, and Rep. Lucy McBath.

Secretary CPAC

Discussion at the Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc. (CPACS), focused on COVID-19’s impact on communities of color. From left to right: Rep. Bourdeaux, Secretary Becerra, CPACS Vice President Victoria Huynh, and Rep. Hank Johnson.


American Academy of Pediatrics Releases Interim Guidance on Preventing Hospitalization from Respiratory Syncytial Virus during Delayed Season
An atypical summer spike in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend clinicians consider using palivizumab for high-risk infants in affected areas. Typically, this becomes a focus in colder seasons. We encourage providers to think about RSV now: Identify children with risk factors, including certain premature infants, infants with chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, or pulmonary, neurologic or neuromuscular abnormalities, and arrange for appropriate treatment.


New Health Center Research Briefs Offer Insights on Maternity Care, Clinical Quality Measures, and Medication-Assisted Treatment
We’ve published new research briefs exploring health center capacity in maternity care deserts, differences in clinical quality measures among Appalachian and non-Appalachian health centers, and the role of health centers in providing medication-assisted treatment. The briefs were developed through the UDS Mapper—a tool that helps evaluate the geographic reach, penetration, and growth of the Health Center Program and its relationship to other federally-linked health resources. Visit the Health Center Research and Evaluation webpage to view the briefs and other resources that highlight ongoing health center research in a quick overview format.


Respond Today! 2021 Training and Technical Assistance Needs Assessment
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) invites all health center staff to complete a 20-minute National Training and TA Needs Assessment. This one-time assessment will inform the development of training and TA necessary to support health centers in improving access and advancing quality and impact over the next two to three years. NACHC is a HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP).


Staffing Transformation Following Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition
Join our webinar exploring how Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition at health centers has affected staffing capacity to deliver team-based integrated care. We’ll feature findings from a recent analysis of data from the UDS and the HRSA accreditation and PCMH recognition initiatives to identify changes in health center staffing infrastructure.

Thursday, August 26
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Pharmacy Operations Troubleshooting Guide Topic: Mitigating Manufacturer Actions Impacting 340B Financial Savings to Health Centers
This publication, developed by NACHC, identifies promising practices and actions that health centers can take to mitigate the negative financial consequences of manufacturer actions on health center patients and health center 340B savings.


Well Child Wednesdays

Get Involved in #WellChildWednesdays to Encourage Parents to Keep Up with Pediatric Checkups and Immunizations
Each Wednesday this August, join HRSA’s #WellChildWednesdays social media campaign to encourage families to keep up with well-child visits and vaccinations. Participate by liking, retweeting, and sharing @HRSAgov Twitter and Facebook messages with the hashtag #WellChildWednesdays or create your own message using this hashtag. See our most recent Twitter post. Please help us amplify these critical messages.


COVID-19

Hot Shot: What's the Deal with Delta? 
The National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH) will co-host a webinar with HUD on how to collaborate with public housing agencies and other community organizations to support safe COVID-19 vaccination, masking, and social distancing practices in your community to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant. NCHPH is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.

Wednesday, August 25
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Back to School, COVID-19, and the Value of School-Based Health Centers
This NACHC webinar brings together national leaders in school-based health to discuss plans for a safe return to school, adolescent and COVID-19 vaccination efforts, the value of having a health center available within a school setting, and successful collaborations with government and community-based organizations to improve the wellbeing of the students and families they serve.

Tuesday, August 31
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Vaccines and Safe Injection Practices for Community Health Centers
Join the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care to learn how its accreditation standards apply to your vaccination programs and to review the CDC vaccination toolkit. The presenter will discuss how COVID-19 can impact other vaccination timelines and reflect on flu rates in 2020.

Thursday, September 9
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Reduced Risk of Reinfection after COVID-19 Vaccination
CDC recently completed a study of patients who previously had COVID-19. Researchers found that being unvaccinated was associated with 2.34 times the odds of reinfection compared with being fully vaccinated.


Vaccine Administration by Dental Providers

The Role of Dental Providers in Vaccine Delivery and Policy Recommendations
The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) shares a new publication describing COVID-19 vaccine delivery strategies developed by health centers using dental providers for vaccine administration. It also highlights policy opportunities to consider for the future that support medical/dental integration and whole-person care in health centers. NNOHA is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.


ICYMI


These COVID-19 related items ran in previous communications from the Bureau of Primary Health Care.

Webinar Recording: The Critical Role of Monoclonal Antibodies as the COVID-19 Pandemic Continues
Here is the recording for HRSA’s recent webinar on how monoclonal antibody therapeutics can help prevent serious illness from COVID-19. Learn more and see other resources in our bulletin from last week.


HHS Mask Distribution Program: Request Child-Size Masks by This Thursday
In partnership with HHS, the Department of Defense has distributed more than 26 million free masks to health centers and food banks across the country. Read our bulletin from last week to find out how to request additional child-size masks on a first come, first served basis by this Thursday, August 19.


ARP Tax Credit for Paid Leave Due to COVID-19
The ARP allows small and midsize employers, and certain governmental employers, to claim refundable tax credits that reimburse them for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave to their employees due to COVID-19, including leave taken by employees to receive or recover from COVID-19 vaccinations. These tax credits are available to eligible employers for wages paid for sick and family leave from Thursday, April 1, 2021, through Thursday, September 30, 2021. Learn more.


Advancing Health Center and School Partnerships to Improve COVID-19 Vaccination Administration for Adolescents
NACHC and the School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA) recently released a short TA document that provides practical strategies and sample resources for advancing health center and school system partnerships, including tips on maximizing summer break and preparing for back to school opportunities. SBHA is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.


Behavioral Health

Intensive TA for Practice Change
BPHC’s Behavioral Health TA provides support to health centers to integrate behavioral health services into primary care settings through site visits. Our contractors will:

  • Work with your integrated care team in advance to craft an agenda that carefully considers not just the TA needs, but also the unique characteristics of your organization and how they impact planning for practice change.
  • Pinpoint areas where TA for integrated services would be most effective.
  • Ensure the time invested by staff pays dividends for your organization: building in a concrete plan for progressing the team’s approach to providing services.

TA site visits can be provided virtually or onsite to fit your needs. Get more information.


Supporting Implementation of Smoking Cessation Programs in Public Housing Primary Care Settings Learning Collaborative
NCHPH's learning collaborative will discuss group and individual strategies and best practices to help health center patients to quit smoking. Topics such as stress management, relapse, and quitting strategies for people with substance use and behavioral health disorders will be addressed. Sessions will take place from 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET on Wednesdays in September. Register here.


Health and Housing Partnerships E-Learning Course
This self-paced e-learning course developed by the Corporation for Supportive Housing (a HRSA-funded NTTAP) offers strategic guidance in building, assessing, and/or strengthening various types of partnerships between Health Center Program grantees, behavioral health providers, and supportive housing providers. Whether you represent one of these types of organizations or you are merely curious about health and housing partnerships, you can use this course as your roadmap.


Intersection of Substance Use, HIV, and HCV Office Hour: Come Meet the National Clinician Consultation Center
HRSA is co-hosting this office hour with the National Clinician Consultation Center (NCCC). Clinician consultants will describe how they provide timely clinical decision support and discuss insights and best practices for providing care to people living with HIV/hepatitis C virus, and substance use disorders.

Submit questions ahead of time during registration or during the live session.

Wednesday, August 25
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Mapping Patient Journeys in Drug Addiction Treatment Challenge
NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) invites health centers (organizations, teams, or individuals) to participate in a new challenge that has cash prizes totaling $100,000. The goal is to create actionable patient journey maps that might further the understanding of the obstacles that patients face in getting treatment for drug addiction. NIDA invites participants to identify specific points during the patient journey where patients encounter the most difficulty, enabling NIDA to focus new research efforts into alleviating those areas of difficulty in patients’ drug addiction treatment journeys.


Hypertension

Heart Health Office Hours

Quarterly Heart Health Office Hours: 2020 Heart Health UDS Findings
Our quarterly Heart Health Office Hours is a web-based learning series highlighting evidence-based interventions to improve patients' heart health.

August's session will feature a summary of the 2020 heart health UDS measures, trends over the years, and evidence-based strategies to improve heart health in patients. HRSA representatives will be available to answer your questions about the 2020 UDS findings.

Thursday, August 26
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Workforce

Supporting Implementation of Smoking Cessation Programs in Public Housing Primary Care Settings Learning Collaborative
See the announcement above.


Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Funding Available
HRSA, through the ARP, released two funding opportunities to support primary care residency programs in rural and underserved communities and create new community-based residency programs. Applications are due by Monday, August 30. Read more.


Provider Workforce Resiliency Training Funding Available
HRSA announced the availability of approximately $103 million from the ARP to reduce burnout and promote mental health among the health workforce. Applications are due by Monday, August 30, in Grants.gov.


Oral Health

The Role of Dental Providers in Vaccine Delivery and Policy Recommendations
See the announcement above.


Integrating Diabetes and Oral Health Learning Collaborative
NNOHA invites health centers to participate in a virtual learning collaborative on integrating diabetes and oral health. The goal is to improve outcomes for people with diabetes by increasing the number of dual users of medical and dental services. Apply by 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, August 27.


Telehealth

Telehealth Toolkit

Now Available: Turn to Telehealth Partner Toolkit
A new partner toolkit on Telehealth.HHS.gov helps organizations communicate with their audiences about telehealth. The toolkit includes downloadable sample newsletter articles, social media content, tip sheets, graphics, and web badges that connect patients and providers to the most current information about telehealth and its benefits.


Telehealth Optimization Quick Guide for Health Centers
This updated resource guide from NACHC is intended to support health centers that want to advance telehealth or virtual services during the COVID-19 pandemic response and operational recovery.


Additional Resources

Health and Housing Partnerships E-Learning Course
See the announcement above.


HRSA’s National Organizations of State and Local Officials Cooperative Agreement Program supported these projects by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials:


Diabetes Patient Education during the Pandemic Webinar Recording
HRSA’s Region 5 Office of Regional Operations recently hosted a webinar on current patient education challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics included strategies to overcome patient education barriers due to the pandemic, components of a patient education program and best practices in diabetes patient care. Use the passcode JA=8@=jy to view the recording.


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Training & Technical Assistance

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

Through August 24

Additional mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People
Hosted by CDC
Tuesday, August 17
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the session

“Learn the Signs. Act Early.” in Health Center Settings
Hosted by CDC
Wednesday, August 18
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here

How Health Centers Can Support Asian/Asian American Students Returning to School During COVID-19
Hosted by the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Thursday, August 19
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Community Health Worker Virtual TA on Emerging Issues Affecting Latino and Migratory and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Communities
Hosted by MHP Salud, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Thursday, August 19 (and the third Thursday of every other month through June 2022)
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Culture of Safety, the Leadership Imperative
Hosted by The Joint Commission
Friday, August 20
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Register here (for the “Key” field, enter: TJCEd)

Culturally Sensitive and Linguistically Appropriate Patient and Family Centered Care
Hosted by Provider Resources, Inc., and funded by CMS
Friday, August 20
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here – Create an account for free to register
**1.0 CME available**

UDS Mapper Advanced Topics: New Features in the UDS Mapper
Friday, August 20
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

CDC COVID-19 Partner Update: Mental Health is Public Health: Tools for State and Local Partners During COVID-19
Hosted by CDC
Monday, August 23
4:00-5:00 p.m. ET
Register here


Upcoming

Hot Shot: What's the Deal with Delta?
Co-hosted by NCHPH and HUD; NCHPH is a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Wednesday, August 25
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Intersection of Substance Use, HIV, and HCV Office Hour: Come Meet the National Clinician Consultation Center
Co-hosted with the NCCC
Wednesday, August 25
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Staffing Transformation Following PCMH Recognition
Thursday, August 26
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Social Mission Metrics: Measuring the Social Mission of Dental, Medical, and Nursing Schools
Thursday, August 26
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Community Health Worker Role in Advocating for Change in Ag Worker Communities
Hosted by the National Center for Farmworker Health and Farmworker Justice, both HRSA-funded NTTAPs
Thursday, August 26
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Register here

Quarterly Heart Health Office Hours: 2020 Heart Health UDS Findings
Thursday, August 26
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Telebehavioral Health Virtual Forum on Clinical Decision-Making
Tuesday, August 31
Noon-6:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Back to School, COVID-19, and the Value of School-Based Health Centers
Hosted by NACHC, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Tuesday, August 31
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Intersection of Substance Use, HIV, and HCV: What Behavioral Health Providers Need to Know

Part 2: Opioids, HIV, and HCV
Wednesday, September 8
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Register here

Part 3: Stimulants, HIV, and HCV
Wednesday, October 13
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Register here

Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Forum Meeting
Hosted by CDC and NACHC (using CDC funding)
Thursday, September 9
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Vaccines and Safe Injection Practices for Community Health Centers
Hosted by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care
Thursday, September 9
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Better Assess Your Community Using the UDS Mapper
Friday, September 10
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Emergency Preparedness Information Session with CMS
Wednesday, September 15
11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Counting Visits in the UDS
Wednesday, September 15
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here

UDS Mapper Special Topics: Using the UDS Mapper to Explore Measures of Social Need
Monday, September 20
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates
Tuesday, September 21
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Access details coming soon

UDS Clinical Tables Part 1: Screening and Preventive Care Measures
Thursday, September 23
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here

UDS Clinical Tables Part 2: Maternal Care and Children’s Health
Tuesday, September 28
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here

UDS Clinical Tables Part 3: Chronic Disease Management
Wednesday, October 6
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here

Reporting UDS Financial and Operational Tables
Thursday, October 14
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here

Successful Submission Strategies
Wednesday, October 20
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here

Webinars are hosted by HRSA unless otherwise noted.