What's New
Closing a Temporary Site?
If your health center needs to close a temporary service site, please contact your Project Officer to request that the site be removed from your Form 5B. There is no need to submit a Change in Scope request.
A Change in Scope request is required should you decide to make the temporary site a permanent site. For more information, see HRSA's Scope of Project webpage.
Welcoming Afghan Allies
ICYMI: Last week, we sent a bulletin regarding the evacuation of individuals and immediate families who assisted the U.S. government in Afghanistan. Given the role health centers play in providing comprehensive primary and preventive care for medically underserved populations on a sliding fee scale, we encourage you to consider how your organization may be able to assist this population and connect with the local refugee resettlement agency in your area to coordinate efforts. Immediate health needs may include screening for tuberculosis, immunizations for polio, measles, mumps, and rubella, and other basic primary health care and patient support services.
The Child Tax Credit: Ensuring Successful and Equitable Implementation
HRSA has invited representatives from the White House and the U.S. Department of the Treasury to help awardees understand the Child Tax Credit, with a particular focus on enrolling families that may not usually file taxes. Join a one-hour session for an overview of the Child Tax Credit and instructions on how to help enroll families using the Non-Filer Portal.
Tuesday, September 28
3:00-4:00 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: 161 456 3976
Service Area Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity Released for June 1 Starts
HRSA released fiscal year (FY) 2022 Service Area Competition (SAC) notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), HRSA-22-007, for service areas with a June 1, 2022, project period start date. Find details for the announced service areas on the Service Area Announcement Table.
This NOFO announces the service areas for:
- June 1 start award recipients that received a 1-year period of performance through a SAC/SAC-Additional Areas in FY 2021.
- June 1 start award recipients that were given a 1-year extension due to the COVID-19 pandemic in FY 2021.
Current award recipients with a project period end date of May 31, 2022, on their most recent H80 Notice of Award must apply to this SAC NOFO to continue serving their current service area.
Applications are due in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, November 1, and in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks by 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 1. TA materials are available on the SAC TA webpage.
2021-2022 Influenza Season: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices updated its recommendations for prevention and control of seasonal flu with vaccines for the 2021-2022 flu season. Influenza vaccination of persons aged ≥6 months to reduce prevalence of illness caused by influenza will reduce symptoms that might be confused with those of COVID-19. See CDC’s interim guidance for immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19
Unique Partnerships and Strategies for COVID-19 Vaccines and Migratory and Seasonal Agricultural Workers: National Farmworker Vaccination Assessment Results
The Farmworker Health Network (FHN) has conducted a National Farmworker Vaccination Assessment for Migrant Health Centers to share successful strategies and partnerships on ensuring that Migratory and Seasonal Agricultural Workers (MSAWs) receive COVID-19 vaccines. To fully document these practices, FHN will present the assessment findings and showcase Migrant Health Centers through a panel discussion with successful efforts on getting MSAWs vaccinated to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Wednesday, September 29
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
FHN includes several HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs) : Farmworker Justice, Migrant Clinicians Network, Health Outreach Partners, MHP Salud, and the National Center for Farmworker Health.
UDS Dental Data Trends: The COVID-19 Impact on Health Center Dental Programs
The 2020 UDS data reflects the changes and impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the disproportionate impacts on dental programs. Speakers will discuss the data, its implications, and the challenges and opportunities going forward. This webinar is hosted by the National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA), a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
Wednesday, September 29
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Promotor(a) De Salud Virtual COVID-19 Support Group Conducted in Spanish
MHP Salud is hosting virtual COVID-19 support group calls for Promotores(as) de Salud working at health centers and who speak or provide services in Spanish. These support groups are geared to promote and support discussion of challenges, best practices and strategies, and the well-being of Promotores(as) de Salud in working with their health center’s target population on COVID-19 education and vaccine access. View dates and times and register.
HHS: What Works and What Doesn’t in COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach
HHS provides an overview of lessons learned from vaccine programs and gives several examples of federal and state programs that could serve as models for new strategies.
COVID-19 Clinical Rounds Return
The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, in collaboration with the National Emerging Special Pathogen Training and Education Center and Project ECHO, launched a series of COVID-19 Clinical Rounds. These weekly trainings provide an opportunity for clinicians to create peer-to-peer learning networks and share their challenges and successes in treating COVID-19. Access the past session material and sign up to receive updates.
Health Center COVID-19 FAQs
We continue to update our COVID-19 FAQs webpage. We recently added two new questions:
- What do administration sites need to know about COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapeutics?
- Can health centers order additional vaccine doses for immunocompromised individuals through the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program, and if so, how should these be reported?
HHS Mask Distribution Program Concludes Successfully
In partnership with HHS, the Department of Defense has finished distributing over 12.5 million free masks to health centers across the country. Between April and August, health centers received 5.1 million adult-sized masks and 7.4 million child-sized masks. These high-quality, washable cloth masks were distributed free of charge to patients, health center staff, and other individuals within the community, for use during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the upcoming flu season.
Thank you for your partnership in this effort to ensure access to high-quality masks!
|
Health centers across the nation have distinguished themselves in responding to the current pandemic. Here’s a recent example:
Washington, D.C., Health Center Brings Vaccinations to Schools and Libraries
Community of Hope (COH), in Washington, D.C., is working hard to get adults and children vaccinated by going into the community and meeting people where they are!
COH staff are visiting public schools and libraries as part of their effort to vaccinate as many of their nearly 12,000 patients and additional community members as possible. COH has also hosted several vaccination clinics at their health centers and have sponsored vaccination efforts at community events such as a food bank giveaway and a back-to-school supply giveaway co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Police Department and the D.C. library. In total, COH has administered 8,200 COVID-19 vaccines.
COH recognizes that many in the community are still reluctant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and they continue to have conversations with their patients about the importance of vaccination. “Hesitancy remains strong in our service area,” said Kelly Sweeney McShane, President and CEO of COH. “We have learned that our patients are motivated by their family and friends asking them to get vaccinated and their trusted health care provider patiently providing information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.”
In addition to its vaccination efforts, COH continues to provide COVID-19 testing, primary medical care with a telehealth option, and expanded behavioral health care supports.
|
How is your health center helping your community address COVID-19? Send your story to our Health Center Stories inbox. We want to hear about efforts to:
- Promote equity in vaccine distribution and boost vaccine confidence.
- Address behavioral and mental health issues associated with the pandemic.
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 with the names of everyone in the picture, and make sure each person has signed a HRSA Photo Release Form.
|
Behavioral Health
Working with Family Caregivers to Address Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults with Chronic Illness
This learning collaborative will discuss approaches for supporting caregivers to screen and care for their older adult family members with substance use disorders. Participants will be able to identify appropriate screening strategies for opioid and alcohol misuse in older patients and explain the unique challenges and needs of caregivers for older adults with substance use and other co-occurring disorders. Apply by Thursday, October 7. Hosted by the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders, a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
Improving Cultural Competency for Behavioral Health Professionals Serving Public Housing Residents
The National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH) presents a five-part learning collaborative to assist Public Housing Primary Care Health Center awardees in increasing their capacity to provide quality behavioral health services to patients from diverse cultural backgrounds. This opportunity will help behavioral health professionals increase cultural and linguistic competency. Apply here. NCHPH is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
HIV
HIV and Diabetes Mellitus
This fact sheet provides information for health centers to manage co-occurring diabetes and HIV, including information about the metabolic side effects of antiretroviral medications. The resource was created by the National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center, a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
Opportunities to Build Your Team’s Expertise
See the announcement below.
Workforce
Several HRSA-funded NTTAPs present learning collaboratives:
-
Opportunities to Build Your Team’s Expertise
Community Health Center, Inc., offers several opportunities for health centers to build their team’s expertise. There are opportunities focused on team-based care, postgraduate nurse practitioner residency and fellowship program, health professions training, and HIV prevention. The goal of each is to effectively move health centers from the planning stage to implementation. There’s a single application for all of the learning collaboratives. Learn more and apply now.
-
Building Value and Return on Investment in Housing and Health Partnerships
NCHPH and the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (NNCC) will guide health center staff through practical steps to help build value and return on investment in their current health center and housing authority partnerships. The modules will discuss how to optimize the health center workforce and resources, evaluate existing and developing partnerships, and measure and improve their impact. Register here.
-
Healing-Centered Approaches to Addressing Relationship Abuse and Trafficking
The School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA) is partnering with Health Partners on IPV + Exploitation, led by Futures Without Violence, to offer a five-session learning collaborative for adolescent-serving school-based health centers. This opportunity is for health centers interested in building their capacity to promote healthy relationships and prevent, assess for, and respond to relationship abuse and trafficking. Apply by Tuesday, September 28.
-
Working with Family Caregivers to Address Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults with Chronic Illness
See the announcement above.
-
Improving Cultural Competency for Behavioral Health Professionals Serving Public Housing Residents
See the announcement above.
-
Childhood Diabetes Prevention
Hosted by Farmworker Justice, Health Outreach Partners, and SBHA, this opportunity is for community health center primary care and behavioral health providers and outreach staff. The sessions will teach strategies and best practices for identifying and addressing diabetes risks and share experiences with health center peers and experts. Learn more and apply by Wednesday, September 15.
Virtual Engagement for Professionals: Center of Excellence Web Series
This web series will identify and promote promising practices for optimal, virtual training and TA engagement. Collaborators will host facilitated discussions, offer peer-learning opportunities, and publish training and TA highlights and successes. See dates and times and register today. This series is hosted by the NNCC and the Health Information Technology, Evaluation, and Quality (HITEQ) Center, both HRSA-funded NTTAPs.
Oral Health
UDS Dental Data Trends: The COVID-19 Impact on Health Center Dental Programs
See the announcement above.
Teledentistry User’s Guide
The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) has worked with health centers since spring of 2020 to develop and test a variety of strategies to deliver dental services via synchronous teledentistry. Their new User’s Guide gives an overview of teledentistry, describes its use in health center dental programs, and includes practical tools for implementing teledentistry. NNOHA is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
|
Telehealth
Teledentistry User’s Guide
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
