What's New
Recording Available: Public Health Community Appreciation Town Hall
During this Thanksgiving season, the Biden-Harris Administration wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the entire public health community. On Monday, November 22, the White House held a virtual Public Health Community Appreciation Town Hall, featuring HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, the White House COVID-19 Response Team, as well as other public health professionals.
Federal Tort Claims Act Health Center Program Site Visit Listening Sessions
The Health Center Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Program encourages HRSA stakeholders who participated in FTCA site visits to attend upcoming listening sessions. We have sent invitations to applicable stakeholders. These sessions will allow deemed health centers, site visit reviewers, and HRSA staff to provide feedback on FTCA site visit tools and resources.
Study Examines Multimorbidity, Mental Health Conditions, and Severe Obesity in Health Center Patients
A recent study analyzing HRSA Health Center Program data found that the prevalence of multiple chronic conditions and mental health conditions increased among patients with obesity. Findings highlight the importance of integrated care in health centers and the need for clinical guidelines that address obesity in the context of multiple chronic conditions paired with mental health conditions. To read the published article, and other articles about quality care delivered by health centers, visit our Health Center Library.
Recording Available: Community Health Quality Recognition Overview
Thank you to all who joined the Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) overview webinar in September. The webinar recording and final slides are now available on our website. Access national, state, and health-center level CHQR data on the Health Center Uniform Data System Data webpages.
Service Area Status Resources Now Available
The Service Area Status (SAS) workbook and the slides/recording from a recent SAS webinar are now available on our Strategic Initiatives webpage.
The SAS workbook is an Excel-based tool used to view SAS scores. SAS scores provide a quantitative way for health centers to understand the health, social, and economic status of the communities they serve. HRSA is making these resources available now to assist health centers with their needs assessment and planning efforts, and HRSA will provide additional information in the future regarding additional or targeted uses.
HHS Racial Equity in Postpartum Care Challenge
HHS’ Office on Women’s Health seeks innovative strategies to improve postpartum care for Black or African American and American Indian/Alaska Native women enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP. The emphasis will be on follow-up care for diabetes, postpartum depression and/or postpartum anxiety, hypertension, and substance use disorders (SUD). Total cash prize is $1,800,000. Apply by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 31, 2022.
Medicare Mental Health Services: Coverage of New Telecommunications Technology Begins January 1, 2022
Beginning Saturday, January 1, 2022, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) mental health visits with Medicare beneficiaries can be furnished using interactive, real-time telecommunications technology. CMS formalized this regulatory change through the Calendar Year 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule. It is not tied to the COVID-19 public health emergency and is permanent in the absence of further regulatory action.
In the same way they currently do when visits take place in-person, FQHCs will be allowed to report and receive payment for mental health visits furnished via real-time telecommunication technology including audio-only visits when the beneficiary is not capable of, or does not consent to, the use of video technology.
An in-person, non-telehealth visit must be furnished at least every 12 months for these services; however, exceptions to the in-person visit requirement may be made based on beneficiary circumstances.
FQHCs will be reimbursed 80% of the lesser of their actual charges or the Prospective Payment System rate when these services are furnished to a Medicare beneficiary through telecommunication technology, including audio-only.
Additionally, beginning Saturday, January 1, 2022, FQHCs must add Modifier 95 (Synchronous Telemedicine Service Rendered via Real-Time Interactive Audio and Video Telecommunications System) to claims for mental health visits furnished via audio-video telecommunications and must add Modifier FQ (service provided using audio-only communication technology) to claims for mental health visits furnished via audio-only telecommunications.
Open Enrollment Period on HealthCare.gov
The Marketplace Open Enrollment Period on HealthCare.gov is now open and will remain so until Saturday, January 15, 2022. Consumers who enroll by Wednesday, December 15, can get full year coverage that starts Saturday, January 1. Learn more.
COVID-19
New Toolkit for Countering Health Misinformation
Health center providers have likely encountered patients who were reluctant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to false, inaccurate, or misleading information. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation can help to ensure that people across the country have access to science-based public health guidance as the country continues to confront the pandemic. The toolkit is interactive and collaborative, using simple language and examples to help patients understand and identify misinformation and disinformation.
The toolkit includes:
- A checklist to help evaluate the accuracy of health-related content.
- Tips on how people can talk to loved ones about health misinformation.
- An outline of common types of misinformation and disinformation tactics.
- Reflections and examples of times individuals may have encountered misinformation.
Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force: Final Report and Recommendations
Established by executive order in January 2021, the Health Equity Task Force recently released its Final Report and Recommendations and Proposed Implementation Plan and Accountability Framework. The final report presents four suggested outcomes as the Task Force’s vision for change, five proposed priority actions to spur this change, and 55 final recommendations.
Provider Relief Fund Reports Due by Tuesday, November 30
The 60-day grace period for the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Period 1 ends Tuesday, November 30. Providers still have time to complete their reporting requirements by submitting their report at the PRF Reporting Portal before the deadline. Providers who fail to meet this deadline will be required to return their PRF payments by Thursday, December 30.
CDC Report Reinforces Importance of Vaccination
Among persons aged ≥12 years enrolled in a Pacific Northwest health plan, unvaccinated persons with COVID-19 were approximately twice as likely to receive emergency department care or to be hospitalized than were vaccinated persons with COVID-19. Read more.
Behavioral Health
Study Examines Multimorbidity, Mental Health Conditions, and Severe Obesity in Health Center Patients
See the announcement above.
BPHC Behavioral Health Integrated Care Technical Assistance Project
Join us to learn how our upcoming tailored technical assistance (TA) efforts will help health centers answer questions like:
- How can we better integrate our behavioral health and SUD services into existing processes?
- What are some ways to address and mitigate workforce shortages?
- What are the expanded expectations relating to UDS depression measures?
Monday, November 29
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
**1.0 continuing education credits available.**
Medicare Mental Health Services: Coverage of New Telecommunications Technology Begins January 1, 2022
See the announcement above.
HIV
Notices of Funding Opportunity for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Early Intervention Services Program
The fiscal year 2022 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Early Intervention Services Program: New and Limited Existing Geographic Service Areas notices of funding opportunity (NOFO) were recently released. This program’s purpose is to provide comprehensive primary health care and support services in an outpatient setting for people with low incomes and with HIV. The NOFOs correspond to the type of service area designation being funded by each announcement.
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HRSA-22-016 funds new geographic service areas, as proposed by the applicant.
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HRSA-22-017 funds a limited number of existing geographic service areas, as defined in Appendix B of the NOFO.
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, December 10.
Workforce
HRSA’s Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program Now Open
The Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program offers funding to registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and nurse faculty toward payment of their qualifying educational loans in exchange for a two-year service commitment at a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses or at an eligible school of nursing in the case of nurse faculty. Additional loan repayment is available for a third year of service. Apply by Thursday, January 13, 2022.
Join a TA webinar:
Thursday, December 9
2:30-4:00 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: 160 600 1560
Additional Resources
Preparing for Wildfire – Climate Changes Health
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and CDC, even for communities far downwind, wildfire smoke has been directly linked to poor air quality that can lead to significant health effects and costs to society (emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and deaths, often due to respiratory ailments). Wildfire Smoke and Your Patients' Health is an online course that will teach you about the health effects associated with wildfire.
CDC offers CME, CNE, and CEU for the course. It is intended for physicians, registered nurses, asthma educators, and others involved in clinical or health education.
Evaluating Health Adaptation for a Changing Climate
Interested in the evaluation of health adaptation for a changing climate? Watch this series of short videos from CDC’s Office of Climate and Health. You will learn to evaluate your individual situation according to time, scale, and complexity of the changing climate in your region, state, and local area. This series will teach you to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience in the face of the changing climate.
Screening for Structural Vulnerability
Check out Health Outreach Partners’ new “Coffee Break” on-demand webinar. Speakers describe the importance of screening for structural vulnerability in order to provide your patients with compassionate, comprehensive care that takes into consideration the structural factors that impact their health and well-being. Access the Structural Vulnerability Checklist and learn how you can use it to screen for structural factors that can impact the effectiveness of care. Health Outreach Partners is a HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP).
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