Honoring All Veterans, Telehealth PIN Feedback Deadline, and More! HRSA PHC Digest

A newsletter from the Bureau of Primary Health Care

November 8, 2022

Thank You Veterans

Honoring All Veterans
Veterans Day commemorates and honors veterans of all wars. According to 2021 Uniform Data System (UDS) data, HRSA-funded health centers served more than 385,000 veterans last year.

HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs) offer trainings and resources to support this work:

  • TOMORROW: “No Wrong Door” for Veterans: Veteran Cultural Competency Training for MLP Teams
    Hosted by the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnerships (NCMLP)
    Wednesday, November 9
    2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
    Registration page
  • Serving Veterans in Health Centers
    The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) developed a two-page fact sheet and comprehensive toolkit to orient health center administrators to the enrollment requirements and program benefits of the VA’s Community Care Network.

  • Serving Veterans in Health Centers: A Compendium of Success Stories
    NACHC’s compilation of 10 success stories from health centers supporting the unique needs of military veterans. Topics include oral health care, care coordination, housing, and VA outreach. These stories capture the ingenuity, advocacy, and passion of local health centers giving back to veterans.

  • Oral Health for Veterans: Increasing Access through Sustainable Programs
    Access the webinar recording or slides on the National Network for Oral Health Access’ (NNOHA) webinar webpage.

Deadline

Final Week to Provide Feedback on the Draft Telehealth PIN
We’re asking for comments on the Draft Scope of Project and Telehealth Policy Information Notice (PIN). Access the draft PIN and instructions for commenting on the Scope of Project and Telehealth PIN Public Comments webpage. Thanks to those who have already submitted input. If you haven’t yet, comment by 11:59 p.m. your local time on Monday, November 14.

If you have technical questions or feedback submission issues, call us at 877-464-4772, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday (except federal holidays). If you have general questions about the draft Telehealth PIN, submit them via the BPHC Contact Form.


Did You Miss It?
Here are some of our most popular items from October Digests:

Missed an issue? Catch up in our online archive.


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                Additional Resources


What's New

UDS Logo

UDS Preliminary Reporting Environment Now Open
The UDS Preliminary Reporting Environment (PRE) is now open, giving HRSA-supported health centers early access to enter and validate data before the UDS reporting period begins on Sunday, January 1, 2023.

Access the PRE through the reporting portal in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs). Two offline reporting tools are also available to help health centers submit UDS data: offline Excel files and HTML files. Find instructions for accessing the PRE and the reporting tools in our Accessing Uniform Data System (UDS) Reporting Guidance (PDF).

Learn more about the PRE by attending the upcoming technical assistance (TA) webinar:

Thursday, November 10
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page


Deadline Reminder: American Rescue Plan – Health Center Construction and Capital Improvements Semi-Annual Progress Reports Due
Fiscal year 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP)-Capital semi-annual progress reports are due in EHBs by 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 15.

These resources can guide your progress report submission: ARP-Capital (C8E) Progress Report User Guide and Completing the Capital Award Progress Report video. Additional TA resources are available on the ARP-Capital TA webpage.


Recording Available: Fostering Workplace Wellness through the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
In September, HRSA presented a webinar to share practical strategies for addressing burnout and promoting employee wellness and resilience. We featured the director of the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and a panel discussion with health center staff from across the country describing specific strategies they use to foster workplace wellness. If you missed it, watch the recording.


Monkeypox Updates


2021 UDS Data Correction: Number of Medication-Assisted Treatment Providers
We recently discovered an error in the 2021 UDS data set deriving from one data entry error. The correct number of providers with a Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA) 2000 waiver for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is 8,869 – not 16,769. We have now corrected the error in EHBs reports and in HRSA’s Data Warehouse.

If you have questions about this error, submit them through the BPHC Contact Form (UDS/UDS Data Request/UDS Data Access).


It’s Health Center Week of Action for Open Enrollment
Participate in this Health Center Week of Action. Spread the word, share resources, and assist patients in enrolling in insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace. CMS’ Outreach and Enrollment webpage makes it easy for you to get the word out and their TA webpage has resources for anyone providing enrollment assistance.


Philanthropic Funding for Contraceptive Care Available for Health Centers
Upstream, a national nonprofit that provides free training and TA on patient-centered contraceptive care, has asked HRSA to share a unique opportunity for health centers to apply for philanthropic funding.

For a limited time, Upstream is offering up to $75,000 in unrestricted funds to health centers that commit to partnering to implement Upstream’s contraceptive care practice transformation model. Upstream has worked with nearly 50 community health centers to date and is seeking to expand partnership efforts with interested organizations.

Learn more from health centers with experience in Upstream’s model:

Monday, November 14
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

If you aren't able to attend the webinar but would like to learn more about partnering with Upstream, reach out here or contact Susan Abernethy.


NRHD Logo

National Rural Health Day Events Next Week
HRSA will celebrate National Rural Health Day with events beginning next Monday. Join us on Thursday (November 17) at 3:00 p.m. ET for a discussion with HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson and other HHS leaders about what the federal government is doing to increase behavioral health equity in rural communities, including substance use disorder treatment. View the schedule of virtual events to register or join.


2023 Rural Health Network Development Program
Applications are due soon (Tuesday, November 22) for a HRSA funding opportunity that addresses gaps in service, enhances systems of care, and expands the capacity of the local rural health care system. See a bulletin from HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) for more.

A related funding opportunity that supports the planning and development of integrated health care networks seeking to expand access and improve quality of care in rural communities is open for applications until early next year. Learn more in FORHP's bulletin.


HRSA Roundup
Last month, HRSA took action to bolster nursing education and training, improve and expand mental health care for kids, increase access to maternal health care, and enhance understanding of children’s health needs. Learn more on the October in Brief webpage.


Billing Medicare for Telehealth as a Safety-net Provider
This page on HHS’ Telehealth website includes updated information on billing codes and reimbursement rates for Federally Qualified Health Centers providing telehealth services. Resources include the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and current guidance on billing for audio-only visits.


COVID-19

COVID-19 Response Programs – Holiday-related Schedule Changes
A new one-pager summarizes holiday-related schedule changes for health centers in the HRSA Health Center COVID-19 Response Programs. It includes the impact on deliveries and, for bivalent boosters only, changes to order caps ahead of ordering pauses.


CDC MMWR: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Outpatient Treatment of COVID-19
Expansion of programs to increase awareness of and access to available outpatient COVID-19 treatments can help protect persons at high risk for severe illness and facilitate equitable health outcomes. Read more.


Webinar

Special and Vulnerable Populations COVID-19 Forum
HRSA-funded NTTAPs have extended this ongoing series again (note that a January 2023 date is now included).

Join to hear discussion of how COVID-19 has impacted health centers and the special populations they serve. Representatives from BPHC's Office of Quality Improvement, will provide up-to-date information about assistance for health centers.

Friday, November 18
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page


Behavioral Health

Updated

CDC Updates Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain
CDC updated its guidance for opioid prescription. Their new website links to the guidance and details changes from the 2016 guideline.


Recommendations and Guidance for Implementing Oral and Behavioral Health Integration
Speakers at HRSA’s upcoming webinar will discuss NNOHA’s systems-level framework for implementing behavioral health and oral health integration and will also present lessons from the field based on their work supporting health centers' efforts to integrate oral and behavioral health within their clinical setting.

Tuesday, November 22
11:00 a.m.-noon ET
Registration page
**1.0 CE available**


New Funding Opportunity in Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
As part of the multi-year Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), HRSA is offering $12 million in new grant funding for Overdose Response. Approximately 40 grants, each $300,000, will go toward immediate community-level needs related to the drug overdose crisis. Applicant organizations may be located in an urban or rural area; however, all activities supported by the program must occur exclusively in HRSA-designated rural areas.

Join a TA webinar:

Thursday, November 10
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session


Workforce

Health Professional Students’ Loan Repayment Application Open Now
HRSA’s 2023 National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Students to Service (S2S) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) application cycle is now open. Final-year students studying to become a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, medical doctor, or dentist can apply for awards of up to $120,000 in exchange for a three-year commitment to provide primary care services at NHSC-approved sites in high-need underserved areas. The NHSC S2S LRP application cycle closes at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 1.


Oral Health Workforce Learning Collaborative
NNOHA and the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved’s (ACU) STAR2 Center invite health centers to join. You’ll develop a recruitment and retention plan for oral health team members. Visit the registration page to apply by 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, December 9. NNOHA and ACU are both HRSA-funded NTTAPs.


Introducing the Organizational Leadership and Resiliency Toolkit
Join ACU’s STAR2 Center and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) to learn about their upcoming Organizational Leadership and Resiliency Toolkit. This webinar and accompanying toolkit will connect organization leaders with the understanding and strategies they need to support the health and well-being of their workforce and address some of the structural problems plaguing the health care industry even before the pandemic.

Thursday, November 17
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

ACU and NHCHC are both HRSA-funded NTTAPs.


Oral Health

Recommendations and Guidance for Implementing Oral and Behavioral Health Integration
See the announcement above.


Oral Health Workforce Learning Collaborative
See the announcement above.


Telehealth

Environmental Scan of Telehealth TA Resources
In this publication, NACHC and the Center for Connected Health Policy provide a curated list of top telehealth TA resources for health centers interested in implementing, operating, expanding, or sustaining a telehealth program.


Billing Medicare for Telehealth as a Safety-net Provider
See the announcement above.


Additional Resources

Diabetes in Special & Vulnerable Populations: National Learning Series
All 14 NTTAPs will collaborate again for a four-part national learning series to engage health centers, Primary Care Associations, and Health Center Controlled Networks and to increase foundational knowledge of effective strategies to prevent, treat, and manage diabetes among special and medically underserved populations.

Participants will explore diabetes management in relation to the following topics: 1) Social determinants of health (SDOH) and structural barriers; 2) intersectional identities of health center workforce and patients; 3) emergency preparedness; and 4) environmental impacts on access to care.

Visit the series information page for more information and registration links.


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Training & Technical Assistance

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

Through November 15

Orientation to Agricultural Worker Health
Hosted by the National Center for Farmworker Health (NCFH), a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Tuesday, November 8
2:30-3:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

A Home-Based Approach to Prevent and Manage Diabetes among the Aging Population and People with Disabilities Living in HUD-assisted Facilities
Hosted by the National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH), a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Wednesday, November 9
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

“No Wrong Door” for Veterans: Veteran Cultural Competency Training for MLP Teams
Hosted by NCMLP, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Wednesday, November 9
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Concurrent Treatment of Smoking Cessation and Substance Use Disorder in Primary Care
Hosted by NCHPH and the National Nurse-led Care Consortium (NNCC), both HRSA-funded NTTAPs
Wednesday, November 9
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Health Network: A Care Coordination Program for Patients Who Move During Treatment (in Spanish with live interpretation in English)
Hosted by Migrant Clinicians Network, Inc., a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Thursday, November 10
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

2022 UDS TA Webinar: Preliminary Reporting Environment
Thursday, November 10
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Addressing Tuberculosis and Latent Tuberculosis Infection Screening, Testing, and Treatment Needs Among Community Health Centers Serving Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders
Hosted by the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Thursday, November 10
4:00-5:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Busting the Myths: Smoking Cessation for Individuals with Psychiatric Disorders
Hosted by NCHPH, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Friday, November 11
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Workshop on Housing and Obesity: Gaps, Opportunities and Future Directions for Advancing Health Equity
Co-sponsored by several HHS agencies and HUD
Monday, November 14,
and Tuesday, November 15
Noon-4:30 p.m. ET
Workshop agenda and registration information (deadline for registration is Wednesday, November 9)

Streamlining Contraception Access: An Introduction to Upstream USA
Hosted by Upstream USA
Monday, November 14
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

COVID-19 Response Program Office Hours
Tuesday, November 15
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

2022-2023 Seasonal Influenza Testing and Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Hosted by CDC
Tuesday, November 15
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
Slides and recording are typically posted on the call webpage

MSAW Identification, Registration, & Reporting in the UDS
Hosted by NCFH, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Tuesday, November 15
2:30-3:30 p.m. ET
Registration page


Upcoming

All Things Nutrition: How Health Centers Can Promote Nutrition Education in Efforts to Prevent Diabetes
Hosted by the Corporation for Supportive Housing, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Wednesday, November 16
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Implementing Food Rx Programs for Health Center Settings
Hosted by NCFH, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Wednesday, November 16
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Managing Cholesterol Through Telehealth
Co-hosted by NACHC (through a cooperative agreement with CDC) and the American Medical Association
Wednesday, November 16
3:00-3:45 p.m. ET
Registration page
**1.0 CME available**

HRSA’s Virtual Job Fair: Rural Sites Only
Wednesday, November 16
6:00-9:30 p.m. ET
Job seeker registration

National Rural Health Day – HHS Leadership Panel Discussion
Thursday, November 17
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the discussion

Introducing the Organizational Leadership and Resiliency Toolkit
Hosted by ACU’s STAR2 Center and NHCHC; both ACU and NHCHC are HRSA-funded NTTAPs
Thursday, November 17
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Special and Vulnerable Populations COVID-19 Forum
Hosted by several HRSA-funded NTTAPs
Friday, November 18
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page (visit to see all dates and times)

Recommendations and Guidance for Implementing Oral and Behavioral Health Integration
Tuesday, November 22
11:00 a.m.-noon ET
Registration page
**1.0 CE available**

Health Centers as Actors (in Information Blocking)!
Hosted by the Health Information Technology, Evaluation, and Quality Center, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Tuesday, November 22
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates
Thursday, December 1
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Access details coming soon

Seal the Deal – 2022 Annual Update on the UDS Sealant Measure 
Hosted by NNOHA, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Thursday, December 1
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
**1.0 CDE available**

Understanding SDOH and Structural Barriers Affecting Diabetes Care
Hosted by several NTTAPs as part of the Diabetes in Special and Vulnerable Populations National Learning Series
Tuesday, December 6
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Intersectional Identities of Health Center Workforce and Patients
Hosted by several NTTAPs as part of the Diabetes in Special and Vulnerable Populations National Learning Series
Thursday, December 8
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Emergency Preparedness for Diabetes Management
Hosted by several NTTAPs as part of the Diabetes in Special and Vulnerable Populations National Learning Series
Tuesday, December 13
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Community Inclusion and Cultural Humility in Diabetes Prevention
Hosted by NNCC, a HRSA-funded NTTAP
Wednesday, December 14
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Environmental Impacts on Diabetes Access to Care
Hosted by several NTTAPs as part of the Diabetes in Special and Vulnerable Populations National Learning Series
Thursday, December 15
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Webinars are hosted by HRSA unless otherwise noted.