What's New
Fiscal Year 2023 Health Center Controlled Network Non-Competing Continuation Progress Report
We recently released fiscal year (FY) 2023 Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN) non-competing continuation (NCC) progress report instructions. Progress reports are due by 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday, March 6. For resources, visit the HCCN Cooperative Agreements TA webpage.
We have also rescheduled a Q&A for those completing HCCN NCC progress reports:
Thursday, February 2 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET Join the day of the session If you prefer to join by phone: 833-568-8864 Webinar ID: 161 012 5001
To send questions in advance, use the BPHC Contact Form.
Health Center Participants Wanted!
Help us evaluate BPHC’s website (bphc.hrsa.gov) by taking a web usability survey. Staff working at health centers and TA organizations are eligible. The survey takes approximately 20-25 minutes to complete, and responses are confidential. The survey is open until Friday, February 3.
|
Deadline Extended: Present at Our Patient-Centered Medical Home Health Equity TA Symposium
We’re still looking for health centers to present at our second annual Patient-Centered Medical Home Health Equity TA Symposium. Complete the presenter form to submit your abstract by Friday, February 10.
The symposium will take place virtually from 11:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 29, and Thursday, March 30. Participants will hear about and discuss best practices and lessons learned from peers and experts in the fields of health equity, quality improvement, and accreditation/recognition. Get all the details in our bulletin.
Health Centers and Value-Based Payment: A Framework for Health Center Payment Reform and Early Experiences in Medicaid Value-Based Payment in Seven States
A recent HRSA-funded study assessed health center value-based payment (VBP) participation in seven states and found increased participation over time as well as associations with improved health center financial outcomes. VBP participation grew from 35% to 58% between 2013 and 2017. During the same time, health centers increasingly participated in more advanced payment models, which allowed them to improve care coordination and quality and cost outcomes. To increase health center patient participation in VBP, research findings highlight the importance of financial incentives from Medicaid agencies and Medicaid managed plans as well as health center-Medicaid collaboration under strong Primary Care Association (PCA) and health center leadership.
National Practitioner Data Bank Administrator Training
Do you manage the National Practitioner Data Bank account for your organization? Join an upcoming webinar to learn how to determine who can serve as a Data Bank administrator and to apply time-saving best practices for common tasks that involve accounts and passwords.
Wednesday, February 22 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET Registration page
Attend the live webinar and qualify to receive 1.0 NAMSS-approved CE credit. Certificates will be sent out 1-2 weeks after the webinar.
CDC Reports Emphasize the Importance of Routine Vaccination for Children, including Flu
- The National Immunization Survey (NIS)-Child identified no decline overall in routine vaccination coverage associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among children born during 2018–2019. They did observe declines among children living below the federal poverty level and in rural areas. See the report.
- A separate report documents a more severe pediatric flu season than we’ve experienced in recent years. It underscores that it’s not too late for flu vaccine.
Medicaid Eligibility Redeterminations May Begin as Early as Wednesday, February 1
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, delinks the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement from the COVID-19 public health emergency. States may initiate the first Medicaid renewals as early as Wednesday, February 1, and will be able to terminate enrollment for ineligible individuals enrolled in Medicaid, following a redetermination, beginning Saturday, April 1.
CMS is posting policy guidance for states online, for example this information bulletin (PDF). Find state-specific Medicaid enrollment links and eligibility helplines on the Renew Your Medicaid or CHIP Coverage webpage. PCAs have been encouraged to engage with state Medicaid agencies and are available to support health centers in this effort.
CMS is hosting a partner webinar for any organization that serves or interfaces with people that have health insurance through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP):
Wednesday, January 25 Noon-1:00 p.m. ET Registration page
COVID-19
Updates on COVID-19 Vaccine Availability
CDC advises health centers of the following changes to COVID-19 vaccine availability. These changes will take effect on Tuesday, January 31, for health centers ordering through states/jurisdiction, and on Wednesday, January 25, for those ordering through the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program.
- The Emergency Use Authorization (EUA)-labeled Pfizer BioNTech adult (12+) monovalent vaccine (NDC 59267-1025-04) will no longer be available to order. The Biologics License Application (BLA)-labeled (COMIRNATY) product (NDC 00069-2025-10) will replace it. These are identical products, except for the labeling and the process they went through to be approved by FDA.
- Novavax will no longer be available. This product is set to expire on Tuesday, February 28, and will not receive a shelf-life extension.
Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program Participants: If you need more Novavax, include it in your order today or tomorrow.
Expanding COVID-19 Vaccination Funding: Resources to Inform Your Work
These resources may be useful in informing your work, especially for health centers considering how best to use Expanding COVID-19 Vaccination (ECV) funding.
Has your health center increased access to, confidence in, and demand for updated COVID-19 vaccines using ECV funding? Send your success stories to HRSA Health Center Stories for possible promotion in HRSA communications.
|
Contact Pharmacies for N95 Masks for Your Community
If you missed it, see our bulletin from last week about how health centers can get N95 masks for distribution to their communities.
Happy Anniversary to the Testing Supply and Therapeutics Programs!
Happy one-year anniversary to two COVID-19 Response Programs that launched in December 2021.
- The HRSA COVID-19 Testing Supply Program initially provided health centers with a direct supply of at-home testing supplies. In February 2022, it expanded to offer point-of-care testing supplies.
- The HRSA Health Center COVID-19 Therapeutics Program began incrementally to directly allocate a limited supply of oral antiviral treatments for the outpatient treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 to select HRSA-supported health centers. It opened to all HRSA-supported health centers in March 2022.
Through these programs, health centers made significant and impressive strides in 2022:
- 1,126 health centers ordered more than 20 million testing supplies, including point-of-care testing supplies. 956 health centers distributed over 12 million test kits in their communities.
- 365 health centers ordered over 125,000 courses of therapeutics – 59% were administered to racial and ethnic minorities.
Health centers continue to play a critical role to keep communities healthy throughout the pandemic. As a reminder, any HRSA-supported health center is welcome to join these programs. Submit a ticket via the BPHC Contact Form if you’re interested.
|
Special and Vulnerable Populations COVID-19 Forum
Join HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs) and their featured speaker from CDC’s Post-COVID Conditions Team – Dr. Jennifer Cope – for a session focusing on long COVID and its status, challenges, and promising practices. You’ll have the chance to provide feedback and identify health center needs relative to COVID-19 and preparedness for future outbreaks and other emergencies.
Friday, January 27 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET Registration page
|
Workforce
BHW Footprint Map
This new tool allows you to instantly visualize program, site, and participant data for all of the Bureau of Health Workforce’s programs – all in one place. We update key data sets on participants, sites, and applications daily, so you get the most recent data available.
Financial Assessment for Provider Turnover Tool
The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved’s (ACU) STAR2 Center has updated one of its bedrock resources, the Financial Assessment for Provider Turnover Tool. Updates reflect current financial data to assist health center teams in calculating the tangible costs of provider turnover at their organizations. The tool is a customizable Excel document that allows users to work with their own data or select national estimates for the direct and indirect costs involved with turnover. ACU is a HRSA-funded NTTAP.
Participate on Health Center Workforce Summit National Advisory Group
The ACU’s STAR2 Center; Community Health Center, Inc.; and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) are excited to host the virtual 2023 Health Center Workforce Summit in May.
They seek 8-10 individuals with workforce expertise and experience from HRSA-supported health centers, HCCNs, PCAs, or external partners to serve on the Health Center Workforce Summit Advisory Group. Visit the registration page to apply by Wednesday, February 1.
NTTAP Opportunities
HRSA-funded NTTAPs invite health center staff to join these opportunities:
-
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Maternal Health: Evidence-Based and Promising Interventions
Learning collaborative participants will learn how to apply the evidence-based CUES (Confidentiality, Universal Education, Empowerment, and Support) intervention to prevent and respond to IPV and trauma within settings that serve pregnant and birthing people. Content will include frameworks and tools to better promote health equity, as well as strategies to help health center staff feel more present during patient encounters. Speakers will share adaptable protocols and resources to strengthen connections with domestic violence programs. Visit Health Partners on IPV + Exploitation’s registration page by Wednesday, February 8.
-
2023 Diabetes ECHO (in Spanish exclusively)
The Migrant Clinicians Network’s annual series begins in March. The six-part series will address diverse topics within diabetes treatment and self-management, including social barriers, in-depth clinical education related to development of diabetes and complications associated with a diagnosis, accessibility to various treatments, and use of community resources. Space is limited to 35 participants. Visit the registration page.
-
Promoting Age-friendly Environments: Critical Determinants of Health
This National Center for Equitable Care for Elders (NCECE) opportunity will highlight the importance of accessibility and inclusion in supporting older adults to safely age in place. Participants will learn to identify and, if possible, address some of the physical and social barriers to healthy aging. Visit the registration page for more information and to apply.
Additional Resources
Strike Out Cervical Cancer
In recognition of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, we’re hosting a discussion of the pandemic’s impact on screenings, and how health centers can recover and sustain screening rates moving forward. Experts in the field will discuss the benefits and limitations of screening modalities, HPV vaccine protection and safety, and best practice guidelines.
Tuesday, January 31 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET Join the day of the session If you prefer to join by phone: 833-568-8864 Webinar ID: 161 389 1307
The Role of Community Health Workers in Breast Cancer Screening Equity
Join the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (NNCC) and the National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH) to explore the intersections of SDOH, breast cancer screening interventions, and the use of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in public housing care settings. They will share best practices for increased patient and care team engagement to address SDOH affecting the reach and frequency of breast cancer screening for low-income women who are residents of public housing.
Wednesday, February 8 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET Registration page
NNCC and NCHPH are both HRSA-funded NTTAPs.
No Cost CME on Lifestyle Medicine and Food Essentials
Last fall, the White House held a conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. Health centers may benefit from this FREE CME opportunity, highlighted at the conference.
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s Lifestyle Medicine & Food as Medicine Essentials course educates health care providers to prescribe nutrition – using food as medicine – and other lifestyle modalities, to address the unhealthy lifestyle behaviors causing many chronic diseases. The self-paced course has three parts:
- Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine (1 hour)
- Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Prevention and Longevity (3 hours)
- Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Treatment and Risk Reduction (1.5 hours)
Help Uninsured Children and Provide Bilingual Outreach
Health center staff who want to help children and teenagers get insurance coverage can check CMS’ Insure Kids Now website for information.
Millions of children and teens qualify for free or low-cost health and dental coverage through Medicaid and CHIP. The website includes a locator to help find local dentists who accept Medicaid and CHIP. It also features an Outreach Tool Library with materials in English and Spanish on public issues ranging from vaccinations to mental health.
In case you missed it: Visit the Primary Health Care Digest archive.
Do you forward the Digest to others? Encourage them to subscribe.
|