What's New
Policy Tip: Health Center Key Management Staff
At BPHC, we’re doing our best to get you the information you need. This is the first in a weekly series of tips to clarify Health Center Program policy. We select topics for this feature based on your input.
An individual who serves as the Project Director/CEO of a health center that is a public agency with a co-applicant board must be employed by the public agency, not the co-applicant board. Learn more and find answers to other questions on HRSA’s Health Center Program Compliance FAQs webpage.
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HRSA-funded Study: Diabetes Care for Adult Health Center Patients with Medicaid
What does this study add?
HRSA-funded researchers identified innovative and effective approaches to improve diabetes care for Medicaid enrollees in health center primary care settings.
What are the implications for public health practice?
HRSA-funded health centers are an important primary care practice setting for diabetes care.
Compared to diabetes care in other primary care settings, diabetes patients at health centers received diabetes education more regularly and have lower rates of laboratory-based tests for diabetes. Despite having higher rates of emergency department visits, these patients have a lower rate of hospitalizations than non-health center patients.
To read the published article, and other articles about quality care delivered by health centers, visit BPHC's Health Center Library.
HRSA’s March in Brief
HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson joined HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to mark the release of the President’s budget for fiscal year 2024. HHS/HRSA celebrated health coverage expansion on the 13th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Read more on HRSA’s webpage.
Reminder: Medicare Revalidation Every Five Years for FQHC Sites
CMS requires each health center site enrolled in Medicare (i.e., each FQHC site) to revalidate its enrollment information every five years, though they may also request more frequent revalidations.
You can look up the revalidation due dates in CMS’ Medicare Revalidation List tool. Health centers will receive notice from CMS for each FQHC site six months in advance of the revalidation due date. Three months before, their Medicare Administrative Contractor will also reach out by email or mail.
If you need to revalidate a site, HRSA recommends using CMS’ online PECOS system, which streamlines the process. View a step-by-step demo video on how to use PECOS.
You will be required to provide supporting documentation:
- The site’s Notice of Award or Notice of Look-alike Designation.
- If those aren’t available, a copy of the health center’s Form 5B: Service Sites list downloaded from HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks. However, Form 5B must include the physical address of the site and that must match what is on the CMS revalidation application.
For questions or concerns about the accuracy of your approved list of Health Center Program service sites on Form 5B, use the BPHC Contact Form.
How the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Will Impact Residents of HUD-Assisted Housing
With the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency set to expire on Thursday, May 11, big changes are in store for the public housing and HUD-assisted communities. Join the National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH), CDC, CMS, and HUD to learn about the impact of these changes.
Wednesday, April 19
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
COVID-19
Health Partner Order Portal Update This Weekend
If you order COVID-19-related products through HRSA’s COVID-19 Response Programs, this weekend’s update of the Health Partner Order Portal (HPoP) will impact you. See messages in the Health Center Program Community for more information.
TODAY! Join the COVID-19 Response Programs Office Hours session to hear more as well:
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
New Point-of-Care Test Available Soon Through HRSA
Beginning Wednesday, April 19, health centers participating in HRSA’s COVID-19 Testing Supply Program will be able to order the Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card test in HPoP. Health centers can order a minimum of 15 units but are not to exceed 50 units.
This product is used to test only SARS-CoV-2 through a dual nasal swab. These FDA resources provide more information:
The manufacturer’s website also provides information.
If you are not currently participating in the HRSA COVID-19 Testing Supply Program and would like to begin ordering the Abbott BinaxNOW, at-home self-test kits, and/or Cepheid Xpert Xpress cartridges, submit a request via the BPHC Contact Form.
Behavioral Health
Effective Referrals in Integrated Care
Learn specific strategies to increase use of behavioral health services and facilitate effective referral handoffs. You will have the opportunity to discuss these with a subject matter expert.
Wednesday, April 26
11:00 a.m.-noon ET
Registration page
**1.0 CE available**
Loan Repayment for Health Professionals
The National Health Service Corps application cycle is open for three programs. Eligible clinicians providing primary medical, dental, or behavioral health care services can qualify for loan repayment. Visit HRSA's website to compare programs, get more information, or apply by 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 25.
Workforce
HHS Awards Start-Up Funds for Community-Based Health Care Providers to Develop Programs to Train Medical and Dental Residents in Community Settings
HRSA is awarding nearly $23 million to 46 grantees to plan and develop new Teaching Health Center primary care residency training programs in community-based settings. See the press release.
Loan Repayment for Health Professionals
See the announcement above.
NTTAP Learning Collaboratives
Visit the registration pages for dates, times, and more information:
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Advancing Health by Addressing the Needs of Aging Agricultural and Other Essential Workers
Rural-dwelling older agricultural workers and their families often experience health disparities due to unmet needs connected to social determinants of health (SDOH). Gain strategies to reduce these disparities from the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders and the Migrant Clinicians Network. Participants will learn to identify and address key needs, including occupational risks associated with aging, cultural dimensions of well-being, and the impact of life transitions on social connections essential to health aging. Registration page.
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Organizational Self-Care
Join this opportunity from Health Outreach Partners to learn more about self-care principles and how they can be implemented in the workspace to enhance staff satisfaction and retention. The sessions will discuss the importance of practicing self-care and strategies to improve self-care. Registration page.
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Revenue Cycle 360
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) invites health center staff to discuss data and key performance indicators, develop leadership and communication skills, and acquire peer contacts to use now and throughout their career. The target audience for this learning series is revenue cycle leads, front office managers, and IT managers. In addition to attending seven sessions, attendees will receive ongoing support and resources and select a custom pilot project. Registration page; apply by Friday, April 28.
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Viral Hepatitis Elimination Strategy: Cascade to Cure in Special Populations
The National Nurse-led Care Consortium invites health center staff to hear from researchers and practitioners about preventing new infections, improving hepatitis-related health outcomes, and implementing quality improvement strategies. Each session will address a different special population, including residents of public housing, IV drug users, Asian Americans, and African Americans. Registration page.
Oral Health
HRSA Launches Oral Health Literacy and Education Campaign
HRSA’s new oral health literacy and education campaign, A Healthy Mouth for Every Body, highlights the importance of taking care of one’s oral health at home and seeing a dentist regularly for checkups. From quick tips to patient education tools, the campaign has resources to help everyone protect their mouths and live well at any age.
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Additional Resources
TODAY! Celebration of SDOH Innovation Webinar Series
The SDOH Academy* invites health centers to a two-part webinar series highlighting the exceptional work of health centers in addressing SDOH. Join the discussion on what innovation means, how to address barriers to implementing programs focused on SDOH, and the future of this work.
Tuesday, April 11, and Tuesday, April 18
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
*The SDOH Academy is a collaborative of multiple HRSA-funded NTTAPs.
Preparing for Extreme Heat, Rural Health, and Climate Change
Rural health centers serve a diverse array of patients with varying health risks and social barriers. Extreme heat creates risks, like heat stroke for outdoor workers. It also increases challenges with medication management, decreases air quality, and makes blackouts and grid failures more frequent. Panelists from CDC, HRSA, and other organizations will discuss these challenges and review resources.
Tuesday April 18
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
Learning to Love Your Data: Health Center Data for Everyone Webinar Series
This series will help health center staff understand how to collect, interpret, and communicate about data. Presenters will use participant-submitted examples of data visualization to describe how to foster a data-driven culture. Hosted by the Health Information Technology, Evaluation, and Quality (HITEQ) Center. Access dates, times, session descriptions, and registration on HITEQ's Webinars webpage.
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