What's New
Service Area Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity Released for March 1 Starts
HRSA released the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Service Area Competition (SAC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for service areas with a March 1, 2024, period of performance start date (HRSA-24-068). Find details for each of the announced service areas on the Service Area Announcement Table (SAAT).
Applications are due in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, August 21, and in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) by 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 20. Technical assistance (TA) materials are available on the SAC TA webpage.
SAC – Additional Area NOFO for Dallas, Texas
HRSA released the FY 2024 SAC – Additional Area (SAC-AA) NOFO for the Dallas, Texas, service area with a December 1, 2023, period of performance start date (HRSA-24-087). Find details for the announced service area on the SAAT.
Applications are due in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, August 21, and in EHBs by 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 5. TA materials are available on the SAC-AA TA webpage.
Policy Tip: Search the Health Center Program FAQs by Keyword
You can now search the Health Center Program Compliance FAQs webpage by keyword. To search a topic across all FAQs, don’t select anything from the “Category” search field and only type into the “Keywords” search field. For example, if you type “needs assessment” into the “Keywords” search field, you’ll see all the FAQs that include the words “needs assessment.”
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New Key Contacts Form in EHBs
In late August, we’ll introduce a new Key Contacts form in Non-Competing Continuation Progress Reports in EHBs. This form will automatically populate the existing key contacts. The information will appear as read-only in folders and other EHBs locations that display the Progress Report. The system will automatically prompt you to review the contacts you previously provided and make any needed updates.
HHS’ Office of Inspector General Asks for Your Participation in a Substance Use Disorder Treatment Survey
HHS’ Office of Inspector General is conducting a study examining the provision of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment at HRSA-funded health centers. They will survey a sample of 450 HRSA-funded health centers on issues related to medications for opioid use disorder, drug counseling, and mental health services. If you missed it, see our recent bulletin for more information.
Become a HRSA Grant Reviewer
HRSA is seeking subject matter experts to provide peer, virtual reviews of the agency’s grant applications. Grant reviewers are compensated for their time. Visit HRSA's website to learn more and register as a reviewer.
Quarterly 340B Program Registration
Quarterly 340B Program site registration is open from July 1 to 15. Health centers will be able to register a site verified as implemented and with an “active” site status in EHBs Form 5B through Friday, August 25. After that date, the system will close to prepare for the October 1 start.
Email the 340B Prime Vendor Program or call 888-340-2787 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET) to register a new site or ask questions. You will need to provide the following information when calling:
- Health center name
- Site/clinic name
- Site IDs for all sites
- HRSA/BPHC grant number
- Contact name and email address
- Authorizing official name and email address
The authorizing official will receive an email message that the account is unlocked and a registration may be submitted.
COVID-19
COVID-19 Vaccine Updates – Future and Current State
FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee met on Thursday, June 15, to discuss COVID-19 vaccines for use in the fall. See FDA’s June 16 statement and Recommendation for the 2023-2024 Formula of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States (PDF).
CDC recently published these weekly reports about the current state of COVID-19 and vaccines:
Behavioral Health
Strengthening Cultural Relevance in Clinical Behavioral Health Care
Speakers will identify evidence-based practices as a measure of care and effective strategies aimed at improving targeted outcomes.
Thursday, June 29
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
Aging, Substance Use, and Cognitive Health
Speakers from the HRSA-funded National Clinician Consultation Center (NCCC) will discuss how aging and cognitive impairment intersect with substance use. They will share practical strategies for how to adapt screening assessment and treatment for older patients with SUD.
Thursday, July 13
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
** 1.0 CE available **
Brown Bag Discussion: Treating Alcohol Use Disorder in Primary Care
Participants will problem-solve cases and engage in interactive discussion about strategies and best practices to assess and treat patients with risky alcohol use and alcohol use disorder in a primary care setting.
Monday, July 17
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
Contextualizing Our Understanding of Mental Health and Substance Use
Mental health and many mental disorders are shaped to a great extent by life experiences, as well as the social, economic, and physical environments in which people live. Speakers will describe a contextual framework for understanding mental and substance use conditions supporting person centered/culturally relevant care.
Wednesday, July 19
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
NIH Offers Free CE/CME on Helping Patients with Alcohol-related Problems
Through The Healthcare Professional's Core Resource on Alcohol, primary care providers may earn up to 10.75 free CE/CME credits. Topics include quick screening and assessment tools; medical complications/mental health issues; overcoming barriers to care; and treatment options.
HIV
Increase in People with HIV among Meningococcal Disease Cases in 2022
New CDC surveillance data show an increase in the percentage of people with HIV among meningococcal disease cases in 2022. See the data in a CDC report.
These findings highlight the importance of health care providers taking these steps:
- Ensuring people with HIV are up to date with their MenACWY vaccination, including booster doses. See CDC’s Meningococcal Vaccine Recommendations webpage for information.
- Maintaining high suspicion for meningococcal disease when someone with HIV presents with symptoms compatible with this disease.
- Screening patients with meningococcal disease for HIV.
QuizTime for CME – Ending the HIV Epidemic with Antiretroviral Therapy
Providers at HRSA-funded health centers can access CME about HIV treatment through their phones. Register for daily (on weekdays only) questions. Eligible clinicians will receive CME for answering within 24 hours. Visit the Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC)’s website for details and to register.
Workforce
New Publication: Partnering with Academic Institutions to Develop Service Learning Programs
Partnerships between academic institutions and health centers can be a useful strategy to enhance the recruitment and retention of oral health professionals. This publication (PDF), developed by the National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA), includes strategies, recommendations, and promising practices from health centers across the country.
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STAR2 Center Talks Workforce Success Season Five Out Now
The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) announces that the fifth season of the STAR² Center’s “Talks Workforce Success” podcast is out now. It highlights health centers, Primary Care Associations, and NTTAPs that successfully implemented practices, strategies, or tools from the STAR² Center or other sources. The collaborative efforts and resource-sharing highlighted in this season’s episodes illustrate the crucial importance of maintaining strong partnerships and developing resources that directly speak to the training and TA needs of the health center workforce. Visit the STAR2 Center's website to listen.
Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value: Establishing Pay Equity Principles to Advance Workforce Financial Wellness
Pay equity ensures that employees receive equal pay for work of equal value, and the modern workforce expects a timely and sincere commitment to these principles from their employers. The STAR2 Center’s publication examines existing literature to detail organizational processes and practices that champion compensation equity and provides a step-by-step guide on how to conduct a pay equity audit. Download the white paper (PDF) on ACU’s website.
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STAR² Center Health Professions Education and Training Financial Impact Assessment Tool
New to ACU’s STAR2 Center resource center, the Health Professions Education and Training (HP-ET) Financial Impact Assessment Tool helps workforce teams understand how a HP-ET program can financially affect their health center, including estimating impact to staff development and satisfaction, which can be harder to calculate using discreet figures. It is intended to help health centers assess areas of greatest potential benefit and see where you may experience higher costs or have opportunities to improve the financial sustainability of your HP-ET plans. Visit ACU's website to access the tool.
Oral Health
On-Demand Learning Module: Uniform Data Systems Sealant Measure
This 30-minute interactive online learning module provides an overview for the HRSA Uniform Data Systems Sealant Measure. Visit the NNOHA website to create an account for access. Participants will earn 0.5 CDE after successful completion of the module and quiz.
New Publication: Partnering with Academic Institutions to Develop Service Learning Programs
See the announcement above.
Telehealth
Licensure Resources
Telehealth.HHS.gov provides licensure resources for health care providers, states, and health care organizations. Resources include the latest guidance and options on how to practice legally and ethically across state lines.
Increasing Access to Telehealth
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and Lifeline are federal government programs that help eligible households pay for internet services and internet-connected devices. Eligible households can enroll for ACP online or with a mail-in application in English or Spanish. Telehealth.hhs.gov includes information about these programs.
See FCC’s ACP Consumer Outreach Toolkit for resources to help you spread the word.
Additional Resources
New Resources to Improve Cervical Cancer Prevention, Screening, and Management
Join HRSA's Office of Women's Health (OWH) and the National Cancer Institute for a webinar to learn about two new resources to advance equitable cervical cancer prevention, screening, and management in safety-net settings: a Toolkit to Build Provider Capacity and a Federal Opportunities Report. Resources can be downloaded from the OWH Cervical Cancer webpage.
Thursday, June 29
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
Overview of the 2023-2025 HRSA Strategy to Address Intimate Partner Violence
Learn about how HRSA prevents and responds to intimate partner violence (IPV) and about the new strategy to guide these efforts on HRSA’s website and at a webinar:
Wednesday, July 12
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
We’ll feature speakers from OWH, BPHC, and HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau.
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