What's New
Health Centers Excel at Community Outreach and Emergency Response
Check out our Health Center Stories webpage to enjoy these new features:
- Unity Care NW in Bellingham, Washington, posts videos on YouTube regularly to educate patients and highlight the health center’s services. Popular videos include one showing children what to expect at a dental visit and another with a doctor talking about how to lower cholesterol levels. The videos are part of a comprehensive effort that spans multiple social media platforms.
- Staff from two health centers helped assess many patients following a dangerous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border. The Community Action Agency of Columbiana County in Ohio and the Primary Health Network in Pennsylvania assessed residents concerned about the chemical spill.
- The CEO of Mount Vernon Community Health Center in New York, working after hours one night, put her nursing skills to work when a young man was shot outside.
Share your center’s success story by emailing HealthCenterStories@hrsa.gov.
Deadline Reminder: Service Area Competition Applications for January 1 and February 1 Starts
Fiscal year (FY) 2024 Service Area Competition (SAC) applications for January 1 starts (HRSA-24-066) are due in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) on Wednesday, July 26, by 5:00 p.m. ET.
FY 2024 SAC applications for service areas with a February 1 period of performance start date (HRSA-24-067) are due in:
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Grants.gov: Monday, July 24, by 11:59 p.m. ET.
- EHBs: Wednesday, August 23, by 5:00 p.m. ET.
Technical assistance (TA) materials are available on the SAC TA webpage.
Policy Tip: Required and Additional Health Services
Nutrition education and counseling that are part of a primary care visit do not have to be listed separately on Form 5A: Services Provided because they are included within “General Primary Medical Care.” However, when nutrition education and counseling meet the definition for “Nutrition” in Service Descriptors for Form 5A: Services Provided (PDF) and are provided as a distinct service, then a health center would list “Nutrition” on Form 5A: Services Provided.
To learn more about this topic, and to find answers to other questions, check out the Health Center Program Compliance FAQs.
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TOMORROW: 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 HRSA’s Office of Women’s Health, BPHC, and HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau.
A Call to Arms Amidst a Congenital Syphilis Epidemic
HRSA issued a letter last week alerting award recipients to the increasing syphilis rates within American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) communities. We shared it in a bulletin.
Watch the recording of our recent webinar to learn more about congenital syphilis and the challenges surrounding the care for patients with it.
Webinar Recording: CDC Recommendations for Hepatitis B
In May, we hosted a webinar to brief clinicians and other health care providers about the release of new CDC recommendations for hepatitis B screening and testing. CDC’s viral hepatitis epidemiologist and guidelines author discussed updated recommendations and answered your questions. Watch the recording if you missed it.
Caregivers of People Living with Dementia
Researchers at Drexel University and UC Davis are recruiting family caregivers of people living with dementia for a nationwide, remote study. The study is funded by NIH’s National Institute on Aging. By helping to recruit participants, health centers can ensure that medically underserved populations have a voice in this study.
The WeCareAdvisor is an innovative tool to help family caregivers manage common behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. By walking caregivers through a step-by-step approach to understand why behaviors may be occurring, the WeCareAdvisor provides tailored strategies to help manage them.
Eligible caregivers:
- Are 21 or older.
- Are the primary caregiver of a person diagnosed with dementia.
- Currently manage dementia-related behaviors.
- Have an internet-capable device and access.
- Speak English.
For more information, email WeCare@drexel.edu, call 267-359-1111, or visit the WeCareAdvisor study website.
COVID-19
HHS Commercialization Transition Guide for COVID-19 Vaccination
HHS published guidance about the transition to commercialization on CDC’s website. It provides direction as the federal government ends distribution of COVID-19 vaccines through its current ordering system and the vaccines transition to traditional pathways for procurement, distribution, and payment. This information may help health centers understand what to expect during this transition.
In a bulletin last week, we announced that HRSA’s Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program will end on Wednesday, August 23. Moving forward, health centers can continue to access COVID-19 vaccines through the supply available via states and jurisdictions.
TODAY! COVID-19 Response Program Office Hours
We’ll discuss the wind down of the vaccine program and take questions at today’s Office Hours session.
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
See registration information for future Office Hours sessions. Office Hours are open to all HRSA-supported health centers.
Behavioral Health
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
TIP 64: Incorporating Peer Support into Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services
SAMHSA’s publication supports learning about the key aspects, functions, and uses of Peer Support Services in recovery from problematic substance use, which will help providers, supervisors, and administrators in substance use disorder treatment programs better understand and respond to these changes. Visit SAMHSA’s website to download it.
Advisory: Evidence-Based, Whole Person Care of Pregnant People Who Have Opioid Use Disorder
SAMHSA’s advisory outlines how providers (including primary care physicians and other professionals who treat pregnant people) can take an active role in supporting the health of pregnant individuals who have opioid use disorder and their babies. Visit SAMHSA’s website to download.
Workforce
C-Suite Toolkit: Health Professions Education and Training for Recruitment and Retention
Health Professions Education and Training (HP-ET) programs give health centers the opportunity to recruit, develop, and retain health and allied health professions students, trainees, and residents. The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved’s STAR2 Center created a new toolkit for health center leadership to develop, support, and strengthen HP-ET initiatives as part of their overall workforce retention and recruitment planning. Visit STAR2 Center’s website to access the toolkit.
Working with Minority-Serving Institutions to Enhance and Diversify Recruitment Pathways
Establishing a workforce that represents your patient population requires inclusive and equitable recruitment and retention efforts. Partnering with minority-serving colleges and universities is one path for achieving greater diversity. The STAR2 Center’s new paper is a quick resource and reference guide for human resources professionals and health center leaders on identifying and partnering with minority-serving educational institutions. Visit STAR2 Center’s website to access the paper.
DUE FRIDAY: Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion Program
HRSA released a Notice of Funding Opportunity to grow and diversify the maternal and perinatal health nursing workforce through education and training support. This program will increase the number of certified nurse midwives and diversify the maternal and perinatal health workforce, expand maternal health training and curriculum, and strengthen community-based partnerships. Learn more on HRSA’s website.
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, 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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Oral Health
New Publication: Partnering with Academic Institutions to Develop Service Learning Programs
See the announcement above.
Telehealth
Telehealth and LGBTQIA+ Communities Toolkit
Telehealth is an essential way to provide patient care and services to underserved communities, including LGBTQIA+ people. The National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center’s new toolkit offers resources to help begin or expand upon your organization's telehealth program, with a special focus on supporting LGBTQIA+ communities. Access the toolkit on their website.
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