What's New
DUE THURSDAY: ECV and Bridge Funding Reporting Requirement – Health Center COVID-19 Survey
Health centers using Expanding COVID-19 Vaccination (ECV) funds and HRSA COVID-19 Bridge funds are required to complete the monthly Health Center COVID-19 Survey. The January 5 survey is due by 11:59 p.m. your local time on Thursday, January 11. Please ONLY report December data in this survey.
If your health center received a project period extension for using ECV funds, you are expected to continue reporting via the survey until your extension concludes.
H80s: The survey email that you received on Friday, January 5, contained an error: The first link went to the look-alike survey (you would not have been able to select your H80 grant number). The survey link at the end of that email was fine. We sent a corrected email yesterday.
Our COVID-19 Data Collection Survey Tool User Guide can help you. If you still have questions, use the BPHC Contact Form (COVID-19 > COVID-19 Surveys).
|
FY 2024 HCCN NCC Progress Report Instructions Released
HRSA released the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCN) Non-Competing Continuation (NCC) progress report instructions yesterday. You must submit your progress report, and it must be approved by HRSA, to receive funding for the FY 2024 budget period of August 1, 2024, through July 30, 2025.
Progress report submissions are due in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) by 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 7.
Visit the HCCN technical assistance (TA) webpage for the instructions, the TA presentation, and additional resources. Submit questions to the HCCN Response Team via the BPHC Contact Form (Non-competing Continuation (NCC) Progress Reports (e.g., BPR) > Health Center Controlled Network).
FY 2024 NTTAP NCC Submission Due Date Extended to Friday, February 9
We extended the deadline for FY 2024 NTTAP NCC progress reports to 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, February 9. You must submit your progress report, and it must be approved by HRSA, to receive funding for the FY 2024 budget period of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
Visit the NTTAP TA webpage for TA resources or submit questions to the NTTAP Response Team via the BPHC Contact Form (Non-competing Continuation (NCC) Progress Reports (e.g., BPR) > National Training and Technical Assistance Partner).
UDS Office Hours to Help You Meet February 15 Deadline
We want to make sure you can submit your complete 2023 UDS report by Thursday, February 15. Join one or both of our office hours for help preparing your health center’s submission. Connect with experts to get answers, tips, personalized guidance, and assistance troubleshooting.
These sessions will focus on standard UDS reporting — not on UDS patient-level submissions (UDS+). Submit your questions on standard reporting during your registration. Submit questions about UDS+ via the BPHC Contact Form (UDS Modernization > Patient-level Submission (UDS+)).
Thursday, January 18
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
Wednesday, February 7
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
TA resources are available on the UDS Training and TA website.
|
Health Center Loan Guarantee Program for Capital Projects
For help financing your health center’s current or future infrastructure needs, consider applying for the Health Center Loan Guarantee Program (LGP). The program can reduce your costs by guaranteeing up to 80% of the financing needed for capital projects, including construction, expansion, alteration/renovation, and modernization. You may apply at any time, and there is no limit to the loan size you may request.
View a list of health centers with active and completed loan guarantees (mapped below). Visit the LGP webpage to learn more, including how to apply.
Capital Link will host an overview of the program on Tuesday, February 6. The registration link is in the sidebar.
Complete List of Health Professional Shortage Area Designations
HRSA published a Federal Register Notice announcing the complete list of Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations. It reflects the updated list of designated HPSAs and withdraws all HPSAs in a “proposed for withdrawal” status as of Saturday, December 2, 2023. See a bulletin for more.
Expanded Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy Has Begun
CMS’ Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) Program (also known as Extra Help) provides premium and cost-sharing assistance for low-income Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part D. The way this program operates changed with the new year. See our December 26 issue for details.
The Commonwealth Fund 2023-2024 National Survey of FQHCs
We encourage you to participate in The Commonwealth Fund’s (CWF) survey of FQHCs! CWF will share results with us and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). They will also share publications and reports with relevant federal and congressional policymakers, particularly results related to funding and other policy issues.
Social Science Research Solutions is conducting the survey on CWF’s behalf. They sent packets by FedEx in October and November. These contained instructions, the survey, and a check for $125 to thank your health center for participating.
The deadline to complete the survey is Wednesday, February 28. Questions? Contact Hope Wilson at CWF by phone (800-633-1986, Ext. 4325) or email.
Behavioral Health
Effective Behavioral Health Strategies for Primary Care Settings
This Community of Practice (CoP) offers practice-focused sessions on skills and techniques for health center settings. Topics include patient-centered care planning, enhanced cultural relevance in clinical practice, and motivational interviewing, brief consultation, and strategies for supporting behavioral activation. Visit the registration page for details, including session dates and times. **1.0 CE available for each session**
Changes in Federal Regulation Regarding Medical Providers Prescribing Buprenorphine
Our webinar will review the latest updates in DATA Waiver and DEA training prerequisites for prescribing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), such as buprenorphine.
Thursday, January 18
1:00-1:30 p.m. ET
Registration page
**0.5 CE available**
HRSA Funding Opportunity: Behavioral Health Integration Evidence-Based Telehealth Network Program
This HRSA funding opportunity promotes the integration of behavioral health services into primary care settings using telehealth technology. Join the TA webinar to learn more.
Wednesday, January 17
3:30-4:30 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
HIV
Progress Reporting Webinar for FY 2020 PCHP Recipients' Use of Additional FY 2023 PCHP Funding
This TA webinar — with live Q&A — is for health center recipients of FY 2020 Primary Care HIV Prevention (PCHP) funding to discuss required progress reporting on their use of additional FY 2023 PCHP funding.
Thursday, January 18
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
Visit the PCHP TA webpage for award recipient information and other resources. We also released new training and TA resources addressing the top HIV prevention TA areas requested by health centers.
Hypertension
Controlling Hypertension Learning Collaborative: The Four Most Impactful Strategies
NACHC offers a chance to learn about the strategies that high-performing health centers have used to improve patients’ blood pressure control. You’ll learn the Practical, Robust, Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM). Visit the registration page for details.
Workforce
Workforce Well-being TA
We created these webinars in response to the results of HRSA’s Workforce Well-being Survey.
-
Health Professionals Education and Training Programs for Staff Retention Case Study
This is an interactive case study on retaining staff by building a health professions education and training (HP-ET) program. Presenters from Aviva Health (a HRSA-funded health center in Oregon) will discuss their medical assistant training program and how they examined its gaps and created a new program to address their needs.
Thursday, January 11
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
-
Fostering Leaders that Support Well-being and Retention
We’ll discuss the driving factors that make great leaders and ways these leaders can build and grow a culture of well-being at a health center.
Thursday, February 1
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
Reminder: THIS Friday, January 12, is the deadline to apply for three CoPs we’re launching to address outcomes and drivers from the survey.
NTTAP Learning Collaboratives
Visit the registration pages for dates, times, and more information:
-
Improving Patient Safety in Health Centers Using Technology-Driven PDSA Methods
Learn the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology for four topic areas. You’ll establish aims and SMART goals for patient safety measures. Speakers will provide examples, recommend the composition of PDSA teams, and share how to use technology in this work. Visit the application page to apply by Monday, February 5. Renaye James Healthcare Advisors hosts this opportunity.
-
Evaluating Patient Experience to Promote Health Equity
The National Nurse-led Care Consortium invites you to focus on patient experience and its role in advancing health equity. You’ll test their patient experience assessment tool. It aligns with HRSA’s Advancing Health Center Excellence framework. It also provides health centers with an objective means of assessing how they consider patient experience in their policies, operating hours, and communications, as well as in how they address technology disparities. Registration page.
-
Controlling Hypertension: The Four Most Impactful Strategies
See the announcement above.
-
2024 Community Housing Asset Mapping
The Corporation for Supportive Housing invites you to a series of virtual sessions and peer discussions. You’ll learn (from one another and experts) how to address challenges in accessing housing resources for homeless and at-risk patients. Topics include local housing resources, systems that support those with housing needs, and how to create partnerships to address needs. Application page.
Health Centers: Participate in a Workforce Study
HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce funds the George Washington University’s Health Workforce Research Center on Emerging Health Workforce Topics. Researchers want to interview health center staff for insights on burnout, moral injury, and retention. (Yes, they have seen our workforce well-being survey results.) Their goal is to identify areas for investment, further research, or policy change. If your health center would like to volunteer, contact Candice Chen.
Telehealth
HRSA Funding Opportunity: Behavioral Health Integration Evidence Based Telehealth Network Program
See the announcement above.
Additional Resources
Suicide Prevention and Risk Assessment Strategies for LGBTQ+ Communities
The stunningly disproportionate rate of self-induced deaths among LGBTQ+ individuals is an ongoing emergency. Health center providers serve sexual and gender minority people every day, but adequate preparation for supporting these populations is rarely offered in professional training. This publication highlights some of the pressures that lead sexual and gender minority people to suicide, what factors elevate or lower self-harm risk, and interventions to help LGBTQ+ people build resilience in a hostile world.
|
In case you missed it:
Visit the Primary Health Care Digest archive.
Do you forward the Digest to others?
Encourage them to subscribe.
|
