What's New

DUE THURSDAY: Bridge Funding Reporting Requirement – Health Center COVID-19 Survey

Health centers using HRSA COVID-19 Bridge funds are required to complete the monthly Health Center COVID-19 Survey. The March 1 survey is due by 11:59 p.m. your local time on Thursday, March 7. Please ONLY report February data in this survey.

If your health center received a project period extension for using Expanding COVID-19 Vaccination (ECV) funds, you are also expected to continue reporting via the survey until your extension concludes.

Our COVID-19 Data Collection Survey Tool User Guide can help you understand how to report. If you still have questions, use the BPHC Contact Form (COVID-19 > COVID-19 Surveys).

Deadline Reminder: Service Area Competition — Additional Area Applications for Las Vegas, Nevada, and Lordsburg, New Mexico

Service Area Competition (SAC) HRSA-24-104 applications for the Las Vegas, Nevada, and Lordsburg, New Mexico, service areas are due in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks by 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 20. TA materials are available on the SAC-AA TA webpage.

Key Patient Safety Concepts for Health Center Performance Improvement Goals

Renaye James Healthcare Advisors’ (RJHA) white paper summarizes quality expectations from regulatory bodies. It touches on how these topics relate to patient safety:

• Provider credentialing and privileging
• Health center access
• Care coordination
• Performance improvement methods

It also illustrates how HRSA’s Health Center Compliance Manual and other regulatory standards align with patient safety measures and expectations. Read it to understand how to apply Compliance Manual chapters as you develop a continuous quality improvement and patient safety program.

Ongoing Active Cybersecurity Threat

In response to active exploitation of a cybersecurity vulnerability, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the FBI, and HHS released an update to the joint advisory #StopRansomware: ALPHV Blackcat.

Healthy People 2030: Planning for Individual and Community Health

Speakers from HHS’ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion will discuss progress on four Healthy People 2030 objectives related to public health infrastructure and planning. Representatives from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (a Healthy People 2030 Champion) will present on their efforts to address public health infrastructure at state and local levels.

Tuesday, March 19
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Participate in the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey

CDC is fielding the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) through the end of the year. If your health center was invited to participate, we encourage you to do so. The NAMCS Health Center Component website includes a “What to Expect” section if your health center was selected.

NAMCS results are a resource for the health center community, researchers, and policymakers. They highlight the important work and needs of health centers and inform actions to address emerging public health challenges. The survey provides detailed insight into ambulatory care at the level of individual visits — complementing the aggregate, health center-level information from UDS. NAMCS data is confidential, and its use is limited, with public data aggregated for confidentiality.

If your health center received an invitation, contact CDC by email or phone (800-307-0134 or 301-458-4050) to confirm participation and continue to respond to emails and phone calls for further instructions. Participants may be eligible for compensation of up to $10,000 to help defray related expenses.

Get Ready for STI Awareness Week

STI Awareness Week (April 14-20) provides an opportunity to raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and ensures that people have the tools and knowledge for prevention, testing, and treatment. Visit CDC’s website for graphics and messages to make it easy for you to reach your community.

COVID-19

Older Adults Now Able to Receive Additional Dose of Updated COVID-19 Vaccine

Last week, CDC Director Mandy Cohen endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for adults ages 65 years and older to receive an additional updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose. Read the press release.

Behavioral Health

Recording Available: NURTURE: An Innovative Practice-Based Care Model: Addressing the Maternal and Infant Care Crisis

Speakers at our recent webinar shared how NURTURE integrates OB/GYN, pediatric, and behavioral health services to provide comprehensive care for both the new parent and baby throughout and after pregnancy. Watch the recording if you missed the session.

New “Reasons to Connect” Social Media Promotions for 988 SAMHSA added posts and graphics that health centers can share on their social media channels to help communicate that there is no “one” reason for people to connect with 988. Visit SAMHSA’s site for these and other tools.

HIV

Fiscal Year 2024 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Capacity Development Program NOFO

HRSA recently released the fiscal year 2024 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part C Capacity Development Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on Grants.gov. This program will strengthen organizational infrastructure to respond to the changing health care landscape and to increase capacity to develop, enhance, or expand access to high-quality primary health care services to low-income people with HIV. Apply by 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 16.

TODAY! Join a TA webinar:

2:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the session
Join by phone: 833-568-8864
Webinar ID: 161 913 1538
Password: 82151360

Workforce

Workforce Well-being Webinars

We created these sessions in response to the results of the Health Center Workforce Well-being Survey.

• Fostering Teams: Promoting Cohesion, Effective Communication, and Problem-Solving
  Speakers will provide an overview of conceptual frameworks for effective teams, tools for communication and collaborative problem-solving, and resources to address drivers of workforce well-being.
  
  Monday, March 25
  3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
  Registration page
  
  

• How to Create Training Models to Support Retention
  Join us for an interactive case study presentation on incorporating training programs for health center support staff. Presenters will discuss how various apprenticeship training models improve staff satisfaction and retention.
  
  Tuesday, March 26
  2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
  Registration page

NTTAP Learning Collaboratives

See the application pages for dates, times, and more information about these opportunities:

• Medical-Legal Partnership as a Community Health Strategy to Improve Maternal Health Access and Outcomes
  RJHA and the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership (NCMLP) invite health center-based medical-legal partnership (MLP) teams to learn how to empower participants, how the social determinants of health impact maternal health, and how to use MLP to improve maternal health outcomes for health center patients and their communities. Visit the application page.
  
  
• Clinical Quality Measures 101 – Readiness for Value-Based Care and Patient-Level Data Reporting
  As health centers engage with more quality programs through payers, funders, and others, there is a pressing need for staff to have a foundational understanding of clinical quality measures, quality programs, and how these fit together and fit into patient care. Join the Health Information Technology, Evaluation, and Quality (HITEQ) Center to gain this understanding. Visit the registration page to apply by Tuesday, March 26.
  
  
• Environmental Impacts and Natural Disaster Response in Migratory and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Communities
  Join Farmworker Justice to explore the effects of a changing climate on migratory and seasonal agricultural worker communities. Learn about health issues related to climate change and natural disasters, and gain tools and resources to support prevention, response, and resiliency. You’ll develop the foundation of an emergency preparedness and response plan for your organizations and community. Visit the registration page.
  
  
• Racial Equity – Closing the Housing Instability Gap
  The Corporation for Supportive Housing invites you to join virtual sessions and peer discussions. This opportunity is a forum for you to gain knowledge and exchange expertise and solutions to challenges. Join your peers in focusing on the disparities and inequity of service in your community. Visit the registration page.

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Training Calendar

Visit our online calendar for details on these and all scheduled events.

Through March 12

Advancing Health Equity: Community Health Workers' Role in Enhancing Breast Cancer Screenings and Linkage to Care
Hosted by the National Nurse-led Care Consortium (NNCC)
Tuesday, March 5
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Workforce Retention and Resiliency within Integrated Care Setting
Wednesday, March 6
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
**1.0 CE available to behavioral health professionals**

Population Health Management: A National Learning Series
Hosted by multiple NTTAPs
Series registration page
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET on:

Foundations of Population Health Management in Priority Populations
Wednesday, March 6

Housing and HIV: Bridging the Gap between HIV and Housing in Special and Vulnerable Populations
Wednesday, March 13

Diabetes Prevention Through the Lens of Food Sovereignty and Access to Ancestral, Cultural, and Healthful Foods
Wednesday, March 20

Team-Based Approaches for Managing Complex Health Needs
Wednesday, March 27

Data-Driven Health Equity: Strategies for Collecting Patient Data in Health Centers
Hosted by Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC)
Thursday, March 7
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

H-2A Visa Program and Access to Health Care Services
Hosted by Health Partners on IPV + Exploitation – Futures Without Violence and the National Center for Farmworker Health
Thursday, March 7
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Upcoming

Evidence-Based Practices: Comprehensive Approach to Behavioral Health Care
Hosted by RJHA
Wednesday, March 13
Noon-1:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

2024 Patient Safety Awareness Week: Effective Provider-Patient Communication
Co-hosted with AHRQ, CDC, CMS, IHS, NIH, and the National Practitioner Data Bank
Wednesday, March 13
2:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Suicide Safer Care for Primary Care Providers
Thursday, March 14
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
**1.0 CE available**

Strategies for Advancing Health Equity within Health Centers
Hosted by CHC
Thursday, March 14
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Health Network: A Care Coordination Program for Patients Who Move During Treatment
Hosted by the Migrant Clinicians Network
Thursday, March 14
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Million Hearts Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Forum
Co-hosted by the National Association of Community Health Centers and CDC (with CDC funding)
Thursday, March 14
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Staffing the Legal Services of an MLP – Should We Directly Hire a Lawyer or Contract with Another Organization?
Hosted by NCMLP
Thursday, March 14
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

Health Center Partnerships to Support Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents
Hosted by NNCC
Thursday, March 14
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Empowering Change: Innovating and Scaling for a Healthier Tomorrow in the Face of Emerging SDOH
Hosted by multiple NTTAPs
Thursday, March 14
3:00-4:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

Go Team! Implementing a Team Approach to Primary Care for Your Youngest Patients
Hosted by the HRSA-funded Early Childhood Developmental Health Systems: Evidence to Impact Center
Thursday, March 14
4:00-5:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

How to Use Population Health Tools to Stratify Your Population for Care Management
Hosted by RJHA
Monday, March 18
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Overview of the Primary Care Medical Home Certification Option
Hosted by The Joint Commission
Monday, March 18
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page, use subscription key: TJCEd, or login with previous credentials

Impacts of Housing Instability on the Health of Vulnerable Populations
Hosted by the National Center for Health in Public Housing
Tuesday, March 19
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Developing a Health Equity Plan for your Health Center
Hosted by CHC
Tuesday, March 19
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Navigating Polypharmacy Management in Older Adults
Hosted by the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders
Tuesday, March 19
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Health Centers
Wednesday, March 20
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Fostering Teams: Promoting Cohesion, Effective Communication, and Problem-Solving
Monday, March 25
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

How to Create Training Models to Support Retention
Tuesday, March 26
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Utilizing Data for Quality and Integration
Hosted by NNOHA
Thursday, April 4
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
**1.0 CDE available**

Webinars are hosted by HRSA unless otherwise noted.