What's New

NEXT WEDNESDAY: Revenue Cycle Best Practices

We’re partnering with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) on a webinar for your financial team.

Wednesday, December 4
Noon-1:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

Speakers will:

• Share essential strategies to improve financial performance.
• Address coding and documentation challenges and the impact of Medicaid redetermination on patient coverage and revenue.
• Highlight revenue cycle best practices, providing actionable strategies to streamline processes and enhance cash flow.

NEXT THURSDAY: Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates

Join Jim and special guests as we observe World AIDS Day and discuss the latest funding and program updates. Thursday, December 5 1:30-2:45 p.m. ET Join the day of the session Join by phone: 833-568-8864 Webinar ID: 161 971 2539 NEW! Passcode: 61725423

Public Comment Period Open: Proposed 2025 UDS Changes

HRSA invites your review of proposed changes to the Uniform Data System (UDS) instrument beginning with the 2025 performance year, through a Federal Register Notice (FRN). Visit the FRN website to learn more and submit your comments.

Deadline Reminder: FY 2025 BPR Non-Competing Continuation for May 1 Budget Period Starts

Budget Period Progress Report (BPR) submissions for Health Center Program award recipients with a May 1 budget period start date are due in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks by 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, December 6. Technical assistance (TA) materials are available on the BPR TA webpage.

Marketplace Open Enrollment: Health Centers Week of Action is Coming!

Each year, CMS seeks your assistance to ensure that health center patients get help enrolling in the Marketplace. This year’s “Health Center Week of Action” is planned for December 8-14. CMS’ health center-focused toolkit (PDF) includes five things consumers need to know and sample social media messages, graphics, and talking points. Visit their Partner Toolkit webpage for other materials to support your efforts. As a reminder, we shared CMS’ Marketplace Assister Microlearning in last week’s Digest. Visit CMS’ website to access the trainings.

How Health Systems and Hospitals Can Help Solve Homelessness

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and Kaiser Permanente invite you to their webinar focused on the connections between housing and health. Speakers will discuss recent federal guidance and effective strategies for collaborative and compassionate care for people without safe, stable housing. The content is relevant for all health professionals, including public health departments and researchers.

Thursday, December 12
12:30-1:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

National Influenza Vaccination Week

Visit CDC’s website for new research showing that only about 35% of adults have received the 2024-25 flu vaccine this year. National Influenza Vaccination Week (December 2-6 this year) is an annual observance to remind everyone six months and older that there's still time to get vaccinated. CDC’s website offers resources to support your work in getting people vaccinated, including social media messages and graphics.

NACHC Partner Conference

Associate Administrator Jim Macrae addressed attendees at NACHC’s Partner Conference. The event brought together leaders from Primary Care Associations, Health Center Controlled Networks, and NTTAPs to discuss shared strategies on policy, data, operations, payment, and workforce. Macrae is pictured (right) with NACHC president and CEO, Dr. Kyu Rhee.

Behavioral Health

DEA and HHS Extend Telemedicine Flexibilities Through 2025

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in concert with HHS issued a third extension of telemedicine flexibilities for the prescribing of controlled medications, through December 31, 2025. Visit the FRN website for details.

New Surgeon General Report Highlights Tobacco-Related Disparities

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s new report, Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disease and Death: Addressing Disparities (PDF), finds that, despite substantial progress in reducing cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure in the overall population, progress has not been equal. These factors continue to cause nearly half a million deaths a year — nearly one in five of all deaths in the U.S. Visit the CDC website for resources related to the report, including an executive summary, a consumer guide, and fact sheets.

HIV

HRSA’s 2024 World AIDS Day Commemoration Event

The 2024 World AIDS Day theme is "Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress.” HRSA’s event will feature remarks from HRSA leadership, several new announcements, and an engaging panel discussion with HIV community leaders and people with lived experience. The event is open to all HRSA recipients, subrecipients, stakeholders, and federal employees.

Thursday, December 5
11:00 a.m.-noon ET
Registration page

Workforce

Increasing Staff Engagement through Recognition and Celebration

Join our 30-minute webinar on enhancing engagement and reducing burnout through effective and meaningful recognition and celebration. You will explore strategies for fostering a culture of gratitude alongside low-cost ideas to elevate staff contributions. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance morale and meaningfulness, while also promoting job satisfaction in the workplace.

Tuesday, December 10
2:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

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Training Calendar

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

Through December 3

Supporting Community Health Workers (CHWs) with Technology to Achieve Value Series
Hosted by the Health Information Technology, Evaluation and Quality (HITEQ) Center

Session 1: Ensuring CHWs are a Strategic Team Member in Value-Based Care
Tuesday, December 3
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Session 2: Hearing from CHWs on Challenges and Successes of Joining the Team
Tuesday, December 17
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

ARP Post-Award Webinar for Health Center Awardees
Tuesday, December 3
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Building Trust: Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy and Health Misinformation in Vulnerable Communities
Hosted by the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (NNCC)
Tuesday, December 3
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Upcoming

Revenue Cycle Best Practices
Co-hosted with NACHC
Wednesday, December 4
Noon-1:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

The Rising Incidence of Maternal Syphilis and What We Need to Do About It
Hosted by Renaye James Healthcare Advisors
Wednesday, December 4
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
**1.0 CE credit available**

Promising Practices: A Panel Discussion with American Heart Association and Food Rx Programs
Hosted by the National Center for Farmworker Health (NCFH)
Wednesday, December 4
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Communicating Compensation and Benefits to Support Employee Satisfaction Workshop
Wednesday, December 4
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Housing 101 for Health Centers
Hosted by the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)
Wednesday, December 4
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

HRSA’s 2024 World AIDS Day Commemoration Event
Thursday, December 5
11:00 a.m.-noon ET
Registration page

Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates
Thursday, December 5
1:30-2:45 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
Join by phone: 833-568-8864
Webinar ID: 161 971 2539
NEW! Passcode: 61725423

Optimizing Nurse Practitioners (NPs) for Health Equity: Increasing Access to Primary Care and Enhancing Hypertension Control Series
Hosted by NNCC
Thursdays, December 5, 12, and 19
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Session 1: The Role of NPs in Advancing Health Equity and Access in Public Housing Primary Care and other Health Center Populations

Session 2: Strategies for Hypertension Control: NP-Led Patient-Centered Care in Public Housing Primary Care

Session 3: Building Access Programs in Health Centers: Strategies for Equity

Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Screening for Perinatal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Roundtable
Thursday, December 5
3:00-4:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

Empowering Tobacco Cessation: How Motivational Interviewing Supports Every Stage of Change
Hosted by NCFH
Tuesday, December 10
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Increasing Staff Engagement through Recognition and Celebration
Tuesday, December 10
2:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

HITEQ Highlights: AI and Health Insurance Prior Authorization for Health Centers
Hosted by the HITEQ Center
Tuesday, December 10
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Health and Housing Partnerships to Support Individuals Living With or At-Risk for HIV/AIDS
Hosted by CSH
Tuesday, December 10
2:00-3:30 p.m. ET
Registration page

The Early Project Planning Phases of a Capital Development Project
Hosted by Capital Link
Thursday, December 12
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

2024 Annual Update on the UDS Sealant Measure
Hosted by the National Network for Oral Health Access
Thursday, December 12
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Registration page
**1.0 CDE credit available**

Health Center Preparedness and Response Forum: Patients with Access and Functional Needs
Hosted by multiple NTTAPs
Wednesday, December 18
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Registration page

Webinars are hosted by HRSA unless otherwise noted.