Primary News for Primary Care, June 2017

CEO Hallway Conversations with John McDonald

This past week has been active for healthcare advocates across our state and country as we work to express our concerns over proposed changes to the healthcare landscape. Last week, the Senate revealed their healthcare plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. Their plan, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, has been scored by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in a report released yesterday. The Senate proposal would leave 22 million more Americans uninsured by 2026 (49 million people total). This will greatly impact our patients, especially those in rural communities who already have restricted access to healthcare. Additionally, AHCCCS released a summary last week about the direct impact our Medicaid patients could see in Arizona. According to AHCCCS, the potential state impact would add up to $7.1 billion by 2026. Proposed changes would leave 320,000 Childless Adults in Arizona without insurance along with 82,000 Expansion Adults.

As part of our efforts, AACHC will continue to keep you updated on any developments impacting our community. In the meantime, we ask you to continue voicing your concerns through phone calls, emails and/or social media. NACHC has tools to assist you in these efforts and has organized a National Call-In Day for tomorrow. You can visit hcadvocacy.org/bcra for more details on NACHC’s event.

In other news, the Alliance has signed a master licensing agreement with Azara Healthcare, Inc. for use of its Data Reporting and Visualization System (DRVS) software, a clinically integrated data warehouse. DRVS will provide health centers with actionable data necessary to increase quality and efficiency while managing cost in aspects of health care delivery and, in turn, quantitatively document value-based care. In order to access the potential of the DRVS software, Health Centers need to enter into a sub-licensing agreement with AACHC and through a related business associate agreement, have EHR transferred into the database. Implementation of DRVS begins in July.

CVN has received notice from HRSA of continuation its funding as a Health Centered Controlled Network (HCCN) for year two beginning August 1, 2017. Additionally, CVN has signed a Participation Agreement with Health Current and, with related business associate agreements in place, will be able to more actively engage the 20 HCCN participating health centers in advancing Meaningful Use, technology-enabled QI strategies, and health information exchange. Participation as a provider network in HIE, as well as the implementation of Azara DRVS, provides CVN an essential part of the infrastructure for its clinically integrated network through which it can track and monitor shared performance measures, pursue collaborative performance improvement and ensure consistent clinical leadership and practices across its participating providers.

As we continue into the summer months, I’d like to remind you of some upcoming events and trainings for our members and partners. Next month we are hosting our annual Board Retreat in Flagstaff to talk about some trends in our state, how to enhance our work, and share best practices. We will also host an FQHC Coding, Billing and Documentation Strategies training this September in Phoenix. This training will include a Learning Lab for providers. For more details on these and other events, or to register, please visit the events page on our website.

All the best,

John

AACHC Program Highlight - Addressing Arizona's Opioid Crisis

In early June, Governor Ducey responded to a report issued by the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) that found in Arizona, on average, more than two people died every day in 2016 from prescription opioid or heroin overdoses. The report found that deaths from overdoses had shown a 74 percent surge since 2012. The Governor noted, “I’m declaring a statewide health emergency because we need to know more about the epidemic, including enhanced data that illustrates when and where these overdoses occur so that we can develop real, targeted solutions.”

Governor Ducey is calling upon DHS and the wider community to respond by taking a variety of steps to address this health crisis. A few steps were already undertaken prior to the issuance of the DHS report. Last November, Governor Ducey issued an Executive Order that limited initial opioid prescriptions to seven days for adults insured by Medicaid (AHCCCS) or state employees covered by the state's insurance plan. During the 2017 legislative session, pharmacies were given the authority to dispense the overdose-reversal drug naloxone without a prescription, and an 11-member drug overdose fatality review team was established that will review all overdose deaths helping to identify common concerns and corrective actions that the community can take to address this health crisis.

DHS has been charged with identifying appropriate prescribing practices; developing educational guidelines for health care providers to responsibly prescribe medication; expand access to Medication Assisted Treatment; and assure distribution of naloxone.

The Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers has responded to this public health crisis by convening members of various peer groups, including behavioral health, pharmacy and quality committee, to review, discuss and explore how local FQHCs are responding to the opioid issue in their local communities. The goal is for all FQHCs to have an appropriately integrated care team available to address the needs of their patients.

Arizona’s health centers have implemented various approaches to dealing with pain management, appropriately dispensing medication and dealing with opioid overdoses. Some of the health centers are following Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) models with their patients and others are moving toward adopting the model. Six peer groups (Clinical, Behavioral Health, Pharmacy, Oral Health, COO and Clinical Quality) continue to work together to identify the strategies and approaches in the management of pain among patients served by the FQHCs. Our health centers strive to provide the best practices and solutions that curb the use of opioids.

A.T. Still Student Highlight

Ralph Desir, a second-year student at A.T. Still University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA), has accomplished a lot at a young age. He graduated from college and was accepted into his first-choice medical school, where he serves as president of the student government. He is on track to graduate in two years. As a physician, he plans to serve the underserved by practicing at a community health center. He also hopes to continue in leadership roles, advocating for the profession . . . Click here to read more.

Implementing Substance Abuse Services in Health Center Settings: Challenges and Opportunities
June 28, 2017 | Webinar
Hosted by the SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions
Wednesday, June 28, 3-4:30 p.m. (EST)
Register here

Pop Health Curriculum Webinar
June 29, 2017 | Webinar
Hosted by Bureau of Health Workforce
Thursday, June 29, 1:30-2:30 p.m. (EST)
Register here

Building Health Equity: From Resources to Community Action
June 29, 2017 | Webinar

Research shows that health equity is critical to building a happy, prosperous nation, but that doesn’t mean a one-size-fits-all approach is the answer. Join the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a webinar with national and local leaders working to create opportunities for all residents. You’ll hear about the ways a new definition can help us advance solutions and measure progress, and hear directly from communities working to ensure that everyone can be as healthy as possible. Click here to register.

Tour the new Healthy Food Access Portal
July 12, 2017 | Webinar

Join PolicyLink, The Food Trust, and Reinvestment Fund for an interactive webinar to tour the newly redesigned Healthy Food Access Portal. Building upon the feedback and input of stakeholders, the refreshed site features new and refined resources to better support advocates, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders to take their work – whether a local policy campaign or the launch of a local healthy food business – to the next level. The Portal team will highlight key features, including updated navigation, new content for advocates and entrepreneurs, and interactive tools to find policy information, available funding opportunities, and other resources. Click here for more to register.

18th Annual Summer Institute
July 18-21, 2017 | Sedona, AZ

Arizona State University’s Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy (CABHP) is pleased to announce the 18th Annual Summer Institute will be held July 18-21, 2017. We return to the Hilton Sedona, where more than 350 professionals from numerous private and state agencies will gather for four days of networking and education. Click here for more information and to register.

Pre-Conference Workshop: Understanding and Leveraging the Economic Impact of Rural Health Care
July 24, 2017 | Flagstaff, AZ
The pre-conference workshop is an interactive learning environment designed for leaders from rural health care facilities. Participants will gain a better understanding of the economic impact of the health care sector, including specific tools and methods for assessment of new or expanded health care services in rural hospitals, clinics, community health centers, tribal health, and EMS systems in Arizona and surrounding communities. The National Center for Rural Health Works (or RHW) develops tools and templates, and provides training and technical assistance in the following areas: Economic Impact, Rural Health Needs Analysis, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Development. Use of these tools and templates makes the case for the importance of local healthcare services to engage community leaders in making informed decisions and developing and implementing a plan of action. Space is limited to 30 participants. The registration fee is $60.00 and includes lunch. Click here to register.

2018 STD Prevention Conference
August 27-30, 2018 | Washington D.C.
Save the Date! More details coming soon.

Early Childhood Summit
August 28-29, 2017 | Phoenix, AZ
The First Things First Early Childhood Summit brings together professionals, stakeholders and supporters of early childhood education and health to share innovative strategies, research and best practices that help kids be ready for school and set for life.

Ensuring that our youngest kids arrive at kindergarten prepared to succeed requires all parts of the early childhood system to work together, and the Summit offers an exciting opportunity to build both the knowledge and relationships critical to our collective success. Click here for more information and to register.

2017 HRSA Virtual Behavioral Health Workforce Development Conference
September 13, 2017
The conference aims to showcase innovative academic and training approaches used by behavioral health grantees to expand the distribution of a skilled workforce focused on underserved populations and communities in need. Presentations highlight successes and/or lessons learned in behavioral health workforce development from the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) for Professionals and Paraprofessionals program; the Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) program; the Leadership in Public Health Social Work Education (LPHSWE) program; the Mental and the Behavioral Health Education Training (MBHET) program; and the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR). Click here for more information and to register.

3RNet 2017 Annual Conference
September 12-14, 2017 | Scottsdale, AZ
3RNet members represent over 5,000 communities across the U.S. that actively recruit physicians and other healthcare providers. Attendees include 3RNet members and representatives from other state-based agencies involved in workforce issues, the federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration, National Health Service Corps, Veteran’s Administration, and Indian Health Service. 3RNet is committed to ensuring this event helps you make meaningful connections. New this year, 3RNet will host a Post-Conference Workshop: Recruitment & Retention Foundations on September 14. This workshop has been added to the 3RNet National Conference that will be hosted by Arizona’s 3RNet Organizational Members: the State Office of Rural Health (SORH) Arizona Center for Rural Health-The University of Arizona, MEZCOPH, Arizona Department of Health Services-Bureau of Women’s & Children’s Health and the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers. It is specifically designed for health care facilities and other organizations interested in learning more about recruitment and retention specific to rural and underserved areas and includes many practical takeaways. Click here to register for the conference and/or the Post-Conference Workshop..

Telemedicine & Telehealth Service Provider Showcase (SPS)
October 2-3, 2017 | Tucson, AZ
SPS is a national conference focusing on linking telemedicine and telehealth service provider companies with hospitals, healthcare systems, clinics and others who need their services. With an expo hall offering a range of medical specialty services, ancillary patient services and supporting technology, SPS displays the latest trends in clinical telehealth. And with a roster of nationally known telemedicine and healthcare innovation experts, SPS content is “very valuable,” according to past SPS participants.
SPS is about bringing better healthcare to patients, communities, and populations; improving outcomes; and reducing costs. It is about helping hospitals and healthcare systems to thrive through partnerships with telemedicine providers. Come and learn about finding the right partner for your needs and how to make your partnership successful. Meet the telemedicine providers and hear about their services and business models. Join us October 2-3, 2017, in Phoenix, AZ, to be a part of this exciting trend in healthcare delivery! Click here for more information and to register.

CEO Hallway Conversations with John McDonald

AACHC Program Highlight - Addressing Arizona's Opioid Crisis

A.T. Still Student Highlight

Key Health Center Guidance

Upcoming AACHC Trainings & Events