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Clinical
US HHS ‘Bridge Access Program' Will Fund COVID Care Access for Uninsured through CHCs, Other Partners
(See HHS Factsheet)
One of the critical components of the federal COVID-19 response has been ensuring all Americans have easy access to COVID-19 vaccines free of charge. Over the last two years, nearly 700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were given to 270 million Americans.
This week, HHS is announcing the ‘HHS Bridge Access Program For COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments Program’ to maintain broad access to COVID-19 vaccines for millions of uninsured Americans. The program will create a unique $1.1 billion public-private partnership to help maintain uninsured individuals’ access to COVID-19 care at their local pharmacies, through existing public health infrastructure, and at their local health centers.
Updates to HHS Vaccination Operational Planning Guide
CDC has updated its HHS Vaccination Operational Planning Guide to help jurisdictions and providers plan for a potential transition in guidance for COVID-19 vaccines. The guide addresses the impact of potentially having the bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines authorized (by FDA) and recommended (by CDC) as primary doses in the COVID-19 vaccination series. Per the guide (page 1):
If authorized by FDA, CDC anticipates that a recommendation for bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be used for vaccination for all age groups could be implemented as early as the week of April 17th [emphasis added]. It is also expected that Novavax and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen monovalent non-mRNA vaccines will continue to be authorized.
Gilead Has Stopped Offering Voluntary Sub-Ceiling Discounts on PrEP, Other HIV-Related Drugs
Evidently, drug manufacturer Gilead has stopped offering sub-ceiling discounts (discounts beyond required 340B ceiling price) on PrEP and several other HIV-related drugs starting in January 2023.
Gilead had been offering these sub-ceiling discounts voluntarily, and did not announce that they were being eliminated. CHCs that dispense many of these drugs should be on the alert for the financial impact of these changes.
New Resource Developed To Help Address Burnout in Primary Care
Burnout is serious and a growing problem in primary care, and the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded stresses faced by primary care teams. Increasing burnout has been associated with increased staff turnover, reduced quality of care and compromised patient safety.
AHRQ has developed a new resource, Burnout in Primary Care—Assessing and Addressing It in Your Practice (PDF), to help primary care teams identify root causes of burnout and implement strategies to re-establish well-being in their practices.
Training Opportunity from BPHC Behavioral Health Technical Assistance
Topic: Behavioral Health Integration Skills and Practices for Community Health Centers
Dates: Eight sessions on alternating Tuesdays, beginning May 2 | 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Presenters: Joseph Hyde, LMHC, CAS and Laura Ross, LMFT
Register
Over a series of eight 1.5 hour sessions, participants will learn about the most current, best, and promising practices for effective integrated behavioral health care in primary care settings.
Engage in active discussion with subject matter experts and health center peers around key concepts including multidisciplinary teamwork, treatment to target, brief counseling techniques, behavioral health consultations, and care management. Participants may earn 1.5 CEs per session (12 CEs total).
Join NCCHCA and NCCU for Our Inaugural MAT Conference May 11
Register
More information in events section below.
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Workforce
Organizational Self-Care Learning Collaborative
May 3, 2023 | 1:30 pm
Register
Join Health Outreach Partners to learn more about the principles of self-care and how these principles can be implemented at the organizational level to elevate employee satisfaction and increase workforce retention. The virtual sessions will be held on four consecutive Wednesdays in May.
Academic Partnerships to Reinforce the Health Center Workforce
May 9, 2023 | 1:00 pm
Register
Partnerships between health centers and academic institutions are essential to a strong workforce, and to the education of students in health-related fields, both of which support the health of communities.
The National Center for Health in Public Housing will offer a webinar highlighting the successful academic partnerships developed by a health center in California, and how these partnerships have supported workforce recruitment, training and retention.
Workforce Funding Opportunities for Nursing Students and Nurses
May 10, 2023 | 2:30 pm
Register
HRSA will host a webinar to share information about the various funding opportunities that are available to nursing students and graduates, and to nursing programs. Topics will include the benefits of each program, eligibility requirements for nursing training grants, school administered nursing loans, scholarship programs, loan repayment programs and more.
Deadline Approaching for NHSC Loan Repayment
The National Health Service Corps application cycle is open for three programs. Eligible clinicians providing primary medical, dental, or behavioral health care services can qualify for loan repayment. Visit HRSA's website to compare programs, get more information, or apply by 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 25.
NCCHCA Workforce Workgroups: **Special Educational Sessions**
> JEDI Initiatives & CWP: Planning for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Wed., May 10, 2023 | 10:00 -11:00 am
Register
Whether your CHC is just beginning to consider or already planning a diversity/JEDI committee and associated initiatives, or even if you already have this work in progress, this session will help you choose or evaluate your path forward and implement effective foundational steps.
Come and hear these questions discussed: What should I consider when starting a JEDU initiative or program? Do I need a consultant? What are the committee's goals? How can I measure progress?
> Jumpstart Your Comprehensive Workforce Plan!
Wed., June 14, 2023 | 10:00 - 11:00 am
Register
Join us to take a deep dive into the CWP Definition and associated planning resources, discussing each section and sharing examples, applications, and potential ways to include JEDI initiatives where appropriate. You and your CHC will benefit from a practical walk through comprehensive workforce planning timelines, goals, and examples of content, as well as how to approach planning and maintain momentum.
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Medicaid
NCTracks Provider Training Topics Survey
The NCTracks training team is inviting all providers to participate in a short survey about frequently asked questions (FAQs). The feedback from this survey will aid the training team in developing new content for NCTracks training webinars. If you would like to participate, please complete the survey before May 5, 2023.
Medicaid Bulletin Roundup
The following recent bulletin(s) from NC Medicaid may be of interest to health centers:
Problems with Managed Care Claims Denials?
Contact the Medicaid Provider Ombudsman at this link and notify NCCHCA by email at mmc@ncchca.org.
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Policy & Advocacy
Sen. Tillis Among 63 Senators Signing Letter Supporting Health Center Appropriations
A total of 63 Senators, including Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), have signed this year's FY24 Senate Appropriations letter in support of robust funding for the Health Center Program. Combined with the House letter that got 266 signatures, this indicates to the Appropriations Committees that funding health centers is a bipartisan priority.
U.S. House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee Hearing on Health Centers, Workforce
The Health Subcommittee of the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee held a hearing on Wednesday, April 19 focused on the community health center program and the primary care workforce.
Representative Richard Hudson (NC-09), who sits on the subcommittee, referenced his visit to Piedmont Health in his testimony:
"I represent a rural community and work closely with our Community Health Centers, and they do a tremendous job. During a recent visit to Moncure Community Health Center, I saw need for more flexibility like in the MOBILE Health Care Act legislation I authored ... The mobile units have been able to provide mental health access to schools that normally wouldn’t have access to mental health, as you know that's a real crisis right now. Anything we can do to offer flexibility to these rural CHCs, I’d encourage you [to do]."
Rep. Hudson also commented: "Numerous CHCs formed partnerships with the University of North Carolina as well as Meharry, an HBCU, to provide workforce. One huge success story also has been increased training resources and furthering wellness activities in Randolph County, resulting in decreased costs for employee health insurance over past three years. These kind of partnerships and innovation is showing results."
Here is the video of the Rep. Hudson's testimony, starting at 01:58:26. Below, Rep. Hudson is pictured with Piedmont Health, Stedman-Wade Health Services, and NCCHCA at his visit to Piedmont’s Moncure site last fall.
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Bipartisan Bill to Provide Five Years of Flat Funding for Health Centers & National Health Service Corps Introduced in Congress
Last week, a bipartisan group of House members introduced the Strengthening Community Care Act (H.R. 2559) to provide five years of funding for Community Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps.
DOC Act Introduced to Bolster Funding for Teaching Health Centers Program
Last week, Rep. Pallone (D-NJ) also re-introduced the Doctors of Community (DOC) Act to provide long-term funding for the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program. The bill would permanently extend funding for the program and expand the number of Teaching Health Center residency programs. This change would help health centers recruit more staff to combat the current healthcare workforce crisis.
U.S. HHS Will Propose Allowing DACA Recipients to Access Medicaid, CHIP and ACA Plans
HHS is expected to release a proposed regulation by the end of the month that would make some DACA recipients (aka Dreamers) eligible for Medicaid, CHIP, and subsidized ACA plans. This would be accomplished by changing the regulatory definition of “lawful presence.”
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Health Access
Medicaid Eligibility Redetermination Resources
Redeterminations of Medicaid eligibility have begun and will continue through March 2024. Approximately 200k beneficiaries will be redetermined each month during the unwinding process. NC Medicaid’s plan for unwinding is available here.
Please inform your patients of the following:
- Update contact information with DSS and create an enhanced ePass account to update their contact information without having to go through DSS.
- Read all communications received from DSS.
- Individuals who lose Medicaid during the unwinding process may be eligible to enroll in Marketplace coverage under the new Unwinding SEP, available now through 7/1/2024.
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Member Spotlight
Congratulations to Greene County Health Care, Inc., on its 50th Anniversary
We are delighted to highlight Greene County Health Care, Inc., on 50 years of exemplary service! Greene County Health Care, Inc. started as Walstonburg Community Health Program, Inc., and changed its name to Greene County Health Care (GCHC), Inc., in 1975. GCHC serves migrant farmworkers as well as other patients with integrated, compassionate care.
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BPHC
Updated Health Center Program Site Visit Protocol
HRSA uses the Health Center Program Site Visit Protocol (SVP) to assess compliance with Health Center Program requirements for all Operational Site Visits and Look-Alike Initial Designation Site Visits.
We updated the SVP on Thursday, April 13. The updates focus primarily on plain language-related edits to make the material clearer and easier to read and understand. There is one substantive change to align with Calendar Year 2024 Requirements for Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Coverage for Health Centers and Their Covered Individuals (PDF), related to risk management and obstetrical training requirements. If you have questions about the SVP updates, submit them to the BPHC Contact Form.
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Funding Opportunities
NEW: SFY 2024-2025 Medication Assistance Program RFA
Deadline: May 5, 2023
Learn more and apply
The Office of Rural Health (ORH) announces the availability of grant funding to identify and fund community organizations in North Carolina that will help uninsured, low-income citizens of all ages evaluate their optimal prescription drug choices and apply for free, discounted, and low-cost drugs through public and private medication assistance programs. Safety net organizations who care for underserved patients including CHCs, free and charitable clinics, rural health centers, and health departments offering MAT to the uninsured are eligible to apply for this funding.
HRSA Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Capacity
Deadline: Tues., May 9, 2023
Apply
There will be 29 awards of up to $200,000 per award per year.
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health
Deadline: May 12
Apply
The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) is a multi-year Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) initiative aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), in high-risk rural communities among children and adolescents aged 5-17 years.
Access to Dental Care
Deadline: Rolling
Learn more
This funding opportunity from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation supports costs related to the launch of a new dental clinic or significant expansion of an existing clinic with the goal of supporting expanded oral health care access in North Carolina communities. This opportunity is best suited for clinics looking to complete a large clinic launch or expansion.
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HCCN
Compliant Technologies Soon Required for Telehealth
On April 11, U.S. HHS’ Office of Civil Rights announced the Notifications of Enforcement Discretion issued under HIPAA and the HITECH Act during the COVID-19 public health emergency will expire on May 11, 2023. OCR is providing a 90-day transition period for covered health care providers to comply with HIPAA Rules in the provision of telehealth. Look here for a list from HHS of HIPAA-compliant “non-public facing” technologies. For more information about HHS telehealth policy updates, visit this page.
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Events and Trainings
Click "view entire message" below or this link to view the complete events section.
NCCHCA EVENTS
NCCHCA/NCCU Inaugural MAT Conference
Thurs., May 11 | 8:00 - 5:00 pm | NCCU Student Center
Register
This event will bring together approximately 100 senior leadership and staff from Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, Free & Charitable Clinics, as well as other NC safety-net partners that are dedicated to increasing access to Medication Assisted Treatment for individuals with Opioid Use Disorder in North Carolina, including agencies who were recently awarded a grant to expand MAT services. Through workshops and networking, this event provides an opportunity to explore innovative strategies, and gain relevant training that contributes to improving MAT service delivery for North Carolina residents.
Early Bird Deadline April 30 for NCCHCA's Annual Primary Care Conference
June 7-9, 2023 | Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club, Durham, NC
Attendee Registration
Sponsor & Exhibitor Registration
Book Your Room at the $249/nt Group Rate
Our 44th annual Primary Care Conference event provides a fantastic opportunity to expand your knowledge, exchange best practices, and broaden your network. Each year, more than 300 administrators, providers, advocates, and others invested in NC health care join together for three days of learning and networking in the Primary Care Conference.
This year’s theme is “Transformation: Embracing a New Tomorrow.” The pandemic has forced us to completely transform the way we deliver care to our patients.
Hotel guests will be able to reserve a tee time up to 30 days in advance by calling the Golf Shop at 919.681.2288.
This event is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,557,131 with 99 percent financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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Claims Informed Risk Management: Connecting the Dots
Thurs., April 20th and 27th | 2:30 - 4:30 pm
Register
The Health Center Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Program invites you to attend a two-part webinar series, which has been identified as a satisfactory method of demonstrating compliance with the FTCA annual risk manager training requirement as outlined in the FTCA Deeming Application.
Preparing Mental Health Leaders
Mon., April 24, 2023 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Register
The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is hosting an upcoming webinar focused on preparing mental health practitioners to take on the role of a leader. During this webinar participants will be provided with information to help better understand the unique training and skill sets of mental health workforce that equips them with leadership qualities, determine possible career pathways to facilitate behavioral health staff moving into leadership roles, and build greater awareness of the critical importance of training when preparing future health center leaders.
Medicaid Terminations Now, Expansion Later: What Advocates Need to Know
Thurs., April 27, 2023 | 12:00-1:00 pm
Register
During this free one-hour webinar, expert Medicaid advocates will discuss the Medicaid redetermination process, important new legal protections for Medicaid beneficiaries, how Medicaid expansion will expand eligibility and interact with the redetermination process, and what you can do to assist those with Medicaid and the newly eligible population.
FQHC Billing for Vision Services: Eyes on Access
April 27 and May 18 (Office Hour) | 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Register
Please join NACHC, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, and Prevent Blindness for a deep dive into billing for vision services. This webinar series addresses how health centers can align their billing procedures for vision services with their existing service lines. Special Office Hour scheduled for May 18.
HPET Focus: Grow Your Own Workforce: Best Practices to Train the Next Generation!
Thurs., April 27 | 3:30-4:30 pm
Register
Build the business case for why your health center should invest in health professions education and training. Expert panelists from Community Health Center, Inc.’s National Health Center Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAP) and the Northwest Regional Primary Care Association will discuss best practices and tools to help participants assess readiness and implement health professions education and training programs at their organizations. Call for questions: Please complete this survey to provide the panelists with your specific workforce needs by Friday, March 31.
NACHC Medicaid Redetermination Listening Sessions
The upcoming listening session dates are:
April 28, 2023 (2-3 PM ET)
May 18, 2023 (2-3 PM ET)
June 29, 2023 (2-3 PM ET)
For questions please email federalpolicy@nachc.org.
NACHC Conference for Agricultural Worker Health
May 2-4, 2023 | Seattle, Washington
Register
The national Conference on Agricultural Worker Health is dedicated to improving service delivery and health outcomes for Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers (MSAW) and their families. The conference theme is “Sowing Strength/Cultivando Fortaleza: Meeting Environmental, Social and Care Challenges in Farmworker Health”. NACHC will have ample opportunities for networking with peers, being inspired during general plenary sessions, celebrating annual migrant health awardees, and increasing our understanding of key health care delivery, policy and outreach efforts, proven effective in serving over 1 million migrant and seasonal agricultural workers through community health centers and our partners across the country.
NACHC 340B Grantees Conference
May 3-5, 2023 | New Orleans
Register
Join NACHC at the JW Marriott in New Orleans, May 3-5, 2023 for the second 340B Grantees Conference! Hosted by NACHC and RWC-340B, the conference provides a platform for 340B Grantees like Ryan White Clinics, FQHCs, and FQHC Look-alikes to collaborate and share best practices, learn from experts in the field, and network with colleagues from around the country.
2023 Practical Pediatrics Conference
May 25, 2023 | 8;30 am - 12:00 pm
Register
Hosted by Eastern AHEC Practice Support in Greenville. The topic is “Using Results Based Accountability to Turn the Curve on Childhood Immunizations in Office Based Practices.”
Reconnect for Resilience in Healthcare Virtual Training
Thurs., June 15 & Friday, June 16 | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Register
Care Share Health Alliance is excited to announce we will be hosting a FREE Reconnect for Resilience in Healthcare Virtual Training in partnership with Resources for Resilience. The free training is open to any healthcare worker in North Carolina!
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