Conference for Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities The Cerebral Palsy Associations of NYS Medical Directors’ Council is hosting their 1st Annual Conference on Multi-Disciplinary Clinical Care for Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD). The conference will be held on Friday, November 16th in Saratoga Springs, NY. Click here for more details.
HRSA Releases New FAQs on Upcoming SAC and RD Application Reviews and Awards Learn more about what to expect for the upcoming fiscal year in the new set of FAQs focused specifically on the FY 2019 SAC and Renewal of Designation (RD) Application Review and Award Process. Read them here
Free Webinar: Promoting Professionalism: Addressing Behaviors that Undermine Accountability, Reliability, and a Culture of Safety Join ECRI Institute for a webinar on strategies for identifying and addressing cases of unprofessional provider and staff behaviors that undermine a culture of safety, leading to adverse patient outcomes and diminishing patients’ trust in their caregivers. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, November 6 at Noon-1:00 p.m. EST Register here.
Coming soon: The Finance Forum NYS CHC finance staff will have a forum for sharing and learning about key finance operational issues and concerns. CHCANYS is working with a group of NYS health center CFOs to develop the Forum, which will kick-off during our Annual Conference as part of the Finance Boot camp. A brief survey to identify priority top finance department concerns and areas for focused conversation will be released shortly.
NYSDOH Commissioner's Medical Grand Rounds The second session of the 2018-2019 Commissioner’s Medical Grand Rounds series, Integration of Primary Care and Behavioral Health, takes place on Wednesday, October 3, 2018. As with previous Grand Rounds, this session will be streamed as a live webcast for those unable to attend in-person, and archived on NYSDOH’s website.
The Commissioner's Medical Grand Rounds offers an opportunity for healthcare professionals to hear from subject matter experts from both inside and outside the NYS Department of Health about issues relevant to the health of all New Yorkers. A goal of the program is for all New York State providers to have access to timely and evidence-based information that can improve patient care, regardless of their practice setting.
HRSA Partners are conducting a National Health Center Needs Assessment Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has requested the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), in collaboration with 19 other HRSA-funded National Cooperation Agreement (NCA) organizations, conduct a consolidated national health center needs assessment. Health center responses will inform the NCAs' development of operational training and technical. To participate, respond to the email invitation to complete the survey, which is available to all health centers from Sept. 12 to Oct. 31.
HRSA Announces Updated Compliance Manual- New Site Visit Protocol & Related Resources Now Available Last week, HRSA announced updates to the HRSA Health Center Program Compliance Manual and has since released a preview of the updated Site Visit Protocol. that will replace the current version and be used beginning Friday, September 7). The changes align with the amended Health Center Program statute (Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act). HRSA also created a consolidated Frequently Asked Questions web page that provides answers to common questions regarding Health Center Program requirements, compliance, and oversight.
Save the Date: BPHC All-Programs Webcast The Bureau of Primary Health Care will host an all-programs webcast on Tuesday, September 25 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. EST. Webcast information coming soon. To submit questions in advance, send an email to bphcta@hrsa.gov by Thursday, September 20, with the subject line "BPHC All-Programs Question."
It’s Time to Assess Your Purchases & Save More than forty FQHCs Statewide actively participate in CHCANYS’ unique partnership with the Commonwealth Purchasing Group (CPG) to save on day-to-day operational expenses. With an expansive portfolio of vendors including telehealth, medical supplies and business solutions to name a few, CPG’s strategic contracts are designed to benefit FQHCs. To learn about a no-obligation assessment of current purchases or to discuss new site or specific project needs, please click here or contact rwynn@chcanys.org or (212) 710-3806.
Advancing Excellence in Transgender Health: A Core Course for the Whole Care Team: Sept.21- 23 in Boston MA Offered by The Fenway Institute, this conference is designed to train the whole health care team in providing competent and confident gender-affirmative health care, grounded in research evidence and best clinical practices. Sessions are led by expert faculty specialized in transgender-focused research and patient care. The conference is appropriate for all members of health care teams, including physicians, behavioral health care providers, physician assistants, nurses, and other staff. For more information and to register click here.
ECRI hosts a Virtual Risk Management Conference – September 12th Registration is open for ECRI's 2018 FTCA Risk Management Virtual Conference. Each year, ECRI offers a full day virtual FTCA Risk Management conference that can be accessed online. This year's conference will occur on Sept. 12, 2018 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Topics will include the impact of medical errors, the role of the risk manager, how to assess and respond to risk, and claims management. View the full agendaand register here.
Register Now! Continuous Compliance Webinar Series with FTLF, CohnReznick, & Health Center Experts With the release of HRSA’s Health Center Program Compliance Manual in 2017, FQHCs were ushered into a new era of health center compliance. The new Manual reaches beyond the longstanding “19 program requirements” and identifies over ninety distinct required compliance elements. In this webinar series, industry experts including CohnReznick, attorneys from Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP, and HRSA Consultants will present detailed guidance and resources to enhance your organizational approach as well as recommended strategies for achieving continuous compliance. Webinar series includes a total of nine sessions from September to November. Special rates offered for CHCANYS members. More information and link to register here.
Watch the Latest BPHC All-Programs Webcast On Tuesday, July 31, the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) hosted a webcast addressing the impact of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 and HHS grants policy changes, and other topics. View the recorded webcast here.
340B Office of Pharmacy Affairs Updates: Best Practices and Information System Enhancements The HRSA Office of Pharmacy Affairs recently updated Best Practices for Covered Entities: Resolving Contract Pharmacy Related Non-Compliance. HRSA also announced updates to the 340B OPAIS registration process with new functionality directly affecting covered entities and manufacturers. Refer to the 340B website for additional announcements and educational resources. Direct questions to the 340B Prime Vendor at 888-340-2787 or ApexusAnswers@340bpvp.com.
Mount Sinai Announces Mobile Mammography Program in New York City Mount Sinai’s Mammography Program is now available to bring breast cancer education programs and screening services to women throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The mobile unit is equipped with state-of-the-art 3D mammography equipment and uses an information system that makes intake and follow-up communications available in many languages.
Mount Sinai’s multi-lingual team works with organizations and individuals to tailor services to meet community interests and needs, while health educators and patient navigators work directly with patients who need more help arranging for and completing their screening.
New SAMHSA Behavioral Health Publications and Resources The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released several new and updated publications, including a broad range of materials for patient education as well as guidelines and manuals on medications for Opioid Use Disorder. To access them, click here.
New HRSA Financial Management Resources HRSA has posted several new financial management resources, including tip sheets on Internal Controls and unallowable costs and guidance/clarification on financial management requirements and legislative mandates in grant management for FY 2018. To access them, click here.
Capital Financing for Community Health Centers: Webinar Recording Available On Thursday June 28th, CHCANYS hosted a webinar on Capital Financing for Community Health Centers. Featuring presenters from LIIF and Capital Impact Partners, two national nonprofit community development financial institutions (CDFIs) that together have provided financing to community health centers for several decades, the webinar reviewed different types of debt financing available to community health centers, basic lending and underwriting guidelines, and what to expect during the review of a loan application. A recording of the presentation is now available; to view it, enter your name and email address here.
HRSA Releases 2018 UDS Manual and PAL on Proposed 2019 Changes The 2018 Uniform Data System (UDS) Manualdescribes the annual UDS reporting requirements for all health centers that receive federal award funds (awardees), as well as for Look-Alikes under the Health Center Program. A comprehensive guide, the Manual provides an understanding of the framework of reporting requirements, including data submissions on patients, operations, and clinical performance. On June 18th, HRSA issued PAL 2018-03: Proposed Uniform Data System Changes for Calendar Year 2019, which highlights proposed changes to the UDS for calendar year 2019 (data elements that will be reported by Health Center Program awardees and Look-Alikes in February 2020), including: addition of mental health and substance use disorder tables by provider; addition of column in Table 5: Staffing and Utilization to capture virtual visits; removal of Table 5A: Tenure for Health Center Staff; addition of Closing the Referral Loop: Receipt of Specialist report; as well as changes and additions to select quality measures and reporting requirements. The 2019 UDS Manual will include additional details regarding these changes.
HRSA Releases First of Six Service Area Competition NOFOs for FY 2019 HRSA has released the first FY 2019 Service Area Competition (SAC) Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) and plans to release the remaining five over the next three months. A question and answer session, applicable to all FY 2019 SAC NOFOs and applicant types, will take place today, Thursday, June 21, from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.. To join, click here and dial 888-329-8895 / enter passcode 120323. Additional information is available on the SAC Technical Assistance website.
CHCANYS Opioid Summit Presentations Available Online On June 11th and 12th,CHCANYS hosted a face-to-face Opioid Summit in Albany, bringing New York FQHCs together with state/federal partners and addiction specialists to frame issues and considerations for developing and/or expanding integrated opioid addiction and prevention services directly and/or in partnership. To access the presentations from the event, click here.
Office of Management and Budget Issues New Compliance Supplement and Grants Policy Bulletin On Friday May 18th, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a Compliance Supplement, a guide for auditing federal grant recipients that outlines requirements and prohibitions for each federal grant program and serves as a supplement to the single audit guide used by independent auditors. The Health Center Program Compliance Supplement includes procedures auditors use to review compliance with legislative mandates that limit the use of funds on HRSA awards. Access the supplement here. Earlier this year, HRSA released Grants Policy Bulletin 2018-04 to ensure that health center policies and procedures adequately incorporate HHS legislative mandates limiting the use of funds on HRSA awards. HRSA plans to conduct Financial Management Reviews of health centers that do not typically receive an annual audit or whose audits did not include the Health Center Program Compliance Supplement. Read the bulletin here.
Let Us Help You Save Money Evaluate your current purchases and identify opportunities for greater savings with the help of the CHCANYS/CommonWealth Purchasing Group (CPG) partnership. Let us connect you with companies and resources to assist with physician recruitment, medical supply purchases, telehealth, facilities improvements, employee benefits and more. With over 55 vendors, CPG’s strategic contracts are designed to benefit FQHCs and non-profits. Join more than forty FQHCs in New York State who are using CPG services to save money; e-mail Phil DuBois at CPG or Roxanne Wynn-Trotman at CHCANYS to get started.
NYS OMIG Releases Revised Protocol for Auditing Diagnostic and Treatment Centers The NYS Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) recently announced new audit protocols for Diagnostic and Treatment Centers. These protocols have been revised to condense and streamline findings that were substantially the same and add citations to relevant provider manuals and Medicaid Updates. No new findings were added. View the new protocols here.
HRSA’s Updated Progressive Action Conditions Library is Now Available Online HRSA recently updated its library of conditions to align with the Health Center Program Compliance Manual.and is now placing the updated conditions based on Operational Site Visit findings. Conditions applied based on the review of FY 2018 Service Area Competition or Renewal of Designation applications for the remainder of the FY 2018 fiscal year will utilize the prior set of conditions. The library provides guidance on the specific action(s) required to facilitate lifting of updated conditions as quickly as possible. Health centers with any active unresolved progressive action conditions will continue to follow the Progressive Action process and timeline. HRSA will lift unresolved conditions upon approval of a health center’s submission that demonstrates compliance. Access the library here. For more information on the Progressive Action process, click here to view Chapter 2 of the Health Center Program Compliance Manual.
2018 Poverty Guidelines Released The 2018 poverty guidelines are in effect as of January 13th. All health centers should take note and update their Sliding Fee Discount Schedules (SFDS) accordingly.
Examples of Collaborations with Local Health Departments Needed to Develop New Resources As the health care and public health landscape continue to evolve, collaboration between health centers and local health departments becomes increasingly important. In partnership with HRSA, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the Center for Sharing Public Health Services (CSPHS) will work together to develop new tools and resources aimed at enhancing collaboration between health centers and health departments. For more information, click here.
2017 Uniform Data System Manual Now Available
The 2017 Uniform Data System (UDS) manual is a comprehensive guide that helps Health Centers Program grantees and look-alikes to understand the framework of UDS reporting requirements, including data submissions on patients, operations, and clinical performance. The manual provides an introduction and overview of the UDS, instructions for completing each of the tables, and information on how to submit the data through HRSA’s EHB. Find the 2017 UDS Manual on HRSA’s UDS Resources page.
Social Data Available for FQHC Planning CHCANYS can provide FQHCs with the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data on a range of social factors at the ZCTA or census tract level. Available in Excel or shapefile (mapping) files, this information can inform planning efforts and document various barriers to care or social determinants of health. For information, contact data@chcanys.org
2018 Uniform Data System (UDS) PAL HRSA has released a PAL highlighting proposed changes to the Uniform Data System (UDS) for calendar year 2018. The early dissemination of the 2018 PAL, released 18 months in advance of the reporting period, supports the UDS modernization efforts that are currently underway. Proposed changes include updates to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) electronic-specified clinical quality measures and an expanded telehealth question. The information detailed in the PAL will be used by health center program grantees and Look-Alikes for reporting data beginning Jan. 1, 2019. The forthcoming 2018 UDS Manual will include additional details regarding these changes. To view the PAL, click here.
340B Manual Now Available from NACHC The Nat’l Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has created a comprehensive 340B Manual containing resources and information to assist FQHCs in ensuring that their 340B programs are compliant with federal requirements. Issues covered in the manual include: 340B basics; registration and recertification; Medicaid and 340B; policies and procedures; audit and compliance requirements; and the latest policies from the Health Resources and Services Administration. X This manual represents input from various sources, including legal and financial experts, and also includes some “best practices” from health center peers, when appropriate. The cost for NACHC members is $249; the non-member price is $349. For additional information and purchasing details, contact Luke Ertle.
FTLF Offers Training to Meet Your Health Center’s Needs For over 20 years, the Federal Grants and Health Law practice group attorneys at Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP (FTLF) have provided training on a broad range of topics to federal grantees, including FQHCs, through online webinars and in-person seminars and conferences. During all of their online and in-person trainings, they identify and explain the law and where the rules come from, what they mean on a practical level, and how participants can ensure that their program gets into and stays in compliance. For a list of upcoming sessions and access to the FTLF on-demand library, click here.
