A rising number of health centers are already using PRAPARE to help assess and address patients’ social determinants of health. As more organizations consider PRAPARE implementation, our partners at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), and the Oregon Primary Care Association (OPCA) would like to gain a better understanding of health centers’ PRAPARE implementation needs, experiences, and challenges. read more >>
CHCANYS is encouraging all health centers that are currently using, testing, or considering implementing the PRAPARE tool to complete NACHC’s PRAPARE User Survey. Our partners will use any information shared to refine PRAPARE trainings, resources, and technical assistance.
If you would like to review the full survey before completing it online, click here.
To avoid multiple responses from the same health centers, CHCANYS recommends that one staff “champion” complete and submit this survey. The survey takes approximately 5 - 15 minutes to complete, depending on the health center’s activities.
Please consider sharing your responses with the CHCANYS PRAPARE Team: arose@chcanys.org. If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact NACHC’s PRAPARE Project Specialist, Shel Lessington, MPH, at slessington@nachc.org or at 202-331-4617.
RHIO COLLABORATIVE SERIES KICKOFF EVENT CHCANYS Health IT Team was happy to host a RHIO Collaborative Series Kickoff meeting on Operationalizing Your RHIO in New York City. We are very excited about working with four health centers across both New York City & New York State, as part of the Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN) project led by our project manager, Amy Freiman.
Four health centers are participating in the HCCN project, funded by HRSA. The purpose of the project is to advance the use of health information technology, health information exchange, and data-driven quality improvement strategies to strengthen quality of care and improve patient health outcomes. On Wednesday, October 3rd, the four health centers participating in this series convened for a group kickoff. During this meeting, Betances Health center presented their own case study of how they operationalized use of their RHIO, and we had guest speakers from Healthix and NYCIG RHIO’s as well. Many thanks to the Betances team for presenting and to Care for the Homeless health center for hosting us in their lovely conference space!
QTI, NYSDOH COLLABORATE ON DIABETES AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL PROGRAM CHCANYS is pleased to announce that the Quality and Technology Initiatives (CEI) department is collaborating with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), and other partners, on its Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control Program, to provide health centers with Practice Facilitation support focused on strategies to prevent and manage pre-diabetes, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.
The Diabetes and Cardiovascular Prevention and Control Program serves as an opportunity for health centers to work with CHCANYS’ experienced Practice Facilitators around clinical quality measures, to improve the quality and efficiency of care for patients with chronic disease. Health centers should expect to strengthen team-culture amongst staff, while successfully implementing strategies that support DSRIP milestones, meet the criteria for HRSA quality awards, and address PCMH requirements, as well as other incentive programs.
CHCANYS seeks to partner with health centers able to commit 12 months to transforming their chronic disease workflows, commencing June 2019 through June 2020. Participating health centers will empower a Provider Champion to drive change at the site level by:
Focusing on Diabetes/Pre-Diabetes or Hypertenstion/High Cholesterol
Implementing all strategies of chosen focus area
Signing data use agreement to share aggregate data with NYSDOH (no PHI)
Completing a pre-and-post-practice assessment
CHCANYS will support partner health centers via individualized and diverse modalities, including:
On-site Practice Facilitation
Remote coaching calls and/or staff training
Individualized technical assistance around quality improvement (QI)
Help with data strategy building and management
Monthly analysis of clinical quality measures
Tools and resources from NYSDOH and other partners
Opportunities to submit and/or present best practices
This exciting quality improvement opportunity will enable health centers to increase utilization of EHRs and health information technology to enhance provider performance and patient health outcomes. Implemented strategies will support the engagement of non-physician team members to manage chronic disease within clinical settings, and promote adoption of evidence-based QI practices at the provider level.
To learn more about this opportunity and discuss participation, please contact CHCANYS Practice Facilitators Mercy Mbogori at mmbogori@chcanys.org and Amy Zarr at azarr@chcanys.org.
Attestation Deadline Extension Request Approaching The deadline to submit an Attestation Deadline Extension (ADE) Request for Payment Year (PY) 2017 is October 31, 2018. Eligible Professionals may use this form to request a deadline extension by providing evidence that extenuating circumstances, beyond the provider's control, prevented the provider from attesting in MEIPASS by the deadline. NYS DOH will review all ADE requests and IF granted, EPs will have until November 30, 2018 to attest in MEIPASS for PY2017.
The ADE Request Form can be found here on the NY Medicaid EHR Incentive Program website and must be submitted by October 31, 2018 to attestation@health.ny.gov.
NYS Department of Health’s HIV Prevention Dear Colleagues Letter James M. Tesoriero, Ph.D. Director of the Division of Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Partner Services at the NYS Department of Health, AIDS Institute wrote a Dear Colleagues Letter to discuss the efforts being made to End the AIDS epidemic by the end of 2020.
This letter highlights New York State’s public health response and the NYS Department of Health’s HIV Prevention and Partner Service programming as it continuously evolves. NYS and County health department staff can assist in locating and re-engaging individuals with diagnosed HIV infection into HIV-related medical care. Staff also actively refer HIV status unknown or negative persons with syphilis or other STDs to clinicians offering PrEP and facilitate access to these services. A new HIV/STI prevention approach works with individuals in rapidly growing transmission clusters to ensure their partners are linked to HIV and STI testing, medical care, PrEP and other prevention services. Finally, electronic clinician reporting is included in the document to improve efforts for expedited partner services to aid in the efforts to End the Epidemic. To read the full letter please click here.
New Buprenorphine Online Enduring Program Launched by the NYSDOH’s Office of Drug User Health The NYSDOH’s Office of Drug User Health is pleased to officially launch our new online, free “Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder” Enduring Program for prescribers who have completed a buprenorphine waiver training, developed in collaboration with the University of Buffalo and featuring two NY state subject matter experts, Dr. Sharon Stancliff & Dr. Paul Updike. This video presentation offers 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM and the opportunity to learn best practices, considerations, case studies and more related to buprenorphine. Be the first to learn the most up to date information! You may access the program here.
For questions or further information about buprenorphine activities throughout NY state (outside of NYC), please contact the NYSDOH at buprenorphine@health.ny.gov. For questions or further information about buprenorphine activities in NYC, please contact the NYCDOHMH at buprenorphine@health.nyc.gov. To read more about the program click here.
Reminder: Meaningful Use Attestations Due Oct. 15 for NY Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Don’t delay! The deadline to attest 2017 Meaningful Use is October 15, 2018. All attestations for the NY Medicaid EHR Incentive Program must be submitted through MEIPASS. Eligible professionals (EPs) no longer have to mail hard copies of their attestations – Everything is submitted online!
Note: Extensions will be automatically granted to EPs whose 2016 attestations are still pending state review. Those EPs will be notified via email about their extended deadlines, so they have sufficient time to attest 2017 Meaningful Use in MEIPASS.
Need assistance with MEIPASS? Check out our video tutorials and walkthrough to help you with the attestation process. For additional assistance, please contact program support at 1-877-646-5410 or hit@health.ny.gov.
Reminder: Safety Net Pool Payment Distributions Posted DOH recently posted initial payment distributions for the 2018-19 Safety Net Pool to the Health Commerce System. Any proposed changes to distribution amounts must be received by DOH by Monday, October 1, 2018. Please reach out to Lacey Clarke at lclarke@chcanys.org for additional information.
Data Exchange Incentive Program (DEIP) Extension to 2020– Updated Program Documents NYS DOH has officially received approval from CMS to extend the Data Exchange Incentive Program (DEIP, a program incentivizing health centers to sign-up with a RHIO/QE and contribute data) into the next two federal fiscal years (FFY2020). Therefore, the program deadline of 9/30/2018 is now pushed to 9/30/2020 (or until funding is exhausted). Providers enrolled in DEIP must meet Milestone 2 (contribution of clinical data to the QE) by 9/30/20 in order to receive the milestone 2 payment. The DEIP program documents are attached as follows: for Meaningful Use Eligible Providers, Behavioral Health, Article 28, and Article 36-40. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Amy Freiman, MPH, Health IT Project Manager at Community Health Care Association of NY State (CHCANYS) at afreiman@chcanys.org.
Environmental Scan of Activities to Increase HPV Vaccination Rates in NYS The New York State HPV Coalition, in collaboration with the NYS Department of Health (DOH), you to participate in a 15-minute survey about activities related to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
The American Cancer Society recently established the NYS HPV Coalition to lead the charge in increasing HPV vaccination rates in NYS through education, coordination, advocacy, and leadership. The survey will result in identifying activities and partnerships focused on increasing HPV vaccination rates in NYS.
Results from the survey will be shared with the NYS HPV Coalition, NYS DOH Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, and interested participants. The survey can be accessed here. The survey will close on Friday, September 7, 2018. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Katie Pfisterer at katherine.pfisterer@health.ny.gov or at 518-473-0146.
HIV and Women’s Health Conference Mount Sinai’s Institute for Advanced Medicine and the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute will host an all-day clinical conference on HIV: Keeping the Focus on Women on Friday, October 12, 2018 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy.
This event will focus on HIV prevention and care for women of all experiences, featuring interactive presentations and panel discussions highlighting the vital role of medical providers in women’s health. To register, click here. For more information on this year’s awards, visit the BPHC Quality Improvement Awards page.
FY 2018 Quality Awards TA Webinar HRSA recently received $125 million in supplemental funding for the Health Center Program to recognize health centers across the U.S. and the territories for their advances in quality improvement. The goal of the QIAs is to improve clinical quality, improve patient outcomes, and increase access to comprehensive primary care services while recognizing health centers’ efforts that support on-going quality improvement. Please join the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) for a webinar that will explore the role and impact of the Health Center Program QIAs, eligibility, and award criteria summary of the FY 2018 awards.
Date: September 13, 2018 Time: 1:00pm – 2:00 p.m. EST Webinar Link Phone Number: 800-238-9007; Participant Code: 486761
NYS PCMH Practice Transformation Agents New York State has contracted with 15 expert transformation organizations across New York State to provide assistance to any primary care specialty practices, including pediatrics, that elect to enroll in PCMH. Technical assistance is provided at no charge to a practice and enrollment fees are waived through NYSDOH’s contract with NCQA.
Services include onsite support, curriculum learning through webinars and “best practice” tools, IT and quality measure strategies, medical home and infrastructure team building, preparation for value-based payment (VBP) incentives, and partnership to achieve all NYS PCMH recognition requirements.
If you are interested in learning more about these free practice transformation technical assistance services, click here.
A National Web Conference on the Role of Health IT to Improve Medication Management DATE: Thursday, September 13th from 1:00 – 2:30PM ET Registration is open for an AHRQ webinar on the potential of health IT to improve medication monitoring, adherence, and medication therapy management for patients with complex conditions. Presenters will discuss a text messaging system for patients with chronic conditions, the effects of a smart pillbox intervention on patient medication adherence after hospital discharge, and recommendations for clinical decision support used by community pharmacists delivering medication therapy management. Eligible providers can earn up to 1.5 CE/CME credit hours for participating in the live webinar.
Confirmed Speakers: Karen Farris, Phd; Professor of Pharmacy Administration and Chair, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Jeffrey Schnipper, MD; Associate Physician, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Margie Snyder, PhD; Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Network Director, Rx-SafeNet Co-Director, Community Pharmacy Programs, Purdue University: Moderator: Commander Derrick Wyatt, USPHS Commissioned Corps; Division of Health IT Research Grants Manager in the Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement at AHRQ
To Register:
Go to this link. 2. Click “Register.” 3. On the registration form, enter your information, and then click “Submit.” Once the host approves your registration, you will receive a confirmation email message with instructions on how to join the event.
For assistance: If you require special accommodations to participate in the web conference, please contact Amal Saeed at amal.saeed@conselara.com.
Become a Champion! Join the “Undetectables” Team The Undetectables is a groundbreaking program designed to support HIV-positive clients in achieving and maintaining viral suppression. By celebrating people with HIV as heroes for keeping themselves and their communities healthy, The Undetectables fosters a stigma-free community centered on ending the AIDS epidemic. The Undetectables features a tool kit of evidence-based antiretroviral adherence intervention strategies, including financial incentives and innovative social marketing. As a model of integrated care, it helps clients sustain their health and stop HIV transmission. Piloted at Housing Works in 2014, The Undetectables has expanded to 14 community health centers in New York, reaching over 1,500 clients! Technical assistance and other resources are available to help agencies implement The Undetectables. Is your agency the right fit? To learn more about The Undetectables, click here or contact Naomi Harris Tolson at n.harristolson@housingworks.org.
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) AIDS Institute (AI) New Online Provider Directory The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) AIDS Institute (AI) has launched a new online provider directory that allows providers and consumers easier access to information regarding HIV, HCV, Buprenorphine, PEP, and PrEP service providers across New York State. Inclusion in this Directory is completely voluntary, and does not confer any endorsement by NYSDOH nor does it establish NYSDOH credentialing or certification in a specialty. If you are a provider and would like to be included in the Provider Directory, please visit the AIDS Institute’s websitethen click on “Access the NEW AIDS Institute Provider Directory.” If you were previously registered in the Voluntary PrEP/PEP Provider Directory or the Provider Directories for HIV or HCV, your information has been included in the new directory. If you would like to update your information, follow the link above. For more information, please contact ProviderDirectory@health.ny.gov.
Free Buprenorphine Waiver Trainings for New York City Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Assistants The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) sponsors free half-and-half buprenorphine waiver trainings approximately once month for medical providers who live or work in New York City. Trainings can be arranged at any site that can assure attendance of at least 20 medical providers. Otherwise, medical providers can register for a waiver training at another site where the training is offered.
Buprenorphine is an effective medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder, and can be prescribed in office-based primary care settings. Any physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant can prescribe buprenorphine after obtaining a SAMHSA waiver. Physicians are required to complete an 8-hour training in order to apply for a waiver; nurse practitioners and physician assistants must take 24 hours of training (inclusive of the 8-hour training). This course fulfills the 8-hour training requirement. The half-and-half format will include approximately 4 hours of online training due prior to approximately 4 hours of in-person training. Click herefor a list of resources to assist primary care sites to help implement buprenorphine treatment in their practice. To find out about future trainings and to register for trainings, contact buprenorphine@health.nyc.gov
AHRQ Opioid Management Toolkit AHRQ has released a new toolkit to support a structured, team-based approach to improving the management of patients who take opioids to ease chronic pain. The majority of patients taking opioids for chronic pain are managed by primary care providers and their staff. The Six Building Blocks toolkit supports improvement in six areas: leadership and consensus; policies, patient agreements and workflows; tracking and monitoring patient care; planned, patient-centered visits; caring for complex patients; and measuring success. The website was developed as part of a collaboration among AHRQ, the Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Reminder: 2018 Meaningful Use Registration for Public Health In order to meet the 2018 Meaningful Use Public Health Reporting requirements for the NY Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, providers must complete their registration of intent in the Meaningful Use Registration for Public Health (MURPH) System. Registration of intent must be completed before or within 60 days of the start of the provider’s 2018 EHR reporting period.
The last 90-day EHR reporting period available in 2018 is October 3, 2018 - December 31, 2018. Therefore, the final day a registration of intent may be submitted for that period is December 1, 2018.
Note: Only one registration is required. If you previously completed your registration in MURPH, then you do not need to submit a new registration. You may edit an existing registration as necessary.
More information about Meaningful Use Public Health Reporting, including webinars, MURPH registration guides, and FAQs are available here. For additional assistance, please contact program support at 1-877-646-5410 Option 3 or MUPublicHealthHelp@health.ny.gov.
National Network for Oral Health Access Sealants Improvement Collaborative Call for Team Applications HRSA has provided NNOHA a list of health centers in New York that fell in the lower quartile nationally for the sealant measure in 2017. They encourage these health centers to participate in the Sealant Improvement Collaborative in order to improve on the measure. If you are interested in receiving this application please email Barbara Salcedo, at bsalcedo@CHCANYS.ORG.
Payment Year 2019 Certified EHR Requirements for Meaningful Use Starting Payment Year 2019, Eligible Professionals (EPs) are required to use the 2015 Edition of Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) to meet Stage 3 of Meaningful Use (MU) in the NY Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. EPs should contact their vendor to ensure their EHR system is certified to the 2015 edition. 2015 CEHRT is better equipped to support patient access and interoperable exchange, which are the focus of the CMS Promoting Interoperability (PI) Programs. To ensure proper upgrade to the 2015 Edition CEHRT, please take the following steps:
Your CEHRT ID should have 15E as the 3rd, 4th, and 5th characters (e.g. XX15EXXXXXXXXXX)
Discuss with your vendor: -Upgrade process, timeline, and costs; and -Impact on historical data and functions, and data trail.
PCMH Office Hours will Re-convene from 12:00-1:00 p.m. on the Third Thursday of the Month beginning on Thursday, August 16th. A new format in which to frame our discussions awaits you. The format will feature designated months beginning with our August meeting dedicated to an open forum in which your pressing issues and pain points with the New York State PCMH Program will be identified. More structured presentations on promising practices aiming to address these issues directly will be given on alternate months by PCMH expert Karen Vest-Taubart at Qualis Health, and other guest speakers.
Some topics that will be discussed in greater depth during office hours with Karen include:
September - New York State PCMH guidelines and annual reporting readiness
November - Navigating through QPASS
January - Preparing for virtual meetings
March - Choosing electives wisely to support core measures
We look forward to your participation. Please contact hccn@chcanys.org with your interest, and any other questions.
Fenway Institute’s Transgender Health ECHO Program Begins Oct 2018 The Fenway Institute is accepting applications for a 12-month ECHO training opportunity called the TransECHO Clinic. Participants will have access to nationally-recognized experts who will coach health centers on providing care to transgender and gender non-binary patients. This program is only available to FQHCs that have not previously participated in the TransECHO clinic. Applications for the Oct 2018-Sept 2019 program are due by August 6th, 2018. Click here to apply. For more information, email transecho@fenwayhealth.org.
Webinar Series: FluFit for Colon Cancer Screening Hosted by the American Cancer Society, this webinar series focuses on how to implement and operationalize a FluFit clinic to improve colon cancer screenings. Topics covered include: building a clinic team; scheduling; patient flow and management; follow-up and support of patients after the clinic, and resources. Click here for more details and to register.
New Opioid Resource Grant Program The AmerisourceBergen Foundation recently launched a new Opioid Resource Grant Program, which will fund proposals focused on addressing safe disposal of opioids and education around opioid use prevention. Proposals will be accepted on an ongoing basis, and grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded. For more information, click here.
HIV Testing FAQs and Dear Colleague Letter The NYS Dept. of Health AIDS Institute recently distributed a Dear Colleague letter and new resource entitled, HIV Testing, Reporting, and Confidentiality in New York State: Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions in order to share the most recent policy developments in support of New York State’s efforts to end the AIDS epidemic by the end of 2020. Through amendments to key public health and education laws and regulations, New York State has further streamlined HIV testing, expanding minor access to HIV treatment and prevention, expanding access to HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and expanding opportunities to screen individuals for sexually transmitted infections. Key provisions related to HIV testing and confidentiality were enacted in 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016, and comprehensive updated HIV/AIDS Testing, Reporting and Confidentiality of HIV-Related Information regulations were finalized and published in the New York State Register on May 17, 2017. The recently-released Fact Sheet and FAQ incorporates all developments since 2010 and represents the current regulatory landscape. The FAQ has a new, user-friendly design that allows for easy navigation to specific topics and links to important resources. Registration information for two upcoming webinars on these topics are embedded in the Dear Colleague letter. If you have any questions, please e-mail hivtestlaw@health.ny.gov.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Resources The American Cancer Society now has tools to support their new colorectal cancer screening guidelines, including conversation cards that clinicians can use to engage with patients and a patient-targeted decision aid document.
SAMHSA Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit offers strategies to health care providers, communities, and local governments for developing practices and policies to help prevent opioid-related overdoses and deaths. Access reports for community members, prescribers, patients and families, and those recovering from opioid overdose. To download it, click here.
Request for Proposals: Enhanced Distribution of Safer Sex Products among Communities Disproportionately Impacted by HIV in New York City On behalf of the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, Public Health Solutions has announced the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Enhanced Distribution of Safer Sex Products Among Communities Disproportionately Impacted by HIV in New York City, Solicitation #2018.06.HIV.05.01. Proposals are due by August 9, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. A Pre-Proposal Conference and Webinar is scheduled for July 12, 2018 (today!) from 9:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. – instructions for connecting appear within the RFP document. Please direct all questions to CondomDSIRFP@healthsolutions.org.
CHCANYS HIV/Hep C/STD Subcommittee to Reconvene Friendly reminder! TheHIV/Hep C/STD Sub-committeewill reconvene after a brief summer hiatus on on September 7th from 12:00-1:00 p.m., and on the first Friday of each month thereafter. For more information on joining these monthly calls and contributing to the committee’s important and timely content related to promising practices in patient care, please contact Meital Fried-Almog at malmog@chcanys.org.
Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition Quality Awards Health centers that have attained Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition by July 1 of this year may be eligible to receive a 2018 Health Center PCMH Recognition Quality Award. Click here to view a listing of health centers with valid PCMH recognition status and the number of sites with PCMH recognition. If your health center’s PCMH recognition status is accurate, you do not need to take action. If it is inaccurate, please submit an update via HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) no later than Friday, July 6. If you have questions about your health center’s PCMH recognition information, click here to contact the HRSA Accreditation and Patient-Centered Medical Home Initiative.
New Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screenings On May 30, 2018, the American Cancer Society updated its colorectal cancer screening guideline for people at average risk to include the recommendation that regular screening for this demographic begin at age 45 instead of age 50, as recommended in the previous version of the guideline. Screening options include a stool-based test or a visual exam of the inside of the colon and rectum (also called a structural exam). For more information, click here.
Take Part in the American Heart Association’s Target: BP Recognition Program The Target: BP Recognition Program celebrates physician practices and health systems that treat patients with hypertension for achieving blood pressure control rates at or above 70% within the populations they serve. The program includes two award levels to recognize health care organizations that prioritize blood pressure control: “Participation Status” recognizes organizations for registering with Target: BP and entering their 2017 blood pressure control rate data, and “Gold Status” recognizes participants with 70% or more of their patient population with high blood pressure controlled to <140/90 in 2017. The program will be expanded to include additional levels and more quality measures in subsequent years. Click here for more information and to register.
CMS Care Management Updates for Health Centers CMS’ Care Management Services in Rural Health Clinics (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) Frequently Asked Questions document provides background information on care management and guidance on billing, payment, and claims for care management. Additionally, it explains program requirements for chronic care management, general behavioral health integration, and the psychiatric collaborative care model and defining care team members. To access it, click here.
Join the NYS Medical-Dental Integration Learning Collaborative! The NYS Dept. of Health’s Division of Family Health invites you to join the Medical-Dental Integration Learning Collaborative (MDIL). The goal of the NYS MDIL is to improve access to oral health care for young children by ensuring all children receive preventive oral services in the medical setting for the prevention of early childhood caries. The next webinar will take place on June 28, 2018 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. and will feature a presentation from Dr. Lauren Feldman, New York University College of Dentistry, on anticipatory guidance and dietary counseling, and another from Ms. Amanda Norton on quality improvement strategies in the medical setting. To join the webinar, click here. Archived webinar presentations may be accessed here. To learn more about the NYS MDIL project, email MDILC@health.ny.gov or call 518-474-1961.
HRSA Opioids Webpage Prevention and access to treatment for opioid addiction and overdose reversal drugs are critical to fighting the nation's opioid epidemic. Primary care settings have increasingly become a gateway to better care for individuals with both behavioral health (including substance use) and primary care needs. HRSA supports its grantees with resources, technical assistance, and training to integrate behavioral health care services into practice settings and communities. See sections on expanding access and using telehealth for more useful details here.
Improve your UDS Sealants Rate: Apply for the NNOHA Sealants Collaborative The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) has announced a new opportunity for community health centers to implement a mini-dashboard of oral health metrics. This call for applications seeks to recruit 40 organizations to engage in a nine-month Sealants Improvement Collaborative. All three in-person learning sessions will take place in Chicago, IL, and participants will be eligible to receive up to 30 CEs. Benefits of participating in the Collaborative are: (1) training and support in implementing quality improvement in your health center dental program; (2) development of a mini-dashboard of oral health metrics for your health center; and (3) application of patient-centered and evidence-based care supported by national experts in oral health quality improvement. To apply, click here.
Azara Healthcare’s DRVS Now NCQA Prevalidated for PCMH 2017 Standards
Azara Healthcare’s Data Reporting and Visualization System (DRVS – a.k.a. CPCI) has achieved NCQA Prevalidation for Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). NCQA Prevalidation is a voluntary review process that includes a rigorous evaluation of DRVS functionality to support the PCMH as a model of care capable of transforming the delivery of primary care. Using DRVS allows you to visualize and use clinical and payer data to achieve the goals necessary for the transition to value-based care and the transformation of primary care. Azara’s DRVS is prevalidated by NCQA to receive 10 Fully Meets Eligible Transfer Credits and 8 Partially Meets Eligible Transfer Credits toward NCQA’s PCMH 2017 scoring. DRVS also received a supporting designation (Practice Support) for 24 criteria in the PCMH 2017 standards. Resources are now available in the Resource Section of DRVS HELP to teach you how to take advantage of Azara’s newly acquired NCQA Prevalidated status.
New York State Public Housing is Going Smoke-Free The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has ruled that all public housing authorities (PHAs) within the U.S. implement a smoke-free policy by July 31, 2018. The ruling does not require residents to stop using tobacco products completely, but it does prohibit use of combustible tobacco products anywhere inside HUD housing, and within 25 feet of HUD buildings. This HUD ruling will have a significant impact throughout NY State, and particularly within New York City (NYC), which has the largest public housing authority in North America. There are 176,066 public housing units in 2,462 buildings within 326 developments throughout the five boroughs of NYC. A total of 590,216 individuals are served by New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) housing. A substantial proportion of FQHC patients throughout NYC are residents of public housing developments. Therefore, it is imperative that HUD housing residents receive assistance as soon as possible in quitting tobacco use, both to improve their health, and to adjust to the HUD ruling. Primary care clinicians are uniquely positioned to assist patients who smoke, as they have extraordinary access to this population. At least 70% of smokers see a physician each year. Moreover, 70% of smokers report that they want to quit and have made at least one serious attempt to do so. Finally, smokers cite a physician’s advice to quit as an important motivator for attempting to stop. Unfortunately, clinicians are not capitalizing fully on this unique opportunity. Only about half of current smokers report having been asked about their smoking status or urged to quit. Fewer still have received specific advice on how to quit smoking successfully.
Here are some resources that are available to FQHCs that will help to assist patients who are NYCHA residents:
New York State Smokers’ Quitline Provides individualized coaching and a free starter kit for eligible smokers who are trying to stop smoking.
Expanded Medicaid Benefit for Treating Tobacco Use Effective December 1, 2016, all New York State recipients of Medicaid including Medicaid Managed Care (MMC) qualify for coverage of any of the seven FDA approved tobacco cessation medications, including combination therapy (treating with two products concurrently), with no limitation on renewals. No pre-authorization is required for these medications, but some copays do remain. The combination of counseling and medication is more effective for smoking cessation than either method alone. Therefore, whenever feasible and appropriate, both counseling and medication should be provided to patients trying to quit smoking. Medicaid also covers counseling when administered by a provider.
NYC Treats Tobacco (NYCTT) A program funded by the NYS Dept. of Health Bureau of Tobacco Control and housed at NYU Langone Health. Their goal is to work with healthcare organizations to implement systems level changes to ensure that every patient is screened for tobacco use and every tobacco user is offered evidence-based cessation treatment. The program focuses on working with organizations that serve underserved populations including those with low SES and those who suffer from behavioral health issues.
Contact Deepa Prasad at Deepa.prasad@nyumc.org or Phone: 646-201-2899 for more information.
Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Study Opportunity With funding from the CDC, RTI International is recruiting health centers for an observational study to understand how medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) is delivered in real-world settings. The two-year study, currently underway and expected to conclude in November 2019, will compensate up to $6,000. Health centers will introduce to RTI study, provide contact information of interested OUD patients to RTI, report patient treatment progress, and complete two questionnaires. RTI will train providers participating in the study, recruit providers and participants, and compensate participants. Site recruitment will conclude on June 1st. If interested, email thematstudy@rti.org or call Sarah at 919-541-7191.
AIDS Institute Online Provider Directory The NYS Dept of Health AIDS Institute recently launched a new online provider directory that offers providers and consumers easier access to information regarding HIV, HCV, Buprenorphine, PEP, and PrEP service providers across New York State. This new directory replaces the former HIV and HCV provider directories located on the NYS Dept. of Health’s Health Commerce System (HCS), as well as the former PrEP/PEP Provider Voluntary Directory. If you are a provider and would like to be included in the Provider Directory, or to update your information, click here. If you were previously registered in the Voluntary PrEP/PEP Provider Directory or the Provider Directories for HIV or HCV, your information has been included in the new directory. For more information, please contact ProviderDirectory@health.ny.gov .
Webinar: HPV Related Disease Burden and the Impact of HPV Vaccine Date: May 30, 2018 Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. This upcoming live HPV webinar is the first of a two-part series aimed at pediatricians and family physicians, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other medical providers who see pre-adolescents/adolescents in their New York State practice. Dr. Martin Mahoney from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute is the speaker. For more information, click here or contact Lynne Greabell at U Albany Center for Public Health Continuing Education (lgreabell@albany.edu/518.486-7920). To register, click here.
Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship: Online Training The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office of Antibiotic Stewardship has launched the first of a four-section web-based training course on Antibiotic Stewardship, each section of which will be released in 2018. While this particular course is primarily for clinicians who prescribe antibiotics, CDC recognizes that everyone plays an important role in antibiotic use. Course objectives include:
optimizing antibiotic prescribing and use to protect patients and combat the threat of antibiotic resistance;
informing healthcare professionals about proper antibiotic use, and
encouraging open discussion among doctors and patients.
Doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified health education specialists, nurses, pharmacists, and public health practitioners with a master’s degree in public health are eligible to receive up to eight hours of free CE for the entire course. To register and take the course online, create an account here.
OnlineTraining: CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids Applying CDC’s Guideline for Prescribing Opioids is an online interactive training series developed to assist providers in applying CDC’s recommendations in a clinical setting through interactive patient scenarios, videos, knowledge checks, tips, and resources. Health center providers can access the training to gain a better understanding of Guideline recommendations, the risks and benefits of prescription opioids, non-opioid treatment options, patient communication, and risk mitigation. The series includes four modules (content is periodically updated):
Addressing the Opioid Epidemic
Treating Chronic Pain without Opioids
Communicating with Patients
Reducing the Risks of Opioids
Each stand-alone module is self-paced and offers free continuing education credit (CME, CNE, and CEU).
Reach the Unscreened and Increase Colorectal Cancer Screenings Using Tested Messages According to the CDC, African American men and women had the highest rates of colorectal cancer incidence in 2014. Learn how to reach this priority population through the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable’s (NCCRT) 2017 Communications Guidebook and resource section focused on health education for African American patients.The NCCRT has also developed companion guides for the Hispanic/Latino and Asian American populations to address perceptions about colorectal cancer and barriers to screening among the unscreened, as well as to help clinicians to tailor engagement messaging for these patients.
Funding Opportunity: BD Helping Build Healthy Communities Last week, Direct Relief launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) in partnership with BD and NACHC. BD Helping Build Healthy Communities is a multi-year initiative that provides awards to community health centers with innovation programs in Medication Therapy Management. The funding is intended to support programs that operate over a two-year period. Up to five (5) awards of $200,000 each will be made in 2018 for Medication Therapy Management Programs. To learn more and to apply, click here.
How Healthy is Your Community? The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute recently released the 2018 update to its popular County Health Rankings & Roadmap Program. This data is one of a number of health aggregator deliverables that quantify a broad cross-section of health and social determinants of health. To view the map for New York State, click here. To view NYC- specific data prepared by the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, including mapping of social indicators, click here.
Applying CDC’s Guideline for Prescribing Opioids Applying CDC’s Guideline for Prescribing Opioids is an online training series designed to assist providers in applying CDC’s recommendations in a clinical setting through interactive patient scenarios, videos, knowledge checks, tips, and resources. Health center providers can use the training to gain a better understanding of Guideline recommendations, the risks and benefits of prescription opioids, non-opioid treatment options, patient communication, and risk mitigation. The series includes four modules (content is periodically updated): 1) Addressing the Opioid Epidemic; 2) Treating Chronic Pain without Opioids; 3) Communicating with Patients; and 4) Reducing the Risks of Opioids. To access them, click here.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Information Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious, long-term illness that affects many body systems and can severely impair patients’ ability to conduct their normal lives. According to an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report published in 2015, an estimated 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans suffer from ME/CFS, but most of them have not been diagnosed. In this report, the IOM committee summarizes the evidence base and proposes redefining the diagnostic criteria to facilitate timely diagnosis and to improve understanding of the illness among health care professionals and the public. Click here for more information.
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has published new guidance to help expand health care providers' understanding of using medications to treat people with opioid use disorder. To access it, click here.
Invitation to Join the Asthma Quality Improvement Collaborative The NYS Asthma Control Program invites primary care practices and school-based health centers serving a high volume of pediatric patients with asthma to join the 2018-19 Asthma Quality Improvement Collaborative (AQIC). A modest stipend will be provided to health care organizations engaging in AQIC. Support will also be available to project team members for transportation and lodging costs to attend in-person AQIC learning sessions. The AQIC will provide participating project teams with sharing learning opportunities on quality of asthma care and health outcomes, tools and technical assistance to sustain changes for improving the delivery of guidelines-based asthma care, and an opportunity to establish your practice as a statewide leader in pediatric asthma care. Click here to view the NYS AQIC program overview and email any questions to asthma@health.ny.gov.
HIV Peer Training Program Health People, BronxWorks and Bronx Partners for Healthy Communities are pleased to announce a new Peer Training Program for people living with HIV/AIDS. The program will provide peers with the work experience, supervision, and coursework support necessary to obtain Peer Certification through the NYS Dept. of Health’s AIDS Institute. For more information on the program content, how to apply, and contacts, click here.
Value-Based Payment and Sexual Health Care CHCANYS’ HIV/Hep C/STD Clinical sub-committee recently hosted Dr. Khalil Alshaer, Medical Director, Division of Health Plan Contracting and Oversight and Division of Long Term Care at the NYS Dept. of Health, for a presentation on how New York State’s Value-Based Payment initiative can support improvements in sexual health care. View the slides from the March 7th presentation here. All New York State FQHCs are welcome to join the sub-committee. Contact Meital Fried-Almog at malmog@chcanys.org to learn more.
Grant Opportunity: Prescription Drug Abuse Management and Prevention The CVS Health Foundation has partnered with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) to make 10 to 12 one-year grants of $65,000 to $85,000 available to Health Center Program grantees and FQHC Look‐Alikes that are NACHC Organizational Members. “Innovative Approaches for Prescription Drug Abuse Management and Prevention” is a twelve-month learning community designed to assist health centers in building capacity for providing integrated behavioral health services in communities with high incidence of substance use and abuse. The deadline to apply is March 28. For more information, click here.
New York City Community Cares Project
The NYC Community Cares Project (CCP) aims to increase the number of colonoscopy screenings for uninsured New Yorkers. According to 2016 data from the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Community Health Survey, almost 70% of insured New Yorkers aged 50 years and older have received timely colonoscopies, whereas only 44% of uninsured New Yorkers within the same age group have received this screening. CCP helps to create linkages between primary care centers/community health centers and endoscopy centers. Primary care physicians within the primary care centers directly refer their eligible uninsured patients to partnered endoscopy centers. In turn, the endoscopy centers provide free colonoscopy screenings, anesthesia, and pathology. If interested in partnering with CCP, contact Diana Fuastin atdfaustin@health.nyc.govor 347-396-4451.
Local Health Center / Health Department Collaboration Toolkit Local health departments and community health centers serve similar populations and play vital roles in their communities. Working together, they can better serve their communities as efficiently as possible through better coordination and an increased focus on wellness and prevention. The National Association of County and City Health Officials has developed a set of tools designed to support collaborations between local health departments and community health centers to increase access to and quality of critical services for underserved populations. To access it, click here.
New Report on Cervical Cancer Screening Among NYS Adult Women The NYS Dept. of Health (DOH) recently released Cervical Cancer Screening, New York State Adult Women, 2016, a new report based on 2016 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual statewide telephone survey of adults developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administered by the DOH. We encourage you to share the data with your partners and colleagues. Additional BRFSS briefs and other reports on chronic disease indicators are available on the DOH website.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month CHCANYS has compiled a list of resources from expert organizations to support FQHCs in efforts to increase patient engagement and reduce health disparities in colorectal cancer. Click here for a list of resources for your staff and your patients.
NIDAMED Toolkit and Addiction Medicine Career Page The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has launched a new Addiction Medicine (ADM) Toolkit that comprises up-to-date news, research, education, clinical guidance, and trainings sourced from the NIDA website. The NIDAMED About the ADM Subspecialty web page explains the ADM subspecialty and its importance in the current climate and links interested individuals with information about careers in addiction medicine. For more information, contact Michelle Corbin, NIDAMED coordinator
Partner Services PSA New York State and Local Partner Services can help you with the continuum of care for your patients with STDs, including HIV and their sex and/or needle-sharing partners. Click here to view a public service announcement. For more information, please click here or contact ps@health.ny.gov.
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has published new guidance to help expand health care providers' understanding of using medications to treat people with opioid use disorder. To access it, click here.
NYS Dept. of Health Releases Report on Cervical Cancer Screening among NYS Adult Women The NYS Dept. of Health (DOH) recently released Cervical Cancer Screening, New York State Adult Women, 2016 a brief report based on 2016 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual statewide telephone survey of adults developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administered by the DOH. Additional BRFSS briefs and other reports on chronic disease indicators are available here.
2018 NYC Viral Hepatitis Research Symposium: Call for Abstracts The New York City Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene is now accepting abstracts for the 2018 NYC Viral Hepatitis Research Symposium. The primary focus of the meeting will be how to address viral hepatitis in special populations. Authors are encouraged to submit abstracts on their research and health care evaluation projects focused on current and emerging viral hepatitis issues as they relate to this year’s theme. The symposium is an opportunity for New York City Metro area health care and community service providers to learn about and showcase their own research and health care evaluation projects related to viral hepatitis prevention, management and treatment. Abstracts are due by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 29th. Acknowledgement of receipt will be sent within two business days. Presenters will be notified via email of the Reviewing Committee’s determination by 5:00 p.m. on April 5th. For more information, click here.
Funding Opportunities: Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Services Program and Community Cancer Prevention in Action The NYS Dept. of Health recently released Requests for Application (RFA) for the following two funding opportunities:
Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Services Program Application Due: March 12, 2018 Funding will support breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening programs to reduce morbidity, mortality and health-related disparities among New York State residents. These programs will facilitate access to high-quality breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening and diagnostic follow-up services for residents within their service regions, with a focus on those populations that are disproportionately burdened by the increased risk of cancer or are medically unserved or underserved. Click here to access a informational webinar slide deck. (RFA # 17682/Grants Gateway #DOH01-CSP1-2018)
Community Cancer Prevention in Action Application Due: March 14, 2018 Funding will support organizations that will work in New York State communities to prevent and reduce cancer using a policy, systems, and environmental change approach with organizations and municipalities. Click here to access an informational webinar slide deck. (RFA # 17683/ Grants Gateway # DOH01-CPIA1-2018)
ECHO Pain Management Project Extension for Community Health Outcomes The Weitzman Institute at Community Health Center, Inc.,is partnering with the SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions to create an opportunity for HRSA-funded health centers to participate in a Pain Management Project Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) Initiative Learning Community at no cost. The Learning Community will assist health centers that are integrating behavioral health services and implementing evidence-based prescribing guidelines and non-pharmacological approaches for pain management. Participating organizations will engage in interactive ECHO learning sessions, which include a brief didactic from the faculty and case presentations from the participating providers. Sessions are 90 minutes each and will take place twice monthly for six months beginning in March. Apply online here. To learn more about the Weitzman Institute, contact Agi Erickson at 860-622-1667 or via email at EricksA@chc1.com
HPV Vacs Click here to access the latest issue of HPV Vacs, an American Cancer Society partner newsletter featuring updates, studies, and resources on HPV vaccination including a CME and information on two upcoming webinars: How HPV Causes Cancer and Why it Still Matters (February 15th at 3:00 p.m.) and HPV and Oral Cancer Prevention”(February 21st at 2:00 p.m.).
New Course Helps Health Centers Focus on Diabetes Quality Improvement Diabetes Quality Improvement Talks: Foundation of Change, is now available in the ECRI Institute’s e-Learn portal. Register for a free ECRI login to access the material. This free, one-hour course is intended for health centers and free clinics interested in learning more about HRSA’s current diabetes quality improvement programs, strategies from health centers that have successfully implemented diabetes quality improvement initiatives, and resources available to assist in such efforts.
NYC DOHMH Announces Farmers Market Nutrition Education Capacity Building Program The New York City Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene recently announced the availability of funding for community-based organizations wishing to implement nutrition education programs at farmers markets or farm stands serving low-income New Yorkers during the 2018 season (July - October/November). For more information, click here. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, February 12, 2018 and should include a completed application form, projected budget, and letter of agreement from a market operator. Grant recipients will be notified by March 12, 2018. Please submit applications and send any questions to Paola Sanchez at psanchez@health.nyc.gov.
OneCity Health Offers Innovation Award Program OneCity Health recently announced a $5 million innovation fund to support projects proposed by Performing Provider System (PPS) partners. All OneCity Health PPS partners with a signed Master Services Agreement (MSA) as of January 1, 2018 are eligible to apply. The program will advance the goals of the state Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program in reducing avoidable hospital use, improving outcomes and targeting the nonmedical factors that impact health, such as housing, food insecurity and access to transportation. Completed applications are due Friday, March 2, 2018. To download the application, click here.
Hepatitis C Infection: Updated Information for Front Line Workers in Primary Care Settings Date: February 14, 2018 Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m. Hosted by the National Center for Health and Public Housing, this webinar will review the ABCs of HCV infection as well as HCV drug therapy management in primary care. To register, click here.
CMS Behavioral Health Integration Services Fact Sheet The CMS Behavioral Health Integration Services Fact Sheet provides information about Medicare coverage of behavioral health integration services, including the new BHI American Medical Association CPT codes, integrating behavioral health with primary care services, and the Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model. Click here to access it.
Applications Available for the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Program The purpose of the SBIRT program is to implement screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment services for adolescents and adults in primary care and community health settings for substance misuse and substance use disorders. SAMHSA expects to fund as many as eight grantees with up to $995,000 per year for up to five years. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on February 21, 2018. Learn more here.
Cancer Screening Promising Practices Webinar Recording Available In December, the Bureau of Primary Health Care hosted a webinar highlighting promising practices from two Primary Care Associations on quality improvement strategies to enhance cervical and colorectal cancer screening rates in health centers. Speakers shared technical assistance activities that supported health centers in clinical quality improvement, assisted in effective implementation of cancer screening interventions, and addressed the public health need for screenings. Access the webinar recording and presentation here.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month Each year, approximately 12,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Two screening tests (Pap test and HPV test) can help prevent cervical cancer or find it early. More than 1.9 million patients received Pap tests at HRSA-funded health centers in 2016. Learn more about best practices for screening and preventing cervical cancer using these resources:
View a recent HRSA webinar about Cancer Screening Promising Practices in Primary Care Associations here
Click here to access the HHS Office on Women’s Health (OWH) Cervical Cancer Fact Sheet
Read about CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program here
The Weitzman Institute: Advancing Team-Based Care The Weitzman Institute has posted materials from its series of eight webinars designed to help health centers advance team-based care. Topics covered include: Advancing Team-Based Care: Building Your Primary Care Team to Transform Your Practice; Enhancing the Role of the Medical Assistant; The Emerging Role of Nurses in Primary Care; Data Driven Dashboards to Support Team-Based Care; A Team Approach to Prevention and Chronic Illness Management; Complex Care Management in Primary Care; Achieving Full Integration of Behavioral Health and Primary Care; and Dissolving the Walls: Clinic Community Connections. To access these materials, click here.
Funding Opportunity to Improve Health Outcomes among People Living with HIV In partnership with The Fenway Institute, AIDS United is pleased to announce a grant support opportunity through the Using Evidence-Informed Interventions to Improve Health Outcomes among People Living with HIV initiative. Up to 24 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP)-funded sites will be selected for funding through this project. Applications are due by January 22nd. For more information, click here.
Diabetes Round-Up
Lifestyle Interventions for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends intensive lifestyle interventions for patients with Type 2 diabetes to improve glycemic control and reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease. These interventions include providing ongoing counseling, coaching, or individualized guidance to Type 2 diabetic patients to help them change their diet, level of physical activity, or both. To learn more and access additional resources, click here.
Focus on Diabetes Prevention A 2017 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that of the more than 30 million U.S. adults who have diabetes, 24% don't know they have it, and 88% of the approximately 84 million U.S. adults recently diagnosed with prediabetes were not previously aware of their condition. According to CDC, individuals with prediabetes who take part in a structured lifestyle change program can cut the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by as much as 58%. Find out what you need to start or maintain a CDC-recognized lifestyle change program at your health center here. Additional clinical practice recommendations that could prove helpful are the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) 2017 Standards of Care in Diabetes and the NIH's Guiding Principles for the Care of People With or at Risk for Diabetes.
Diabetes Resources for Special Populations The National Library of Medicine offers a number of web resources providing diabetes-related information targeted for special populations. MedlinePlus’ Diabetes in Children and Teensweb page features information on diagnosis, treatment options, living with diabetes, related issues, statistics, clinical trials, how to find an expert, and more. Search HealthReach for diabetes resources in multiple languages and formats (document, audio, or video), such as the three-page Diabetes handout (avail. in 13 languages), or the Diabetes and Your Feet brochure (avail in 4 languages). Also, check the Spanish-language version of MedlinePlus for information and resources about diabetes in Spanish.
Quality Measure Reference Tool The Health Information Technology, Evaluation and Quality Center (HITEQ) has published a Quality Measure reference tool to assist others in understanding the relationship between eCQM, PCMH, Meaningful Use and UDS data measures. This tool provides a quick crosswalk to the eCQM measure definitions and explains which of the eCQM measures are included in reporting for Meaningful Use, UDS 2017 and NCQA PCMH. To view it, click here.
Million Hearts for Clinicians Microsite Resource An easy first step to support Million Hearts and cardiovascular health is to embed the Million Hearts microsite on your organization’s webpage. It’s an easy and cost-free way to make high-impact and up-to-date Million Hearts clinical resources—including evidence-based protocols, action guides, quality improvement tools, and other featured resources and references—available to your clinical audiences for use in their delivery of care. For more information, click here.
HCV Technical Assistance Guide Last spring, the NYS Dept. of Health, the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai conducted a survey to determine high-priority technical assistance (TA) needs for HCV care at community health centers in New York State. To address the needs identified by the 34 participating health centers, an HCV Technical Assistance Guide was created. To access it, click here.
Diabetes Care Resources According to 2016 UDS data, an estimated 14.3% of health center patients nationwide have diabetes. Of these 2 million plus patients living with diabetes, approximately 32% have uncontrolled diabetes (with HbA1c equal to or above 9%) or have had no test in the prior year. Diabetes is a critical area for targeted quality improvement, and the Health Information Technology, Evaluation and Quality Center (HITEQ) has compiled a curated set of resources for health centers on improving diabetes outcomes, including information on quality improvement approaches, patient-specific activities, population-oriented activities, and more - click here to access them.
EIOH Teledentristry Program
The Eastman Institute for Oral Health (EIOH) offers a teledentistry program that can help FQHCs to address the complex oral health care needs of pediatric dental patients. EIOH dentistry specialists consult via video with pediatric patients needing complex treatments that aren’t offered at FQHC sites, such as oral sedation or general anesthesia, and treat them at EIOH facilities, after which the patients will return to their FQHC sites for routine care. Email Dr. Sean McLaren at sean_mclaren@urmc.rochester.edu to learn more.
Stool-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening Resource The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable has released a newly-revised resource, Clinician’s Reference: Stool-Based Tests For Colorectal Cancer Screening, designed to introduce clinicians to the value of stool-based testing for colorectal cancer. It explains the different types of stool-based tests available and provides guidance on implementing high quality stool-based screening programs in your health center. To access it, click here.
Connected Care: The Chronic Care Management Resource An estimated 117 million adults have one or more chronic health conditions, and one in four adults have two or more chronic health conditions. Through the Connected Care campaign, the CMS Office of Minority Health and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy at HRSA aim to raise awareness of the benefits of chronic care management (CCM) for patients with multiple chronic conditions and provide health care professionals with resources to implement CCM. For more information about Connected Care, including a provider toolkit and resources to share with patients, click here.
New Information for Action Reports: Skin Cancer Prevention As the weather transitions from summer to fall in New York State, remember that protecting your skin is never out of season. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or indoor tanning increases a person’s risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, which can be deadly. The NYS Department of Health is pleased to announce the release of two new Information for Action (IFA) reports that support the practice of sun safe behavior when outdoors and avoiding indoor tanning, two key strategies outlined in the NYS Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan to reduce the risk of skin cancer. To review Age Restrictions for Indoor Tanning, click here. For Gender and Age Differences in Melanoma Incidence in New York State, click here.
Advisory: NPs and PAs May Prescribe Buprenorphine Did you know that Nurse Practitioners (NP) and Physician Assistants (PA) can prescribe buprenorphine for people with an opioid dependence? Effective on July 22, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) of 2016 allows NPs and PAs to meet the requirement of the DATA 2000 to obtain their waivers to begin prescribing buprenorphine. You may obtain your waiver by attending trainings in person or by completing them online prior to submitting an online application. Click here for further information about NP/PA Prescribing Regulations, Upcoming Waiver Training Opportunities in NYS and NYC, and how to contact the NYS Dept. of Health for further assistance and answers to follow-up questions.
Bilingual Education Resource for Cervical Cancer Screening The CDC has released a new bilingual educational outreach intervention titled ‘Increase Cervical Cancer Screening among Latinas with AMIGAS’. AMIGAS is designed to help promotoras (community health workers) and other lay health educators increase cervical cancer screening among Hispanics who have rarely or never had a Pap test. For more information, click here.
Asthma Control and Severity Assessment Tool The Asthma & Allergy Network (AAN) and the CHEST Foundation have partnered to launch the Asthma Control & Severity Assessment Tool, designed to help patients understand the difference between controlled, uncontrolled, and severe asthma. Developed in response to an expanding body of data that suggests patients often don’t recognize when they are experiencing poorly-controlled or severe asthma – even when objective measures show otherwise, the tool helps patients to prevent life-threatening situations by managing triggers, recognizing symptoms, working to understand predisposition to severe asthma, and getting appropriate, targeting treatment. AAN and CHEST plan to launch additional tools this fall.
Peer to Peer Education Forums about New Medicaid Offerings The New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) and their partners at the Mental Health Empowerment Project and the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of NYS are pleased to announce the launch of a new statewide initiative aimed at educating and encouraging eligible Medicaid members to enroll in Health and Recovery Plans and Health Homes and to make use of newly available Home and Community Based Services. NYAPRS peer educators are now available to come to program and community settings in your area and to engage in an informal and interactive discussion about the new choices enrollees with more extensive behavioral health conditions can make to raise the bar for what they seek in their lives and from their services. Click here for information and contacts to check if you’re eligible to receive these benefits or to schedule a forum in your area.
ACL/OWH Oral Health Project The U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Office on Women’s Health (OWH) have launched the Help Your Community Smile: Start or Enhance an Oral Health Program for Older Adults, a searchable database of nearly 200 vetted community oral health programs and a corresponding how-to guide with key steps for starting or enhancing an oral health program. ACL and OWH encourage you to visit the website, browse the searchable database, review the Community Guide to Adult Oral Health Program Implementation, and share the accompanying attachments with colleagues, partners, and other networks. Questions? Email Oral.Health@Lewin.com.
NYS Dept. of Health Proposes to Expand List of Practitioners Eligible to Prescribe Opioid Treatment The NYS Dept. of Health wishes to add nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants to the list of practitioners who are eligible to prescribe, administer or dispense buprenorphine to treat opioid addiction. An emergency rule proposalwas published in the State Register on May 24 and is now open for public comment. Comments may be submitted to regsqna@health.ny.gov.
Understanding Your TA Needs for Hepatitis C Care The NYS Dept. of Health (NYSDOH) and the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH), in collaboration with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) and CHCANYS, are conducting a survey of community health centers statewide to better understand current infrastructure for providing HCV services, including screening, diagnosis and treatment, and to identify the barriers to providing these services. Together, the NYSDOH, NYCDOHMH and ISMMS will work to address these technical assistance needs so that more New Yorkers will know their hepatitis C status and be cured of their disease. We are asking each community health center in NYS to complete this 15-minute surveyby June 30th (note: only one survey per NYS health center should be submitted, so please coordinate internally as needed). A $100 incentive is available for completing the survey. If your health center would prefer a paper copy of the survey, or if you have any questions, please contact amanda.davidson@mountsinai.org.
New Survey of Family Planning Services in Community Health Centers All federally-funded health centers have been invited to participate in a survey about family planning services. A link to the survey, which is being conducted by the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy and the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health at the George Washington University, emailed to health center CEOs. The responses, to be provided by CEOs or their designees, will inform the important role that community health centers play in providing family planning services and help to identify opportunities to further strengthen these services. If you have questions about the survey, or if your CEO has not received the invitation and survey link, contact the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy at ggprogram@gwu.edu. To preview the survey instrument prior to completing it, click here.
Expanded New York State HIV Testing Website The NYS Dept. of Health recently announced the release of its newly designed New York State Expanded HIV Testing website, which has been streamlined to better serve hospital / clinic administrators and clinical providers across the state. Please visit and refer to it for all your routine HIV testing questions and needs.
Updated PCMH Incentive Payment Amounts In accordance with the 2017-18 enacted State budget, New York State Medicaid is changing the reimbursement amounts for providers working at practices that are recognized as Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) by the NCQA. Starting in July, providers will only receive incentive payments for PCMH Levels 2 and 3. For details, click here.
Nonprofit Director Recruitment and Education Resources charitySTRONG, a new organization with 1,400 individual and nonprofit organization partners in New York City, Long Island, Westchester and Buffalo, wants to partner with you to help build your board. charitySTRONG’s services are free of charge and include a resource library of webinars, fact sheets, links to learn about nonprofit board best practices, and a board recruitment program to help you look for new board members through an online search process. Candidates on the site have backgrounds in financial management, accounting, marketing, law, technology and many other areas. For more information, contact charitySTRONG’s staff at info@charitystrong.org or visit their website here.
New York State Pain Course: A Mandate for All Prescribers New York has mandated that by July 1, 2017, physicians and other health professionals registered under the Federal Controlled Substances act and in possession of a DEA registration number, and every medical resident who is prescribing under a facility DEA registration number, shall complete three hours of course work or training in eight clinical areas related to pain management, palliative care, and addiction. The NY Chapter of the American College of Physicians has developed a free, 3-hour online CME course and post-test questions that satisfy the requirements of the law. For more information and to access course instructions, click here.
A Focus on Tobacco Cessation as Public Housing Goes Smoke-Free In December 2016, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced a new rule that will require all public housing developments to become smoke-free. Implementation must be completed within eighteen months of February 3, 2017, the effective date. The smoke-free policy will apply to all indoor areas of public housing, as well as all outdoor areas within twenty-five feet from housing and administrative buildings.
Second-hand smoke causes and exacerbates many health conditions in both adults and children, and there is no safe level of exposure. This ruling provides an opportunity to address a major health need of public housing residents. As these smoke-free policies are implemented, NYC Treats Tobacco (NYCTT) can assist your organization with strengthening your tobacco cessation services. Led by the NYU School of Medicine and funded by the NYS Dept. of Health, Bureau of Tobacco Control, NYCTT is a free resource supporting health care organizations in the implementation of policies and system improvements designed to ensure that all patients throughout NYC are routinely screened for tobacco use and offered evidence-based treatment for nicotine dependence. NYCTT can assist your organization with tailored technical assistance in mapping tobacco use treatment quality indicators within the electronic health record, improving clinical workflows, and implementing systems to refer smokers to the NY State Smokers’ Quitline or other tobacco cessation programs. For more information, please email info.nyctt@nyumc.org, call 646-501-2899, and/or click here.
Understanding Your TA Needs for HCV Care The NYS Dept. of Health (NYSDOH) and the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH), in collaboration with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) and CHCANYS, are conducting a survey of CHCs statewide to better understand current infrastructure to provide HCV services, including screening, diagnosis and treatment, and to identify the barriers to providing these services. Together, the NYSDOH, NYCDOHMH and ISMMS will work to address these technical assistance needs so that more New Yorkers will know their hepatitis C status and be cured of their disease. We are asking each community health center in NYS to complete this 15-minute survey (Note: only one survey per NYS health center should be submitted, so please coordinate internally as needed). A $100 incentive is available for completing the survey. If your health center would prefer a paper copy of the survey, or if you have any questions, please contact amanda.davidson@mountsinai.org.
Updated HRSA UDS Sealant Measure The National Network for Oral Health Access has developed a frequently-asked-question document and recorded webinar discussing the new UDS sealant measure for children between the ages of six and nine years at risk for dental carries. Developed in consultation with oral health specialists and HRSA staff, the FAQ answers 34 questions asked during NNOHA training and technical assistance sessions and webinars. To access these materials, click here.
Beyond the Pill: LARC Training for Health Centers The Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco, is offering a valuable opportunity for CHCANYS members to receive free, comprehensive on-site training for improving patient access to IUD’s and contraceptive implants. The training is unique in that it is an all-day session which incorporates all health center staff and the unique role that each position plays in offering patients comprehensive, evidence-based contraception care. Key features include:
CME-accredited- clinicians can earn up to 7.5 credit hours
All staff approach- clinicians, educators, managers, front desk, billing, outreach, etc.
Customized to the unique needs of your health center
Evaluation to measure training quality and impact
For more details, click here. CHCANYS will work with UCSF and your health center to coordinate trainings. If you are interested, please contact Kathryn Wells or Mercy Mbogori.
The Family Planning Capacity Building Program: New York City Area Public Health Solutions is recruiting health centers to participate in an 18-month quality improvement collaborative that aims to improve family planning services through site-specific quality improvement initiatives and implementation of key evidence-based practices. Pending funding approval, participation will include funding for 1.0 FTE Family Planning Counselor (16 months’ salary + fringe), coaching from a quality improvement specialist, and training on topics including introduction to family planning for all staff, family planning counseling, training for insertion and removal of IUDs, emergency contraception, and quick start of contraception. The program also includes technical assistance for EHR optimization and coding and billing. . If you are interested, please contact Kathryn Wells or Mercy Mbogori.
Free Immunization Rate Technical Assistance Available from IPRO IPRO, the New York State Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization, invites you to participate in an immunization quality improvement project aimed at increasing the rates of adult immunizations, specifically influenza, pneumococcal, and herpes zoster vaccines. Participating practices can expect technical assistance, tools, and resources free of charge, including assistance with EHR use, data validation, clinical decision support, standing orders, patient reminders, and workflow review. X Results of your patients' immunization status will be shared with the IPRO team. Click here for details. To learn more about joining the project, contact Veronica Pryor, Project Manager, Healthcare Quality Improvement program at 516-209-5631 or vpryor@ipro.org.
CUNY School of Public Health Partnership Opportunity for Survey Development Dr. Sean Haley from the CUNY School of Public Health is recruiting community-based organizations interested in surveying their staff, clients, or patients as part of a survey methods course that will begin on February 2. MPH and DrPH students will create the conceptual framework for the survey instrument, develop/identify questions, assure question validity, design and format the survey, and pilot test the instrument. Interested agencies will be asked to provide a project lead to provide background information, offer access to stakeholders (staff, clients, or patients) to provide feedback on the survey instrument, administer the survey, and collect and analyze data. By the end of the semester, agencies will have a completed tool which they can then administer. If you have questions, contact Dr. Haley at Sean.Haley@sph.cuny.edu. If interested in participation, please complete this form.
Free Training: Improve Patient Access to IUDs and Contraceptive Implants The Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco is offering a valuable opportunity for CHCANYS members to receive free, comprehensive, on-site training for improving patient access to IUDs and contraceptive implants. The training is unique in that it is an all-day session that incorporates all health center staff and the unique role that each position plays in offering patients comprehensive, evidence-based contraception care. Key features include:
CME-accredited: clinicians can earn up to 7.5 credit hours
All-staff approach: clinicians, educators, managers, front desk, billing, outreach, etc.
Customized to the unique needs of your health center
Includes evaluation to measure training quality and impact
For more details, click here. CHCANYS will work with UCSF and your health center to coordinate trainings. If you are interested, please contact Kathryn Wells at kathrynw@chcanys.org or Mercy Mbogori at mmbogori@chcanys.org.
Community Health Workforce Initiative Program Community Healthcare Network has launched the Community Health Workforce Initiative (CHWI), an assessment and consultation service that seeks to improve access, quality of care, and productivity of Nurse Practitioners at FQHCs and hospitals throughout New York State by enabling them to practice to the full scope of their abilities. CHWI evaluates organizational data, conducts on-site assessments, and providers written recommendations to assist in the development of NP-specific workforce programs including recruiting, retention, and utilization. The program is free for the one-year grant period. For more information, please contact ksabatino@chnnyc.org or visit www.chnnyc.org.
National Kidney Foundation Education Opportunities The National Kidney Foundation has developed CKDinform, a continuing medical education (CME/CE) activity to provide tools and protocols that help improve chronic kidney disease diagnosis and create a culture of kidney preservation and protection in all healthcare settings. These protocols can be immediately applied to practice, allowing healthcare professionals to improve CKD patient safety and to reduce CKD-related adverse events quickly. This CME/CE activity is presented in three one-hour modules. For more information on the webinars, click here.
Opioid Use Disorder: Free Resources for Primary Care Providers Providers’ Clinical Support System for Medication Assisted Treatment (PCSS-MAT) is working with physicians and community health centers around the country to provide free buprenorphine waiver trainings with CME. Offerings include online trainings, in-person trainings, one-on-one mentoring coaching to physicians, and other no-cost resources to help providers treat this population using evidence-based methods. For more information, click here.
Create Patient Education Media to Promote Cancer Screenings The Create Patient Education Media Like a Pro with MIYO (Make it Your Own) webinar, originally hosted by the NYS Dept. of Health on October 5, is now archived online, Learn how to create and customize culturally-appropriate patient education materials that promote cancer screening and healthy behaviors with the MIYO system. The presentation includes a focus on the “80% by 2018” colorectal cancer screening initiative. Click here to access it. You can direct feedback or questions about MIYO to feedback@miyoworks.org. For any technical questions about the webinar or the recording, send an email to CanServ@health.ny.gov with the subject line ‘MIYO Webinar’. Click here to stream or download.
Funding Available for HIV and Opioid Abuse Prevention in Rural Areas Many rural communities have experienced dramatic increases in prescription drug use that have led to increases in injection drug use, opioid overdose, and incidence of acute HCV, as well as potential for localized HIV and HCV outbreaks. The National Institute on Drug Abuse intends to commit $6.5 million in fiscal year 2017 to fund multi-method research projects that inform community response and promote comprehensive, integrated approaches to prevent HIV and HCV infection along with associated comorbidities, such as HBV infection and STDs, among people who inject drugs (PWID) in rural US communities. Efforts are encouraged to identify innovative service delivery approaches such as telehealth, justice system-based programs, integration with existing clinical infrastructure, or the use of non-traditional service delivery venues. For more information,click here.
Funding Opportunity: LIFT Population Health Health Research, Inc. and the NYS Dept. of Health are seeking applications for an initiative entitled Linking Interventions For Total Population Health (LIFT Population Health), which will support prevention activities that align with and leverage other health system redesign efforts in a target community under the State Innovation Model (SIM) initiative. Applicants should be prepared to serve as the lead organization of a coalition working to collaboratively address the specific health issue selected. A total of up to five individual awards (up to three awards in areas with populations between 50,000 and 250,000 residents and up to two awards in areas with more than 250,000 residents) will be funded. Click here for details.
Healthy Insights IPRO has published the first edition of Healthy Insights, a free newsletter featuring important healthcare information and tips for consumers authored by IPRO Senior Vice President for Quality Improvement and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Clare Bradley, a nationally-recognized public health advocate. To order copies or subscribe to the email distribution list, please email healthyinsights@ipro.org or visit the IPRO website.
Free Training and TA on Public Insurance Programs Covering Family Planning Services To receive free assistance on the Medicaid Family Planning Benefit Program (FPBP), the Family Planning Extension Program (FPEP), and the intersection of FPBP and FPEP with other New York State Public Insurance programs that cover family planning services, contact Carmina Bernardo. Trainings are conducted in-person at your sites and scheduled according to your convenience. Multiple sessions are offered to accommodate staff schedules. Eligibility, enrollment, benefits and confidentiality provisions will be reviewed. For a brief overview of FPBP, click here.
NCQA Streamlines Recognition Process The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is re-designing its recognition programs. Instead of the current three-year long recognition, the new program will provide ongoing recognition status with an annual check-in and reporting. NCQA has designed these changes to both streamline the recognition process and better assist with ongoing practice transformation. This new "sustained" recognition process (as well as updated standards) will launch on March 31, 2017. Any practices seeking Recognition using the new model of sustained recognition must do so using 2017 standards. However, NCQA will still accept surveys for 2014 standards through September 30, 2017. For more information, contact your PCMH manager or submit a question through My NCQA, making sure to select “PCS, Recognition Programs, PCMH 2014, Conversion.”
Do Ask, Do Tell! Collecting Data on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Health Centers Sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI) are now to be reported on Table 3A, 3B of the annual UDS report, to be submitted by health centers in February 2017. Designed to support health centers in collecting the required SO/GI data elements, Do Ask, Do Tell! Collecting Data on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Health Centers reviews barriers to care that many LGBT people face, describes the inequity in health outcomes for LGBT people, and details both how and why to collect SO/GI data in electronic health records. Originally presented in April by the national LGBT Health Education Center, this archived webinar gives participants the tools to begin implementing SOGI data collection in their own EHRs. To access the presentation, click here.
National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020
The first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States, originally released in 2010, has recently been revised to include 10 quantitative indicators for monitoring progress toward achieving HIV goals. The Strategy encompasses tenets of the ACA, PrEP, and research conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to name just a few. To access it, click here.
Improving the Quality of Contraceptive Care in Primary Care Settings On March 1, Public Health Solutions (PHS) released Improving the Quality of Contraceptive Care in Primary Care Settings: A Toolkit for Practitioners, the culminating product of a Quality Improvement (QI) Collaborative that PHS piloted with four non-Title X-funded FQHCs in New York City. The toolkit offers materials and guidance for providers undertaking QI initiatives to improve contraceptive care in their practices. To download it and to access additional information on training and technical assistance offered by PHS, please click here.
HepCure Toolkit Working in collaboration with the NYS Dept. of Health and community health centers across New York State, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City has developed HepCure, an innovative provider and patient education toolkit that uses web-based and smartphone enabled resources, navigation, consultation and support to enhance the quality of care for persons infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) . HepCure is available free of charge and has three components: a provider dashboard, a patient app, and a weekly tele-education webinar series. These features interact with each other in real-time, allowing for provider-expert tele-education and bidirectional patient-provider communication. The HepCure weekly webinar series, which takes place every Tuesday from 4:30-5:30 p.m, features HCV expert presenters and discussions of cases submitted by providers using the HepCure Provider Dashboard. All webinars are archived for later viewing. Please email hepcure@mountsinai.org for further information and/or to be added to the weekly email webinar announcement list.
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Funding for Primary Care Providers Several initiatives supporting Governor Cuomo’s three-point plan to reduce the number of new HIV infections in New York State to 750 by the year 2020 have recently been announced. The NYS Dept. of Health AIDS Institute has made state funds totaling $15 million over five years available to primary care settings that provide patients at high risk of contracting HIV access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). The New York City Council will also commit $6.6 million to promote the use of both PrEP and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). In addition, the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene is seeking STD clinics that provide pertinent services, including PrEP prescriptions. Other recently announced initiatives include a new life insurance product now available to individuals between the ages of 30-60 who are living with HIV, and a $2.5 million pilot project through which Medicaid coverage will be granted to HIV-infected individuals.
