Your CHCANYS 9/1/16

Elizabeth Swain and Alan Steiner Honored at NACHC’s Community Health Institute & EXPO
On August 29, the National Association of Community Health
Centers (NACHC) honored the late Elizabeth Swain, former
President and CEO of CHCANYS, with the 2016 Norton Wilson State/Regional Leadership Award in recognition of her significant contributions to the community health field. The award presentation took place during NACHC’s 47^th annual Community Health Institute & EXPO in Chicago, IL, a national conference attended by nearly 2,000 community health leaders from across the country. Mary Zelazny, CEO of Finger Lakes Community Health and Chair of the CHCANYS Board of Directors, accepted the award on Elizabeth’s behalf. Also honored during the event was Alan L. Steiner, a member of Hudson River HealthCare’s Board of Directors. Mr. Steiner received the Ethel Bond Memorial Consumer Award, which was accepted on his behalf by HRHCare President & CEO Anne Nolon.

CHCANYS Receives AmeriCorps Funding 
CHCANYS is excited to announce that we have been awarded competitive AmeriCorps funding to support the CHCANYS Healthy Futures Corps. This funding was awarded by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service via the New York State Commission on National and Community Service through a Request for Proposals process. As part of the CHCANYS Healthy Future Corps, 73 AmeriCorps members will serve at health center sites, improving utilization of existing health center services and providing direct services to patients and community residents to increase access to primary and preventive health care services. The funding provides $825,000 annually for a period of three years.   

National Health Center Week 2016 a Great Success!
We want to thank you for yet another successful National Health Center Week! CHCANYS staff was honored to participate in a number of the events that took place across the state, as health centers highlighted the critically important role they play in the communities they serve and celebrated their longstanding track record of improving health incomes and reducing health disparities. Please remember to share your event photos and media clippings with us! We will post them to the CHCANYS website for all to enjoy. To view the photos and clippings collected thus far, click here.

Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program Q&A Document Now Available
The NYS Dept. of Health has published Questions and Answers  for the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program RFA. Applications are due by September 16 at 4:00 p.m.  Additional information on the RFA is available here. As a reminder, a minimum of $30 million in funding is allocated  for community-based providers, including FQHCs, mental health and alcohol and substance abuse treatment clinics, and home care providers. This is the first time that the State has earmarked capital funding in the budget specifically for community-based providers.  CHCANYS encourages all interested parties to apply.

CMS Approves LARC Reimbursement for NYS FQHCs
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved the NYS Dept. of Health’s (DOH) State Plan Amendment seeking to carve out reimbursement for long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) devices from the FQHC PPS rate.  Once guidance has been published in the Medicaid Update, FQHCs will be able to receive reimbursement for the acquisition cost of LARC devices in Medicaid retroactive to April 1, 2016.    

NY State of Health Marketplace Releases 2016 Open Enrollment Report
The NY State of Health Marketplace has successfully increased the affordability and accessibility of health insurance coverage in New York; enrolled more than 2.8 million New Yorkers into comprehensive, affordable coverage; and has driven the State’s uninsured rate to its lowest point in decades. For more details, view the 2016 Open Enrollment Report. 

Webinar: Integrating Oral Health and Behavioral Health in Primary Care Settings
Date: Friday, September 9, 2016 
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm

This free webinar is designed to help behavioral health workers in integrated care settings engage clients who may have oral health concerns. Click here to register. 

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.  

Funding Opportunity: Mobile Mammography Vans
Health Research, Inc. and the NYS Dept. of Health are seeking applications for the purchase and operation of mobile mammography vans to provide breast cancer screening services to patients in need. Written questions will be accepted until September 1, 2016. In the event that any updates and/or clarifications of information are warranted, information will be posted on HRI’s website on or around September 22. Please note that applications are due on October 19 by 3:00 p.m. To view the RFA, click here.  

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 Buprenorphine Waiver Training 
Date: Friday, September 23, 2016 
Time: 12:30 – 5:00 p.m. 
Location: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 42-09 28th Street, Long Island City, NY 11101

Upon completion of this course, physicians will be able to apply to obtain a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. The training will follow the “half-and-half” format, with 4 hours of online training followed by 4 hours of in-person training on September 23.  To register, send name, email, title and affiliation to buprenorphine@health.nyc.gov.  

NYC Treats Tobacco 
Led by the NYU School of Medicine and funded by the NYS Dept. of Health, Bureau of Tobacco Control, NYC Treats Tobacco (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 provide technical assistance in mapping the full spectrum of tobacco use treatment quality indicators with the electronic health record to fulfill federal quality reporting requirements such as HRSA Uniform Data System measures and Meaningful Use. Additionally, NYCTT can assist you with optimizing billing to obtain Medicaid reimbursement and in implementing a seamless system to refer smokers to the New York State Smokers’ Quitline. For more information, click here  or contact info.nyctt@nyumc.org or 646-501-2899.

HHS Awards $6.6M in FY2016 Quality Improvement Awards to NYS Health Centers
Congratulations to the 62 New York State health centers content who received a HRSA Quality Improvement Award on August 18. These awards  will be used expand current quality improvement practices and improve primary care service delivery in communities across the state. New York’s award recipients were recognized for success in 8 categories: EHR  Reporters; Clinical Quality Improvers; Health Center Quality Leaders; National Quality Leaders; Access Enhancers; High-Value Health Centers; High Equity Advancers; and PCMH Recognition. Thirty centers received awards in at least half of these categories, and five centers were honored in seven of the eight.  With seven health centers recognized as National Quality Leaders, New York State is home to 10 percent of the nation’s certified high-performing FQHCs! 

ECRI Annual FTCA Risk Management Virtual Conference
Date: September 8, 2016
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The ECRI Institute will once again offer its yearly FTCA Risk Management Virtual Conference free of charge. Sessions will include: Addressing Disruptive Provider Behavior in a Culture of Safety; How to Use Credentialing and Privileging to Improve Patient Safety; Adverse Event Analysis: A Staff Training Exercise; and Quality Improvement/Quality Assurance:  Learning from Events.  Click here to view the full agenda.  To register, click here.

BPHC Releases 2015 Uniform Data Systems Information
HRSA's Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) has released the 2015 Uniform Data System (UDS) data. To download the aggregate New York report, click here.  

4th Annual United States Conference on African Immigrant and Refugee Health
Date: September 15-18, 2016
Location: New York LaGuardia Airport Marriot, 102-05 Ditmars Boulevard, East Elmhurst  

The theme of this year’s event is “Health Behaviors of African Immigrants and Refugees: Rethinking Integration, Challenges and Empowerment.” Building on the successes of previous USCAIH conferences,  USCAIH 2016 will bring together members of the community, health researchers, academics, public health workers, advocates, provider and community organizers to shed light on, enhance and advance the body of scholarship, best-practices and expertise in the increasingly complex field of African immigrant and refugee health.  For registration information and to view the agenda, click here. 

Empire BlueCross BlueShield to Host Forums for Medicaid Providers 
Empire BlueCross BlueShield will host a number of educational breakfast forums for Medicaid Providers throughout New York State through the end of the calendar year.  The forums are designed to drive collaboration between Empire and the Medicaid provider network and provide helpful information and resources as well as networking opportunities. 

Have You Evaluated Your Pricing?
CHCANYS partners with the CommonWealth Purchasing Group (CPG) as a value-added service to FQHCs in New York State. With a portfolio of over 75 nationally recognized vendors, CPG can help you save money on day-to-day business purchases as well as larger, one-time expenses related to expansion projects. For a free assessment and to learn more, click here.

Zika Update
CHCANYS’ Emergency Management Team is monitoring the Zika virus situation and will continue to push relevant information out as needed. Recent updates may be accessed here.

Regional Training Opportunities Available to Health Center Staff
The NYS Health Emergency Preparedness Coalition (HEPC) has released training dates for health centers located in Central New York, the Capital District and the Western Region. For more information, click here.

National Preparedness Month
September is National Preparedness Month (NPM), a time to focus on the importance of preparing, both now and throughout the year, for the types of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and visit. Once again, the theme is “Don’t Wait, Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.” CHCANYS highly encourages all health centers to participate in this nationwide initiative! Additional information is available here. 

CHCANYS/Latman Family Day at the Races - Order tickets today!
The CHCANYS/Latman Family Day at the Races is fast approaching and tickets are almost sold out. The event is Saturday, September 24 at the beautiful Belmont Park Racetrack.  Scott Fein of BioReference Laboratories and Lynn Sherman of Charles B. Wang Community Health Center are this year’s honorees. Proceeds will benefit CHCANYS and its mission to ensure high quality health care to anyone in need, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. To purchase tickets, journal ads, and sponsorships, click here. 

Medicaid Meaningful Use Program 
The last year that eligible professionals may begin participation in the Medicaid EHR incentive program is 2016. Incentive payments for eligible professionals are higher under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments – up to $63,750 over six years. For more information on reporting requirements and deadlines, please click here.

New York Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Survey
The NYS Dept. of Health is seeking feedback via a survey of providers that have participated in the NY Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. The survey focuses on remediation timelines and current methods of communication. Responses from the survey will guide the implementation of changes to reduce provider burden. The survey will be available until September 16, and may be accessed here. 

HIPAA Research Studying Seeking to Interview Healthcare Workers
The Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging at Hunter College, City University of New York is seeking frontline healthcare practitioners to participate in a 30-minute to 1-hour interview as part of a research study on HIPAA and the exchange of health information between providers and patients in New York State. Respondents will be fully anonymous in the final study and will receive $50 for participation. If interested in participating, please contact Theresa Montini, Director of Research at Theresa.Montini@Hunter.CUNY.edu.

New Dental Component for NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program
HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) has a newly-established dental component for the National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (NHSC S2S LRP). The NHSC S2S LRP opened on August 16 and will close on October 13 at 7:30 p.m.  BHW encourages health centers to share this announcement with MD/DO students, as well as DMD/DDS students in their final year of school. For more information, click here.