February 11, 2016 Edition

Beverly Grossman a Featured Presenter of Supportive Housing Webinar  
On February 2, CHCANYS’ Senior Policy Director Beverly Grossman was a featured presenter of a Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) webinar that explored efforts to attain Medicaid coverage of services in supportive housing. As a HRSA Cooperative Agreement recipient, CSH is working in partnership with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council to provide training and technical assistance activities related to improving care for vulnerable frequent users of health care services. Ms. Grossman spoke about the critical role of community-based providers in New York’s DSRIP program and the shift toward value-based contracting arrangements. To access a recording of the webinar, click here.

Advocacy Day 2016 is Almost Here – Register Today!
Community Health Center Grassroots Advocacy Day 2016 is four short weeks away, and we hope you are finalizing your plans to come to Albany on Monday, March 7.  This annual event is our big opportunity to engage state policymakers and ensure that they are familiar not only with the high-quality, primary and preventive health care services that community health centers provide, but also with the challenges faced by community health centers as efforts to transform New York’s health care delivery system continue. Please join us! Registration is now open; click here to get started.

NACHC Policy and Issues (P&I) Forum Hill Visits
It’s time to start planning for the NACHC P&I Forum in Washington, D.C.. This year’s visits to the Hill will take place on Thursday, March 17. In order to streamline the scheduling process, CHCANYS will make all Congressional appointments unless you indicate otherwise. Each Congressional appointment will be open to all FQHCs attending from that district. Appointments with the offices of Senators Schumer and Gillibrand will be made by CHCANYS and will be open to all New York State FQHC attendees. Please contact Kate Graetzer to let us know whether you’ll be attending and with whom you would like to meet.

NYS Dept. of Health Accepting Requests for Waivers from Electronic Prescribing 
As of March 27, 2016, it will be mandatory for practitioners to issue electronic prescriptions for controlled and non-controlled substances. One-year waivers are available for economic hardship, technological limitations, and other exceptional circumstances. The Governor’s Office has indicated to CHCANYS that waiver requests that include a transition plan describing a phased roll-out of e-prescribing for controlled substances will be considered. The waiver request must demonstrate that the FQHC applicant will become fully compliant over a period of time, spreading the financial impact. Detailed instructions for submitting a waiver appear on page 24-60 of this document.

Webinar: New Advocacy Platform Launch 
Date: Wednesday, February 17 
Time: 3:00 p.m. 
Both NACHC and CHCANYS will soon transition to an exciting new advocacy platform that includes many new and improved tools, including the integration of social media campaigns and the ability for advocates to respond to action alerts more easily via mobile phone. During this webinar, NACHC staff will introduce the platform, review new features, and announce upcoming trainings scheduled in the months ahead. The webinar is free to attend, but pre-registration is required. To sign up, click here.

Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program Application Cycle Now Open
The 2016 Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program  application cycle is now open to support dedicated registered nurses committed to caring for underserved people to serve in community health centers where they are most needed. The purpose of the NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program is to assist in the recruitment and retention of professional registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses dedicated to working in health care facilities with a critical shortage of nurses, or working as nurse faculty at an eligible school of nursing.  

Emergency Management for Primary Care Centers Online Course* Now Available as In-Person Training
This course will provide an overview of the four phases of emergency management, the key elements of an emergency management program and plan, and the role of the health center during emergencies and disasters. The initial roll-out of this training is being offered to health centers located in the Capital District, Long Island and the Hudson Valley. If you are interested in bringing it to your health center, contact EMTeam@CHCANYS.org.  

PCEPN Launches New Website 
The Primary Care Emergency Preparedness Network (PCEPN), a functional coalition of primary care providers within New York City led by CHCANYS, has recently launched its new website. The website has been completely redesigned and updated with useful content. Site visitors will find information on the coalition itself, its events, relevant news, etc. To access it, click here. 

PCEPN to Host Business Continuity Planning Workshop for NYC Primary Care Centers 
PCEPN will host two identical workshops to provide primary care centers in NYC with an overview of Business Continuity Planning (BCP), as well as tools and templates to assist in the development of a BPC document. Participating organizations are encouraged to send 3-4 staff members to the workshop, which will take place at the HRSA New York Regional Office from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on both dates. Advance registration is required, and space is limited. Click here for workshops.

Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming PCEPN Events 
Additional details and registration links will be coming soon. 

• Second Annual Full-Day Emergency Management Seminar  
  
  
• Coordinated Tabletop Exercise for Primary Care Networks and Partners  

UDS Report Due February 15: Resources and Assistance Available
The UDS Report, due February 15, is required  for all grantees of BPHC-administered Section 330 primary care programs, including community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health centers. It is critically important to submit reports prior to or by the deadline.  Assistance is available by calling 1-866-UDS-HELP from  8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday – Friday or by e-mailing UDSHelp330@bphcdata.net. Additional resources for finalizing and checking your work include training modules, FAQs, and topic-specific webinars, available here.  New York State- specific tips and materials from CHCANYS’ in-person trainings are available here. 

Webinar: The Role of the Board in FQHC Compliance 
Date: February 18, 2016
Time: 9:30 – 11:00 am EST 
Please join CHCANYS and the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut (CHCACT) for this informative webinar. Our presenters, Paula Woods and Felix Liddell of the Woods Liddell Group, will lead a robust discussion of Board responsibilities around  FQHC compliance and how they intersect with the work of the Compliance Officer.  There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is required. 

Webinar: Coding and Documentation in a Transitioning VBP World 
Date: February 26, 2016
Time: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. 
CHCANYS has retained Coding & Compliance Initiatives, Inc. (CCI) to present this webinar on documentation and coding guidelines and documentation improvement. Appropriate documentation and accurate coding are essential components of effective charge capture and compliant billing practices and are critical considerations for FQHCs, now more than ever with the transitions in health care delivery and reimbursement. Hear from certified ICD-10 trainer Shellie Sulzberger, who has worked with many PCAs across the country to provide coding and documentation education.  

January 2016 Medicaid Update
The Office of Health Insurance Programs of the New York State Department of Health has approved the release of the January 2016 Medicaid Update. To access it, click here. 

FQHC-Specific Management Skills Training: Managing for Results -- Critical Skills for CHC Managers and Supervisors 
Date: April 12, 2016 
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. 
Location: New York, NY 
Presented by Sogence Training and Consulting, this one-day, intensive, FQHC-specific training enables managers to develop and hone critical skills needed to successfully manage employees in today’s challenging and quickly-changing environment.  Participants will learn to manage, lead and retain flexible, responsive, satisfied, and customer-focused teams; utilize Behavioral Interviewing techniques to hire employees with the right skills and “fit” for the long term; remain legally compliant when managing employees; coach and develop employees and teams; communicate for results; and drive accountability.  

11th Annual Medical-Legal Partnership Summit
Date: April 6-8, 2016
Location: Hyatt Regency Indianapolis
Hosted annually by the National Center for Medical Legal Partnership, in collaboration with  the Milken Institute of Public Health at The George Washington University, the Medical-Legal Partnership Summit brings together hundreds of leaders in government, law, medicine, nursing, public health and social work to share ideas, insights and best practices about how integrating legal care into health care can help combat health-harming social conditions. This year's Summit will feature strategies for partnering PCAs with statewide legal aid associations to address communities’ complex health and social needs.  

Webinar: Sustainable Financing for Community Health Workers - Exploring Medicaid Opportunities 
Date: Thursday, February 11^, 2016 
Time: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. 
Utilization of Community Health Workers (CHW) has historically been supported through grant funding. However, as more states come to understand the value of CHWs as a means of improving health outcomes through care coordination, preventive care, and community-based engagement activities, they are looking for sustainable financing strategies, including Medicaid. Hosted by the Public Health Institute, this webinar will feature speakers from state agencies in Connecticut, Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania who will provide valuable insight into how they have approached sustainable financing levers for CHWs, such as the recent preventive service rule change (440.130), managed care contracting, and health homes. For more details and to register, click here. 

Free Clinical Training for Nexplanon® 
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2016 
Time: 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. 
This free 2.5-hour training hosted by the NYC LARC Access Taskforce Provider Perspective Workgroup will include a didactic lecture and a hands-on workshop.  Participants will be certified to order, insert, and remove the Nexplanon® device.  Spaces are limited so clinical providers are encouraged to register ASAP. For more details and to register, click here. 

Community Service Society Proposes Solutions for Uninsured Immigrants in New Report 
In a new report entitled, “How Can New York Provide Health Insurance Coverage to its Uninsured Immigrant Residents? An Analysis of Three Coverage Options,” the Community Service Society presents three different proposals for extending coverage to New York’s uninsured and unauthorized immigrants, along with a policy and financial analysis for each. Supported with co-funding from NYSHealth, The New York Community Trust, the Altman Foundation, and the United Hospital Fund, this report offers policymakers a practical, actionable path to close the coverage gap and continue New York's leadership in providing a welcome home for new Americans.