February 25, 2016 Edition

Advocacy Day 2016 is Less Than Two Weeks Away – Register Now! Community Health Center Grassroots Advocacy Day 2016 is less than two weeks away!  We hope you are finalizing your plans to come to Albany on Monday, March 7 and raise your voice in support of New York’s community health centers. While the event is free to attend, pre-registration is required. Click here to get started. Click here for additional information and resources to assist you in your planning. Questions? Contact Kate Graetzer at 518-434-1115.

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. 

Ask Your Members of Congress to Sign the FY17 "Dear Colleague" Health Center Support Letter 
A “Dear Colleague” letter expressing general support for the Health Center Program is currently circulating in the U.S. House of Representatives, and your help is needed to ensure that all members of the NYS Congressional Delegation sign on by the March 15 deadline. Please call your Members of Congress today and ask them to demonstrate their continued support for FQHCs by adding their names. 

Value-Based Payment Readiness: A Self-Assessment Tool for Primary Care Providers, FQHCs, and Behavioral Health Providers
Date: Thursday, March 3, 2016 
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Presented by: Health Management Associates (HMA) and CohnReznick

As the shift from volume-based to value-based payment accelerates, primary care providers, including FQHCs and behavioral health providers, must make critical changes to become ready for value-based payments and ensure their financial sustainability. 

CHCACT and CHCANYS Host 5-Part Compliance Webinar Series 
The Community Health Center Association of Connecticut (CHCACT) and CHCANYS are hosting five 90-minute compliance webinars presented by Marcie Zakheim and Molly Evans of Feldsman Tucker Leifer and Fidell LLP. Topics to be addressed include program requirement “hot issues,” the nuts and bolts of the FTCA, and the anatomy of a malpractice case/FTCA claim. There is no cost to participate, but it is necessary to register separately for each individual webinar in the series. For more information, including dates, times and registration links, click here. 

340B Recertification Deadline: March 9, 2016
HRSA requires all 340B covered entities to annually recertify their program information in order to continue participating in the 340B program and  purchasing covered outpatient drugs at discounted prices. The deadline for completing the annual recertification is Wednesday, March 9, 2016. Entity Authorizing Officials must log into the 340B database, update information as needed, and attest to the entity’s compliance with 340B program requirements. Currently-certified entities should have already received the username and password necessary for recertification.  

HRSA Releases Program Assistance Letter 2016-01: Proposed Uniform Data System Changes for Calendar Year 2016 
The Bureau of Primary Health Care recently released Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2016-01, which outlines proposed changes for the 2016 Uniform Data System (UDS) to be reported by Health Center Program grantees and look-alikes in February 2017. Changes include: additions to patient characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity; the addition of Quality Improvement staff, Community Health Workers and Dental Therapists to the staffing tables; and revisions to the clinical measures to improve measure alignment and data standardization. To view PAL 2016-01, 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.   

Learn How to Save Money with CPG 
CHCANYS partners with the CommonWealth Purchasing Group (CPG) as a value-added service to FQHCs in New York State. With a portfolio of over 60 nationally recognized vendors, CPG can help you save money. In addition, the 2016 CPG webinar series provides educational content designed to assist health center employees in improving efficiency and saving money within their organizations. Topics covered include evaluating patient satisfaction, website design strategies, mitigating medical malpractice risk, and more! To learn more about the series and/or the benefits of CPG membership, click here

Deadline Extended: 2016 Registration of Intent for Meaningful Use Public Health Reporting Measures 

An extension for registering intent for Meaningful Use Public Health Reporting has been granted by CMS to Eligible Professionals (EPs) and Eligible Hospitals (EHs) in the Medicare and NY Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs with a full calendar year EHR Reporting Period. This extension only applies to registering intent to submit data to registries sponsored by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and/or New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) for Payment Year 2016. A registration of intent must be submitted by April 14, 2016. 

CHCANYS Boosts Patient Care with Visit Planning Pilot
In the summer of 2015, five New York health centers affiliated with CHCANYS participated in an Azara Healthcare-led pilot project to demonstrate the positive impact the Data Reporting and Analytics Solutions (DRVS) / Center for Primary Care Informatics (CPCI) Pre-Visit Planning Report (PVP) can have on care delivery. 

New York Health Centers Continue to Lead HIV Fight with Data Project
World AIDS Day was Dec. 1st, but the effort to improve the quality of HIV care and reduce the number of new infections is in full swing at New York health centers, CHCANYS, and Azara Healthcare. As of 2014, New York has the nation’s largest HIV population and ranks fourth among all states in the number of new HIV diagnoses1. 

Pregnant Women and Zika 
The NYS Dept. of Health has created a flyer educating pregnant women about the dangers of traveling to countries impacted by Zika; click here to access it. Please share it with your patients! 

AHRQ and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention 
CHCANYS is pleased to be a part of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) new grant initiative, EvidenceNOW: Advancing Heart Health in Primary Care, which seeks to help primary care practices use the latest research in cardiovascular disease prevention.  As part of this project, CHCANYS participates in one of seven regional cooperatives, composed of both public and private health partnerships and multidisciplinary teams of experts, operating in 12 states. Through EvidenceNOW, CHCANYS provides resources and support services, including on-site coaching, data validation and project planning, to help community health centers in New York City apply the latest medical evidence to improve heart health.

Nexplanon and Liletta Training
Date: March 8, 2016  
Location: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 42-09 28th Street, Long Island City, NY

The training is open to physicians (MDs) and advanced practice clinicians (PAs, NPs, CNMs) who are authorized to perform medical procedures as evidenced by a State License number or a Medical Education (ME) number. Spaces are limited; eligible clinicians are encouraged to register as soon as possible by clicking here.  

Help Improve Medicaid Mental Health and Substance Use Services in NYC 
Date: March 2, 2016 
Time: 3:00 -5:00 p.m. 
Location: Gotham Center, 42-09 28th St., Room 3-32, Long Island City

Please join NYC Deputy Mayor Richard Buery, Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett and Executive Deputy Commissioner Gary Belkin for this town hall meeting to learn how you can be part of the NYC Regional Planning Consortium and its efforts to make the behavioral health transition to Medicaid Managed Care a success. Your Regional Planning Consortium’s first bi-annual full meeting is an opportunity to hear from all stakeholders about the direction of managed behavioral health care. 

NHSC Loan Repayment Program Application Cycle Now Open 
The 2016 National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program application cycle is now open to support primary care medical, dental and mental/behavioral health clinicians committed to caring for underserved people where they are most needed. Health centers are strongly encouraged to recruit and retain qualified health care providers through the NHSC. The competitive application cycle will close on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. For more information about the program, click here.  

National Center for Health Workforce Analysis Launches New Nursing Workforce Model 
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) National Center for Health Workforce Analysis has launched a new web-based model to assist researchers and policy makers in projecting the nursing workforce. The Nursing Health Workforce Model, an innovative planning tool for recruitment and retention of the future nursing workforce, is an application allowing individuals to examine the future supply of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in relation to the demand for their services and to explore alternative scenarios by modifying key parameters such as graduation rates, attrition, and retirement rates of nurses that fit local conditions.  

Sustainable Financing for Community Health Workers Webinar Recording 
If you missed Dialogue4Health’s “Sustainable Financing for Community Health Workers (CHW): Exploring Medicaid Opportunities,” webinar last week, you may now view it here. During the presentation, speakers from state agencies in Connecticut, Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania provide valuable insight into how they have approached sustainable financing levers for Community Health Workers, such as the recent preventive service rule change (440.130), managed care contracting, and health homes.

Zika Virus Update 
The EM Team is monitoring emerging news about Zika Virus and will continue to distribute relevant information as necessary. We highly encourage health care centers to visit Zika web pages developed by the CDC, NYSDOH and the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, which contain the most up-to -date information on the topic.

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.

*The online version of this training is available on the NYS Department of Health Learning Management System.

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. 

Business Continuity Planning Workshop for NYC Primary Care Centers 
Date: March 8, 2016
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 
Location: HRSA New York Regional Office, 26 Federal Plaza, 6th Floor, Conference Room J, NYC

This workshop will 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. Advance registration is required, and space is limited. To register, click here.

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

• Second Annual Full-Day Emergency Management Seminar - April 14, 2016
  
  
• Coordinated Tabletop Exercise for Primary Care Networks and Partners  - May 19, 2016