Your CHCANYS

Community Health Center Supporters Take Their Message to Albany on Advocacy Day
On Monday, March 2, more than 600 advocates - patients, staff and board members from community health centers across
New York State - joined CHCANYS in Albany to meet with elected officials and stress the importance of increased financial and capital investment in community-based safety net
providers, including FQHCs, whose work is integral to the State's current health care delivery system reform efforts. Without this funding, the financial viability of health centers will be severely impacted at a time when the State should be supporting the expansion of the primary care safety net in furtherance of its own goals. "We are a family - one that believes health care is a right, not a privilege," Larry McReynolds, chair of the CHCANYS Board of Directors, told the assembled group. "You are putting a face to the words 'community health center,' and it's that personal connection with our elected officials that makes the difference." He followed up his remarks by leading the crowd in a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" to the community health center movement, which celebrates 50 years in 2015. read more >>

Primary Care Funding Cliff 101: What’s at Stake?
The health center trust fund, which makes up more than half of all funding for the Health Center Program, will expire on September 30, 2015 unless Congress takes deliberate action to reauthorize it. This looming funding cut, otherwise known as the "Primary Care Funding Cliff," represents the biggest financial challenge that the Health Center Program has faced to date with very real consequences for the millions of patients served if it is not stopped. read more >>

Quantifying Cliff Impact at the Local Level
In order to stop the Cliff, it is imperative for us to articulate how devastating this funding cut will be to our communities and illustrate its impact in local terms – the number of patients who will lose access to care and turn instead to emergency rooms, the number of jobs that will be lost, the negative economic “ripple effect” that will occur in communities whose health centers are forced to close their doors. In the coming days, CHCANYS will be sharing customized Cliff impact reports, NYS-specific letter templates, and other helpful materials to support health centers in these efforts. Additional resources are available here and here. Please join us in sharing this important message with Congressional offices as soon as possible – we cannot wait any longer to take action! 

Value Based Payment Roadmap Now Available for Public Comment
To ensure the long term sustainability of the DSRIP investments in the Medicaid Redesign Team Waiver Amendment, New York State is required to submit a multi-year roadmap for comprehensive payment reform by April 1, 2015. The latest draft of the State’s Value Based Payment Roadmap is available for download and open for public comment through March 30, 2015. read more >>

NACHC Policy and Issues (P&I) Forum Hill Visits
The NACHC P&I Forum is right around the corner! This year’s visits to the Hill will take place on Thursday, March 19. 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. If you have not already done so, please contact Kate Graetzer at kgraetzer@chcanys.org as soon as possible to let us know whether you’ll be attending and with whom you would like to meet. 

Six Communities to Receive NYSHealth Healthy Neighborhoods Fund Grants to Improve Access to Healthy, Affordable Food and Safe Places to Exercise
The NYS Health Foundation has selected six communities across New York State for grant awards totaling $2 million to help them become healthier, more active places where residents of all ages can thrive. The communities supported through the Healthy Neighborhoods Fund will use the two-year grants to increase access to healthy, affordable food; improve access to safe places where people can exercise and be active; and connect children and adults to programs that encourage healthy behaviors. read more >> 

NYS 2015 Clinical Conference on HIV and Hepatitis C
Date: Friday, May 01 2015; Time: 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; Location: 5257 West Henrietta Road, Henrietta, NY. Open to New York State clinical providers, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists, and pharmacists, this conference will focus on the clinical and public health aspects of HIV, HCV, and STDs. read more >>

CHCANYS to Host Federal Tort Claims Act University in May 2015 
Date: May 14-15; Location: Double Tree by Hilton Tarrytown. FTCA U is an innovative new training organized by the FTCA Branch of HRSA's Bureau of Primary Health Care for FQHCs and potential FQHCs. It is a great opportunity for seasoned and new professionals to learn from experts, leaders, and government officials in the areas of FTCA and related subject matter. For details, click here. 

HRSA Releases PAL 2015-02: Accreditation and Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition Initiative  
The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) has issued PAL 2015-02: Accreditation and Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition Initiative. The document describes the initiative and outlines the process and requirements for applying for ambulatory health care accreditation and/or patient centered medical home (PCMH) recognition. For more information and to download the PAL, click here.  

340B Recertification Deadline is March 11
The annual recertification process for 340B grantees ends on March 11, 2015. It is critical that every health center participating in the 340B Drug Discount Program complete the recertification by the deadline in order to ensure continued participation. To view the Office of Pharmacy Affairs User Guide, click here. 

Capital Needs Assessment Deadline Extended to March 13: Your Participation Requested
Capital Link is currently conducting an important national health center capital needs assessment, supported by HRSA. All health center Executive Directors / CEOs should have received a link to an online questionnaire via e-mail on January 15; it may also be accessed by clicking here.  read more >>

Training: Implementing an Enabling Services Data Collection Model to Improve Quality and Eliminate Disparities
Date: March 27, 2015; Time: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Location: Oberia D. Dempsey Multi-Services Center, 127 W. 127th St., NYC. In collaboration with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council and Health Outreach Partners, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) has designed a training program to increase health center capacity to implement its standardized enabling services data collection protocol. read more >> 

National Council for Behavioral Health: NATCON Conference
Date: April 20 - 22, 2015; Location: Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, FL. This year’s pre-conference university on April 19, Opportunities for Behavioral Health Specialists in Community Health: Clinical Excellence and Sustainability, will feature presentations by Virna Little, PsyD,LCSW-r, Senior Vice President Psychosocial Services at The Institute for Family Health and eff Capobianco, PhD, LLP, Director of Practice Improvement at the National Council for Behavioral Health. read more >>

NextGen ONE Accepting Applications to Present at 2015 User Group Meeting
Interested in presenting at the NextGen ONE User Group Meeting on November 1-4, 2015 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel? Click here to apply by Friday, March 6.   

Medicare MU 2014 Reporting Deadline Extended
On February 25, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the extension of a key deadline for the EHR Incentive Program. Eligible Professionals planning to attest to Meaningful Use (MU) under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program for a reporting period in 2014 now have until 11:59 p.m. EDT on March 20, 2015 to attest. read more >>

Lupus Research Institute Offers Free Seminars for CHCs
In an effort to deliver quality education to frontline providers so they can better recognize signs and symptoms of lupus and improve the speed of referral for diagnosis and treatment, the Lupus Research Institute’s Teaching Fellows in Lupus Project is providing free seminars on “Demystifying Lupus: Signs and Symptoms for Early Recognition” to clinical staff at community health centers. read more >>

CHN Launches NYS’ First Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Residency Program
Community Healthcare Network (CHN) is proud to launch the first primary care Nurse Practitioner Residency in New York State.  The 12-month residency consists of precepted sessions, independent sessions, specialty rotations, and didactics, and will allow Family Nurse Practitioners to develop their skills and expand their knowledge in paid positions.  Applications are being accepted through April 1, 2015.  For more information and to apply, click here.