DSRIP Safety Net Definition Appeal Deadline Extended to Wednesday, June 11
The deadline for providers who are not currently included as eligible safety net providers for the DSRIP program to appeal their status has been extended to June 11. read more >>

HHS Announces the Availability of $300 Million in ACA Funds for Health Center Expansion
On June 3, 2014, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of up to $300 million in Affordable Care Act (ACA) funding to help community health centers expand service hours, hire more medical providers, and add oral health, behavioral health, pharmacy, and vision services. read more >>

Updated Info on Medicare FQHC PPS on CHCANYS Website
CHCANYS has created a new web page featuring updates, archived presentations and other information relative to the Medicare FQHC PPS. read more >>

New DSRIP Performance Data Now Available Online
The New York State Department of Health has added links to detailed data on preventable hospitalizations (PQIs), chronic conditions, and readmissions among Medicaid recipients to its DSRIP Performance Data website. The new data, available for download or onscreen tabulation in an Excel-like format, provide ZIP and county level breakdowns and include the overall distribution of Medicaid enrollees by ZIP code. read more >>

Webcast:New Medicare PPS for Federally Qualified Health Centers - Operational Requirements
Date: Wednesday, June 25; Time: 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. As required by Section 10501 of the Affordable Care Act, FQHCs will transition to a Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) beginning on October 1, 2014. This call will cover information on operational requirements of the new payment system, including a review of the PPS methodology, billing and claims processing, and cost reporting. read more >> 

National Health Center Week 2014: Webinar Recording Available
If you missed NACHC’s National Health Center Week 2014 kick-off webinar on May 22, you may now watch the recording and access the slides online. Although the week of August 10-16 may seem like a long time away, we encourage you to begin planning your events now! read more >> 

Update: New York State HIV Testing Law 
The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) AIDS Institute will convene a series of stakeholder meetings as a strategic way of collecting information, input and comment on the implementation of recent amendments to the HIV Testing Law. read more >> 

Introduction to Co-occurring Disorders for Clients with HIV/AIDS   
Date: Thursday, June 12; Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. A one-day training, this course provides an overview of co-occurring disorders (substance abuse and mental illness) and their impact on people living with HIV/AIDS. Participants will learn to identify trauma and its impacts on co-occurring disorders; how to identify "red flags" that indicate these disorders; and advice for making referrals to appropriate services. read more >> 

Webinar: Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy: Changes in Diagnosis and Management Toward Improving Morbidity and Mortality
Date: Thursday, June 12; Time: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.; Presenter: Peter Cherouny, MD, Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Vermont College of Medicine. After watching this webcast participants will be able to: describe recent changes in classification and diagnostic criteria of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP); identify highlights of current care for HDP, including risk assessment, evaluation and counseling, and medication management… read more >>

Webinar: Overview of STIs with HIV-Infected Patients
Date: Thursday, June 19; Time: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. This two-hour webinar provides basic information on the most common STIs, including similarities and differences in transmission, screening and testing, treatment, complications, and prevention. The course will also explain the interrelationship between HIV and other STIs. read more >>  

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP):  Expanding the HIV Prevention Toolkit
Date: Friday, June 20; Time: 12:15 - 4:00 p.m.; Location: Buffalo, NY; Sponsored by: NYS Department of Health Clinical Education Initiative, Spencer Cox Center for Health/Mt. Sinai Institute for Advanced Medicine, and Erie County Medical Center. This ½ day conference will focus on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for PrEP, the NYS Department of Health PrEP guidance, patients who may benefit from PrEP, challenges in managing patients in various settings, as well as organizational and psychosocial considerations for providing PrEP. read more >>

Register Today!  CHCANYS Statewide Conference & Clinical Forum 
Transformation Through Innovation and Collaboration is the theme for CHCANYS’ Statewide Conference & Clinical Forum, scheduled for October 19-21at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains. This year’s conference will feature thought-provoking General Sessions and workshops focusing on finance, policy/regulatory issues, innovative clinical practices and approaches, operations and governance, HIT, primary care workforce development, and more. read more >>  

Don’t Miss Out! Sponsor/Vendor Opportunities Now Available for CHCANYS’ 2014 Statewide Conference & Clinical Forum
CHCANYS’ Statewide Conference and Clinical Forum is the venue for networking with health center decision-makers and learning about their product and service needs. A not-to-be-missed opportunity to network with over 400 CEOs, finance directors, medical directors and other senior leaders, this year’s event will be held on October 19-21 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains. Don’t wait - tables are limited! read more >>  

HRSA Releases PAL on Documentation of Health Center Project Scope  
Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2014-06 describes updates made by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to the forms used to document a health center’s federally approved scope of project: Form 5A (Services Provided) and Form 5B (Service Sites). The updated forms and accompanying resource materials described in this PAL are designed to support existing policy, respond to requests for clarification, facilitate accurate documentation of each health center’s scope of project, and ensure ongoing consistency and understanding regarding scope of project for services and sites across the Health Center Program. read more >> 

Starting with Success: Building and Enhancing Your Health Center 
Date: June 10-12; Location:The Inn at Opryland, Nashville, TN; Sponsored by: NACHC. Attend this two-and-a-half day, intensive workshop to learn more about the concepts involved in building a health center and how to apply them, including ready-to-implement how-to’s and tips for developing and maintaining a successful program. read more >>

Health Centers Save Big with CommonWealth Purchasing Group
CHCANYS is assisting the CommonWealth Purchasing Group, the leading group purchasing organization for community health centers and other community-based, not-for-profit organizations, in promoting its services to New York’s FQHCs. To learn how your health center can save money on medical and dental supplies, office equipment, waste disposal services, and more, click here.

Certified Application Counselors Help NYSOH Achieve Huge Success in Year One
New York State of Health (NYSOH), the state’s official health plan marketplace, demonstrated outstanding success in its first year. Between October 1, 2013 and April 15, 2014, a total of 960,762 New Yorkers enrolled in health insurance plans, over 80% of whom were previously uninsured. Of the individuals who applied for Medicaid through NYSOH, over 90% were uninsured at the time of application! The exceptional support provided by Certified Application Counselors (CAC) is a particularly high point of pride for CHCANYS. Over 25% of applications submitted to NYSOH were done so with the help of CACs, who worked incredibly hard to provide outreach and enrollment assistance to the communities around their FQHCs. read more >> 

CMS and ONC Circulate Proposed Rule to Extend Use of 2011 EHRs for 2014 Meaningful Use
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT have jointly circulated a proposed rule that would authorize the extension of the use of 2011 Edition CEHRT or a combination of 2011 and 2014 Edition CEHRT for the EHR reporting period in 2014. Providers would have the option to attest to the 2013 definition of meaningful use core and menu objectives, and use the 2013 definition clinical quality measures (CQMs). The proposed rule also includes a provision that would formalize CMS and ONC’s recommended timeline to extend Stage 2 through 2016. read more >>