Your CHCANYS: 06-30-16

NYS 2016 Legislative Session Recap
The NYS Legislature wrapped up the 2016 session on Saturday, June 18, just over their projected end date. For a brief recap of health care-related highlights prepared by Brown & Weinraub, PLLC, click here. 

National Health Center Week is Right Around the Corner!
National Health Center Week is scheduled for August 7-13 this year – what are your plans? Each August, we recognize National Health Center Week (NHCW) in an effort to enhance the visibility of community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health centers and build support for the Health Center Program. Health centers across the country open their doors to state and federal elected officials and the public in order to showcase the numerous services they provide... and to celebrate! We hope that you will consider hosting an event during National Health Center Week this summer and invite your elected officials, business partners, patients, and community members to participate. 

New SNAP Time Limits Leave Vulnerable New Yorkers Without Food Assistance 
Thousands of New York State residents began losing SNAP benefits in June due to a federal rule that places a limit on how long certain unemployed, childless adults referred to in federal regulations as able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) are eligible to participate in SNAP.  Under the time limit rule, those considered ABAWDs may only receive SNAP benefits for a total of three months in a 36-month period, unless they live in a waived area, meet an exemption, or are already meeting work requirements.  Medical professionals can help maintain benefits for those who are affected by this rule, but may be unable - or “unfit” - to work, by documenting a medical condition that limits an individual’s ability to meet the work requirement.  

CHCANYS Offers New Access Point Supports 
On April 19, 2016, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced that approximately $50 million will be made available in FY 2017 for 75 awards to new and existing health centers nationwide for operational support of new primary care service delivery sites. Applications are due in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 17 and in HRSA’s Electronic Handbook (EHB) by 5:00 p.m. ET on July 15. Applicants must meet both deadlines. To access the application and supplemental materials from HRSA, click here. To view the supports available through CHCANYS, click here.

HRSA Issues Service Area Competition Application (SAC) Due Date Table 
The initial Service Area Competition guidance was issued last week. A table including application due dates based upon Project Period end dates has been posted to the FY 2017 Service Area Competition (SAC) Technical Assistance webpage.  Please check this page to confirm your SAC application due date. 

CPG Helps Health Centers to Save Money 
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 and dedication to a high level of service, CPG can help you save money on day-to-day purchases as well as larger, one-time expenses related to expansion projects. Services range from essentials like language lines to improve communication with patients, to graphic design, 340B, HR assistance, and more.  For additional details and a complimentary, no risk assessment, click here.

Emergency Management In-Person Training Offered to Health Centers in Western New York 
CHCANYS’ Emergency Management Team is happy to announce that the in-person EM-101: Emergency Management for Primary Care Centers course has been extended and is now being offered to health center staff in the Western New York region. This course, suitable for all levels of staff, 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. If you are interested in bringing this training to your health center, contact EMTeam@CHCANYS.org 

HIPAA Privacy and Disclosures in Emergency Situations
Persons who are displaced as a result of a severe disaster or an emergency often need ready access to health care as well as the ability to contact family and caregivers. A bulletin originally issued by US Dept. of Health and Human services on September 2, 2005 clarifies HIPAA regulations for sharing patient information in such circumstances. We would like to remind health centers about this bulletin as it the information it contains is still relevant. View it here. 

Prepare for Flu Season this Summer 
The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get a yearly flu vaccine, but good health habits and antiviral medications are other measures that can be used to fight the flu. To help businesses, employers, and their employees learn about these strategies for preventing flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created a toolkit, flyers, posters, and other materials to post and distribute in the workplace. To learn more, click here.

Registration Open for CHCANYS16 in Tarrytown
The theme of CHCANYS’ 2016 Statewide Conference & Clinical Forum, to take place on October 30 – November 1 at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, is Building Healthy Communities: Access, Value and Transformation.  Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, MD, founder and Executive Director of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, will deliver this year’s keynote address. Secure your hotel room and register today to participate in thought-provoking policy, workforce, clinical/QI, and finance workshops, network with peers, and meet with vendors to learn how their products and services can fulfill your business needs. Click here to get started. 

CHCANYS/Latman Family Day at the Races: September 24, 2016
This year’s CHCANYS/Latman Family Day at the Races will take place on 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. This fun-filled family event will feature a BBQ lunch, activities and entertainment for children of all ages, raffles, a silent auction, and more! 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.  

CHCANYS16 Awards: Nominate a Colleague!
Each year as part of its Annual Conference & Clinical Forum, CHCANYS honors its trailblazers as well as those who are working today to ensure access to high quality health care for all. Nominations are now being accepted for this year’s Awards Celebration, during which we will celebrate those whose work and dedication represent the ideals of the Health Center Movement. The deadline for submissions is July 15. The awards will be presented during a luncheon on Monday, October 31 at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown; honorees should be present. For more information, including award names and criteria, a list of past honorees and a nomination form, click here.

Graduate Medical Education Development of Rural Residency Programs  
The NYS Dept. of Health, Office of Quality and Patient Safety, in conjunction with the Office of Primary Care and Health Systems Management and Health Research, Inc., announce the availability of federal funds to assist in the development of new or restructured primary care Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency programs in rural areas within New York State. The intent of this funding is to support the development of accredited innovative, rural-based GME programs that will help alleviate regional and primary care workforce shortages and prepare physicians to deliver quality services in a networked, team-based, value-driven, primary care focused model. The funded GME programs will create new opportunities for medical school graduates to train in under-served rural areas of NYS and foster community and provider collaborations to develop strategies to help ensure that the new physicians continue to practice in rural NYS communities.  Applications are due by August 15.  For more information and to view the RFA, click here

More For-Profit Medical Schools Opening in the US 
The Associated Press reports that for-profit medical schools are popping up around the country, promising to create new family doctors for underserved rural regions. Rural states need more general practitioners, with the baby boom generation aging and expanded insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act making health care more accessible. With the challenge of a workforce shortage in Primary Care, these schools are welcomed by some, but critics of these new schools question whether companies can properly train the nation's next crop of doctors. To read more, click here. 

Funding Available through HRSA’s Delivery System Health Information Investment
HRSA has announced a $90,000,000 supplemental funding opportunity through the fiscal year 2016 Delivery System Health Information Investment (DSHII). Funds are designated for existing Health Center Program award recipients, and proposals must demonstrate how funding will help facilitate IT enhancements that align with strategic goals of better care, smarter spending, and healthier communities. CHCANYS encourages health centers to explore collaborative options such as CPCI participation, enhancements to support DSRIP reporting, and health information exchange. 

MEIPASS Availability for EHR Incentive Program
NY Medicaid's attestation system (MEIPASS) will be closing for updates starting July 1, 2016. The system will be undergoing important maintenance for Meaningful Use attestations for 2015 and beyond. During this maintenance period, users will not be able to access MEIPASS and therefore will be unable to attest for AIU or Meaningful Use during that time.  It is anticipated that MEIPASS will reopen during the third quarter of calendar year 2016, prior to September 30th. Announcements will be made via LISTSERV and the program website. If you are not signed up to receive these email announcements, please be sure to do so here.