News from Policy If you have questions about CHCANYS' policy and advocacy work, please contact Beverly Grossman, bgrossman@chcanys.org.
New Certificate of Need (CON) Rule Posted to Department of Health Website A new rule providing for an expedited CON process for HRSA-funded projects submitted by FQHCs has been posted to the Department of Health website. Click here to view it.
For capital projects with a budget of over $3 million funded through PHS Section 330, CD-BC, or CD-IFI, the Department will expedite processing of submitted Limited or Administrative Review construction applications. Construction projects of existing FQHCs, funded in whole or in part through PHS Section 330, CD-BC, or CD-IFI with a budget of less than $3 million, will not be subject to CON review. However, in order to operate and receive reimbursement as health care facilities, new and renovated facilities must obtain a valid operating certificate and comply with construction standards under 10 NYCRR. It should be noted that this legislation does not apply to the establishment of new health care facility operators.
We are very pleased with the above outcome but are continuing to monitor the implementation of the new FQHC CON rule and, generally, the impact of the CON program on FQHC expansion. CHCANYS is in the process of scheduling additional meetings with the Department of Health to discuss ways to further reduce barriers for FQHCs navigating the CON process. We will continue to update you on our progress. In the meantime, please direct any questions or feedback about the CON process to Beverly Grossman at bgrossman@chcanys.org or 518-434-0767 ext. 11.
Deputy Commissioner of OHSM to Retire State Commissioner of Health Dr. Nirav R. Shah has announced that Rick Cook, Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Health Systems Management (OHSM) will retire in December. Effective immediately, Karen Westervelt, Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Primary Care, will also be assuming the role of Interim Deputy Commissioner of OHSM.
Voter Registration – We Need to Hear from You! We know that many of you have launched voter engagement campaigns at your health centers recently, and now we need to hear from you about how your efforts have paid off. According to a recent NACHC report, 419 voter registration forms have been collected and submitted by health centers across New York State – but we know that the tally is likely much higher.
Please use NACHC’s Report Your Numbers form to update the total number of voter registration forms that your center and collected and submitted. Also, please send your tally to Kate Graetzer, CHCANYS’ Advocacy and Communications Coordinator, at kgraetzer@chcanys.org.
Community health centers are the “sleeping giants” of the democratic process because they have access to potential voters who are typically underrepresented in the polls. Participating in Community Health Vote at your health center is another important way in which you can help strengthen the health center program, both in New York State and nationally. If you do not currently have a voter engagement program at your health center and would like to learn more about how to start one, visit the Community Health Vote page on the NACHC website for a toolkit that includes helpful how-to guides and templates.
NACHC’s National Health Center Week Photo and Video Contest Ends This Week As a reminder, the deadline for submitting entries to NACHC’s National Health Center Week Photo and Video contest is this Friday, August 31st. We encourage you to take advantage of this fun opportunity to showcase your health center’s advocacy efforts and shine a light on the amazing work taking place in community health centers across New York State. Click here for details and guidelines. The grand prize winner, to be announced at NACHC’s 2012 Community Health Institute in Orlando, Florida in September, will receive one paid registration for the 2013 NACHC Policy & Issues Forum in Washington, D.C.
News from Health Center Support If you have questions about CHCANYS' health center support activities, please contact Rebecca Gaige, rgaige@chcanys.org.
Supplemental Funding Opportunity for Section 330 Grantees The Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) has announced the release of the Fiscal Year 2012 Supplemental Funding for Quality Improvement in Health Centers. The purpose of this supplemental funding opportunity is to improve access to services, quality of care, and clinical outcomes for existing Section 330 funded health centers through the patient centered medical home (PCMH) model of care. The supplemental funding will specifically focus on improving outcomes related to cervical cancer screening for health center patients by supporting health centers in taking the operational steps necessary to achieve/increase/maintain PCMH recognition at their sites.
Approximately $35 million is available to support this one-time, one-year supplemental funding. Eligible health centers will be notified of the opportunity through a HRSA Electronic Handbook (EHB) message and may request up to $60,000 in supplemental funds. Applications must be submitted by 8:00 PM ET on or before September 5, 2012.
A technical assistance call was held on Friday, August 24th. Click here to acceess an mp3 recording of the call. Click here for additional information about this funding opportunity.
New York City AIDS Fund Invites Applications for HIV/AIDS Prevention, Services, and Advocacy Programs Housed at the New York Community Trust, the New York City AIDS Fund is a group of grantmaking organizations dedicated to helping community groups provide vital programs and implement advocacy efforts that address the local HIV/AIDS epidemic. This year, the AIDS Fund expects to award grants totaling $800,000 to nonprofit agencies in the city's five boroughs for innovative programs and efforts in the areas of HIV/AIDS prevention, services, and advocacy. These will include grants for primary HIV prevention programs that address underlying challenges related to HIV infections and grants to improve the capacity of service programs to identify, test, and treat HIV-positive individuals. Of special interest are projects that improve care in multiple provider organizations and improve understanding of cultural values and sensitivity to life circumstances.
Proposals are due October 10, 2012. For a link to the complete RFP, please click here.
Health Foundation for Western and Central New York Announces Capacity-Building Grant Program The Health Foundation for Western and Central New York (formerly the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York), which focuses its funding and initiatives on improving health outcomes for frail elders and young children living in communities of poverty, has announced Ready or Not, Here it Comes: Preparing for Success in Rapidly Changing Times, a funding opportunity designed to provide eligible organizations with financial and expert assistance to help them respond strategically to the changing economic and policy environment. Selected organizations will focus on improving their capacity in order to position themselves for future success as well as lead to improved health outcomes for children between birth and the age of five living in poverty and/or community-based elders.
To be eligible, an applicant must currently offer programming, services, or care to children from birth to age five living in communities of poverty, or frail elders living in the community; and currently be located in and serve one of these populations in one or more of the sixteen counties in HFWCNY's funding region. HFWCNY's funding region includes the eight western New York counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming; and the eight central New York counties of Cayuga, Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and Tompkins. The foundation expects to make awards ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 to twelve to fifteen organizations for up to an eighteen-month period beginning in December 2012.
New Governance Clearinghouse Hosted by NACHC The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) is pleased to offer All-A-Board, a clearinghouse of governance-related resources for health center board members to share, explore and learn about health center governance. Visitors to the site can search for resources by different topics, read resources online, and download information to their own computers. Visitors are also encouraged to post resources that they find useful and would like to share with other health center board members. For more information, click here.
New Issue Brief on Veteran Hiring at Community Health Centers Posted by NACHC NACHC has posted a seven page report which documents its engagement in strategic development and discussions with military service members and veterans. The outreach has produced some positive results that health centers can use in establishing cooperative relationships with military veterans and provides veteran hiring processes they can customize and replicate.
NYU College of Dentistry to Offer Free Health Screenings Free screenings will be available on September 11, 12, and 13, 2012 at the NYU College of Dentistry, located at 345 E. 24th Street (corner of First Avenue) in Manhattan. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. No appointments are needed. Services include:
Free dental screenings;
Free toothbrushes and other personal oral health products;
Vouchers for free oral examinations and polishings;
Vouchers for free dental sealants for children 6 to 16 years of age;
Vouchers for free custom-made mouth guards for children 6 to 16 years of age;
Free oral cancer screenings; and
Free diabetes and blood pressure screenings.
The free screenings are co-sponsored by the NYU College of Dentistry, NYU College of Nursing, ABC7, and Colgate.
News from the Quality Improvement Program If you have questions about CHCANYS’ Quality Improvement Program, please contact Kathy Alexis, kalexis@chcanys.org.
Southwest Telehealth Resource Center to Offer Free Webinar on Telehealth
Teledentistry: Building Enhanced Dental Teams for Underserved Communities and Families Wednesday, September 12, 2012 12:00 p.m. MDT / 2:00 p.m. EST Presented by Julia Wacloff, RDH, MS and Margaret Perry, RDH, MBA, AP
Southwest Telehealth Resource Center invites you to a free webinar on the implementation and practice of telemedicine, which will focus on the following learning objectives:
How are preventive dental services delivered to underserved communities and families at a distance?
How is technology used to deliver clinical & educational services supported by private-public partnerships?
What are current teledentistry programs and practices in development to improve access to dental care?
What are developing/potential linkages between teledentistry and telehealth?
Connect® Workshop CancerCare’s free Connect® Workshop provides information on cancer-related issues for people living with cancer, their families, friends and health care professionals. The workshops are led by experts in oncology and may be accessed via telephone or online webcast. Professional continuing education credits are available for social workers and dietitians. Upcoming workshop topics include:
Advances in Treating Chemotherapy-Related Nausea and Vomiting Tuesday, September 11, 2012 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. EST
What's New in the Management of Blood Clots for Cancer Patients Friday, October 19, 2012 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. EST
Update on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Tuesday, October 23, 2012 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. EST
To register for the workshops, click here or call 1-800-813-4673. After you have registered, you will receive additional information. To listen to previous workshops on the CancerCare web site, click here.
NYPATH Announces Western Region Kick-Off Training Program NYPATH (New York Promoting and Advancing Teen Health) will kick off two programs in September:
Western Region Training Program Corning, New York September 28, 2012
Presented collaboratively by the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at Columbia University, the University of Rochester and the Steuben Rural Health Network.
These trainings are designed for medical providers including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who provide health care services to adolescents. The trainings are completely free and participants are eligible for 1 AAFP prescribed CME credit (equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1). Please click on the above links for registration information.
News from Emergency Management If you have questions about CHCANYS' Emergency Management work, please contact Matthew Ziemer, mziemer@chcanys.org.
H3N2v Update In a dispatch on ProMed, the global peer-reviewed biosurveillance e-mail system, the Vancouver Sun has reported that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified at least 3 cases in the recent outbreak in which Influenza A H3N2v was contracted from another person and not directly from pigs as has been the case with most of the infections. As of right now, the total case count has increased to 276 human cases. Most of the infections have been in children who have reported contact with pigs at state or county fairs. In an interview with Nancy Cox, the CDC’s Influenza Division head, Ms. Cox stated that the CDC is not recommending the closing of pig barns at these fairs due to what is perceived to be a low-risk environment and the relatively low number of cases that continues to be reported. Also, for those who have contracted influenza, the disease has been relatively mild and so far, no deaths have been reported. The CDC is currently following and studying these cases to determine if they constitute a trend.
Health center medical personnel are urged to be vigilant in reviewing all screening and isolation procedures. Health center personnel should also review POD plans to assist in the event of any disease outbreak. If you need more information or would like some assistance in reviewing your plans, please contact Mario Gonzalez at mgonzalez@chcanys.org.
News from HIT If you have questions about CHCANYS' HIT work, please contact Lisa Perry, lperry@chcanys.org.
RHIO Connections Is your health center connected to a RHIO? If not, would you like it to be? CHCANYS is compiling information to support an effort by the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) to connect all interested FQHCs by the end of calendar year 2012. Please respond to the following questions by Friday, September 1 via an e-mail to Lisa Perry at lperry@chcanys.org:
EHR Product Name:
EHR Product version #:
Are you connected to a RHIO for health information exchange?
If so, which RHIO?
If not, would you like to be considered for inclusion in the calendar year 2012 connections?
NOTE: An expression of interest does not commit you to connect until you are provided with a calculation of cost. NYeC has been working for many months with EHR vendors and others to establish standard EHR interfaces for New York State’s RHIOs to support health information exchange. The costs of a RHIO connection have been a barrier for many, and NYeC’s approach will reduce these costs. In addition, NYeC has applied for Medicaid Waiver funding to defray costs further.
Connection to a health information exchange such as a RHIO is important for many reasons. It will very likely be required to satisfy Meaningful Use Stage 2 and will offer many additional benefits, including alerts when your patients are admitted to or discharged from an ER or inpatient facility. Please feel free to contact Lisa if you have any questions.
If your health center has a training or technical assistance program that you'd like to share with others around the state, or if you would like to subscribe others at your health center to Your CHCANYS, please email the pertinent information to Rebecca Gaige-Troxell at rgaige@chcanys.org. We welcome your feedback and comments.
