Your CHCANYS

HHS Awards Over $15.5 Million to New York Health Centers to Increase Access to Primary Care Services
On September 12, 2014, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell announced $295 million in Affordable Care Act funding to increase access to primary care services at 1,195 health centers across the country.  These awards will enable health centers to hire new staff, remain open for longer hours, and expand the range care they provide to include oral health, behavioral health, pharmacy, and vision services.  Fifty-eight New York health centers received over $15.5 million of these funds, which are projected to support 257 new FTEs and 82,119 new patients. read more >>

New York Congressional Delegation Supports Cliff Fix
We are pleased to report that both NYS Senators and 21 Representatives signed on to bipartisan “Dear Colleague” letters asking Senate and House leadership to find a solution to the looming primary care funding cliff currently threatening the Health Centers Program. A big thank you to those who made phone calls and sent e-mails asking their Members of Congress to support this important initiative! read more >> 

NYSDOH Releases DSRIP Provider Network Tool
The New York State Department of Health has released an electronic DSRIP Provider Network Tool which will serve as the means by which PPS entities will update and/or replace their lists of partner organizations for the remainder of the DSRIP planning process. Partner organizations include those that bill Medicaid providers as well as other non-Medicaid billing providers. This tool is housed within New York’s Medicaid Analytics Performance Portal (MAPP). Providers are required to update their partner organization list via this tool by September 29^th so that the state can begin the process of running initial attribution. read more >> 

TB Screening Webinar Now Available from NAPNAP
Back to School TB Screening: What Practitioners and Families Need to Know, a CE accredited webinar presented in August by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP), has been archived and is now available online. For more information about this webinar and instructions for accessing it, please click here. 

August 2014 Medicaid Update
The Office of Health Insurance Programs of the New York State Department of Health has approved the release of the August 2014 Medicaid Update. To access it, click here. 

Webinar: Straight Talk: Diabetic Eye Disease in Our Communities
Date: Monday, October 6, 2014; Time: 2:00 p.m.; Presented by: The National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP). This webinar will feature “Vision Voice,” a short film produced by Mount Sinai Diabetes Center that showcases the daily lives of three Hispanics/Latinas in Harlem who are living with diabetic eye disease and underscores the importance of maintaining eye health. read more >> 

2014 NYC Hepatitis C Research Consortium
Date: September 29, 2014. The Consortium is the first and only hepatitis C-specific consortium of its kind in the United States, linking teams across all major institutions in New York engaged in HCV research. The theme of this year’s meeting is integration of multidisciplinary clinical services within health care systems that can improve HCV testing, linkage to care and treatment.  read more >>

HRSA Updates Change in Scope Process
HRSA has released Policy Assistance Letter (PAL) 2014-10, “Updated Process for Change in Scope Submission, Review and Approval Timelines,” which provides updates to the Health Center Program Change in Scope (CIS) process and clarifies how timelines for CIS submission and review align with the existing scope policies. The EHB enhancements described in the PAL were effective August 28, 2014.  read more >>

Don’t Miss Out:  New  Access Point Application Deadline is Almost Here
We would like to remind all FQHCs planning to apply for New Access Point funding that CHCANYS is here to help! Please visit our online NAP Resource Center to access tools and resources designed to assist you in preparing your applications. Have questions? Please contact Rebecca Gaige at rgaige@chcanys.org. 

2014-15 Health Center Salary and Benefits Report Now Available from NACHC
NACHC’s  2014-15 Health Center Salary and Benefits Report, conducted by Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service,  is available for purchase. Now in its 18th edition, this report is the most comprehensive source of information on the compensation and benefits practices of community-based health centers nationwide. To order, click here.

CHCANYS Statewide Conference & Clinical Forum 2014: Register Online Today and Save!
Transformation Through Innovation & Collaboration is the theme for this year’s Statewide Conference & Clinical Forum, scheduled for October 19-21 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains. Onsite fees are higher – register online today and save! This event offers topics of interest to all, including senior staff, medical directors, board members, and clinicians of all disciplines. The General Sessions will touch upon critical federal and state issues, including DSRIP.  Workshops will focus on finance and policy/regulatory issues, innovative clinical and quality improvement practices and approaches, operations and governance solutions, health information technology, primary care workforce development, and more.  The conference will also offer a number of opportunities to network with colleagues statewide, as well as Sponsor/Vendor receptions and events to help you find products and solutions to meet your needs. To view a preliminary schedule, click here. 

It’s Not Too Late to Be a CHCANYS Conference Sponsor – Three Tables Left!
Whether you have existing clients or are new to the FQHC market, CHCANYS’ Statewide Conference & Clinical Forum is the venue for networking with health center decision-makers and learning about their current product and service needs. Take advantage of this one-stop opportunity to talk with over 400 CEOs, CFOs, medical directors, and other health care leaders from across New York State. This year’s event will take place on October 19-21 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains.  For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Roxanne Wynn-Trotman at rwynn@chcanys.org.

Register Today: New York Health Coverage Outreach and Enrollment Summits
Registration is now open for an exciting new series of  regional Health Coverage Enrollment Summits, scheduled to take place various locations throughout New York State beginning in early September. These meetings will provide health advocacy groups, assistors, health plans, unions and other stakeholders with the opportunity to network, examine best practices, and develop coordinated plans in preparation for the second year of open enrollment. read more >>

Upcoming Certification Training: CAC, IPA and Navigator 
Click here for a listing of upcoming training sessions (CAC, IPA and Navigator) being offered by NY State of Health. Space is limited; those interested in attending are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Important Note: The registration process has changed. For detailed instructions on how to register online for NY State of Health training sessions, click here. Upon successful registration, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. For assistance, please contact Lynn Indelicatto at LynnMIndelicato@maximus.com.

Syracuse Community Health Center Seeks CEO
Syracuse Community Health Center is conducting a search for a Chief Executive Officer. For a detailed job description and application instructions, please click here. 

New Funding Available to Support Medicaid Providers with Health Information Exchange Adoption
The New York State Department of Health, with support from CMS, has established the Data Exchange Incentive Program to increase participation of Medicaid providers in the contribution of clinical data to the Statewide Health Information Network of NY (SHIN-NY). The program is designed to help defray the cost to provider organizations of connecting to the SHIN-NY via a RHIO (now known as a Qualified Entity, or QE). FQHCs and FQHC Look-Alikes have exclusive first rights to participate until September 30, 2014. read more >> 

Digital Health Conference
Date: November 17-18, 2014; Location: NYC. The New York eHealth Collaborative’s 4th annual Digital Health Conference will bring together 850 senior-level professionals from across the healthcare ecosystem to learn about cutting-edge innovations and foster dynamic conversation addressing how healthcare is being redefined through technology. Keynote speakers include Eric J. Topol, MD (Director, Scripps Translational Science Institute) and Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD (Vice Provost for Global Initiatives & Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, University of Pennsylvania).  read more >>