Mayor de Blasio Announces Plan to Improve Immigrant Access to Health Care Services
On October 8, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new “Direct Access” pilot program designed to improve access to health care for unauthorized immigrants in New York City. The initiative, scheduled to launch in the spring of 2016, will provide a group of approximately 1,000 uninsured immigrants with access to a dedicated network of health care providers and care coordination services.

The initial launch will enable the City to collect the data necessary to implement a larger citywide model in the future.  The “Direct Access” plan is one of a number of recommendations made by the City’s Immigrant Health Task Force, a group of providers and stakeholders – including CHCANYS – charged by the Mayor in June 2014 with identifying the major health care-related challenges encountered by undocumented New Yorkers and potential ways to overcome them.  read more>>

Webinar: Access is the Answer New Action Steps Launch
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Time: 2:00 p.m.

Please join NACHC’s Advocacy Team as they unveil the next set of action steps in the Access is the Answer campaign. The webinar is free to attend, but pre-registration is required. Click here to sign up. 

NACHC Spanish Grassroots Advocacy Network: Invite Your Friends!
Want to win a free registration to the National Farmworkers Health Conference in May? Click here to invite at least 10 people to join Sé un defensor, NACHC’s Spanish language advocacy listserv! Once you do, you’ll be entered to win a free registration to the upcoming conference in Portland, OR. Email grassroots@nachc.org with any questions. 

CHCANYS 2015 Statewide Conference & Clinical Forum: Final Schedule Available
We look forward to seeing you October 18-20, 2015 at The Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing. The theme of this year’s conference is From Vision to Value: The Health Center Movement at 50. Policy expert Alan Weil, Editor-in-Chief of Health Affairs, is the keynote speaker. Onsite registration will be available to those who did not have an opportunity to pre-register online. To view the final schedule, transportation directions and more, visit www.chcanys15.org.

CHCANYS to Host In-Person UDS Trainings in November and December
CHCANYS will host two in-person, full day UDS trainings for all grantees of BPHC-administered Section 330 primary care programs, including community, migrant, homeless and public housing health centers. Participants may attend the November 9th training at the Strathallan Hotel in Rochester or the December 2nd training at New York University in Manhattan. For information and to register, click here.

State Health Workforce Data Collection: Findings from a National Survey of States
Date: October 19, 2015
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Hosted by: Center for Health Workforce Studies, Health Workforce Technical Assistance Center (HWTAC)

As the impacts of health reform are felt across the country, states are recognizing the importance of having timely, objective, and comprehensive data on their health workforce to inform decision-making. This presentation will describe findings from a survey of states being conducted by HWTAC on health workforce data collection and analysis efforts and review some of the issues and challenges states face in developing and maintaining health workforce data collection systems. For more information, click here.

October is National Health Service Corps Community Month! During the month of October, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) celebrates its annual Corps Community Month. Now in its fifth year, Corps Community Month increases awareness of primary care careers and highlights NHSC’s role in bringing primary health care providers and services to communities that need them the most. For more information and to find an event near you, click here.

National Health Service Corps: Virtual Job Fair
Date: October 20, 2015
Time: 6:45 – 10:00 p.m.

National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Virtual Job Fairs are online versions of traditional job fairs that connect qualified job-seekers with employers with open job opportunities. At an NHSC Virtual Job Fair, you can learn about job vacancies available now at NHSC-approved sites and talk with site representatives about the job and benefits package, clinical environment, populations served and local community.  read more>> 

National Center for Health Workforce Analysis Releases 2015 Area Health Resource Data Files

Encompassing county, state and national files, the Area Health Resources Files (AHRF) provide a comprehensive set of data offering a broad range of health resources and socioeconomic indicators that impact demand for health care.

Providing both current and historic data for more than 6,000 variables for each of the nation's counties, the AHRF contains information on health facilities, health professions, measures of resource scarcity, health status, economic activity, health training programs, and socioeconomic and environmental characteristics. read more>>

Bureau of Health Workforce: Application and Grants Bulletins

The Bureau of Health Workforce recently released its 2016 Application Bulletin and its 2016 Grants Bulletin, which provide snapshots of the bureau’s funding opportunities in 2016 by program, eligibility and discipline. The bulletins also include estimated open/release dates for each opportunity.

CMS Releases Meaningful Use Final Rule

On October 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rule with modifications to the Meaningful Use EHR Incentive Program requirements, encompassing 2015 through 2017 (Modified Stage 2) and Stage 3. Along with confirming a continuous 90-day reporting period for 2015, unnecessary requirements have been eliminated. Those that remain have been simplified with increased flexibility focusing on interoperability, information exchange, and patient engagement.  read more>>

Webinar: Meaningful Use - Final Rule and 2015 Changes
Date: November 2, 2015
Time: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Hosted by CHCANYS, this webinar will review the Meaningful Use Final Rule issued by CMS. Attendance is free of charge, but registration is required. Click here to sign up.
Contact Amy Tammam, Health IT Project Manager at atammam@chcanys.org with any questions.

Reminder: OMIG Compliance Certification
Medicaid providers who are required to implement a compliance program under Social Services Law § 363-d and 18 NYCRR Part 521 must certify each December that a program meeting those requirements is in place. OMIG will post the 2015 certification forms to its website on December 1. For more information about this mandatory compliance program obligation, click here.

Supercircular, Sliding Fee Scale & Budget Pins: It Does Not Have to Be a Three-Ring Circus
Date: November 2 -3, 2015  |  Location: Orlando, Florida
2014 brought significant changes to the fiscal administration of the Health Center Program with OMB’s release of the Supercircular and HRSA’s release of PINs 2013-01: Budgeting and Accounting for Health Centers and 2014-02: Sliding Fee Discount and Related Billing and Collections Program Requirements. This live, hands-on training will address the framework of these new policies and the steps health centers need to take to ensure that their policies and procedures remain in compliance with all Federal requirements. For more information and to register, click here.

September Medicaid Update
The Office of Health Insurance Programs of the New York State Department of Health has approved the release of the September 2015 Medicaid Update. To read it, click here.

Webinar: OIG Year In Review
Date: December 10, 2015  |  Time: 2:00 p.m.
From its issuance of compliance guidance documents to its investigations of alleged fraud and abuse, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides both the carrot and the stick when it comes to fighting waste, fraud and abuse in federal health care programs. This webinar will provide an overview of the OIG, its authorities, the organization of its activities within the OIG, and the guidance issued within the last year. In addition, it will address potential changes for 2016. For more information and to register, click here.

Need to Save Costs? – CPG & CHCANYS Can Help
CHCANYS has partnered with the CommonWealth Purchasing Group (CPG), the leading group purchasing organization in the country specializing in the health industry, to promote its services to FQHCs in New York State. CPG will review your existing orders and show you how to save even more. To set up an appointment, contact rwynn@chcanys.org. For additional information, click here.

Maintenance of Certification Credits Available to Physicians Participating in AHRQ EvidenceNOW Initiative
Physicians participating in HealthyHearts NYC will be eligible to receive MOC credits for their engagement in the project’s QI activities. ABMS issued a press release on October 5th noting that physicians who are board certified by one of 20 of the 24 ABMS member boards may receive MOC credit for participating in EvidenceNOW.  read more>>

Assistance for eHIVQUAL Reporting Requirements
CHCANYS, Azara and the AIDS Institute have worked closely to develop an extract that will automatically transfer data from the Center for Primary Care Informatics (CPCI) to the eHIVQUAL system for incorporation into the statewide data report. To read the announcement from the AIDS Institute, click here. There are currently 12 Base Measures included in the CPCI subscription, and now funding from the AIDS Institute has been secured for the development of 17 additional measures, including health center ability to review data prior to extract submission. We anticipate that this new functionality will cover a large portion of eHIVQUAL reporting requirements in future years. Mapping the data required for this extended functionality costs a one-time fee of $5,400 per health center, which includes access to the set of extended HIV Registries. This addition to the CPCI alleviates the burden of manual reporting and potential for human error. To take advantage of this exciting capability, please contact Jeff Brandes at Azara Healthcare at jeff.brandes@azarahealthcare.com.

AmeriCares Volunteer Opportunity in Syria
AmeriCares is currently seeking Arabic and Farsi speaking nurses and doctors who are willing to assist with the Syrian refugee crisis in Lesbos. AmeriCares will cover all costs associated with travel, lodging, food and incidentals while on the island and will coordinate all logistics. Candidates should be able to make a minimum two-week commitment; three weeks or more would be ideal.  read more>>

New Glaucoma Toolkit Now Available in Spanish
The National Eye Health Education Program is pleased to announce the release of Cuidemos nuestros ojos del glaucoma, a Spanish language glaucoma toolkit containing the resources you need to deliver educational sessions in your community. For more information and to download the toolkit, click here.

Webinar: Advancing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Primary Care
Date: October 22, 2015, Time: 1:00 p.m.
Hosted by: American Cancer Society
This presentation will provide real world examples from primary care settings in different parts of the state and highlight how New York is working to meet the ambitious goal of 80% screened for colorectal cancer by 2018.  You will hear about innovative strategies such as FluFit, patient navigation, and other approaches primary care organizations are taking, and learn what you can do to help increase colorectal cancer screening rates through screening awareness/promotion, screening provision and the reduction of structural barriers.  read more>>

HC Standard Communication Platform Upgrade

HC Standard has a new look! This web-based application serves as CHCANYS’ primary communication platform for collecting information and maintaining situational awareness in the event of a widespread emergency or disaster. Stop by the HC Standard Workstation at the CHCANYS 2015 Statewide Conference and Clinical Forum for more information and a live demonstration!

Cyber-Attack Workshop Exercise Planned for Providers in NYC
Cyber-attacks are taking place with greater frequency. In order to better prepare NYC-based providers, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) will work with hospitals and primary care centers to plan and execute a Cyber-Attack Workshop exercise. The workshop will kick off with a planning session in October, to be followed by conference calls in November and December to discuss execution and logistics. The exercise will be implemented in the spring of 2016 and will be followed by a “lessons learned” discussion in the summer of 2016. If you are interested in participating, please contact PCEPN at Info@PCEPN.org.

Emergency Management for Primary Care Centers
The Primary Care Emergency Preparedness Network recently launched a new training course on the NYS Department of Health Learning Management System entitled PCEPN EM-101: Emergency Management for Primary Care Centers. This 30-minute, pre-recorded course provides 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. The training may be accessed at any time by registering on the Learning Management System and searching the online course catalog.

Webinar: Healthcare Facilities Ebola Update
Date: October 16, 2015, Time: 10:00 a.m.
Hosted by: NYC DOHMH
The goal of the session will be to update the frontline healthcare partners on the current Ebola epidemiology, review procedures for the initial evaluation of (low but not zero risk) return travelers with illness, and review some key Fever-Travel cases from the last few months. To join the meeting, click here and enter meeting number: 716 259 290 and meeting password: Health123. To connect to telephone audio, dial 1-866-213-1863 and enter access code: 8477536.