Your CHCANYS

Congress Approves $5.1 Billion in Federal Funding for FQHCs
After much debate, both the House and the Senate have approved passage of the “CRomnibus” spending plan that will allow the government to remain funded through the end of the fiscal year in September.  The legislation comprises 11 of the 12 annual appropriations bills, including the Labor, Health and Human Services bill which funds the Health Centers Program.  This bill includes a total program level of $5.1 billion in funding for the Health Centers program – $1.5 billion in discretionary funding and full access to the final $3.6 billion in mandatory funding available in the Health Center Fund – which represents a $1.4 billion increase over what was spent on health centers during FY2014. Of this additional $1.4 billion, no less than $165 million will be allocated to base grant adjustments; no less than $350 million will be used to support new access points (NAP), and up to $150 million will be put toward construction and capital improvement projects. read more >> 

CMS Announces $99.9 Million State Innovation Models (SIM) Test Award for New York State
On December 16, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the recipients of 11 Model Test awards under the second round of the State Innovation Models (SIM) initiative. New York State will receive approximately $99.9 million in financial and technical support over a four-year period to test and evaluate its proposed multi-payer health system transformation model, known as the Advanced Primary Care (APC) model. This model will include behavioral and population health, and be complemented by a strong workforce and engaged consumers, with supportive payment and common metrics.  read more >>

DSRIP: Updated Regulatory Flexibility Guidance Released
Brown & Weinraub, PLLC has developed an updated list of regulatory requirements from which PPS networks should consider requesting regulatory and mandate relief in order to more effectively and efficiently implement the integration of health and behavioral health services.  Although not exhaustive, this document provides concrete examples of regulatory and policy relief that may be requested. Additionally, this checklist includes a number of helpful tips for compiling requests for regulatory relief.

NYSDOH Posts COPA / ACO Applications and FAQs
The NYS Dept. of Health (NYSDOH) has posted the applications for the Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA) and the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Certificate of Authority to its website, permitting applicants to request a COPA pursuant to Article 29-F of the Public Health Law (PHL) and proposed regulations 10 NYCRR Subpart 83-1 and/or a Certificate of Authority for an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) pursuant to Article 29-E of the PHL and proposed regulations 10 NYCRR Part 1003.  Both sets of proposed regulations are available here. read more >> 

Advocacy Day is March 2, 2015 – Save the Date!
It's time to start making plans to attend CHCANYS' annual Community Health Center Grassroots Advocacy Day, scheduled for March 2, 2015 at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Additional details and an online registration form will be posted here soon. In the meantime, we urge you to begin recruiting widely for this important event! Please contact Kate Graetzer in CHCANYS’ Albany office at 518-434-1115 or kgraetzer@chcanys.org with any questions or concerns.

DSRIP Population Health Management Webinar Series Now Available Online
To thrive in the new value-based environment of DSRIP, PPSs must become high performing organizations, working together across the community, to provide a seamless continuum of coordinated, patient or "person-centered" services that are population health focused. To be successful, PPSs will need access to complete, longitudinal information on what happens to patients over time and across organizational boundaries. The two-part “DSRIP Population Health Management” webinar series, originally presented in November and now available online, is designed to help PPSs ensure that they have the necessary functional population health management tools in place to help identify, monitor, and report on patient populations. To access the recording and slides, click here.

OMIG Certification Deadline: December 31, 2014
New York State Medicaid providers are required to implement and maintain compliance programs as described in NYS Social Service Law. Providers must also certify in December of each year that their compliance programs meet statutory and regulatory requirements. In preparation for this year’s deadline of December 31, read more >>

HRSA Issues Sliding Fee Discount Program FAQs
HRSA has issued FAQs to clarify aspects of PIN 2014-02: Sliding Fee Discount and Related Billing and Collections Program Requirements. This document contains important information regarding the extent of board approval, eligibility assessment, definitions of income and family size, and discounts on service-related supplies/materials. read more >>

Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell and NACHC Launch Compliance / FTCA Resource Site
In response to requests from health centers across the country for resources on compliance and the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) to help prevent and detect conduct inconsistent with laws, regulations, and other legal requirements, Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell and NACHC have collaboratively created HealthCenterCompliance.com. read more >>

Operational Site Visits Expand to Assess 340B Compliance
As a reminder, all Operational Site Visits (OSV) to health centers participating in the 340B Discount Drug Pricing Program conducted on or after October 1, 2014 will include a brief assessment of compliance with 340B requirements. OSV review teams will use a set of standard questions to perform this assessment and report responses directly to HRSA’s Office of Pharmacy Affairs. For more information, click here. 

Scope Alignment Validation Update
Consistent with the actions and the timeline described in the Scope Alignment Validation Follow-up Actions document on its Scope of Project webpage, the Bureau of Primary Health Care’s (BPHC) has completed the last phase of administrative changes to Form 5A: Services. read more >> 

NY State of Health Extends Enrollment Deadline
The NYS Department of Health has extended the deadline for enrolling in or renewing health insurance coverage through the online NY State of Health (NYSOH) Marketplace to December 20. Assistors will continue to process applications by telephone through December 20 as well. Coverage begins on January 1. To read the press release, click here.

PrEP Cards
Ordering a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) card is now easier than ever!  This convenient card provides clinically relevant information on the recommended PrEP regimen, pre-prescription assessment, lab tests and monitoring, and the New York State Clinical Consultation Line, as well as URLs featuring additional information on PrEP guidelines and Clinical Education Initiative (CEI) projects. read more >>

AHRQ Releases New Evaluation Guide
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a new evaluation guide to assist with the design of real-world evaluations of interventions such as the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and other models to improve primary care delivery. read more >>

NYC DOHMH CHI: Providing Comprehensive Health Care to Men Who Have Sex with Men
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) has released a City Health Information (CHI) bulletin entitled Providing Comprehensive Health Care to Men Who Have Sex with Men. If you are interested in printed copies, please contact Jennifer Fuld in the NYC DOHMH Division of Disease Control at (347) 396-2412 or jfuld@health.nyc.gov. Continuing Medical Education (CME) and continuing nursing education (CNE) credits are available.

COPE-REMS Offers Free Opioid Education Training
Is your patient demanding opioids? People with severe chronic pain issues are often worn down and may be irritable or angry. A patient's relentless request for an opioid prescription may actually express a need for pain relief, validation that his/her pain is real, and/or empathy for feeling overwhelmed. Writing prescriptions for opioids is not the only way to acknowledge their pain and suffering. Click here to learn how to handle difficult situations related to chronic, non-cancer pain.

Clinical Education Initiative (CEI) Line
Have questions about HIV, HCV, PEP, PrEP, and STIs?  Medical providers may call the Clinical Education Initiative (CEI) Line with clinical inquiries regarding patients with STDs, HIV or HCV or those in need of PEP or PrEP.  For more information, click here. 

New Tools Simplify Suicide Prevention Efforts
New tools to help providers assess and treat potentially suicidal patients are available thanks to a collaboration between the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The tools are based on VA and Defense Department clinical practice guidelines issued last year. The tools integrate the latest evidence-based practices into recommendations on warning signs, protective factors, safety planning and effective treatments. read more >>

NDEP Releases Diabetes Toolkit for African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos
Designed by the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) for African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, the Road to Health Toolkit provides materials to start a community outreach program reinforcing the message that Type 2 Diabetes can be delayed or prevented. read more >>   

Free Quality Improvement Tobacco Treatment Assistance Available
Led by the NYU School of Medicine and funded by the NYS Dept. of Health, Bureau of Tobacco Control, NYC Treats Tobacco (NYCTT) is a free resource supporting health care organizations in the implementation of policies and system improvements designed to ensure that all patients throughout NYC are routinely screened for tobacco use and offered evidence-based treatment for nicotine dependence. NYCTT can provide technical assistance in mapping the full spectrum of tobacco use treatment quality indicators with the electronic health record to fulfill federal quality reporting requirements such as HRSA Uniform Data System measures and Meaningful Use. read more >> 

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT): Strategies of Integration into Primary Care
Date: January 22, 2015; Time: 9:00 a.m.; Presented by: the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care and Treatment and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Save the date! More information to follow.

PCEPN and DOHMH Offering Ebola Preparedness Site Visits to NYC Health Centers
The Primary Care Emergency Preparedness Network (PCEPN) and the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) have partnered and are available, by appointment, to visit NYC-based community health centers to discuss Ebola planning and preparedness. These visits are offered as guidance and are not regulatory or mandatory visits. read more >> 

Biosurveillance Update
Click here for a detailed update on Ebola Virus Disease and the 2014-15 Influenza season.

National Incident Command System Training
HRSA and other federal agencies require all partner entities to be prepared for an emergency.  Part of this preparedness is a familiarization at all levels of management and staff with the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Community health centers have been specifically tasked by HRSA with the development of emergency management programs and ensuring that staff is trained in NIMS.  read more >>