Welcome to the February 13, 2009 issue of Your CHCANYS Email Update.
Twice each month, Your CHCANYS brings you quick summaries of items your health center needs to know about with links to additional information and resources. It includes timely updates about newly available resources, application deadlines for grants and upcoming trainings, as well as policy updates since our last contact with you. Look for these updates on the 1st and 15th of each month.
We hope you find this an efficient, useful tool and we welcome your feedback and comments.
--Elizabeth Swain, CEO
CHCANYS UPDATES Advocacy Day, March 2, 2009
Community, Homeless and Migrant Health Centers will organize in Albany at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center for the Annual Community Health Center Advocacy Day. Together, we’ll let our state legislators know the crucial role that health center staff, community partners, board members, and patients play in community, homeless and migrant health centers. We’ll provide breakfast and lunch, but we are asking for a strong and firm commitment from all of you. For materials and to register, go to www.CHCANYS.org. For more information, email grassroots@chcanys.org. or call (518) 434-0767 x12.
Region II Conference, July 12-14, 2009
This Conference is hosted by CHCANYS and held in collaboration with the New Jersey Primary Care Association, Asociacion de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Primary Care Office. Themed Community Health Centers-Yes We Can! , this 3-day event will be held at the Hilton Rye Town Hotel in Rye Brook, New York and features plenary sessions and workshops focused on bold new initiatives in health care. For workshop proposal forms, please contact Roxanne Wynn-Trotman at (212) 710-3806 or rwynn@chcanys.org. The deadline for proposal submission is March 16.
HOLD THE DATE: October 14-16, 2009 for the CHCANYS Clinical Forum & Statewide Annual Conference
New Immigrant Handbook Now Available
CHCANYS has teamed up with The Empire Justice Center, the statewide legal services organization, to develop a handbook detailing publicly funded health care coverage for immigrants. Funding for the project came from the New York State Health Foundation and a number of health centers across New York provided invaluable assistance in putting the handbook together. To download a copy, go to www.CHCANYS.org and click on the link on the homepage.
Space available in bright, newly renovated loft with hardwood floors in Penn Station-Port Authority neighborhood
The Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS) has 330 sq. ft. of space available for sublet in elevator building with lobby security. Copier is available for share, phone and internet are the subtenant’s responsibility. The space is fully wired and is set up to accommodate at least four staff (desks are available), share kitchen, bathrooms and small and large conference rooms. Asking $3k a month (includes electricity, water, sprinkler, garbage and office cleaning costs) for one year lease with option to renew. Contact Ana Reyes at areyes@chcanys.org.
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES-NEW HRSA Enabling Services for Special Populations grant – HRSA-09-190. Deadline March 2
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Primary Health Care announces the Enabling Services for Special Populations supplemental grant competition. Enabling services enhance the ability of health centers to provide comprehensive primary care, increase access to essential health care services and improve the health status of those served. For eligibility requirements, criteria and awarding factors and deadlines to apply for this supplemental grant, visit www.grants.gov and search for HRSA-09-190 under “Find Grant Opportunities”.
Evaluating Locally-Developed HIV Prevention Interventions for African-American and Hispanic/Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) RFA-PS-09-007
Deadline March 3 Go to http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/FOAs.htm for full announcement or call the CDC Procurement and Grants Office at 770-488-2700.
Telehealth Network Grants - HRSA-09-194 Deadline March 6
The Telehealth Grant Program objective is to improve access to quality health care services in underserved rural and urban communities. Applicants can apply for Telehealth Networks—grants for the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support and promote long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration or Telehomecare Networks—to evaluate the cost and effectiveness of remote vital sign monitoring of individual patients and the delivery of health care services to people in their place of residence (including assisted living facilities and other congregate arrangements) using telecommunications technologies to exchange health care information over a distance. For more information and to apply, go to www.grants.gov, click on “Find Grant Opportunities” and search under HRSA-09-194.
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Funding Opportunities Deadline March 9 The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has two funding opportunities in prevention/care management:
FOA-PA-090070 AHRQ supports large research extramural grants
FOA, PA-09-071 solicits large research demonstration and dissemination projects.
Submit electronically through www.grants.gov using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications not accepted.
Development, Implementation and Evaluation of Strategies to Increase Vaccination of Adolescents Affiliated with a Medical Home RFA-IP-09-006.
Deadline March 26.
Go to http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/FOAs.htm or call 770-488-2700
HRSA Grant to States for Supporting Oral Health Workforce Activities. HRSA 09-109. Deadline April 1
Part D of Title III of the Public Health Service Act as amended, Subpart X - Primary Dental Programs, Section 340G (42 USC 256g) authorized the Secretary to award grants to States to improve the accessibility of the oral health workforce for underserved geographic areas and populations. Section 340F defines a designated shortage area as "an area, population group, or facility that is designated by the Secretary as a dental health professional shortage area under section 332 or designated by the applicable State as having a dental health manpower shortage." For eligibility requirements, criteria and awarding factors and deadlines to apply for this grant, visit www.grants.gov and search for HRSA-09-190 under “ Find Grant Opportunities”.
HRSA High Impact Health Information Technology Grant. HRSA 09-199. Deadline April 1 The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support HCCN’s or large health centers in one of four types of HIT projects that use HIT as a tool to improve the quality of health care and to improve individual and population health. For the innovations and electronic health record (EHR) implementation projects, this funding opportunity supports new implementation of HIT. In addition, this funding opportunity seeks projects to strengthen an existing quality improvement program by funding QI projects to advance the QI strategy of a network or a large multi site health center. For eligibility requirements, criteria and awarding factors and deadline to apply for this grant, visit www.grants.gov and search for HRSA-09-199 under “Find Grant Opportunities”.
Essentials of Registration and Eligibility Verification: February 12, 2 PM EST. Tips on how to implement and monitor policies related to patient registration and certifying health center patients for the sliding fee scale.
Managing Cash During Difficult Times: February 19, EST How to project cash level and cash need; manage the balance sheet in general and cash in specific; and how to create the proper metrics and reporting to monitor the center’s financial health.
Preparing for the Financial Sector of the OPR: February 26, 2 PM, EST
The webcast addresses the types of information requested and reviewed before, during and after the review; what indicators are reviewed and what HRSA’s expectations are; and how your health center compares with others.
Using the UDS as a Management Tool: March 5, 2PM EST This webcast will discuss how the Uniform Data System provides financial information on grant services, and serves as a useful tool for managers and Boards of Directors in analyzing and understanding health center operations.
Measuring Patient Cycle Time and Waiting Time: March 19, 2 PM EST
This webinar will help health centers learn how to reduce patient waiting times and establish internal benchmarks that will improve provider productivity and patient satisfaction.
Practice Transformation and Workflow Planning: February 23, 11-12:30 pm
NYeC is hosting an eight-session education series, designed to enhance and support EHR implementation and adoption across New York State. Session IV features Barbara Cox, Gap Consulting and Suzanne Columbus, Healthy NY HIT Consulting, Inc. For more information, http://www.nyehealth.org/ehr_education_series
How to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in Practice--A Primary Care Clinician's Evidence-Based Toolkit and Guide, February 26
The NYS Academy of Family Physicians and the American Cancer Society in conjunction with the Community Health Care Association of NYS (CHCANYS) are offering this evidence-based CME opportunity. The curriculum focuses on identifying patients at increased risk for colorectal cancer and improving screening rates utilizing the most recent guidelines and recommendations. RSVP to Kathy Alexis at kalexis@chcanys.org or 212-710-3817 to register and receive log-in information.
Free monthly technical training teleconferences for HRSA grantees.
The joint Commission, along with HRSA, is conducting free monthly technical training teleconferences (90 minutes each) for HRSA grantees. The fifth teleconference in the series is Thursday, February 26 at 11:30 am – 1 pm CST and will include effective use of electronic versions of the 2009 Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Ambulatory Care; updates regarding National Patient Safety Goal #8 addressing medication reconciliation; and suggestions regarding the submission of the Periodic Performance Review (PPR). To participate, Dial 877-271-1828 (Conference America), enter passcode: 625188. The conference leader is Lon Berkeley.
The first four technical assistance teleconferences are accessible by phone, 877-919-4059:
September 29: Comments from BPHC leadership on the Accreditation Initiative; and an Overview of the 2009 Standards Improvement Initiative. Passcode 13235280
October 30: 2008 National Patient Safety Goals (all except medication-related. Passcode 36712521
November 24: Medication Management, NPSG. Passcode 57598260*
December 18: Overview of Acceditation Initiate. Passcode 93781996*
January 22, 2008: Overview of Joint Commission Accreditation services passcode 93877481*
The final teleconference of this series will be Thursday, March 19, 11:30 am – 1 pm CST
Buprenorphine and Office-Based Treatment of Opioid Dependence Training: February 28 and May 9
A free training on the use of buprenorphine in treating opioid addiction will be presented by The American Psychiatric Association at Cicatelli Associates, Inc. in NYC. The day-long training will focus on treatment of opioid dependence and in particular, physicians who wish to provide office-based prescriptions of buprenorphine. Upon successful completion of this training, physicians will qualify for a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine in an office-based setting. For information or to register, call Miriam Grill at 917-975-3435 or email mgrill@cicatelli.org.
New and Expanded Opportunities for Services and Training under the Accreditation Initiative can be accessed using the following link: http://www.bphc.hrsa.gov/policy/pal0901.htm
HRSA PINS and PALS Information
Policy Information Notices (PINS)
Specialty Care Scope of Project PIN was released on December 18, 2008. It clarified the policy on specialty care for health center service. PIN highlights:
Factors BPHC will consider when health centers want to add specialty services under the scope of their project.
Allows health centers to bring services into scope at sites where specialty care is provide, but must ensure that all the requirement of Section 330 are met.
Health Centers are encouraged to contact their Project Officers with questions or email the Office of Policy and Program Development. For more information visit:
Specialty Services and Health Centers’ Scope of Project Policy Information Notice 09-02
Program Assistance Letters PALS
Accreditation PAL 2009-01, "New and Expanded Opportunities for Services and Training under the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Accreditation Initiative” provides information on technical assistance and training opportunities available through The Joint Commission on HRSA’s Accreditation Initiative. These opportunities end March 31, 2009. For more information visit: New and Expanded Opportunities for Services and Training under the Accreditation Initiative. Program Assistance Letter 09 - 01
If your health center has a training or technical assistance that you’d like to share with others around the state, please email pertinent information to Libby Post at lpost@commservices.net for possible inclusion in an upcoming Your CHCANYS. Thank you.
