We hope you find this an efficient, useful tool and we welcome your feedback and comments. --Elizabeth Swain, CEO
If your health center has a training or technical assistance that you'd like to share with others around the state, or would like to subscribe others at your health center to Your CHCANYS please email the pertinent information to Libby Post at lpost@commservices.net. Thank you.
CHCANYS UPDATE News from Policy/Advocacy Successful P&I In what NACHC referred to as one of the most successful P&I Hill visit days in recent times, CHCANYS would like to thank all heath centers that participated in this year's DC legislative visits on the hill. The New York State delegation received more top health center awards than any other state delegation for leadership on community health issues, which is a testimony to community health centers developing relationships with their congressional members throughout the year and getting them to vote favorably on our issues. The issues discussed at this year's P&I Hill visits were: 1. Role of Health Centers in Health Reform 2. $370 Million Appropriation Increase 3. Primary Care Workforce Expansion 4. Medicare Payment Cap and MATCH Act 5. Capital Funding
In addition, we specifically asked our legislators to agree to sign on to the Stabenow-Bond Appropriation Letter which is now circulating among members and to agree to co-sponsor the MATCH Act.
The offices of all New York legislators were contacted to schedule appointments with various community health center representatives. In cases where legislators' offices were unable to schedule a particular time P&I Hill visit day, CHCANYS and other health center representatives conducted "drop by" meetings to deliver the legislators' packets and awards. CHCANYS had scheduled meetings with both Senator Schumer's and Gillibrand's offices. However, both Senators regrettably could not personally attend. In light of this, Senator Schumer has requested that we set up a meeting in New York. CHCANYS will contact both Senators' NY district offices to set up meetings, discuss the issues and formally give them their health center awards.
The President's Health Care Plan and Health Care Summit The President released his health care plan and held his bipartisan health care summit last week. During the Policy and Issues Forum, leaders of NACHC expressed "optimism that health care reform will happen in one form or another." This is especially encouraging for health centers as the President's Plan includes an additional $11 billion of dedicated funding for health centers over a 5-year period on top of the normal health center appropriation. This $11 billion allocation will enable health centers to see an additional 20 million new patients, thus doubling the number of patients seen at health centers in 5 years to a new total of 40 million patients.
Also very promising is the addition of $1.5 billion for the National Health Service Corp (NHSC). This allocation is expected to enable the growth of 17,000 new medical professionals over a 5- year period. Also discussed as possible improvements to the NHSC program include the allowance of: 1. Part Time Positions 2. Teaching Positions 3. Award Size to go to $50K
Dental Coverage Cuts Leave California's Poor in Pain A story that aired 2/21/10 on National Public Radio reports on how some three million poor and disabled adults in California have lost their dental coverage to budget cuts. While the recession is said to be easing, California and other states nationwide continue to face enormous budget deficits and therefore are cutting deep into public health programs. Dental benefits for Medicaid recipients are prime targets for these cuts. A growing number of states have scaled back their dental coverage programs, many covering only dental emergencies. To read the complete story, click here.
News from Health Center Support Services CHCANYS Career Center Did you know that CHCANYS has a Career Center at www.CHCANYS.org? Our website allows employers and candidates to post positions and resumes. If you are looking to fill a position, you can post an opening within your organization. Or, you can browse resumes of candidates looking for employment. To view the Career Center, click here.
NY Medicaid Update If you are not already receiving the NYS Medicaid Update via email, you can sign up to receive this valuable monthly publication from the Department of Health by clicking here.
News from Emergency Preparedness NYC CHC Pandemic Plan Is Currently Under Construction The NYC CHC Pandemic Plan Guidance and Reference Document is currently under construction. The first section of the document is ready to be distributed to the Influenza Working Group for review and comment and will be communicated this week. For any questions or comments, please call Mario J. Gonzalez at CHCANYS, 212-710-3810 or email at mgonzalez@CHCANYS.org.
CHCANYS' Mathew Ziemer Attends the 2010 Public Health Preparedness Summit in Atlanta Georgia Matthew was in Atlanta at the 2010 Public Health Preparedness Summit where he and representatives from PCDC and DOHMH presented the model and spoke on the Primary Care Emergency Preparedness Network. This project will assure Community Health Center representation at the Office of Emergency Management in New York City by collaborating with the office on planning and response to public health emergencies and disasters. The NYSDOH Health Commerce System (HCS)
As a result of an extensive and collaborative input process, the HPN and the HIN have been redesigned and recreated as The NYSDOH Health Commerce System (HCS). The existing HPN and HIN sites will still be available to ease the transition to the new site. By March 1, 2010 a link from the HPN/HIN web pages will allow a test drive of the new portal. Self paced training modules are currently available on the HIN/HPN home pages. Click here for important information about the new HCS features and upcoming portal training opportunities. You may also click here to sign up in advance for live webinar training sessions.
H1N1 Vaccine Administration/Wastage Accounting If your health center has signed a 2009 Novel Influenza A H1N1 Monovalent Vaccine Provider Agreement, you are required to report the number of doses administered to individuals and report the number of doses of vaccine that were not able to be used because the vaccine expiration date was exceeded or the vaccine was wasted for other reasons. If you have not already done so, to report H1N1 vaccine doses administered and/or wasted to the appropriate system, please click here.
Also, it is important that you complete a 4-question survey about your H1N1 inventory by calling the Interactive Voice Response system at 1-888-H1N1-VAC (1-888-416-1822).
Once you have reported H1N1 doses that have been administered and/or wasted at your facility and completed the 4 survey questions, you will be placed on a list to receive H1N1 vaccine disposal information from NYSDOH. Please contact the Bureau of Immunization at 518-472-4437 with any questions.
News from Clinical Quality Initiatives Vote for Dental Care Our very own Community Healthcare Network (CHN) is in consideration for a $20,000 sponsorship to improve their dental care. Please help by voting for CHN!!!! Visit Toms of Maine and vote EVERYDAY in support of CHN! Voting closes at 11pm EST on March 12, 2010.
CHCANYS supports the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Obesity and diabetes are the only major health problems that are getting worse. Sugar-sweetened drinks are the largest single driver of the obesity epidemic. Between 1977 and 2001, daily calorie intake from sugar-sweetened drinks has nearly tripled. For these reasons and more, CHCANYS is supporting the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax. For a more in-depth look at this issue, please click here.
Improving Nutrition in Schools Workshop New York State Public Health Association presents Improving Nutrition, Physical Activity and Academic Performance in Schools, an interactive workshop on Thursday, May 6 from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm at the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs, NY led by staff from Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, New York State Education Department, and New York State Department of Health.
This workshop provides an overview of the Breakthrough Series Methodology as it applies to the priority area of physical activity and nutrition in a school setting. Numerous studies have shown a direct link between good nutrition, regular vigorous activity and increased academic performance among children. Local health department staff, school staff committed to improving health policies, school cafeteria managers, and community-based organizations partnering in a school setting are encouraged to attend.
Register online by Friday, April 23 here or call 518 427-5835 for information. Limited stipends are available for registration and travel expenses.
2010 C5 Summit The 2010 C5 Summit will take place on June 3rd, 2010 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Keynote speakers include NYC DOHMH Commissioner Thomas Farley, MD, MPH and Chyke Doubeni, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Each spring the C5 Coalition in conjunction with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, hosts a citywide meeting which brings together over 100 healthcare professional: primary care physicians, GI doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and many others from New York City and State. The Summit includes presentations from world-renowned experts on the progress of screening and treatment, legislation, medical research, and education and awareness of colorectal cancer. Click here to register.
NACHC NEWS "Coding Health Centers Can Use" Webinar Series Now Available NACHC and Brown Consulting are pleased to announce a new "Coding Health Centers Can Use" three-webinar series designed to assist health centers in the areas of billing and collections. Each session will inform health centers of the basic components of coding and how improving current billing practices and systems can translate into increased revenues. These trainings will provide a complete overview of the billing and reimbursement issues that impact coders and billers in a Federally Qualified Health Clinic (FQHC).
Webinar 1: Two Methods for Choosing Clinic E/M Codes March 18, 2-4 PM EST Register by March 15 Webinar 2: Diagnosis Coding to Prove your Work March 25, 2-4 PM EST Register by March 22 Webinar 3: Common/ Frequent Coding Issues April 1, 2-4 PM EST Register by March 30
To register for any of these webinars, please click here.
HRSA PINS AND PALS The Health Center Program: Policy Information Notice 2010-01: Confirming Public Agency Status under the Health Center Program and FQHC Look-Alike Program The purpose of this Policy Information Notice (PIN) is to describe the documentation that will be considered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in confirming public agency status for organizations that self-identify as public agencies (also referred to in previous PINs as "public entities" or "public applicants") for Health Center Program grant funding authorized under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, and/or for Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike designation. For more information, click here.
