Welcome to the April 3, 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 in the beginning and middle of each month.
We hope you find this an efficient, useful tool and we welcome your feedback and comments.
--Elizabeth Swain, CEO
CHCANYS Updates--NEW Infrastructure Stimulus Funding Update
The release of federal stimulus dollars brings extraordinary funding opportunities for community health centers and we want to make sure New York State's health centers are able to take full advantage of these resources.
Last week HRSA provided details regarding the distribution of the new Increased Demand for Services (IDS) funding. $19.6 million in IDS grants were distributed to health centers in NYS. This is the second piece of the first round of funding - a total of $500 million nationwide - for community health centers that HRSA is releasing as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) which allocated a total of $2 billion for health center infrastructure and operations.
We expect that HRSA will be releasing the next grant announcement for Capital and HIT (infrastructure) funding shortly and want to ensure New York State's 330 FQHC Grantees are prepared to apply for this funding. Look-Alikes are not eligible for this funding. Click here for more background information.
CHCANYS will be providing technical assistance opportunities and information for NYS FQHC 330 grantees to help them throughout this process. We just completed a Infrastructure Stimulus Conference Call with Capital Link. To hear a recording of the call contact, Rebecca Gaige-Troxell, CHCANYS' Program and Planning Coordinator at 518-434-0767, ext. 13, rgaige@chcanys.org. For further information regarding your 2008 UDS, please contact Monti J. Castaneda, Researcher, Quality Initiatives, 212-710-4181, mcastaneda@chcanys.org. For further questions for Capital Link, please contact Joe McKelvey, Project Consultant, 202-331-4602, jmckelvey@caplink.org.
HRSA is required to develop a plan for spending the funds within 90 days of the signing of the bill (mid-May 2009) and it must report progress back to Congress every six months thereafter. Therefore, there will be a very fast turnaround for health centers to receive this funding with significant scrutiny over the project period. So, we must be ready.
CHCANYS also is working with the New York State Department of Health's Office of Health Systems Management. We have requested training for health centers on the CON process with regard to the new capital stimulus funding and are awaiting details. We also are working with them to identify ways to expedite the CON process as needed. We will share information as more details become available.
Expect Community Health and Primary Care To Fare Well in State Budget
Those providing care to the uninsured and underserved and those uninsured and underserved looking for health care providers can both breath a little easier. The 2009-10 New York State budget, once passed, will include enhanced funding that will help shore up New York's community, migrant and homeless health centers-the state's health care safety net. Check out the CHCANYS website for up to date information.
Commonwealth Quality Survey Responses Due
As of this week, 547 completed Commonwealth Quality Surveys have been submitted, an overall response rate of 54%, far less than the 80% goal. The New York State response rate currently sits at 64%. If yours is not among them, or you need another survey or you have questions, please direct them to: Sandra Applebaum, Healthcare and Policy Research, Harris Interactive, 161 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013. Phone: 800-866-7655 X6746. Fax: 212-539-9567
Region II Conference, July 12-14, 2009 - Register Today! 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 Health Centers. 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. Registration, hotel and sponsor/exhibit information are available by clicking here.
CHCANYS UDS Database Update
We are very pleased to report that CHCANYS' brand new UDS analysis database has been created and we are ready to receive your health centers' 2008 UDS reports.
Please follow the instructions below to submit your report to us:
Open your center's EHB site page where you can print out your UDS report.
On that page there is an option that allows you to download the submitted UDS data as an XML data file.
Choose this option and save the file locally on your computer. (Please use your UDS number and health center to name the file. For example, the file name for 2008 UDS data for a health center called "Community Development Health Center," with a UDS number 9121 would have a file name: H9121_Community Devel.xml)
If you have any questions, feel free to contact John Blackman at CHCANYS at mailto:jblackman@chcanys.org or (212) 710-3813.
Have You Updated Our Job Bank Today?
The job bank hosted on the CHCANYS website is a great way to find a new employment opportunity or advertise an opening at your organization. Many of our health centers are already using it. For those who have not yet taken the plunge, you can find the Job Bank on the CHCANYS website by clicking on "About Us" and then on "Career Center". Please remember the Job Bank is only as good as the information posted there. We strongly encourage you to visit your postings often and update them accordingly.
CHC Leader Testifies Before Congress
Lindsay Farrell, President and CEO of the Open Door Family Medical Center in Ossining, testified on March 18 before the U.S. House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services on behalf of the 18 million patients served by community health centers nationwide about the critical need for Congress to pass the appropriations request of $2.602 billion for Fiscal Year 2010 for Community Health Centers. To read her complete testimony, click here.
Poison Prevention Online Tool Now Available
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released a new online tool to raise awareness of ways to prevent poisonings across the U.S. The downloadable planner unveiled during National Poison Prevention Week features useful information on how communities can work with local poison centers to implement prevention activities and gives tips for promoting media events and community outreach efforts. HRSA has also released a new brochure: "Safe Medicine Use & Poison Prevention Tips-A Guide for Older Adults and Caregivers."
For more information, click here.
Hard Times and Health Insurance
United Hospital Fund has published a guide to help individuals retain health benefits after job loss or reduction of work hours. It's called "Hard Times and Health Insurance: Staying Covered When You Lose Your Job." Federal and State laws provide you with ways to postpone or avoid losing your health benefits or how to take advantage of other coverage options. Find out how you can help preserve and exercise important rights and protections by clicking here.
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND TRAININGS-NEW Disaster Life Support Training Available
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is sponsoring training on Basic & Advanced Disaster Life Support and making it available to primary care providers free of cost! The opportunity is to take Basic Disaster Life Support and Advanced Disaster Life Support (3 day training course) - free of cost - at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. It's being sponsored by HEPP April 21-23 OR June 2-4. Please note that the first day is Basic Disaster Life Support, followed by 2 days of Advanced Disaster Life Support.
The training is geared towards clinical staff but registration will be taken for non-clinical staff. Clinical staff will receive priority in the event of limited space. Information on BDLS and ADLS can be found here. For the attached expression of interest form, click here. Interested people should contact Dr. Bindy Crouch at DOHMH by email and send the Expression of Interest Form by fax or email (fax 212.788.4246).
NCQA Diabetes Physician Recognition Program Informational Webinar
The NYS Diabetes Campaign, sponsored by the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) in partnership with the Institute for Family Health, is an initiative designed to reverse the diabetes epidemic in New York State by improving clinical care, mobilizing communities, and promoting policy. CHCANYS has been chosen as one of the clinical hubs to participate in this effort and is recruiting organizations to participate in the campaign and in the NCQA/ADA Diabetes Physician Recognition Program.
The NCQA Diabetes Physician Recognition Program is a voluntary program for physicians and practices to receive recognition for quality diabetes care. The program provides recognized physicians with valuable information about their patients and their practice; and, receives internal/external validation of your practice's hard work and dedication. For FAQs about the program, click here.
NYeC EHR Implementation and Adoption Education Series Mondays, 11 am to 12:30 pm
NYeC is hosting an eight-session education series led by expert consultants and clinicians designed to enhance and support EHR implementation and adoption across New York State. The sessions, which began January 12, follows a curriculum based on the "EHR Implementation Value Chain."
Session VII - April 6: Inter-operating with internal and external systems
Session VIII-April 20: Post-implementation support Click here to join the distribution list or to download recordings of the previous six sessions.
How To Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in Practice - A Primary Care Clinician's Evidence-Based Toolkit and Guide
In February, the NYS Academy of Family Physicians and the American Cancer Society in conjunction with CHCANYS offered an evidence-based CME/CNE opportunity, "How to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in Practice--A Primary Care Clinician's Evidence-Based Toolkit and Guide". The curriculum focuses on identifying patients at increased risk for colorectal cancer and improving screening rates utilizing the most recent guidelines and recommendations.
A recording of the webinar has been archived on the CHCANYS website for viewing at your convenience. Click here for more information and a link to the recording. At the end of viewing the archived recording, please complete an evaluation (a link can be found on the same webpage). Completion of the evaluation is necessary in order to obtain CME/CNE credits. All completed evaluations should be faxed to Kathy Alexis (212) 279-3851.
Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
The Quality Initiatives team at CHCANYS has been trained to be Master trainers of the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program and would like to facilitate a 6-week session for your facility. This program gives patients with chronic diseases and their caretakers the skills needed to manage their health and to maintain a healthy and active life.
If you are interested and for more information, please feel free to contact the following coordinators of the Quality Initiatives Team. Candy Magana, mailto:cmagana@chcanys.org, 212-710-3816 or Kathy Alexis, mailto:kalexis@chcanys.org, 212-710-3817
HRSA PINS AND PALS INFORMATION-NEW How to change the scope or add a new target population to a grant request
This Policy Information Notice (PIN) describes the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) policy for Health Center Program grantees funded only under sections 330(g), (h), and/or (i) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act ("special populations-only grantees") requesting to change their scope of project by adding a new target population beyond the designated population for which section 330 Federal grant funds were awarded. As health centers continue to expand access to services in their communities, they are experiencing greater demand for services from populations beyond those for which section 330 funding was awarded. This PIN describes the factors that will be considered by HRSA in evaluating change in scope requests from special populations-only Health Center Program grantees to add a new target population. For details, click here
Updating and keeping vacancy lists and site profiles current for the NHSC program
The purpose of this Program Assistance Letter (PAL) is to encourage health centers to update and keep current their vacancy lists and site profiles for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program. Health centers that fail to update their vacancy lists reduce their ability to take advantage of the NHSC program, which can help health centers address their workforce needs, thus improving access to care for their patients. For details, click here
