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.
News from Health Center Support Services
Do You Have The Most Current Information On How Health Reform Will Affect Your Health Center? CHCANYS encourages everyone to keep up to date and informed on Health Care Reform and what it will mean to Health Centers. The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has recent updates on the various provisions of Health Care Reform and how they will affect you. Click here for the Health Reform Hub. CHCANYS also has links at www.chcanys.org to Health Care Reform information. Check it out!
CMS Offers Medicare Fraud and Abuse Web-based Training The Medicare Fraud and Abuse Web-based Training has been revised and is now available. The course provides information helpful for Medicare providers and suppliers involved in providing and billing for services to people with Medicare. This activity provides information that will increase awareness of Medicare fraud and abuse; provide information regarding correct billing practices, and help Medicare providers, suppliers and staff to file claims correctly. The course offers continuing education credits; please see the course description page for details. To access the course, please click here and select the web-based training modules link in the "Related Links Inside CMS" section. Once the web-based training courses page is displayed, select the Medicare Fraud and Abuse WBT from the list provided.
CHCANYS Clinical Forum & Statewide Conference: Call for Proposals Health
centers are invited to submit proposals for CHCANYS annual conference
October 3-5, 2010 at The Desmond Hotel in Albany, NY.
The conference will
focus on the health care home and timely policy, clinical,
reimbursement, health information technology, operational issues and
more. The Call for Proposals process starts today through June 15,
2010. Sponsor/Vendor and General Registration are also open at www.chcanys.org.
Region II Conference: May 10th Deadline for Best Rates The New Jersey Primary Care Association (NJPCA) hosts this year's Region II primary care conference for health centers in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The theme is Community Health Centers...A Pathway to Health Care Reform. The conference will take place June 1-3, 2010 at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, NJ. To take advantage of the best hotel and registration rates, please register before May 10th.
For registration, preliminary schedule and hotel, click here. Dr. Yvonne S. Thornton is this year's keynote. She is a Life Member of the NY Academy of Medicine, Health Advocate & Pulitzer Prize Nominated Author of The Ditchdigger's Daughters. For more information about Dr. Thornton, click here. Tom Van Coverden, President and CEO, NACHC will also address the conference.
HRSA NEWS
PAL 2010-01: Important Guidance on "Progressive Action" Process The Health Resources & Services Administration's (HRSA), Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) conducted a technical assistance call to provide guidance on enhancements to support health center program requirements monitoring. To access the Program Assistance letter, please click here. . This Progressive Action process is a time-phased approach for notifying grantees of compliance issues, especially related to health center program requirements. Grantees are strongly encouraged to respond to any conditions reported on their NGA within the 90 day - Phase 1 via the electronic handbook (EHB). If the condition requires a corrective plan for compliance, the grantee will have 120 days to implement the plan following approval from the project officer. Communication with your project officer during this process is essential. For the Power Point, please click here. For the conference call replay, call 1-800-925-4796 (Toll-free);Participant passcode: 201001.
NHSC Announces Opening of 2010 Scholarship Opportunity The National Health Services Corps (NHSC) has announced the opening of its 2010 scholarship opportunity. NHSC awards scholarships each year to students pursuing careers in primary care. The fees include tuition, other reasonable education costs and a monthly stipend. In return, students commit to serving 2-4 years in the Corps after completion of their training. Applications are due by 5 p.m. June 1st. Please click here for the application and program guidance.
HRSA Offering Nursing Scholarships The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) is expected to award 500 nursing scholarships to interested applicants. In exchange for the scholarship, upon graduation the nurses must work at certain types of healthcare facilities - including FQHCs and Look-Alikes - for at least 2 years. Nursing Scholars fulfilling their service commitment receive a competitive salary and benefits package, which they negotiate directly with the employing facility. HRSA is accepting applications April 1 - May 6, 2010. Please click here for more information.
The NHSC Announces a New Loan Repayment Pilot Program for part-time clinicians May 25th deadline Part-time clinicians can now receive up to $50,000 in loan repayment in exchange for a four-year service commitment. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. EDT May 25, 2010. Please click here for key information about the program. You can also visit the NHSC website for more information and to apply.
NACHC NEWS
NACHC is offering the following RSM Webcast Trainings:
Webcast Training: Internal Audit in Community Health Centers May 20, 2010 2PM EST Online registration cutoff date: May 17, 2010
Community health centers have historically shied away from the internal audit function. But with the increased oversight over the financial operations and compliance requirements of Community Health Centers, it is imperative that health centers develop an internal audit function. This webinar will cover the basics of performing an internal audit in a community health center.
Specific topics include:
Performing a risk assessment and developing an annual audit plan.
Development of the audit plan – timeline, scope and objectives of the audit
The audit process – fieldwork, management interviews, detailed testing with respect to the scope and specific objectives of the audit, development of the audit findings.
Development of corrective action plans to address the audit
Webcast Training: Does Your Center Have Revenue Integrity? May 27, 2010 2PM EST Online registration cutoff date: May 24, 2010
Revenue integrity is the result of planned and consistently executed activities to ensure that your center is reimbursed for the services it provides accurately. This means that you get paid for the services that you delivered—nothing more, and nothing less. This webinar describes the essential components of a revenue integrity program and introduces you to the tools to build one.
For further information, contact: Sherry Giles or (301) 347-0400.
For technical assistance, contact: Ema Rukeviciute of RSM McGladrey, Inc.
News from Clinical Quality Initiatives
Diabetes Learning Series: FREE Webinar: Shared Medical Appointments: An Innovative Practice Model to Improve Outcomes in Your Patients with Diabetes Thursday, May 27th, 2010 9-10:30 a.m. Audio Dial-in: 1-866-504-8504 Conference Code: 2127103817 Webinar Please click here for Live Meeting access: Meeting ID: 4PBTMG
Dr. Diana Berger, a diabetes and lifestyle medicine specialist, will facilitate a webinar about shared medical appointments (SMA), often referred to as a “group visit,” for patients with diabetes. In a SMA, a group of 10-15 patients meets with a physician, behaviorist, medical assistant, nurse, and dedicated documenter for 90 minutes. Patient participation and peer support is an integral part of this team-based approach to care in which the care team facilitates discussion rather than lecturing. SMAs can improve clinical outcomes, increase patient and clinician satisfaction, improve access to care, and boost a physician’s productivity. This innovative practice model is efficient, cost-effective, and potentially profitable for a practice.
The goal of the webinar is to inspire the participants to design, implement, and evaluate shared medical appointments for their patients with diabetes in their practices.
Learning objectives: By the end of the webinar, the participants will be able to:
Access the resources to set up SMAs in their practice.
Identify patients who would benefit from SMAs.
Learn how to bill and document for SMAs efficiently.
Use SMAs as a forum for teaching nurses, medical students, and residents.
CMEs will be pending for this webinar.
Register today for the 2010 C5 Summit: Addressing Disparities Treatment, Screening and Outcome June 3 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Keynote Speakers Include: Addressing Disparities: What do we know? By: Peter Bach, MD, MAPPAssociate Attending Physician, Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center
The Case for Colonoscopy: An Overview of Current Research By: Chyke Doubeni, MD, MPH Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Choose from 1 of 3 Workshops: Workshop 1: Using Health Information Technology Effectively to Increase Screening Colonoscopy Workshop 2: Next Steps to Address Treatment Disparities Workshop 3: Making the Most of March: Planning NYC’s Campaign for CRC Awareness Month
WHAT IS THE HRSA PSPC? The PSPC is a breakthrough collaboration to improve the quality of healthcare nationwide by integrating evidence-based, clinical pharmacy services into the care and management of patients with chronic diseases. This highly dynamic program is designed to rapidly improve patient outcomes and safety – as seen through the results of the 100+ teams currently in the PSPC 2.0. Click here to learn more. When: May 13, 2010 from 10:00 AM – 5 PM Eastern Standard Time Where: HRSA New York Regional Division, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, New York 10278 (located on the 6th floor Conference Center, Conference Room J) ****Please remember to bring a photo ID
Presented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -Health Resources and Services Administration & the HRSA Office of Regional Operations New York Regional Division
FREE CME-Certified Conference Click here An Epidemic Among Latinos: How to Improve Outcomes in Patients with Diabetes Saturday, June 5, 2010 Millennium Broadway Hotel New York 145 West 44th Street 7:30am - 1:00pm
For a link to the online PDF brochure and registration page, please click here.
The conference will include: - FULL BREAKFAST BUFFET (not continental) - TWO case study presentations - Interactive audience response system - Complimentary valet parking - 4.75 CME Credits
ACCREDITATION The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
CME CREDIT DESIGNATION The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center designates this educational activity for a maximum of 4.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits(tm). Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Comprehensive Brochure Packet “Half the Care” To Be Mailed Shortly The New York State Health Foundation’s Diabetes Campaign is mailing you a comprehensive brochure packet. It includes a Diabetes Care Quick Guide with tips and recommendations, a monofilament with instructions for foot exams, and options to sign up for technical assistance, training, and participation in national recognition programs. The envelope for the brochure is branded with the “Half the Care” logo (depicted on the right); you should receive it in the mail this week or the next. We encourage providers to visit www.fulldiabetescare.org and sign up with the Diabetes Campaign.
News From Emergency Preparedness
Emergency Preparedness Needs Assessment Survey Announcement CHCANYS Emergency Preparedness Program launched the 2010 Needs Assessment Survey on Monday, April 19. The purpose of this survey is to assess the emergency management needs of New York State's Community Health Centers. The results of this survey will allow CHCANYS to better understand health center needs, provide for these needs, and make available emergency management programs that help centers become active emergency preparedness partners. Outreach for this survey will be ongoing until Friday, May 14.
Executive Order 29 has Expired Executive Order 29, which declared a State disaster emergency and authorized suspension and modification of specified laws and regulations for the purpose of facilitating the timely distribution and administration of 2009 H1N1 influenza and seasonal influenza vaccine, expired April 17, 2010. As of April 18, 2010, all modifications and suspensions of laws and regulations under the Executive Order are no longer in effect, and affected parties must fully comply with existing New York State law. Please click here for more details.
National Study Seeks Information about CHC’s H1N1 Experiences A national study examining the psychosocial responses to pandemic is interested in the experiences of community health centers in planning for and responding to H1N1 and other pandemics. This project will develop current best practice guidelines for pandemic response and a companion web-based training module to be disseminated by a federal agency. Your experiences responding to H1N1 and any other pandemic experiences will provide important information and assure that this project will include the needs of vulnerable populations and the providers who serve them in the best practice guidelines. Your participation can take as little as 20 minutes (for a survey) and will require no more than 45-55 minutes (for a focus group or interview). To learn more about this project or to volunteer to participate as an individual or agency in a survey, focus group or interview, please contact Miriam Silman, Pandemic Disaster Response Study, University of Kentucky, at mssilm0@uky.edu (that’s a zero) or 606-454-4715. Incentives are available to the first 2000 participants.
H1N1 Vaccine Reimbursement Funding Opportunity for NYC Sites CHCANYS is assisting the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in notifying eligible NYC sites about the availability of one-time federal funding to reimburse CHCs participating on the NYC Flu Services Locator for uncompensated H1N1 vaccine administration during the 2009-2010 influenza season. The deadline for submission is May 28th 2010. Questions about this program should go to Orlando Reboredo at oreboredo@chcanys.org.
Influenza Plan Guidance Document The first draft of the CHC Pandemic Influenza Plan Guidance Document, a template plan for CHCs to develop protocols to respond to pandemic influenza, is almost complete. After internal review, the Influenza Working Group will be called to initiate its external review. An invitation to the IWG meeting will go out shortly.
Reminder: Direct Relief Safety Net Inventory Support Program Direct Relief has programs that provide free medical supplies and pharmaceuticals for primary health care centers within the United States. A webinar hosted by Primary Care Development Corporation and CHCANYS took place in April to introduce this program to NY health centers. An application for the program can be found by clicking here. Details on Direct Relief’s programs can be found by clicking here.
News from HIT
EHR Meaningful Use Seminars Announced Sponsored by the New York eHealth Collaborative, NYC REACH and the New York Chapter American College of Physicians, a free full-day program addressing Meaningful Use Incentives for physicians will take place over May and June in NYC, LI, Buffalo, Syracuse, Binghamton, Albany and Westchester. The program will address how Meaningful Use criteria for EHRs translates to better quality care for patients; who qualifies for up to $63,750 in incentives and how to meet the federal criteria; and where to get assistance selecting, implementing and using EHRs. For details and the pre-registration form, please click here.
Policy News
CHCANYS CEO Op Ed Piece on Health Care Reform Published in Crain’s Elizabeth Swain co-authored an Op Ed piece that appeared in the April 25th edition of Crain’s New York on health care reform, primary care and the recent report released by the Primary Care Coalition. Click here to read the op ed. The piece is co-authored with Ronda Kotelchuck, the Executive Director of the Primary Care Development Corporation. Update on the NYC Executive Budget In hopes of having the State budget resolved, New York City changed its absolute deadline for producing an Executive Budget to May 6th. But since the State budget is not resolved, NYC will go forward this week with its Executive Budget containing many fiscal unknowns. Without a final State budget in place, the City will have to base its discussions on estimates, using conservative figures so as to not create a deficit or the need for mid-year cuts to balance the budget. Therefore, the Executive Budget may be harsh and contain deeper cuts to New York City services. CHCANYS will respond to the Executive Budget by meeting with City Council members and testifying at the City’s budget hearing. Unlike the State budget, the NYC budget is mandated to be done on time and by June 30th.
Management & Finance
Check the next Your CHCANYS for updates.
Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS) 535 8th Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10018 | 212-279-9686 90 State Street, Suite 601, Albany, NY 12207 | 518-434-0676
