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 UPDATES - NEW Help Us Welcome the new NYC Health Commissioner Please join us on Monday, November 23 from 4-6 pm as we host a reception to welcome Thomas Farley, MD, MPH, the new Commissioner of Health for New York City. The reception takes place at our office at 535 8th Avenue, 8th Floor. All New York City health center staff is welcome. Please R.S.V.P to Derek Nichols at 212-710-3803 or dnichols@chcanys.org.
Doctors Across New York Physician Practice Support Program Extended The NYS Department of Health announces that the date awardees have to identify a physician for the Doctors Across New York Physician Practice Support Program has been extended to April 1, 2010. This will provide facilities adequate time to recruit the best candidate for their community. All contract materials must be submitted to DOH by April 15, 2010 and physicians identified must begin employment at your facility no later than September 30, 2010. For questions, please contact Helen M. Crane, NYSDOH at 518-473-3513.
PCDC announces $40 million low-cost loan fund In partnership with HSBC Bank, the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) has launched a New Markets Loan Fund that offers permanent loans for health center projects in low-income communities census tracts. The loan size may range from $1.5 million to $7 million, with fixed, below-market interest rates and terms of up to 25 years. Please click here for the announcement, or contact Tom Manning, Director of Capital Financing, at 212-437-3920 or tmanning@pcdcny.org
HITE : Free Online Directory of Health and Social Services HITE (Health Information Tool for Empowerment) is an online community resource directory of services for low-income, underinsured, and uninsured New Yorkers. HITE is designed to help healthcare professionals connect their clients to local affordable health and social services, including legal aid, immigrant support, housing assistance, mental health care, and much more.
Available at www.hitesite.org, HITE has two main components: a database of free and low-cost programs (searchable by zip code, services, medical conditions, keyword, and languages); and a link to an online eligibility calculator that pre-screens applicants for New York's public health insurance programs and other benefits.
HITE users also have the option to sign up for a free account in order to save and name searches, add notes on organizations and search results, and other personalization features to customize HITE to meet their unique needs. To sign up for a free account, please click here.
HITE is a grant-funded project of the GNYHA Foundation, a description of which can be viewed by clicking here. The GNYHA Foundation is the non-profit grant-seeking arm of the Greater New York Hospital Association, which can be viewed by clicking here. http://www.gnyha.org/1/Default.aspx. HITE is currently available in the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and the Southern Tier of New York State. Please click here or call the HITE Help Desk at 1.866.370.4483 for more information or to schedule a presentation for you and your staff.
H1N1 UPDATE NYSDOH Referring People with ILI to FQHCs On the H1N1 FAQ section of their website, the New York State Department of Health is referring people with ILI (Influenza-Like Illnesses) to FQHCs. Click here to see the site.
While it is the mission of all FQHCs to provide care regardless of a patient's ability to pay, the present increase in people going to FQHCs for H1N1 care is affecting many of our centers who are already stretched caring for their present patient loads. For those people who come to an FQHC in New York State who are insured, CHCANYS is working on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) so that centers can get paid for H1N1 care even when they do not have contracts with the insurance plans. For the uninsured who come to an FQHC and who are not presently an FQHC patient, CHCANYS is advocating for better compensation from the state (the standard Indigent Care Pool rate for the uninsured is 38 cents to every dollar). While FQHCs can see this as an opportunity to sign up new patients and get them into some type of public insurance program, the State should acknowledge the additional emergency public health services that health centers are delivering and provide financial compensation.
NYS DOH Training: "Clinical Management of H1N1" Announced The New York State Department of Health has announced training for all FQHCs and 'Look Alike" Community Health Centers in "Clinical Management of H1N1." Questions about this training can be addressed to Jon Maskin, Project Manager, NYSDOH Office of Health Emergency Preparedness at 518-408-5263.
Date of Training: Thursday, November 19th, 2009 Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Dial In Number: 1-888-324-9618 Pass Code: H1N1
Redistribution of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine: The NYS Department of Health has issued the requirements for vaccine redistribution, including a link to the mandatory online survey. A health care entity may redistribute 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine only when New York State requirements are followed. Click here to read the document that contains the New York State requirements for vaccine redistribution, as well as the link to the survey.
Providers are encouraged to contact their local health departments if they find that they are unable to use the vaccine allocated to them. Local health departments may have knowledge of other vaccine providers in their area who are in need of vaccine and thus may be able to facilitate vaccine redistribution.
Emergency Use Authorization of Tamiflu: The FDA has authorized the emergency use of certain antiviral medications under the government's Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP). The following documents will be useful to providers distributing medications covered under the term of that letter.
Click here for the FDA Authorization. Click here for the EUA Provider Letter Click here for the EUA Patient Letter
CHCANYS Webinar on H1N1 Reimbursement Recap The recording of the webinar on H1N1 Reimbursement held at HCANYS on Thursday, November 12th is now available for review by clicking here. The slides from the webinar are available by clicking here. Please note that there is no Recording Key required to access this recording.
It should be noted that a question arose during the webinar's Q&A session regarding patients who present for both a medical visit and an H1N1 vaccine. The answers given may have been confusing or erroneous so for clarification, please click here.
NYSDOH Conference Call Recording Available For those who were unable to attend Wednesday's NYSDOH Conference call on "Legal Issues Related to H1N1," you will be able to access the recording of the conference call until December 31st. Please dial this toll-free number: 1-866-426-1594 to hear a recording of the briefing.
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION UPDATE--NEW Expedited Disability Application Process Available for Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom Military personnel injured in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom or their surviving family members, including dependent children and spouses, can receive expedited disability benefits through the Social Security Administration. For details, click here. To learn more about Social Security for people who have served in the military, click here.
Social Security Help for the Homeless For information on programs that pay benefits to qualified individuals who are homeless, click here.
Medicare Part D Prescription Drug program Sign-Up Begins Now Newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries and current beneficiaries considering changes to their Medicare Part D Plan have between November 15 and December 31 to apply for the plan or make changes. Some with limited income and resources also are eligible for "extra help" to pay for monthly premiums, annual deductibles and prescription co-payments. You can apply for extra help at www.socialsecurity.gov. Just click on Medicare (top right), and click on "Apply for help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs." Or, you can call 1-800-772-1213 and ask for the Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020). Or, visit your nearest Social Security office.
For more information about the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program, visit http://www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Pass the Mouse While the family is together for Thanksgiving, it may be the perfect time to help Mom or Dad, Grandma or Grandpa or your favorite aunt or uncle learn how to conduct their Social Security business online by clicking here. For information about eligibility or to access the Retirement Estimator, click here.
NACHC NEWS HIPAA Security in the Age of EHRs On Thursday, December 3 at 2 p.m., NACHC will offer webcast training on HIPAA Security in the Age of EHRs. Many health centers still do not fully understand or comply with the requirements of the HIPAA Security Rule. Since the Security Rule represents industry best practices in maintaining confidentiality and integrity of data, the advent of EHRs means such compliance is increasingly important as more is at stake with the automation of patients' medical records. This webcast will highlight sections of the Security Rule as they specifically impact EHRs. Discussion topics will include a health center's obligations under the Security Rule, required and addressable safeguards, disaster recovery and business continuity, policies and procedures, the role of the Security Officer, and new challenges posed by new devices and media. The webcast will also highlight updates to HIPAA Security included in the ARRA. The online registration cut off date is November 30. To register, click here.
