Your CHCANYS

Grassroots Call to Action: Deadline for Signing House "Dear Colleague" Letter is September 12! 
A “Dear Colleague” letter in support of a bipartisan solution to the primary care funding cliff  is currently circulating in the House, and your help is needed to ensure that all members of the NYS Congressional Delegation sign on to it. Click here to view a current list of signers. If your Member of Congress is not on it, please reach out to him or her today. read more >>

Proposed COPA Regulations Revised and Posted for Public Comment
The Department of Health has posted a revised version of the proposed regulations for DSRIP applicants to obtain a Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA), pursuant to Public Health Law Article 29-F.  Article 29-F sets forth the State’s policy of encouraging appropriate collaborative arrangements among health care providers who might otherwise be competitors, if the benefits of such arrangements outweigh any disadvantages likely to result from a reduction of competition.  The revised proposal is open for public comment until September 26, 2014. Click here to access it.  

HHS Awards $1.7 Million to New York FQHCs to Support PCMH Expansion and Renovation Projects  
On August 26, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced $35.7 million in Affordable Care Act funding to 147 health centers in 44 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to support patient-centered medical homes through new construction and facility renovations. $1.7 million of these funds will support projects at the following seven New York FQHCs: the Greater Hudson Valley Family Health Center, Hudson Headwaters Health Network, ICL Healthcare Choices, Inc., the Institute for Family Health, Open Door Family Medical Centers, Urban Health Plan, Inc., and the William F. Ryan Community Health Center. read more >>

Health Literacy Strategies to Improve Patient Materials
Date: September 9, 2014; Time: 9:00 a.m – 12:00 p.m.; Location: Community Healthcare Network, 60 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor, NYC. Join Community Healthcare Network's Health Literacy Training Institute for a workshop on improving your organization's patient materials. At this skills-based, interactive workshop, experts will work with you to: critique materials: in groups, you will assess written health communications, including educational materials, consent forms, and patient letters; step back and look at the big picture: you will discuss meta-messages in health materials; combat legal jargon: you will review unique challenges of ensuring the health literacy of health-related consent forms. read more >> 

Improving Linkage and Access to Hepatitis C Care and Treatment: RFA Released
The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), AIDS Institute (AI) and Health Research, Inc. (HRI) have announced the availability of state and federal funds for improving linkage and access to Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) care and treatment. The RFA has been posted on the NYSDOH, NYS Grants Gateway and HRI websites.  Applications must be submitted online via the Grants Gateway by October 8, 2014 at 4:00 p.m.  For more information contact Colleen Flanigan at hepatabc@health.state.ny.us.

New Funding Available to Support Medicaid Providers with Health Information Exchange Adoption
The New York State Department of Health, with support from CMS, has established the Data Exchange Incentive Program to increase participation of Medicaid providers in the contribution of clinical data to the Statewide Health Information Network of NY (SHIN-NY). The program is designed to help defray the cost to provider organizations of connecting to the SHIN-NY via a RHIO (now known as a Qualified Entity, or QE). FQHCs and FQHC Look-Alikes have exclusive first rights to participate until September 30, 2014. read more >> 

CMS Issues Final Rule on Options for Use of Certified EHR Technology for Meaningful Use in Program Year 2014
CMS has released a final rule allowing providers participating in the EHR Incentive Programs to use the 2011 Edition of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) for calendar and fiscal year 2014. The rule also finalizes CMS and ONC’s recommended timeline to extend Stage 2 through 2016. The earliest a provider can participate in Stage 3 of meaningful use is now 2017. read more >> 

Digital Health Conference
Date: November 17-18, 2014; Location: NYC. The New York eHealth Collaborative’s 4th annual Digital Health Conference will bring together 850 senior-level professionals from across the healthcare ecosystem to learn about cutting-edge innovations and foster dynamic conversation addressing how healthcare is being redefined through technology. Keynote speakers include Eric J. Topol, MD (Director, Scripps Translational Science Institute) and Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD (Vice Provost for Global Initiatives & Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, University of Pennsylvania). read more >>

CHCANYS Statewide Conference & Clinical Forum 2014: Register Online Today and Save!
Transformation Through Innovation & Collaboration is the theme for this year’s Statewide Conference & Clinical Forum, scheduled for October 19-21 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains. Onsite fees are higher – register online today and save! This event offers topics of interest to all, including senior staff, medical directors, board members, and clinicians of all disciplines. The General Sessions will touch upon critical federal and state issues, including DSRIP.  Workshops will focus on finance and policy/regulatory issues, innovative clinical and quality improvement practices and approaches, operations and governance solutions, health information technology, primary care workforce development, and more.  The conference will also offer a number of opportunities to network with colleagues statewide, as well as Sponsor/Vendor receptions and events to help you find products and solutions to meet your needs. Don’t delay - hotel rooms are filling up quickly! 

It’s Not Too Late to Be a CHCANYS Conference Sponsor!
Whether you have existing clients or are new to the FQHC market, CHCANYS’ Statewide Conference & Clinical Forum is the venue for networking with health center decision-makers and learning about their current product and service needs. Take advantage of this one-stop opportunity to talk with over 400 CEOs, CFOs, medical directors, and other health care leaders from across New York State. This year’s event will take place on October 19-21 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains.  For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Roxanne Wynn-Trotman at rwynn@chcanys.org. 

CHCANYS Offers Support for New Access Point Applications
We would like to remind all FQHCs planning to apply for New Access Point funding that CHCANYS is here to help! Please visit our online NAP Resource Center to access tools and resources designed to assist you in preparing your applications. Have questions? Please contact Rebecca Gaige at rgaige@chcanys.org. 

NACHC’s “Emeritus Group” Provides Venue for Peer Mentoring 
The “Emeritus Group” is NACHC member service that connects retired health center executives with current health center managers as peers and confidants, providing an opportunity for health centers to benefit from their knowledge and experience. Group members are available to share information and advice in challenging areas such as board relations, managing financial crises, handling human resource management issues, and succession planning. To learn more about this program, click here. 

HRSA Releases PAL 2014-08 on Progressive Action Process
Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2014-08 provides policy clarification and updated program guidance regarding the Bureau of Primary Health Care’s Progressive Action process, which was developed to support the review and oversight of Health Center Program requirements and assist health centers in their efforts to achieve Health Center Program objectives.  PAL 2014-08 also includes information about enforcement actions, as well as when and how program requirements, compliance status, and past performance impacts funding award decisions. read more >> 

NACHC Schedules National Trainings on FQHC Medicare PPS
The new Medicare PPS rule goes into effect on October 1st. To ensure you're ready, NACHC has scheduled a series of one-day Medicare PPS training sessions, to be led by NACHC staff along with experts from BKD and Feldesman, Tucker, Leifer, Fidell.  Early bird registration will be $250 per person and regular registration will be $300 per person for each of the sessions, regardless of location. read more >>

Register Today: New York Health Coverage Outreach and Enrollment Summits
Registration is now open for an exciting new series of  regional Health Coverage Enrollment Summits, scheduled to take place various locations throughout New York State beginning in early September. These meetings will provide health advocacy groups, assistors, health plans, unions and other stakeholders with the opportunity to network, examine best practices, and develop coordinated plans in preparation for the second year of open enrollment. read more >> 

Upcoming Certification Training: CAC, IPA and Navigator 
Click here for a listing of upcoming training sessions (CAC, IPA and Navigator) being offered by NY State of Health. Space is limited; those interested in attending are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Important Note: The registration process has changed. For detailed instructions on how to register online for NY State of Health training sessions, click here. Upon successful registration, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. For assistance, please contact Lynn Indelicatto at LynnMIndelicato@maximus.com.