Governor Cuomo Announces $46 Million in Vital Access / Safety Net Provider Program Awards
On December 3, 2013, Governor Cuomo announced $46 million in Vital Access / Safety Net Provider Program (VAP) awards, which will support projects by 37 facilities across the New York State, including 11 community health centers, that were selected as a result of the critical role they play in providing services to New York’s most vulnerable populations. read more >>

Telehealth Survey Deadline: December 13
Thanks to all who have responded to the telehealth survey being conducted by CHCANYS in collaboration with HANYS, MSSNY, the American College of Physicians, the Department Health, and the Center for Health Workforce Studies. The survey closes on Friday, December 13, and we hope that those of you who have not yet participated will take the opportunity to do so by clicking here. read more >> 

2012 AHCF-1 Cost Report Deadline Extended
The deadline for submission of the 2012 AHCF-1 Cost Report has been extended until January 6, 2014. No further extensions will be granted. Please be aware that this extension will affect the distribution of Indigent Care Pool funds for the payment period of April 1, 2014 thru March 31, 2015, as the related calculations are based upon information gathered via the 2012 AHCF-1 Cost Report. read more >>

CON Certification Letters Revised
The Department of Health has posted revised the following CON certification letters: Physicist's Letter of Certification; Architect's or Engineer's Letter of Certification for MRI Installations; Architect's or Engineer's Letter of Certification for Construction Notice. Starting immediately, it is imperative that these newly revised certification letters be used by all organizations submitting relevant Full Review, Administrative Review or Limited Review projects. read more >> 

A Busy Year Ahead for Health Center Advocates
Health center advocates nationwide are gearing up for a very busy year as the Health Centers Program faces one of the biggest threats in its history – the looming “funding cliff,” which represents a potential 70% reduction in funding at the end of FY15, when the five-year Health Center Fund mandated by the Affordable Care Act is due to expire. read more >>

Reimagining Primary Care for New York's Patients
The Huffington Post recently featured an article by New York State Health Foundation President and CEO James R. Knickman on the transformation of New York’s health care delivery system and the central role that primary care must play in this process in order to achieve the “Triple Aim” of better care and better health at lower costs. Click here to read it.

QHP Contracting Assessment: Your Responses Needed!
On November 21, NACHC sent an e-mail to all health center and look-alike CEOs that included a link to a brief but very important assessment about contracting issues with Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) under the new ACA law. If you have not already done so, we urge you to complete the assessment ASAP! read more >> 

Last Chance to Enter CHCANYS Poster Contest!
The deadline for CHCANYS’ Poster Contest is quickly approaching! Advocates of all ages are encouraged to submit original drawings or photographs by December 20 that illustrate the positive ways in which health centers impact the communities they serve. read more >>  

2012 and 2013 Lewis and Jack Rudin New York Prizes for Medicine and Health
Date: Wednesday, December 11; Time: 5:30 p.m.;GNYHA and The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM), together with the Rudin Family Foundation, established the Lewis and Jack Rudin New York Prize for Medicine and Health in 2003. Beginning in 2011, the focus of the prize... read more >> 

New Fact Sheets from Prevent Blindness: Health Insurance and Your Eyes
Prevent Blindness has created two new fact sheets to answer common questions about health insurance, the Affordable Care Act and eye care. To download Insuring Your Eyes, The Affordable Care Act and Your Eyes and Medicare Benefits and Your Eyes, click here.  

Conference on Acute HIV Infection, Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, and HIV Testing: A Medical Provider’s Perspective
Date: December 10, 2013; Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; Location: Greater Binghamton Health Center, Binghamton, NY. Co-sponsored by the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute’s Clinical Education Initiative and St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals, Spencer Cox Center for... read more >>

Medicaid Pharmacy Prior Authorization Programs Update
Effective December 5, 2013, the fee-for-service pharmacy program will implement a number of parameters, including step therapy and frequency/quantity/duration (F/Q/D) requirements. These changes are the result of recommendations made by the Drug Utilization Review Board (DURB) at its September 12th meeting. read more >>

Mandatory Compliance Program Certification Requirement in December 2013
The November 2013 issue of the New York State Medicaid Update includes a reminder from the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) for all required providers who are subject to the mandatory compliance requirement. For more information, click here and scroll to page 12. 

Webinar - Growth Planning: Tools and Techniques to Win the Growth Race
Date: Wednesday, December 11; Time: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST; Presenter: Terry Glasscock, Senior Project Consultant, Capital Link. If growth planning is not high on your “to-do” list, it should be.  Fifty-five thousand baby boomers are turning 65 each day.  Healthcare will soon be overwhelmed by a demographic storm.  What’s more, community health centers are confronted by multiple changes mandated by legislation and altered regulations that make growth... read more >>

Negotiating Managed Care Contracts – How Not to Lose Your Shirt in the Process
NACHC, in partnership with experts from Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLC, will offer a five-part webinar series in February/March 2014 on Managed Care Contracting in order to provide community health centers with the tools necessary to conduct successful contract negotiations. Topics to be discussed include: Webinar 1: The Health Center Perspective on the State of Managed Care; Webinar 2: Problematic Provisions and Reimbursement Issues... read more >>

Critical Management Skills for Community Health Center Managers and Leaders
Date: January 22-24, 2014; Location: Callahan Center at St. Francis College, Brooklyn. Presented by: Sogence Training and Consulting. This intensive, highly interactive, hands-on, 3 day training program is designed specifically to enable FQHC managers to develop and hone critical skills, to successfully lead and manage employees in today’s challenging and fast changing CHC environment. read more >> 

NACHC Offers New Guidance for Common Health Center Agreements
Contract Terms to Minimize Risks: A Guidance Series for Common Health Center Agreements, a new resource series written by legal experts at  Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell and now available for purchase from NACHC, is designed to help ensure that certain arrangements entered into by health centers do not jeopardize their Section 330 grant funding and related benefits. read more >>

340B Coalition Winter Conference
Date: February 5-7, 2014; Location: Hotel Del Coronado, San Diego, CA. Attendees will learn from all of the key players involved in the 340B program, including providers, industry representatives, government regulators, federal contractors and representatives from 340B advocacy... read more >>

How Will ICD-10 Affect Your Health Center?
To be fully prepared for the ICD-10 transition on October 1, 2014, you need to know how ICD-10 will affect your health center’s operations. ICD codes are used in a variety of processes within clinical practices, from registration and referrals to billing and payment. Visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) ICD-10 website for helpful news and resources. The Medicare Learning... read more >> 

HIV Oral Health Preceptorship Program Offered in New York and New Jersey
The NY State Department of Health-AIDS Institute Oral Health Regional Resource Center, in collaboration with the NY/NJ AIDS Education and Training Center, is offering a unique chance to participate in an HIV Oral Health Preceptorship Program. HIV Oral Health preceptorships are available for dentists, dental hygienists and primary care clinicians in New York and New Jersey. read more >>

Free Medical Assistant Training for FQHC Staff
CUNY will offer its Medical Assistant (MA) education and training program to a second cohort of students. The 9-month program will take place in the evenings and on Saturdays. Lehman College’s program begins on January 22 and Borough of Manhattan Community College’s program begins on January 11. read more >>

Webinar: Incident Command System (ICS) 
Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2013; Time: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. Federal guidelines urge the inclusion of Incident Command System in the health center emergency planning process.  This 90-minute webinar will describe the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of ICS. read more >>