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Upcoming Events
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December 1st was...
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World AIDS Day
This year's theme: "Leading with Science, Uniting for Action"
by David Vos, Director, HUD's Office of HIV/AIDS Housing
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December 4-10 was...
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January is...
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Cervical Health Awareness Month
Cervical cancer affects approximately 10,000 women in the United States each year. Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer for women worldwide, but because it develops over time, it is also one of the most preventable types of cancer.
- Age of Diagnosis
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Funding Opportunities
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The 2012 National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program Application Cycle is Now Open!
Pay off your student loans while serving communities in need. The NHSC Loan Repayment Program (LRP) offers primary care medical, dental, and mental and behavioral health providers the opportunity to have their student loans repaid for serving communities in need. To learn more, click here
Mary Kay Foundation Cancer Research Grant Program
Deadline: February 3, 2012
Eligibility: Medical school researchers and their credited medical school or school of public health
Funding: From 10-to-15 awards of $100,000 each. Grantees will use the funds to research ovarian, uterine, breast or cervical cancer.
Info: Questions, 877/652-2737; for grant guidance, click here.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program Grants
Collaboration with the Veterans Affairs (VA) Dept.
Funding: Up to 20 awards of $64,500 each.
The program fosters the development of physicians to lead the transformation of the nation's healthcare systems. The program generally involves two years of study with plenty of time allocated for research. The $64,500 award is the first-year stipend, with the second-year grant to be larger.
Scholars will train at one of the following participating institutions: the U. of California, Los Angeles; U. of Michigan; U. of Pennsylvania; and Yale U. Info: Questions, 919/843-1351;e-mail, for grant guidance, click here.
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Join Our List
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The mission of the National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH) is to strengthen the capacity of federally funded Public Housing Primary Care (PHPC) health centers and other health center grantees by providing training and a range of technical assistance.
NCHPH, a project of North American Management, receives funding through a cooperative agreement grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.
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HRSA Grantee "Med Centro" Celebrates 40 Magical Years of Primary Care in Ponce, PR
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On December 2, 2011, staff from the National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH), a project of North American Management, attended Med Centro's 40th Anniversary celebration at the Hilton Ponce Golf and Casino Resort in Ponce, PR. Other participants included Med Centro's Executive Director, Allan Cintron Salichs, and the President of the Board of Directors, Gladys Santos.
In 1970, a group of community leaders from Playa de Ponce, Puerto Rico, led by Sister Isolina Ferre, initiated the formation of a health care organization that would later become a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act. In May 2011, Consejo de Salud de la Comunidad de la Playa de Ponce was granted a not-for-profit corporate status and subsequently acquired state and federal tax exempt status. It was at this time that Med Centro officially became a part of DHHS/HRSA's primary care network as well as a FQHC.
Today, Med Centro encompasses 9 strategically located sites in Puerto Rico, offering extensive clinical, ancillary, and other supportive services. To learn more about the center, visit their website. |
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Children with special health care needs more likely to have health care access problems
New HRSA report also finds greater health risks at home
In the first national report that compares the health and well-being of children with special health care needs to those children without, findings revealed that 14 to 19 percent of children in the United States have a special health care need, representing more than one in five households with children. Children with Special Health Care Needs in Context: A Portrait of the Nation in 2007, prepared by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), examines these children in the context of where they live, play and go to school. Data for the report comes from The National Survey of Children's Health, a national survey about the health and well-being of more than 90,000 children in the U.S.
The report, sponsored by HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau, is available in print and online.
Review more information about the report and its findings
Workplace Partnership for Life campaign gets major support from hospitals
Public/Private effort encourages organizations to promote organ and tissue donation
Eight organizations, including the American Hospital Association (AHA), have committed to sharing information and encouraging hospitals and health systems nationwide to promote organ and tissue donation by joining with the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as national partners in the Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Campaign.
While hospitals have worked with HRSA for years to increase the number of organs transplanted in their facilities, this new effort focuses on educating and encouraging patients, visitors, members of the community and their own staff and caregivers about the importance of joining organ and tissue donor registries to save lives.
(Source: HRSA.gov)
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Grantee Corner
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Community Health Centers of the Central Coast, Inc. (CHC): Receives $7.5M grant to fund new health center in Nipom, CA
Construction of the 28,000 sf. Nipomo Community Health Center will begin in February of 2012. The new state-of-the-art facility will contain medical exam rooms, dental operatories, an urgent care wing, pharmacy, radiology and more. The ground-breaking ceremony will recognize and thank all extended partners who have helped bring the project to fruition.
(Source: communityhealthcenters.org)
Are you a Public Housing Primary Care Program Grantee? We would love to hear about your success! Send us your success story to info@nchph.org.
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Cultural Awareness Corner
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Diversity Trends Among Seniors
Recent Census data revealed that there are more than 56 million people aged 60+ in the United States.These seniors are an increasingly diverse group, as evidenced by the following:
Language
American Community Survey data shows that 5.5 million older adults (14%) have a primary language other than English. Spanish is the most common language spoken by this group, but nearly 55% of seniors for whom English is not their primary tongue speak languages that range from fairly common to lesser known languages, including: Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog (the language of the Philippines), Native American languages-e.g., Navajo, Apache.
Nearly 4 in 10 of older adults who speak another primary language speak English "not well" or "not at all." Over half of LEP seniors have incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
Nationality
Nearly 4.6 million older adults were born outside of the United States; almost half a million came here within the last decade. For many of these seniors, the benefits, programs, and services offered in their communities and under Medicare may be wholly unfamiliar to them. Yet because 38% of foreign-born seniors live below 200% FPL, many are eligible for assistance that can improve their health and economic well-being.
Religion
Today, 15% of older adults identify with religions other than the three most common groups (i.e., Catholicism, Mainline, and Evangelical Christianity). Moreover, religious affiliation and activity tends to be higher among seniors, particularly those with lower incomes.
What does this mean?
Professionals who serve this diverse senior population must possess the skills to be culturally responsive to their needs. There are also plenty of opportunities to collaborate with other cultural and religious communities that may have access to older adults who remain hard to reach. Fortunately, there is a systematic approach to delivering culturally competent services that organizations and individuals can adopt.
For more information, click here.
(Source: National Council on Aging)
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Obama Administration Announces Decline in Homelessness in 2011
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More Than 3,000 Communities Report Number of Homeless Individuals, Families, and Veterans
On a single night last January, 636,017 people were homeless in the United States, a 2.1 percent decline from the year before. That's the key finding of a new count on homelessness announced today by U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan. Donovan made the announcement at a meeting of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness where he was joined by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.
HUD's annual "point in time" estimate of the number of homeless persons and families is based on data reported by more than 3,000 cities and counties. While number of homeless persons vary from community-, these communities are reporting modest declines in homelessness in every category or subpopulation including individuals, families, veterans and those experiencing long-term or chronic homelessness.
(Source: HUD.gov)
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Advocacy and Policy
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Affordable Care Act helping Consumers get better value for their health care dollars
New proposal makes rebates to consumers tax free, increase transparency
On Friday December 2, 2011 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final regulation that will ensure health insurance companies spend at least 80 percent of consumers' health insurance premiums on medical care, not income, overhead and marketing. Insurance companies that fail to meet the new standard are required to provide a rebate to consumers. Known as the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR), this rule provides unprecedented transparency and accountability of health insurance companies for customers. Created by the Affordable Care Act, the MLR requirements provide protection and value to approximately 74.8 million insured Americans. Estimates from last year indicate that, starting in 2012, up to nine million Americans could receive rebates worth from $0.6 to $1.4 billion. However, early reports suggest insurers lowered premium growth rather than face the prospect of providing rebates - a win-win for consumers.
(Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS))
Medicare Expanding Competitive Bidding Program to save billions
Program expanded by Affordable Care Act
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last month announced operational details for the next stage in a program that sets new, lower payment rates for certain medical equipment and supplies - such as oxygen equipment, walkers, and some types of power wheelchairs - while maintaining patient access to them. CMS today also launched a comprehensive education program to help guide suppliers through the competitive bidding process.
The Medicare Competitive Bidding Program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) was expanded by the Affordable Care Act and is estimated to save Medicare, seniors, and taxpayers more than $28 billion over 10 years. Already in 2011, the first phase of the program has saved Medicare 35 percent compared to the fee schedule and resulted in lower cost for Medicare patients.
(Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Rural Assistance Center)
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Research
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Caregiving Costs: Declining Health in the Alzheimer's Caregiver as Dementia Increases in the Care Recipient
National Alliance for Caregiving and Richard Schulz, Ph.D. and Thomas Cook, Ph.D., M.P.H. University Center for Social and Urban Research Department of Psychiatry University of Pittsburgh. November 2011.
(Source: caregiving.org)
Case Study: IT Upgrades Benefit Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center Patients
New equipment speeds communication, saves time, and sets stage for Electronic Health Record implementation. Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center.
(Source: hillhealthcenter.com)
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The National Center for Health in Public Housing
North American Management Health and Family Services
Visit us online at www.NCHPH.org
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