MACHC
Weekly E-Blast:  
Voicing the latest news on Communities in Need
In This Issue

Enrollment until March 31, 2014
Have news to share with us? Want to be featured on our next E-Digest? Want to read about something in particular? Please email us at aneeqa@machc.com. 

Let's Stay Connected
    
October 18, 2013 
Community Health Center Spotlight

FREE FLU CLINIC IN DELAWARE 

There is an upcoming Delaware Division of Public Health flu clinic on 10/24/13 in Georgetown. 

 

The Oct. 24, 2013 DPH flu clinic in Georgetown features free flu shots for persons age 6 months and older.  That clinic will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Georgetown Presbyterian Church.  

The address is 203 N. Bedford St., Georgetown, DE. 

 

Upstate, at the New Castle Farmers Market in New Castle, DE, DPH will be holding its rescheduled flu clinic this Friday, Oct. 18, 2013.  Here is that information:

 

Did you GET IT yet?  Get your annual flu shot or flu mist to protect you and your family.  The Delaware Division of Public Health announces free flu shots for anyone age 9* and above:

Friday, October 18, 2013

from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

at the New Castle Farmers Market, 110 N. DuPont Hwy., New Castle.

 

Information coming soon on preventing the flu and more flu shot locations.

 

*For vaccination recommendations for children under age 9, call 1-800-282-8672.

For free flu information, visit flu.delaware.gov.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. 

  

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An Open House Celebration for Chase Brexton Health Center

 

After much planning, design, and construction, the new Mt. Vernon Center is open. We're thrilled to invite you to join us for an Open House on November 7, 2013 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Stop by, take a journey through this monumental building, and discover what our new space is all about. Enjoy a harvest of treats, live music, education, and more.

Register here.

 

We will continue to highlight and support all the wonderful achievements of Health Centers!

  

You could be next! Please contact Aneeqa Chowdhury at aneeqa@machc.com to be placed on the SPOTLIGHT!
MACHC Happenings

 

(1) 27th Annual AIDS Walk Washington  

October 26, 2013 

Freedom Plaza 

The 27th annual AIDS Walk Washington will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Freedom Plaza. Activities begin at 7:00 am. The 5K timed run begins at 9:15 am with the Walk stepping off at 9:20 am. Click here to register, donate or volunteer. 
 

(2) Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Office of Preparedness and Response

September 2013 Healthcare System Preparedness Update

2013 HPP-PHEP Fall Preparedness Conferences

DHMH's annual Fall Preparedness Conferences are still going on:

  •           -   Region IV: October 21 - Tidewater Inn, Easton
  •           -   Region V: November 1 - Universities at Shady Grove, Rockville
Agendas and additional details about this year's activities will be released in the near future. To register, please visit:http://preparedness.dhmh.maryland.gov/SitePages/Events.aspx 
 
 
(3) Addressing the Mess: A Delaware Hoarding Symposium
November 4, 2013, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
John H. Ammon Medical Education Center at Christiana Hospital. 
$20.00 registration fee includes lunch. 
Call 800-223-9074 or 302-255-9390 for a registration form or to be a vendor at this event OR visit the following website:
  
(4) SAVE THE DATE: Employee Retention Webinar

Date and Time: Wednesday November, 6, 2013 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. 

The Health Systems and Infrastructure Administration (HSIA) and the Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Centers (MACHC) are hosting an Executive Employee Retention Webinar. The webinar is being provided for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Hospitals, Local Health Departments and Health Clinics to learn strategies to retain health providers. 

Richard Finnegan an employee Retention Consultant from The Retention Institute will be facilitating the webinar. 

The Seminar will cover the following topics/activities:

  • Group discussion regarding which of the principles and strategies are most driven by human resources
  • Prioritizing exercise regarding which strategies are most important
  • Identification of tactics to achieve strategies
  • Determination of schedules, sequences, and responsibilities
  • Identification of the cost of turnover
  • Outcomes will include a shift in thinking from programs to processes and if necessary from HR being solely accountable for engagement and retention to a specific model of share accountability
  • Brief overview of the value of cultural competency training 

Registration information TBA on the next E-Blast or check MACHC website.

 

(5) MACHC Emergency Preparedness Call

When: Tuesday, November 19th from 12 pm - 1pm

(Third Tuesday every month)

Call in- 1-866-740-1260  Access code: 4319483

 

(6) DHMH Emergency Preparedness Phone Call

When: Third Thursday every Month (Next: Thursday, November 21st) from 10 am- 11am

Dial in from your phone:

Meeting ID: 6455

Dial in Number: 410-225-5300

 

 

(7) Uniform Data System (UDS) Training 2013

December 4th, 2013 8:00 AM - 
4:00 PM
Harbourtowne Golf Resort
9784 Martingham Circle
St. Michaels, MD 21663
Aimed at those who are responsible for gathering and reporting the data elements. The Uniform Data System (UDS) in-person training is a full day program covering the preparation of the 2013 UDS Report.  The training addresses each of the tables, including a discussion of the changes that have been made and the definitions necessary to complete the reports. The UDS training is aimed at those who are responsible for gathering and reporting the data elements included in the UDS report, as well as management and clinical staff who need to understand the definitions and concepts used.
Click here to register.
Policy, Advocacy and Legislation
National News
Deal Reached to End the Shutdown and Debt Ceiling Crisis, But Significant Work Lays Ahead for Congress
After weeks of failed legislation, the 16-day government shutdown has officially ended with a deal that was brokered in the Senate. The Continuing Appropriations Act of 2014 passed the Senate by a vote of 81-18 and the House by a vote of 285-144. This legislation and the agreement that led to it provide a possible path forward for the House and Senate to resolve their differences regarding the FY2014 budget and spending bills, but these agreements also set up the possibility of a replay of the crisis that was just averted. For the full details on the deal, what lies ahead, and what it all means for health centers, read the full update here.

Tips for avoiding trouble when shopping for health insurance policies on new marketplaces

Residents purchasing health insurance through online marketplaces should take the appropriate precautions when logging into online systems and ensure they are utilizing federal or state run marketplaces and receiving assistance from trained, certified Assisters or Navigators, rather than fee-for-service consultants.   
Faced with steep medical bills, some seniors find themselves easily talked in medical payment plans that mitigate immediate payment issues, but that often come with high interest rates and harsh penalties for late payments.  

If technical glitches have hindered your attempts to purchase health insurance, remember that you still have until December 15th to sign up for a January 1st coverage start date and until February 15th to complete enrollment and avoid any penalties.  

Over one million community health center patients will remain uninsured and left out of health reform

A new report by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) examines the impact of health reform on community health centers (CHCs) and their patients. "Assessing the Potential Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Uninsured Community Health Center Patients: A Nationwide and State-by-State Analysis," estimates that more than 5 million health center patients would have gained coverage had all states participated in a sweeping Medicaid expansion. However, nearly half of all CHCs are located in states that have opted out of the expansion. As a result, more than a million uninsured CHC patients who would have been covered under a nationwide Medicaid expansion will be left without the protection of health insurance, the report says.  

  

A decision by the Obama administration to require that consumers create online accounts before they can browse health overhaul insurance plans appears to have led to many of the glitches that have frustrated customers, independent experts say. Most e-commerce websites - as well as medicare.gov - are not designed to require those merely browsing to set up accounts. But it's one of the first steps on healthcare.gov.
The experience described by Ms. Skrebes is in stark contrast to reports of widespread technical problems that have hampered enrollment in the online health insurance marketplace run by the federal government since it opened on Oct. 1. While many people have been frustrated in their efforts to obtain coverage through the federal exchange, which is used by more than 30 states, consumers have had more success signing up for health insurance through many of the state-run exchanges, federal and state officials and outside experts say.

SECOND REQUEST FOR ACTION

Time is Running Out!
Contact Your Democratic U.S. Representative TODAY!
Ask Them to Sign the Health Center Cliff Letter and Help  

STOP the Health Center Funding Cliff

 

 

Without action by the President and Congress, the Health Center Program will face a 70% funding cut within the next two years.
 
Despite the fact that federal government is partially shut down, the Administration is still working NOW on its 2015 Budget proposal. That is why Representatives Gene Green (D-TX) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) are asking their Democratic Colleagues in the House of Representatives to join them in signing a letter addressed to President Obama urging him to fix the health center funding cliff in his Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) budget proposal to Congress.   
IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE ADMINISTRATION KNOW NOW THAT THERE IS REAL SUPPORT IN CONGRESS FOR FIXING THE HEALTH CENTER FUNDING CLIFF. That is why YOU NEED TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS NOW to support YOUR health center and the Health Center Program.

  1. 1.     Email your Democratic Representative and ask Him/Her to sign onto the Green-Cummings Health Center Funding Cliff letter. Click here to send a message through the NACHC Grassroots Action Center.
  2. 2.     Call your Democratic Representative and ask him/her to sign onto the Green-Cummings Health Center Funding Cliff letter. Call the toll free NACHC Advocacy Hotline to be automatically connected 1-866-456-3949.
  3. 3.     Sign the NACHC Health Center Funding Cliff Petition and let the President and Congress know that YOU want them to FIX THE HEALTH CENTER FUNDING CLIFF NOW.

You can read a copy of the Green-Cummings letter and access other tools and resources on the Campaign for America's Health Centers website. Advocates can also access background talking points on the Health Center Funding Cliff and sign the Health Centers Fix the Cliff Petition. To access the most recent list of letter cosigners visit the NACHC website. We will be keeping a real-time listing of letter co-signers, so check back often for the latest updates.
 
YOU and all advocates with Democratic House Members need to reach out to them TODAY. We have every reason to believe that the Administration will be paying close attention to the level of Congressional support we can generate through this letter NOW!!

PLEASE ACT NOW!
State News
DELAWARE

Delaware and Medicare Coverage

Lots of people have questions about how Delaware's health insurance marketplace affects their Medicare coverage. It doesn't. If you have Medicare, you stay on Medicare, and you follow your usual open enrollment.
http://www.choosehealthde.com/Health-Insurance/FAQ-Detail/What-about-Medicare 


 

MARYLAND
The Primary Adult Care (PAC) program will end Dec. 31. At that time, all active PAC enrollees will automatically be transitioned to a full Medicaid benefit. If you're a PAC enrollee, you will be notified of the additional benefits available. Learn more about Medicaid changes in Maryland. Click here for more information.
A Message from the Maryland Health Connection:

The #ConnecTour has made its way through 10 counties in Maryland and helped over 800 people with their questions about how to access health coverage through Maryland Health Connection. Look for a location near you at http://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/events.  

  
Finance & Business

Pay For Hospital CEOs Linked More To Technology, Patient Satisfaction Than Quality, Study Finds

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jordan Rau reports: "What do hospital boards value in a chief executive? A new study of CEO pay at nonprofit hospitals finds that executives at institutions that have a lot of fancy medical technology and high patient satisfaction are paid more than their peers. But running a hospital that scores well on keeping more patients alive or providing extensive charity care does not translate into a compensation bump"  

The Latest News on ACA
What's the LATEST 
on the ACA this week?

 

1.) PLEASE Complete Outreach & Enrollment Contact Log and QPR Enrollment Log ASAP!

Click here for a copy of the form. Please email to aneeqa@machc.com.

  

2.) A Toolkit (Healthcare for the Action Pulpit Guide) for Faith-based leaders

to use when talking about Open Enrollment is now available. Click here to download your copy.

  

3.) What are HRSA's minimum training requirements for health center O/E assistance workers in SBMs? Can we train O/E assistance workers above that minimum?

At a minimum, health centers and health center O/E assistance workers in SBMs must complete all individual training and any other individual and organizational requirements for individuals who will facilitate enrollment of individuals into affordable insurance options offered through the Marketplace, Medicaid and CHIP in that state.

Health center O/E assistance workers who have the option to participate in more comprehensive training than the minimum required for individuals to facilitate enrollment into affordable insurance options offered through the Marketplace, Medicaid and CHIP may participate in additional training and perform any additional functions afforded by that higher level of training, as long as they remain consistent with the intent of the HRSA O/E supplemental funding opportunity i.e., to hire O/E assistance workers and facilitate enrollment of individuals into the Marketplace, Medicaid and/or CHIP and allowable costs.  

 

4.) NACHC Outreach & Enrollment Updates

Last Thursday, NACHC hosted a webinar on outreach and enrollment for health centers. Sara Rosenbaum from George Washington University shared the experience of Massachusetts health centers which have seen a drop in the percentage of patients that are uninsured but an increase in the number of total uninsured patients as the uninsured have concentrated at safety-net providers.  Sue Joss from Brockton Health Center in Massachusetts discussed lessons-learned and the importance of capacity. Emily Carr and Phillip Bergquist from the Michigan Primary Care Association reported on their success with mobile technology to increase Medicaid/CHIP retention and how they plan to use the technology for outreach and enrollment now. 
View the slides or listen to the webinar. 
 

5.) NEW: The Affordable Care Act and Your Community Health Center. Check out our new video encouraging patients to learn more about the ACA at their local health center.    

 

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 For helpful outreach and enrollment resources, please click here.

 
Grants & Funding Opportunities

Disclaimer: Funding opportunities are scarce due to government shutdown period.

 

Debunk the Myths: Grant Application Video Series

Federal grants can be excellent funding opportunities for your project, but not understanding the process can lead to a great deal of frustration. This video series will debunk common myths and assist you with your grant applications.
  

FY 2014 Service Area Competition (SAC) Technical Assistance

Service Area Competition - New, Competing Continuation, and Supplemental (HRSA-14-021, HRSA-14-022, HRSA14-023, HRSA-14-024, HRSA-14-025, HRSA-14-026, HRSA-14-027, HRSA-14-028)

Through the Service Area Competition (SAC), HRSA will award approximately $468 million in funding to an estimated 310 SAC applicants. A SAC application is a request for Federal financial assistance to support comprehensive primary health care services for a competitively announced underserved area or population. All available service areas (see below) are currently served by Health Center Program grantees whose project periods are ending in FY 2014.

Application Deadlines

Project Period Start DateHRSA Announcement NumberGrants.gov Deadline (11:59 PM ET)HRSA EHB Deadline (5:00 PM ET)
November 1, 2013HRSA-14-021July 24, 2013August 7, 2013
December 1, 2013HRSA-14-022July 31, 2013August 14, 2013
January 1, 2014HRSA-14-023August 14, 2013August 28, 2013
February 1, 2014HRSA-14-024September 11, 2013September 25, 2013
March 1, 2014HRSA-14-025October 9, 2013October 23, 2013
April 1, 2014HRSA-14-026October 30, 2013November 13, 2013
May 1, 2014HRSA-14-027December 4, 2013December 18, 2013
June 1, 2014HRSA-14-028January 8, 2014January 22, 2014

*Please click on the title for more information regarding the various grants. 

 

 

AHRQ Disseminating Patient Centered Outcomes Research to Improve Health Care Delivery

Application Deadline: September 27, 2013

Grants to leverage the capacities of existing broad-based networks of providers and other key stakeholders to disseminate and implement existing evidence for improving the quality of care delivery. Spread of evidence to support change in care delivery requires coordination, buy-in and active participation by diverse providers across multiple settings of care, collaboration with other key stakeholders (including payers and consumers) who are instrumental in shaping care delivery, and adaptation of interventions to local conditions. In recognition of these well-documented challenges and needs, this funding opportunity requires that applicants represent existing networks of providers and other stakeholders that have the knowledge, on-going relationships, expertise, infrastructures, past experience and understanding of local needs and constraints to maximize buy-in, collaboration, and appropriate adaptation to local conditions. 

  

Bureau of Primary Health Care Loan Guarantee Program

Application Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Loan program to Section 330 health centers to obtain a loan guarantee for the financing of a medical facility construction, renovation and modernization.
Has your FQHC joined the 
National Branding Campaign?

 

With more than 43 billion people  eligible to enroll in private insurance starting this October 1, FQHCs strive to create an identifiable unifying identity for themselves. This is where the National Branding Campaign for Our Health Centers comes into place. 

The campaign is a national branding effort to strengthen recognition of our Health Centers as a unified and nationwide network of quality community-based primary care providers.  Initially created at the state level by the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) and its membership, the National Association of Community Health Centers has expanded the campaign nationwide.

 

The FQHC Brand Components  

MACHC recently hosted a Branding Webinar for MD and DE Health Centers with CEO of PACHC, Cheri Reinhart and Event and Communications Coordinator, Kirsten Keyes, as guest speakers. If you missed the webinar and would like access, please click here.

 

*MACHC will bring back Cheri Reinhart, CEO of Pennsylvania PCA present and lead a workgroup during MACHC's Annual Conference on Thursday - September 19, 2013! 
Health Observances This Week
 
 October is Health Literacy Month
Health Literacy Month is a time for organizations and individuals to promote the importance of understandable health information. Since 1999 when Helen Osborne founded Health Literacy Month, thousands of awareness-raising events have taken place across the country and around the world.

Over the years health care organizations, community coaltions, government agencies, businesses, advocacy groups, educational programs, and so many others have hosted a wide range of events. These include communication workshops for professionals, health education programs for patients and the public, and educational offerings for students at all levels.
  

The theme for Health Literacy Month 2013 is "Be a Health Literacy Hero." It's about taking action and finding ways to improve how we communicate health information. Health Literacy Heroes include individuals, teams, and organizations who not only identify health literacy problems but also act to solve them. Here are some examples. 

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