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


 10 DAYS!!!
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
    
March 28, 2014 
MACHC Website Under Construction..... 

 

New Website COMING SOON!!!!

 
Technical Assistance Request Form 
(to be submitted prior to receiving any TA from MACHC)
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Join the Access is the Answer Campaign and advocate for CHC Funding!

Health Centers are facing an unprecedented threat and a unique opportunity in 2014. Like every year, Health Centers will have to fight to secure annual funding from Washington. But unlike any year in Health Center history, this year we face a looming Health Center funding cliff - a potential 70% reduction in Health Center program funding scheduled to take effect in 2016. As Health Center Advocates we will also have to make sure that programs, like Medicaid, that are essential to our survival remain intact and strong in the face of efforts to save money.

These are threats to Health Centers AND to the more than 22 million patients Health Centers currently serve and the millions more that Health Centers will need to grow to serve in our communities. Your advocacy through the Access is the Answer campaign is essential if we are to ensure that Health Centers will be there for everyone who needs access to health care.

What can YOU do?

To make the Access is the Answer campaign a success, commit to taking 3 easy action steps:

Number 1: Sign the Access is the Answer petition. 

Number 2: Work with your Health Center leadership to collect Access is the Answer support letters from local elected officials. 

Number 3:  Work with your Health Center leadership to collect community support letters. 

The value of advocacy:

All politics is local. Congress and the President do really pay attention to the voices of those back home in the community. That means the most effective advocacy has to come from YOU back home.

The Access is the Answer Campaign will be asking Advocates to weigh in on many issues as the campaign goes forward, but if YOU and tens of thousands of Advocates take the 3 steps, we will be laying the foundation for success in a fight neither Health Centers nor our patients can afford to lose. Thanks for joining the Access is the Answer campaign and building the power of Health Center Advocacy.  
MACHC Happenings

  

March 31st, 2014 12:30 PM   through   1:30 PM
Patients want to be assured that blood pressure (BP) treatment will reduce their disease burden

Hypertension is the most common condition seen in primary care and leads to myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, stroke, renal failure, and death if not detected early and treated appropriately.  Patients want to be assured that blood pressure (BP) treatment will reduce their disease burden, while clinicians want guidance on hypertension management using the best scientific evidence.  

This presentation done by Kathleen Coleman, BSN, RN, MPH is the Cardiac Outreach Coordinator for Adventist HealthCare. 
In this webinar Ms Coleman will discuss the proper way to take a blood pressure and sharing the current standards for managing blood pressure.

 
Given the health disparities in rural versus urban environments, successful care coordination is of paramount importance in rural areas. Rural areas pose particular challenges to care coordination, such as provider isolation, yet offer unique strengths, such as close community relationships, vital for care coordination. In this webinar, states will share distinct approaches to rural care coordination, focusing on key policy decisions and action steps that states can take. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's State Health and Value Strategies supports this webinar.
 
(3) Health Center O/E: What Happens After Open Enrollment? Call - 
Wednesday, April 2, 2014, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm, ET.
BPHC is hosting a call to discuss expectations for O/E grantees after the conclusion of open enrollment on March 31, 2014. This call will also cover the requirements for Quarter 3 health center O/E reporting due in EHB on 
Thursday, April 10, 2014. 
Access the call the day of the session using the following dial-in information, 1-800-779-0641 passcode: 4657950.
 

"Healthcare Reform: The Impact on Behavioral Health"   

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 ~ Baltimore Convention Center  

This year's highlights:

PLENARY: What's New and Why? The New ASAM Criteria for the Treatment of Addictive, Substance-Related, and Co-Occurring Conditions

David Mee-Lee, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist, and is certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM). Dr. Mee-Lee has led the development of the ASAM Criteria for the Treatment of Substance-Related Disorders since the late 1980's.

The ASAM Criteria are the most widely used guidelines for assessment, service planning, placement, continued stay and discharge of patients with addictive disorders. A new edition was released in October 2013. This presentation will update participants on what is new since the last edition ASAM PPC-2R, 2001. It will highlight compatibility with DSM-5 and new sections on older adults, criminal justice clients,

PLENARY: Addiction and the Gift of Adversity 

Norman Rosenthal, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Georgetown University School of Medicine 

The presenter will expand on Nietzsche's famous quote, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." Adversity undoubtedly can be extremely destructive -- and this applies in the case of addictions as much as or more than in many other spheres of life. However, if a person is able to deal effectively with adversity, then there is the chance that such a person can emerge stronger, wiser and more resilient. The purpose of this session is to understand the adversity of addiction in particular, how to help the addicted client find the gifts in the adversity and to use this knowledge to build self-esteem and promote gratitude.

PLENARY: How to Make it Work? Leveraging the Affordable Care Act and Parity to Achieve Recovery from Mental and Substance Use Disorders

Carol McDaid, BA Principal & Co-founder of Capitol Decisions,

a Washington, DC-based government relations firm that represents business and non-profit interests in the health industry including addiction treatment providers, alcohol and other drug advocacy organizations, hospitals and other health care providers. This session will arm participants with the tools to better advocate for those with mental and substance use disorders by informing attendees of new rights and benefits under MHPAEA and ACA. Participants will learn when and how to appeal denied claims, tools for filing state and federal complaints and other tactics to help individuals and families receive benefits entitled under these laws. 

 
(5) 
Outreach Phone Call
Discuss what happens Post Enrollment?!
Dial: 1-866-740-1260 Access Code: 4319483
 
(6) SAVE THE DATE: 
Webinar coming in April!

ACA: How to Enroll and Help Consumers Enroll

Do you want to know more about the Affordable Care Act and its impact on patients?  Doctors for America has a free one-hour workshop that will teach you the basics of the ACA.  This includes changes that impact all Americans, including those who already have insurance, and the new options for getting access to quality, affordable health care in Maryland.  Please join us to learn more about the details of the changes, important dates, and what you can do to help get your patients connected.

 

  

(7)
Cultural Competency 

Where: Doverdown, Dover, DE

When: May 8th - May 9th (attend 1 of the two 1/2 day sessions for the conference)

The training will consist of didactic training and panel discussion and will offer:

*   Discussions on cultural competency techniques

*   Importance of utilizing culturally sensitive language and behavior

*   Strategies for health entities to foster greater engagement with clients and co-workers 

*   Excellent networking opportunity   

*   Continuing Education Credits for Nurses have been applied for 

Register HERE  

  

(8)
---
SAVE THE DATE---
MACHC's Annual Conference
When: Thursday, September 18th - Friday, September 19th, 2014 
Where: Dover Downs Hotel, Dover, DE 

  

 

 

(9) Maryland Rural Health Association

Call for Proposals The Call for Proposals is now open. The conference will gather rural health leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors to discuss the major issues facing rural Maryland. Past conference attendees have pointed toward the value of illustrating best public health and community level practices as most useful to participants. Additionally, the conference planning committee is hoping to illustrate how recent statewide programs and policies have been implemented or are impacting rural Maryland both in terms of health and the economy. Examples include, but are not limited to the following: behavioral health, CMS Waiver implementation, Community Transformation Grant, the Affordable Care Act, oral health. Every proposal will be given consideration by the Rural Health Conference Planning Committee and presenters will be notified by June 13, 2014.

Please submit proposals online at Call For Proposals Due Date May 23, 2014.
 

 

 

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: 
---
SAVE THE DATE---
MACHC's Emergency Preparedness Exercise & Drill Workshop 
April 24, 2014--- 9 am - 5 pm
*FQHC EP Coordinators MUST attend this important workshop
Outlook invites to all FQHC Emergency Preparedness & Response staff has been sent out. If you are supposed to be a point of EP&R contact and have not received an Outlook invite, please reach out to Aneeqa Chowdhury at aneeqa@machc.com ASAP.
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DHMH HPP Program Events below.
 
DHMH HPP Program 2014 Timeline of Events:

  

  

I. Statewide Inventory Assessment Project

DHMH, OP&R will be undertaking a statewide inventory assessment of all supplies and materials purchased with Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) funds. This will involve visiting every facility that has purchased or received items funded by HPP. In preparation for the assessment, OP&R staff will review Inventory Management Forms submitted with End of Year Reports dated from FY08 to FY12 (BP1). Data collected from these reports will serve as the minimal items that will be captured during the inventory process.

  

Over the next few weeks we will be making contact with facilities to follow up on missing or incomplete Inventory Management Forms.

Save the Date: HPP Budget Period 3 Pre-Application Meeting

The Pre-Application Meeting for HPP Budget Period (BP) 3 has been scheduled for May 21, 2014 at the Maritime Institute Conference Center. A meeting agenda will be provided in the coming months.

Reminder: New Bimonthly Schedule for HPP Healthcare Systems Conference Calls

The HPP Healthcare Systems Partner Conference Calls have moved to a new bimonthly schedule. The first call of the year was held on January 16, 2014. Going forward, these calls will still be held on third Thursdays at 10:30am; however, they will take place on a bimonthly basis. Additional conference calls are scheduled for March 20, May 15, July 17, September 18, and November 20. Appointment notices will be sent out by Bonita Winchester-Bey.

II. Program Updates and Deliverables

National Healthcare Coalition Resource Center (NHCRC) Monthly Follow Up for Strategic Planning

NHCRC faculty will continue to engage in monthly follow-up to support healthcare coalitions with implementation of the priorities identified in the workshops. Partners are encouraged to attend and actively participate in these follow-up sessions in order to meet their coalition's goals and objectives. Contact your respective HPP Regional Coordinator

for

information about

scheduled

 meeting times for your regional coalition.

III. Preparedness News

Proposed Rule: Emergency Preparedness Requirements for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Facilities

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a new rule that would establish national emergency preparedness requirements for Medicare- and Medicaid-participating providers and suppliers. This would include hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, hospices, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, critical access hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) facilities, among others. The intent of the rule is to ensure that these organizations adequately plan for both natural and man-made disasters, and coordinate with federal, state, tribal, regional, and local emergency preparedness systems. It would also ensure that they are adequately prepared to meet the needs of patients, residents, clients, and participants during disasters and emergency situations.

The proposed rule would add additional requirements to the Conditions for Coverage for ESRD facilities and relocate the emergency preparedness Conditions for Coverage requirement established in the April 2008 Final Rule "Conditions for Coverage for End-Stage Renal Disease Facilities; Final Rule." An overview of the proposed rule's requirements is available athttp://bit.ly/1dSWZon. Comments on the proposed rule are due by 2/25/2014.

IV. Preparedness Trainings, Exercises and Events

 

Active Shooter in a Healthcare Setting.

In coordination with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Active Learning and Exercise Branch invites you to participate in the Active Shooter in a Healthcare Setting training course.

 

Date: March 25, 2014

Time: 8:30am - 4:30pm

Location: Springfield Hospital Center, Central Conference Room, 6655 Sykesville Road, Sykesville, MD 21784

 

Overview: Active Shooter training for healthcare professionals which will give strategies for responding to a shooting situation. Guest speakers from Johns Hopkins will discuss a shooting incident that occurred at their facility. MEMA/MSP staff will provide training on developing plans within facilities.

 

Register: Registration closes on March 18, 2014, at 8:30am. To register, visit https://memamaryland.csod.com.

 

For more information, see the attached flyer.

 

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Free CDC Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Training on March 27

Who: You!

What:CDC Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Training [sponsored by Fairfax County and the National Public Health Information Coalition]

Where: Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035

When: Thursday, March 27, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: Free!

Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CDC-CERC-Fairfax

 

About This Training: CERC training is a fast-paced, interactive course that gives participants essential knowledge and tools to navigate the harsh realities of communicating to the public, media, partners and stakeholders during an intense public health emergency. CERC sessions are presented across the U.S. and internationally to offer helpful guidance for communicating with people when the unthinkable happens to them, their family, their community or the nation. This rare in-person CERC training is the first to be conducted in the National Capital Region in several years. This session will be taught by Richard Sheehe, National Public Health Information Coalition CERC Project Manager and Senior Research Fellow at George Mason University's Center for Health and Risk Communication. More CERC information is available at: http://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/  and  http://www.nphic.org/training/cerc

 

Target Audience: Public information officers; federal, state, and local public health professionals; health care professionals; emergency medical services professionals; preparedness partners; and civic and community leaders 

 

Training Goals: Share communication strategies that will help to effectively prepare for and respond to public health emergencies; review and disseminate current crisis and emergency risk communication training curricula and tools; and train communicators in how to systematically plan, develop, implement, and evaluate crisis and emergency risk communication training activities.

  

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Emergency Management of Radiation Accident Victims (REAC/TS) Training Course Rescheduled

The course has been successfully rescheduled for April 22-23, 2014.  For more information and to register, see the attached flyer. 

  

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The United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) are advertising the following training opportunities for 2014.


Medical Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties (MCBC) Course.  Dates: multiple dates in 2014


Field Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties (FCBC) Course.  Dates: multiple dates in 2014

CE, CME, CEH credits are available for these courses. See the attached flyers for additional details and registration information.

 
Policy, Advocacy and Legislation
National News
Going against previous commitments, the Obama Administration has announced that it will allow consumers extra time to enroll in health insurance.  Consumers who attest to having attempted to purchase insurance will have until mid-April to ask for an extension and complete enrollment.
President Barack Obama, who is traveling in Europe, announced the number in a conference call with groups that are helping consumers sign up for coverage. In a blog post, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said the health law's web site, healthcare.gov, and 800 number, had near record traffic Wednesday, with 1.5 million visitors and more than 430,000 phone calls
 If you're a supporter of the law, you might be cringing right now - you know the areas where the grade is not going to be good. It's pretty obvious that the Obama administration wasn't ready for the launch, despite three and a half years to prepare. The political messaging hasn't impressed anyone; Democrats are scampering away from what was supposed to be a legacy achievement. No one's going to forget that notion that everyone could keep their plans. But the critics will have to round out their picture of the law, too. The signups have now hit 6 million - a feat that seemed impossible in the worst days of the website failures - and the administration's outreach efforts are better than they used to be. And although there are lots of complaints about the prices, some low-income customers seem to be genuinely happy with the rates and subsidies they're getting 

Trust - confianza - is an essential part of translating Obamacare, as the nation's new health insurance is called, no matter which language is involved. Relational trust is especially powerful in Hispanic/Latino cultures, so certified application counselors - including Westside's Gonzalez and La Red's Ruben Rocha - are critical to the process.

"They trust us, and they come to us for good advice," Rocha said last week, when U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., visited La Red's Seaford clinic. "That's what we do."

Community health center planned for Shenandoah

Schuylkill County may have a federally qualified community health center to serve people with low incomes and no insurance within the next two years.

The Board of Commonwealth Community Health and Education Inc. hosted a presentation Tuesday night at the Dr. Norman Wall Auditorium at Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street, featuring Cheri Rinehart, president and chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers.

There, Dr. Robert Cole, volunteer chief executive officer for the nonprofit trying to establish the center, said a property owner in Shenandoah has considered donating a building for the effort. A retiring physician in the county is also looking to donate a practice, he said.

The so-called "doc fix" bill is designed to avert for one year a 24% pay cut to physicians treating elderly patients through the federal Medicare program, marking the 17th time lawmakers have sought to prevent the cuts with a short-term measure. Lawmakers last month had reached a bipartisan deal to increase the amount Medicare pays physicians by 0.5% annually for the next five years, but couldn't agree on whether or how to pay for its cost. Facing Monday's expiration of the previous patch, House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) this week brokered the 12-month deal to ensure that the cuts didn't go into effect 
Battered Spouses Can Claim Subsidies For Health Insurance
The decision, announced by Treasury Department officials Wednesday, is an attempt to resolve a long-percolating controversy over access to the subsidies. The 2010 Affordable Care Act created these tax credits for people buying coverage through federal and state insurance exchanges - the first time the government has helped many Americans pay for private insurance. But the law says that married people may get such help only if they file their taxes jointly 
A compromise could soon be reached on how Maryland compensates workers who care for developmentally disabled people, an issue that has complicated passage of Gov. Martin O'Malley's minimum wage bill. A key state senator and a leading advocate for the disabled community said Wednesday that they are optimistic that a resolution will be reached in coming days, allowing the Senate to advance an amended version of the minimum wage bill being championed by O'Malley 
Supreme Court justices are weighing whether corporations have religious rights that exempt them from part of the new health care law that requires coverage of birth control for employees at no extra charge. The case being argued at the Supreme Court on Tuesday involves family-owned companies that provide health insurance to their employees, but object to covering certain methods of birth control that they say can work after conception, in violation of their religious beliefs. 
A challenge to part of President Obama's healthcare law that hits the Supreme Court on Tuesday could lead to one of the most significant religious freedom rulings in the high court's history. ... At issue in Tuesday's oral argument before the court is a regulation under the Affordable Care Act that requires employers to provide workers a health plan that covers the full range of contraceptives, including morning-after pills and intrauterine devices, or IUDs 
Latinos Being Left Behind In Health Care Overhaul
The nation's largest minority group risks being left behind by President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Hispanics account for about one-third of the nation's uninsured, but they seem to be staying on the on the sidelines as the White House races to meet a goal of 6 million sign-ups by March 3.

How your housing affects your health

Housing, for example, isn't the first thing that comes to mind when we consider how to stay healthy. But the new study reports that 19 percent of the housing in the United States is overcrowded, lacks adequate facilities for cooking, cleaning and bathing or is just too expensive for its occupants to afford.

This problem is most severe on the east and west coasts, in Alaska and in parts of the south. In the worst case, 69 percent of the housing in Wade-Hampton County, Alaska, has at least one of those problems; in the best case, just 3 percent of Fallon County, Montana housing is sub-standard.
State News
DELAWARE
Check out the Delaware ACA Toolkit right here!
 Zach from Wilmington, Delaware talks about why living without health insurance isn't worth the risk. There are only 3 days left to enroll in a health insurance plan or you may face a tax penalty of $95 per person in your househ
old or 1 percent of your yearly household income, whichever is higher. Enroll now by visiting www.HealthCare.gov. To learn about #Delaware's Health Insurance Marketplace and get help visit http://bit.ly/1myBN0z

 

 

MARYLAND
Maryland Enrollment Activity so far:

From October 1, 2013, through March 15, 2014, there has been more than a million unique visiotrs to the Maryland Health Connection website. 197,818 Marylanders have created identity-verified plans. Through March 15, 44,836 Marylanders have chosen to enroll in private health plans through Maryland H
ealth Connection.

As of March 18, 203,394 individuals have gained Medicaid coverage in 2014 and remain active in Medicaid. THis includes the 95,889 PAC enrollees who were automatically converted on January 1, 2014 to full Medicaid coverage. In total, more than 110,000 Marylanders have received an initial determi
nation of el

igibility for a Medicaid program through maryland Health Connection.
To read Maryland Health Connection's FULL Weekly Report, click here.
Finance & Business
The agency in charge of the health-law enrollment effort has learned to love the individual mandate as a way of getting consumers to sign up for health insurance. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) sent a nudging email Wednesday to users of HealthCare.gov who have applied for coverage but haven't yet picked a plan. The message: Hurry up 
Hospitals are getting creative when it comes to meeting tough new mandates in the Affordable Care Act to improve care and increase patient satisfaction - and they're getting paid more as a result.
 
The unemployment bill, however, was one among many of Mr. Boehner's concerns as he and Republican leaders found themselves backed into a corner after it appeared that legislation they favored that would prevent a 24 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors almost failed with an April 1 deadline looming. The bill, known as the "doc fix," ran into trouble after members of both parties objected to its temporary nature, as many prefer a permanent fix. ... To avoid major disruption in hospitals and doctors' offices next week, Mr. Boehner and leaders from both parties agreed to muscle the measure through. ... The drama in the House was just one episode in an unusually eventful day on Capitol Hill. ... The day began with a coalition of Democratic senators announcing their call for significant changes to President Obama's health care law, an issue that is weighing on almost every Democrat up for re-election this year  
The Latest News on ACA

 

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 reasons why Vice President Biden thinks you should enroll for insurance in the marketplace by March 31 

#GetCovered

 

HHS Releases March Marketplace Enrollment Report

On March 11, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released the fifth in a serious of issue briefs highlighting national and state-level enrollment-related information for the Marketplace. 

The full report includes both state and national data. To access state-level tables highlighting enrollment-related information,  click here.
  • Health Center Outreach and Enrollment (O/E) Quarterly Reporting (QPR) - O/E grantees have from Tuesday, April 1, 2014 until Thursday, April 10, 2014 to complete and submit the Quarter 3 QPR in EHB. Join the April "Health Center O/E: What Happens After Enrollment?" Call for information about Quarter 3 QPR (See Upcoming TA).  
  • New Affordable Care Act (ACA) O/E Resources -  View new ACA resources to assist outreach and enrollment efforts before the March 31 open enrollment deadline ends. The resources include a video message from HRSA Administrator Dr. Mary Wakefield .  
  • National Cooperative Agreement (NCA) Partner Resources: BPHC's NCA partners have compiled ACA O/E resources on the revised BPHC Partner Outreach web page.View these resources and more information on NCAs.

For other helpful outreach and enrollment resources, please click here. 

For General FAQs on HRSA Health Center Outreach and Enrollment Assistance Supplemental Funding, click here. 

Transformational Team Talk & Outreach Upates

Health Center Outreach and Enrollment (O/E) Quarterly Reporting (QPR):

O/E grantees have from Tuesday, April 1, 2014 untilThursday, April 10, 2014 to complete and submit the Quarter 3 QPR in EHB. Join the April "Health Center O/E: What Happens After Enrollment?" Call for information about Quarter 3 QPR. 

 

Exchange Updates for ACSE (CACs):

For those application counselors that could not complete the previously scheduled Webinars, they will need to get in touch with mhc.trainingsupport@maryland.gov to unenroll in order to be notified of future Webinar training.

 

Exchange Call with ACSE:

The Exchange has sent ACSE's an email around monthly webinar/calls with all to discuss the CAC Program and Maryland's Marketplace progress. The webinar.calls would take place every 4th Monday of the month and this will allow CHCs a platform to discuss success, obstacles and make suggestions for improvement. The first of these webinars/calls took place on March 24 at 10 am - 11:30 am. Slides from the webinar can be found here.

 

New Hotline for Consumers having difficulties enrolling:

New hotline (1-800-396-1961) set up to ensure anyone attempting to enroll before March 31 can get covered. Must call by 3/31! 
Grants & Funding Opportunities

  • Federal Funding: 

    • Service Area Competition-Additional Area (SAC-AA) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) - BPHC will release the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 SAC-AA (HRSA-14-136) funding opportunity for Warrenton, GA.

      The SAC-AA FOA is available at Grants.gov.  Applications are due to Grants.gov no later than Wednesday, April 30, 2014, 11:59 PM ET. Supplemental materials are due in HRSA's Electronic Handbook (EHB) no later than Wednesday, May 14, 2014, 5:00 PM ET.

      View SAC-AA TA resources.
    • Public Access to Defibrillation Demonstration Project, HRSA-14-130, FOA - HRSAhas released HRSA-14-130 to support projects that will implement a high quality and sustainable community access defibrillation program in rural areas.  

      Applications are due to Grants.gov by Wednesday, April 30, 2014, 11:59 pm, ET.

      View more information on HRSA-14-130      .  
    • Reduce Hepatitis Infections by Treatment and Integrated Prevention Services (Hepatitis-TIPS) among Non-Urban Young Persons Who Inject Drugs, RFA-PS-14-004, FOA - This cooperative agreement is available for organizations to address the high prevalence of hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection by developing and implementing an integrated approach for detection, prevention, care and treatment of hepatitis C infection among young (18-30 year old), non-urban people who inject drugs.   

      View more information on this FOA 
Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Corner 

Did you know that according to the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Primary Health Care, 44% of the nation's Community Health Centers   have achieved Patient Centered Medical Home recognition.  

 

Team-based Education Helps Fulfill PCMH Promise 

What's the best way to bring a good idea to fruition? Make sure people know about it. That's exactly what the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC) did last year when it launched an interactive database(www.pcpcc.org)

 that features academic and training institutions that have embraced interprofessional training that brings together medical students, residents, clinicians and other health care professionals. 
"We are delighted to have laid the foundation for a valuable resource that will help health professionals, academics and students understand and evaluate training programs around the country and their focus on patient-centered, collaborative team-based care," said Bill Warning, M.D., co-chair of the PCPCC's education and training task force, in the Dec. 13 press release announcing the launch.

Clinical Quality 
1. FTCA Application Technical Assistance (TA) and Deeming Process Webinar Series:  April 2, 9, and 10, 2014. BPHC's Office of Quality and Data will host three TA webinars for health centers who will be submitting Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) redeeming or initial deeming applications. Each webcast will focus on a different application section.  All webcasts will be recorded and posted on the FTCA website, but health centers are strongly encouraged to attend the live sessions.

First Webinar: Application Logistics & Credentialing 
April 2nd 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm, ET. 
 View the webcast the day of the session

2. Migration Health - The Migrant Clinicians Network is offering "Essential Clinical Issues in Migration Health," a 6-part webinar series which helps clinicians provide quality care to migrant workers. This series offers Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) and Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits.  View more information on this webinar series.   
Health Observances This Week

Remember......March is 

Multiple Myeloma Awareness

 

 

Spread the Word: March Is Myeloma Awareness Month!

Did you know that myeloma is the second most common blood cancer? Or that it affects an estimated 750,000 people worldwide?

Okay, you may know all about myeloma, but do your co-workers, friends or neighbors? Now's your chance to clue them in. March is Myeloma Awareness Month and the IMF has created an array of ways for you to help expand the public's knowledge about the disease.

From cool Myeloma Awareness Pins and Digital Myeloma Awareness Ribbons for your Facebook page to live chats with IMF Chairman and Co-founder Brian G.M. Durie, MD, we're putting on a full-court press to help spread the word.

We kicked off Myeloma Awareness Month with a live stream of our signature Patient & Family Seminar in Boca Raton. If you missed it, we have archived it on the web for your viewing pleasure. Click here to attend the seminar from the comfort of your own home.

And here's a menu of action items this year to help fit with your particular style of outreach.

  • GET THE FACTS about myeloma and simply "Tell One Person" about the symptoms, such as bone pain, anemia, frequent infections and extreme fatigue. 
    During Myeloma Awareness Month 2013, we are bringing back the successful "Tell One Person" campaign we began in 2012. "Tell One Person" is all about increasing awareness of multiple myeloma by having each patient, caregiver, or family member tell one person about myeloma who didn't already know about the disease. If we each Tell One Person, we can double awareness of the disease!  
  • WEAR a Myeloma Awareness pin. They're great conversation starters. You can get one at your support group meeting, at a Patient & Family Seminar or Community Workshop. If there is not a myeloma support group in your area, contact Robin Tuohy for details on how the IMF can help!  
  • VISIT the Binding Site to get a free March is Myeloma Awareness Month Magnetic Ribbon.   
  • REACH MORE THAN ONE PERSON by putting up this Myeloma Awareness Month announcement in a public place, like your local oncologist's office or your cancer center, as well as your local grocery store, library, or pharmacy.  
  • CHANGE YOUR FACEBOOK PROFILE PICTURE to the Myeloma Ribbon for the month of March. You can download the ribbon here.  
  • SUBMIT questions about myeloma for Dr. Durie to answer during his March Live Q & A and on Twitter. SEND QUESTIONS  
  • LEARN Listen to "How to Prevent Infection in Myeloma Patients," during one of the IMF's signature, free teleconferences, featuring Senu Apewokin, MD, Asst. Prof. of Medicine at the University of Arkansas, that aired on March 7th. Listen now.
  • TELL the world about the IMF and what we do:
    • Foster collaborative RESEARCH
    • Empower people through EDUCATION
    • Provide SUPPORT for patients and families
    • ADVOCATE for health care needs of the myeloma community. And if they want to know more...  
  • SEND them to the IMF website, myeloma.org or tell them to call the IMF Hotline, 1-800-452-CURE.
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.

Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Centers | | aneeqa@machc.com |
4319 Forbes Blvd. Lanham, MD 20706    |    www.machc.com    |    301.577.0097
 

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