Weekly E-Blast:
Voicing the latest news on Communities in Need
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| In light of the Baltimore Riots, MACHC is surveying for possible impact & State is requesting incidence report to help pay for possible damanges to facility. Please check the Spotlight section for details. |
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.
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In light of the Baltimore riots, MACHC put together a survey to measure impact on our health centers i.e. damages, closings and other needs. Please be sure to respond to the survey in a timely manner and complete the incident report. If you have not completed the survey, here is the direct link:
From an EP perspective, there may be funds to pay for damages due to the state of emergency. We are working with the State Emergency Management Office to see how you all may be able to access these funds to pay for any damages. Also, from a corporate compliance stand point, you may have an emergency preparedness clause in your insurance that can be invoked and utilized for civil unrest, particularly when a state of emergency has been deemed by the Governor. Please check your policies for this language.
MACHC Announces its Newly Launched Provider Credentialing Services (look under Shared Services Corner)
For a subscription cost, MACHC will provide initial and re-credentialing services to our members.
For more information please contact Bernadette Johnson at bernadette@machc.com
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*Please note that the MACHC conference day(s) for June and Board of Directors meeting dates have been changed. Changes reflected below.
(2) June 18-19, 2015
Clinical/Informatics
Maritime Conference Center- Lithicum, MD
(3) September 17-18, 2015
Operations Leadership
Turf Valley Conf. Ctr., MD
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Board of Directors Meetings:
(Third Friday @ 11:00 a.m.)
April 17, 2015
Conference Call
11 am - 1pm
June 18, 2015
Face to face
11 am - 1pm
Maritime Conference Center
September 17, 2015
Board Retreat
Turf Valley
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(1) Medicare PPS ONE-DAY Implementation Trainings
The time is now to register for NACHC's One-day Medicare PPS Trainings! Most health centers have already begun to transition to the new Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) rate mandated by the Affordable Care Act, for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). According to these new requirements, FQHCs must transition to the new payment system by the end of their annual cost reporting period. For some of you that can be as early as May 1, 2015!
To make sure your health center is ready, join us and fellow colleagues in Kansas City, Missouri, May 5 & 6, 2015 for these one-day, intensive workshops to prepare health centers and look-alikes to implement the new Medicare PPS regulations.
Click here to register
(2) What's Your Sign? Free Webinar Starting May 6th!
You have a few things that are uniquely you. Your DNA, your fingerprint and your retina are unique to you. Another thing is your story. Our stories are signs that we carry with us wherever we go whether we realize it or not. More often, we have our stories - our signs - told by others rather than by us. It's time to take back our stories.
So... What's Your Sign? In celebration of Nurses Week, Rich Bluni, RN has an exciting proposition for all of us. We are going to take back our stories. Right now. Today. Starting with Rich.
Gather your team and join Rich for an inspirational, thought-provoking message and call to action urging nurses, along with all healthcare professionals, to "put up their sign" and take back their stories. Register here.
(3) The Urban Health Institute and the Johns Hopkins Centro SOL announce the Latino Health Conference"Land of Opportunity? Latino Immigrants and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)" on Tuesday, May 12, in Feinstone Hall. This day-long event will provide a dynamic forum for speakers and attendees to discuss challenges and opportunities associated with changes in the healthcare system and the rapid growth of the Latino community in Maryland. The conference will bring together scholars, policy experts, clinicians, and community advocates interested in improving access and quality of healthcare for Latino immigrants and their families.
Please join us in a dynamic conversation with health policy experts, clinicians, community partners, public health officials, and academics. Our plenary speaker will be Dr. Benjamin D. Sommers of the Department of Health Policy & Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School.
Tuesday May 12, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Feinstone Hall, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St. Baltimore, MD 21224
Register TODAY
(4) Accountable Care Academy: Moving from Volume to Value and from Theoretical to Practical Application
May 13 - 14, 2015
NACHC is pleased to offer a new training designed to bring together the key leaders (CEO, CMO, CFO, COO, and CIO) of Health Centers, PCAs, and HCCNs to focus on the critical elements for successful participation in both informal and formal Accountable Care Organizations (managed care).
(5) Reimbursement and Appropriate Diabetes Coding Training and Education Session Thursday, May 14, 2015 at 7:30 AM - Friday, May 15, 2015 at 4:00 PM (EDT)
The Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control is providing a nationally recognized consultant to train and educate community based diabetes programs on Medicare and private coding and coverage guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME), and Intensive Behavior Therapy for Obesity. Building skills for consultation on patient empowerment and motivational interviewing will also be provided. Register here.
(6)FQHC Medicare PPS transition: Pitfalls, hurdles, and lessons learned in the first wave Register Here
The "new" FQHC Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) is intended to ensure that FQHCs receive appropriate reimbursement for services provided to Medicare patients. Early results disclose that unanticipated challenges continue to plague FQHCs transitioning from the Medicare cost-based all-inclusive rate payment model to the "new" PPS payment methodology. The first wave of transitions has revealed unexpected outcomes in a number of crucial areas impacting payment.
You won't want to miss Part 2 of our Medicare PPS webinar series on Wednesday, May 20th at noon EST
(7) Managing Ambulatory Health Care I (MAHC I): Introductory Course for Clinicians inCommunity Health Centers
June 15-18, 2015 - Portland, Oregon
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: June 1 Apply here.
This four-day course goes beyond the basics of being a new clinical director in a FQHC. This course focuses on skills that are essential in the community health center environment. You will learn specific management skills that are essential in the community health center environment:
- Financial management
- The enhanced role of the medical director (dental, behavioral health, etc.)
- Clinical operations
- Productivity management
- Performance compensation
(7) Patient-Centered Medical Home Training "Completing the Journey to 2014 NCQA PCMH Recognition" June 15-16, 2015
The Sheraton Harrisburg/Hershey
Harrisburg, PA Register Here.
Contact Cheryl Bumgardner for more information
(8) Save the Date for the Maryland Chronic Disease Conference
On September 8-9, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland, DHMH will be hosting the Inaugural Chronic Disease Conference. The Maryland Chronic Disease Conference aims to explore challenges and opportunities in public health as well as approaches to prevent and control chronic diseases and associated risk factors. The conference will identify best practices, examine existing barriers, and develop a roadmap for future programs in Maryland. The core focus of the Conference will be the four CDC Chronic Disease Domains-Epidemiology/Surveillance; Environmental Approaches; Health Care System Interventions and Community Programs Linked to Clinical Services.
For more information please visit: Maryland Chronic Disease Conference
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Emergency Preparedness Events:
***Baltimore City Unrest State Calls
Every Day at 9:00 a.m. the State will have calls with the Secretary of Health regarding the Baltimore City Demonstrations: The conference line and details are below. This is an opportunity for health centers to voice their concerns and report incidents that may have impacted your operations. Attached please find a Health Center Incident Report that you all can utilize.
1) Conference line: 415-655-0003
Access code: 641 166 741
MGT 433: Isolation and Quarantine for Rural Communities & PER 308: Rural Isolation and Quarantine for Public Health and Healthcare Professionals. Register here
MGT 433 (8am-12pm) is designed to provide small, rural and remote communities with the knowledge, skills and abilities to effectively plan for and respond to events that require isolation and/or quarantine of their populations. PER 308 (1-5pm) expands on the concepts presented in MGT 433. It consists of two customized training modules that are specifically tailored toward course participants from the public health and medical fields.
Date: June 26, 2015
Time: 8:00am - 12:00pm AND 1:00 - 5:00pm
Location: Eastern Shore Hospital Center, Cambridge, MD
Registration deadline: June 12, 2015
Domestic Preparedness: Coalition & Communication
The National Institutes of Health has been saving the lives of patients diagnosed with Ebola virus. At the same time, Walter Reed Army Institute has been developing and testing a new Ebola vaccine. Montgomery County, Maryland, is home to these world-renowned facilities as well as a leading healthcare coalition that continually prepares for emerging public health threats.
Created in response to the 11 September 2001 attacks and anthrax attacks later that year, the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) has increased hospital emergency preparedness nationwide. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response heavily promoted hospital coalitions as an integral part of community emergency preparedness across the nation, and there are now nearly 500 healthcare coalitions across the country. These coalitions play a critical role in preparing for and responding to public health crises. To read more, please click on the title.
How Prepared Is Your Community for an Emergency?
Download the kit checklist:
Family communication and evacuation plan:
EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYMPOSIUM: REGIONAL RESPONSE TO CRITICAL INCIDENTS IN THE 21st CENTURY
DATE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015
TIME: 8:30 AM - REGISTRATION 9:00 AM TO 5:00 PM - WORKSHOP
PLACE: UNIVERSITIES AT SHADY GROVE CONFERENCE CENTER BUILDING II, 9630 GUDELSKY DRIVE, ROCKVILLE, MD 20850
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MAY 29, 2015
Corrected Registration Phone#: 301-474-1485
FOCUS: COORDINATED MULTI-DISCIPLINARY, MULTI- JURISDICTIONAL RESPONSE TO CRITICAL, HIGH-IMPACT INCIDENTS. THIS WILL INCLUDE LESSONS LEARNED FROM:
* BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING
* AURORA THEATER SHOOTINGS
* JOPLIN TORNADO
RESPONSE LEADERS FROM THESE EVENTS WILL PROVIDE THEIR FIRST-HAND IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS. LOCAL LEADERS FROM EMERGENCY RESPONSE DISCIPLINES WILL LEARN
TO APPLY THOSE LESSONS TO LOCAL STRATEGIES
Fun New Emergency Preparedness Challenge YOU can take part in TODAY!
MEMA is holding a pet preparedness challenge. See info below. If anyone would like to participate, you can send
your pet preparedness picture and she will post to the OP&R Facebook and Twitter.
ARE YOU AND YOUR PET READY FOR A CHALLENGE?
Starting tomorrow, April 1st-May 8th, share a pet selfie with DHMH (HPP Program) of you and your pet taking action and preparing for any emergency. The action can be simple as;
1. Downloading a Pet Preparedness App
2. Building a Pet Emergency Supply Kit
3. ID-ing your pet w/ a collar & tag (or consider micro chipping)
4. Practicing your evacuation plan in the car or determining where you both would shelter-in-place.
5. Creating a buddy-system with a relative or friend to help each other's pets if one of you is away from home during an emergency.
Whatever your action is, Office of Preparedness & Response (OP&R) wants to see it! Once the action is complete, take a picture (or selfie) of your #petpared and share, tweet, or Instagram the picture to them (email provided above or use social media) and include the hashtag #Petpared to help spread the word. You will feature you/ your pet ON the OP&R Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram page.
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ATTENTION MD FQHCS
2. DHMH Satellite Phone Recall FQHCs that still have the satellite phones distributed by DHMH 4 years ago, please send them back to:
L. Kay Webster, MPH
Office of Preparedness & Response
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
300 W. Preston Street, Ste. 202
Baltimore, MD 21201
3. Please get in touch with your Regional Coordinators if you have not already done so and be more active in your Regional Coalition. You should already have their contacts in emails I have sent within this year numerous times. Please find them below:
Regions I and II Health Care Coalition
[Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington Counties]
Alison Robinson
Allegany County Health Department
12501 Willowbrook Road
Cumberland, MD 21502
301-759-5238 (Office)
443-934-2232 (Mobile)
301-777-2069 (Fax)
alison.robinson@maryland.gov
Region III Health and Medical Task Force
[Baltimore City; Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard Counties]
Edward Johnson
Harford County Health Department
120 S. Hays Street, Suite 230
Bel Air, MD 21014
410-877-1031 (Office)
443-388-6290 (Mobile)
410-420-3448 (Fax)
edward.johnson@maryland.gov
Region IV -
[Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester Counties]
Kristin McMenamin
Kent County Health Department
A.F. Whitsitt Center
300 Scheeler Road, P.O. Box 229
Chestertown, MD 21620
410-778-4861 (Office)
443-690-3091 (Mobile)
410-778-4862 (Fax)
kristin.mcmenamin@maryland.gov
Region V Emergency Preparedness Coalition
[Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's and St. Mary's Counties]
Vacant - To be filled
Intermittent Coordinator:
L. Kay Webster, MPH
Office of Preparedness & Response
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
300 W. Preston Street, Ste. 202
Baltimore, MD 21201
4. Find ATTACHED (Please click here) the guide was developed to provide hospitals in California with a useful tool for developing and implementing effective respiratory protection programs, with an emphasis on protecting health care workers from aerosol transmissible diseases. It was prepared by the Occupational Health Branch (OHB) of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) with funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOS H) National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL). It sure looks like something that we can perhaps modify for Maryland.
, you will find the template for setting up a respiratory protection program in hospitals.
5. MACHC conducted two FQHCs with Planning for Onsite Drill/Exercise in February 5th & 6th, 2015. The follow up call with ALL MACHC member health centers and partners was held Thursday, March 12th. Due to the large file size of Active Shooter documents, an email to all attendees and FQHC POIs was sent out. Please alert Aneeqa Chowdhury (aneeqa@machc.com) if you have not received the link.
*** Look for the latest EP related updates RIGHT HERE!
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Policy, Advocacy and Legislation
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For Your Review--NACHC Draft Comments on Department of Justice Proposed Rule on FTCA De-Deeming
NACHC's DRAFT comments on the Department of Justice's (DOJ) proposed rule
on FTCA de-deeming. This rule will implement the DOJ's authority to "de-deem" an individual health center provider from coverage under FTCA, among other provisions. We have also attached a brief summary for more information.
Please take a moment to review these comments and let us know if you have any comments/questions/edits. As always, we encourage you to submit your own comments, reflecting your state or health center experience. You may use these comments as a template for your own, but we encourage you to include local examples to provide DOJ with "on the ground" examples. Comments are
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Save the Date! National Health Center Kickoff Webinar on Tuesday, May 12th at 2 PM ET
Start your engines! This year,National Health Center Week will be observed August 9-15. The theme is America's Health Centers: Celebrating Our Legacy, Shaping Our Future. To jump start National Health Center Week planning efforts, NACHC will host its annual kickoff webinar on Tuesday, May 12 at 2PM ET. The webinar is open to all and will cover the nuts and bolts of how to plan and host successful events, recruit local sponsors, and invite federal, state, and local officials to join the celebration at your health center. Click here to register for the webinar and join us! Be sure to visit the National Health Center Week website to get event ideas and access resources to support your event planning! |
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Department of Veterans Affairs to Offer Trainings to Those Who Care for Veterans
Does your health center provide care to veterans? Do your providers understand all of the ins and outs of military culture? The Department of Veterans Affairs is holding a series of trainings on military culture, free of charge to those who provide care to veterans. For more information on these and other veterans' trainings, see the Veterans Health Administration training website here .
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Have You Reported ALL Advocacy Activities for Phase 3 of the Access is the Answer Campaign?
Now that H.R. 2 has been signed into law, update us on the advocacy activities your Health Center's been doing to contribute to this effort. If you have not already, please share the advocate cards and staff support letters you've collected, and let us know if you've passed a board resolution or sent a letter from the board to your Members of Congress. Please send your Phase 3 advocacy activity reports to aneeqa@machc.com and cc grassroots@nachc.com. |
Initial deeming and redeeming applications for Calendar Year (CY) 2016 Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) are due by 11:59 pm, ET on Tuesday, May 26, 2015. The 2016 application process and guidance for submitting deeming applications for Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) medical malpractice coverage are detailed within Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2015-03. Visit |
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2015 Uniform Data System (UDS) Changes Webinar May 6
The HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC)is hosting a webinar Wednesday, May 6, 2015, 2:30 - 4:30 pm, ET to highlight changes to the 2015 UDS reporting, which include:
- An addition to patient characteristics (Table 4)
- International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) reporting (Table 6A, 6B, and 7)
- A new oral health measure (Table 6B)
- Revision to the diabetes control measure (Table 7)
To view the webinar the day of the session, click here. Connect to the audio line by calling (800) 857-5012; passcode, 9413383. Visit the Health Center Data webpage for additional reporting information.
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A new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds that states that have expanded Medicaid eligibility are seeing significant budget savings and revenue gains. Researchers looked at Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia. Savings and revenues by the end of 2015 are expected to exceed $1.8 billion across the eight states. In Arkansas and Kentucky, savings and revenue gains are expected to offset costs of the expansion at least through 2021. Findings suggest expansion states can expect to reduce state spending on programs for the uninsured; see savings related to previously eligible Medicaid beneficiaries now eligible for the new adult group under expansion; and see revenue gains related to existing insurer or provider taxes.
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As Florida lawmakers far away in the state capital struggle to break their stalemate over Medicaid expansion, Cynthia Louis sees the bus bench advertising "Obamacare" near her Miami home as a reminder of a broken promise: that the Affordable Care Act would help her get the medical care she needs to return to work.
Louis, 57, has been unemployed since fall of 2013. Before then, the mother of three worked for Burger King for nearly 25 years, preparing and serving breakfast and lunch to Miami customers.
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Milford hoping voters change their minds on referendum
The Milford School District goes to voters Tuesday seeking approval for $20 million in borrowing to pay its share of a proposed $69 million new high school, as well as a property tax increase for operating costs.
A referendum on the proposed tax hikes will be held 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday. Polling locations are the Morris Early Childhood Center, Lulu M. Ross Elementary, Mispillion Elementary and Benjamin Banneker Elementary.
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Two Maryland House members on Sunday defended Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby amid criticism that her decision to bring charges against six city police officers in connection with the death of Freddie Gray was politically motivated and a "rush to judgment."
"I think she did an incredible job of laying out the probable cause findings," Maryland Democratic Rep. Donna Edwards told "Fox News Sunday."
To be sure, when Mosby, the Maryland state attorney for Baltimore City, announced the charges Friday she spent nearly 10 minutes detailing the events of April 12 when Gray, a black male, suffered a severe neck injury while in police custody.
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Congress Starts Work On Slashing Trillions From Federal Budget
The two GOP budget resolutions envision deep spending cuts above $5 trillion over 10 years to get to a balanced budget. The president's budget proposal doesn't balance, boosts spending on education and infrastructure and is paid for with a $320 billion tax hike on the rich that will never get past a Republican Congress. Similarly, GOP plans envision repealing the Affordable Care Act, something the president is sure to veto.
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Did You Know?
Mental Health Care Costs
Mental health care costs for individuals ages 18 to 64 averaged more than $48 billion annually from 2009 to 2011, with 45 percent of the cost (about $22 billion) spent on prescription medicines. On average during that period, 28 million adults per year had health care expenses related to mental health diagnoses.
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released Guidance on Annual Eligibility Redeterminations and Re-enrollments for Marketplace Coverage for 2016. This guidance builds on the procedures that were provided in similar guidance for benefit year 2015, as well as the Marketplace's experience in implementing that guidance. As in benefit year 2015, the procedures described in this new guidance ensure that most enrollees do not have to take action to retain their coverage for 2016, which is important in promoting continuity of coverage while limiting administrative burden for enrollees, issuers, and Marketplaces.
CMS Assister Webinars & Supplemental Webinars
The next two CMS Assister Webinars will be held on Thursday, May 7 and Thursday May 21. Please be aware of the date change. Also here is a list of supplemental webinars:
- Special Enrollment Periods and Resources for the Uninsured; Wednesday, May 6, 2015, 2:00 pm EDT: Click to register. To join by phone only: 1 (415) 655-0059, Access Code: 419-734-181, Pin code is the # key. Wednesday, June 17, 2015, 2:00 pm EDT: Click to register. To join by phone only: (415) 655-0051, Access Code: 564-443-351, Pin code is the # key.
- Got Coverage? Next Steps in Using Your Health Insurance; Tuesday, May 19, 2015, 3:00 pm EDT: Click to registerClick to register. To join by phone only: 1 (646) 307-1706, Access Code: 763-833-558, Pin code is the # key. Tuesday, June 23, 2015, 4:00 pm EDT: Click to register. To join by phone only: (415) 655-0051, Access Code: 379-833-859, Pin code is the # key.
- Affordable Care Act 101 Webinars for Small Employers**
- Spanish-language ACA 101 Webinars for Small Employers
Marketplace Call Center and SHOP Call Center Hours
Health Insurance Marketplace Call Center: For customer service support, to start or finish an application, compare plans, enroll or ask a question. 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325). Available 24/7. Closed Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
SHOP Call Center: For customer service support, including assisting employers and employees apply for and enroll in SHOP. 1-800-706-7893 (TTY: 711). Available M-F 9:00 am-7:00 pm EST.
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MACHC Conference Call Updates
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All Maryland CACs:
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Maryland Health Benefit Exchange's ACSE monthly meeting has been cancelled for Monday, April 27th. The call/meeting will meet next month on the fourth Monday of June.
June 22, at 10am.
NEW Plan Selection Data Available By Zip Code
Newly-released data from the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) allows viewers to browse consumer plan selections by zip code from November 15, 2014 through February 22, 2015. Assisters may find this interesting because it offers a look at plan selections on a local level. To view this new dataset, click here
Navigator Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Released
Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a funding opportunity for organizations and individuals to operate as Navigators in Federally-facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs), including State Partnership Marketplaces (SPMs). As they did have done over the past two years, and as they are doing now, Navigators will continue to assist consumers in various ways, including providing information about available coverage options through the Marketplace during open enrollment.
Navigators have been an important resource for the millions of Americans who enrolled in coverage over the past two years. This funding announcement ensures this important work will continue over the next three years in states with a FFM, including during Marketplace open enrollment periods.
Model Form 1095-A Now Available in Spanish
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a Spanish translation of Form 1095-A and instructions for using the form. To view the instructions and model Form 1095-A in Spanish, click here ; you can also view this form along with other tax-related resources here.
A message from MHBE's Jody Hartzell
Important message that was sent out to all applications for CAC's.
Good Afternoon,
We have scheduled MHC System training webinar sessions for Application Counselors. These sessions are scheduled and open for registration in The Hub for those who still need to complete this requirement or if you feel you need refresher training on the system. The webinar sessions are scheduled under the MHC-Application Counselor ILT System Training Event listed in the HUB either on the active or completed tab on your transcript.
If you have problems with accessing your Hub account, contact our training team at mhc.trainingsupport@maryland.gov.
Title: MHC-Application Counselor ILT System Training
Locator Number: 795
Date: June 25th, 2015
Time 10:30 am - 1: 30 pm
Registration close date/time: 6/22/2015 @ 12:00 am
Requirements for Webinar Completion:
1. You must attend the webinar session in their entirety. Participants who miss more
than 15 minutes of the webinar, as captured by entry and exit times throughout
the session, will not receive completion status for the training. For example, if a participant enters the online meeting space after 9:15 am for a webinar start time of 9:00 am, he or she will not receive credit for the training.
Participants must participate in the webinar through the Webex Meeting space and by phone for audio. If you are on the phone the entire time, but not signed into the
WebEx, you will not receive credit for the training. For this reason, we encourage you to remain logged into the online event during scheduled breaks and Q&A sessions.
2. You must log into the session on an individual computer with a complete and
accurate last name, first name, and email address. When joining the session,
please enter the same name and email address you used when registering for the
webinar on The Hub.
Participants who share a computer to attend the webinar will not receive completion status for the training, because their names and email addresses will not be captured
in the webinar attendance report.
3. Only participants who completed the required prerequisites and registered for the webinar through The Hub, before the registration deadline date and time, and satisfied the attendance requirements listed above will receive credit for completing the webinar.
4. Only registered participants will receive an email on how to access the webinar, to the email address that was used to register in The Hub, at least 24 hours before the
start of the webinar.
Thank you,
MHBE
Maryland--Call Center Note:
Direct Line for Navigators and CAC to MHBE Call Center--Regarding the Call Center # 844-224-6762 It should be noted that: If you need customer assistance from the call center, CAC's should call this number.
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Grants & Funding Opportunities
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HRSA Health Infrastructure Investment Program Funding
Application Deadline: Grants.gov application package by April 21; EHB application by May 21
HRSA expects to award approximately $150 million in Affordable Care Act funding for the alteration or renovation, expansion or construction of a facility, allowing health centers to provide increased capacity or additional primary and preventive care services. HRSA will hold a call on this announcement on March 24, 2015. For additional information, click here.
National Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreements (NCA) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) (HRSA-15-140) - HRSA released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 NCA FOA (HRSA-15-140). Approximately $3 million will be available to support 3-4 awards to national organizations that will provide training and technical assistance to potential and existing Health Center Program grantees and look-alikes in the areas of oral health services, health information technology and data, and clinical workforce development. Applications are due to Grants.gov by Monday, June 1, 2015. This NCA funding opportunity is a Grants.gov only application. A technical assistance (TA) webinar will be held on Friday, April 10, 2015 at 2:00pm, ET. The details for this webinar and FOA TA resources are available on the NCA FOA TA website. Federal Surplus Personal Property Program
Application Deadline: None
Eligible state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations, including health centers, can obtain property that the federal government no longer needs through the Federal Surplus Personal Property Donation Program.
BJ's Charitable Foundation
Application Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Funding for hunger prevention, self-sufficiency, healthcare, and education to those who are underserved.
Application Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Provides seed funding to emerging nonprofits, or to new projects of established organizations in the areas of education; environment; health and human services; and hunger and nutrition. Pennsylvania is one of 13 eligible states.
Application Deadline: Applications Accepted on an Ongoing Basis
The Community Response Fund supports organizations, activities, and events that address access to needed oral health care and community resources that improve oral health. Programs that address an immediate response to an urgent issue that impacts access to clinical care, provide short-term access to needed care for the underserved, or sustain organizations experiencing short-term challenges are the focus. A limited number of program concepts that provide longer term solutions or essential services for particularly underserved populations will also be considered. The program will also support Missions of Mercy clinics.
National Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement (NCA) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) (HRSA-15-140) - HRSA released Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 NCA FOA (HRSA-15-140) which will provide approximately $3 million to support 3-4 awards to national organizations that will provide training and technical assistance to potential and existing Health Center Program grantees and look-alikes. The organizations will provide training in the areas of oral health services, health information technology and data, and clinical workforce development.
Applications are due to Grants.gov by Monday, June 1, 2015. This NCA funding opportunity is a Grants.gov only application.
NHSC Scholarship Program Now Open
The 2015 National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program application cycle is now open and will close on May 7, 2015 at 7:30pm, ET. Refer to the "Upcoming TA and Training Sessions" section of this Digest for information on a related webinar.
Eligibility for the program is open to all students who are committed to primary care and are U.S. citizens or nationals and are enrolled in a fully accredited training program for Physicians (MD or DO), Dentists, Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse-Midwives or Physician Assistants at a U.S. accredited school. Refer to the 2015 Application and Program Guidance for all of the program requirements.
CY 2016 Requirements for FTCA Medical Malpractice Coverage for Health Centers- HRSA has issued Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2015-03 to describe the process for Health Center Program grantees to submit initial and redeeming Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) deeming applications for Calendar Year (CY) 2016.
Applications are due by Tuesday, May 26, 2015, 11:59pm, ET.
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Check out the comprehensive Credentialing Checklist. This can help your health center adhere to all the regulations,receive the payments at the appropriate time and forecast any financial constraints due to credentialing early.
MACHC now offers a myriad of Shared Services for member convenience.
Please check out the attached flier for additional details on the services offered.
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Greenway Health is sponsoring a webinar, Improving Clinical Documentation for a Successful ICD-10 Transition, May 6, 2015 at 1:00 pm ET. The increased specificity of ICD-10 brings with it a need for clinical documentation that is accurate, timely, and expansive. This webinar will discuss: why ICD-10 requires improvements to clinical documentation; what stakeholders need to be engaged to succeed at clinical documentation improvement; best practices and resources; and the impact of clinical documentation beyond ICD-10 to other quality initiatives.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention's Vital Signs shows that Colorado leads the nation in providing the most effective forms of birth control to low-income teenage women. According to a report issued earlier this month, 25.8 percent of Colorado women ages 15-19 who used Title X services in 2013 chose long-acting reversible contraceptives. Although these are the most effective form of birth control, only 7.1 percent of women nationally use them. A Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment initiative has provided more than 30,000 women long-acting reversible contraceptives at 68 Title X clinics across the state since 2009. During that time, the state's teen birth rate dropped 40 percent, teenage abortions dropped 35 percent and the state averted approximately $79 million in Medicaid spending.
Medicaid Expansion States See Revenue Savings, Gains
A new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds that states that have expanded Medicaid eligibility are seeing significant budget savings and revenue gains. Researchers looked at Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia. Savings and revenues by the end of 2015 are expected to exceed $1.8 billion across the eight states. In Arkansas and Kentucky, savings and revenue gains are expected to offset costs of the expansion at least through 2021. Findings suggest expansion states can expect to reduce state spending on programs for the uninsured; see savings related to previously eligible Medicaid beneficiaries now eligible for the new adult group under expansion; and see revenue gains related to existing insurer or provider taxes.
Lesson Learned: Primary Care Key to Better Health Outcomes
As we know, although the U.S. spends far more on health care than any other country in the world, we are far from having the best health outcomes. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), a difference in many of the countries that have better health outcomes is that people of all ages and socio-economic status are able to easily access primary care that is comprehensive, patient-centered and rooted in local communities. RWJF looked beyond the U.S. borders to learn about promising primary care practices in high and middle income countries that spend less on health care yet have better outcomes and found several consistent themes familiar to community health centers:
- Primary care is most effective when it is well integrated into community and population health.
- For primary care to really impact quality and cost, it must be highly accessible and simple to navigate.
RWJF describes in We Went to Oxford and Got Schooled some of the innovative approaches to primary care they reviewed. In addition, RWJF's project, The Primary Care Team: Learning from Effective Ambulatory Practices (LEAP), has identified and visited over 30 primary care practices in 20 states in the U.S. to learn how these practices make primary care more accessible by creatively using their clinician and staff workforce. The LEAP team, led by Ed Wagner MD, Director Emeritus at MacColl Center for Healthcare Innovation and Margaret Flinter PhD, RN, FAAN, Senior Vice President and Clinical Director at Community Health Centers Inc. , has developed a great resource for primary care practices, organizations and leaders, which can be accessed at Improvingprimarycare.org.
AHRQ Continuing-Education Video Explores Medication Adherence Intervention Programs
The following continuing-education video explores how interventions can encourage medication adherence. On average, 50 percent of medications for chronic disease aren't taken as prescribed. Nonadherence has been estimated to cost the U.S. health care system between $100 billion and $289 billion annually in direct costs. Strong evidence suggests that improved self-management of chronic diseases could result in a cost-to-savings ratio of approximately 1:10 and improve patient health outcomes. The video features findings from “Medication Adherence Interventions: Comparative Effectiveness,“a report from AHRQ's Closing the Quality Gap Series that sheds light on the potential for multiple interventions, such as reducing copayments or improving coverage for prescription drugs, offering case management services and providing patients education and behavioral support to improve medication adherence.
Rising Local Unemployment No Longer Linked to Declining Heart Attack HospitalizationsRising Local Unemployment No Longer Linked to Declining Heart Attack Hospitalizations An AHRQ study found new evidence that the overall relationship between health and the economy may have shifted over time for cardiovascular events. The study, which used AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases and Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 1995 to 2011, found that a one percentage point increase in the unemployment rate during that period was associated with a statistically significant 0.80 percent decline in heart attack hospitalizations for adults ages 20 to 64 and a 0.96 percent decline for those ages 65 and older from 1995 to 2003, but not for the second half of the study. Researchers speculated that this shift could be the result of many factors, including structural changes to the health care system, workplaces that seek to enhance the well-being of employees and increased housing costs that add to the burden of the unemployed.
Blacks Had Lower Inpatient Mortality Rates Than Whites When Hospitalized for Common Medical Conditions, AHRQ Study Finds Black hospital patients had lower mortality rates than white hospital patients for six common medical conditions, according to a new AHRQ study. Researchers compared data from 2009 on outcomes for heart attack, congestive heart failure, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hip fracture, pneumonia and stroke. The biggest difference shown, after adjustment for risk factors, was that the black mortality rate for congestive heart failure was about 38 percent less than the white mortality rate (16.6 versus 26.6 deaths per 1,000 hospital stays) and the smallest difference in black and white mortality rates was shown for pneumonia at 5 percent (29.6 versus 31.1 deaths per 1,000 stays). Blacks experienced higher mortality rates, however, for two common surgical procedures, coronary artery bypass graft (13 percent higher) and craniotomy (10 percent higher). Mortality rates were 20 percent lower among blacks for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, but were similar to whites for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The study authors, Roxanne M. Andrews, Ph.D., and Ernest Moy, M.D., used AHRQ's Inpatient Quality Indicators software to measure risk-adjusted hospital mortality rates.
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Health Observances This Week
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Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. UV radiation can also come from tanning booths or sunlamps. The most dangerous kind of skin cancer is called melanoma.
The good news? Skin cancer can almost always be cured when it's found and treated early. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to prevent skin cancer or detect it early on.
Make a difference: Spread the word about strategies for preventing skin cancer and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.
How can Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month make a difference?
We can use this month to raise awareness about skin cancer and help people take action to prevent or detect it, both at home and in the larger community.
Here are just a few ideas:
- Encourage families to adopt good habits together, like wearing sunscreen and limiting their time in the sun.
- Motivate teachers and administrators to teach kids about the harm of UV radiation and why it's important to protect yourself.
- Identify youth leaders in your community who can talk to their peers about taking steps to prevent skin cancer.
- Partner with a local hospital, state fair, or similar organization to host a skin cancer screening event.
How can I help spread the word?
We've made it easier for you to make a difference. This toolkit is full of ideas to help you take action today. For example:
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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.
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