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

National Health Center Week, August 9-15, is just around the corner! What is your Health Center hosting to celebrate? Please inform us at MACHC of any events!
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. 
August 3, 2015
MACHC SPOTLIGHT

 

PMP in the house

Aneeqa Chowdhury, Program & Community Development Manager at MACHC is now a Project Management Professional (PMP). She will play a key role in bringing project management system within MACHC and preparing project management training for our health centers. 


 

National Health Center Week 2015 
is around the Corner! 

National Health Center Week 2015 (#NHCW15), August 9-15, is closer thank you think! This year's theme is "America's Health Centers: Celebrating Our Legacy, Shaping Our Future." #NHCW15 will be action packed as it coincides with the 50th anniversary celebration of America's Health Centers. 

*****MACHC Members' Facebook NHCW Contest*****

In celebration of NHCW, MACHC will join you in contributing and showcasing the various efforts through a bit of fun and healthy competition! We will be hosting a Facebook Picture & Video Contest for our members. MD and DE FQHCs are asked to LIKE us on Facebook  and post a NHCW picture or video showcasing the fun event! Winners will be chosen on how many 'LIKES' you can get for your picture so please ask your staff members to like MACHC's page. 

There will be four prizes: 1st Place for $1,000, 2nd Place will be $500; and 2 runner ups will win $250 each.  The contest will be the week of national health center week, starting August 9th and ending August 15th. 
The contest is an opportunity to use your creativity and teamwork to garner attention for your health center. The prizes for the contest is a surprise so check the next Eblast to find out more!
Meanwhile, please send MACHC a quick email telling us about your NHCW event(s) and start thinking about what kind of pic/video you want to capture and share for the contest.

Good luck and may the likes be ever in your favor!


 


 

To ensure your Health Center has a great celebration, prepare now:

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Reminder:

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

MACHC HAPPENINGS

MACHC EVENTS
    
(1) Outreach & Enrollment Call 
Friday, August 14th, 2015
1-866-740-1260 Access 4319483
Who: Outreach Staff
Discuss state updates, best practices, barriers/issues that need attention and provide any support and advocacy where needed.

(2) MACHC's OPERATIONAL CONFERENCE has been moved to December
Please look out on the next Eblast for more details!

----------------------------------

Board of Directors Meetings:
(Third Friday @ 11:00 a.m.)
  • OTHER EVENTS

    •  

    (1) HRSA Supported Tools for Health Centers and PCAs/HCCN Webinar: Tuesday, August 4, 2015, 2:00pm - 3:00pm, ET.

    Capital Link, on behalf of HRSA, is hosting this webinar to introduce health centers to educational programs and services that are designed to improve their financial and operational performance

     

    (2) State Policies and Strategies Supporting Community Health Workers         Register here
    August 5 | 3:00 - 4:00 pm ET
     

    Health centers and states are currently examining strategies to incorporate and expand the roles of community health workers to improve patient care and patient experience.
    This webinar will provide an overview of state legislation and activities around community health workers and highlight some of the new opportunities that have been presented through federal or state programs.
    Primary Care Associations from Michigan, Minnesota, and South Carolina will provide an overview of activities in their states and share lessons learned for health centers. 

     

    (3) FTCA Webinar: The Roles of Health Centers and Free Clinics - Tuesday, August 11, 2015, 3:00p, - 4:00pm, ET or Wednesday, August 12, 2015, 3:00pm - 4:00pm, ET.

    TheECRI Institute is hosting this webinar to discuss the roles of healthcare providers in identifying and caring for patients with special social or emotional needs. Topics that will be discussed include patient screening, identification of red flag indicators for certain vulnerable populations, and treatment or referral to support services.

     

    (4) 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 
    Emergency Preparedness Events: 


         Do you have a personal preparedness kit yet? Sign up ASAP for this free workshop taught by Hopkins to learn about preparedness planning and to walk away with supplies and resources for your kit: http://1.usa.gov/1HVe1SZ

     

     Ebola vaccine success offers hope after trial shows 100 per cent success rate

    The world is for the first time on the verge of being able to protect humans against Ebola, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on 31 July, as data from a trial in Guinea showed a vaccine was 100 percent effective.

    Initial results from the trial, which tested Merck and NewLink Genetics' VSV-ZEBOV vaccine on some 4,000 people who had been in close contact with a confirmed Ebola case, showed 100 percent protection after 10 days.

    The results were described as "remarkable" and "game changing" by global health specialists.

     Responders Assist Following Civil Unrest in Baltimore City

    Protests in Baltimore City following the death of Freddie Gray turned violent on the evening of April 27th, and numerous instances of rioting, looting, and arson occurred. Multiple pharmacies were looted and destroyed, and others in the affected area closed to protect their staff and property. The community was left without 13 pharmacies, leaving local residents without access to prescription medications. Residents who were affected by the closed pharmacies or in need of mental health services were asked to call 311. The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) and its partners fielded requests from the community to help residents gain access to prescription medications and to provide mental health services to groups and individuals. Because of the uncertainty regarding the potential number of requests for mental health services and assistance with prescription medications, BCHD sought support. They reached out to DHMH and Maryland Responds for volunteers who were willing to be on standby to assist with response efforts in case existing BCHD and Behavior Health Systems Baltimore (BHSB) resources were overwhelmed. Baltimore City Health Department would like to thank Maryland Responders for their support during the response to the civil unrest event. Thank you to the responders who took the time to fill out their profiles and prepared themselves for possible deployment. Special thanks to Tony Gesualdo, Pharmacist, and Monique Turner, Pharmacy Technician, who assisted our prescription drug access operation at the BCHD Health Department Operations Center
     

     

    How Prepared Is Your Community for an Emergency? 

     

    Download the kit checklist: 

     

    Family communication and evacuation plan: 

     

     

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    ATTENTION MD FQHCS 

     

    1. MACHC's Table Top Exercise (see slides attached) After Action Report Improvement Plan (AARIP). Please find AARIP attached here. Additionally, the Situational Manual discussed during the discussion is attached here. 

     

    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 


     

    NEW REGION V COORDINATOR

    Region V  Emergency Preparedness Coalition

    [Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's and St. Mary's Counties]

    Casey Owens

    Office of Preparedness & Response

    Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

    300 W. Preston Street, Ste. 202

    Baltimore, MD  21201 

    casey.owens@maryland.gov


     

    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.

    6. MACHC provided support to all Baltimore Health Centers during the Baltimore Riots end of April-May 2015. We thank all of our member FQHCs and partners for the support and seamless communication which created transparency and effective communication of needs during the pressing time. Please email us at MACHC if you have any comments regarding the events that occurred. 

     
    *** Look for the latest EP related updates RIGHT HERE!
    Policy, Advocacy and Legislation
    National News

    Medicare announced plans this month to reimburse doctors for talking with patients about what treatments they want - and don't want - toward the end of life. This sensible, long-overdue proposal is likely to have a very wide impact. About 80 percent of people who die in the United States each year are covered by Medicare, and Medicare policies are often followed by private insurers, some of which already pay for these advance-planning conversations. 

    BPHC Audit Submissions 

    Beginning September 1, 2015, BPHC will no longer collect the Single Audit which is required of all Federal award recipients that expends $750,000 or more in Federal awards during their Fiscal Year. Please note that Single Audits must continue to be submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC). All health centers are still required by the Health Center Program statute to complete an annual financial audit regardless of the level of Federal award funds expended. 
    If you require technical assistance with your Electronic Handbooks (EHB) audit submission prior to September 1, 2015, please contact the BPHC Helpline at 1-877-974-BPHC (2742) Monday through Friday, 8:30am - 5:30pm, ET. 
    For technical assistance with Federal Audit Clearinghouse audit submission, please contact the Federal Audit Clearinghouse at 1-800-253-0696 or review the FAQs

     

     On Friday, August 7, 2015 the Scope Verification Module will be upgraded to a new user interface. The layout, fields, labels, and navigation will be updated. The scope verification process remains unchanged.

    For more information, consult the Scope Verification User Guide on the Scope Verification help page or contact the BPHC Helpline directly at 1-877-974-BPHC (2742)  Monday through Friday; 8:30am - 5:30pm, ET
     

    CMS Proposed Rule Comments

    Please see attached MACHC letter submitted to CMS in response to the proposed rule that we discussed on the pharmacy call last week.  This letter mirrors the comments submitted by NACHC which accurately and effectively represents MACHC's views as well.   

     

    CareFirst beats projections by $345 million with massive health care experiment

    News that the large Medicaid health plan Centene CNC has agreed to buy Health Net CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield announced its massive health experiment - one of the largest tests for changing how care is paid for - has dramatically reduced the pace of health care spending by cutting hospital stays for 1 million of its customers. Under its patient-centered medical home program, the nonprofit insurer organized what are called "medical homes" or groups of primary care providers who follow a number of guidelines to improve patient's health, including better coordinating care. The physician groups also share in the savings.

    As part of the Administration's efforts to create an interoperable learning health system that achieves better care, smarter spending and healthier people, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced today twenty awardees for three health information technology (health IT) grant programs totaling about $38 million. These grants will further HHS's efforts to improve the way providers are paid, improve and innovate in care delivery, and share information more broadly to providers, consumers, and others to support better health care decisions while maintaining privacy.


     On 50th Anniversary, Medicare and Medicaid Still Vital

    As Medicare and Medicaid turn 50 this week, the nation takes a look at the impact of two of the most significant government programs ever launched. Lawmakers and experts assert that Medicaid and Medicare are becoming too inclusive and expensive to sustain. Fraud, abuse, and waste have also become a real problem. The misuse consumes additional billions in taxpayer money each year. There are also concerns about insufficient access to specialty care through the program, and the already-strained availability of care providers particularly in rural areas.
     

    How coordinated care gives patients the freedom to stay at home 

    As America's population ages, more families will be faced with rising health care needs. As we reported in November, nearly 79 percent of adults who need long-term care live at home or in community settings, not in an institution. And in January, Medicare started paying primary care doctors a monthly fee to better coordinate care for the most vulnerable seniors - those with multiple chronic illnesses - even if they don't have a face-to-face exam. The goal is to help patients stay healthier between doctor visits, and avoid pricey hospitals and nursing homes. 

    Acting on Climate Change to Protect Public Health 

    President Obama calls climate change one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. At the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we're working hard to meet that challenge-as are Health and Human Services Secretary Burwell and Surgeon General Murthy. Like the Department of Health and Human Services, EPA is a public health agency. Americans have fundamental rights to clean air to breathe and clean water to drink-because nobody can prosper if pollution is making them sick. 

    Senate Republicans - including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell - have introduced legislation to cut off all federal funds to Planned Parenthood, the abortion rights group at the center of a political firestorm over alleged fetal tissues sales. A "working group" led by GOP Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa, James Lankford of Oklahoma and Rand Paul of Kentucky drafted the legislation, which is expected to be voted on in the Senate next week. More than 20 other Republicans have signed on as cosponsors, including Majority Whip John Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz, both of Texas. Cruz and Paul are both vying for the Republican presidential nomination.  

     

    Today's Heroin Epidemic

    Heroin use has increased across the US among men and women, most age groups, and all income levels. Some of the greatest increases occurred in demographic groups with historically low rates of heroin use: women, the privately insured, and people with higher incomes. Not only are people using heroin, they are also abusing multiple other substances, especially cocaine and prescription opioid painkillers. As heroin use has increased, so have heroin-related overdose deaths. Between 2002 and 2013, the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths nearly quadrupled, and more than 8,200 people died in 2013. States play a central role in prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts for this growing epidemic.
    State News
    DELAWARE
    Next Delaware Healthcare Comission Meeting is on August 6th at 9am --- DelTech Terry Campus

    Hospitals Turn To Laborists For Safer Deliveries

    When the only hospital in this southern Delaware town saw two of its four obstetricians move away, it knew it had to do something to ensure women in labor could always get immediate medical help. But recruiting doctors to the land of chicken farms and corn fields proved difficult. So in late 2013, Bayhealth Milford Memorial Hospital shifted from using on-call doctors who came in as needed to a new model of maternity care that's catching on nationally: It hired OB hospitalists, also called laborists, who are always at the hospital to handle births and obstetrical and gynecological emergencies. 

    MARYLAND

    Gov. Larry Hogan said Thursday that he will immediately shut down the decrepit Baltimore City Detention Center, moving inmates to nearby facilities and ending a long-standing "black eye" for the state.

    The Republican governor said the Civil War-era jail - which is run by the state - could be torn down, and there are no plans to build a new facility. Baltimore's jail population has dipped in recent years, making room elsewhere for the inmates from the detention center. The move is expected to save taxpayers $10 million to $15 million annually, he said.

    "The Baltimore City Detention Center is a disgrace, and its conditions are horrendous," Hogan said. "Ignoring it was irresponsible and one of the biggest failures of leadership in the history of the state of Maryland."


    Baltimore officials and others are alarmed at a nearly a fourfold jump in the cost of a drug used to save the lives of people who have overdosed on heroin - a price spike that has prompted calls for state and federal action.

    City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana S. Wen says a leading manufacturer of naloxone has since spring raised the 10-dose cost from $97 to $370, with the most recent hike coming last week.

    In a letter this week to a congressional committee, Wen said the increase by Amphastar Pharmaceuticals has contributed to a near-doubling in the overall cost of delivering more than 1,000 doses annually of naloxone, which she calls a "miracle drug" for preventing overdose deaths.
    Finance & Business
    The nation's respite from accelerating health care costs appears to be over. Spending on health care will outpace the nation's overall economic growth over the next decade, the government forecast on Tuesday, underscoring a coming challenge for the next president, not to mention taxpayers, businesses and individual Americans. A combination of expanded insurance coverage under President Barack Obama's law, an aging population, and rising demand, will be squeezing society's ability to pay. 

    The U.S. health care system has scored a medical hat trick, reducing deaths, hospitalizations and costs, a new study shows. Mortality rates among Medicare patients fell 16% from 1999 to 2013. That's equal to more than 300,000 fewer deaths a year in 2013 than in 1999, said cardiologist Harlan Krumholz, lead author of a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and a professor at the Yale School of Medicine. 
    The
    Latest News on ACA
    OUR WORK CONTINUES


     

     

    CMS Assister Webinars & Supplemental Webinars

    A list of supplemental webinars:

    • Affordable Care Act 101 Webinars for Small Employers**
      • **To view an audio recording of the ACA 101 webinar, click here
    • 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. 

    MACHC Conference Call Updates

    The application period for new ACSE's has been extended! 

    The new dead-line is August 15, 2015. 

    In addition the application is now a Word Document that will be sent to the email acse.cac@maryland.gov. As we were experiencing website application problems, this new submission process will allow the submitter to know the application was received.

    ACSE Application for new entities:

     http://www.marylandhbe.com/connectors-acses/application-counselor-sponsoring-entities-2/

     

    CAC Application for new application counselors: http://www.marylandhbe.com/certified-application-counselor-application/

     

    CAC Application for change of information: http://www.marylandhbe.com/certified-application-counselor-application/

     

    CAC Training Steps:

    Please see the attached instructions for the HUB.

    CREATE ACCOUNT IN THE HUB - All certified staff, including new applicants and returning application counselors and certified application counselors must create or re-activate an account on THE HUB Learning Management System.  THE HUB will deliver all web-based training, including the updated policy training (available in August 2015) which is mandatory for all certified staff.  Certified staff will also use THE HUB to register for any non-mandatory training and to register to take the on-site proctored exam. 

     

    Maryland O/E Staff

    Immigration Status Job Aide and Inmate Processing information from the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange now available. Please email Aneeqa Chowdhury at aneeqa@machc.com if you have not received the information.


    Join MACHC's next O/E Call on August 14th!      (see events section for full details)

    As you are aware, there have been some changes for the 2016 ACA Open Enrollment Period. With these changes come the need for client recertification through the MD Healthcare Exchange. This mandate presents opportunities for the FQHC's to get a head start on their enrollment counseling. For this year's campaign, MACHC is working with Patrice Wallace again on a new broadcast and print creative; and, a new radio format that will not only reach our target demos but will enhance the diversity of the demos. Please attend the August 14th O/E call for some more details.

     

     

    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.
    Grants & Funding Opportunities

    Service Area Competition (SAC) Funding Opportunity Announcement 

    BPHC released the FY 2016 SAC funding opportunity announcement (HRSA-16-005) for service areas with a March 1, 2016 project period start date. Technical assistance materials are available on the SAC Technical Assistance web site.

     

     

    American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children Access to Care Grants
    Application deadline: August 3, 2015
    Offers matching grants to support community-based initiatives that provide dental homes to children whose families cannot afford dental care.

     

    Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children Access to Care Grants
    Application deadline: August 3, 2015
    The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry offers matching grants of up to $20,000 a year to support community-based initiatives that provide dental homes to children whose families cannot afford dental care.

     

     

    Substance Abuse Service Expansion FOA Technical Assistance Call 

    Thursday, August 6, 2015, 3:00pm - 4:00pm, ET. HRSA is hosting this technical assistance call for potential applicants of the FY 2016 Substance Abuse Service Expansion FOA.

    View the webinar the day of the session. For audio, dial in to 888-989-5164, passcode 9875098.

     

     

    FY 2016 Substance Abuse Service Expansion FOA 

    HRSA is pleased to announce the release of the Fiscal Year 2016 Substance Abuse Service Expansion Funding Opportunity Announcement (HRSA-16-074). This funding opportunity will provide approximately $100 million through competitive supplements to support an estimated 300 existing health centersto improve and expand the delivery of substance use disorder services, with a focus on medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder.

    Applications are due in Grants.gov by September 28, 2015 at 11:59pm, ET. Required supplemental information must be submitted via HRSA EHBs by October 14, 2015, 5:00pm, ET. 

     

    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. 
    Shared Services Corner 
    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.
    Clinical Quality 

    AHRQ has released Fast Stats, a new online tool from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) that provides easy access to the latest HCUP statistics from 41 states on numbers of hospital discharges by payer group (Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, uninsured) and by  condition category (surgical, mental health, injury, medical). Fast Stats enables state-by-state comparisons and can be used to analyze the effects of Medicaid expansion on hospital utilization levels and payment sources. For example, Fast Stats shows that in Colorado, a Medicaid expansion state, there was a 50 percent increase in Medicaid-covered hospital stays during the first nine months of 2014. During the same period, hospital stays for the uninsured declined 90 percent. In contrast, Missouri, which did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, experienced no significant changes in hospital stays for Medicaid or uninsured patients. Information in Fast Stats is presented in graphics accompanied by underlying tables with numbers and data export options for analysts. Statistics will be updated quarterly or annually as new data become available. Data for 2014 are fully or partially available for 17 states. New topics about health care delivery in U.S. hospitals will be added in the future.  

    Health Observances This Week


     

    July is National Cord Blood Awareness Month

    Immunization helps prevent dangerous and sometimes deadly diseases. To stay protected against serious illnesses like the flu, measles, and pneumonia, adults need to get their shots - just like kids do.

    National Immunization Awareness Month is a great time to promote vaccines and remind family, friends, and coworkers to stay up to date on their shots.

    How can National Immunization Awareness Month make a difference?

    We can all use this month to raise awareness about vaccines and share strategies to increase immunization rates with our community.

    Here are just a few ideas:

    • Talk to friends and family members about how vaccines aren't just for kids. People of all ages can get shots to protect them from serious diseases.
    • Encourage people in your community to get the flu vaccine every year.
    • Invite a doctor or nurse to speak to parents about why it's important for all kids to get vaccinated.
    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:
    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 |
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