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


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. 
May 31, 2016
MACHC SPOTLIGHT

Don't Forget to Register for MACHC's Semi- Annual Conference: Transformation in Healthcare Delivery: Shifting from Volume to Value      
The Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Centers provides an opportunity for community health centers providers / clinicians and other safety net providers to receive professional development and ongoing education while networking with colleagues in the primary care settings across Delaware, Maryland and other states in the region. Transforming health care payment and delivery systems is essential in order to achieve improvements in health care quality and reductions in costs that are needed to achieve the Triple Aim.  
This conference seeks to share information and educate attendees on concepts of volume to value in all four breakout tracks:
  • Finance
  • IT
  • Clinical
  • Quality
COME OUT AND JOIN  Register Here
 
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Anne Arundel Medical Center
   

National Health Center Week
August 7-13, 2016
Visit the Health Center Week website to access the NHCW Kick-off webinar recording and slides. The webinar featured Health Center leaders from Georgia and Virginia who shared best practices on how to plan and host successful Health Center Week celebrations. Also, be sure to take advantage of support and resources designed to help with event planning and implementation - visit the NHCW website. Plan ahead and inform us, your PCA, about any NHCW Happenings and whether we can assist in coordination of having your Congressman at your event. Remember, this week is the best week to showcase your health center successes.
MACHC HAPPENINGS
  
MACHC EVENTS

(1) 
Outreach & Enrollment Call 
Friday, June 3, 2016
11am- noon
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 Outreach & Enrollment Conference Call
Friday, June 10, 2016 11am-noon


(3)
***REGISTER NOW***
MACHC Clinical Informatics/Quality/Finance Conference 
Thursday, June 16th, 2016
Anne Arundel Medical Center, Annapolis, MD
Transformation inHealthcare Delivery: Shifting from Volume to Value
The Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Centers provides an opportunity for community health centers providers / clinicians and other safety net providers to receive professional development and ongoing education while networking with colleagues in the primary care settings across Delaware, Maryland and other states in the region. Transforming health care payment and delivery systems is essential in order to achieve improvements in health care quality and reductions in costs that are needed to achieve the Triple Aim.  This conference seeks to share information and educate attendees on concepts of volume to value in all four breakout tracks - Finance, IT, Clinical and Quality. This is a conference you will not want to miss!   Register Here
  • OTHER EVENTS

    • (1)
     Take A Stand June 11, 2016
    The Westin Baltimore Washington Airport-BWI
    9:00 am - 1:30 pm  Register Here
    Lunch included
    One-time, FREE workshop on raising your clinic's adult immunization rates while streamlining your practice
     This workshop is a one-stop shop to help you easily implement standing orders in your practice.
     Using standing orders for adult immunizations can help your practice be a leader in quality adult care.
    Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to Plan Health Services in Health Center 

    (2) Webinar: Addressing the Behavioral Health Needs of Transgender & Gender Non-Conforming Patients
    Monday, June 13, 2016 |8 am HDT / 11 am PDT / 12 pm MDT / 1 pm CDT / 2 pmEDT           Register Now! 
    This 90-minute HRSA webinar aims to build competency to address the behavioral health needs of transgender and gender non-conforming patients in a culturally-appropriate manner and will feature promising practices of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grantees. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights will discuss the proposed nondiscrimination rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.

    (3) Program Grantees, With a Focus on Public Housing Primary Care Grantees - Wednesday, May 18, 2:30-3:30 p.m. EST -The use of GIS technology allows Health Center Program award recipients to identify neighborhood needs and assets, explore disparities in health, compare trends within a geographic region, and prioritize the use of limited resources.  This webinar will address Public House Primary Care grantees and the use of mapping software as a tool to analyze and utilize data to better serve residents in and accessible to public housing. Register here. 

    (4) SAVE THE DATE
    ParkWest's Janie B Geer Scholarship Fund Golf Classic Monday, August 8, 2016
    The Woodlands Golf Course
    2309 Ridge Road, Windsor Mill MD 21244 
    Emergency Preparedness Events: 
     
    Zika Update
    The feud on Capitol Hill over responding to the rapidly spreading Zika virus would seem to be largely a fight over how much money is needed to fight the mosquito-borne scourge. But lurking just beneath the surface are issues that have long stirred partisan mistrust, including Republicans' fears about the use of taxpayer money for abortion and possible increased use of contraception, and Democratic worries about protecting the environment from potentially dangerous pesticides. Public health officials warn that the virus will not stop to check party affiliation - the mosquitoes that carry it bite Republicans and Democrats alike. 


    On The Horizon...
    • MACHC Pre-Semi Functional Exercise, Technical Assistance session on dissecting Federally Qualified Health Center Emergency Preparedness Plans to find gaps.
    • Semi-functional exercise with all FQHCs as observers

    Get to Know Your Regional Coordinators!
    Please get in touch with your Regional Coordinators if you have not already done so and be more active in your Regional Coalition. MACHC has reached out to you in order to make sure you know who your coordinators are and has planned MINI GRANTS as incentives to help with travel for the Coalition meetings.
    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]
    *VACANT*
    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 

    [Baltimore City; Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard Counties]
    *VACANT*
    Harford County Health Department
    120 S. Hays Street, Suite 230 
    Bel Air, MD  21014 
    410-877-1031 (Office)
    443-388-6290 (Mobile)
    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)

    Region V  Emergency Preparedness Coalition
    [Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's and St. Mary's Counties]
    *VACANT*
    Office of Preparedness & Response
    Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
    300 W. Preston Street, Ste. 202
    Baltimore, MD  21201 
    casey.owens@maryland.gov


    Preparedness Resources 
    September is National Preparedness Month, a time for everyone to plan how to stay safe and communicate during the disasters that can affect your community. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed resources that can help you spread the word about preparedness in your community.
    , and public service announcements. 
     
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 

    How Prepared Is Your Community for an Emergency? 

    Download the kit checklist: 

    Family communication and evacuation plan: 


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
    *** Look for the latest EP related updates RIGHT HERE!
    Policy, Advocacy and Legislation
    National News
    This four-year pilot program is intended to implement and evaluate new assisted outpatient treatment programs and identify evidence-based practices to reduce the incidence and duration of psychiatric hospitalization, homelessness, incarcerations, and interactions with the criminal justice system. It also seeks to improve the health and social outcomes of individuals with serious mental illness

     USDA's Federal Food Assistance Resources for the Medical Community
    USDA's Food and Nutrition Service is asking healthcare professionals when, in your routine assessments of clients, you encounter instances of food insecurity or suspect hunger, you inform them (or their family) of Federal Food Assistance Resourcesthat provide direct assistance to eligible individuals and families in need.

    The Role of Outreach in Care Coordination
    Health Outreach Partners developed a new Outreach Reference Manual chapter on The Role of Outreach in Care Coordination to support health centers with improving the effectiveness and sustainability of their care coordination efforts

    SAMHSA's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA) Is Live
    The enhanced Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA) is back online with new features and a new URL: http://datafiles.samhsa.gov/. Explore all of the files available for public use, which include new and updated series data. More features will be available in the coming months.
    Cost-sharing, such as copays and deductibles, in healthcare plans offered in the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces increased modestly between 2015 and 2016 according to a new Commonwealth Fund-supported study. The authors of the brief, Changes in Consumer Cost-Sharing for Health Plans Sold in the ACA's Insurance Marketplaces, 2015 to 2016, found that cost-sharing increased for out-of-pocket limits, annual deductibles, and certain brand-name drugs. However, copays for primary care office visits remained constant and copayments for generic drugs dropped by more than 3 percent. The authors note that future cost-sharing increases are likely to be smaller in marketplace plans than in employer-based insurance because of consumer protections in place in the ACA's health insurance marketplaces. 

    Uninsured Rate Drops to Historic Low
    The nation's uninsured rate fell below 10 percent for the first time in history last year, according to survey results published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To see how many uninsured are in your county and learn how your county ranks on other indicators, click here to access County Health Rankings & Roadmaps and  click here for an analysis at the county level, pre- and post-Affordable Care Act implementation.

    The bill, the first significant update to federal chemicals safety law in 40 years, is expected to be passed by the Senate as soon as this week and signed into law by President Barack Obama. It passed 403 to 12. It gives the Environmental Protection Agency authority to evaluate and impose restrictions on chemicals used in everything from dry-cleaning to grease removal to paint thinners. In most cases, that authority pre-empts states from passing laws to regulate a chemical while the EPA is making its determination. 

    HHS Finalizes Health Equity Rule
    Last week, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released final regulations on the nondiscrimination provision - Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.  It is the first federal civil rights law to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in all health programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.  The regulations prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, which includes gender, sex stereotyping, orientation, gender identity and pregnancy.  The rule also imposes requirements on covered entities relative to access to health-related services for persons with disabilities and clarifies and extends language access rights by defining who can be an interpreter and translator.  
    State News
    DELAWARE

    Terry Murphy, hospital president and chief executive officer, said this week that the project will be "a nearly $300 million investment into the health our community here in Sussex County."
    The $275 to $300 million health campus will be along Wilkins Road and Cedar Creek Road in Milford, just 3 miles from the existing Milford Memorial Hospital off of Del. 1.
    Plans include a six-story hospital with all single-patient rooms, an easily accessible emergency department, first-floor cafeteria with outdoor seating and a 70,000-square-foot outpatient center for expanded diagnostic testing, plus other services. In all, the campus will stretch over 165 acres, nearly seven times the current downtown hospital's size.

    Melanoma patients find hope in new therapy: watch the video for more

    State officials on June 1 will begin distributing Zika prevention kits containing condoms, mosquito repellent and thermometers to pregnant women.
    After declaring Monday "Zika Awareness Day" to remind people of the best mosquito prevention techniques, public health officials announced they will be delivering kits to clinics certified to serve families enrolled in the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant and Children, known as WIC.
    WIC provides breastfeeding and nutrition information, healthy food and formula and referrals to other healthcare, welfare and social services. There are 11 locationsstatewide.
    Any woman who is pregnant and seeking services through WIC will receive a kit after completing a brief questionnaire regarding travel history and pregnancy status, officials said.
    MARYLAND
    More than 162,000 Marylanders signed up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act, a 33 percent jump from last year that surpassed a state goal of 150,000 new people on the health insurance rolls.
    Officials with the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, which oversees the state's enrollment efforts, released Tuesday the final numbers for this year's three-month enrollment period, which ended Feb. 5. Consumers had an extra five days to get insurance this year because of the January snowstorm that crippled the region.
    In addition to those buying private insurance, another 362,415 state residents enrolled inMedicaid. A total of 1.2 million people were enrolled in the Medicaid program for low-income adults or the Maryland Children's Health Program for young people at the end of January. Consumers can enroll in Medicaid all year long.
    "We are just pleased with the way things ended up and that there are many more thousands of Marylanders who now have the security of health insurance," said Carolyn Quattrocki, executive director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange.
    Exchange officials beefed up marketing to the hardest-to-reach groups this year and saw a 37 percent rise in African-American enrollment and a 244 percent increase among Hispanics. New customers accounted for 31 percent of the enrollees. State insurance officials estimated that nearly 300,000 people in the state were uninsured when enrollment season began.

    Three years after the launch of the state's health insurance exchange under theAffordable Care Act, three in five of Maryland's eligible uninsured still lack coverage.
    Despite the state's outreach efforts - and penalties imposed on those who don't buy health plans - officials acknowledge that they are having a hard time reaching most residents without insurance.
    While nearly 162,000 previously uninsured people have enrolled in private health plans, the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange says another 240,000 Marylanders, or 60 percent of eligible state residents, remain uninsured.
    Maryland has made more progress than most states. A recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the national uninsured rate fell to 9.1 percent in 2015. In Maryland, the uninsured rate was 6.9 percent.
    Finance & Business
    Members of the House Ways and Means Committee Tuesday unanimously agreed to cut hospital Medicare payments across the board to pay for allowing hospitals building on-campus outpatient departments to continue receiving higher rates than non-hospital clinics. The bill, which now goes to the full House, would slightly reduce the increase contained in the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act that is scheduled to go into effect in October 2017. 

    Lawmakers grilled a CMS administrator Tuesday as government watchdog groups release more damning reports on the federal agency's efforts at eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) said the CMS is part of his weekly stump speech and "not in a complimentary way." He said the agency's performance would not be tolerated in the private sector. 
    The
    Latest News on ACA
     
    OUR WORK CONTINUES

    MHBE has reviewed all comments received regarding proposed COMAR 14.35.16 and is providing a revised and redlined version of this chapter and a chart that summarizes the comments received.
    MHBE also is providing version 5 of COMAR 14.35.01.02 that incorporates all comments received pertaining to the definitions in general and the specific definitions within Chapters 7, 14-16.
    Stakeholders may submit written comments by June 7, 2016 in advance of the June 14, 2016 public meeting. In addition, written comments will be accepted after the meeting until June 24, 2016 that will be considered for inclusion in the version of the proposed regulations presented to the MHBE Board of Trustees on July 18, 2016. 
    Interested parties may send written comments to mhbe.policy@maryland.gov.

    Starting July 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has implemented an interim final rule requiring consumers to prove they had qualifying health coverage for one or more days in the 60 days before their move, unless they are moving from a foreign country or United States territory. Also, moving only for medical treatment or staying somewhere for vacation doesn't qualify them for a Special Enrollment Period.  This interim final rule will not take effect until July 11, 2016, and CMS is accepting comments on the rule through July 5. 

    Marketplace Announces 2017-2019 Open Enrollment Dates
    • 2017 Benefit Year (OE4): November 1st, 2016-January 31st, 2017 (coming up!)
    • 2018 Benefit Year (OE5): November 1st, 2017-January 31st, 2018
    • 2019 Benefit Year (OE6): November 1st, 2018-December 31st, 2018
    NEW: Ending Special Enrollment Period (SEP) Retroactive Coverage
    On April 1st,  the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance announcing that after March 31, 2016 the Marketplace will no longer be accepting new requests for Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for retroactive coverage back to 2015. All retro SEP requests received after this date will receive a max retro date of January 1, 2016.
    MACHC Conference Call Updates
    Maryland Health Benefit Exchange News:

    At the May 17 meeting covering Chapter 14 (Terminations, Cancellations and Rescissions), MHBE stated that it would provide an update to stakeholders about any edits the Exchange would make regarding two items:
    1. the obligation of carriers to process enrollee requests for termination without the enrollee first notifying the Exchange; and 
    2. how a household's contract and accumulators would be affected if the primary enrollee in a household is terminated from the plan.
    MHBE intends to incorporate the amendments to and additional about these two items as specified below.
    MHBE will continue to accept written comments on Chapters 7 and 14 through Wednesday, May 25. We've extended the date to allow stakeholders additional time to respond to the updated information in this email.
    We thank you for your continued time and partnership.
    1) CARRIER PROCESSING OF ENROLLEE-REQUESTED TERMINATIONS
    • MHBE will amend Chapter 14 to require that carriers must only accept and process whole-household termination requests directly from the enrollee without requiring that the enrollee first notify the Exchange. 
    • At this time, carriers will not be required to accept and process partial household termination requests directly from the enrollee, and the enrollee will be required to notify the Exchange of this request.
    • CMS removed the original explicit requirement that both the Exchange and carriers process any enrollee-requested terminations under 45 CFR 155.430(b)(1)(i) and instead added language at 45 CFR 155.430(e) to allow the Exchange to specify a termination process for itself and carriers that corresponded with the technical and operational capacity and preference of each Exchange. As such, based on feedback from stakeholders, MHBE will amend its original proposed rule and only require carrier processing of whole household termination requests. Partial household termination requests will be processed only by the Exchange given then current technical capabilities of the Exchange and its partner carriers.

    2) TERMINATION OF PRIMARY ENROLLEE AND CONTINUING OTHER ENROLLEE'S COVERAGE: AFFECT ON CONTRACT AND ACCUMULATORS
    The contract:
    • MHBE will amend Chapter 14 to add the following options that carriers may use to ensure that the household's coverage continues seamlessly when the primary enrollee is terminated from coverage for any reason:
      • MHBE proposes that for 2017, a carrier either: 1) continue the contract with the original policyholder but the individual moves to the position of responsible adult in lieu of an enrollee; 2) allow the original policyholder to assign the contract to another enrollee from the original enrollment household who is maintaining their enrollment; or 3) if the carrier cannot currently accomplish items 1 or 2, the carrier must manually apply the household accumulators from the original contract to the new contract with the household members who have maintained coverage when the previous primary enrollee terminated coverage. 
      • MHBE proposes for 2018 and beyond that the carrier use approach 1 or 2, except for certain exceptions listed below where option 3 will remain permissible in 2018 and beyond.
    The accumulators:
    • MHBE will also amend Chapter 14 to address how accumulators should be handled in situations where the primary enrollee is terminated from coverage:
      • MHBE proposes that for all situations, the issuer must apply all amounts contributed to the deductible and out-of-pocket costs under the contract -- regardless of who in the household incurred and accrued the amounts (including from the initial primary subscriber) -- to either the remaining enrollees in the contract (if the contract continues under option 1 or 2 above) or the new contract for the remaining enrolled members (if the contract is new under options 3 above).
    • This language mirrors the final 2017 issuer letter.
    • It is MHBE's understanding that carriers currently continue accumulators within the contract when anyone but the primary terminates, because MHBE has provided approaches whereby the contract may continue uninterrupted despite the primary enrollee's termination, MHBE believes that carriers can apply their current logic to primary enrollee terminations. 
    • MHBE, however, recognizes two exceptions where option 3 above must be permitted in 2018 and beyond to allow carriers to meet the accumulator requirements. These situations are:
      • Where the household is enrolled in a family plan but termination of the primary enrollee -- even if the primary is moved to the responsible adult position -- results in a change in the plan structure such that, under the carriers contract requirements, the remaining enrollees are moved to a child-only plan.
        • MHBE will work with carriers in these situations to build an indicator within the 834 to alert carriers that the accumulators from the original contract should be applied to the new contract.
        • This situation will also be identifiable because the previously enrolled adult is moving to the responsible adult position.
      • Where the terminated member is leaving the tax household completely (ie divorce).
        • If the two new households (i.e., divorced adults with any children that are now under his/her new tax household) elect to enroll in a new plan through an SEP, they would not qualify for the continuing contract accumulators rule.
        • If one of the new households remains under the current contract but the other household enrolls through a new account/plan, the former household would qualify for the continuing accumulators rule but the latter household would not qualify for the continuing accumulators under the new contract. MHBE believes that how households choose to construct themselves is addressed by a court order, not MHBE.
          • If the individual who leaves the original household/contract) and moves to a separate household was the primary enrollee, MHBE will work with carriers to build an 834 indicator for the remaining enrollees in the original contract to indicate that there will be a new primary enrollee. In this situation, MHBE suggests that carriers allow the original primary enrollee/policyholder (one of the original spouses) to assign the contract to the new primary enrollee (the other original spouse)


    Marketplace Announces 2017-2019 Open Enrollment Dates
    • 2017 Benefit Year (OE4): November 1st, 2016-January 31st, 2017
    • 2018 Benefit Year (OE5): November 1st, 2017-January 31st, 2018
    • 2019 Benefit Year (OE6): November 1st, 2018-December 31st, 201

    Join MACHC's next Outreach & Enrollment Call ON FRIDAY, 
    June 10, 2016.
    We took a poll at the past conference call but would like to continue to ask you to submit the following: What would you like to included as part of Maryland & Delaware's Outreach & Enrollment assistance from MACHC? Please send Aneeqa Chowdhury an email at aneeqa@machc.com.

    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


    Ongoing Accepted Applications

    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.

    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.


    Rural Health Funding Opportunities

    Community Response Fund
    The Community Response Fund supports organizations, activities, and events that address access to needed oral healthcare 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.
    DEADLINE: ongoing basis
    ELIGABILITY: The DentaQuest Foundation makes grants to a variety of organizations that are engaged improving oral health. Grants are not made to individuals.
    CONTACT: Matthew Bond, Grants and Programs Manager: Matthew.Bond@DentaQuestFoundation.org 

    340B Peer-to-Peer Program
    The purpose of the 340B Peer-to-Peer Network is to connect 340B entities and stakeholders with high performing sites, called leading practice sites that have exemplary 340B pharmacy service offerings. These sites serve as guides for covered entities that are interested in improving patient care. This approach provides the opportunity for practice sites to reach their peers and strengthen the 340B program from inventory management to quality care initiatives.
    Sites that receive the status of a 340B Peer-to-Peer recognized site will be asked to dedicate two members of their team to share their expertise and leading practices - for a limited amount of time per month - with other safety-net organizations to help these organizations achieve results and establish sound business practices.
    FUNDING AVALIABLE: Peer-to-Peer annual stipends of $10,000/year
    ELIGABILITY: Applications must be submitted by a 340B entity listed on the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) 340B database as a participating 340B entity.
    Healthcare Connect Fund
    The Healthcare Connect Fund provides funding to healthcare providers for telecommunications and internet access services, as well as network equipment, at a flat discounted rate of 65%. Participants can apply as a member of the consortium or a stand-alone entity.
    FUNDING AVAILABLE: Participants will receive a flat rate discount of 65%. There is an annual spending cap of $400,000,000.
    ELIGIBLITY: Rural public or nonprofit healthcare providers (HCPs) are eligible. Consortia may be comprised of both rural and non-rural HCPs. All consortia must consist of more than 50% rural participation within three years of receipt of the first funding commitment obtained through the HCF Program. Connections to, and equipment located at, eligible off-site data centers and administrative offices are eligible for support.
    CONTACT: rhc-assist@usac.org

    USAC Rural Health Care Telecommunications Program
    Health care providers are permitted to apply to receive reduced rates for a variety of telecommunications services under the Rural Health Care Program. Health care providers may seek support for multiple telecommunications services of any bandwidth and for monthly Internet service charges.

    FUNDING AVALIABLE: The level of support depends on the HCP's location and the type of service chosen. Health Care Providers are permitted to apply to receive reduced rates for a variety of telecommunication services under the RHCD program. HCPs may seek support for multiple telecommunications services of any bandwidth.

    As a result of recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) action, health care participants may be eligible to receive a 25% discount on their monthly Internet service charges. These services are limited to the monthly Internet net access charge, monthly charges for web hosting and web addresses.
    ELIGIBILITY: Community health centers or health centers providing health care to migrants
    CONTACT: rhc-admin@universalservice.org


    Wells Fargo Corporate Giving Programs
    Wells Fargo supports nonprofit organizations that work on a community level in the areas of human services, arts and culture, community development, civic responsibility, education, environmental consciousness, and volunteerism.
    CONTACT: Ashley Williams -- Community Support Rep -- Wells Fargo
    ashley.l.williams@wellsfargo.com   
     

    Maryland Small Grants Program
    The Maryland Small Grants Program awards funding to nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to poor and vulnerable populations.
    FUNDING AVALIABLE: Award Ceiling: $50,000
    CONTACT: Amy Kleine, Program Director, Basic Human Needs
    410-654-8500, ext. 268
    Email: akleine@hjweinberg.org


    Accelerating Community-Centered Approaches in Health
    Accelerating Community-Centered Approaches in Health will support innovative population health programs and policies that work to improve health at the community level, including the use of new financial models to achieve cost effective solutions.
    CONTACT: Phone: 248.643.9630


    Commonwealth Fund Health Grants
    The Commonwealth Fund promotes a high performing healthcare system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable, including people with low-incomes, the uninsured, minority Americans, young children, people with disabilities, and the elderly.
    The Fund supports independent research on healthcare issues and makes grants to improve healthcare practice and policy. The Commonwealth Fund actively seeks to support projects on innovative approaches to addressing problems within its areas of focus.
    CONTACT: Email: grants@cmwf.org
    Phone: 212.606.3800


    USDA Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program
    The USDA Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program provides loans, grants, and loan guarantees for essential community facilities in rural areas. Priority is given to healthcare, education, and public safety projects. Funds may be used to construct, enlarge, or improve facilities.
    AVALIABLE FUNDING: Amount varies. Grants are authorized on a graduated scale. Applicants located in small communities with low populations and low incomes will receive a higher percentage of grants.
    CONTACT: Bill McGowan, State Director
    1221 College Park Drive, Suite 200
    Dover, DE  19904
    Voice: (302) 857-3580 www.rd.usda.gov/de
    www.rd.usda.gov/md
    PCMH Corner 
    Free PCMH Technical Assistance is Available through NCQA's Government Recognition Initiative Program (GRIP) Register here
    The National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) Live Open Forum will address questions related to PCMH 2014 standards, the application, and survey process. NCQA staff will respond to your questions. You may attend the Open Forum as many times as you need.
    Clinical Quality 
    SAMHSA's Communities Talk: Town Hall Meetings to Prevent Underage Drinking
    What's the average age that people under 21 begin drinking?To learn the answer, visit SAMHSA's
    , which provide information to assist health centers in joining the effort to prevent underage drinking

    NACHC Webinars to Improve Compliance, Finance, Operations
    The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) is offering several webinars to support health centers in making the best of the present, remain in compliance and prepare for the future.  There is no fee for any of the webinars, but registration is required.  
    For a FULL List of Webinars, CLICK HERE 
    1. The FQHC Medicaid PPS: Digging Deeper; Tuesday, May 24, 3:00 pm ET
    2. Value in Health Care: Payer Perspectives for FQHCs; Thursday, June 2, 3:00-4:00 pm ET
      Panelists from both public and private payers will discuss their organization's goals, how they define "value," and what their organization is doing to promote value-based care. In addition, the panelists will share their perspectives on how health centers contribute to the Triple Aim (improving patient experience and population health while reducing system costs) and considerations for health centers as they think about the future.
       
    4. Ask the Experts Webinar Series: State Policy & Behavioral Health 
      • Behavioral Health Integration--Tuesday, June 14, 2PM ET
      • Substance Use Disorder--Tuesday, June 21, 2PM ET
      • Behavioral Health Workforce--Tuesday, June 28, 2PM ET
        • Behavioral health experts will speak to state health policy challenges and opportunities related to behavioral health integration in health centers
    2016 Maryland Patient Navigation Network Annual Meeting & TrainingMaryland Patient Navigation NetworkTuesday, June 14, 2016 from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM (EDT)                 Towson, MD
    Register Here
    Benefits Include:
    • Hearing from national and local speakers that are experts in topics pertaining to patient navigation and cancer care 
       
    • Learning about resources available to cancer patients and their families
       
    • Networking with other navigators across the state
       
    • Certificates of attendance will be distributed
    Health Observances This Week
     
    Here are top ten facts relating to tobacco use.
    1. About 40 per cent of men worldwide smoke as compared with nearly 9 per cent of women, according to the World Health Organistion (WHO). One person dies every six seconds due to tobacco.
    2. Tobacco use is the second cause of death globally (after hypertension) and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults.
    3. India has 12 crore tobacco users, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2009-2010, which means every ninth Indian consumes tobacco.
    4. About 35 per cent of Indians over the age of 15 use tobacco. Over 10 lakh Indians die every year from tobacco-related diseases, according to the WHO 2012 Global Report on Mortality.
    5. Direct medical costs of treating tobacco related diseases in India amount to 907 million dollars for smoked tobacco annually and 285 million dollars for smokeless tobacco, according to Ms Shoba John, who serves on the board of 2005 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the world's first public health pact.
    6. With indirect morbidity costs which include the cost of caregivers and value of work loss due to illness, the total economic cost of tobacco use amounts to 1.7 billion dollars.
    7. Bihar government has banned the sale of tobacco and nicotine-mixed gutkha and pan masala and their variants for one year. It has become the third state after Madhya Pradesh and Kerala to ban these products, according to IANS.
    8. Sustained efforts on part of the members of Pongalipaka, a tiny village in Andhra Pradesh with a population of 1,632 people, have paid off as the place has been declared tobacco-free, according to India Today online. In Hyderabad, the Apollo cancer hospital has launched a month-long anti-tobacco campaign to make Andhra Pradesh a tobacco-free state.
    9. Cigarettes contain over 4,000 toxic chemicals, 50 of which are known to cause cancer and nicotine is one of them. WHO estimates passive smoking causes 600,000 deaths every year.
    10. One-third of those killed are children who are often exposed to smoke at home, according to the WHO. The epidemic of tobacco use among women in low- and middle-income countries is increasing.
    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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