Important updates on COVID-19

  • On May 7th, 12-1 pm CST, join HRSA for a presentation on the 2020 Uniform Data System (UDS) Reporting Requirement Changes. HRSA will provide an overview of the changes, as well as a Q&A session. Health center staff may register here.

  • On May 8th, 12-1 pm CST, HCAN will be hosting a PPE extended use, reuse, and decontamination Q&A with guests that have had an integral part in preparing a local healthcare organization for COVID-19. For more information or to participate in this Q&A, please contact Alex Bakke.

  • Finance: NACHC posted slides on the latest developments in the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and tips for strengthening health center participation in the PPP. Slides can be found here. 

  • The Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association developed a "Testing Toolkit" to assist Health Centers with starting and expanding testing, leveraging experience from health centers on the front line. The toolkit, that can be customized to your current situation, and more information and resources can be found here.
HR and COVID-19
As the number of COVID-19 cases increases, staff may be fearful to come into the health center to work. The following article reminds employers what is covered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and how to address your employees. Article can be found here. 
Urgent PPE Needs
Reminder about ordering PPE from reputable vendors:
 
  1. Ensure that the designated person in your organization is submitting the online form for the public health department.
  2. For smaller batch orders of PPE, use Atom Collective to order supplies. 
  3. For larger bulk orders, a vetted list of vendors, can be found here. It is important to use the PPE Burn Rate calculator to help predict when you will need to reorder and how much to order. 
Direct Relief recognizes the impact COVID is having on health centers and is offering funding up to $50,000 per health center (not per site) to be used for immediate, emergency-related Covid-19 care and expenses related to relief activities to help care for patients and support the financial stability of the nonprofit healthcare safety-net. The due date is Friday, May 8, 2020.
Eligibility Criteria:
  • Be a Federally Qualified Health Center or look-alike: consideration will be given to existing Direct Relief partners 
  • Have federal 501(c)(3) or 509(a) tax exemption status 
  • Be based in and provide care within the United States or U.S. territories 
  • Have been directly affected by, and/or is responding to, Covid-19

Funding information can be found here.
Templates and Resources
For a full list of COVID-19 resources provided to you by HCAN, please visit the Sharefile link that is updated with the latest information.

HCAN staff
Please know HCAN remains available by phone or email, to support any technical assistance needs that arise. Requests may be streamlined to the following staff during this time:
 
Amy Behnke, CEO: legislative, policy support ( [email protected] )
Jenna Thomsen, Director of Training & TA: non-clinical support ( [email protected] )
Alex Bakke, Director of Clinical Quality: clinical support ( [email protected] ) 
Keshia Bradford, Director of Strategic Initiatives: workforce, emergency preparedness support ( [email protected] )
Angela Lindstrom, Integrated Marketing Director: communication support ( [email protected] )
The HCAN COVID-19 Weekly Digest is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $745,450 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
Health Center Association of Nebraska | hcanebraska.org