March 2024

IPHCA Events

Apply Today for the Illinois Tobacco Quitline - EMR Referral Initiative Pilot Project

IPHCA is excited to partner with the Illinois Tobacco Quitline (ITQL) to enhance efforts at CHCs around training as a ITQL EMR Referral Agency and increase referrals to the Quitline. ITQL is a free resource to help people quit smoking, vaping, or any other form of tobacco use. This pilot initiative will provide training around introducing staff to ITQL; provide guidance on EMR transition for referrals; and provide education on the Ask Advise Refer – Readiness to Quit program. Health centers will work with partners (ITQL and IPHCA) to identify barriers and develop a work plan to address implementation challenges. Partners will work with health centers to aid in the integration of their EMR with ITQL. Health centers will track progress of referrals and share data with partners throughout the project.

Through funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health, each selected health center organization will receive a stipend of $10,000. The ITQL will cover the costs associated with the EMR/EHR integration services along with maintenance for continuing each year.

We invite you to learn more about the ITQL EMR Referral Initiative Pilot Project at the below sessions and fill out a Letter of Commitment if interested.

Informational Session on The Illinois Tobacco Quitline and Referral Process

Date: March 28, 2024

Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

View Application

Please submit applications or contact Grecia Rodriguez with questions at [email protected].

Bright Smiles from Birth II Course

Bright Smiles from Birth II (BSFB) is an oral health education program for primary care providers that provides education on the prevention of early childhood caries, tools and resources for integrating oral health into well child visits and patient-facing materials. BSFB II includes a one-hour training for physicians and pediatric health care providers. IPHCA has a partnership with IDPH and ICAAP and will offer $1,000 to the first 20 sites that have at least 10 non-dental providers take this course. ICAAP will provide IPHCA with an completion log but health centers are asked to send proof of completion along with a list of which non-oral health staff took the course.

The training provides information on:

The pathogenesis of early childhood caries
Anticipatory guidance for families
Performing oral health assessments
Application of fluoride varnish

Interested in integration and having your primary care team take this course? Learn More

Note: New users will need to create a login to access the course. There is no cost.

The Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA) will host its Annual Leadership Conference on October 16-18, 2024, at the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The conference planning committee is seeking proposals for the educational training sessions.

Proposed sessions must fit within a minimum of one of the “tracks” established by the conference planning committee; however presentations with a focus on Hot Topics for 2024 will be given preference.

Tracks include:

Transformation + Innovation – Clinical
Transformation + Innovation – Finance
Transformation + Innovation – Operations
Workforce Development
Promoting the Value of FQHCs
Diversity, Equity + Inclusion

Suggested Topics + Hot Topics 2024

Request for Proposal to Present

Deadline for submissions is April 1

Submit Proposal

Other News + Resources

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. According to Illinois Department of Public Health, in Illinois in 2020, 5,292 people (2,423 females and 2,869 males) were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The incidence rate was 29.0 per 100,000 females and 40.8 per 100,000 males. During 2020, 2,071 people (1,130 males and 941 females) died from colorectal cancer. Screening can help detect colorectal cancer early when treatment works best. Please see resources below for colorectal cancer:

Recruitment for OUD Treatment Fellowship ECHO® Program Cohort 10

Rush University Medical Center is now accepting applications for the tenth cohort of the OUD Treatment Fellowship ECHO® Program for Illinois primary care providers. The attached recruitment flyer contains further details. The tenth cohort of this seven-month program will launch on April 20, 2024. The application deadline for individual prescribers (physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants) is April 5, 2024. Apply Here

Recordings from Day 1 of ECRI’s Obstetric Risk Management Virtual Conference

The recordings, handouts, and transcripts from the first day of the conference are available. Viewers can also download a certificate of attendance for watching the recordings. Please note this certificate is not eligible for CME or nursing credit; a credit-earning version of the recording will be made available in the future. Day 2, which will feature four NEW sessions, will take place on April 3, 2024, Register .

Apply to be a 2024 Million Hearts Hypertension Control Champion

Million Hearts is a national initiative led by CDC and CMS. Since the start of its Hypertension Control Challenge a decade ago, 63 of the 167 Hypertension Control Champions were HRSA-funded health centers. Apply to be a 2024 champion by April 5.

Visit the Partners and Progress dropdown menu on the Million Hearts website to:

See eligibility criteria and apply.
Read success stories from past champions.
Find toolkits that make it easy for you to deliver heart health messages to your community.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use

Is your practice interested in improving appropriate use of antibiotics in telemedicine? The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is currently recruiting practices for a no-cost, 18-month program beginning in June 2024 to promote appropriate antibiotic use while maintaining patient satisfaction and reducing potential side effects in patients seen via telemedicine. Practices will receive training and one-on-one expert coaching to implement sustainable improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of infections in the telemedicine environment. Practices will learn how to improve workflow efficiencies and participants will be eligible for continuing education units.

The program is offering credit via the American Medical Association (AMA), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC), American Association for Physician Assistants (AAPA), and Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) to participants at no charge. Learn more and sign up for an informational webinar on the program website.

Learn More

Listen to “Health Talks” podcast on Apple, Spotify, iHeartradio, or visit IPHCA.org/podcasts.

Business News

Diabetes Retinal Exams at the Point of Care

The people facing the most barriers to receiving quality eye care are often those most vulnerable to preventable vision loss. For thirty years, Optos has provided ultra-widefield (UWF) imaging technology to eye care professionals helping them detect and treat retinal pathology - saving sight and saving lives. Optos Telehealth Solutions brings UWF technology to primary care settings closing the vision care gap. This configurable solution accommodates various cameras, provides convenient secure data sharing, and integrates with many electronic health record systems.

Optos Telehealth Solutions

Everyone Deserves a Voyce – Anytime, Anywhere

Voyce brings together the convenience of modern technology and the quality of a trusted, certified interpreter.

Voyce delivers medical interpreters to healthcare providers often in under 20 seconds so that they can hear their patients’ voices 24/7/365. Interpretation is available in over 240 languages and dialects including ASL and various Indigenous languages. Currently, Voyce supports about 5 million conversations a year.

Because Voyce’s interpretation services are provided on-demand, Voyce’s users often do not need to worry about providing advanced notice, nor do they worry about last-minute cancellations or no-shows. If the need for an interpreter arises suddenly, one is seconds away. Working with Voyce also means no more cancellation fees because there is no need to book appointments.

Users can access Voyce’s interpreter pool through an app on a smart device, video conferencing platforms like Zoom, one of several EMR and telemedicine integrations, or dial-up telephone. Voyce helps institutions make efficient use of their own devices, computers, and equipment while offering the option of Voyce-provided carts, tablets, and dual handset telephones to facilitate interpretation.