Rural Health Center updates |
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This is the first edition of the Rural Health Operations team’s quarterly newsletter. This newsletter will serve as a repository of information relevant to State-Designated Rural Health Centers grant coordinators, leadership, and staff. Each quarter we will share important news stories, grantee spotlights, program reminders, and upcoming events and funding opportunities. Please share any content suggestions or feedback with Caroline at Caroline.Collier@dhhs.nc.gov. |
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Program Reminders & Upcoming |
Quarterly reports
The updated deadline for quarter two reports is February 28th. Please touch base with your contract monitor for assistance.
Desk reviews
Your contract monitor should have reached out to you to schedule an SFY 2021 mid-year desk review. Be prepared to discuss your quarterly report and progress at the halfway point of the year, budget amendments, clinical quality measures, and SFY 2021 RFA goals and objectives. We would also like to hear of any challenges or successes you’ve experienced related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination.
Upcoming SFY 2022 RFA
The SFY 2022 Request for Applications (RFA) will open in March. Please read this year’s RFA carefully as there will be several changes. Once available, you may access the RFA opportunity here.
RHC COVID-19 Testing Program
The Federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $225 million for rural health clinics to provide COVID-19 testing as authorized by the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. This program resulted in an amount of $49,461.42 for each eligible RHC. RHCs who received payment are required to report information related to their testing activities as required in the terms and conditions of the RHC COVID-19 Testing Program. Click here to access the portal.
Upcoming Partner-Sponsored Webinars
- AMH Glidepath - February 11 @ 5:30
- Know your population: Data, empanelment, quality measures – March 11 @ 5:30
- Care Management (Resources, CMARC/CMHRP, NCCARE360) – April 8 @ 5:30
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HHS Poverty Guidelines for 2021
Find the updated 2021 federal poverty guidelines, which went into effect January 13, here. Use the updated guidelines to determine patient eligibility for the Medical Access Plan.
Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation Names New President/CEO
The Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI), a leading North Carolina nonprofit that develops and supports innovative partnerships for a healthier North Carolina, today announced that after an extensive executive search process, Kelly Calabria has been selected to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer. Read the full story here.
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Daily COVID-19 updates can be found here.
o Shareable content for the 3Ws can be found here.
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COVID-19 Vaccine 101 – The Operations Team is trained to present information from the COVID-19 Vaccine 101 slides. Contact your contract monitor to set up a presentation for your staff or community.
COVID-19 Vaccine Management System (CVMS) Provider Enrollment
Ensure your providers are enrolled in the CVMS. Provider enrollment is the process of arranging and placing vaccine providers into the statewide CVMS system so they may receive and administer the COVID-19 vaccine. CVMS is currently enrolling Phase 1B providers: FQHC’s, Rural Health Centers and Free and Charitable Clinics. Additional information, FAQs, and helpdesk can be found here.
COVID-19 Vaccine Help Center
The newly expanded COVID-19 vaccine help center can be reached at 888-675-4567 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Callers can get help with general COVID-19 vaccine questions, information on eligibility groups, clinical questions about the vaccine, how to find vaccine locations, and transportation services. The COVID-19 vaccine help center supports English and Spanish calls, and TTY. Callers will be able to select call back assistance where they receive a call when agents are available instead of waiting in line for an agent. The language line will be available for all other languages needed.
Health Care Workers and Adults 65+ Are Next to Receive Vaccine
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced today that vaccine providers that are ready to expand may vaccinate all health care workers and anyone 65 years and older. Read more here.
Rural COVID-19 Innovations
Learn about how rural communities are innovating in the face of COVID-19. A collection of best practices, lessons learned, and other examples addressing healthcare and health-related concerns.
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Grantee & Community Spotlight |
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Are you engaged in an innovative project? Has your center recently been featured in an article? Have information you think other centers could benefit from? Each quarter we will highlight at least one State-Designated Rural Health Center that is doing something innovative, has best practices to share, recently received an award, or just has something to brag about! We can’t make this section work without you; please share your highlights with Caroline at Caroline.Collier@dhhs.nc.gov. |
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The Rural Health Operations Team works to connect organizations and rural primary healthcare sites to resources to increase access to care, coordinate existing services, support quality clinical care and accomplish outcomes utilizing standard processes with the goal of building strong, coordinated networks in communities while avoiding duplication of efforts. The Rural Health Operations team is available to assist with inquiries regarding the following:
Healthy Opportunities – Telehealth – Clinical Quality – EHR Utilization – Chronic Care Management
You may have also noticed some changes to our website! Check out the page to view technical assistance and training opportunities, recordings and slides from the 2020 Virtual Rural Primary Care Conference, and resources. Stay tuned for additional updates.
For technical assistance or general inquiries, please contact your contract monitor.
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Healthcare & Funding Opportunities |
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These grant funds are for assuring access to primary and preventive care to meet the health needs of our state’s most vulnerable populations. Primary care safety net organizations that care for underserved and medically indigent patients in the state are eligible to apply for this funding to pay for patient care through encounter-based reimbursement (Track A) or through reimbursement for eligible expenses including telehealth (Track B).
HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) will be making approximately 78 awards of $1 million each to rural communities to enhance substance use disorder service delivery.
The CHART Model is a voluntary payment model designed to meet the unique needs of rural communities. The CHART Model will test whether aligned financial incentives, increased operational flexibility, and robust technical support promote rural health care providers’ capacity to implement effective health care delivery system redesign on a broad scale.
The North Carolina Division of Public Health, in partnership with NC Area Health Education Centers and Community Care of North Carolina, is providing grants to pediatric and family medicine practices engaged in the KKW project to support interventions aimed at boosting compliance with scheduled immunizations and well-child care. Grants of up to $5,000 maximum per organization will be awarded for targeted interventions initiated after December 1, 2020. In addition, practice support coaches from NC AHEC and CCNC will be available to assist you in this effort.
The National Association of Rural Health Clinics offers this course designed to teach directors, clinic administrators and other RHC leaders how to offer a successful Rural Health Clinic.
Through the Small, Underserved, and Rural Support initiative, clinicians included in the Quality Payment Program can receive both program and practice-level support.
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