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WVPCA Weekly Outlook Newsletter
A Newsletter on Community Centered Healthcare
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We offer this publication as a member service of the West Virginia Primary Care Association (WVPCA).
If you have questions regarding our organization, WVPCA membership, or if you have content to suggest for this newsletter, please contact Kelsey Clough, Education and Communications Coordinator, by email or by phone at (304) 346-0032.
Sincerely,
West Virginia Primary Care Association
1700 MacCorkle Avenue
Charleston, WV 25314-1518
304-346-0032
1-877-WVA-HLTH
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Quick Links: In This Issue.....
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Federal Budget Talks Bring Uncertain Future for Community Health Centers in W.Va.
Read the entire article, originally from WV Public Broadcasting
here.
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In battle against opioid crisis, Justice plan starts with two WV counties
Read the entire article, originally from the Charleston Gazette-Mail
here.
Welcome to Williamson, W.Va., where there are 6,500 opioid pills per person
Read the entire article, originally from NBC News
here.
Budget delays bring uncertainty to health programs for the needy
Read the entire article, originally from WV Public Broadcasting
here.
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WVPCA News
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THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the Red Alert for Health Centers held today, February 6, 2018! The next opportunity for Congressional action to fix the Health Center Funding Cliff is February 8, 2018. There are LOTS of ways to demonstrate and demand immediate action to fix the Health Center Funding Cliff - check out suggested formats here - but at a minimum you can join the demonstration by wearing red in support of health centers and the patients they serve. Make sure to share your pictures and events on social media with the #RedAlert4CHCs hashtag demanding immediate action to fix the cliff.
Pictured Top to Bottom: WVPCA Staff, Staff from Camden Family Health, Staff from Clay-Battelle Community Health Center-Blacksville and Burton sites, Staff from Monongahela Valley Association of Health Centers, Staff from Valley Health Systems.
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Manchin Signs Bipartisan Letter Urging Community Health Center Funding
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| Washington, D.C. - Senator Manchin joined a bipartisan group of senators in calling on Senate leadership to immediately reauthorize funding for community health centers. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), Manchin and 66 of his Senate colleagues expressed their strong support for community health centers, which provide access to cost-effective primary and preventive care for families across the country.
"Community health centers serve a vital function, providing affordable health care to our nation's most vulnerable citizens," wrote the Senators. "They provide quality medical, dental, vision and behavioral health care to more than 27 million patients, including 330,000 of our nation's veterans and 8 million children, at over 10,000 sites nationwide. ... Without extension of the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF), community health centers will lose seventy percent of their funding. This will result in an estimated 2,800 site closures, the loss of 50,000 jobs, and approximately 9 million Americans losing access to their health care."
As the Senators note in their letter, the Community Health Center Fund expired on September 30, 2017. The failure to reauthorize the fund has jeopardized access to care for millions of Americans, and made it difficult for community health centers to adequately plan for everything from staffing needs to securing loans for capital projects.
In addition to Manchin, the senators who signed on to today's letter include: Rob Portman (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Boozman (R-AR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Dean Heller (R-NV), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Hoeven (R-ND), James Inhofe (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Doug Jones (D-AL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), James Risch (R-ID), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tom Udall (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
A PDF of the letter is available here.
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LAST CHANCE to Register! February 8 ACEs Training for Charleston
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Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have a tremendous impact on future violence, victimization and perpetrations, and lifelong health and opportunity. These early experiences are an important public health issue; in fact, ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) have been linked to risky health behaviors, chronic health conditions, low life potential and early death.
This workshop,
Identifying Tomorrow's Issues In Students Today: Making Use of ACEs in SBHCs will be held in Charleston on February 8 from 1:00 - 4:00 PM at the Columbia Gas Building.
The workshop will focus on how School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) can improve the health of students through increasing the awareness of ACEs and the far-reaching impact they have on West Virginia's children.
Please note - this training is identical to the ACES workshop held in Beckley in August 2017.
For more information, or to register, click
here.
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State News
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WV Oral Health Coalition Launches Rethink Your Drink Website
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Because we all want to create a healthier West Virginia, many health groups are seeking to reduce consumption of sugary drinks. Too many people are consuming sugary drinks that lead to high rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, heart problems and other health harms. This week, a new website called RethinkYourDrinkWV.com has been launched by the West Virginia Oral Health Coalition (WVOHC). Visitors to the website can type in their favorite drink and receive suggestions for healthier options. RethinkYourDrinkWV.com promotes water whenever and milk with meals.
* The website's "Resources" page provides learning activities that parents and teachers can use, as well as a several handouts to raise awareness.
* The website's social media kit can be used by anyone to post messages that draw attention to this important issue.
WVOHC developed the website in consultation with several organizations: KEYS 4 HealthyKids, American Heart Association, WVU's Extension Service (Family Nutrition Program), West Virginians for Affordable Health Care and the Healthy Kids & Families Coalition.
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Registration Open for WVPBRN Retreat
Registration for the 5
th Annual West Virginia Practice-Based Research Network (WVPBRN) Retreat is now open. This year's retreat activities will include poster and oral presentations highlighting current WVPBRN projects, a PBRN successes and challenges panel, and networking opportunities to discuss future projects and initatives. Deadline to register for the retreat is February 13, 2018. Please feel free to contact Andrew Denny, Network Coordinator (304-581-1922) or Stacey Whanger, Network Manager (304-581-1821) if you have any questions.
Click
here for more information.
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Hepatitis C Overview Webinar Scheduled Feb. 27
The WVU Health Sciences Office of Continuing Education recently announced a new webinar,
Hepatitis C Overview
. The webinar is scheduled for February 27 from 12:00 - 1"30 PM.
This program is designed for local/regional health care providers, specifically physicians, residents, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses.
Click
here
to view the flyer and
here
to register.
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National News
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HRSA's New Site Visit Protocol Scheduled to Go into Effect This Month
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HRSA's new
Health Center Program Site Visit Protocol
(SVP), which aligns with the Health Center Program Compliance Manual issued in August 2017, is scheduled to go into effect at the end of January. The new SVP will serve as the tool for assessing health center compliance with the Health Center Program requirements during Operational Site Visits (OSVs) and on-site reviews for initial FQHC Look-Alike Designations.
Read more.
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Hepatitis C Infection: Updated Information for Front Line Workers in Primary Care Settings
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The National Center for Health and Public Housing is hosting a one-hour webinar on February 14 at 2 PM to discuss Hepatitis C. This webinar will review the ABCs of HCV infection as well as HCV drug therapy management in primary care.
For more information, or to register, click here. |
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Live 5-Part BPHC Compliance Webinar Series offered
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Beginning today, January 23, and ending February 20, NACHC and Feldsman Trucker Leifer Fidell (FTLF) are offering an updated live session of the popular webinar series,
The New Health Center Compliance Manual & Its Impact on the Program Requirements.
The series is designed to provide FQHCs with technical assistance on implementation of the manual - and now includes tips for the new Site Visit Protocol, which is BPHC's assessment process beginning January 22, 2018.
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New Webinar: Realizing the Full Potential of 340B Pharmacy Benefits
Sage Growth Partners is offering a one-hour webinar on February 15 from 2-3 PM EST. The webinar will discuss the following:
- The pros and cons of three approaches to delivering 340B pharmacy services
- How one FQHC with 21 locations and 180,000 annual medical encounters benefited from using a 'global managed services' model
- How to select a 340B partner that will best serve your health center and your patients
For more information, or to register, click
here.
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Mandatory Re-certification Period Will be Feb7 - March 7, 2018
Health
centers are required to recertify the accuracy and completeness of yourinformation on the HRSA 340B database (OPAIS) annually; failure to recertify by the deadline will result in loss of 340B eligibility for at least 3 months.
New Health Center Sites Can Register Through March 5 to Start 340B Eligibility on April 1
HRSA is again extending the deadline for health centers to register their new delivery sites in order for these sites to become eligible to participate in the program on April 1, 2018. While other types of providers faced a January 15 deadline, health centers have until March 5 to register. At this time, health centers should contact Apexus directly to register a new site. Note that the extended deadlines do not apply to new contract pharmacy arrangements, and that sites registered after the March 5 deadline will not be eligible until at least July 1.
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Community Health Center Resources
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ECRI Institute
The
ECRI Institute
offers numerous policy templates that can be used as guidance consistent with the needs of community health centers. To take a look at their library of policy templates, click
HERE
.
If you are not an ECRI member, creating a free account before accessing these materials is required. ECRI Institute resources are provided for free on behalf of HRSA.
To Access Policies:
- From the main page, click on the clinical risk management link on the left hand side of the page
- Click sample policies and tools listed under tool-kits on left side of page
Click on the + sign to access individual templates.
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Tracking and Referral Resources Available at ECRI
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WVPCA Staff
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Chief Executive Officer
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Chief Financial/Chief Operations Officer
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Clinical Consultant
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Director of Health Center Operations
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Staff Accountant
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Education & Communications
Coordinator
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Member Relations Coordinator
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Outreach & Enrollment Coordinator
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Data Analyst
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Data Services & Integration
Speci
alist
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Quality Improvement Coordinator
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To sign up to receive the WVPCA Weekly Newsletter, click
HERE
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West Virginia Primary Care Association
1700 MacCorkle Ave. Charleston, WV 25314| (304) 346-0032 |
WWW.WVPCA.ORG
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