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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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Hit hard by opioid crisis, Appalachian states expand clean-needle programs
Read the entire article, originally from the
U.S. News and World Report
here
State suspends KCHD needle exchange program's certification
Read the entire article, originally from the
Charleston Gazette-Mail
here
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Update: Food service worker diagnosed with Hep A; More than 70 cases now in Kanawha and Putnam
Read the entire article, originally from
WSAZ 3
Gaps remain in U.S. state policies on suicide prevention training
Read the entire article, originally from
CMS launches rural health strategy for patient access to care
Read the entire article, originally from
Patient Engagement HIT
here
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May is Hepatitis Awareness Month
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West Virginia Health Centers play a key role in increasing public awareness surrounding the types of Viral Hepatitis, screening and testing, how the viruses are spread, signs and symptoms of infection, referral to the appropriate specialist for treatment, and providing compassionate, coordinated care.
For 2016, WV State level
UDS data reported 2,649 patients were diagnosed with Hepatitis C and 257 patients were diagnosed with Hepatitis B. It is anticipated that the Hepatitis C number will rise significantly this year due to the opioid epidemic. (WVDHHR)
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Bureau for Public Health is enhancing its efforts to work with local health officials in Kanawha and Putnam Counties as part of the Hepatitis A outbreak
response and Community Health Centers can aid in the response by educating patients on how Hepatitis A is transmitted and stressing good hand washing techniques. Find printable resources about hand washing for your patients
here.
Additional resources are available
here to promote awareness and testing of Hepatitis in your center for Hepatitis Awareness Month.
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WVPCA News
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Certified Application Counselor Program Refresh
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According to a recent announcement from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), the Certified Application Counselor (CAC) program is getting a refresh with an updated and enhanced application and renewal process. The new application process is structured to promote better engagement with Certified Application Counselor Designated Organizations (CDOs). While the changes are being implemented, the acceptance of new applications is temporarily suspended.
According to the announcement, "Any CDO contacts who did not receive the initial email about the upcoming refresh sent in March can send an email to the CAC inbox at [email protected] to provide their organization name, CDO ID and updated contact information. We will capture your information and will actively reach out to you during the application refresh process to let you know when to apply. While you may not be contacted in the initial wave of CDOs that we reach out to, we will contact you before the end of the application refresh process. Additionally, we will conduct additional outreach campaigns throughout the summer to ensure that all of the organizations that wish to participate in our program have come back and reapplied, prior to the end of the of the refresh process."
Technical "how-to" webinars and other guides have been created and are available on marketplace.cms.gov. These resources will also be linked in the CDO invitation to reapply.
Please contact Ruby Piscopo for assistance with the process. |
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New Webinar Opportunity! Mindfulness for Stress Reduction
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Individuals are pulled in more directions than ever with increasing pressure to accomplish more in both the professional and personal arenas which can lead to stress and depletion. Join the WVPCA and featured speaker Carli Mareneck, with the Greenbrier County Health Alliance, in conjunction with the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, as we discuss the concept of Mindfulness for Stress Reduction. Research has shown that regularly and consistently practicing mindfulness can increase self-compassion and empathy for others. This one-hour webinar will provide tools and tips for implementing mindfulness habits as part of your routine.
What You Need to Know
When: May 25, 2018 | 12:00 PM
Where: Via WebEx
Who: All Health Center Staff, School-Based Health Center Staff and Behavioral Health Center Staff
Registration and additional information is available here.
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The iFamily and its Link to Rising Teen Suicides: Causes and Solutions
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You may be an iFamily if you: check your social media accounts instead of talking to each other, "friend" your teen to chat with them, suffer from "nature-deficit disorder", or family night has been replaced with TVs in every room.
Rates of teenage depression, anxiety and suicide are increasing. It has been the said that families centered around technology is the new normal and may be a root cause for the rise in mental health issues, including suicide. A recent study reports that the percentage of those who spend more than five hours of screen time has doubled in the last five years to 19%. Even the creator of the iFamily must have been weary of this new technology as he limited his own children's access to the iFamily.
Click here to read the entire article from ACEs Connection.
The WVPCA is working with WV Prevent Suicide to bring an increased awareness regarding suicide prevention and keeping our youth safe by providing a webinar on May 23rd.
What You Need to Know
When: May 23, 2018 | 12:00 PM
Where: Via WebEx
Who: School-Based Health Center Staff and Behavioral Health Center Staff
Registration and additional information is available here.
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State News
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Training Opportunity - BLOCK HIV/HCV
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Registration is now open for a Block HIV/HCV (Bringing Local Communities Together to Eliminate Coinfection Through Knowledge and Partnerships) training scheduled for Saturday, June 2 at the Embassy Suites in Charleston. The training is intended for a multidisciplinary audience, including community-based infectious disease specialists and other human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treaters, gastroenterology/hepatology clinicians, mental health specialists, substance abuse specialists, correctional health care professionals, public policy/public health officials, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV advocacy groups, payers, and clinical office staff who are engaged in the care of patients with HIV and/or HCV.
Participants can earn up to 5 hours of CME/CNW/CPE credit.
For more information, find the flyer here. |
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West Virginia Webinar and Training Opportunities
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2018 Viral Hepatitis Summit:Engaging Multi-Disciplinary Partners to Improve Hepatitis B and C Care in WV
When:
May 31 - June 1, 2018
Where: Resort at Glade Springs
What: The event flyer is available
here
. If you plan to attend, please complete a brief survey here.
When: June 21-22
Where: Charleston Civic Center
What:
The Annual West Virginia Immunization Summit, in partnership with the KidStrong Conference, is an action-oriented event targeted toward public and private sector organizations with an interest in improving immunization rates in West Virginia. Various sessions at the Summit will be targeted toward healthcare and public health professionals, educators, students, business leaders, and others interested in reducing vaccine-preventable diseases in West Virginia
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26th
Annual
WV Rural Health Conference
When: October 17-19
Where: Pipestem State Resort
What: This conference features national and state best practices speakers, provides continuing education to physicians, attorneys, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, dentists, community health educators and others, and is an unparalleled opportunity to network with others interested in improving rural health care in West Virginia.
Registration is available here.
Save the Date: 12th Annual Southern Obesity Summit
When: October 22-24
Where: Charleston, WV
What: The Southern Obesity Summit (SOS) is the largest regional obesity prevention event in the United States, drawing hundreds of participants from 16 Southern States consisting of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Together, these states join forces to fight obesity.
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Save the Date: 2018 Medicaid Summit
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To download the Save the Date, click here. |
National News
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FTCA University Training Scheduled for June 7-8 in Harrisburg, PA
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HRSA, the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers and KEPRO are hosting a Federal Torts Claims Act (FTCCA) University on June 7-8 in Harrisburg, PA.
Topics covered in the training include - but are not limited to - the following:
- FTCA Basic Policy and Program Procedures
- Opioid Epidemic: The Role of Primary Health Care and Health Centers
- Emergency Preparedness
- EHRs and eDiscovery
- Risk Management: Foundations in Clinical Risk Management & Safety
- Claims Management
Registration is $150 per person and CME credits will be available upon completion of the two-day training. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop or tablet to the training as educational materials will only be available electronically.
Find the flyer here. Registration is open and available here. |
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EHR Incentive Program Renamed to Promoting Interoperability (PI) Programs
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In a recent release, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the "EHR Incentive Program" will be renamed as "Promoting Interoperability (PI) Programs". Additionally, CMS is streamlining the programs to reduce time and cost required to participating providers. For more information about how this impacts Medicare eligible clinicians participating in the Promoting Interoperability (formerly Advancing Care Information) performance category of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, visit the Quality Payment Program website
To read more about the Promoting Interoperability (PI) Programs, click here. |
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Grant Funding Opportunity: Cultivating Healthy Communities
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The Rural Health Information Hub announced the Cultivating Healthy Communities Grant which provides funding to empower communities to lead healthier lives by increasing the opportunities to make healthy choices in the places where people live, learn, work, play, and pray. The foundation is seeking projects that benefit underserved, low-income, and minority communities in both rural and urban areas.
Any nonprofit, including federally recognized Indian tribes, in the continental United States is eligible to apply.
For more information, click here. |
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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Debra Boyd
Chief Financial/Chief Operations Officer
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Data Services & Integration
Speci
alist
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Education & Communications
Coordinator
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Member Relations Coordinator
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Director of Health Center Operation
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Outreach & Enrollment Coordinator
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Clinical 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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