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WVPCA Weekly Outlook Newsletter
A Newsletter on Community Centered Healthcare
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Quick Links: In This Issue.....
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Read the entire article from WVNews
here.
Read the entire article from The State Journal
here.
Graduations become balancing act between tradition, pandemic
Read the entire article from
WVNews
here.
Read the entire article from The State Journal
here.
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Change begins with us....
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'How are we going to keep people alive?' Behind the pandemic, overdoses are rising across West Virginia
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, so does the drug epidemic.
In May 2020, paramedics across West Virginia responded to
923 calls about people suspected of suffering an overdose, a nearly 50% increase over last May and 200 calls more than in any other month in the last two years, according to data from the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy. Emergency room visits for potential overdoses statewide increased last month
to 663, which is also the highest number for the last two years.
Overdoses cases are increasing nationwide, said Robin Pollini, a harm reduction expert and associate professor at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. Experts predicted overdose cases would increase as the coronavirus spread.
"COVID-19, the pandemic, is a very, very serious thing, but the whole time that it's going on, all these health issues we already had have continued also going on in the background," Pollini said. "We need to figure out how we respond to COVID-19 and continue treating those other ailments. How are our resources distributed? How do we do the jobs we have to do every day, with [a pandemic] on top?"
Those are questions without easy answers, Pollini said. That leaves people in the public sector to determine what works and what's doesn't.
Isolation from shutdowns and quarantines can be a trigger for relapse, Pollini said. That can be dangerous because tolerance lowers as users wean off drugs.
Click here to read the
Charleston Gazette Mail article.
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CDC Contact Tracing Communications Toolkit
As part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continued support for case investigation and contact tracing efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, a new Interim COVID-19 Contact Tracing Communication Toolkit was released to assist health departments in sharing information about contact tracing with the public. CDC will continually add resources to this toolkit. For more information on guidelines, tools, and resources for states, tribes, localities and territories please visit CDC's COVID-19 web page for health departments
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The death toll in the U.S. from the coronavirus surpassed 116,700, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, a count roughly 200 more than the 116,516 U.S. service members who died in World War I, according to Department of Veterans Affairs data. Deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. had already topped all U.S. deaths from every war since the 1950 start of the Korean War. The COVID-19 death rate has already surpassed those from the 1968 pandemic, which claimed 100,000 lives.
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CDC Interim Guidance for Immunizations during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has directly impacted "normal" primary care operations. Ensuring that immunization services are maintained or reinitiated is essential for protecting individuals and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases and outbreaks and reducing the burden of respiratory illness during the upcoming influenza season. The CDC's recently released"Interim Guidance for Immunization Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic" can help health centers plan for safe vaccine administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. CDC will continue updating this guidance as the pandemic evolves. Highlights include:
- Considerations for routine delivery of all recommended vaccinations for children, adolescents and adults, including pregnant women.
- General practices for the safe delivery of vaccination services, including considerations for alternative vaccination sites.
- Strategies for catch up vaccinations.
Health centers play a critical role in protecting the most vulnerable patients from vaccine-preventable diseases. We encourage you to take every opportunity to educate both parents and patients. Research shows the strongest predictor of whether a patient gets vaccinated is a recommendation from their healthcare professional.
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HHS Issues Broad Definition for PRF Payments
The HHS quietly released an FAQ that defines the types of expenses that are considered "attributable to the coronavirus," and therefore an allowable use of Provider Relief Fund (PRF) funding. In addition to standard types of expenses (e.g., supplies, equipment, training, payroll), PRF funds may be used for: rent or mortgage payments; lease payments on equipment; and "acquiring additional resources, including facilities, equipment, supplies, healthcare practices, staffing, and technology to expand or preserve care delivery." Allowable expenses must have been incurred after January 1, 2020, but there is currently no end date on such expenses. The full FAQ starts on page 5
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From Coverage to Care
(C2C) has released two new resources focused on coronavirus and health coverage.
C2C's Coronavirus and Your Health Coverage: Get the Basics
talks about how to protect yourself and your family along with an overview on updates from Medicare, the Marketplace, and other information for consumers looking for information on health coverage and staying healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Next, C2C has Stay Safe: Getting the Care You Need, at Home which focuses on how people can stay healthy within their home. This resource gives an overview of telehealth, managing ongoing health conditions, prescriptions, and other tips.
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COVID-19/ NOVEL CORONAVIRUS Pandemic
As you know, information on coronavirus is changing daily. The WVPCA is working with Federal, State, and local health officials in emergency preparedness activities as well as disseminating appropriate and current information to our Community Health Centers. This includes up-to-date resources and policies to ensure the continued health and safety of the communities we serve.
Guidance and resource information can be found on the WVPCA website here and coronavirus.gov.
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WVPCA News
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Aunt Bertha: Addressing SDoH by Connecting Patients with Resources in their Community Demo Webinar
Please join the WVPCA, as we review the social services referral platform Aunt Bertha as a possible partner for the PCA/Health Centers.
The Aunt Bertha platform was created to provide a social care network that connects people and programs - making it easy for people to find social services in their communities, for nonprofits to coordinate their efforts, and for Community Health Centers to integrate social care into the work they already do. Thousands of nonprofits and social care providers serve their communities. But for most people, navigating the system to get help has been difficult, time consuming, and frustrating. Too many Americans are suffering, and they don't need to. Aunt Bertha's network connects people seeking help and verified social care providers that serve them. After the demonstration, we will evaluate health center interest in the system and group purchasing options.
Participants will learn:
- How using Aunt Bertha to refer patients with social needs can assist with closing referral loops.
- How resources are updated in Aunt Bertha and how health centers can rely on having up-to-date referral resources.
- How the data within Aunt Bertha from Social Determinants of Health and subsequent referrals can be used for advocacy and quality improvement.
Target Audience: This event is intended for CEO, COO, CFO, CMO, Medical Directors, Behavioral Health Directors, Social Workers, Care Managers,Care Coordinator, Quality Directors, Nursing Directors, and any staff involved with referring patients for social services.
This event is intended only for Community Health Center Staff.
To assist you with fitting the live demo into your schedule, we are offering two dates to choose from:
July 1, 2020 | 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM.
Registration Closes June 30, 2020 at 12:00pm
July 8 from 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM.
Registration Closes July 7, 2020 at 12:00pm
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Using LEAN/Six Sigma Principles to Improve Health
Please join the West Virginia Primary Care Association (WVPCA) as we have partnered with Jennifer Calohan, and the team at CURIS Consulting, to offer our members a highly interactive learning collaborative focused on using LEAN/Six Sigma principles and practices to improve health outcomes.
This 10 month collaborative is focused on leveraging LEAN/Six Sigma principles and practices and applying them to improve outcomes in Community Health Centers. The program will provide multi-modal training on the foundational elements, concepts, and principles of LEAN/Six Sigma as it relates to healthcare with focus on real world scenarios specifically applicable to the Community Health Center workplace(s). Participants will receive a certificate of completion. The program will provide participants with core components of LEAN/Six Sigma to assist with preparation for yellow and/or green belt professional certification.
TARGET AUDIENCE: CEO,COO, CMO, Medical Directors, Quality & Operations team members.
Registration information can be found here.
Registration will be closing on July 6, 2020.
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Maintaining Vaccinations During A Pandemic
Over the last few months stay-at-home orders helped slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. However, these restrictions combined with parental concerns about potentially exposing their children to COVID-19 during well child visits have contributed to a decrease in the number of children getting their recommended vaccinations. Join the WIN for the next upcoming webinars: Staying Up to Date During a Pandemic. This webinar will explore strategies to recover childhood vaccination rates and tools to help do so. Complete registration information can be found here.
June 29, 2020 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
This webinar will discuss the importance of vaccines and why they are essential to continue during a pandemic. Communication strategies and best practices for providing immunizations will be explored.
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2020 PCMH Recognition Quality Awards
- If your health center's PCMH recognition is accurate, no action is needed.
- If it is inaccurate, please submit an update to your PCMH recognition information via the EHBs no later than Sunday, July 5. View instructions for submitting an update, including the acceptable forms of required documentation.
For more information, please contact Shannon Parker, MBA, PCMH CCE at
shannon.parker.wvpca.org.
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NCQA (PCMH) Regional Training
July 13-17,2020 - Now Virtual
The West Virginia Primary Care Association (WVPCA), District of Columbia Primary Care Association (DCPCA), and the Mid-Atlantic Community Health Centers (MACHC) and are excited to offer National Committee on Quality Assurance's (NCQA) Patient-Centered MedicalHome (PCMH) Training.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-Supported National Committee on Quality Assurance's (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Region 3 Training is now being offered VIRTUALLY!
Facilitators: Bill Tulloch, Director, Quality Solutions Group, NCQA & Christina Borden, Director, Recognition Program Policy Resources, NCQA
Who Should Attend:
Any person implementing the PCMH model at their clinical practice, pursing PCMH 2017 recognition, and/or PCMH status through annual reporting.
Cost: This training is offered at
NO COST to participants.
Registration information can be found here.
For more information, please contact Shannon Parker, MBA, PCMH CCE at
shannon.parker.wvpca.org.
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State News
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Vaccine Super Hero Contest
The
West Virginia Immunization Network has launched a Super Hero Comic Contest for middle and high school students. The purpose of this contest is to spark an interest in science and vaccine development. Full contest description, permission slips, and comic strip panels are available on their website
. If you need further information on the contest, please feel free to email
[email protected]
or
[email protected]
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Wednesday Webinar Series: June and July
The West Virginia Primary Care Association, the
Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers and the MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center have created this six-part webinar series for Community Health Centers who have an integral role in Ending the HIV Epidemic. Participants will hear from fellow Community Health Centers and clinic leaders for a strategy-gathering information exchange to learn more about HIV Routine Testing, Implementation of Routine Testing, Importance of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and how to access funding for PrEP. The webinars will be an hour in length and will include Q&A as well as audience interaction via polling. CME, CNE, and CEU are available.
For more information and registration information
click here
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Due to the COVID-19, the 2020 West Virginia Rural Health Conference has been changed to a virtual event. Additional information and registration will be added to their web-page soon.
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GKVF Announcing Virtual Trainings
The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation is launching a Virtual Nonprofit Capacity Building series to assist partners to work remotely. Below are several of the webinars they will be offering. Registration is required and descriptions of the webinars can be found via the registration links. For more information visit TGKVF's website.
Strategies for Writing Grants when your Organization is Understaffed presented by Global Partners President Patrick Patterson
July 9th from 10:30-11:45am
Tech Tools for Nonprofits presented by our own Grants Manager Candace
Krell; these include short, 15-minute tutorials on a variety of tools.
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National News
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National Health Center Week Support Available
NACHC will award at least one sponsorship to a health center in every state. The criteria for the $500
NACHC sponsorship are: planning a community-wide event (virtual or in-person) during National Health Center Week (NHCW); using social media to promote the value of Community Health Centers using #ValueCHCs and inviting elected officials from the state and federal levels to visit (virtually or in-person) your health center.
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Increase in Health Centers Conducting Telehealth
New data from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) shows how the nation's Community Health Centers have rapidly pivoted to telehealth adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a matter of weeks 98 percent of health centers used telehealth/telephonic services to stay connected to patients, a majority of whom are low income, minority, and uninsured or publicly insured.
The new NACHC fact sheet notes that more than four in five (43 percent) of the nation's network of Community Health Centers had adopted telehealth before COVID struck. However, the public health crisis propelled widespread adoption among centers as federal and state governments temporarily began to amend telehealth coverage and payment policies to accommodate the upsurge in need.
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Knowing that Together We Can End the HIV Epidemic
National HIV Testing Day is Saturday, June 27, and this year's theme is "Knowing." For health centers, that means keeping patients in-the-know about HIV testing, as well as prevention and treatment options. Get resources to help promote National HIV Testing Day.
See the bulletin about supplementing HIV prevention efforts with self-testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the FDA released a fact sheet about the OraQuick In-Home test.
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Recent Telehealth Efforts (H.R. 7187) in Congress
The Less than two weeks ago, Representatives G.T. Thompson (PA-15) and G.K. Butterfield (NC-01) introduced H.R. 7187, the Helping Ensure Access to Local Telehealth (HEALTH) Act, which would permanently allow FQHCs and RHCs the ability to provide telehealth services in Medicare as "distant sites," and be paid equal to an otherwise in-person visit. The bill also removes the geographic restrictions related to originating sites. In addition, on June 15, 2020, a group of bipartisan Senators, led by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) sent a letter to Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer requesting that the telehealth provisions in the COVID-19 legislation be made permanent, including the provisions specific to health centers. See the letter and the list of signers.
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NACHC'S "Reimagining Care" Webinar Series
Join NACHC to move beyond "Flattening the COVID-19 Curve" to NACHC's new webinar series, "Reimagining Care." This series will focus on how Health Centers will continue to lead the primary health care industry through flexibility and innovation in a post-COVID world.
The first webinar entitled "Reimagining Care: Reopening Dental Practices" from June r4, 2020 can be found here.
Speakers:
Moderator: Donald L. Weaver, MD, Senior Advisor, Clinical Workforce, NACHC
Isaac Zeckel, DDS, Chief Dental Officer, HealthLinc, Indiana
Stephen Davis, DDS, Chief Dental Officer, Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic, Washington
E. Michele Chambliss, DNP, MS, RN, FAAN, Director, Federal Tort Claims Act Division, HRSA
Guest speakers and panelists will change from webinar to webinar as the topics change and as new issues emerge, but will feature individuals from NACHC, CDC, HRSA / BPHC, community health centers, and/or key experts from the field.
Save the date for webinars on
July 9, July 23 & August 6 from 1:00 pm - 2 pm EDT.
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Supreme Court Rules Trump Administration Illegally Ended DACA
The
Supreme Court ruled
5-4 that the Trump administration violated federal law when it ended the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) - upholding protections from deportation for roughly 649,000 unauthorized immigrants in the U.S.
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2020 Uniform Data System Manual Available
The 2020 Uniform Data System (UDS) Manual provides health centers with detailed instructions to complete all of the required data tables related to patients, operations and clinical performance. The 2020 UDS data reporting period for Health Center Program awardees and look-alikes will be open from Jan. 1 through Feb. 15, 2021. Key reporting changes include:
- Addition of HIV screening measure (CMS349v2)
- Addition of prescription for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 10 codes and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes
- Revision of Appendix D to capture information on prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and social determinants of health
- Inclusion of COVID-19 ICD-10 and CPT clinical codes, as well as codes for acute respiratory illness due to COVID-19
See Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2020-04 for a complete overview of approved CY 2020 UDS changes. Also available is the 2020 Uniform Data System (UDS) Reporting Changes TA Webinar Presentation and On Demand Recording.
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Year 2021 FTCA Health Center Deeming Applications
Applications for medical malpractice coverage under the FTCA are open in EHBs. We've extended the completion deadline to Monday, July 13.
HRSA guidance for both new applications (deeming) and renewal of existing coverage (redeeming) for health center staff is available in Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2020-02
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
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Project ECHO, is hosting a free 16-week webinar series
that provides primary care providers and other members of a multidisciplinary diabetes care team with case-based learning and consultation to empower them to address the needs of patients with diabetes during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Webinars are held every Wednesday at 12:00 - 1:15 pm discussing a new topic each week. CME credits are offered for attendance.
_____________________________
or check
with the organizer's
verify the status
of ALL
events
and trainings
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NACHC is producing a five-part podcast series to help health centers manage their fiscal solvency during COVID-19 response and recovery. Podcast topics include managing your health center's cash flow, paycheck protection, the Provider Relief Fund, grants management, and staffing.
The first three sessions are available now:
- Podcast 1: Staffing Considerations
- Podcast 2: Provider Relief Fund, CARES Act, Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
- JUST ADDED: Podcast 3: Funding Streams and the SBA Paycheck Protection Program Loan
The title says it all. Head of the Bureau of Primary Health Care, Jim Macrae brings us up to date on the most recent health center news.
Thursday, June 29, 2020
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
Call-in:
888-790-1820
Passcode:
4511897
*NOTE: This link will be accessible only to the first 1,500 participants. If you cannot log in for the visual portion, please still call in!
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Financial and Funding Resources
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The HRSA Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) will be making approximately 50 awards of $200,000 each to rural communities to enhance capacity to address substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder. Over the course of an 18-month period of performance,
grant recipients will conduct a series of planning activities, engage multi-sector consortiums and participate in the RCORP-Planning learning collaborative. Applicant organizations may be located in an urban or rural areas; however, all activities supported by this program must exclusively target HRSA-designated rural areas
(per the
Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer
). FORHP recorded an hour-long webinar that is available upon request.
Apply
by Monday, July 13.
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USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants
The USDA Rural Development announced a second application window for funding under the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program due to the current public health emergency. This program helps rural communities use the unique capabilities of telecommunications to connect to each other and to the world, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. Eligible applicants include most entities that provide education or health care through telecommunications. Apply by Monday, July 13.
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Community Health Center Resources
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Jackson Kelly attorneys provide limited consultation to all members of the WVPCA at no charge, as part of the WVPCA contract. There is no limit to the number of calls which any member may make. All inquiries within the scope of professional competence of firm attorneys will be addressed. Inquiries which require expertise not available through the firm will be promptly identified and, when requested, Jackson Kelly will assist in referring the matter to accounting firms, insurance agents, or others as circumstances warrant.
All inquiries, responses and consultation services provided by the firm lawyers will be provided without additional charge beyond the retainer amount, except for matters which require formal opinions, representation of record in litigation, transactional work, e.g. the purchase or sale of real property, or matters which require continued representation, research or consultation beyond a single inquiry or document review.
Justin M. Harrison is a labor & employment lawyer with Jackson Kelly PLLC. He is available for consultation through a special retainer relationship with the WVPCA.
Justin can be reached at 304.340.1358 and via email at [email protected].
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Risk Management Manual for Health Centers Now Available!
The
Risk Management Manual for Health Centers is now available on the ECRI Institute Clinical Risk Management Program website! Designed to support a proactive approach to risk management at health centers and free clinics, the Manual provides background, tips, and how-tos in a manageable format.
Specific areas that are covered include:
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Risk Management Programs & Plans
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Claims and Lawsuits
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Role of the Risk Manager
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Patient Grievances and Complaints
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Communication with Patients
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Credentialing and Privileging
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Communication among Providers, Staff, and Community Partners
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Tracking Systems for Diagnostic Tests, Referrals, and Hospitalizations
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View an archived webinar that provides a guided tour of the Manual and key features. For access to the ECRI Institute Clinical Risk Management Program website or any other questions, email [email protected].
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COVID-19 Resources for Health Centers
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ECRI Institute
Federally qualified health centers and free clinics are on the front line in testing and treating patients who may have been exposed to COVID-19. Use these resources to keep your staff and patients safe:
In addition, ECRI's COVID-19 Resource Center includes free resources addressing the provision of clinical care and managing the supply chain. Updated several times per week, highlights include:
Additional guidance is available directly from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), including:
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WVPCA Staff
Debra Boyd | Chief Financial/Chief Operations Officer
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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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This project is/was supported partially/fully by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U58CS06834 State and Regional Primary Care Associations. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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