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September 18, 2020
  WVPCA Weekly Outlook Newsletter
    A Newsletter on Community Centered Healthcare
Quick Links: In This Issue.....

National News
Upcoming Training Opportunites







High income essential workers getting child care financial assistance has contributed to early depletion of funds   
Read the entire article from WSAZ here.

New color included in the County Alert System
Read the entire article from WVNSTV here.
EmergencyManagement

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DoD) released two documents outlining the Trump Administration's detailed strategy to deliver safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses to the American people as quickly and reliably as possible.  Read more here.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Assistant Secretary for Health, issued guidance under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) to expand access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines when they are made available. This guidance authorizes state-licensed pharmacists to order and administer, and state-licensed or registered pharmacy interns acting under the supervision of the qualified pharmacist to administer, COVID-19 vaccinations to persons ages 3 or older, subject to certain requirements. 

The authorization preempts any state and local laws that prohibit or effectively prohibit those who satisfy these requirements from ordering or administering COVID-19 vaccines as set forth above. The authorization does not preempt state and local laws that permit additional individuals to administer COVID-19 vaccines to additional persons. Access a copy of the guidance - PDF, information on Operation Warp Speed and clinical resources on vaccines, including continuing education training on best practices.
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.
WVPCA NewsWVPCA_news
Wyoming Board of Ed Reverses Decision to Split with Kids' Health Nonprofit Due to Private Doctors' Complaints, Apologizes 


The partnership allowed Tug River - which operates three nonprofit clinics in Wyoming and McDowell counties - to run a mobile clinic that provided vaccinations and other health services to school children through Wyoming County Schools.

At a special meeting Monday, however, board members apologized for that move. They said that, after learning more about the needs in the area and services provided by Tug River, they had made a mistake. They voted unanimously to reinstate the memorandum of understanding, or MOU, behind the partnership.  Read more here.
IPHCA Announces All Virtual Leadership Conference


The Illinois Primary Health Care Association, representing the state's 51 community health centers, announced its 2020 Annual Leadership Conference will be held online Oct. 28-30 during the coronavirus pandemic. IPHCA is using the virtual conference to connect its attendees with an outstanding roster of speakers:
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, pro basketball's all-time leading scorer and Presidential Medal of Freedom Winner for his work to improve education in underserved communities
  • Regina Benjamin, the 18th U.S. Surgeon General
  • Maria Hinojosa, an Emmy-winning anchor and executive producer of NPR's "Latino USA"
Anyone interested is welcome to attend the virtual conference. To register or learn more about the conference, visit IPHCA's website.
Still Time to Join the Inaugural Webinar of the Addiction Treatment Continuous Quality Improvement Virtual Learning Series


Following the July launch of the ATLAS™ public-facing website, and in preparation for the upcoming launch of password-protected professional portals, Shatterproof is excited to turn its attention to helping addiction treatment facilities leverage the data available in ATLAS to build and sustain strong quality improvement (QI) infrastructures. To achieve this goal, this fall the ATLAS team will be launching an Addiction Treatment Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Learning Series. 

The CQI Learning Series, facilitated by Shatterproof in partnership with various external organizations and speakers, will feature key quality improvement topics related to the Shatterproof National Principles of Care. Speakers will highlight resources available to providers and discuss how to implement best practices. Core components of the series include on-demand modules, monthly webinars, and associated technical assistance resources. All sessions will be recorded and provided after the event. There is no cost to attendees.  

This event kicks-off the technical assistance phase of ATLAS, providing a brief overview of initial trends identified across the six ATLAS states and setting the stage for a series of learning events aimed at helping addiction treatment facilities maximize their use of ATLAS data to create a quality improvement infrastructure that sets them up for long term success. Dual focus: (1) the core tenets of QI and models for implementation, and (2) how to apply these concepts in an addiction treatment setting.   

Want to learn more about the series and our first facilitator? Review the announcement email. 

Session #1: September 24th, 12:00-1:30 EDT | Faculty: Victor Capoccia, PhD
HRSA's HP - ET Initiative: Readiness to Train Assessment Tool Survey Training Call

HRSA's Health Professions Education and Training (HP-ET) Initiative will enhance health centers' capabilities to recruit, develop, and retain their workforce by exposing health and allied health professions students, trainees, and residents to education and training programs conducted at health centers.

The HP-ET Initiative will use the Readiness to Train Assessment Tool (RTAT™) developed by Community Health Center (CHC), Inc., a HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP), to help health centers assess and improve their readiness to engage in health professions training programs. The tool covers dimensions of health center readiness for developing and engaging with health professions training programs. The WVPCA will use the results to expand targeted workforce training and technical assistance (TA) capabilities, working with health centers in our state on focused strategic workforce plan activities intended to increase health center capacity with recruitment efforts.

HRSA's HP - ET Initiative: Readiness to Train Assessment Tool Survey Training Call
Wednesday, September 23  | 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET 

Following the webinar, the WVPCA will contact you with a link to take the RTAT™. Once you have your survey results, we can help you develop a targeted strategic workforce plan that will include health professions trainings and pipeline programs that could meet the needs of your community, as well as offer training and TA to help you achieve your workforce goals.
State NewsStateNews
West Virginia National Guard to Host Regional Disaster Training Exercise in 2021

The West Virginia National Guard will host a nine-day regional disaster training exercise in August 2021.  The exercise, called Vigilant Guard 2021, will be conducted in coordination with the U.S. Northern Command, the National Guard Bureau and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and will take place at the Hobet All Hazards Training Center located in Boone and Lincoln counties.

The goal of Vigilant Guard is to improve the coordination, operational relationships and response plans of agencies across West Virginia and several other nearby states in preparation for emergencies and catastrophic events.  Click here to read more.

WV Project ECHO Memory Health Opportunity

In collaboration with West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute (WVCTSI), West Virginia University's Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI), and the Alzheimer's Association, WV Project ECHO will be launching a new ECHO project around Memory Health this fall. This project will provide an opportunity for primary care providers and others to present de-identified cases to a panel of experts (Hub) including (neurology, radiology, geriatrics, palliative care, nursing, social work), and receive mentoring in the management of memory health conditions such as Alzheimer's. These sessions also include didactic presentations on a variety of memory health topics including assessment of symptoms, routine care planning, and advanced care planning.

 These sessions will take place on the 1st Tuesday of each month from 4-5pm via Zoom starting on October 6th and will be offered at no cost to those who participate. The sessions will be recorded and uploaded to the WV Project ECHO YouTube page for additional viewing. WV Project ECHO will also offer 1 hour of general continuing medical education credits for all who participate.
 
If you are interested in participating please complete the participation agreement that outlines the project in more detail. The agreement is used for record-keeping purposes and once we have it returned we will then send the Zoom calendar invites. Please remember that one participation agreement covers all who are interested in attending from that organization.
 
Please contact Jay Mason at [email protected] or Mithra Mohtasham at [email protected] if you have any questions.
National NewsNationalNews
Take the Next Step in your Career with the NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program

The 2021 Application Program and Guidance for the National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (NHSC S2S LRP) is now open and includes new nursing disciplines. In response to health workforce needs for quality primary and maternity care, the FY21 program includes Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs). The application cycle closes on November 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

About the Program: NHSC S2S LRP applicants may qualify for up to $120,000 in tax-free loan repayment for their medical, nursing and dental school student loans. Eligible health professional students in their final year of school receive the award in exchange for a three-year service commitment in a high-need (HPSA 14 or above) rural, tribal, or urban community. Read the 2021 Application and Program Guidance (PDF-1.2 MB) carefully before you  start your application
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  • Students must be U.S. citizens or nationals and enrolled or accepted in an eligible medical (MD or DO), dental (DDS or DMD), NP or CNM degree program at a U.S. accredited school.
  • Installments are paid to students annually in a lump sum which, when applied to qualified health professional student loans, can significantly lower the overall debt by reducing accrued loan interest amounts.
  • NHSC S2S LRP award recipients are eligible to continue service through the NHSC Loan Repayment Program, and could potentially pay off all of their educational debt with continued service at an approved NHSC site.
Online Q & A Sessions 
Tuesday, September 29  &  Monday, October 26 | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET
 Ask a Question
Upcoming Training OpportunitiesUpcomingNationalTraining

HHS Telemedicine Hack (TM Hack) is a 10-week virtual, peer-to-peer learning community to accelerate telemedicine implementation for ambulatory providers. Components of TM Hack include:
  • TeleECHO sessions.
  • Virtual "office hour" discussion panels.
  • Peer-to-peer learning between sessions facilitated via virtual discussion boards.
CME/CEU credits are available at no cost to participants. 

The series is in progress, but you can still get more information or register.

_____________________________






Over the past five years, Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP) has been working with SBHCs to be leaders in managing the environmental factors that make asthma worse. Using existing tools to support their work and case studies to inspire them, SBHCs across the country have been successfully implementing interventions that reduce environmental asthma triggers in homes, schools, and outdoor environments. Hear model examples from two SBHCs and learn about tools you can use to implement an asthma intervention on your campus to support your most vulnerable students. 

Wednesday, September 23, 2020 
2:00 PM EST

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.  Save the following dates for these upcoming session:
 Thursday, October 1, 2020
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
*Access details coming soon 
 ________________________________
FinancialAnchorFinancial and Funding Resources
2020 Center for ActiveWV Mini-Grant Program

Announcing the launch of the application for the second year of mini-grant funding to increase physical activity in West Virginia. The Center for ActiveWV, at West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, through a partnership with West Virginia Health Promotion and Chronic Disease, is funding projects statewide to increase physical activity. These one-time mini-grants range from $1000-$5000.

Successful mini-grant applications will propose a plan to improve the health of communities in West Virginia through increased opportunities for physical activity in the following areas:
  • Increase physical activity opportunities for children throughout the school day and beyond
  • Increase and/or improve pedestrian and bike infrastructure within West Virginia
  • Implement programming and/or create opportunities for physical activity through clinical practice and community outreach
Projects should include changes or improvements to policies, systems, or environments, and have a plan for sustainability. Additionally, assuming that there will be continued restrictions and impacts due to COVID-19, projects must be feasible and include a plan to successful complete the project with current restrictions and plans for possible shutdowns.

Upon completing this pre-application survey, the Project Coordinator will contact applicants to discuss their project and give the grant guidelines and a link for the full application, if approved. The full application closes on October 16, 2020, at 11:59 pm.

For more information contact the Project Coordinator, Rachel Byrne, at [email protected], or 304-293-6981.
 
Follow this link to the Survey:  Take the Survey
CommunityHealthCenterResourceCommunity Health Center Resources
 
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].
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:

Risk Management Programs & Plans
Claims and Lawsuits
Role of the Risk Manager
Patient Grievances and Complaints
Communication with Patients
Credentialing and Privileging
Communication among Providers, Staff, and Community Partners
Tracking Systems for Diagnostic Tests, Referrals, and Hospitalizations

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].
COVID-19 Resources for Health Centers
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:
WVPCA Staff

Sherri Ferrell, MBA | Chief Executive Officer
Debra Boyd | Chief Financial/Chief Operations Officer
Staci Arnold, MBA | Data Service & Integration Specialist
Jennifer Boyd, PA-C, PCMH-CCE | Clinical Consultant
John Kennedy, MA | School-Based Health/Behavioral Health Coordinator
Pam Moore | Member Relations Coordinator
Shannon Parker, MBA, PCMH-CCE | Director of Health Center Operations
Amanda West | Staff Accountant
Emma White, RN | Clinical Quality Improvement Coordinator 
Paula Beasley | Education and Communications Coordinator 
Ruby Piscopo, CAC | Outreach & Enrollment Coordinator 
To sign up to receive the WVPCA Weekly Newsletter, click HERE
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.