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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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News
Flash!
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Harm reduction experts critique state's assessment of KCHD needle program
Read the complete article from the
Charleston Gazette-Mail
here.
Childhood trauma and its lifelong health effects more prevalent among minorities
Read the complete article from
NPR
here
.
More than $396 million awarded for opioid work in rural communities
Read the complete article from MetroNews here.
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WVPCA News
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CHANGE, Inc. Opens Two New School-Based Health Centers
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CHANGE, Inc's Family Medical Care division expanded its services to Brooke County by opening the brand new Brooke County School-Based Health Center located inside Brooke High School and has expanded its services by opening a school-based health center for the Toronto City Schools district and community in Ohio.
School-based health centers provide medical, behavioral, dental, and/or vision care in a doctor's office-like setting. Students can be treated for acute illnesses or injuries and screened for dental, vision and hearing problems.
In West Virginia, currently 161 school-based health centers are in operation with nearly 3,000 across the United States according to the School-Based Health Alliance 2016-2017 survey, with 62 operating in Ohio.
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Wellness Tip of the Week: How Nutrition Can Help Heal Chronic Wounds
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Good nutrition is essential to wound healing, which increases the body's demand for calories, protein, vitamins and minerals. In fact, wounds can increase the body's caloric needs by as much as 50 percent, according to a study published in Advances in Wound Care.
For those dealing with a chronic, nonhealing wound - which the U.S. National Library of Medicine defines as a wound that doesn't begin to heal within two weeks and doesn't fully heal within six weeks - eating well can help speed healing. Follow this advice from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
- Eat a colorful diet. Vitamins A and C and zinc all boost skin regeneration, due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities, according to research published in the journal Wounds. You can find vitamin A in carrots, sweet potatoes and leafy greens. Vitamin C exists in high levels in citrus fruits and sweet bell peppers, while zinc is most abundant in oysters but can also be found in fortified cereals.
- Load up on protein. The amino acids in protein help build collagen, a major protein found in skin, according to the Wounds researchers. The AND advises getting 20 to 30 grams at each meal (approximately the amount in 3 ounces of chicken) if you have a nonhealing wound.
- Drink plenty of water. Water helps deliver nutrients to a wound and repair damaged skin tissue, as opposed to beverages that contain sugar and alcohol, which can deprive the body of nutrients needed for healing. The study published in Wounds recommends fluid intake of 1 milliliter per calorie per day, or about 68 fluid ounces for someone on a 2,000-calorie diet.
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Active Shooter Tabletop and Interactive Exercise A Success!
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The West Virginia Primary Care Association (WVPCA) partnered with Active Shooter 360 (AS360) on September 18, 2018 to host a two part active shooter exercise. There was an incredible turnout with 34 participants from 16 Health Centers.
This was a Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) structured table top and functional exercise that walked planners of all levels through a real world scenario of an active shooter/ hostile environment. Participants spent the first half of the day partaking in a tabletop exercise that simulated a health center that was directly impacted by an active shooter crisis. This was followed by an after action debrief.
According to one participant, "This is the best table top that I have attended - well thought out and practical. The training encourages you to think through details."
The second part of the day was spent in a functional exercise that recreated the active shooter tabletop that was also followed by an after action debrief. The main goal of this training was to improve active shooter/ hostile event preparation, survival, and recovery capabilities through progressive training, awareness, preparedness and readiness.
The WVPCA would also like to specifically thank members of the Charleston Police Department for their participation in the afternoon's active shooter training.
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State News
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Prescribers for Medicaid Members Must Register with West Virginia Medicaid
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On and after October 17, 2018, West Virginia Medicaid will begin to deny all claims for prescriptions written by any prescriber not enrolled with West Virginia Medicaid. This includes hospital residents and interns, advanced practice nurse practitioners, physician assistants and pharmacists who administer vaccines. Even though the facility you are employed by (clinic, hospital or pharmacy) is currently enrolled, individual prescribers must also be enrolled.
Failing to enroll with West Virginia Medicaid as a prescribing provider could cause serious consequences for your patients.
The requirement for prescribers to enroll is a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. All prescribers serving Medicaid patients MUST enroll and their name and national provider identifier (NPI) must be recorded on claims for prescription medications submitted for Medicaid members on and after October 17, 2018. Providers may enroll as a billing provider or an "ordering, referring, or prescribing" (ORP) provider." "ORP only provider" is a category for prescribers who write orders, refer, or prescribe medications, but do not actually submit claims to Medicaid for their services. "ORP only providers" may not bill Medicaid for services.
If you are not already enrolled, you may go to the website of the West Virginia Medicaid claims processor, Molina Medicaid Solutions, at https://www.wvmmis.com and enroll online as a billing provider or as an "ORP only provider." The quickest enrollment option is the ORP-only online application process, if applicable.
Provider application approval is 5 days from receipt of a completed application. All required documentation can be uploaded to the portal.
A paper application can be requested by calling Molina Provider Enrollment at 888-483-0793.
To prevent interruptions in Medicaid members' access to needed prescription medications, prescribers must make sure they are enrolled with West Virginia Medicaid.
For questions, please contact Molina Provider Enrollment at 888-483-0793 or the Molina Pharmacy Help Desk at 888-483-0801.
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West Virginia Webinar and Training Opportunities
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Practitioner Diversion Awareness Conference
When:
September 29 & 30
Where:
Charleston Marriott, Town Center
What
:
For more information, click
here.
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26th Annual WV Rural Health Conference
When: October 17-19
Where: Pipestem State Resort
What:
Registration is available
Appalachian Addiction & Prescription Drug Conference
When:
October 18-20
Where:
Embassy Suites, Charleston, WV
What:
Registration is available
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National News
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Public Comments Requested for Proposed Changes to the Calendar Year 2019 Uniform Data System
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The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is seeking comments on proposed changes to calendar year 2019 Uniform Data System (UDS) to be reported by Health Center Program awardees and look-alikes in February 2020. Please review the 2019 UDS Proposed Changes Program Assistance Letter and submit comments you may have via the Health Center Program Support (fill out the required fields and select "Uniform Data System (UDS)" from the issue type category)
.
Some fundamental changes to the UDS are being proposed, including the addition of the "Closing the Referral Loop: Receipt of Specialist Report" (CMS50V7) measure, and want to ensure your considerations or comments.
Comments are requested by October 9, 2018 at 12:00 pm ET.
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Now Available: Health Center Toolkit for Integrating HIV Services
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HRSA recently announced a new toolkit for health centers: "Integrating HIV Care, Treatment & Prevention Services into Primary Care." This toolkit is available on HRSA's website. The toolkit compiles resources that were developed during the three-year Partnerships for Care (P4C) demonstration project and highlights lessons learned.
Through P4C, 22 HRSA-funded health centers collaborated with CDC-funded state health departments in Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, and New York to better integrate HIV care into primary care by strengthening the workforce, building infrastructure, and expanding HIV prevention, testing and care services. The participating health centers showed promising results. For example, in the third year of the project, 93 percent of HIV patients served by P4C health centers were linked to care within 90 days, which was a key goal of the effort.
With modules focused on planning, implementing, and sustaining HIV services, the toolkit meets your health center where it is today and offers recommendations for future improvement in HIV care. Please take a look at the lessons learned by P4C health centers!
Learn more about Partnerships for Care and access the toolkit.
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Webinar and Training Opportunities
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BPHC All-Programs Webcast
When: September 25 | 2"30-3"30 PM ET
What: To submit questions in advance, send an email to [email protected] by Thursday, Sept. 20, with the subject line "BPHC All-Programs Question." |
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NCQA Digital Quality Summit
When: November 14-15
Where: Washington, DC
What: The Summit convenes quality improvement stakeholders including senior decision makers, measure development experts, clinicians, government agencies, public health officials, data intermediaries, vendors and payers to advance measure interoperability solutions. Registration is available here. |
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Community Health Center Resources
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Welcome to a new feature of the WVPCA Weekly Outlook Newsletter. In the months ahead, my colleagues and I will use this space to provide monthly insights regarding various legal issues that routinely confront FQHCs. The topics will include labor & employment and healthcare issues. We hope you find this feature beneficial.
For labor & employment, we're going to review the life-cycle of a typical employment relationship. This month we'll begin with the offer of employment. You've completed your recruiting process and you've identified a candidate to fill a vacancy. It's time to make the offer. First, you will want to confirm it in writing simply to avoid misunderstandings and to have a record for future reference. Second, you will want to consider the terms of the offer letter. Typically, the offer letter should address the following:
- Position title, location, duties, approximate start date, full- or part-time status. The duties do not have to be exhaustive and you may want to include some language that allows your clinic some flexibility (e.g., "other duties that may be assigned from time to time"). If you're hiring for a temporary position, you might consider noting that as well in the offer letter.
- Compensation and bonus information (if applicable), including an explanation regarding exempt or non-exempt status, and how compensation is calculated.
- Benefits information (with appropriate language that reserves your ability to change benefits and plans).
- Confirmation of at-will status. West Virginia law presumes that most employment relationships are at at-will, which means that either party is free to end the employment relationship at any time, and for any reason. This presumption, however, can be challenged in court. To avoid any confusion, it's a good idea to confirm the employee's at-will status in the offer letter (as well as in your handbook).
- Signature block and date. If the candidate intends to accept the offer, have her sign the offer letter and return it to you.
These are the basic elements of an offer letter and there may be additional provisions you will want to include (e.g., language regarding signing bonuses, retention bonuses, etc.). Although the law does not require employers to provide offer letters, most employers will benefit from documenting the beginning of the employment relationship in this manner.
***
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.
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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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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 Operations
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Special Programs 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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