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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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Health Access breaks ground for new low-income dental access facilities in Clarksburg
Read the entire article from the
Exponent Telegram
here.
Low adoption of telemedicine may spur patient migration away from traditional providers
Read the entire article from
Modern Healthcare
here.
Valley Health's regional reach continues to grow
Read the entire article from the
Herald-Dispatch
here.
WV Gov. Justice signs medical marijuana banking bill into law
Read the entire article from
WVNews
here.
HHS website now lists ceiling prices for 340B drugs
Read the entire article from
Modern Healthcare
here.
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April 1-7 is Teen Health Week!
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Teen Health Week is a global initiative to help teens take charge of their health. This week is dedicated to encouraging young people, as well as adolescent health stakeholders, to support the physical and mental health of young people.
To participate, check out the links below:
Contact Lesley Craig, Public Health Advisor, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health - Region 5 at [email protected] with any questions about Teen Health Week.
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WVPCA News
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Health Centers 'On the Hill'
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WVPCA and Community Health Center leaders gathered together last week in Washington, D.C. at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Policy & Issues Forum (P&I). Legislative visits on Thursday provided the opportunity to share health center stories and discuss the extensive impact WV CHCs have on their communities and the state. The WVPCA is the largest organized primary care network in the state. WV CHCs serve nearly 455,000 patients across the Mountain State, representing 1 in 4 West Virginians. Additionally, WV CHCs are taking a lead role in their communities to address the opioid epidemic, by providing the critical services needed including SUD/MAT.
The passion our leaders have for the health center mission was evident! Thank you to all who joined us in DC and those who were unable to travel to DC, but reached out to their legislators to deliver the health center messages.
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Shenandoah Community Health has begun rolling out an organization wide development program "Influencing Options and the Core Dimensions" and adopted the Core Dimensions of respect, empathy, specificity and genuineness into their culture. Staff is currently attending the first series of two workshops in which all employees will participate over the next several months. In the workshop, team members gain practical, immediately useable skills, including: tools for better, more positive communication; ways to create higher trust in your working relationships; ways to manage stress and frustration; ways to gain more clarity in communicating and dealing with daily issues; and ways to influence with integrity and compassion.
Shenandoah Community Health is pleased to implement this program and takes great pride in enhancing employee engagement and providing tools for effective communication.
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Registration Now Open for WV CHC Athena User Group Virtual Office Hours Webinar
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The West Virginia Primary Care Association (WVPCA) is pleased to announce the next meeting of the WV CHC Athena User Group on Friday, April 12 at 1:00 PM. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss current system issues and future system considerations while partaking in peer-to-peer learning. Chris Perry, Athenahealth Customer Service Manager, will also be attending the User Group Meeting and providing system update information and discussion of current system conditions. This webinar is for Administrative, Billing/Financial, Clinical and Quality staff from CHCs who utilize Athena.
Registration for this one-hour webinar is available
here
.
Please note - our registration process has changed and is now exclusively online. If you experience any difficulty with the registration process, please contact the WVPCA at 304.346.0032.
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Registration Open for Introduction to the Healthcare Emergency & Continuity Plan Webinar | April 4
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Please join the WVPCA and BOLDplanning
for a webinar discussing the upcoming conversion of the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) to the new Emergency and Continuity Plan (ECP) for Community Health Centers (CHC). During the one-hour informational webinar, James Wolfe will provide a demonstration of BOLDplanning's Healthcare ECP system. The ECP is designed specifically for meeting the needs of healthcare providers to address CMS emergency preparedness rules/guidance.
This webinar will serve as an introduction to the new ECP platform as well as provide an overview to those organizations/individuals not yet utilizing the WVPCAready system. There is no fee associated with this event for CHC staff. This webinar is only open to Federally Qualified Health Center (FQCH) Community Health Centers (CHCs) and look-alike organizations. The webinar is targeted to Emergency Preparedness Coordinators.
For more information, and to register, click
here.
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State News
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$14.6M Will Expand Access to Medication Assisted Treatment, Officials Say
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Community agencies that want to offer medication-assisted treatment will be eligible to apply for portions of $14.6 million in federal funding to be awarded through the West Virginia Bureau for Behavioral Health.
Read the entire article by Lori Kersey from the Charleston Gazette-Mail here. |
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Community Healthcare Planning and Response to Disasters
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The West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and Jackson County Health Department are coordinating an educational training, Community Healthcare Planning and Response to Disasters. This training will be held June 18-19 at the Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley, WV.
For more information, click here. |
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Alzheimer's and Dementia Care ECHO Program
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The Alzheimer's Association, West Virginia Chapter is recruiting primary care practice teams to participate in the Alzheimer's and Dementia Care ECHO Program, which connects specialist teams with primary care practices via video conference to collaborate in case-based learning. The target audience
includes a lead clinician, (physician or NP) as well as other care team members (e.g., PA, social workers, care coordinators, medical assistants, etc.) who manage patients with ADRD in your practice setting. We ask that participants attend regularly, engage in discussions, and present de-identified patient cases from their clinics.
The 12 session program runs every other Thursday, from 12-1pm CST, beginning May 9, 2019.
The Alzheimer's and Dementia Care ECHO Program, hosted by the Alzheimer's Association, is an innovative distance - learning model to build workforce capacity and improve access to specifically care in local communities.
For more information, click
here
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ER/LA Opioid REMS: Achieving Safe Use While Improving Patient Care Training
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The Northern West Virginia Rural Health Education Center is hosting several trainings for ER/LA Opioid REMS: Achieving Safe Use While Improving Patient Care at no cost to the participant. This program has been approved by the WV Board of Medicine and the WV Board of Osteopathic Medicine. The training will be held on April 25 in Bridgeport, WV; May 16 in Parkersburg, WV; May 23 in Elkins, WV; and June 13 in Wheeling, WV.
For additional information and to register, contact Donna M. Steigleder, (304) 462-6292 or [email protected]. |
National News
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New Funding Opportunity: Oral Health Infrastructure
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HRSA announces the availability of $76 million in one-time supplemental funding for Oral Health Infrastructure to support health center infrastructure enhancements that will increase access to new or enhanced high-quality, integrated oral health services, including those provided via telehealth and virtual dentistry.
This funding opportunity will support:
- One-time physical infrastructure investments, such as:
- Minor alteration and renovation (A/R), and/or
- Equipment purchases.
- Organizational infrastructure investments such as training, consulting, and health information technology.
Organizations currently receiving Health Center Program operational grant funding are eligible to apply for up to $300,000.
Applications are due in Grants.gov by Monday, April 22 (11:59 p.m. ET) and HRSA's Electronic Handbooks by Tuesday, May 21 (5:00 p.m. ET). HRSA expects to make approximately 250 supplemental awards in September.
For more information, please:
If you have questions, contact the OHI Technical Assistance Team.
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Oral Health Infrastructure Toolkit Webinar
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In support of the Oral Health Infrastructure (FY19) funding opportunity, the National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) has developed a toolkit as a guide for health centers in their efforts towards infrastructure enhancements to provide new or enhance existing integrated oral health services.
This webinar, scheduled for April 12 at 9am PT/10am MT/11am CT/12pm ET, will review the toolkit that will assist health centers in assessing their readiness for oral health service expansion, provide links to HRSA's requirements, regulations, and resources, and offer infrastructure enhancement and expansion strategies for community health centers.
To register, click here. |
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New Funding Opportunity - FY 2019 Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS)
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The fiscal year (FY) 2019 Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) funding opportunity is a non-competitive supplement for organizations currently receiving Health Center Program operational grant (H80) funding. IBHS funding will help health centers increase access to high quality, integrated behavioral health services, including the prevention or treatment of mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders (SUDs), including opioid use disorder.
Applicants must propose to:
- Add at least 0.5 SUD and/or mental health service personnel full-time equivalent (contracted and/or direct hire) within 8 months of award to support expanded services; and
- Increase new and/or existing patients receiving SUD and/or mental health services, as reported in the 2020 Uniform Data System (UDS) report.
Organizations receiving Health Center Program operational grant (H80) funding at the time of this funding opportunity release are eligible to apply. For more information, click here.
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UDS Mapper Webinar Scheduled for April 9
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Registration is now open for the monthly Introduction to the UDS Mapper webinar. The initial webinar is scheduled for April 9 at 11:00 AM EDT for a live demo and Question and Answer session. This webinar will be offered again on May 8, June 6 and July 12. If you are already an experienced used and would like to sign up for an advanced webinar, visit the website for dates and registration information.
Contact the UDS Mapper for questions or access the UDS Mapper for more information.
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2019 Uniform Data System Approved Program Assistance Letter Released
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HRSA has released the Program Assistance Letter (PAL) to highlight approved changes to the Uniform Data System (UDS) for calendar year 2019. The approved changes in this PAL include:
- Updating quality of care measures to align with CMS electronic-specified clinical quality measures (eCQMs)
- Adding mental health and substance use disorder tables by provider
- Adding a column in Table 5: Staffing and utilization to capture virtual visits
- Removing Table 5A: Tenure for health center staff
- Replacing coronary artery disease measure with statin therapy for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease
- Revising Appendix D: Health center electronic health record capabilities and quality recognition
- Adding Appendix F: Workforce
Health Center Program awardees and look-alikes will use the reporting changes detailed in the PAL for reporting data beginning January 1, 2020. The 2019 UDS Manual, which we expect to release this spring, will include additional details regarding these changes.
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Implementing Daily Patient Flow Processes to Maximize Safety and Efficiency
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Most practices begin their day with the best intentions of managing their patient schedules. However, many end up squeezing extra patients into an already busy schedule or need more time than allotted for scheduled patients. Inefficient scheduling leads to disgruntled providers (e.g., providers complain they do not have enough time), unhappy patients (e.g., patients complain of long waits), and clinic inefficiency. In addition, clinic schedules often have holes that if filled could help
improve flow
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Common impediments to patient flow include conflicts between the front and back office (the scheduling staff and the clinical staff), miscues, unclear expectations, and unpredictable variables. A patient cancels at the last minute or simply does not show up. Another patient's visit takes the provider much longer than expected, or an appointment was incorrectly slotted in the schedule. Delays in obtaining test results or information needed for a patient visit cause lags in the flow of patients through the clinic.
Managing a patient schedule has become an art form, one that if mastered can improve productivity, reduce provider and patient complaints, decrease delays, and promote patient safety. Identifying opportunities for improvement can be a springboard to creating quality improvement goals that will eventually lead to mastering the art
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The self-assessment checklist and other Clinical Risk Management resources are provided for FREE by ECRI Institute on behalf of HRSA. Don't have access or want to attend a free, live demonstration of the website? E-mail [email protected] or call (610) 825-6000 ext. 5200.
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MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center Training Opportunities in West Virginia
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The MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center (MAAETC) is hosting the following three trainings in West Virginia this Spring.
- HIV Care, Prevention and Reproductive Choices for Women (South Charleston) | April 10 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM | Registration information available here.
- HIV Care, Prevention and Reproductive Choices for Women (Beckley) | April 11 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM | Registration information available here.
Conference attendees will gain knowledge of issues related to the HIV positive and the HIV negative female as well as issues related to pregnancy options and referrals. |
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Registration Opens for Three 2019 HRSA Grants Management Workshops
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Registration is now open for three 2019 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Grants Management Workshops:
The workshops will focus on HRSA grants administration from pre-award through close-out; and will feature a variety of break-out sessions designed to help HRSA grantees successfully administer their grants.
For more information, reach out to the workshop staff at
[email protected]
.
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Community Health Center Resources
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Jackson Kelly PLLC
The WVPCA has retained the law firm of Jackson Kelly, PLLC to provide legal guidance to the WV Primary Care Association and its members.
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.
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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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