CHCANYS NEWS
Midterm Election Results
Democrats secured a majority in the State Senate and Assembly on election night, and clinched statewide races as well. Governor Cuomo easily won his bid for a third term, capturing 59% of the vote. Incumbent Comptroller Tom DiNapoli won reelection, and Letitia “Tish” James became the first woman of color to hold the office of New York State Attorney General.
The State Senate has come under Democratic control for the first time since 2010, after big wins on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley. Democrats will now hold up to 40 (pending a few results) of the 63 Senate seats, and Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins will likely become the Senate majority leader – making her the first woman to lead either legislative chamber. Notably, longtime Senate Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) lost his reelection bid.
 
The State Assembly remains under solid control of the Democrats, though Republican challengers picked up additional seats. Speaker Carl Heastie will likely remain as the majority leader, though there may be some changes in committee leadership. Senator Richard Gottfried will likely remain as the Assembly Health Committee Chair.
 
At the Federal level, Democrats secured victory in the House of Representatives, where they now hold 225 seats to Republicans’ 197 seats, with 13 races too close to call as of November 8th. In the Senate, Republicans secured control, holding 51 of the 100 seats on November 8th, with 3 races too close to call. In New York, Junior Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D) handily won her reelection campaign, as did Representative Elise Stefanik (R), Co-Chair of the Community Health Center Caucus.
Gottfried Joins Call for Additional Funding for Health Care Providers
On November 9, Assemblyman Dick Gottfried sent a letter to Governor Cuomo, urging him to invest at least $169 million in “community-based providers and the intensifying workforce crisis that threatens the stability of the health care system.”

The letter from Gottfried comes one day after CHCANYS and 10 other leaders of membership associations across the state called on the governor to allocate additional funding from the Health Care Transformation Fund created in the 2018 budget.

The request is in response to news that New York’s hospitals and nursing homes are getting approximately $675 million for Medicaid rate increases to cover workforce salary and benefits. Advocacy groups, including CHCANYS, are calling for an immediate investment in the primary care, home care, and behavioral health care workers who touch the lives of millions of New Yorkers every day.

Public Charge Resources Uploaded to CHCANYS Website
On October 10, 2018, the Trump Administration published a proposed rule to change the administration’s “public charge” policies. A person who is considered to be a public charge may be denied admission to the US or lawful permanent resident (green card) status. The Trump Administration’s proposed rule expands benefits considered in determining who is likely to become a public charge.
 
CHCANYS has uploaded a suite of resources related to public charge onto our website, including NYS specific public charge talking points and a list of resources for additional information and analysis. To view CHCANYS’ list of resources and talking points, click here.
 
Comments on the proposed public charge rule must be submitted by December 10, 2018 . CHCANYS will provide a template for use by health centers who wish to submit comments. To view the proposed rule, click here .
 
It’s Diabetes Awareness Month
Nationally, 1 in 7 health center patients has a diabetes diagnosis (2017 UDS) compared to the U.S. average of 1 in 10 (National Committee on Quality and Assurance). Thirty-three percent of diabetic patients at health centers have uncontrolled diabetes compared to the U.S. average of 43%. Even though health centers exceeded national benchmarks, nearly a third of our patients with diabetes are not achieving control. There continue to be disparities across race and ethnicities, and unique challenges serving our special populations. To support health centers, the HRSA Health Center Program has launched its Diabetes Quality Improvement Initiative webpage, which includes diabetes data, information about the initiative, and its goals, resources, and promising prac tices. Visit the Health Center Program website and the Diabetes Quality Improvement Webpage .

Register for CHCANYS and NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare Collaboration Forum
On Tuesday, December 4, the NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare and CHCANYS are co-hosting a forum for members that will focus on community health centers (CHC) and behavioral health (BH) collaboration models, approaches to integrated care in VBP arrangements, and networking to share lessons learned and best practices. This is a free event for CHC staff, though participation is limited to 2 staff per health center. The forum is a part of the Delta Center for a Thriving Safety Net’s State Learning and Action Collaborative funding, which CHCANYS and the NYS Council have jointly received to advance VBP and integrated care across the State. Click here for the brochure and registration materials. Registration is required by November 23, 2018.
CHCANYS’ AmeriCorps Attends Project Directors Conference in Albany
Last week the CHCANYS AmeriCorps team attended a Project Directors conference, held by the New York State Commission on National and Community Service. The three-day training conference was attended by all New York State-funded AmeriCorps programs.
 
Scam Alert: How to Spot a Phishing Email
Phishing emails are making the rounds again and CHCANYS wants to remind our health centers to be vigilant. Scam emails are constantly becoming more sophisticated, utilizing real logos to try to trick unsuspecting recipients into believing they have received a legitimate email from a colleague.
 
To learn more on how to spot a phishing scam and avoid becoming a victim, click here .
UPCOMING EVENTS
CHCANYS Hosts December 18th UDS Training
CHCANYS final UDS Trainings in New York will take place December 18 th at Baruch College in Manhattan. To register, please click here . All grantees of BPHC-administered Section 330 primary care programs, including Community Health Centers, Migrant Health Centers, Health Care for the Homeless and Public Housing Primary Care, are required under the terms of their grant to report Uniform Data System (UDS) data, which then are analyzed by HRSA to ensure compliance with legislative mandates, report program accomplishments, and justify budget requests to the U.S. Congress. The UDS also helps HRSA to identify trends and establish or expand targeted programs and identify effective services and interventions to improve access to primary health care for vulnerable populations. 
 
JUST ANNOUNCED: New Telehealth Webinar Series with FTLF and FLCH hosted by CHCANYS
Telehealth is emerging as a critical component for increasing access to care, promoting cost effective service delivery, and establishing connections with specialty or limited providers. As leaders in providing high-quality, accessible primary care, health centers are exploring the use of telehealth to meet the challenges of serving diverse patient populations with complex needs. This five-part webinar series will provide the latest information insights from legal experts at Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell (FTLF) and an innovator in implementing telehealth in the health center setting, Finger Lakes Community Health . SAVE THE DATES: January 16 th & 26 th , February 7 th , March 13 th & 18 th . Topics covered will include Telehealth 101, Needs Assessment, Equipment, Operational and Financial Considerations. Registration coming soon; contact questions@chcanys.org for more information. 
QUALITY AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Presentations Available Online
The Behavioral Health Subcommittee and HIV/Hep C/STD Subcommittee held a joint call earlier this month featuring guest speaker Dr. Hannah Snyder from the Clinician Consultation Center at UCSF, who presented on treating SUD w/ co-occurring HIV/Hep C infection. The presentation can be viewed here . The SUW Webinar and Addendum are available in PDF.

Advancing Oral and Primary Health Care Integration to Support Diabetes Prevention and Management Webinar
HRSA will host a webinar on Thursday, November 29 from 1-2pm, focusing on the relationship and importance between oral health care and diabetes prevention and management in health center settings. Presenters will highlight HRSA and CDC initiatives, health center models, partnerships, and resources that support integrated oral health and diabetes care. Click here to register.

Learning Collaboratives Target Care for Adolescents and Children
School-Based Health Alliance, a HRSA-funded NCA, invites health centers to join a learning collaborative titled “Addressing Diabetes Risk Factors in Elementary School Children through Community Partnerships.” The target audience for this collaborative are health centers interested in enhancing efforts to prevent, screen for, and manage pre-diabetic indicators among elementary school-aged children through school partnerships. By the end of this learning collaborative, each health center will select one or more elementary schools and develop an action plan for addressing elementary-aged children’s obesity and other pre-diabetic indicators. These action plans will include goals, specific school partners, evidence-based strategies and programs, deliverables, timelines, and responsible parties. This learning collaborative convenes in February and concludes in April. Applications are due by Friday, November 30. Click here to learn more.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT NEWS
Spreading the Word of Preparedness Across the Nation
CHCANYS Emergency Management (EM) team continues to deliver training and technical assistance not only in New York, but in other states as well. On November 8, CHCANYS EM team facilitated a tabletop exercise (TTX) in partnership with District of Columbia Primary Care Association (DCPCA) for 8 community health center networks in the metro DC area.

This TTX was an interactive, discussion-based activity focused on the ability of participants to make high-level decisions and use emergency management concepts and plans in response to a release of a bioterrorism agent and a subsequent cyberattack that affects primary care center operations across the city. 
 
CHCANYS Participates in DOHMH Meeting With ASPR Leadership  
On Nove mber 8, CHCANYS EM Team participated in a special session with Dr. Kevin Yeskey, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). CHCANYS was invited because of our expertise in community health preparedness, and our current involvement with the primary care healthcare coalition. During this session, we had an opportunity to provide a five-minute presentation that educated ASPR about the expertise CHCANYS brings to the NYC Healthcare Coalition, and how community health centers play a role in whole community approach for preparedness and response.

If you would like to know more about CHCANYS Emergency Management program or New York healthcare coalitions, contact our EM Team at  emteam@chcanys.org  
HEALTH CENTER SUPPORT NEWS
CHCANYS Continuous Compliance Webinar Series- Recordings Available for Purchase
In September, CHCANYS launched the 9-part Continuous Compliance Webinar Series with presenters from Cohn Reznick and Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell (FTLF) and HRSA Consultants. Throughout the series, industry experts presented detailed guidance and resources to enhance a health center’s organizational approach while providing insights and recommended strategies for achieving continuous compliance as outlined in the Health Center Program Compliance Manual. In the coming weeks, the full series of recordings will be made available here for a limited time, discounted pricing will be offered to series participants and CHCANYS members. To inquire about purchasing access to the series recordings please contact us at questions@chcanys.org.

Eight webinars have been hosted to date with one remaining—presenters will be HRSA Consultants/OSV Reviewers, Dan Dey & David Adams on November 15. For webinar descriptions and more information on the series click here.
 
Preparing for the New Year? Let us Help You Save Money.
More than 40 FQHCs Statewide actively participate in CHCANYS’ unique partnership with the Commonwealth Purchasing Group (CPG) to save on operational expenses. With an expansive portfolio of vendors including telehealth, medical supplies and day-to-day business solutions to name a few, for 20 years CPG’s strategic contracts are designed to benefit FQHCs. To learn about a no-obligation assessment of current purchases or to discuss new site or specific project needs, please click here or contact rwynn@chcanys.org or (212) 710-3806. CPG is hosting two upcoming educational webinars: Factors to Consider when Administering a Patient Survey November 20 at 11 am, to register click here and Advances in Health Center IT- How to Plan & Budget for Tomorrow December 5 at 11 am, to register click here .

SAVE THE DATE: BPHC All-Programs Webcast
The next All-Programs webcast will take place Tuesday, November 27 th from 2:30-3:30 p.m. EST. Webcast information coming soon. To submit questions in advance, send an email to bphcta@hrsa.gov by Wednesday, November 21, with the subject line "BPHC All-Programs Question."

NEW FROM HRSA: Grants Policy Bulletin & Enhanced Guidance on SAC/RD Applications
The Office of Federal Assistance Management Division of Grants Policy recently posted the FY 2019 Legislative Mandates Grants Policy Bulletin to provide information on statutory provisions that limit the use of funds on HRSA grants and cooperative agreements for FY 2019. Read it here. HRSA Review Process for Service Area Competition or Renewal of Designations Applications is illustrated in a new graphic on what to expect after submitting a Service Area Competition (SAC) or Renewal of Designation (RD) application to HRSA. There’s also a new quick reference guide on how to manage Correspondence Requests from HRSA about submitted SAC/RD applications. For even more information, check out the FAQs on fiscal year (FY) 2019 SAC and RD application, review, and award processes .