Stay Informed: NYC Measles Outbreak
As part of New York City’s efforts to halt an ongoing measles outbreak, on April 9, the New York City Health Commissioner issued an order requiring every adult and child who lives, works, or resides in four specific city zip codes who has not received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be vaccinated or face a $1,000 fine. As of April 16, 329-cases had been reported and one child care program was shut down for violating an order to provide the city with access to vaccination records.

To ensure that health centers receive most up-to-date information on the current measles outbreak and other relevant information, please ensure that your clinical and administrative staff are subscribed to receive regular alerts through the Health Alert Network (HAN) system and have a correct role assigned in New York State Health Commerce System (HCS):

CDC's Health Alert Network (HAN) is CDC's primary method of sharing cleared information about urgent public health incidents with public information officers; federal, state, territorial, and local public health practitioners; clinicians; and public health laboratories.

The HCS is a shared resource for all New York State healthcare providers, public health employees, and partner agencies such as first responders, federal and foreign agencies. For any HCS account questions, please contact the Commerce Accounts Management Unit (CAMU) at [email protected]

The Health Alert Network (HAN) contains public health information for medical providers, including:
  • Up-to-date health alert information, delivered to your inbox and archived on the web
  • An online document library on public health topics
  • An online community to exchange information and ideas with colleagues
CHCANYS, NYC DOH Conduct Emergency Training Exercise
On Friday, April 12, CHCANYS and the New York City Health Department successfully completed an emergency exercise with more than two dozen city-based Community Health Centers. The exercise was conducted to ensure that CHCs are able to rapidly activate their emergency management plans and effectively use these plans to protect the safety of facility staff and patients in response to a large coastal storm. Health Centers’ ability to communicate emergency-related needs, such as staff, equipment, and supplies, to CHCANYS within 90 minutes of receiving a status inquiry were also successfully evaluated; a critical emergency management capability that supports the NYC health care system’s overall response.

The exercise was the culmination of 17 years of technical assistance provided by the Health Department and CHCANYS to develop robust emergency management capabilities with partnering CHCs. NYC is home to more than 40 FQHC primary care networks – representing nearly 500 individual sites – that serve one in every seven New Yorkers.

“As devastating weather events become the norm rather than the exception, it is more important than ever to be prepared and have a plan to protect patients and staff in an emergency situation,” said CHCANYS President and CEO Rose Duhan . “Community Health Centers are located in some of New York’s most underserved communities and CHCANYS is proud to partner with the Health Department to ensure that our facilities are ready to act when disaster strikes.”

Funding for the exercise was provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR) through the Hospital Preparedness Program.

CHCANYS CEO Participating in Webinar on CHC Experience with DSRIP in NY
Rose Duhan, President & CEO of CHCANYS, will participate in a webinar with the RCHN Community Health Foundation on Thursday, April 25, 2 pm – 3:30 pm to discuss health centers’ experience with delivery system and payment reform in New York over the last 4 years. The panel will be moderated by Feygele Jacobs, President & CEO of RCHN Community Health Foundation, and other panelists will include Sara Rosenbaum, Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, the George Washington University, Vikki Wachino, Principal at Viaduct Consulting and former Medicaid Director with CMS, and Jim Hunt, President & CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. For more information and to register for the webinar, click here .
Now Available: Updated HRSA 2019 Site Visit Protocol
The full 2019 update to HRSA’s new Site Visit Protocol (SVP) is now available here . The new SVP is in effect for site visits that start after Thursday, April 18. Changes were made in response to feedback from stakeholders, including health centers, strategic partners, site visit team reviewers, and HRSA staff. No changes were made to the Compliance Manual or to Health Center Program requirements. A summary of changes is available.

Join us for CHCANYS’ Payment Reform & Clinical Summit
Please join CHCANYS at our Payment Reform & Clinical Summit: Lessons from DSRIP and The Future of Payment and Care Delivery Reform at New York Health Centers on May 1 and 2 in Tarrytown. The Summit will convene healthcare leaders from around the State to hear more about NY FQHCs’ experience in DSRIP in comparison to Massachusetts, what the State the thinking is about DSRIP 2.0, and the role that health centers can play in future care delivery and payment reform initiatives. The Summit will bring together national experts with the goal to create a vision for an innovative NYS model that supports value over volume for financial and clinical excellence. Register here using password: CHCANYS!

Telehealth Webinar Series Recordings Now Available!
Recordings from CHCANYS’ five-part webinar series with FTLF, NACHC, and FLCH are now available online. Launched in January, this five-part webinar series provides the latest information and insights on telehealth implementation. Presenters include Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell (FTLF) attorney Carrie Riley, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Policy Team and staff from Finger Lakes Community Health , an innovator and national advocate for the adoption of telehealth in the health center setting. To view the series, click here .

Join CHCANYS for one of our Upstate Regional Meetings on Integrated Care
Please join CHCANYS and NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare at regional meetings for community health centers and behavioral health providers. These meetings are part of a series of regional meetings that CHCANYS and NYS Council, with the support of the Delta Center for a Thriving Safety Net and RCHN Community Health Foundation, will be convening over the next two years to bring together community health centers and behavioral health providers to advance integrated care and support participation in value based payment arrangements. There will be two upcoming regional meetings, both with the same agenda offered in two different locations from 1 – 4 pm: May 14 th , 2019 at the Greater Rochester International Airport ; and, June 4 th , 2019 in the Capital District Area (location TBD). To register for either regional meeting, please email the Cindy Levernois, with the NYS Council, at [email protected] . Please indicate which regional meeting you will be attending, along with your name, title, organization, and email address.
CHCANYS Attends Health Policy Fair
On April 2, CHCANYS joined health care leaders from across New York State for a Health Policy Fair in the Legislative Office Building. The fair gave CHCANYS the opportunity to educate Legislators and their staff about our mission and all that community health centers across the state have to offer.

HRSA Issues Program Assistance Letter with 2019-2020 Requirements for FTCA Coverage
The HRSA Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2019-02 describes the process for Health Center Program grantees to submit applications for Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) initial deeming and redeeming. The redeeming application period (for coverage for CY 2020) begins on Friday, May 17, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, July 1. Initial deeming applications are accepted year-round. See the FTCA Program Webpage for more information.
NACHC Releases Updated Behavioral Health Services Fact Sheets
NACHC’s Federal/State Affairs and CAD have released two Fact Sheets that address two critical issues facing health centers and their delivery of behavioral health services:
 
These are updates to NACHC’s 2015 versions and were approved by HRSA/BPHC a few weeks ago. If you are interested in reviewing them, they have been posted on MyNACHC and the Health Center Clearinghouse .

CHCANYS19 Annual Conference: Call for Abstracts
CHCANYS welcomes your proposal to share expertise, innovative strategies, cutting-edge ideas and measurable implementation plans with our 2019 conference attendees. Abstracts may be submitted for an individual presenter or a panel as part of a workshop; abstracts may also be submitted for a poster presentation. The deadline to submit abstracts is June 14, 2019 at 5:30PM. Click here to get started. Questions? Email [email protected] .

Recognize Community Health Center Clinical Leadership
Support the recognition of excellence in clinical leadership by nominating a colleague for The Jack Geiger, MD, Award, a clinical award that was established in honor Dr. Jack Geiger, who continues to devote his life’s work to the problems of health, poverty and human rights. You may also nominate a colleague for The Catherine Abate Memorial Award, an award that honors a visionary leader who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of the underserved, with a focus on women’s health. This award is open to any leader in public service philanthropy, advocacy, or an exemplary FQHC staff person who embodies these ideals. Select your nominees here by June 14, 2019.

CPG & CHCANYS Can Help You Save $
More than 40 FQHCs Statewide actively participate in CHCANYS’ p artnership with the Commonwealth Purchasing Group (CPG) to save on operational expenses. Collectively, these centers realized $2.7 million in savings last year. With an expansive portfolio of vendors including credentialing and compliance services, telehealth, language services, recruitment services, medical and dental suppliers and day-to-day business solutions, 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. Do you have plans for a new site or expansion or need to assess your operations for savings? Contact: [email protected] or (212) 710-3806.  
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
New Supplemental Funding Opportunity: FY 2019 Integrated Behavioral Health Services
On Friday, March 29, HRSA announced the availability of $200 million in supplemental funding to health centers for Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS). IBHS funding will increase access to high-quality integrated behavioral health services, including prevention or treatment of mental health conditions and/or SUDs, including opioid use disorder (OUD).
Eligible health centers received emails announcing the availability of the Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) application module on Friday, April 5. Applications are due in EHBs by Monday, May 13, at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Join us for the upcoming live Question and Answer (Q&A) Session on Monday, April 29, noon-1:30 p.m. ET.
Be sure to watch the recorded presentation prior to the Q&A Sessions. Visit the technical assistance (TA) webpage for connection details for the Q&A Sessions and additional TA resources. Contact the IBHS TA Team with questions.
 
NYSHealth Funding Opportunity Now Open: Growing OpenNotes Across New York State
The New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) has launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) to support federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and other health care settings across New York State in adopting or spreading OpenNotes. This RFP is open to FQHCs and other non-hospital health care settings in New York State. Awards of up to $100,000 will be granted per organization. Proposals will be due on May 2, 2019.
 
OpenNotes is a national effort to give patients access to the visit notes written by their doctors, nurses, or other clinicians. Established in 2010, OpenNotes creates partnerships toward better health and health care by giving everyone on the medical team, including the patient, access to the same information. When patients have access to their own visit notes written by health care providers, they better remember what was discussed during the visit; feel more in control of their care; are more likely to take medications as prescribed; and can share notes with their caregivers. Click here to read details on the RFP and apply.
 
HRSA Funding Opportunity: Enhancing Oral Health Infrastructure in Health Centers
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will invest $76 million in existing health centers to increase access to new or enhanced high-quality, integrated oral health services , including those provided via telehealth and virtual dentistry. Of the more than 27 million people nationwide who rely on HRSA-funded health centers, one in five are rural residents. Rural communities often lack adequate oral healthcare, though the regular preventive care of the teeth and gums is important in maintaining overall health, playing a role in preventing diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
 
HRSA RFP: “Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program” 
The purpose of the Program is to support planning and implementation of quality improvement activities for rural primary care providers or providers of health care services, such as a critical access hospital or a rural health clinic, serving rural residents. These activities include providing clinical health services to residents of rural areas by funding projects that coordinate, expand access, contain costs, and improve the quality of essential health care services. Oral health providers are considered eligible.
 
For more information:

Azara Supplements for Responding to Recent HRSA Grants Opportunities
Azara has produced documents to provide guidance for health Centers interested in using funds related to the HRSA Oral Health Infrastructure (OHI) Grant or the HRSA Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) Grant for the purchase of DRVS or any DRVS add-on modules and services. Please contact Jeff Brandes if you have questions.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, WEBINARS, AND EVENTS
Point of Care A1c Testing Informational Webinar
Join CHCANYS, Alere, and New York FQHC peers for a 90-minute informational webinar on point-of-care testing (POCT) for hemoglobin A1c April 24 th at 1:00pm. With content crafted for health centers looking to learn more or preparing to implement POCT, topics addressed on this webinar will include the clinical background and recommendations behind A1c point-of-care instruments and a survey of the CLIA-waived and FDA approved solutions available on the market today. Participants will learn how point-of-care A1c testing can improve patient care and performance on diabetes-related performance measures, as well as lessons learned regarding implementation and reimbursement from other health centers. To register, click here .

Reminder: Quarterly 340B Program Registration
Quarterly 340B Program site registration is open from April 1 to 15. Health centers are still able to register a site that has been verified as implemented and with a site status reflected as “active” in EHBs Form 5B through Friday, May 24, after which the system will close to prepare for the July 1 start. Email [email protected] or call 888-340-2787 to register a new site or ask questions.

Check your Health Center’s EHB for 2019 Patient Target Notification
HRSA recently began sending tailored emails from EHBs to each Health Center Program award recipient with a direct link to the patient target in EHBs. Review the patient target and take appropriate action in EHBs by Friday, April 19. Email [email protected] with questions.