CHAD Connection May 5, 2022

We are excited to announce the launch of our new health center historical timeline! We have combed through historical documents, websites, and past newsletters to compile important dates and events in one place. The timeline showcases the history of the Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas (and every iteration prior!) and health centers across North Dakota and South Dakota, beginning in 1973 to the present. These milestones tell the story of how health centers in the Dakotas came to be, how they have grown and expanded services, and how they have impacted the lives of many over the years. Highlights of the timeline include opening dates of health centers, the initial funding for a primary care association, CEO and staffing changes, and much more! Check it out here and let us know what you think.

Please join us in welcoming Kristen Smith to CHAD! She started in April as the outreach and enrollment navigator. Kristen coordinates logistics for outreach and education events and provides help assisting consumers in establishing eligibility and enrolling in coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Previously, Kristen taught elementary and middle school in Nevada and Arizona before accepting a position at Grand Canyon University as a teacher education specialist, working with student teachers in the final years of their program. Kristen recently worked with the Sioux Falls School District as the English language learner intake and migrant education coordinator. She worked with families from diverse countries and cultures, identifying their language needs and assisting them with school registration. Kristen provided district staff trainings and served on the Lutheran Social Services State Refugee Advisory board.

Kristen graduated from St. Cloud State University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and earned a master’s degree in counseling from Grand Canyon University. She lives in Sioux Falls, SD, with her husband and daughter.

On Thursday, April 28, health centers, alongside advocates and partners from across the state, gathered to support the emerging community health worker (CHW) program in South Dakota. The conference featured keynotes by Michelle Archuletta, public health advisor and national consultant for the Community Health Representative Program through the Indian Health Service, and Abdul Hafeedh bin Abdullah, executive director of Quality Life Blueprint. The program also featured a panel of community health workers, including the Community Health Center of the Black Hill’s CHW Brett Schneider. Stay updated by signing up for the Community Health Worker Collaborative of South Dakota’s email list.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided treatment guidance for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 illness among people at increased risk for severe outcomes. For patients at increased risk for severe disease and mild-to-moderately ill with COVID-19, treatment initiated early in illness reduces the risk for hospitalization and severe outcomes. Antivirals for COVID-19 are now widely available and can be accessed with a provider prescription at pharmacies nationwide and at Test to Treat locations.

The CDC continues to recommend additional booster COVID-19 vaccines for certain individuals to protect them from both infection and severe outcomes of COVID-19. All eligible adults, adolescents, and children five and older should be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines, including getting a booster when eligible for the best protection from COVID-19 infection and complications.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing its plans to hold virtual meetings of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) in anticipation of emergency use authorization (EUA) requests. These meetings include EUA requests from Pfizer and Moderna for the COVID-19 vaccine for younger populations.

Additional Resources

The 2022 Uniform Data System (UDS) manual provides health centers with detailed reporting instructions and example data tables that support calendar year 2022 UDS reporting. 2022 UDS reports are due by February 15, 2023.

Changes for 2022 UDS reporting, as outlined in the 2022 UDS Program Assistance Letter (PAL), include:

The addition of long COVID as a diagnostic measure in Table 6A;
An update in methodology for using patient chart sampling to report clinical quality measures on Tables 6B and 7; and,
Updates to Appendix D, the health information technology (HIT) capabilities form.

Access the manual, PAL, and other materials on the new UDS Training and Technical Assistance microsite—a central, user-friendly hub for health centers to access UDS reporting resources. For other UDS-specific questions, contact UDSHelp330@bphcdata.net. Join the webinar to learn about UDS reporting requirements for 2022.

Wednesday, May 11
12:00 - 1:30 pm/ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm MT
Register here.

Webinar Series: Considerations for Sustaining a Culture of Cybersecurity
With the rise in cyberattacks on government agencies and large-scale companies, organizations large and small are questioning if they are doing all they should to protect their data. Hosted by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), this webinar series features a health center and health center-controlled network (HCCN) perspective on how cybersecurity threats impact the bottom line. Speakers will highlight the importance of understanding the basic elements of cybersecurity and practical budgeting to accurately reflect the costs of protecting their patients’ PHI. This series is for IT leadership and other clinical and non-clinical managers to help foster an awareness of IT security at both the executive and staff levels.

Part 1: Understanding the Essentials
Wednesday, May 18
1:00 – 4:00 pm CT/ 12:00 – 3:00 pm MT
Register here.

Part 2: Cybersecurity Risk and Preparation
Wednesday, May 25
1:00 – 4:00 pm CT/ 12:00 – 3:00 pm MT
Register here.

American Rescue Plan Act UDS+ Funding
Recently, the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) announced the availability of nearly $90 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support new data-driven efforts for HRSA-supported health centers to identify and reduce health disparities. Read the press release here.
HRSA’s modernized data collection and reporting initiative called UDS Patient-Level Submission (UDS+) is designed to collect more and better data on social determinants of health (SDOH) while streamlining and improving data quality reporting for health centers. This effort will enable health centers to tailor their efforts to improve health outcomes and advance health equity, more precisely targeting the needs of specific communities or patients.

Applications are due in HRSA’s electronic handbooks (EHBs) by 4:00 pm CT/ 3:00 pm MT on Monday, May 23. Visit the ARPA-UDS+ technical assistance webpage for the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) and other resources.

Telehealth Everywhere Conference May 24-25
The Great Plains Telehealth Resource & Assistance Center (gpTRAC) will be hosting its annual in-person conference, Telehealth Everywhere, May 24-25 at the Radisson Blu-Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. This conference will feature excellent keynote presenters and breakout sessions. The opening keynote speaker, George Demiris, Ph.D., UPenn, will discuss the need for inclusive design in telehealth and other digital health tools. He will also present various case studies that highlight ways to facilitate ongoing and effective patient engagement. Attendees will again have the opportunity to discuss emerging telehealth information with their peers and colleagues. For more information and to register, visit here.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health disorders can happen to anyone, anywhere. Last year, we provided services to patients for a variety of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, and other mental health disorders. CHAD believe that everyone has a right to high-quality, reliable, affordable health care, regardless of where they live. Health centers have in-person and telehealth options to address any mental or behavioral health issues patients may be experiencing.

We are seeking a self-motivated, detail-oriented individual interested in supporting a range of projects. This full-time administrative and program coordinator role is flexible with a Sioux Falls-area preference but open to other locations within North Dakota or South Dakota.

Under the director of finance & operations, the administrative and program coordinator is responsible for CHAD’s administrative, finance, and communication support and grants and programs housed within CHAD. This position enhances CHAD’s ability to support membership to serve low-income, geographically isolated, minority, homeless, and migrant populations in North Dakota and South Dakota. For the full job description and to apply, please click here.

CHAMPS 2022 Resiliency Collaborative
Registration for the 2022 Resiliency Collaborative is officially open! This free, online facilitated peer group, hosted in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center (RM-PHTC), is open to all health center staff. Each session will be highly activity-focused, incorporating the practice of mindfulness techniques, meditation, practical body awareness exercises, and more, and also allow attendees to share didactic information.

This collaborative will occur on the first Friday of each month from May through September 2022 at 1:00 pm CT/ 12:00 pm MT. To learn more and register, visit the CHAMPS events and trainings webpage.

Healing Hands: Celebrating Health Center Nurses
Leadership and care team well-being are key to unlocking improvements in organizational performance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) for a reflective webinar to learn about strategies health centers can use to support professional growth and care team well-being. A special focus will be on the role of nurse leaders. Featured experts will share their thoughts on the organizational value of psychologically safe teams that nurture and support learning and how to develop and support the health center nursing workforce of the future.

Thursday, May 12
1:00 pm CT/ 12:00 pm MT
Register here.

HRSA’s National Telehealth Conference
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Telehealth.HHS.gov are pleased to host a National Telehealth Conference bringing together public and private sector leaders to discuss telehealth best practices and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over two days, experts in the field will examine the evolution of telehealth as part of the standard of care and the importance of its continued integration in an overall, integrated care delivery model. Participants will hear from HHS leadership, HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, and telehealth experts on various hot topics.

Monday, May 16 | 9:00 am – 3:00 pm CT/ 8:00 am – 2:00 pm MT
Tuesday, May 17 | 9:00 am – 11:30 am CT/ 8:00 am – 10:30 am MT
Register here.

Connecting Community to Health Care
Trying to understand an acute or chronic health concern can be confusing. Lacking transportation or money for prescription medication adds to the frustration. Community health representatives and community health workers serve as guides for connecting individuals with the right resources and support to achieve a positive health outcome. Focused on patient-centered care, the Community Health Worker Collaborative of South Dakota is working on expanding this health professional network to reduce health disparities and improve quality of life.

Tuesday, May 17
12:00 pm CT/ 11:00 am MT
Register here.

Dentistry as Primary Care TeleECHO
The North Dakota Department of Health Oral Health Program has partnered with the University of North Dakota and Project ECHO™ to offer free, one-hour, live, virtual trainings carrying continuing education credit for dental team members and other health professionals. These sessions provide training and case presentations on dozens of topics specific to dental practice in North Dakota. Topics were identified by a team of oral health professionals from around North Dakota, including private practice, community health centers, and IHS dental clinics, and include DAs, DHs, public health dentistry, and DDS and DMDs. For more information on Project ECHO ™, connect with Julie Reiten, Project ECHO coordinator, at Julie.a.reiten@und.edu, or visit the Dentistry as Primary Care TeleECHO™ webpage.

Second and fourth Wednesday of each month, through May; once a month over the summer

12:00 pm CT/ 11:00 am MT