CHAD Connection

Summer is in full swing, and for many, that means gardening season. At the Community Health Center of the Black Hills (CHCBH), the seeds are planted in their community garden, and soon fresh produce will be available to staff and patients. The garden encourages worksite wellness (staff often pick items from the garden for their lunches), and it helps to address an important patient need – access to nutritious food. Tanja Cutting, dietician and diabetes educator with CHCBH, plans to leave bags of the garden’s fresh produce at the front door for patients to take as they please.

This is not CHCBH’s only food-related initiative. Tanja previously led a six-month pilot study with diabetes patients. As part of the study, patients received produce vouchers for use at the grocery store or nutritious food boxes (funded through a local foundation). They also met with Tanja at least once per month. The food boxes, which Tanja ordered through the food bank and provided onsite at the health center, proved to be the more popular item with patients. The pilot study demonstrated overall lower A1Cs among patients, and CHCBH has received additional funding to continue restocking the onsite food pantry and providing food boxes to patients in need.

In addition, CHCBH is a distribution site for Feeding South Dakota’s monthly mobile pantry. And in their newest food initiative, a partnership with Livewell, SDSU Extension, and the local farmers market, the health center will be distributing Farmers Market Produce Prescriptions to patients in need.

CHAD loves hearing about how health centers are innovating to address the social determinants of health. To learn more or share health centers’ successes, contact Shannon Bacon, health equity manager at CHAD, at 701-291-3550 or via email.

The Treasury Department is beginning to allocate the first American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to state governments. ARPA allocations favor states with economies that lagged in the recovery late last year, with most dollars based on each state’s share of the nation’s unemployed workers from October through December. Each state receives an additional $500 million, regardless of population.

South Dakota’s allocation is 20.1% ($974M) of the total fiscal year 2020 spending, and North Dakota’s is 14.5% ($1.1B). South Dakota will receive the second largest allocation of ARPA funding relative to its budget and North Dakota is in the top five. States have until the end of 2024 to obligate the funds. The funds may be used for a variety of projects including broadband, water systems, sewer upgrades, and unemployment. For further information, refer to this PEW article from June 28.

North Dakota Medicaid would like feedback from enrolled behavioral health service providers on how they can provide more education and training on behavioral health coverage, policies, and billing practices.

Consider taking this brief four-question survey and provide as much feedback as possible. It should take about 5-10 minutes to complete. The survey will close on July 9. This input will help the state create more robust provider trainings and user-friendly materials focusing on behavioral health coverage.

North Dakota Medicaid is seeking providers to expand the Program of All-Inclusive Care for Elderly (PACE) services. PACE helps adults 55 and older remain in their homes by offering a range of health care services to stay healthy and independent as long as possible. North Dakota’s PACE administrator will be holding face-to-face meetings with potential providers in August and September. Visit the PACE webpage for upcoming meetings, information, provider application, and guidance resources.

Health centers are working to end substance use disorders (SUD) within communities every day. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is here to help with the new Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program (STAR LRP).

Applications for this program will be accepted through Thursday, July 22 at 6:30 pm CT/ 5:30 pm MT. Providers can get up to $250,000 from the STAR LRP in exchange for six years of full-time service at an approved facility. Behavioral health clinicians, paraprofessionals, clinical support staff, and many others trained in SUD treatment are encouraged to apply. Visit here for more information.

Yesterday, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) launched an effort to improve access to substance use disorder treatment by paying for clinicians who are cleared to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder. Clinicians working in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) who have the waiver necessary to prescribe buprenorphine may be eligible to receive this payment through their employer.

Beginning June 30, FQHCs may apply through HRSA’s electronic handbook (EHB), the agency’s online system for managing grants. HRSA will pay $3,000 for each eligible provider submitted on the application. There is no deadline to apply, but available funds are limited and will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis. The Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act made $6 million available to FQHCs under this program. HRSA will accept applications and process payments until all available funds are exhausted. For any additional questions about this program, please contact Data2000WaiverPayments@hrsa.gov.

Each year, CHAMPS presents awards to staff and board members of Region VIII health centers and related organizations to recognize exceptional contributions to the health center community. Over the years, this process has allowed CHAMPS to honor numerous highly deserving individuals from across the region for their outstanding advocacy, leadership, and dedication to the health center mission. The call for nominations for the 2021 CHAMPS Awards is now open. Please visit the CHAMPS Awards webpage for more details and nominate a candidate by Monday, July 26.

Last week, OSHA published an Emergency Temporary Standard related to occupational exposure to COVID-19. It requires health care organizations to develop and implement a COVID-19 plan to identify and control COVID-19 hazards in the workplace. The standard also requires employers to implement other requirements to reduce transmission of COVID–19 in their workplaces, related to the following: patient screening and management; standard and transmission-based precautions; personal protective equipment (PPE), including facemasks or respirators; controls for aerosol-generating procedures; physical distancing of at least six feet, when feasible; physical barriers; cleaning and disinfection; ventilation; health screening and medical management; training; antiretaliation; recordkeeping; and reporting.

The rule was effective on June 21, 2021. Employers must comply with some requirements by July 6, 2021, and all requirements by July 21, 2021. OSHA has created several resources that will assist you in the development of your COVID-19 plan. Those resources, including a plan template, checklist and hazard analysis, and training presentation, are available here. For questions, contact Lindsey Karlson at CHAD.

Four of the nation’s largest childcare providers are offering free childcare to all parents and caregivers getting vaccinated or recovering from vaccination through July 4. KinderCare and Learning Care Group locations across the country will offer free drop-in appointments to any parent or caregiver who needs support to get vaccinated or recover from vaccination, and more than 500 YMCAs in nearly every state will offer drop-in care during vaccination appointments. Visit www.vaccines.gov/incentives.html to learn more. Click here for a flyer on the availability of free childcare to support vaccination. The Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) requests that health centers post this flyer within delivery sites and share it with patients.

Vaccinating rural communities to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic is no simple task. The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) understands the unique issues and viewpoints providers face as rural health stakeholders leading the way. Although many resources are currently available, the NRHA knows materials focused on rural audiences will most effectively reach these communities. Because of this, the NRHA has curated tools to assist providers and health centers. These resources are available to distribute easily and customizable for co-branding by adding the health center’s logo.

This resource library includes conversation starters and public service announcements developed in partnership with the COVID Collaborative, Health Action Alliance, and the Ad Council that can help rural employers, small business owners, and public sector employers share vaccine facts and improve vaccination access for employees and families.

Understanding and Applying SDOH Screening Data to Address Barriers to Health

The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), Health Outreach Partners, MHP Salud, and National Health Care for the Homeless Council invite health centers to learn strategies to screen special and vulnerable populations for social determinants of health (SDOH) and build effective practices to begin addressing SDOH through outreach and enabling services.

Wednesday, July 21
2:00-3:30 pm CT/ 1:00-2:30 pm MT
Register here.

Measuring and Maximizing Provider Satisfaction

Join CHAD for this three-part series explaining the importance of provider satisfaction, its effect on health center performance, and how to identify and measure provider satisfaction. The webinar series will culminate in a final session at the CHAD in-person conference in September, discussing how to improve satisfaction using health information technology (HIT). Presented by CURIS Consulting, the series will include the process of distributing a survey to providers to evaluate satisfaction and analyze the results of CHAD members and the Great Plains Health Data Network (GPHDN). The intended audience for this three-part series is c-suite staff, HIT staff, clinical leads, and human resources staff.

Identification of Provider Burden
In this presentation, attendees will focus on identifying contributing factors and triggers associated with provider burden. The presenter will discuss questions included in the CHAD and GPHDN provider satisfaction survey tool and the process to distribute the survey.

Wednesday, July 21
11:00 am CT / 10:00 am MT
Register here.

Measuring Provider Satisfaction
In this final webinar, presenters will share how to measure provider satisfaction and how to evaluate the data. The CHAD and GPHDN provider satisfaction survey results will be analyzed and shared with attendees during the presentation.

Wednesday, August 25
11:00 am CT / 10:00 am MT
Register here.

Creating a Culture of Continuous Compliance: Preparing for HRSA’s 2021 Operational Site Visit and Beyond

NACHC announces its fourth-annual webinar series for health center leaders and staff preparing for HRSA’s operational site visit (OSV) and building towards continuous compliance. This unique three-part webinar series features the perspective of three independent consultants with years of experience performing HRSA OSVs. Each consultant – a current fiscal, governance, and clinical reviewer – will provide practical tips and promising practices for ensuring not just a successful OSV but for achieving a state of continuous compliance.

This webinar series is aimed at health center operational staff involved with preparing for the OSV. This includes compliance officers, practice/site administrators, c-suite staff, board members, and other staff involved with OSV preparation.

July 12, 14, and 15
12:00 – 1:30 pm CT/ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm MT
Click here for registration and pricing information.

2021 CHAD Conference

Registration is open for the 2021 CHAD Conference this fall in Rapid City, SD. Paired with the Great Plains Health Data Network summit, the 2021 CHAD Conference will feature speakers and panelists who will look at the history of the health center movement as a way to inform the current moment and look forward to the future’s potential. Participants will connect to the past through stories and learn how to use stories to continue to be community-driven, equity-oriented, and patient-centered organizations and how we can continue to live out the values of the health center movement in the current context. Tracks include workforce, leadership, health equity, clinical quality, and behavioral health. Visit our conference website for registration, schedule, and room details.

September 14 and 15
Register here.