CHAD Connection - March 18

Last week, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) into law. At CHAD, we are working to fully understand the range of provisions included in the bill. This week, we are focusing on the impact on individuals and especially the lives of our patients. In future newsletters, we’ll do a deeper dive on state impacts and rural/workforce provisions. We know that many of our patients will be unaware of the new resources available to them or have difficulty accessing them. CHCs can be an important source of education and support in making sure our patients are able to benefit from the help that is available.

Before we dive into the specifics of the bill, one summary data point caught our eye. A Columbia University study found that the combination of provisions in the ARP will lift more than 5 million children out of poverty this year, and it will cut the child poverty rate in our country by over 50%. A few of the provisions that will help us reach that goal include:

The Child Tax Credit will increase from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for a child under age 6 and 17-year-olds will count as children). The credits begin to phase out for single filers at $75,000 and joint returns at $150,000.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will increase by 15% through September 2021. There is also an additional $1 billion for states to cover the additional cash assistance that Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients need as a result of the crisis.
More than 85% of households will receive a $1,400 check per person, including adults and children. The upper income limits are similar for the child tax credit: all single filers with incomes below $75,000 and joint filers below $150,000 will receive the full amount, and then payments will phase down after that. The checks started to go out to recipients on March 12.
The ARP also makes major improvements in access to and affordability of health coverage. There is increased eligibility for financial assistance to help pay for Marketplace coverage by lowering or eliminating health insurance premiums for millions of lower-and middle-income families enrolled in health insurance marketplaces. The plan also subsidizes premiums for continuation health coverage (COBRA).
The bill seeks to help families and individuals who are recovering from or at risk of homelessness by providing emergency aid to cover back rent. In addition, the bill provides assistance to help struggling homeowners catch up with their mortgage payments and utility costs through the Homeowners Assistance Fund.
Current unemployment insurance benefits and eligibility have been extended to September 6, saving 11 million Americans from losing benefits. It will provide a $300 per week supplement over and above each state’s usual unemployment payment. It will also help protect Americans from surprise tax bills on unemployment insurance.

For more information, check out this resource. CHAD will also continue to share resources through the outreach and enrollment network team, in connection with the ongoing social determinants of health project, and through the newsletter. We know that income, housing, and access to healthy food all have a huge impact on overall health, so let’s work together to make sure our patients are able to take advantage of the resources that are available.

Save the date for the 2021 CHAD Conference! We are combining the CHAD Annual Members Conference, the Fall Quality Conference, and the Great Plains Health Data Network Summit at an in-person event in Rapid City, SD, on September 14 and 15.

Bring a team to take advantage of conference tracks that will cover behavioral health, clinical quality improvement, leadership, and human resources/workforce, with sessions dedicated to COVID-19, health equity, population health management, and provider satisfaction.

We will celebrate all we have accomplished over the last year and mark CHAD’s 36th anniversary through stories and reflecting on what the past has to teach us about where we head next.

Please join us in welcoming Bobbie Will as the policy and partnership manager at CHAD. In her role, she will focus on advancing the priorities of community health centers in the Dakotas through state and federal policy as well as furthering organizational partnerships.

Bobbie spent the last 11 years with the North Dakota Department of Health. Most recently, she was the director of the North Dakota Primary Care Office, where she worked to improve primary care service delivery and workforce availability to meet the needs of underserved populations through the coordination of local, state, and federal partnerships. While in this position, Bobbie improved the loan repayment process for state and federal state loan repayment programs, led policy change to improve the state loan repayment program process, implemented state and federal policy changes, and managed a large number of contracts.

Bobbie also worked as a grant manager for the Oral Health Program with a focus on medical-dental collaboration. She implemented a program for dental care in long-term care facilities, supported oral health in nursing curriculum, worked with primary health clinics to implement fluoride varnish for pediatric patients, and worked with multiple state and national partners to improve oral health.

Prior to working in public health, Bobbie spent twelve years in the private sector, with eight years in transportation management for Schneider National. She created a North America glass driver training division in North Carolina and successfully started the first JCPenney distribution center for Schneider in Kansas.

Bobbie grew up in Aberdeen, SD, and attended college in Moorhead, MN, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration and marketing. She is excited to be working across North Dakota and South Dakota with a variety of partners on health care policy. She currently lives in Bismarck, ND.

Wade Erickson, who has served as the chief financial officer for Horizon Health Care since 2000, will succeed long-time CEO John Mengenhausen, who will be retiring this summer. He has been instrumental in growing the organization from a small community health center with a budget of $2.5 million to a mid-sized organization with a current budget of $31 million. To meet the organization’s growing needs, Erickson successfully led the organization and its finance team by establishing several departments, including centralized billing, coding, and credentialing. He also led the efforts to establish the 340B Prescription Drug program for Horizon.

Mengenhausen and Erickson have worked closely together to oversee numerous mergers, acquisitions, and successors of interest, established six new access point clinics, and expanded Horizon’s service line to include dental care and behavioral health care.

Horizon Health Care and CHAD are grateful for Mengenhausen’s leadership over the past 38 years and his critical role in its development and success. His official retirement date will be July 2, when Erickson will fully assume the CEO role.

This week health center leadership and CHAD staff held a round of meetings with the North Dakota and South Dakota congressional delegation. The meetings were part of the virtual hill day during the National Association of Community Health Centers’ (NACHC’s) annual Policy and Issues Forum.

The visits served as a great opportunity to highlight the success of health centers over the past year, from implementing COVID-19 protocols, testing, and now vaccinations in addition to the crucial and daily work of providing high quality, affordable health care. Members shared their concerns about threats to the 340B drug program and how it’s affecting health centers financially. Other priorities included support for telehealth reimbursement and the need for ongoing support for workforce programs. The policy priorities for North Dakota and South Dakota can be found on the CHAD website, along with snapshots of preliminary 2020 data by state: ND, SD.

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the virtual hill visits. We had an impressive lineup of leaders and advocates representing health centers across the Dakotas. The health center message was delivered loud and clear, and the important work and mission of health centers were showcased for congressional leaders.

With the second period of the legislative session in full swing, CHAD continues to monitor and respond to key bills impacting community health centers. See below for status updates on priority bills:

Medicaid Expansion: Under HB 1012, the House reauthorized Medicaid expansion for another two years with commercial rates. The House also voted to move 19 and 20-year-olds from Medicaid expansion to traditional Medicaid.  
Medical Assistance Coverage for Interpreter Services: SB 2205 passed in the Senate and was heard in the House Human Services Committee was March 10, where the bill narrowly failed on a 9-7 vote. Through the advocacy of CHAD and others, the committee chair has agreed to bring it back for further consideration this week.
Workforce Development: The Department of Health budget passed the Senate with $585,000 over the executive recommendations for student loan repayment. CHAD testified to the House Appropriations Human Services Resources Division on March 15 in support of SB 2004 and advocated for additional state-appropriated dollars for federal state loan repayment (SLRP) match.
Managed Care Dental Benefits: SB 2343, relating to the state providing managed-care dental benefits, was defeated in the Senate.  
Expanding Medicaid Primary Care Provider Definition to Include Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs): SB 2085 passed the Senate and was heard by the House Human Services committee on March 3. CHAD submitted testimony in support of this bill.
Third-Party Reinsurance: This bill would continue a program that was initiated in 2019 to make health insurance more affordable through the use of an invisible reinsurance pool for the individual health insurance market. CHAD signed in as supportive of this bill. HB 1087 passed in the House and passed the Senate Industry, Business, and Labor committee. On March 4 the bill was referred to Senate Appropriations.
Diabetes Care: HB 1288, relating to Medicaid coverage of continuous glucose monitoring devices for children, passed in the House and was heard in the Senate on March 8. CHAD is supportive of this bill.

The South Dakota legislative session is effectively over, except for the final day, also known as veto day, on March 29. The final bill list contains all the bills CHAD supported, opposed, or monitored. A few of the highlights of the bills that passed or were defeated include:

HB 1021 – appropriates money to pay the health care professionals who have completed the terms of the rural recruitment program. This money covers the contracts that are fulfilled for the current cycle. As part of the conversations on this bill, the Department of Health agreed to look at the possible way the program can be expanded, with additional slots in the program or additional funding. This conversation will take place after the official end of this session. (PASSED)

SB 34 – appropriates a total of $100 million on funds to expand broadband internet. This money will be matched with federal dollars to give the state the funds needed to bring broadband to all areas of the state. This broadband expansion will help facilitate telemedicine, education, interconnections for people, and many other benefits of having a fully connected state. (PASSED)

SB 96 – revises certain provisions regarding telehealth to make permanent the changes made to telehealth in response to COVID-19. (PASSED)

HB 1154 – prohibits the use of non-compete contracts for physicians, physician’s assistants, and nurses. (PASSED)

HB 1263 – requires transparency in health care costs for consumers. Similar to federal requirements, this bill requires that health care costs be available to consumers in a way that allows for informed decisions by the consumer. (PASSED)

HB 1077 – provides for licensure by endorsement for certain professions, including healthcare professionals. This change will allow for more healthcare professionals to relocate to South Dakota to meet workforce demands. (PASSED)

HB 1046 – provides immunity to employers and businesses for COVID-19 related illnesses and deaths. This bill is wide-sweeping in the entities that receive the immunity that applies from January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2022. (PASSED)

HB 1132 – adds dental hygienists to the list of mandatory reporters for child abuse and neglect. (PASSED)

HB 1163 – proposed to allow physician assistants to practice to their full education, training, and experience. (DEFEATED)

HB 1247 – allows a practitioner to refuse to perform certain procedures based on conscience. (DEFEATED)

HB 1100 – delays the implementation of Initiated Measure 26 (medical marijuana) beyond July 2021. (DEFEATED) This defeat means that Initiated Measure 26 will go into effect as passed by the voters. There is a need for the state to do some things to prepare for the full implementation of the measure, but medical marijuana will be legal to prescribe and use on July 1.

The other bill that passed this session is HJR 5003. This resolution will place a question on the June 2022 ballot asking voters to make amending the constitution require a 60% vote on any measure. There are a number of issues and options concerning this ballot question.

On the funding front, most Medicaid provider services received a 2.4% increase in funding. The legislature added some targeted increases for community support providers, in-home health providers, and nursing homes, and assisted living providers to address the worker retention and recruitment issues these categories face for direct service providers at the entry-level.

For more information on CHAD’s legislative priorities, visit our website.

The Biden Administration announced this week that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is increasing Medicare COVID-19 vaccine reimbursement rates effective March 15. For services provided on or after March 15, Medicare will reimburse providers $40 for the administration of single-dose vaccines and $40 for each dose for vaccines requiring multiple doses. For services furnished before March 15, Medicare payment for a single-dose vaccine or the final dose in a series is $28.39. For a vaccine requiring two or more doses, the payment rate is $16.94 for the initial dose(s) in the series and $28.39 for the final dose.

Through the American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Biden on March 11, state Medicaid and CHIP agencies must provide vaccine administration with no cost-sharing for nearly all beneficiaries during the public health emergency and at least one year after it ends. Additionally, the federal matching rate for vaccine administration has been increased to 100%.

CMS updated the Medicaid and CHIP Coverage and Reimbursement of COVID-19 Vaccine and Vaccine Administration toolkit, specifically as it relates to information on disaster state plan amendments. CMS suggests that "states with proposed or approved state plan pages that include specific payment rates, or states with more general references to Medicare fee schedules, might need to update their approved or pending state plan amendment(s) to reflect the change if they intend to pay rates that align with Medicare." NACHC recommends consulting with the state’s Medicaid agency on the best process to amend COVID-19 vaccine administration rates to reflect the recent Medicare reimbursement rate increase.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance for people who have been fully vaccinated. As a reminder, people are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. People who have been fully vaccinated:

Can gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask;
Can gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19; and,
Do not need to stay away from others or get tested after a COVID-19 exposure unless symptoms present.

The North Dakota Department of Health Oral Health Program is working with the Center for Rural Health to provide free training with education credits for dental and health care teams in North Dakota. The goal of this TeleECHO™ series, entitled Oral Health in Primary Care, aims to improve oral health and overall health for underserved patients in North Dakota.

Ten free, virtual, one-hour sessions will be included between March 2021 and the end of August. The live TeleECHO™ events include didactic and case presentations focused on various oral health topics, including the need to address oral health in healthcare settings (evidence-based best practices); completing pediatric dental screens in a healthcare setting; applying and billing for fluoride varnish in a healthcare setting (clinical workflow and patient impact); medical-dental integration in North Dakota; dental screening and oral health for older adults; and, oral health and pregnancy, among others. All sessions will be recorded and available online for later viewing with continuing education credits. Learn more about this ECHO series, review the flyer, or register now for upcoming sessions.

The South Dakota Department of Health’s Cancer Programs announced the release of the Implementation Grant request for applications. The programs are seeking applications that support the South Dakota Cancer Plan, focus on evidence-based intervention implementation, and promote equitable and accessible cancer prevention, early detection, and cancer survivorship efforts in South Dakota. Applicants may request up to $25,000. The project period will run from July 1, 2021- June 29, 2022.

Eligible applicants include organizations that have the capacity to implement the required interventions. Eligibility includes, but is not limited to, federally qualified healthcare centers, health care professional organizations, Indian Health Service, non-profits, quality improvement organizations, school-based healthcare clinics, and tribal health centers.

Applications are due via electronic submission to lexi.pugsley@state.sd.us by 4:00 pm MT/ 5:00 pm CT on Wednesday, May 5.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues. CHAD is offering this certification course to train participants to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Intended for patient services, clinical, social work, case management, and other patient-facing staff, this six-hour online training (two hours of self-paced, followed by four hours of instructor-led training) will be offered at different times for sessions specific to both adults and youth. MHFA is a certified training, and the use of cameras during the instructor-led training is requested. Upon completion, the certification is valid for three years.

Mental Health First Aid for Adults teaches people how to recognize signs of mental health or substance use challenges in adults ages 18 and older, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate care if necessary. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, psychosis, and addictions.

Register here for April 9, 2021.
11:30 AM - 3:30 PM MT//12:30 PM - 4:30 PM CT
Pre-class online work is due April 2.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed for adults who work with youth. Presenters will teach the skills needed to reach out and provide initial support to children and adolescents (ages 6-18) who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.

Register here for March 26, 2021.
11:30 AM - 3:30 PM MT//12:30 PM - 4:30 PM CT
Pre-class online work is due March 19.

Register here for April 23, 2021.
11:30 AM - 3:30 PM MT//12:30 PM - 4:30 PM CT
Pre-class online work is due April 16.

CHAMPS will host the annual medical Spanish language training for clinicians at Region VIII health centers in a virtual format. This training is an intensive, conversational, and medical Spanish workshop consisting of medical dialogues, role-plays, visual aids, cross-cultural discussions, and daily practice. The course curriculum provides an experience of immersion learning, an approach that is highly suitable for those with limited time and who must use their new language skills immediately with their Spanish-speaking patients. All courses within the Spanish Language for Health Care Professionals training will be held via Zoom.

In addition to the traditional four-day Medical Spanish Course for Beginner and Intermediate Spanish Speakers course, three new two-day Spanish language courses will be offered: Medical Spanish for Advanced Spanish Speakers, Spanish for Oral Health Providers, and Spanish for Behavioral Health Providers. To learn more and to register by March 31, visit the CHAMPS Events and Trainings webpage.

The American Rescue Plan has several provisions that can provide relief in the Dakotas and across the country. The plan will appropriate $4.25 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which will develop new grant opportunities. Specific funding includes $50 million for Project AWARE (school-based mental health). One of the very important funding elements is $140 million to support the Dr. Lorna Breen Act. Dr. Breen was an emergency department physician who died by suicide after a difficult recovery from COVID-19 and the prevailing stress of being a frontline health care provider during the global pandemic. The plan will also require non-emergency medical transportation to be covered by state Medicaid programs ensuring transportation to medical and mental health appointments.

The package also includes the federal fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget, which had been running on a series of continuing resolutions since the budget year began on Oct. 1. The federal budget includes key increases for mental health, such as a $25 million increase for the supportive housing for persons with disabilities program, a $65 million increase for research at the National Institute for Mental Health, $133 million increase for SAMHSA, and an $865 million increase for the Veterans Administration health and suicide prevention programs.

21st Century Cures Act – Information Blocking

The 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act) became law on December 13, 2016, and is designed to accelerate health care product development. It will also increase choices in the marketplace to support patients’ access to their electronic health information (EHI) in an affordable way while protecting their privacy and keeping EHI secure. Part of the Cures Act includes the "interoperability and information blocking" rules and defined the three "actors" covered by the rule. The rule’s compliance date was extended and is now April 5, 2021. This was discussed in last month’s CHAD Connection.

What defines information blocking? The Cures Act defines information blocking as a "practice that … is likely to interfere with, prevent, or materially discourage access, exchange or use of electronic health information (EHI)." Basically, if anyone knowingly denies, discourages, or delays a request to access EHI, that could be information blocking. However, if EHI is accessible, exchangeable, and usable, then there’s a relatively low likelihood that information blocking has occurred.

Health centers are dependent on their health IT developers/vendors such as the EHR. Health IT developers are required to offer the ability to share EHI in a standard format and at a reasonable cost to reach and maintain certification specified by the ONC Health IT Certification Program. One example of information blocking by a health IT developer is if the EHR offers functionality to share EHI, but the cost is considerably higher than the market, then it could be considered information blocking. The Great Plains Health Data Network (GPHDN) recommends contacting the EHR vendor to ask for information on 21st Century Cures Act. Questions include their certification, documentation on data sharing functionality as it pertains to the Cures Act, and if the EHR vendor is hosting webinars on the Cures Act and the EHR vendor’s data sharing options.

The other item for CHCs to consider is whether and when information is posted to the patient portal. Portals are readily available to most of the patient population, so it would be an easy way to share health records. As an example, if a health center’s policy is not to post lab results to the portal immediately and wait for the provider to review, your health center could be considered blocking data.

GPHDN will continue to monitor and research the Cures Act and provide updates in upcoming newsletters. If you have questions, please contact Kyle Mertens at CHAD. Also, please let Kyle know if any EHR vendors have published documentation and/or upcoming webinars.

New Telebehavioral Health Care Best Practice Guide

HHS recently shared a new best practice guide on telehealth for behavioral health care. Behavioral health – like other areas of health care – has changed significantly due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. It is now easier for mental health providers to offer and be reimbursed for telebehavioral health services. Telehealth can also make behavioral health services safer and more private, and convenient for patients who can access care from their homes. Find resources in the telebehavioral health best practice guide on getting started, developing a strategy, billing, preparing patients, and more.

The Stairway to Telehealth Sustainability: The Telehealth Maturity Model

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth adoption increased significantly, supporting ongoing access to care. Telehealth was critical to support healthcare operations continuity, which resulted in adopting various modes of telehealth tools. The initial focus was applying telehealth capabilities to ordinary care to increase access to care and keep patients, providers, and staff safe. What health care organizations are now looking for is a roadmap to make telehealth more sustainable, integrate it into clinical operations, and leverage it more strategically. In this presentation, Christian Milaster of Ingenium Digital Health will share the seven-step Telehealth Maturity Model that guides organizations toward sustainable success with telehealth. This presentation is the first session of a two-part series. HITEQ will host a second webinar session in April -- Measuring Telehealth Success: The Why, The What, The How.

Thursday, March 25
10:00 am MT/ 11:00 am CT
Register here.

Mitigating Burnout and Maintaining Provider Satisfaction During Vaccination Rollouts

The COVID-19 pandemic forced health centers to change the way health care is delivered. Virtual health care visits were widely and quickly implemented, and staff were redeployed to accommodate the demand for testing. This rapid change in health care delivery came with significant challenges, including changes in staffing and care team makeup, furloughs, lack of PPE at the beginning of the pandemic, and fear of infection for those in direct contact with patients. As health centers continue to meet community needs related to the pandemic and engage in mass vaccination efforts, it will be important to consider lessons learned over the past year.

In this webinar series, speakers from the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) will explore provider burnout and satisfaction in the context of the pandemic, lessons learned, and strategies that health centers can take to minimize burnout and maintain provider satisfaction in the next several months. Register for the series here.

Engagement Strategies to Mitigate Burnout During Vaccination Rollout
Wednesday, March 31

10:00 am MT/ 11:00 am CT

Strategies to Support Provider Satisfaction Among Nurses in the Pandemic Workplace
Wednesday, April 7

10:00 am MT/ 11:00 am CT

Evolving Care Team Models in the Context of the Pandemic and Strategies to Assess Provider Satisfaction
Wednesday, April 21

10:00 am MT/ 11:00 am CT

Patient Centered Strategies for Teledentistry: The Potential Business Case

Dental practices across the country use quality improvement methods to develop synchronous teledentistry service lines to meet their patients’ needs better. Learn how three organizations used teledentistry to provide preventive dental services, support patient self-management, reduce no-show rates, and developed a business case that will provide excellent patient care now and into the future. One CDE will be offered.

Wednesday, April 14
2:00 pm MT/ 3:00 pm CT
Register here.

Essential Components for Elimination of Tuberculosis

Please join the Dakotas AIDS Education and Training Center (DAETC) and North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) in recognizing World TB Day and enjoy their monthly lunch and learn webinar,
Essential Components for Elimination of Tuberculosis. By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to describe the overall approach, underlying principles, and essential steps in ending tuberculosis. The speaker will identify North Dakota targets and indicators that can be used to monitor progress and walk through the TB Elimination Plan for North Dakota.

Nursing Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) are available from the North Dakota Board of Nursing. This presentation will be recorded and available at https://www.ndhealth.gov/hiv/Provider for later viewing. Nursing credits can be obtained up to two weeks after the presentation.

Wednesday, March 24
11:00 am MT/ 12:00 pm CT
Register here.

Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Immunize Colorado is hosting a webinar intended for health care providers, medical students, and anyone else interested in learning more about strategies to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in clinical and community settings. Speakers from Children’s Hospital Colorado, the University of Colorado, and the Public Goods Projects will discuss COVID-19 vaccine misinformation online around the United States and motivational interviewing and other communication strategies for improving confidence in COVID-19 vaccine(s) in the clinical setting.

Wednesday, March 24
12:00 – 1:30 pm MT/ 1:00 -2:30 pm CT
Register here.

CHAMPS 2021 Resiliency Collaborative

The CHAMPS Resiliency Collaborative is a facilitated peer support group using concepts from the evidence-based framework, Finding Meaning in Medicine, online. Each session will incorporate the practice of mindfulness techniques and practical body awareness exercises. The remaining time will be comprised of group discussions on topics selected by the participants. For more information or to register, visit the CHAMPS Events and Trainings webpage.

First and third Wednesdays of the month (reoccurring through May 2021)
12:00 pm MT / 1:00 pm CT

CHAMPS 2020 Region VIII Health Center Workforce Data Webcast

During the spring and summer of 2020, CHAMPS undertook a survey of Region VIII’s community, migrant, and homeless health centers to collect salary, benefits, and other workforce data from 47 organizations. The CHAMPS 2020 Region VIII Health Center Workforce Data Webcast: Understanding and Utilizing Statistics from the CHAMPS Salary, Benefits, Turnover, and Vacancy Survey Project will explain the history and methodology of the survey and highlight findings relating to salaries and benefits for all health center staff including a look at base vs. additional pay and the structure of health center benefits packages. The presenter will also address trends in additional workforce metrics including vacancies, turnover, challenging areas of recruitment and retention, etc. To learn more, visit the CHAMPS Upcoming Live Distance Learning Events webpage.

Wednesday, March 24
11:30AM-1:00PM MT / 12:30-2:00PM CT
Register here.

Federal Panel Discussion on Rural Health

Join the New England Rural Health Association for a facilitated panel discussion with federal partners, including HRSA, CDC, CMS, & SAMHSA. This is a great opportunity to hear from regional representatives about their current priorities and new initiatives. The presentation will finish with informal breakout discussions with panelists and representatives from other regional projects that are federally funded. Click here for more information.

Thursday, March 25
10:00 am – 11:30 am MT/ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CT
Register here.

Prioritizing Patient Populations for Colonoscopy When Addressing Backlogs

Participants will learn about a local process for effectively tracking and prioritizing follow-up colonoscopies after a positive stool test in the EHR and understand guidance for developing a clear priority order for managing backlogs in colorectal cancer screening due to COVID-19. Speakers will review current recommendations for prioritizing patient populations described in the NCCRT playbook. This webinar is intended for physicians, nurse practitioners, PAs, nurses, quality improvement staff, health systems leadership, and communications & marketing.

Wednesday, March 31
11:00 am MT/ 12:00 pm CT
Register here.

Incorporating SDOH Data into Risk Stratification Models to Improve Health Equity

Did you know that 80% of a person’s health is determined by the social determinants of health (SDOH)? Through a process called risk stratification, health centers can assess SDOH factors to help allocate resources to patients who need it the most.

Risk stratification identifies patients with complex health and social needs in order to manage their comprehensive care. By systematically identifying patient needs, health centers can provide targeted clinical and non-clinical services to strengthen sustainability and impact for patients’ risk factor data to improve care.

Hosted by the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) this webinar will cover the foundations of risk stratification through findings from the 2019 PRAPARE Risk Stratification Learning Collaborative.

Thursday, April 1
1:00 pm MT/ 2:00 pm CT
Register here.

Speak My Culture: Trust, Culture, and COVID-19 in the Latino Community

This one-hour Speak My Culture webcast addresses the health challenges within the Latino patient community. This webcast is perfect for health center staff who would like to build rapport and trust with their Latino patients in an efficient manner. At this online event, participants will obtain tips, tools, and strategies to be better equipped in providing culturally appropriate and sensitive care to Latino patients, focusing on COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and telemedicine. The LIVE webcast is FREE for health center and PCA staff in Region VIII (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY). Participants do not need to speak Spanish to take this training.

Tuesday, April 6
11:30 am MT/ 12:30 pm CT
Register here.

PCSS MAT Waiver Training

The Provider Clinical Support System (PCSS) Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder Course covers all treatments and medications for opioid use disorder. The training is designed for providers who plan to obtain a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine in office-based treatment of opioid use disorders. This training is educational and informational for all treatment team members. Information regarding the management of patients with multi-SUD diagnoses and other special topics will be discussed. Continuing education credits are available.

Thursday and Friday, April 8 - 9
8:30 am - 12:30 pm MT/ 9:30 am – 1:30 pm CT each day
Register here.