CHAD Connection April 18, 2024

CHAD Promotes Health Centers at the 10th Annual SD HOSA State Leadership Conference

On April 11 and 12, I had the chance to attend the 2024 SD HOSA State Leadership Conference, which was held at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. About 870 high school students attended from across the state. The conference provided students the opportunity to learn and have fun through competitions, academic symposiums, educational sessions, and a college/career vendor fair. The goal is to increase interest in a future health career.

HOSA-Future Health Professionals is the only nationwide student organization whose focus is 100% health care. HOSA’s mission is to empower Future Health Professionals to become leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration, and experience. SD HOSA has grown to over 40 chapters in the past ten years, and over 1,000 students participate yearly.

CHAD staff had a great time interacting with the students, hearing about their passion for health care, and educating them on careers at community health centers. Health centers in South Dakota and North Dakota are always welcome to get involved with their local HOSA chapters, as many students seek shadowing experiences, site tours, and professional mentors in various health disciplines. To find a chapter near you, visit SD HOSA or ND HOSA.

Register today for the CHAD/GPHDN Annual Conference - IMPACT: The Power of Health Centers. The pre-conference sessions will be held on May 14, with the annual conference on May 15-16. Registration will close on May 5.

This annual event invites leaders like you from community health centers across Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota to come together.

This year’s conference is packed with informative sessions on building culture, strengthening your workforce, emergency preparedness, integrated behavioral health care, and using data to advance the health center program. Additionally, two pre-conference workshops are offered for workforce development and emergency preparedness.

Conference agendas and registration information can be found on the CHAD website. Register today!

We are excited to offer up to five continuing education credits for the sessions in the behavioral health track at the CHAD/GPHDN Annual Conference. The sessions include:

Introduction to Primary Care Behavioral Health;
Embracing a Single Session Approach in Behavioral Health (Parts 1 and 2);
Role of Behavioral Health in High-Quality Primary Care; and,
How to Love Your Craft Without Losing Your Mind.

All of the sessions will be presented by national experts in primary care-based behavioral health, Drs. David Bauman and Bridget Beachy.

South Dakota: Attendees will receive a certificate for up to five continuing education clock hours approved by the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners.

North Dakota: Attendees will receive a certificate for up to five continuing education hours approved by the North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners.

Attendees must document attendance and complete a post-session evaluation to receive a certificate.

Registration is still open. Click here to view the agenda and session descriptions.

The state of North Dakota released its State Health Improvement Plan, which is meant to help the state set and communicate its health-related priorities over the next five years. The North Dakota SHIP priorities are:

Strengthening workforce;

Expanding access and connection (through access to essential healthcare services and connecting people to support services);

Cultivating wellness (including reducing adverse childhood experiences, occupational injuries, curbing tobacco and e-cigarette use, and enhancing the length and quality of life of tribal populations and older adults); and,

Building community resilience.

The South Dakota Department of Health recently released the 2024-2029 State Health Improvement Plan and State Health Assessment. Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas and health centers participated in the state health assessment and state health improvement plan development through participation in stakeholder interviews, community meetings, and participation in the Health Improvement Coalition.

The State Health Improvement Plan identifies three priorities:

Access to care – improving health equity in all South Dakota communities

Behavioral and mental health – improving behavioral health and mental health outcomes

Care quality – elevating preventative health

You can watch a short video summarizing the development and focus areas of the state health assessment and state health improvement plan here.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced funding for community health centers to strengthen transitions in care for individuals who will soon be released from incarceration, increasing their access to community-based, high-quality primary care services. Through this one-time investment, health centers will build upon existing evidence-based models to pilot innovative approaches that connect or reconnect justice-involved individuals reentering the community (JI-R) to in-scope health center services that address critical health and health-related social needs. Total estimated program funding is $51 million and the award ceiling is $1 million per awardee. Click here for more information on this opportunity, eligibility, and to apply.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced that it has increased by 50% the initial loan repayment amount available to primary care providers—M.D.s and D.O.s, including OB-GYNs and pediatricians; nurse practitioners; certified nurse midwives; and physician assistants—who commit to practicing in areas with significant shortages of primary care providers. HRSA also is offering up to an additional $5,000 in loan repayment to all NHSC Loan Repayment Program participants who can demonstrate fluency in Spanish and who commit to practice in a high need area serving patients with limited English proficiency.

With the growing cost of medical school and increased challenges in recruiting primary care providers to high need areas, the action to increase funding will help rural and historically underserved communities attract providers to deliver critical primary care services. Through HRSA’s National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program, primary care medical providers previously received a maximum of $50,000 in initial loan repayment in return for a two-year full-time service commitment to practice in an area with a shortage of health professionals. This amount is nearly the same as the program offered 30 years ago, yet average medical student debt has grown more than four-fold over that same time period. 

Now, eligible primary care providers can receive $75,000 for full-time and up to $37,500 for half-time participants in initial loan repayment in return for a two-year service commitment to practice in those same areas. Participants have the opportunity to receive additional funding for extending their service commitment. 

Visit NHSC Loan Repayment Program website to learn more.

Is your practice interested in improving the appropriate use of antibiotics in telemedicine? The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is currently recruiting practices for a no-cost, 18-month program beginning in June 2024 to promote appropriate antibiotic use while maintaining patient satisfaction and reducing potential side effects in patients seen via telemedicine. Practices will receive training and one-on-one expert coaching to implement sustainable improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of infections in the telemedicine environment. Practices will learn how to improve workflow efficiencies and participants will be eligible for continuing education units (CEUs), continuing medical education (CME) credits, and American Board of Internal Medicine maintenance of certification (MOC) points. Learn more and sign up for an informational webinar on the program website: safetyprogram4telemedicine.org

“Addressing the resurgence of syphilis and congenital syphilis requires a concerted effort. We can collectively work towards reducing the incidence of syphilis and its devastating consequences, and we will turn the tide on the syphilis epidemic.”

ADM Rachel L. Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health and chair of the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Federal Task Force

If untreated, syphilis can seriously damage the heart and brain and can cause blindness, deafness, and paralysis. When transmitted during pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage, lifelong medical issues, and infant death. More than 3,700 cases of congenital syphilis were documented among newborns in 2022–more than 10 times the number diagnosed in 2012.

Increased screening is needed as syphilis rates rise. Healthcare providers can use primary & secondary syphilis rates in their counties to better direct their syphilis screening efforts. One of the biggest risk factors for syphilis for some people is where they live. According to previous CDC data, in 2021, more than 70 percent of the U.S. population lived in counties considered to have high rates of syphilis among reproductive-age women. The Healthy People 2030 goal for reducing the rate of primary and secondary syphilis among women aged 15–44 years is 4.6 per 100,000 people. This goal can provide a threshold for geography-based syphilis screening efforts for all sexually active people.

HRSA shared a joint HRSA-CDC letter to health centers, state and local public health departments, and other stakeholders that addresses the increases in congenital syphilis cases nationwide and offers suggestions for ways to continue addressing this concerning trend. This letter builds on HRSA’s ongoing efforts to respond to the sharp increase in congenital syphilis and support the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic (NSCSS) Federal Task Force. Read the bulletin.

Almost 9 in 10 cases of newborn syphilis in 2022 might have been prevented with timely testing and treatment during pregnancy. More than half were among people who tested positive for syphilis during pregnancy but did not receive adequate or timely treatment. Nearly 40 percent were among mothers who were not in prenatal care.

CDC recommends screening all pregnant people at least once during their pregnancy and taking an individual, risk-based approach to syphilis screening for others. For many sexually active people, the most significant risk factor for syphilis is living in a county with high rates of syphilis. Considering geographic risk can help reduce stigma and bias in syphilis screening. This improves access to syphilis testing and treatment for everyone. Identifying and preventing syphilis before pregnancy can also help prevent congenital syphilis.

Subscribe to the Care Connection newsletter – navigating prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment of HIV, STIs and Viral Hepatitis in primary care. These newsletters feature new recommendations for sexual health services, best practices for improving patient health outcomes, highlight stories from the field, describe current epidemiologic trends and so much more. Access this month’s issue here.

One of the barriers to effective treatment of syphilis when it is identified are ongoing shortages of Bicillin® L-A (penicillin G benzathine injectable suspension) in the United States. To address this shortage, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is coordinating with Provepharm Inc. and Direct Success, Inc. (DSI) to temporarily import Extencilline (benzathine benzylpenicillin), which is a powder that can be reconstituted for injection. To learn more about how to access syphilis treatment, a more detailed letter and the DSI registration form and order form can be found here.

CHAD Annual Conference

The Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD) and the Great Plains Health Data Network (GPHDN) invite you to attend the 2024 CHAD/GPHDN Annual Conference “IMPACT: The Power of Health Centers.” This annual event invites leaders like you from community health centers across Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota to come together.

This year’s conference is packed with informative sessions on building culture, strengthening your workforce, emergency preparedness, integrated behavioral health care, and using data to advance the health center program. Additionally, two pre-conference workshops are offered specifically for workforce development and emergency preparedness.

May 14-16
10:00 am CT/9:00am MT

Equity Talk: Fostering LGTBQ+ Two Spirit Inclusivity In Your Organization

Join South Dakota Urban Indian Health CEO Michaela Seiber for an enlightening conversation about how to promote LGBTQ+ Two Spirit inclusivity in your organization. In this session, we will explore actionable strategies for transforming workplace policies and practices, intake forms, and language to create a more inclusive environment for all patients and employees. From understanding terminology and identities to implementing inclusive language and practices, Michaela will provide practical guidance on fostering a culture of respect and acceptance. This webinar will empower you to drive positive change in your organization!

All health center staff and partner organizations are welcome to attend.

Tuesday, June 11

12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT

Front Desk Training Series

CHAD recently completed a series of trainings for front desk and patient registration staff. Front Desk Rx: A Prescription for Exceptional Patient Experiences focused on four topics essential to front desk personnel.

Session 1 – Front Desk Rx: De-escalate and Communicate

Session 2 – Front Desk Rx: Connecting to Coverage

Session 3 – Front Desk Rx: Creating Inclusive Environments for LGBTQ+ Patients

Session 4 – Front Desk Rx: Scheduling for Success

Find the recordings and presentations for each of these sessions in the Past Event Resources section of the CHAD website.

Listening Session on Medicare Advantage: Understanding the Health Center Experience

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) released a Request for Information (RFI) on Medicare Advantage (MA) to gather more data on the growing program. To provide robust comments, NACHC's Regulatory Affairs Team is hosting this listening session to hear directly from you about how your health center, PCA, or HCCN interacts with MA plans and learn about your experiences. Elevate the health center voice and advocate for positive changes in the MA space. Comments are due May 29, 2024.

Register here

Missed Opportunities for Preventing Congenital Syphillis
Last month, HRSA collaborated with CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention on a webinar about congenital syphilis for clinicians and other health care providers. This webinar provided an overview of congenital syphilis and explored missed opportunities for preventing congenital syphilis as well as interventions for prevention.

Watch here