CHAD Connection June, 6 2024 [UPDATED Version]

A few weeks ago, I had the great honor of attending CHAD’s annual conference, "Impact: The Power of Health Centers," in Rapid City, South Dakota. I was pleased to share the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)'s national strategy to advance "Primary Care and Health Equity for All" and to establish Community Health Centers as America’s "Employers, Providers, and Partners of Choice." I also had some wonderful, candid conversations over breakfast with local health center leaders.

It was inspiring to spend time with the thoughtful and committed CEO of CHAD, Shelly Ten Napel, and her terrific team and hear about their work to support health centers through training, technical assistance, education, and advocacy over the past 35+ years. As a Primary Care Association (PCA), CHAD’s commitment to this goal across North Dakota and South Dakota is evident in the exceptional resources they offer for clinical operations, human resources, finance, outreach and enabling, marketing, and advocacy.

I also met extraordinary CEOs at two fantastic health centers: Wade Erickson, CEO of Horizon Health and Tim Trithart, CEO of Complete Health. I could see first-hand how they deliver high-quality care through over 110K patient visits across 32 medical and dental locations. As an employer of choice, Horizon Health employs nearly 300 staff. As a provider of choice, Complete Health in Rapid City, South Dakota, offers integrated primary care through nursing, behavioral health, dental health, pharmacy services, and social health, including their community garden, local art, food pantry, and so much more. I was touched to witness the beauty and challenge of serving frontier communities in small towns across the stunning terrain of the Badlands and in cities across the Dakotas.

NACHC believes that health centers like these and PCAs like CHAD are the best, most innovative, most diverse, and most resilient part of our health system. Your passion and commitment shine through.

We at NACHC stand united with health centers and PCAs for and with the people you serve, and we believe the best is yet to come for the Health Center Movement.

The Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD) and the Great Plains Health Data Network (GPHDN) thanks you for attending the 2024 CHAD/GPHDN Annual Conference “IMPACT: The Power of Health Centers.” This annual event connected leaders like you from health centers across Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

This year’s conference was 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. Presentation slides can be found here.

HRSA FY 2025 Expanded Hours Funding

The Health Resource and Service Administration (HRSA) has released $60 million in funding to support an increase in operating hours to make it easier for patients to get health care. Expanded hours may include early weekday mornings, weekday evenings and weekends when access to primary care may otherwise be limited or nonexistent in the community. HRSA intends to award up to 120 new grants with a maximum award of $500,000 per year.

Applications are due in Grants.gov by Monday, June 24 and in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks on Tuesday, July 23. More information about funding requirements can be found here.

HRSA FY 2024 Quality Improvement Award: UDS+ Funding

HRSA announced availability of $55 million to support HRSA-funded health centers in preparation and implementation of programs and technologies to ensure high-quality, patient-level data submission. All health center program (H80) grant recipients are eligible, and awards will be provided directly to grantees as supplemental funds. Awards are based on a funding formula including a base amount and a per patient amount based on 2023 UDS data.

More information can be found on the Quality Improvement Award: UDS+ webpage.

HRSA New Access Point Funding

On May 30, HRSA forecasted funding availability for new access points subject to availability of additional FY 2025 funds. At this time, $50 million is projected to fund 77 new health center sites. Health centers are encouraged to act now to identify potential new access point sites and begin preliminary work of collecting relevant data, collaborative partners and community support.

Applications are due in Grants.gov by August 15, 2024 and in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks on September 30, 2024.

More information can be found on the NAP technical assistance webpage. Information available includes a TA webinar with basic information on the funding opportunity details.

A Q&A webinar for applicants will be held on Thursday, June 13 at Noon CT. Register for the webinar here.

Are you ready to showcase your expertise as a presenter at the 2024 CHAMPS/NWRPCA Fall Primary Care Conference? Submit an abstract for consideration by Monday, June 10. Content areas may include board governance, clinical, finance, healthy communities, human resources and workforce, integrated services and team-based care, leadership, operations, policy, and quality improvement. The 2024 CHAMPS/NWRPCA Fall Primary Care Conference will be held October 26 – 29, 2024, in Denver, CO. Learn more and submit an abstract here.

Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas and Think 3D are excited to announce LeadU, a new cohort-based training program designed to develop confident and intentional health care supervisors and managers.

The training program will focus on three dimensions of growth: personal, professional and potential. Participants will explore their leadership mindset and develop critical leadership and accountability skills.

LeadU will kick off in September with a full day of in-person training sessions in Chamberlain (September 11), Fargo (September 18), and Bismarck (September 19). Participants may also apply to continue their professional development by participating in an intensive virtual program that will include nine additional sessions.

To learn more and register, visit https://communityhealthcare.net/leadu2024/.

Questions? Contact Shelly Hegerle.

Are you interested in learning how to achieve better financial success for your Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)? Join Health Center Association of Nebraska (HCAN), Community Care Network of Kansas (CCNK), and Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD) for a 4-part virtual training series. Presented by experts from BCA, Inc. and Mankin Consulting, LLC, each session targets a slightly different audience to highlight the importance each department plays in financial management, compliance, and operational efficiency.

Participants will gain valuable insights on: fee schedules, HRSA and grant compliance, Medicare/Medicaid cost reporting, the 340B Drug Discount program, revenue cycle management, front office operations, and collaborative strategizing.

Sessions and audiences are as follows:

Session 1: CFO/Controller Session – Tuesday, June 11
This session, specifically tailored for FQHC CFOs and controllers, is designed to equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively manage the financial aspects critical to the sustainability and compliance of FQHCs. It will review fee schedules based on RVUs, HRSA compliance, 330 grant compliance, cost reporting for Medicare and Medicaid, an overview of the 340b program, and post-COVID grant funding budgeting. By participating, you are demonstrating your commitment to the financial health and compliance of your FQHC.

Session 2: Revenue Cycle Management Session – Tuesday, June 18
This session is designed specifically for revenue cycle managers who work within FQHCs. During the session, we will cover various topics, including diagnosis coding and its impact on reimbursement, tracking of items included in the cost report, compliance for billing Medicare FQHC patients, and EMR problem list cleanup and review. Our aim is to provide participants with valuable insights and strategies to optimize their revenue cycle management processes and ensure they comply with regulatory requirements.
Session 3: Front Office/Operations Management Session – Tuesday, June 25
This session is designed for front office management and operations staff at FQHCs. The session focuses on UDS and social determinants of health data capture, common claim denials resulting from front office functions, and sliding fee audits. The participants will acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to improve front-office operations and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Session 4: Collaborative Roundtable Session – Tuesday, July 9
In this session, the entire group will come together to discuss their combined impact on the cost report, UDS, financial operations, and revenue cycle management. The conversation will center around how to effectively pass an HRSA site visit by focusing on financial measures, as well as the significance of front office staff and professional development opportunities.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It accounts for about 30% (or 1 in 3) of all new female cancers each year, increasingly occurring in younger ages. Recently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released new guidelines for breast cancer screening, recommending that all women get screened for breast cancer every other year, starting at age 40 and continuing through age 74. This is a shift from recommending women start screening between the ages of 40 and 50 to recommending that all women start getting screened at age 40.

The USPSTF notes that expanded screening should not distract from addressing other well-documented gaps in breast cancer screening and treatment, which are far more likely to impact inequities in outcomes. Investment in workforce diversity, language supportive care and interpretation, patient navigation and education, and addressing social drivers of health will be essential to ensure patients receive equitable and appropriate follow-up after screening and effective breast cancer treatment.

North Dakota Health and Human Services (NDHHS) offers a new opportunity to showcase your dedication to health equity. Individuals and entities can now be recognized for completing the Health Equity Training Initiative on the Community Engagement Unit’s website training page. Individuals and organizations can earn bronze, silver, or gold badges for different levels of completion of health equity training modules. The 9-module Health Equity Training Initiative empowers participants across diverse occupations with the knowledge and skills needed to identify and address workplace inequities. CEUs and CMEs are available at no cost. Learn more here.

The clinical quality network team and program at CHAD engages in initiatives and partnerships that support health centers in enhancing patient-centered care and clinical quality improvement. We offer training and technical assistance to community health centers through monthly meetings, webinars, and networking opportunities with peer health center members. CHAD hosts a monthly quality network team meeting designed to provide members in a quality role the opportunity to engage in peer learning. These meetings offer updates, provide resources and training for quality initiatives, and promote best practices for clinical quality improvement. Topics and resources covered in the network team include:

HRSA updates to include training and funding opportunities
UDS measure changes and discussion on workflow improvements
HIV and STI updates
Vaccine and communicable diseases updates and resources
Health Equity and SDOH
Chronic disease management and best practices
Maternal health training and resources

Meet the CHAD Team Lead
Jenn Saueressig leads the clinical quality network team. Jenn joined CHAD in December 2021 as the clinical quality manager. She brings a strong background in primary care nursing and clinic management to CHAD. Jenn facilitates and manages clinically related networks and supports quality improvement and clinical measurement activities with assessment, evaluation, and feedback. She serves as a resource and provides training and technical assistance to health center staff on clinical quality issues and services. In addition, Jenn is the clinical liaison for the Great Plains Health Data Network.

Join us!
If you want to join the clinical quality network team or if you would like more information, please contact Jennifer Saueressig at 701-291-3580. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month at 12:00 pm CT.

Alex Helvin joined CHAD in May 2024 as the outreach and enrollment navigator, where she plays a crucial role in assisting and educating community members regarding their eligibility for assistance and insurance programs, focusing on enhancing access to healthcare coverage for underserved populations in South Dakota.

Prior to coming to CHAD, Alex worked in care-related fields the entirety of her career. From childcare teacher and director, to therapy assistant, to children with special needs. She previously was conducting audits for in-home childcare centers ensuring compliance with federal feeding program standards.Working and connecting with others from all demographics is something Alex has a strong passion for.

Alex is a graduate from South Dakota State University with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies. She is on the Board of Directors for The Transformation Project Advocacy Network which strives to make South Dakota a more equitable place.

She is married and a mom of four, and adopted her oldest two kids through foster care and has a set of biological boy/girl twins. Her family also has two dogs, two cats, and loves to travel. Their family of six traveled in an RV for a year exploring the west coast. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, trying new things/places, kayaking, and event planning.

Sam Marts joined CHAD as the Administrative and Program Coordinator in May 2024. In her role, Sam provides administrative, finance, communication, and program support. Sam previously worked with CHAD as an intern, authoring health workforce shortage whitepapers for North Dakota and South Dakota. Sam grew up in Winner, South Dakota with a strong family background in healthcare. This is where she found her passion for serving low-income, geographically isolated, minority, homeless, migrant, and other underserved populations.

Sam graduated from Augustana University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a minor in Medical Humanities and Societies. Through her minor, Sam grew her passion for developing healthcare, bioethics, and population health in underserved communities. She then pursued a Master of Public Health degree from the University of South Dakota, where she served on multiple committees and grew a network of advocates for Public Health.

Sam lives in Sioux Falls, SD with her corgi Blitzen and fiancé Caleb. She enjoys playing summer volleyball leagues, pickleball, and golf. When she is tired of being active, she likes to snuggle with her pup, rewatch New Girl, and enjoy her monthly book club read.

People who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning (LGBTQ+) are members of every community. They are diverse, come from all walks of life, and include people of all races and ethnicities, all ages, all socioeconomic statuses, and from all parts of the country. The perspectives and needs of LGBTQ+ people should be routinely considered in public health efforts to improve the overall health of every person and eliminate health disparities.

Pride Month is a month-long celebration recognizing the LGBTQ+ community and their contributions to society. It serves as a platform for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies to celebrate diversity, raise awareness about LGBTQ+ rights, and foster a sense of community acceptance.

Prepare for Pride events with materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign. The Pride in a Box Toolkit provides tips to plan and optimize participation in local Pride festivals and post-event activities. There is also a social media toolkit, as well as additional materials.

By participating in Pride Month events, supporting LGBTQ+ organizations, and advocating for equity, we can contribute to a more inclusive and accepting society. Here are some ways you can participate:

Attend Pride Parades and Events: Check local listings for Pride parades, festivals, and events in your area. Participate in the vibrant celebrations, join marches, and immerse yourself in the supportive and inclusive atmosphere. These events are an opportunity to show solidarity and celebrate diversity while having a great time.
Educate Yourself and Others: Understand terminology. Take the time to learn about the history, struggles, and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community. Read books, watch films, listen to podcasts, and engage in conversations that foster understanding and empathy. Share your knowledge with others, particularly those less familiar with LGBTQ+ issues, to promote acceptance and awareness.
Support LGBTQ+ Organizations: Consider donating to LGBTQ+ charities and organizations that promote equality and provide support to the community. Volunteer your time or skills to help organize events or initiatives that uplift and empower LGBTQ+ individuals.
Show Support on Social Media: Use your online platforms to support Pride Month. Share uplifting messages, stories of LGBTQ+ individuals, and resources related to LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance. Use hashtags such as #PrideMonth2024 and #LoveIsLove to amplify the message of inclusivity and love.

In addition to considering the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals in programs designed to improve the health of entire communities, there is also a need for culturally competent medical care and prevention services that are specific to this population because they are more likely to experience certain health-related challenges and disparities. Healthy People 2030 supports improving the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ populations through health behavior objectives, objectives to address systemic problems, and objectives to increase data collection on LGBT health and well-being.

Back to Basics: DRVS Admin

Calling all DRVS Super Users and Administrators! In this webinar, we will provide an overview of all the key admin functionalities that can support you in creating cohorts & registries, managing provider & location groups, establishing targets, setting shared filters, and configuring email subscriptions. Learn how to take DRVS to the next level by tailoring the functionality to support your practice's unique goals, priorities, and structures. Participants attending this session should have DRVS Admin privileges.

Thursday, June 13

1:00 pm CT/12:00 pm MT

Back to Basics: DRVS Data Hygiene

While we all know data validation is a year-long effort, it is too often left on the back burner until UDS submission begins to creep over the horizon. During this webinar, we hope to inspire you to explore the DRVS tools available that can make your data quality efforts even more approachable. By leveraging this functionality, you will be able to identify, monitor, analyze and improve the quality of your data, helping you to avoid the pre-reporting chaos and ensure healthy data all year long. This webinar is recommended for team members responsible for supporting data quality and validation. This might include clinical quality, IT/EHR support or data analysts, administrative staff, among others.

Tuesday, June 18

12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT

Ohio's Data-Driven Journey to Statewide Health Transformation

The Ohio Association of Community Health Centers (OACHC), which represents all 59 of the state’s FQHCs and FQHC Look Alikes, has played a pivotal role in spearheading population health improvements in Ohio since 1984. To advance quality care and reduce disparities in health outcomes among underserved and uninsured communities, OACHC embarked on a transformative initiative to establish a sophisticated data infrastructure. In partnership with Azara, OACHC created the Ohio Data Integration Platform (ODIP). This platform is being leveraged across the state to effectively manage populations, ease the burden of data reporting and visualization, and foster network expansion. ODIP will also be instrumental as OACHC stands up a clinically integrated network and prepares for participation in an MSSP Medicare ACO. Join this webinar for a discussion with OACHC and Azara Healthcare representatives regarding the network’s goals for establishing a data-driven ecosystem in the state, the impact of these efforts on measuring performance, and the ways OACHC continues to address emerging challenges by embracing novel opportunities in the healthcare landscape.

Thursday, June 20

1:00 pm CT/12:00 pm MT

Back to Basics: DRVS Dashboards

Are you ready to take your DRVS expertise from 101 to 201 and dive head first into Dashboards? Custom dashboards are one of the most complex tools in DRVS, yet they deliver of wealth of potential related to tracking, evaluation, and communication. Join us for a dashboard deep dive as Azara experts walk through how to create an effective and visually compelling dashboard to tell your organization’s story. We welcome participants to ask any questions you have on dashboards in your registration. This webinar is recommended for team members interested in meaningfully visualizing their data. This might include clinical quality, population health, care management/coordination, c-suite, users with Admin privileges, among others.

Tuesday, June 25

12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT

Advancing ASCVD Care Through Cholesterol Management

ASCVD is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. In fact, 8 percent of the US population has ASCVD, and the disease is responsible for an estimated cost of over $200 billion annually in healthcare services, medications, and lost productivity. In an effort to drive improvement in ASCVD care, the CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention published the Million Hearts®/National Association of Community Health Centers/American Medical Association Cholesterol Management Change Package (CMCP). This resource presents a list of evidence-based process improvements that outpatient clinical settings can implement to seek optimal cholesterol management. Azara Healthcare was fortunate enough to collaborate with the CDC on this effort and is thrilled to have had the opportunity to highlight strategies for leveraging DRVS to advance ASCVD care delivery.

Thursday, June 27

1:00 pm CT/12:00 pm MT

Family Planning Screening and Implications for your Workflow Webinar

Join us for a dynamic 50-minute webinar where we’ll dive into the HRSA’s latest UDS reporting requirement for family planning screening for FQHCs, effective from January 1st, 2024. Co-hosted by Upstream USA and the National Association of Community Health Centers, this session will unpack the concepts behind family planning screening and explore practical strategies to seamlessly integrate screening for family planning needs into your workflows. Don’t miss out on expert insights and operational solutions to ensure your organization stays on top of these new UDS requirements.

Wednesday, June 26
1:00 pm CT/12:00 pm MT
Register here

Clinic to Community: Utilizing the 340B Program to Improve HIV Care for Urban Indian Populations

Join the National Council of Urban Indian Health for the second presentation in its “Clinic to Community” series, designed to provide Urban Indian Organizations and similar safety net providers with more information on the 340B Drug Pricing Program. The session will provide an in-depth overview of the 340B Program, covering its purpose, benefits, and the critical policies and procedures necessary for effective implementation. Through this detailed presentation, participants will understand how to maximize the benefits of the 340B Program within their organizations and ensure its effective and efficient utilization, increasing access to affordable medications and improving HIV care. One continuing nursing education credit is available.

Thursday, June 27

1:00 pm CT/ 12:00 pm MT

HIV/STI/TB/Viral Hepatitis Lunch and Learn

Hillary K. Liss presented this month on STI’s. Following this presentation, attendees are able to review screening and treatment guidelines in the 2021 CDC STI treatment guidelines and discuss the emerging and ongoing challenges of the leading STIs.

Hillary Liss is an internist and an AAHIVM-certified HIV specialist. She serves as Medical Program Director of the Mountain West AETC and is a medical educator for the Mountain West AETC and University of Washington STD Prevention Training Center.

Contact Darci Bultje for the recording and presentation.

Equity Talk: Implementing Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Services

The National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Standards (CLAS) are a set of 15 action steps intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate health care disparities. In this session, learn more about the CLAS Standards framework developed by the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. Presenters discussed specific strategies and shared practical resources to support implementation.

Click here for the presentation.

Click here for the recording.

CHAD Network Team and Workgroup Meetings

Tuesday, June 11 @ 2:00 pm CT/1:00 pm MT – Communications & Marketing Network Team Meeting

Wednesday, June 12 @ 12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT – Care Coordination & Care Management Peer Group

Thursday, June 13 @11:00 am CT/10:00 am MT – Monthly GPHDN Data Governance Meeting

Thursday, June 13 @ 2:00 pm CT/1:00 pm MT – HR/Workforce Network Team

Tuesday, June 25 @ 1:00 pm CT/12:00 pm MT – Outreach and Enrollment Monthly Call

Tuesday, July 2 @ 12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT – Behavioral Health Work Group

Monday, July 8 @ 1:00 pm CT/12:00 pm MT – Operational Excellence/Compliance Workgroup Meeting

Tuesday, July 9 @ 2:00 pm CT/1:00 pm MT – Communications & Marketing Network Team Meeting