CHAD Connection - February 20

I often think about the incredible work being done at health centers from increasing cancer screening rates, to increasing the number of waivered providers for MAT, and leading the industry in integrating behavioral health services in primary care. And yet, despite these gains, we often hear that community health centers (CHCs) are the best-kept secret in health care.

In order to change that, CHAD has started to tackle health center awareness from several angles.

Provider recruitment – Providers won’t choose a career at a community health center if they are unaware of the many benefits CHCs have to offer providers. CHAD recently subscribed to an applicant tracking system to better assist our members with their recruitment and hiring efforts. We will also have a workforce recruitment and retention track at our annual members’ conference in May that will include sessions on writing appealing job ads and effectively engaging students with interest in health careers. Health care workforce is a highly competitive market, and CHCs are in a great position to compete at the highest level.

Marketing – Everyone at health centers tends to wear multiple hats, and the marketing team is no exception. Not only are they tasked with marketing the health center brand, but they also focus on patient recruitment, media requests, and community awareness of promotions and events, including health fairs and screenings. In 2019, CHAD developed nine awareness campaign toolkits for use by health centers. The goal was to give health centers a pre-packaged toolkit to ease the everyday marketing burden. These toolkits highlighted several topics covering everything from cervical health and colorectal cancer to sports physicals and flu shots. Look for more awareness campaign toolkits to come in 2020.

Media engagement – A bonus of living and working in our close-knit communities is the ability to create relationships with local media. From Martin to Mandan, both North Dakota and South Dakota have vibrant local news networks. The extra step in sharing your events, grant funding wins, and awards with local reporters allows you to spread your message further. CHAD maintains a comprehensive press list for both states and is available to help health centers with media outreach.

Policy and advocacy – Hosting a legislator in your health center is a great way to highlight the health center program and those issues important to you. Congressman Armstrong recently visited Coal Country Community Health Center in Killdeer. We were able to share with him our strong message of growth and success. We have a strong policy agenda with legislative priorities that will support our health centers in their efforts to provide quality, affordable health care to all Dakotans.

We at CHAD are proud to share with you these important projects and opportunities and support you in your mission to provide quality health care to all Dakotans. We look forward to continuing to be a resource to help promote health centers in your communities.

The South Dakota legislative session has just passed the half-way point, and CHAD is monitoring more than forty pieces of legislation. Among those bills is HB 1235, which would eliminate vaccinations as a requirement for entering school. CHAD, along with many other public health advocates, opposes that bill and is working with coalition partners to defeat it.  

Other notable issues that have come up in recent weeks are related to the budget. The appropriations committee set revenue estimates for fiscal year 20 (FY20) and fiscal year 21 (FY21) this week. For FY20, the Committee adopted a revenue estimate that is $6 million higher than the revenue on which they based the approved budget. This means there is $6 million in one-time money the legislature will be able to appropriate for special projects.  

For FY21 (next year’s budget), the committee adopted a revenue estimate that is $19 million higher than the revenue Governor Noem’s proposed budget. This represents a 2% increase in revenue over last year. CHCs are already included in Governor Noem’s budget with mandatory inflation rates, so the available money will likely go to the overall Medicaid system in the tiered system of provider rates. Now that the revenue estimate has been set, the committee will begin to finalize the budget based on available funds. 

Earlier this month, advocates from health centers across South Dakota brought their message to decision-makers in Pierre. The one-day event was filled with meetings at the Capitol, receiving updates on current bills and updating legislators on the important work that is carried out every day at health centers in the Dakotas. The group met with the Secretary of the Department of Health Kim
Malsam-Rysdon, the Secretary of the Department of Social Services Laurie Gill, and Melissa Klemenn from Governor Noem’s office. Topics of discussion included the South Dakota Healthcare Recruitment Program, the Governor’s suicide prevention initiative, and substance abuse disorder (SUD) and behavioral health treatment. After the visit to the Capitol, members met with several legislators to discuss the health center program and discuss ways we can work together to improve the health of all South Dakotans.

Co-hosted by the North Dakota Rural Health Association, the Area Health Education Center, and the North Dakota Center for Rural Health, CHAD is excited to promote this workshop dedicated to recruitment of healthcare professionals to rural, underserved areas. Benjamin Anderson, a former CEO of a critical access hospital in western Kansas, will share his story on how he has successfully recruited more than 15 mission-minded family practice physicians to a diverse and underserved region within a short period. He will describe the development of the mission-minded recruitment and retention model while highlighting the innovative approaches required to achieve and sustain a healthy medical staff. A panel of family practice faculty and residents will discuss what they are looking for in practice opportunities and share feedback about the mission-minded recruitment model. Additional presentations and discussions will include the importance of workplace culture, aligning the motivations of medical providers with the values of an organization, and community readiness and collaboration. This event is targeted for health professionals, health care administrators and leadership, human resource professionals, and anyone interested in learning what health care professionals are looking for in an employer. Find more details and registration information here.

Join CHAD and the North Dakota Center for Rural Health at the Radisson Hotel in Bismarck, ND for a comprehensive board governance training to help support North Dakota and South Dakota health center boards of directors and North Dakota critical access hospital (CAH) boards of directors. Health center and hospital boards play an important role in guiding overall operations and directing future growth and opportunity. Ensuring that board members have the tools and resources necessary to lead and serve their health center and community effectively is paramount to the overall success and performance of the board.

The training will focus on compliance (board basics), cybersecurity, succession planning, and community engagement and partnerships. There will also be break-out sessions specific to CHC board members and CAH board members that focus on financial oversight, advocacy, and understanding quality and value-based care. More information will be available soon.

CHAD is committed to supporting health center boards and offers several training and technical assistance opportunities covering a variety of topics. Board members can find a list of board governance resources on the CHAD website.

The South Dakota Department of Health (SDDOH) is taking steps to improve the health of South Dakota residents by evaluating and improving the quality and performance of the public health system. As part of the process, the SDDOH will seek accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Becoming PHAB accredited will strengthen the SDDOH to better serve South Dakota communities through continuous quality improvement, enhanced multi-sector partnerships, accountability to external stakeholders, workforce enhancement, utilization of resources, and focus on community health and equity.

The SDDOH is collecting data on health concerns experienced by South Dakotans through a series of community conversations, held throughout the state from March 3rd through March 19th. Information gleaned from these conversations will provide input to the state health assessment and state health improvement plan. Partner organizations, community members, and stakeholders play an essential role in helping understand the health needs and issues impacting South Dakota residents. To see the detailed list of scheduled meeting dates and locations, or to register to participate, please click here.

Working at a community health center can prove to be one of the most rewarding health care career opportunities as health centers serve some of the Dakotas’ most vulnerable patients and offer unique services and benefits not seen in the private healthcare sector or large healthcare networks. The job board on CHAD’s website currently has over 20 openings, including both medical and administrative positions at multiple health centers and delivery sites throughout the two states. Please help spread the word and share our information with students pursuing a health care career, practicing health care professionals, and other public health advocates.

Notable Events/News

340B Recertification Due by February 24

A few days are left for covered entities to recertify and retain their 340B participant status. Covered entities that do not recertify by the deadline of Monday, February 24, will be terminated from the HRSA 340B Program starting on Wednesday, April 1. They will require a new registration and not be eligible to participate in the 340B Program until July.

To recertify, authorizing officials and primary contacts must first set up user accounts by visiting the HRSA 340B Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System (340B OPAIS) and choosing "I am a participant." It is the covered entity’s responsibility to ensure they have created their accounts before recertification to allow successful completion of the process. For questions or assistance, email the 340B call center or call 888-340-2787 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-5:00 pm CT).

Chronic Care Policy Alliance 2020 Health Policy Forecast

The Chronic Care Policy Alliance (CCPA) is a multi-state network of chronic care policy coalitions and is dedicated to advancing public policy that improves the lives of those living with chronic conditions and diseases. The CCPA is pleased to invite Joel White, president of the Council for Affordable Health Coverage, to provide an overview of legislative and regulatory policy proposals expected in 2020 via a FREE webinar. Each of these proposals could have an impact on patients and this information will be critical as we work together to advocate for policies that improve quality, access, and affordability for patients.

Topics covered include:

Drug Pricing Reform

Changes to Medicare/Medicaid
Surprise Medical Billing
Patient Protections and Affordability
Existing Utilization Review Barriers

Wednesday, February 26 at 12:00pm CT/11:00 am MT

Addressing Social Determinants of Health Core Competencies

This webinar series is hosted by the Social Determinants of Health Academy. Learn more about the Academy here.

Humanizing Your Enabling Services Data for Patient Care
This learning collaborative is designed to help health center, PCA, and HCCN staff employ enabling services to address social determinants of health (SDOH). As a result of this learning collaborative, participants will:

Increase their understanding of how to build capacity around enabling services (ES) to address SDOH, including strategies to provide, document, and track ES for underserved populations;
Discuss their health information technology needs for SDOH and ES data collection, including basic infrastructure needs to collect and track data to assess for and address SDOH; and

Explain the importance and application of enabling services data for SDOH, clinical quality improvement, patient-centered medical home initiatives, and value-based health care transformation.

Wednesday, February 26 at 1:00 pm CT/ 12:00pm MT
Register here. View the recording from session one here.

Fostering a Health Care Workforce Able to Address Current and Emerging Needs

This learning collaborative is designed to help health center, PCA, and HCCN staff build workforce capacity through community health workers and LGBTQIA+ cultural competence to improve the health of vulnerable populations.

Wednesday, March 11 at 1:00 pm CT/ 12:00pm MT

Medication-Assisted Treatment in Primary Care: Foundations of Implementation

Implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) requires significant changes in culture, policy, and service delivery. Guidance is needed to ensure that a health center is ready to create the necessary infrastructure for a successful and sustainable program. Community health centers also need to know how to navigate the policy environment in their state.

Presenters will review the current state of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, share strategies health centers can use to prepare for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) implementation, and present a case study featuring the steps a health center took to build their MAT program. Registration for this HRSA Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Technical Assistance event will be closed on Wednesday, February 26, at 2 pm CT.

Thursday, February 27 at 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm CT/ 10:00 pm-3:00 pm MT

HIV Prevention and Treatment for Patients with SUD/OUD in an Integrated Behavioral Health Setting

Join the HITEQ Center, in collaboration with the National Council for Behavioral Health, for a webinar on understanding how to integrate HIV screening into integrated behavioral health services, including how to identify patients at risk for HIV, facilitate screening, and prompting for rescreening at appropriate intervals. 

Thursday, February 27  
2:00-3:00 pm CT/ 1:00-2:00 pm MT 
Register here. 

340B Regulatory Update – Past, Present, and Future

The federal government’s 340B drug pricing program is designed to deliver significant drug price savings to eligible health care organizations and their patients. Jeff Davis of Baker Donelson will present regulatory and compliance insights for safety-net hospitals to consider when managing their 340B programs. Information presented will empower hospitals and FQHCs to position their entity for the changes currently being explored in the 340B marketplace. This 60-minute webinar is promoted by the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) and is offered at no cost. The webinar is sponsored by SunRX, a commercial organization with a focus on 340B Compliance.

Tuesday, March 10 at 1:00 pm CT/ 12:00pm MT

Addressing Social Determinants of Health Using Motivations Interviewing Strategies

Communicating effectively with youth requires a specialized approach. Research shows Motivational Interviewing (MI) is one of the most effective strategies to promote positive change in youth. In fact, MI has been shown to decrease substance use, reduce stress and risky sexual behaviors, improve eating habits, increase exercise – and even to reduce injuries and hospitalizations.

This interactive webinar, hosted by the School-Based Health Alliance, is unique in that it is focused on the use of MI strategies when addressing SDOH affecting youth graduation rates. It was designed specifically for school-based health center (SBHC) professionals dedicated to identifying and reducing SDOH risk factors. Through discussion, activities and video this webinar will introduce you to MI strategies in real-world practice to improve your ability to identify SDOH risk, communicate effectively with youth and motivate them toward positive, healthier choices.

Thursday, March 19 at 1:00 pm CT/ 12:00 pm MT

Diabetes Continuum of Care: Team-Based Care

The Special and Vulnerable Population Task Force invites you to join us for this year's multi-part national learning series on diabetes. The live webinars will provide health centers, PCAs, HCCNs, and other partners with more in-depth information and enhanced strategies that focus on improving diabetes control for health center patients. Each webinar will focus on specific strategies for developing, evaluating, and supporting effective health care delivery models designed to meet the specific needs of special and vulnerable populations. Intended audiences include health center staff from clinical &
non-clinical perspectives and from all levels of leadership, PCAs, and HCCNs. Other key stakeholders include government institutions and payers who work with health centers on policy and payment.

Tuesday, March 24 at 1:00pm CT/ 12:00 PM MT
Register here.

CMS Data Highlight: Reporting of Social Determinants of Health Among Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries

A new Data Highlight from CMS provides insight into the reporting of social determinants of health (SDOH) for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries using data from the ICD-10 codes. These codes identify individuals with potential health hazards related to socioeconomic and psychosocial circumstances. The analysis shows that in the future, with an increase in data collection, ICD-10 Z codes offer a great opportunity to standardize the capture of SDOH in medical practice and billing.

Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Notice of Funding Opportunity

HRSA recently released the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) notice of funding opportunity (HRSA-20-031). HRSA plans to award approximately 89 grants to rural communities as part of this funding opportunity. Applications are due by Friday, April 24, in Grants.gov.

Successful RCORP-Implementation award recipients will receive $1 million for a three-year period of performance to enhance and expand substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), service delivery in high-risk rural communities. They will implement a set of core SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery activities that align with HHS' Five-Point Strategy to Combat the Opioid Crisis.

A webinar highlighting the details of the funding opportunity and providing an overview of the application process is open to applicants.

Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Time: 1-2 p.m. ET

Call-In Number: 1-800-369-2015

Participant Code: 5425076

Weblink: https://hrsaseminar.adobeconnect.com/rcorp-implementation-ta/

Playback Number: 1-800-513-1167

Passcode: 52147

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

The American Cancer Society recommends that people at average risk start colorectal cancer screening at age 45. Some people may be at higher risk based on family health history and other risk factors and might need to start testing earlier. Health care providers can make recommendations on when to start screening for colorectal cancer and which test is right for each person.

Currently, many people who should be screened for colorectal cancer are not getting the recommended tests. To help reduce those numbers, organizations nationwide, including health centers, ACS, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are working to increase the percentage of people getting screened for colorectal cancer in every community in the United States. During March, community health centers in the Dakotas will be sharing information about colorectal cancer, screening recommendations, and risk factors.  