September 30, 2011 | Vol. 5 #35
The MPCA e-Update is a weekly
e-bulletin intended to keep MPCA members updated on issues important to
Community Health Centers. Please feel free to forward this to interested
individuals, or they may request to be added to the distribution list by registering here. Information from outside organizations does not
represent an endorsement by MPCA, and opinions expressed by outside authors
are not necessarily official positions or policies of MPCA.
MEMBER NEWS
MPCA Services
Available for HRSA Capital Development Applicants
October 12 is the deadline for submitting applications via Grants.gov for HRSA's Capital Development Building
Capacity (BC) AND Immediate Facility Improvement (IFI) funding
opportunities. The following MPCA staff members are available to help you
prepare your proposals:
- Assist with needs statements: Jon Villasurda jvillasurda@mpca.net
- Provide letters of support, facilitate requests for
letters of support from the State of Michigan: Andrea Charlton acharlton@mpca.net. Submit requests to Andrea
accompanied by a project abstract no later than October 21. Applicants
are also strongly encouraged to seek letters of support and advocacy
from their Members of Congress.
- Review draft applications: Neal Colburn ncolburn@mpca.net. Please submit BC draft
applications to Neal by October 26, and submit IFI draft applications
to Neal by November 8. Applicants are also invited to submit sections
of draft applications for review on a rolling basis.
Capital Link Providing Series of
Capital Development Webinars in October
This series of webinars hosted
by Capital Link are designed to offer useful information for Health Centers
in the midst of capital development. There is no charge to participate in
the webianrs, but participation is limited to the first 100 registrants.Click here to register. Contact Joe McKelvey at jmckelvey@caplink.org or
202.331.4602 with questions.
- The Secret to Financing Your Capital Project
Affordably: What Others Don't Know (October 12, 19, 2-3 pm ET)
- Payer Mix and Patient Growth Forecasting (October 18, 2-3 pm ET)
- Planning Inside and Outside the Health Center:
Strategic Community Assessment (October 27, 2-3 pm ET)
You Are Invited to a Medicaid
EHR Incentive Program Webinar
MPCA and MDCH are hosting a webinar next Wednesday, October 5, at
12:30-1:30 pm to provide an overview of the registration process for
receiving incentive dollars through the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.
Jason Werner, the state lead for administrating the program, will explain
the necessary registration steps and discuss areas that providers have
found difficult to complete. There will be time for Q & A. Click here to register. If you have questions about the
webinar, please contact Fay Thiel at fthiel@virtualchc.net.
Alcona Health
Centers Among First Group of Providers to Receive Medicaid EHR Incentive
Payments
In a press release distributed this week, MDCH recognized Alcona Health
Centers for being among the first group of providers to receive incentive
payments through the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. To date, MDCH has
distributed $9.3 million in incentive payments to qualified Michigan health
care providers who serve Medicaid patients and are beginning to use EHRs.
An additional $69 million is expected to be paid in the next month. Read more
HRSA Issues PAL
2011-10 for FQHC 'Look-Alikes'
Beginning in January 2012, FQHC 'Look-Alikes' will be required to submit
certain data to HRSA through the HRSA Electronic Handbooks rather than
through paper applications. Read more
25 Michigan CHCs
Receive Funding to Support Quality Improvement, Access to Primary Care
HHS announced on Thursday a total of $47 million in Health Center Quality
Improvement and Patient Centered Medical Home Supplemental Funding to
Health Centers and community-based organizations across the country,
including 25 Michigan Organizations. Read more
MPCA Added Campaign
for America's Health Centers Button to Website
MPCA added a Campaign for America's Health Centers button to the homepage
of its website to help spread the word about the Campaign and
guide people to the website www.saveourchcs.org. The Campaign, a project of NACHC,
is dedicated to preserving, strengthening, and expanding America's Health
Centers and protecting them from the threats they face today. Click here to learn how you can add the button to your
organization's website too.
Is Your Community In
Need of Care? Spread the Word!
In late 2010, non-profit organizations in over 800 communities in need of
primary care -- including 25 in Michigan -- submitted applications for
funding as new Health Center organizations or delivery sites. Each one of
these communities documented a real need for access to care for its
residents. Yet, after $600 million dollars was cut from expected health
center funding, just 67 applications were funded and tens of thousands of
people who would have had a health care home will now continue to go
without care or have to turn to costlier settings like emergency rooms or
hospitals for care. The Campaign for America's Health Centers wants to document
the need for access to care and the efforts in these communities to
establish a Health Center so that we can continue the fight to make sure
that the residents of these communities -- and all underserved Americans --
have access to care. If your organization was one of the 800+ applicants
who are trying to bring a Health Center to your community, click here to tell your story.
Heart of the City
Health Center Holds Ribbon Cutting, Open House
Read more
Baby Born for 1st
Time in 25-year History of Battle Creek's Family Health Center
Read more
Click here for media coverage of Michigan Community
Health Centers.
Governor Snyder
Signs Bill Establishing 1% Tax on Health Care Claims
Last week Governor Snyder signed the two bills passed by the state legislature
this summer that eliminate the existing 6% use tax on Medicaid managed care
organizations and establish a 1% tax on health care claims to preserve
Medicaid funding. Read more
Bill Introduced in
Senate for Establishing State-Based Exchange
Senator Jim Marleau (R-12th District) introduced legislation last week that
would establish the MiHealth Marketplace as a nonprofit clearinghouse for
health insurance in the state. SB 693 has been referred to the Senate Committee on
Health Policy. Click here for an analysis of the bill by Michigan
Consumers for Healthcare.
Public Invited to
Comment on Federal Mental Health Grant Application
MDCH has submitted an application to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) for $12,532,381 in Community Mental Health
Block Grant funding for FY 2012. This annual funding is used to improve
public community-based mental health services for adults who have serious
mental illness and for children who have serious emotional disturbance. The
public is invited to submit comments via email or attend the next Advisory
Council on Mental Illness to present comments in person. Click here to access the plan.
Stakeholders From
Across Michigan Gathered Last Week to Address Obesity
Last Wednesday, September 21, MDCH gathered together stakeholders from
across the state to identify strategies that will reduce obesity and
improve the health of Michigan residents. Read more
Infant Mortality
Summit October 17
Similar to the Obesity Summit held last week, MDCH is holding Infant
Mortality Summit in Ann Arbor on October 17. The deadline for registering
to attend the summit is October 5. Read more
Michigan, Detroit
Receive Funding for HIV/AIDS Care and Medications
HRSA announced more than $1.89 billion in funding this week to
states/territories and cities to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS
continue to have access to life-saving health care and medications.
Michigan received $17,985,293 under Part B of the Ryan White Program.
Detroit received $8,939,656 under Part A of the Ryan White Program. Read more
Sault Ste. Marie
Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Spectrum Health Hospitals Among Recipients of
Federal Community Transformation Grants
Approximately $103 million in Community Transformation Grants was awarded
to a total of 61 states and communities this week to fight chronic disease.
The funding will support efforts to tackle the root causes of chronic
diseases -- such as smoking, poor diet and lack of physical activity
-- and to transform where residents live, work, play and go to school so
they can lead healthier, more productive lives. The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe
of Chippewa Indians received an implementation award, and Spectrum Health
Hospitals in Kent County received a capacity-building award. Read more
Washtenaw Community
Health Organization Receives SAMHSA Funding to Support HIT
SAMHSA announced up to $13.2 million in new grants to support the expansion
of HIT in health care settings that serve people with mental and substance
abuse use disorders. Washtenaw Community Health Organization received
$199,987. Read more
Continuing Education
Opportunities at Regional Immunization Conferences
With a registration fee of only $50, attending an upcoming Michigan
Regional Immunization Conference is an excellent opportunity for nurses,
physicians, and pharmacists to get continuing education. Registration is
still open for the following dates/locations: Oct. 5 (East Lansing), Oct.
18 (Gaylord), Oct. 20 (Marquette), Nov. 1 (Bay City), Nov. 2 (Troy), and
Nov. 9 (Kalamazoo). The Oct. 6 (Dearborn) and Nov. 10 (Grand Rapids)
conferences are already filled. A keynote speaker from CDC will present a
Vaccine Update and also participate in a Troubleshooting Panel at each
conference location. Go to www.register2011.mihealth.org for the schedule of
keynote speakers and to register.
FY 2012
Appropriations Moving Through House, Senate
The good news is that the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee
approved legislation last week that, if passed, would fund the Health
Centers program at a total programmatic level of $2.78 billion. This amount
of funding would maintain current levels of federal grant support and all
existing operations at Health Centers, and would extend access to care to
over 1.5 million additional people in need of care. The bad news is the
House Appropriations Committee released its draft FY 2012 Labor-HHS funding bill yesterday. While it
includes $2.6 billion in funding for the Health Centers Program, it
rescinds the $1.2 billion Health Center Trust Fund established under the
Affordable Care Act. The bill does include language to ensure that no
Health Centers are closed. Rescinding the Trust Fund would leave funding
levels of the Health Centers Program exclusively to the appropriations
process, since without the Trust Fund the program would be funded solely by
base appropriations. This makes advocacy critically important! We MUST
ensure every Member of Congress understands the importance of adequately
funding the Health Centers program, both through appropriations and the
Trust Fund, to preserve care for existing Health Center patients and
provide for expansion of the cost-effective Health Center model of care.
Please mark your calendar to participate in the National Mobilization
Call-In Day on October 13 -- see the article below.
Save the Date:
National Mobilization Call-In Day October 13
NACHC has coordinated a National Mobiilization Call-In Day for October 13, an
opportunity for Health Center supporters across the country to unite with
one voice to call upon Congress and the White House to Save Our CHCs.
President Obama and Congressional leaders are considering proposals to
address federal spending that could zero out funding for the Health Centers
Program or drastically cut critically important programs like Medicaid, so
it is critical that EVERY Health Center advocate call the White House and
their Members of Congress on October 13. To receive a reminder and
instructional emails about participating in the National Mobilization
Call-In Day, join the Campaign for America's Health Centers at www.saveourchcs.org/join-the-campaign.cfm.
Obama Administration Asks
Supreme Court to Rule on Health Care
This week the Obama Administration asked the Supreme Court to hear a case
concerning the Affordable Care Act. Read more
HHS Launches New
Affordable Care Act Initiative to Strengthen Primary Care
Through the new Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative, a collaboration
modeled after innovative practices developed by large employers and leading
private health insurers in the private sector, Medicare will work with
commercial and state health insurance plans to offer additional support to
primary care doctors who better coordinate care for their patients. Read more
HRSA Awards Funding
to Integrate Oral Health Care into School-Based Health Centers
HRSA announced nearly $2.3 million in awards this week to organizations in
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, and New York to support the
integration of oral health care into existing SBHCs that are not
grant-supported FQHCs. Read more
Call for
Abstracts: 2012 National School-Based Health Care Convention
The National Association for School Based Health Centers is accepting
abstract submissions for the 2012 National School-Based Health Care
Convention to be held in New Mexico June 24-27, 2012. The convention's
theme is Diverse
Directions for School-Based Health Care: Hot Topics for Our Future.
Would you like to share your expertise, best practices, resources, and
tools with school-based health care professionals? The deadline for
submitting abstracts is November 4. Read more
GAO Report
Recommends Greater Oversight of 340B Program
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report last week that
highlights the benefits of the 340B program but identifies the need for
improved federal oversight. Read more
Transforming
Community Health Centers into Patient-Centered Medical Homes: The Role of
Payment Reform
This report examines how changes in the way FQHCs are financed could
support the transformation of these critical safety-net providers into high
performing patient-centered medical homes. Read more
CDC Takes New Steps
to Combat Childhood Obesity
The CDC's new Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project is a four-year effort
to help combat childhood obesity by building on existing effective health
care and community strategies to support children's healthy eating and
active living. The project will target children ages 2-12 years covered by
CHIP. Read more
Medicare Revalidation: What
FQHCHs Need to Know
This article on NACHC's The
Policy Shop blog explains the Medicare revalidation process and
the impact to FQHCs. Read more
Influenza Resources
The 2011-12 influenza season is here and it is recommended that everyone 6
months and older get a flu vaccine. The MDCH Influenza website contains up-to-date information
about the 2011-12 flu season, including current influenza activity in the
state and links to the CDC. MDCH has also made available some new
resources, including posters that you can download and print and influenza
vaccine updates. Carolee Besteman, RN, MSN, MPCA's Clinical Consultant
hosted an influenza update webinar this week. If you missed it and would
like to access the Health Center-specific information she shared, email her
at cbesteman@mpca.net.
"Find a Health Center"
Apps
Last week HRSA launched a "Find a Health Center" Android
application to help individuals in communities across the country locate a
Health Center near them. HRSA already has made similar apps available for
downloading on the iPhone and any other smartphone. Read more
CHC Chat
Over the past seven months, a growing number of individuals, groups and
Health Centers from across Canada, the United States, and around the world
have been gathering on Twitter each Thursday at 3-4 pm ET for an online
discussion forum focused on diverse topics in inter-professional,
community-oriented primary health care. There is no cost to participate and
the forum is very welcoming -- even if you and your Health Center are
completely new to Twitter. In fact, CHC Chat (#CHCchat) is the perfect
place to find help and support about the 'brave new world' of social media
-- free of charge, and from a community health perspective! Click here for a list of upcoming CHC Chat
topics/dates, as well as transcripts from past CHC Chats.
- AmeriCorps Community Navigators, Michigan Primary
Care Association, Metro Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing
- Nurse Clinic Manager, Covenant Community Care,
Detroit, MI
- Chief Financial Officer, Cassopolis Family Clinic,
Cassopolis, MI
- Billing & Coding Coordinator, Family Health
Center, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI
- Billing & Coding Specialist, Family Health
Center, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI
Click here
for career opportunities in Michigan Community Health Centers. Or,
subscribe to the MPCA career opportunities RSS feed - click here.
UPCOMING MPCA EVENTS
Medicaid EHR
Incentive Program Webinar
October 5, 12:30-1:30 pm
Conducting Employee Stay Interviews
Hosted by the MPCA HR
Network
October 12, 2011, 10 am
MPCA Health Policy
Committee Conference Call
October 17, 2011, 3 pm
MPCA Board Meeting
October 24, 2011, 4 pm
The H Hotel, Midland, MI
MPCA Board Strategic
Planning
October 25, 2011
The H Hotel, Midland,
MI
UPCOMING STATE & NATIONAL
EVENTS
Community Conversations on
Health Care Reform
October 4, Marquette, MI
October 5, Traverse City, MI
October 17, Mt. Pleasant
These community conversations hosted by Michigan Consumers for Healthcare
are an opportunity to discuss health care reform as it pertains to Michigan
consumers.
Managed Care Webinar Series
October 12, 19, 26,
2011, 2-3:30 PM ET
As a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, managed care
will account for an increasing amount of revenue for health centers serving
medically underserved populations. State trends indicate that
Medicaid programs will turn to managed care to control costs.
Furthermore, many patients who were previously uninsured and served by
health centers will purchase subsidized coverage from managed care
organizations (MCOs) operating in State health benefit exchanges. This
three-part webinar series will explore the key financial, clinical, and
operational considerations for participating in MCOs. At the end of the
webinar series, participants will receive a hardcopy of The Managed Care Handbook: A
Practical Guide for Health Centers, a resource manual created
by Feldesman Tucker and NACHC.
Click here for
a list of upcoming events to be held by other organizations in Michigan and
across the country.
Michigan Primary Care
Association
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