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September 20, 2017The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers’ office space at 40 Court Streetin Boston will be undergoing renovations beginning September 6, 2017 through earlyJanuary 2018. Please rest assured that our focus, responsibilities, and schedule willcontinue unabated during this time, and that we will strive to minimize any potentialdisruptions in our important work with our health center members and external partners.Following are elements of the League’s business continuity plan that are focused oncommunication and meeting scheduling throughout the renovations:1. Communicating with League StaffEMAIL: A majority of League staff will be working off site during the renovations; however,they will remain fully accessible to you and your staff, predominately through email.League email addresses contain each staffer’s first name initial followed by their lastname@massleague.org.Example: Angelique Whitney, awhitney@massleague.orgFor a full listing of League staff, click here.PHONE: The League’s phone system will have diminished functionality during therenovation. In the event that you need to reach a staff member by phone, please alert themthrough email. If for some reason you are unable to access a staff member’s email, please
call 617-426-2225 and League Receptionist Angie Whitney will assist you in makingcontact.2. Meetings Regularly Hosted at, or Facilitated by, the LeagueREGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS: No meetings will be hosted at the League fromSeptember 2017 through the beginning of January 2018. Instead, all regularly scheduledmeetings that occur at the League will be moved to alternate locations or hosted throughconference calls or webinars. This planning has been underway for several months. Pleasepay careful attention to all meeting notices to ensure that you have the most up-to-dateinformation on, and sufficient lead time for, new meeting modes, locations and times.LEAGUE FACILITATED MEETINGS: Meetings typically facilitated by the League viawebinar or conference call will continue to be scheduled throughout the renovations.Thanks so much for your patience and know that we remain committed to supporting youas seamlessly as possible over these next few months. Please share this news widely,particularly with your employees who regularly interact with League staff.We look forward to unveiling our more updated and efficient office space in the New Year!On Beacon HillRemoving Restrictions on Nurse Practitioners (NPs) Over halfwaythrough the first year of the two year legislative session, the Mass League continues totrack and prepare for legislative hearings on the bills that impact health centers. One suchbill that is due to receive a public hearing by the Joint Committee on Public Health is HouseBill (HB) 2451 entitled “An Act to contain health care costs and improve access to valuebased nurse practitioner care as recommended by the IOM and FTC.” The Mass Leagueboard voted unanimously to support a previous version of this legislation, which narrowlymissed passage during the 2015-2016 session. Massachusetts remains the only NewEngland state that has not yet removed restrictive barriers to the practice of nursepractitioners, who are critical to improving access to quality, cost effective health careservices. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine released a report noting the negative impact ofthese restrictions to meet those goals and issued a set of recommendations ranking theremoval of these artificial barriers by state legislatures as its number one priority. Providingpatients with full and direct access to NPs does not mean these clinicians will practice inisolation and, like physicians and other health professionals, they will continue to practiceas part of multi-disciplinary teams that encourage and rely upon collaboration, but with the“individual authority” to provide their own expertise consistent with national standards. Ahearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 7, 2017 to receive public commentson Professional Licensure and Scope of Practice bills, including HB2451. The MassLeague is planning to testify, requesting the bill be reported out favorably by committee.
Draft 2017 Massachusetts State Health Assessment (SHA) nowavailable Staff from across the Massachusetts Department of Public Health incollaboration with external stakeholders and subject matter experts guided the update tothe Massachusetts State Health Assessment. The draft SHA is now available for publiccomment on the MDPH website www.mass.gov/dph/healthofmassachusetts. In addition, asurvey to obtain feedback has been established and will be open through September28th. If possible, please review and provide comment. A final version of the document willbe posted by early October.Massachusetts Hospital Association Announces New Presidentand CEO Last week, the Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA) announced thehiring of former State Representative Steven Walsh as the new President and CEO of theAssociation, following Lynn Nicholas who served in this role for over a decade. Walshserved as House Chairman for the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, and was akey architect behind the Chapter 224, before leaving the Legislature to serve as theExecutive Director for the Massachusetts Council for Community Hospitals. Walsh willassume the role on November 1st and immediately be faced with representing the MHA’sinterests during dramatic reforms taking place in Massachusetts’ health care deliverysystem. In all of his previous roles he has maintained a longstanding relationship with LynnCommunity Health Center and has worked closely with the Mass League.Dental Director Mass Health Regulations Webinar Last week the MassLeague held a webinar on a variety of different topics including the new MassHealth Dentalregulations, code changes, Yankee Dental 2018, and policy updates on dental therapists.Click here to view slides, handouts and audio.Important MassHealth Billing Update New Mailing Address for MassHealthProvider and Claims Documents: Effective immediately, MassHealth has established twonew Post Office (P.O.) boxes that MassHealth providers must use for mail correspondence.These providers include nonbilling providers who order, refer, and prescribe services. Formore information on the new mailing addresses please click here.Legislature Planning To Vote On FY18 Budget VetoOverrides Contrary to reports, the Massachusetts House of Representatives did nottake up Governor Baker’s vetoes to the Legislature’s FY18 spending plan. In July,Governor Baker cut 320 million from the 40.2 billion budget, and urged the Legislature torevisit his MassHealth reform proposals that included an assessment on employers. Newlyappointed Chairman of House Ways and Means expressed confidence that dollars will beadded back to the budget, reportedly restoring funds for MassHealth, as well as programsand services, like HIV programs. While tax collections over the summer do not appear tohave exceeded expectations, legislators are increasingly expressing a confidence in therestoration of funds, estimated at 274.7 million. Returning funds to MassHealth to addresscaseload costs will account for approximately 220 million of the overrides. Since theHouse did not address the Governor’s vetoes last week, it is expected that they will soon.Oral Health Battle Resumes On Beacon Hill Last week, advocates came
out to testify to the Joint Committee of Public Health in favor of bills that would establish anew type of mid-level dental provider called a dental therapist (S 1169/H 2474). Arguing infavor of the bill and stating that it will promote better access and affordability were Healthand Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders, Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley,Senator Harriett Chandler, Representative William Pignatelli, and many others. TheMassachusetts Dental Society supports another dental therapist bill (HB2820) that requiresdental therapists to receive more direct supervision and education, and to serve onlyMassHealth patients in federally designated dental health provider shortage areas and/or ata Federally Qualified Health Center. For more information please click here.On Capitol HillRevived Effort to Repeal and Replace ACA On September 13, a new billwas introduced as the “Cassidy-Graham Bill” aimed at delivering on the Republicanpromise to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This latest proposal was introduced by SenatorsBill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and appears to be gaining steam inthese waning days of the fiscal year. A vote on this proposal could come before the Senatein the next few days. Similar to other failed proposals, it is anticipated that this bill wouldalso result in millions of people losing access to coverage. It would dismantle many of themajor ACA’s programs and shifts funding to states to run their own health careprograms. Subsidies to assist individuals to buy health insurance policies would beeliminated, as well as reimbursements to insurers who offer breaks in cost sharing to lowincome beneficiaries. It ends Medicaid expansion and the Basic Health Program, and usesthe funding to create block grants that would particularly benefit the non-expansion statesand those states with lower health care costs. 31 states and Washington, D.C. adopted theMedicaid expansions. The proposal also weakens the pre-existing condition protectionsprovided under the ACA. Unfortunately, due to the expedited process for this bill to beconsidered, it is unlikely that a comprehensive analysis would be provided by theCongressional Budget Office (CBO) before a vote is taken. A sticking point that preventeda previous bill from passing was the cuts to Medicaid, and that appears to still be an issuewith this bill. The sponsors pointed out their attempt to address a “fairness” issue throughthis plan where four states, including Massachusetts, purportedly get more than a third ofthe money spent on the ACA due to the size of their Medicaid population, high state healthcare costs or large populations.The vote must take place before September 30 before the bill authorizing work on repealingthe ACA expires. Focus returns to Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and LisaMurkowski of Alaska, who opposed earlier repeal bills because they did too much damageto Medicaid, as well as Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) who voted no based on the nontraditional process and the failure to secure bi-partisan support.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, joined a bipartisan group of 10 governors whowrote a letter to Senate leaders urging in opposition to the latest health care repeal billoffered by Republicans.Advocacy Update If Congress fails to take action by September 30, health centerfunding will drop by 70%. We must demand Congress take action this month to fix thehealth center funding cliff and protect the vital services they provide to 27 millionpatients. Your advocacy is working – Congress has started concrete work to fix the HealthCenter Funding Cliff! Both of our Senators have signed the Blunt-Stabenow Health CenterCliff Letter addressed to the Senate HELP Committee asking for an extension of currentHealth Center Program funding. Now we need our Representatives to Co-Sponsor H.R.3770, the Community Health Improvement, Modernization & Excellence (CHIME) Act of2017, being sponsored by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). Click here to contact them – andremember to get your friends, families, and colleagues involved! Also as a reminder,Monday September 25 is another National Call-in Day. Use 1-866-456-3949 to reach yourmembers and ask them to take action. This past Monday we ranked #7 as a state for callsmade – let’s see if we can do even better!Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Releases Single-Payer Plan Last week, SenatorSanders introduced his “Medicare for All” plan, aimed at transitioning the nation over thecourse of four years to a coverage system where more Americans have access toMedicare. During the first year of the proposal, benefits for those eligible (including peopleover 55) would include hearing, vision and dental coverage, and children would be coveredup to age 18. The legislative proposal lowers the eligible age to 45 in the second year, andto age 35 in the third year. All Americans would we eligible by year 4. It remains uncertainhow the Senator definitively proposes to fund the shift to universal coverage, but optionsinclude an income-based premium paid by employers or individuals or tax savings madeunnecessary under the proposal. His press conference highlighted a growing number ofDemocratic Senators who have signed on in support, and seems to indicate a groundswellwithin the party to move to more liberal policy proposals. “Health care for all is not only amoral issue, it is an economic issue,” said Sanders. “The function of a rational health caresystem is to provide quality health care to all in a cost-effective way and not to continue asystem which allows insurance companies and drug companies to make hundreds ofbillions of dollars in profits each year.”HRSA Announces Availability of New Uniform Data SystemPerformance Data Collection Environment (PDCE) aka UDSSandbox Environment As part of Uniform Data System (UDS) Modernizationefforts, HRSA recently released a new functionality in the Electronic Handbooks (EHB).Health centers will now have the option to access the UDS reporting environment earlier prior to January 1, 2018. The aim of this new feature is to reduce health center reportingburden and improve data quality. The Performance Data Collection Environment (PDCE)allows health centers to become familiar with the UDS reporting environment, as well asenter and validate available data for the 2017 UDS reporting period before the “official”reporting window opens on January 1, 2018. This action is optional, and health centerscan still choose to enter their 2017 UDS data starting on January 1, 2018 during thetraditional UDS reporting period. Click HERE to access the EHB PDCE reporting portal
under ‘My Tasks’.HRSA Health Center Program Compliance Manual Released BPHCreleased the long-awaited Health Center Program Compliance Manual and anaccompanying FAQ document and a Summary of Comments and HRSA Responsesdocument last week. Having received more than 700 comments to its draft manualreleased last year, HRSA’s updated Compliance Manual is meant to assist current andpotential health centers in understanding and demonstrating compliance with Health CenterProgram requirements and the Federal Torts Claims Act medical malpractice liabilityprotection program. The manual will contribute to a stronger Health Center Program that isbetter positioned to improve the health of the Nation’s underserved communities andvulnerable populations by assuring access to comprehensive, culturally competent, qualityprimary health care services. BPHC plans to periodically update the FAQ document andpost additional technical assistance materials on its website, including an updated Site VisitGuide. In addition, BPHC will host an All-Programs webcast in September to review theimplementation plan for the Compliance Manual and to answer any additionalquestions. League staff will be reviewing the Manual and providing additional resources. Ifyou have general questions about the manual, you may contact the BPHC Helpline onlineor by phone: 877-974-BPHC (2742) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT, Monday throughFriday (except Federal holidays). For specific questions related to your health center,please contact your project officer. Questions can also be directed to Mass Leaguecontacts; Mary Ellen McIntyre or Barbara Proffitt.2017 Uniform Data System (UDS) Manual is Now Available The 2017manual describes the annual UDS reporting requirements for all health centers that receivefederal award funds (grantees) as well as for look-alikes under the Health CenterProgram. This comprehensive guide helps health centers understand the framework ofreporting requirements, including data submissions on patients, operations, and clinicalperformance. The manual provides: An introduction and overview of the UDS;Instructions for completing each of the tables; andInformation on how to submit the data through HRSA’s EHB.Find the 2017 UDS Manual on the UDS Resources page.HRSA Health Center Volunteer Health Professional FTCA ProgramAssistance Letter (PAL) 2017-06 Released HRSA recently issued a PAL2017-06: 2017 Health Center Volunteer Health Professional Federal Tort Claims Act(FTCA) Deeming Application Instructions to describe the process and requirements forFTCA Health Centers that wish to have their Health Center Volunteers deemed under theFTCA program. This is a new opportunity for Health Centers who engage volunteerproviders and is a separate supplemental deeming process from the Health Center FTCAdeeming application. Effective October 1, 2017, the HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHB)system will begin accepting applications from sponsoring health centers applying fordeemed PHS employee status for volunteer health professionals. Click here for moreinformation.
Become an ACE Today!.In order to bolster advocacy efforts, the NACHCAdvocacy Team has launched an initiative called the Advocacy Centers of Excellence(ACE) Program. The intention of the program is to build advocacy infrastructure andcapacity on the ground so that Health Centers are ready to act on issues impacting HealthCenters at the local, state, and federal levels. Join other Health Centers from across thecountry in achieving advocacy excellence and apply to be an ACE today!Worth NotingTropical Storm Jose continues to impact coastal communities and the islands ofMassachusetts. The storm is expected to continue pushing further east away from thecoast and to pass offshore of southeastern Massachusetts by Thursday. Generally, theCape and Islands, and southeastern MA, will experience conditions similar to a strongnor’easter. For the most up to date information about the storm, visitwww.weather.gov/boston, www.nhc.noaa.gov, and www.mass.gov/mema. Did you knowSeptember is National Preparedness Month? And the deadline for readiness for the CMSRule for Emergency Preparedness just weeks away! Want to know more? Contact TinaWright.Other helpful emergency-management/Announcing the Hurricane Community Health Fund Earlier this week,Direct Relief announced the creation of the Hurricane Community Health Fund, acollaboration among the Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC), theFlorida Association of Community Health Centers (FACHC), the National Association ofCommunity Health Centers (NACHC), and the National Association of Free and CharitableClinics (NAFC) and Direct Relief, which will manage the fund. The fund will be used solelyfor the benefit of hurricane-affected communities and people – particularly those who havelow incomes, lack insurance, and are among the most vulnerable residents – and will bedirected to community health centers and free and charitable clinics in Texas and Florida,and other areas impacted by these catastrophic storms. To learn more and to donate, clickhere.The National Health Care for the Homeless Council LearningCollaborative Opportunity - PhotoVoice: Telling the Story ofHomelessness through the Eyes of People Without Homes TheNational Health Care for the Homeless Council invites health centers and organizationsserving people without homes to take part in our PhotoVoice Learning Collaborative toshare the stories of your community, work to address stigma, and engage in communitydialogues on the experience of homelessness and solutions to end it.This community
initiative will engage participants to document their lived experiences of homelessnessthrough photographs and journal entries. These materials will be featured in local andnational exhibits to increase awareness, decrease stigma, and empower participants toshare their stories and engage attendees in constructive dialogues.Applications are due Friday, October 6th, 2017, by midnight CDT. Learn more andapply here. If you have any questions about the Learning Collaborative or the applicationprocess, please contact Brett Poe, Research Associate.Make a Plan During NationalPreparedness Month Friday, September 1,marked the beginning of National PreparednessMonth (NPM) 2017. This year’s theme is DisastersDon’t Plan Ahead. You Can. In addition to theoverarching theme for the month, each week has atheme highlighting different preparedness actions.The focus for the third week of NPM, September 1723, is, Practice and Build Out Your Plans. Learnhow to plan with the following steps from the ReadyCampaign: Complete an Emergency Financial First AidKit (EFFAK) Maintain emergency savings for use in case of an emergency Participate in an emergency drill Know how to access community resources (e.g., shelters, food banks)If you plan to host a preparedness event, we encourage you to share it on thePrepareathon website. You can find more resources for National Preparedness Month,including the NPM social media toolkit, at www.ready.gov/september.5K Walk/Run to Combat SUDs Stigma.SHATTERPROOF, an organizationthat supports families affected by addiction, is sponsoring Boston’s first-ever 5K road racededicated to raising awareness about substance use disorders. Rise Up AgainstAddiction will take place on Sunday, September 24, 2017. Registration is free. Click hereto learn more and sign up!Upcoming Meetings & Events
Mass League Fall Membership Retreat The Massachusetts League ofCommunity Health Centers Fall Membership Retreat will take place October 24th. CHCExecutive Directors are invited to bring up to two guests to this year’s Fall MembershipRetreat. For additional information about the agenda and overnight rooms please clickhere. We look forward to seeing you in Sturbridge.NHP/Partners HealthCare to Host Learning Community Forum Comehear about cutting-edge health care delivery initiatives currently underway at severalMassachusetts community health centers. The projects, made possible by support fromNeighborhood Health Plan and Partners HealthCare, are focused on the role health coachesand medical social workers can play in tackling the social determinants of health; the impact oftelehealth solutions on improving patient health outcomes and health access; and the value ofbuilding a population-based approach for addressing opioid dependence.Learning Community ForumTuesday, September 26, 2017 9:30 AM – 1:00 PMNHP/Partners HealthCareAssembly Row, West Lobby 399 Revolution DriveSomerville, MAPlease RSVP by s from the National LGBT Health Education Center TransECHOcohort is now accepting applications for the 2017 – 2018 program. Through the use of thegroundbreaking Project ECHO model, TransECHO creates a network of health centers andfaculty expertise to increase clinician access to knowledge and support needed to provideculturally-responsible, comprehensive, primary care for transgender and gender non-conformingpatients. This program is recommended for providers seeing transgender and gender nonconforming patients who have an interest in the opportunity to tap into the collaborative power ofhealth center teams and public health experts. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Alldecisions will be communicated by no later than October 2, 2017. For more information and theapplication, please click here.The Critical Management Skills for Health Center Managers &Supervisors is coming to Sturbridge on October 17 & 18 This intensive,highly interactive two-day training enables community health center managers and supervisorsto develop and hone critical skills to successfully lead and manage employees in today'schallenging and fast-changing community health center environment. A limited number ofovernight rooms at the Publick House in Sturbridge, MA are being held under theMassachusetts League of Community Health Centers room block at a rate of 125 tax. Pleaseclick here for more information, a detailed agenda and the registration information.Mass League Dental Directors Meeting This meeting will take placeWednesday, November 8, 2017 from 9:00AM-4:00PM Topics: Agenda to be posted soon, buttopics that will be covered at this meeting: Retention, Recruitment and Provider Satisfaction forOral Health workforce, MassHealth and HSN- new regulations and payment discussion, HPVand oral cancer, Dental Quality Metrics- benchmarking and best practices, peer networking
time. This meeting is open to dental directors, and/or any appointed interested staff representingdental department. To register for this meeting please click here.Is Inequality Bad For Our Health Join Trinity Church Boston November 11–12 forthe 3rd Annual 3rd Annual Anne Berry Bonnyman Symposium. Featured speakers include: MARepresentative Jeffrey Sanchez, Dr. Nancy Krieger, Professor of Social Epidemiology, HarvardT. H. Chan School of Public Health; and Bishop Dwayne Royster, founding pastor of LivingWater United Church of Christ in Philadelphia, & Political Director of PICO (People ImprovingCommunities through Organizing). Click here for the flyer.Upcoming League Events - Save the Dates October 24, 2017 - League’s Fall Membership Retreat at the Publick House Historic Inn inSturbridge, MA. Link with more information can be found above.January 9, 2018 – Uniform Data System Training – Courtyard Boston Downtown, TremontStreet, BostonMay 16 – 18, 2018 – League’s Annual Community Health Institute (CHI) at the Sea Crest BeachHotel in North Falmouth, MA
call 617-426-2225 and League Receptionist Angie Whitney will assist you in making contact. 2. Meetings Regularly Hosted at, or Facilitated by, the League REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS: No meetings will be hosted at the League from September 2017 through the beginning of January 2018. Instead, all regularly scheduled meetings that occur at the League will be moved to alternate locations or .
