Patient Navigator Facilitation Skills Workshop

An Interactive workshop for patient navigators looking to enhance group faciliation skills will learn about various learning styles and how to work with challenging participants. You will assess your skills, understand your strengths, and learn ways to improve group facilitation. All experience levels welcome. Dates/Time: June 22 & 23, 8:30-5 p.m. (note: These dates have been updated since our last announcement) Location: Community First Foundation, 5855 Wadsworth Bypass, Unit A Arvada, CO Click here to register For additional workshops for Patient Navigators click here. [Source: Patient Navigator Training Collaborative]

Save the Week! Safety Net Clinic Week August 15-19, 2016!

The 7th Annual Safety Net Clinic Week (SNCW) will take place August 15-19. In an effort to celebrate, support and raise awareness for Colorado’s health care safety net, the week is devoted to educating the public, policymakers and other community leaders about Colorado’s Community Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs). More details are to come so be sure to check in with the Safety Net Scene and our website for details!

Telehealth Funding Opportunity

As part of The Colorado Health Foundation's strategy to strengthen the delivery of comprehensive, person-centered primary care, this funding opportunity will build capacity in primary care clinics for the implementation of telehealth services. Funding will support up to $100,000 for costs associated with the purchase of telehealth equipment and/or the employment of workflow or billing consultants. Private practices may also apply for low interest loans.  Applications need to focus on:

• Teleconferencing between providers and patients
• Telemonitoring to increase regular contact with care providers and monitor conditions
• Other innovative telehealth programs that increase access to comprehensive, coordinated primary care services through health-related technology

This funding opportunity is designed to increase access to comprehensive, coordinated care through telehealth services. To be considered for funding, applicants must meet this specific criteria.

Open Grant Deadlines: June 15, 2016, Oct. 15, 2016

ClinicNET Affiliate, Senior Mobile Dental, is interested in partnering with a medical clinic interested in integrating oral health care. Telehealth would be a great first step! Senior Mobile Dental would handle the oral aspect of the telehealth program. They already have teledental imaging machinery in place. If interested, please contact their Exec. Director, Michelle Vacha R.D.H.,B.S., at Michelle@SeniorMobileDental.org or 719-339-2195.

Overtime Rule Effective December 1, 2016

On May 18, 2016 the Administration announced the release of the Final Rule from the Department of Labor regarding overtime regulations for workers and organizations.  According to the Department of Labor website, Key Provisions of the Final Rule are:

1. Sets the standard salary level at the 40th percentile of earnings of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-wage Census Region, currently the South ($913 per week; $47,476 annually for a full-year worker);
2. Sets the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (HCE) subject to a minimal duties test to the annual equivalent of the 90th percentile of full-time salaried workers nationally ($134,004); and
3. Establishes a mechanism for automatically updating the salary and compensation levels every three years to maintain the levels at the above percentiles and to ensure that they continue to provide useful and effective tests for exemption.
4. Additionally, the Final Rule amends the salary basis test to allow employers to use nondiscretionary bonuses and incentive payments (including commissions) to satisfy up to 10 percent of the new standard salary level.
5. The effective date of the final rule is December 1, 2016. The initial increases to the standard salary level (from $455 to $913 per week) and HCE total annual compensation requirement (from $100,000 to $134,004 per year) will be effective on that date. Future automatic updates to those thresholds will occur every three years, beginning on January 1, 2020.

To read the fact sheet for non-profits please visit https://www.dol.gov/sites/default/files/overtime-nonprofit.pdf
To read the guidance for non-profits please visit https://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime/final2016/nonprofit-guidance.pdf

Free Department of Labor Webinars about the Overtime Final Rule

June 2, 2016, 1:00pm - 2:30pm, EST https://goo.gl/o6AnXn

June 9, 2016, 1:00pm - 2:30pm, EST https://goo.gl/6V5WSO

[Source: National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics]

How to Foster Effective Communication with Patients and Families

"The National Center for Medical Home Implementation (NCMHI) is hosting the second webinar in a three part series focusing on advancing health equity and care quality in the pediatric medical home. Communicating effectively with all patients and families is crucial in providing care consistent with the medical home model. This webinar will identify effective visual, verbal, and written communication tools that can be used in practice for all patients and families, including those with limited English proficiency and health literacy".  Register Now!

Find out more information about the NCMHI 2016 Webinar Series

[Source: NCMHI]

The State Legislative Session is over!

Click here to review a Legislative Session Summary provided by Frontline Public Affairs.

You may recall the Governor's proposed FY 2016-17 budget did not initially include the continuation of the enhanced payments for Medicaid primary care services. However, thanks to the grassroots advocacy, media efforts, and direct lobbying of the Colorado Primary Care Alliance (a coalition of 20+ organizations), the Legislature authorized the transfer of $20 million in funds for the continuation of rate enhancements (87.3% of Medicare) for the following selected codes only:

• Office Visit  (99201-99205, 99211-99215)
• Preventive Medicine visits  (99381-99397)
• Newborn (99460-99465, 99477-99486) 
• Immunization Administration (90460-90461, 90471-90474)
• Counseling and Health Risk Assessments (99401-99414, 99417-99429)
• Critical Care Visit - Neonatal and Pediatric (99466-99476)

These funds are one-time and not built into the Medicaid rate base. Be sure to read HCPF's May 2016 Provider Bulletin for an official announcement!  The Alliance will be meeting to debrief on this year’s efforts and develop a go-forward strategy for FY 2017-18. Thank you to the many ClinicNET affiliates and partner organizations that participated in the advocacy efforts!

Questions? Contact Brooke Powers at brooke.powers@clinicnet.org 

Tips and Instructions for Submitting the Primary Care Fund (PCF) Application

This information is provided in response to questions raised at the annual conference held on May 3, 2016.

Email Submission
Beginning this year, PCF applications are to be submitted via email. Please submit your completed application and other necessary documentation (sliding fee scale, letter from outside entity, etc.) to primary.care@state.co.us  Primary Care Fund staff monitor this emailbox daily.

Creating Files to Submit
Instructions for submitting this year's application are found on Page 9 of the application.

Additional tips:

1. Upon completion of your application and required attachments (Sliding Fee Scale, Waiver, Certification by Outside Entity, etc.) please print/scan them to a PDF.
2. Each applicant will submit several separate PDF files as part of their application (see p. 9 of the Application).  These files may all be attached to one email, or separate emails may be submitted if the applicant agencies' email systems have file size limitations.
3. Please include your clinic name as part of the file naming structure.  For example:  Clinic Name Application Response, Clinic Name Sliding Fee Schedule, Clinic Name Certification by Outside Entity, Clinic Name Letter from Outside Entity, etc.
4. Applicants who submit a Waiver do not need to enter any text in questions #3 - 7 and may exclude questions #3 - #7 when creating their scanned Application Response file to submit.  (This is not mandatory.  It is also permissible for a Waiver applicant to respond to all questions within #3 - #7 by entering in "N/A" or "waived" and then including these pages in the scanned PDF file created for submission.)
5. The signed "Confirmation by Applicant Agency" (p. 35 of the blank application form) must be signed and scanned in to be included in the Application Response file.

File Size Limitations
Given the estimated file size of completed Primary Care Fund Applications, the Department does not expect any issues related to file size limitations that would prohibit the electronic receipt of submissions by the Department.

Emergency Medicaid in Uninsured Count
If you provide primary care services to patients while they are eligible for Emergency-Only Medicaid, you may count them as uninsured for purposes of the Primary Care Fund unduplicated uninsured count.

Patients enrolled in a managed care organization should be encouraged to receive primary care services within their network.  If applicant agencies are not part of the approved network, these patients are not to be included in uninsured counts for purposes of the Primary Care Fund application.

If you have further questions, please email them to primary.care@hcpf.state.co.us. We will respond to you within 2 business days. [Source:  HCPF]

Funding Opportunities' Deadline Reminder

Women's Wellness Connection Targeted Outreach Program:
Due June 10, 2016
The Colorado Health Foundation Advance Care Planning:
Due June 15, 2016
The Colorado Health Foundation Activating Places and Spaces Together:
Due June 15, 2016
HRSA New Access Points:
Due by June 17, 2016
HRSA Using Community Health Workers to Improve Linkage and Retention in HIV Care:
Due July 12, 2016

TCHF New Special Projects Funding

"We have heard from communities and organizations around the state that more flexible funding options are necessary to respond to community needs. We listened. Now, we have a new way to address those needs and to help us learn over time how we can better support and invest in projects that are important to achieving our shared vision of a healthiest Colorado.

The Foundation is launching a new Special Projects Program designed to help us better understand and respond to community needs. The new program is another way to address funding needs of nonprofits and communities in Colorado.

The purpose of the program is to fund projects that are not currently funded by the Foundation, are new or build on existing work and support a promising innovation or set the ground work for sustainable collaboration and programs. The program will provide funding for project support or capacity building.

Funded projects must be aligned with one or more of the Foundation's primary strategies. Special Project Program grants will not be awarded for proposals that fit within a funding opportunity.   

Visit our website to learn more about eligibility criteria and the application process.

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact an assigned program officer before applying.

Thank you for your interest in joining us as we work to make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation.

In good health,

 

Karen McNeil-Miller
President and CEO
The Colorado Health Foundation"

[Source: The Colorado Health Foundation]

Colorado Medical Home Community Forum: June 14

June 14, 2016, 4:30-6:30 pm

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

4300 Cherry Creek Drive South

Denver, CO  80246

DOC Room, Bldg. A

RSVP

Topics & Presenters

·        SIM Updates

          Barbara Martin, SIM Office Director, Health Care Policy and Financing

·        Getting Ready for Cohort 2

          Kyle Knierim, MD, University of Colorado

·        SIM Evaluation

          Ellen Kaufmann, Health Care Policy and Financing

          Tonya Aultman-Bettridge, TriWest Group

          David Bartsch, TriWest Group

·       Opportunities for Alignment of Standards across Payers/Initiatives

          Susan Mathieu, ACC Program, Health Care Policy and Financing

          Barbara Martin, SIM Office Director, Health Care Policy and Financing

[Source: CDPHE]

Increase Individual Giving to your Organization

Part 1:  Principles of Fund Development and Individual Giving
Gain a comprehensive understanding of the current fundraising climate and emerging trends in Colorado, how your organization’s goals may align with these trends, and how you can gain a competitive edge by improving your case for support. During this session, you will focus on building your organization’s individual giving program through prospect research, donor cultivation, individual giving solicitation and stewardship.
June 1 | 9:00am-4:00pm
Location: Colorado Collaborative for Nonprofits Training Center | Denver
Cost: $120 Individual Session | $300 Full Series

Part 2: Diversified Funding and Donor Engagement
June 15 | 9:00am-4:00pm

Part 3: Capital Campaigns and Planned Giving 
July 6 | 9:00am-4:00pm

Register for the full series and you'll get a chance to learn about a wide range of development topics and you'll save $60!
[Source: Community Resource Center]

Overtime pay rules will affect millions of healthcare workers

"Millions of full-time healthcare workers will be eligible for overtime pay under a new federal rule that nearly doubled the threshold at which companies can deny it. But not all in the healthcare industry are cheering the news." Click here to read the full article. [Source: Modern Healthcare]

Local Public Policy Partnership Opportunity

"Local public policy has a big impact on health, and Healthier Colorado wants to empower locally generated ideas to improve health. That’s why they've launched the Partnerships in Local Advocacy (PiLA) program. Any interested individual or organization is invited to submit a letter of intent to request support for a local public policy campaign within the locality in which they reside or serve. PiLA is focused on campaigns to influence public policy decisions made by city councils, county commissions, and school or special district boards that require “lobbying activity[1]” as defined under the IRS code. The proposed campaign should be within our areas of interest.  Deadline for letter of intent is July 1, 2016. Click here for more deadline information.
[Source:  Healthier Colorado]

Register Now! 2016 Colorado Health Symposium "Health is Everyone's Business"

The 2016 Colorado Health Symposium, will be held July 27–29, 2016 at Keystone Resort and Conference Center. "Health is everyone’s business, because when people are healthier, their communities prosper. Over three days, we’ll build the will and find the ways to achieve the best for our communities. Whether your focus is good jobs, affordable housing, neighborhood safety, healthy food or quality education and health care, the power to make our communities grow and thrive lies in each of our hands".
Attendance is limited and the Symposium sells out quickly. Register today!” 

Click here for the preliminary agenda and lodging information.
[Source: The Colorado Health Foundation]

HRSA Funding Opportunity: Using Community Health Workers to Improve Linkage and Retention in HIV Care

This announcement solicits applications for fiscal year (FY) 2016 to support a single organization that will serve as the Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center (TAEC) for a new initiative entitled Improving Access to Care: Using Community Health Workers to Improve Linkage and Retention in HIV Care.  The goal of this three year cooperative agreement is to increase the utilization of community health workers (CHW) to improve access to and retention in health care; and to improve health outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH) by strengthening the health care workforce, building healthier communities, and achieving health equity among racial and ethnic minority populations. [Source:  HRSA]

Upcoming PEAK Enhancements

PEAK enhancements webinars will be held in June. We have already opened registration, so register now and watch for more information on upcoming enhancements in next month's newsletter! 

June Enhancements Webinars:
Wednesday, June 22 | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Register Now
Monday, June 27 | 9:00 am - 11:00 am | Register Now

[Source:  PEAKView]

ECHO Colorado Learning Communities

ECHO Colorado is accepting registrations for the 2016 learning community on Hepatitis C. Join the learning community to gain a clearer understanding on Medicaid requirements, current diagnosis tools and best treatment options. The training will last six months with meetings occurring twice per month. Sessions will be conducted via live video during lunch hours.

Audience: Clinical providers and public/community health staff

Click here to register.

Upcoming Learning Community Opportunities:

• Enhancing Cancer Survivorship Programs
• Starts May 26, 2016
• Click here to register.
• PrEP Plus: New Strategies for HIV Prevention
• Starts June, 2016
• Click here to register.
• Caring for Medically Complex Children
• Meets every 4th Wednesday from 12:00-1:00 p.m.
• Click here to register

[Source: CCHN]

Vaccine Resources for Providers Now Available

A brand new set of resources offer health care providers tools to help vaccinate their patients including help with inventory management, storage and handling, billing and coding, and much more. Also, there is peer-to-peer provider mentoring help available as well as an "Ask the Expert" link for you to submit questions to the immunization clinical staff.  Click here for the complete list of available resources:  https://www.colorado.gov/cdphe/healthcare/vaccine-resources

Check out the CCHAP Practice Manager Newsletter for more information  [Source:  CCHAP]

Colorado Medicaid EHR Incentive Program

The Colorado Registration & Attestation site (R&A) for eligible professionals (EP)s for program year 2015 opened on April 29, 2016. The R&A will have a 60-day attestation window for EPs and will close on June 30th so please plan accordingly.  For May 2016 program update, click here.
[Source:  CORHIO]

Women's Wellness Connection Funding Opportunity

Women’s Wellness Connection (WWC) clinics provide breast and cervical cancer screening (clinical breast exams, Pap tests, pelvic exams and mammograms) to eligible women at more than 130 sites statewide and occasionally releases funding opportunities with the intention to increase the number of women screened for breast and cervical cancer in the state of Colorado. The WWC program is currently accepting applications for the Targeted Outreach Program (TOP) #2823. If you already receive funding, you do not need to apply.

Applications are due by 4:00 p.m. on June 10, 2016. Application documents and information can be found at www.colorado.gov/cdphe/wwc-funding.

If you have any questions, please email them to the WWC program staff at cdphe_wwc@state.co.us.
[Source: Women's Wellness Connection Forum ]

REGISTER TODAY for ClinicNET's June 9th Affiliate Convening!

ClinicNET Affiliate Convening

June 9, 2016

8:00am - 3:00pm

Mile High Room at COPIC

7351 E. Lowry Blvd., Denver, CO

ClinicNET affiliates! Please join us for a day of education and information. Topics will include policy and advocacy, practice transformation, leadership development, Medicaid and more. Light breakfast and lunch will be served and there will be time to connect with your peers in the Community Safety Net Clinic world. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

The ClinicNET Affiliate Leadership Cohort will meet immediately after the convening at COPIC in Mile High Room at 3:15-5:15pm. RSVP to brooke.powers@clinicnet.org if you plan to attend.

Contact brooke.powers@clinicnet.org with questions.

Meaningful Use EP Attestation Site Now Open!

"The Colorado Registration & Attestation site for Program Year 2015 Eligible Professionals is now open. The site will close on June 30th, so we recommend you start reviewing the requirements and make sure your log-in is working.  CORHIO has posted new workbooks and attestation checklists to help EPs attest, so please check their website for these resources.

If you have questions...
Contact Kelly Hernandez, Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Coordinator, by email at MedicaidEHR@corhio.org or by phone at 720.285.3232.
For system/technical questions and support, contact the ACS Help Desk at 866.879.0109 or SLRHelpdesk@acs-inc.com"
[Source: CORHIO]

Provider Revalidation (Medicaid, Medicare & CHP+) deadline: September 24, 2016

By completing the revalidation/enrollment process now through the Online Provider Enrollment (OPE) tool, providers will not experience any delay in payment when the new enrollment and claims management system, Colorado interChange, launches on October 31, 2016. Starting on that date, claims and encounters submitted by providers who have not enrolled and/or revalidated will be denied.

Please do not begin the application before reviewing all of the training resources available online. An incorrect or incomplete application requires additional review, which may add weeks to processing time.  Revalidation and Enrollment instructions are available online. Be sure to review the Information by Provider Type before you begin the online training, as it will help you select the correct training. The Provider Enrollment Manual also includes valuable information to help providers complete applications correctly.

Questions may be sent to Provider.Questions@state.co.us or our new Information Center at 1-800-237-0757 (option 5), Monday - Friday, 8am to 5pm, closed: noon to 1pm.
[Source:  HCPF At A Glance]

Prime Health Summit, May 16

On May 16th, Prime Health is convening 40+ national healthcare and innovation thought leaders to discuss the greatest needs and best practices in integrating health innovations at its annual Summit in Denver.   Leaders from Aetna, HCA, Google, Florida Hospital, American Medical Association, Mercer, Salesforce, and many others are participating. This is one of the largest gatherings of national health and innovation leaders in Colorado's history and strong representation from our healthcare community is key to helping make this important event a success.  Please take advantage of this opportunity to connect and engage with top healthcare organizations and help showcase the power of our community by registering for the Summit. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.   For more information email info@primehealthco.com.

"Health First Colorado" to Launch June 1st

Medicaid in Colorado will soon be known as "Health First Colorado." The Department will introduce this exciting change beginning this June, with updates to member communications taking place through the end of the year.

For more information, visit the Health First Colorado web page.
[Source: HCPF At A Glance]

Training Opportunities: From Coding to Teambuilding

Vital Clinical Documentation and Coding Training for Providers and Coders
CCHN created an accessible web-based curriculum offering a step-by-step training module where participants will learn everything they need to know about: coding patient histories, physical exams and medical decision-making.  All providers and coders are encouraged to take advantage of this training opportunity.
registration closes August 12, 2016
Cost: $100 (If cost is a barrier, please contact Sarah Macrander.)
Audience: Providers and coders.
Click here to register.

Texting and Emailing with Patients – HIPAA Compliance Training
MentorHealth's web-based session will focus on the rights of individuals to communicate in the manner they desire, and how a medical office can decide what is an acceptable process for communications with individuals.
June 28, 2016, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Cost: $139 per participant
Click here to learn more and register.

Enhancing Teambuilding 
Edward Leigh Center for Healthcare Communication
May 18, 2016, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
This session will provide tools to understand vital steps of the team-building process.  The session focuses on these key areas: a clear understanding of each individual’s responsibilities in a team; keeping a team motivated; and handling team conflict.  Click here to register.

Software and Technology
Teaming for Technology is a Colorado nonprofit that offers cost effective training on a variety of software and technology.
Cost: $20 per person per class
To register and view a complete list of training opportunities click here.

[Source: CCHN]