TCHF Funding Opportunity: Strengthening Primary Care

This initiative is intended to support primary care providers by offering low-interest loans in addition to grants so that organizations can access the flexible capital they need to increase access to and improve the delivery of comprehensive, person-centered care. Grants of up to $500,000 and/or low-interest loans in the range of $500,000 to $5 million are available to clinics for physical and information technology infrastructure as well as working capital related to expansion or improvements to care delivery.

Colorado organizations providing primary care services may apply for funds to support the following projects:

• Facility acquisition, construction, renovation or expansion
• Medical and office equipment purchases
• Hardware, software, installation and technical assistance costs associated with health information technology systems
• Working capital for expenses associated with new or expanded services

Nonprofit entities are encouraged to consider applying for loans or a mix of grant and loan funding if appropriate. Applicants may indicate their interest in applying for a low-interest loan within the grant application. Register for an upcoming webinar, “An Introduction to Debt & Financing for Colorado Primary Care Clinics” by the Nonprofit Finance Fund for more information on key opportunities and risks associated with the use of debt to support capitalization needs.

The Foundation is partnering with Vital Healthcare Capital (V-Cap) to provide low-interest loans. V-Cap will accept loan applications on a rolling basis.

Grant Deadlines: Oct. 15, 2016, Feb. 15, 2017, June 15, 2017
Program Officer:  Tanya Weinberg at tweinberg@coloradohealth.org; 303-953-3643
[Source: The Colorado Health Foundation]

The Campaign for a Healthy Colorado/Tobacco Tax Increase Needs Your Help to Win!

Cigarettes kill more than 5,000 Coloradans every year, and the tobacco industry will stop at nothing to saddle kids with a lifelong and deadly addiction. Big Tobacco, in fighting a similar tax increase in California, has already spent almost $37 million. They will spend millions here to spread false claims in an effort to defeat the cigarette tax increase so they can sell more cigarettes.

BIG TOBACCO HAS MILLIONS TO SPEND, AND WE NEED YOUR HELP TO AMPLIFY OUR MESSAGE. SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN AND HELP US GET OUR MESSAGE OUT.

Last year cigarette sales increased in Colorado for the first time in over a decade. Increasing the cigarette tax is a proven way – and the most effective way - to get kids and adults to stop buying cigarettes and getting addicted.

Please engage with the campaign on social media (on Facebook and Twitter). 

IMPORTANT Update from the SIM Team

The SIM team is delaying the application for cohort 2 to allow practices time to prepare, identify the federal initiatives that are right for them and move forward accordingly. Instead of releasing the application Aug. 31 we will release it in the fall to provide time to incorporate lessons learned from the first cohort.

CPC+
We encourage practices that applied for CPC+ to download a PDF of their applications. When the SIM application is released this fall, your practice will have the opportunity to submit this PDF as part of the SIM application. Your practice can then access an abbreviated set of SIM questions to avoid re-entering information asked on the CPC+ application into the SIM application. We believe that SIM and CPC+ are complementary, which is why we have encouraged practices to apply for both initiatives that are funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Now that we are six months into implementing practice transformation activities with cohort 1 practices, we have identified areas that can be fine-tuned to ensure long-term success, which is one reason for delaying the application for cohort 2. We want to be responsive to the feedback we have received from practices, practice coaches and payers so we can ensure that the SIM initiative helps primary care practices move along the continuum toward value-based payment that rewards a person-centric approach to healthcare delivery.

Next steps

1. We realize that some practices have signed up for webinars focused on the SIM application and will ensure that those individuals receive new dates for the webinars once the SIM application is posted this fall.
2. The SIM team, which includes a small group of professionals who work with the Governor’s office and trusted partners at the University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine, is dedicated to helping practices integrate behavioral health and primary care with infrastructure supports to ensure sustained success. 
3. We realize the hard work this entails. We have identified several success stories in the first six months of implementation and a few ways to improve the program for providers as well as payers. The request for application for cohort 2 will include details that will help prepare practices for the program and create an environment for success.
4. Please stay tuned for the release of the SIM application for cohort 2, follow the SIM team on social media channels (and sign up for the SIM newsletter (https://goo.gl/9CZT2q) to hear more about the successes we are seeing with cohort 2 practices, the benefits of joining this transformation community and the ways in which the SIM initiative prepares practices for success in a value-based world.

[Source: Colorado SIM]

News from COPrevent

Toolkit on Incorporating Clinical Pharmacists in the Patient Centered Medical Home

As part of a patient's health care team, pharmacists can improve health outcomes by increasing medication adherence, optimizing medication regiments, managing chronic diseases and providing patient planning, education and counseling. A toolkit from The University of Colorado provides sample agreements and resources helpful for health systems interested in integrating clinical pharmacists into the care team.

Colorado DSME Sharing Call - Social Determinants of Health
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Telligen are hosting a series of Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) sharing calls on Thursday, September 29th that will focus on Social Determinants of Health. On our first sharing call, many social determinants of health were mentioned as barriers to DSME participation and retention.

Providers and Program Staff of ADA or AADE accredited DSME programs are strongly encouraged to join one of our 30 minute calls. We look forward to our second call that will include the following:

• Facilitated peer to peer discussion on social determinants of health and how you’re addressing them
• Planning for future sharing calls, based on feedback from sharing call #1

Join us on Thursday, September 29th for a 30 minute call at 8:30 a.m or 12:00 p.m. Please register in advance here.

[Source: COPrevent]

Colorado Medical Home Community Forum

Supporting Integrated Care
September 13, 2016
4:30 - 6:30pm

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Dr S
Denver, Colorado 80246
DOC Room, Building A
For more details and to RSVP

The Campaign for a Healthy Colorado/Tobacco Tax Increase

ClinicNET has endorsed the proposed tobacco tax increase and we encourage you and your organization to do the same! The proposed tobacco tax increase will be on the November ballot. Click here to learn more! Click here to sign on in support! Engage with the campaign on social media via Facebook and Twitter!

[Source:  The Campaign for a Healthy Colorado]

2016 Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Offerings for ClinicNET Affiliates

Through a generous grant from Kaiser Permanente's Community Benefit Program, ClinicNET is pleased to be able to offer to contributing ClinicNET Affiliates access to Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) registration scholarships and travel support funding! Upcoming 2016 in-person and web-based training opportunities. If interested in participating in a training or conference, click here to complete an online application!   

IHI Quick Course:  Better Quality Through Better Measurement
September 27, 2016, Philadelphia
October 25, 2016, Chicago
November 7, 2016, Denver
Session Details

Applying Value Management to Health Care
November 2 - 4, 2016, Washington D.C.
Session Details

28th National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care
December 4 - 7, 2016, Orlando, FL
Conference Details

Contact Brooke Powers at brooke.powers@clinicnet.org or 720-863-7803 with any questions.  
[Source:  IHI]