Announcements

• Congratulations to all of the FQHCs who received Health Center Quality Improvement Awards! Read the list here.
• 2015 UDS data have been released, including demographic, employment and clinical quality data!
• The latest version of the CT Statewide Environment Report is here. This report, published 2-4 times each year, provides updated information on HUSKY enrollment, poverty and other demographic data, state budget updates and more!

Trainings, Webinars & Conferences

• Please check our Calendar of Events for upcoming trainings!

Funding Opportunities

• Check out the CHCACT Funding Opportunities page here!
• The CDC offers funding for the development and implementation of high impact HIV prevention projects for young men of color who have sex with men and young transgender persons of color. Learn more!
• The National Institute of Aging offers funding to promote data archiving, dissemination, and consultation with producers and users of data resources for research on aging. Learn more!
• Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation seeks to fund organizations in CT and NJ to improve oral health access for the uninsured and underinsured, in one of three specific populations: children, people with developmental disabilities and older adults. Learn more!
• The NBC 21st Century Solutions grant is seeking organizations that are implementing progressive programs that address emerging or ongoing community challenges in the areas of: Civic Engagement, Education, Environment, Jobs and Economic Empowerment, Media, and Technology for Good. Learn more!
• The RGK Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations in the general areas of education, community and health/medicine. These grants are not geographically-restricted and are awarded on an ongoing basis. Learn more!

Ask CHCACT!

“Ask CHCACT” features Outreach & Enrollment and other questions from health center staff, answered by your favorite CHCACT staff members! Send your questions to ask@chcact.org!

Deb Polun answers this week’s question:

Q: Can people who lost HUSKY Transitional Medical Assistance coverage still enroll in a health insurance plan, or is it too late?

A: Individuals have until September 29, 2016 to enroll in coverage through 2016. Don’t forget – Open Enrollment begins on November 1st for 2017 coverage!
 
Call me at any time with Outreach & Enrollment questions! 860.667.7820!

Upcoming CHCACT Meetings

PTN Quality Forum. CHCACT is hosting a quality forum on Alternative Payment Models on Tuesday, August 23rd from 9-12:00 noon at CHA, 110 Barnes Road, Wallingford. Contact Heather Adams with questions.

Practice Transformation Network Summit. Save the dates of September 15th-16th for CHCACT’s first PTN Summit! More information to follow.

All CHCACT Staff can be reached by calling 860.667.7820.

This Week in Health Policy News

Here is a sampling of health policy news from around the state. If you see something in your local newspaper that you would like featured here in future weeks, please contact Deb Polun at dpolun@chcact.org. Check out all the Health Policy News from the past month here!

Featured Stories
8.18.16 Hartford Business Journal: HHS Awards CT $1.8M to Improve Health Center Quality
8.17.16 Hartford Business Journal: Wheeler Receives $1.9M Gift, Ranking Among its Highest Ever
8.15.16 Fairfield County Business Journal: Optimus Names Michels-Ashwood Its Chief Medical Officer
8.13.16 New Haven Register: Incubator Garden Run by New Haven Farms Fills a Need (feat. Fair Haven & CS-Hill)
8.12.16 Shoreline Plus: USDA Awards Four Connecticut WIC Programs (feat. Fair Haven & Optimus) 

State Health News
8.21.16 CT By the Numbers: CT’s Anxiety Above National Average
8.17.16 Hartford Business Journal: UConn Med School’s New Curriculum Reflects Changes in Health Care
8.16.16 CT NewsJunkie: Mixed Messages Regarding Opioid Epidemic 

Health Insurance/Health Reform News
8.20.16 NY Times: US Officials Move to End Duplicate Health Coverage
8.19.16 CT Mirror: As Some Quit Exchanges, Insurers Push for Changes in ACA
8.17.16 CT Mirror: Aetna Said it Would Pull Back from Exchanges if Merger Wasn’t Approved
8.17.16 Hartford Business Journal: Survey – Large Employers Expect to Hold Health Care Cost Hikes to 6% in 2017 

National/Other Health News
8.22.16 NY Times: The Underused HPV Vaccine
8.22.16 Kaiser Health News: Doctors, Hospitals Prepare for Difficult Talks Surrounding Medical Mistakes
8.20.16 CT By the Numbers – Perspective: Back to School – Don’t Forget Your Child’s Mental Health
8.17.16 Kaiser Health News: Medical Providers Try Uber, Lyft for Patients with Few Transportation Options

Resources

CHCACT maintains and regularly updates resources on clinical issues, human resources, HIPAA, SNAP and more! Click here to check out CHCACT’s Resources!*

• The Connecticut Department of Public Health has new information about the Zika Virus on its web site, including symptoms and testing guidelines.
• Scope of Project Webpage: HRSA has released a new “Scope of Project” Page on the BPHC website. This page provides a “one-stop-shop” for Health Center Program Scope of Project and Change-in-Scope policy, process, and resources. View the new Scope of Project webpage.
• Capital Link Publications. As part of their assistance to health centers, Capital Link has developed a collection of resource publications to assist health centers in accomplishing specific tasks related to the capital development process. These publications are provided to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Primary Care Associations (PCAs) free of charge. Their resources, including publications, reports, and past webinars are available here.

* Some Resources are password-protected. If you would like a password for www.www.chcact.org, please contact Deb Polun.

Events/Educational Opportunities