Month: May 2022

REGISTER NOW: Addressing Meth Use in the Midwest: Local Data Collection and Use in Iowa

Date: May 13, 2022

Addressing Meth Use in the Midwest: Local Data Collection and Use in Iowa

Use of methamphetamine impacts people across the Midwest in many ways. Join the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region 7 Harm Reduction Workgroup for the ongoing series of brief, 30-minute webinars that explore tools and strategies to address meth use. The next webinar will provide an example of how local data on meth use can be collected and how that data can be used to inform initiatives.

Date: May 26, 2022

Time: 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM CT

Register for the webinar Here. 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the session. 

For questions, please contact Rae Hutchison at CHutchison@hrsa.gov.

The Addressing Meth Use in the Midwest webinar series is hosted by the HHS Region 7 Harm Reduction Workgroup: the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA), Administration on Community Living (ACL), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

The Compliance Team Announces New Clinical Disease Management Program

Date: May 9, 2022

The Compliance Team Announces New Clinical Disease Management Program

This new program recognizes community pharmacies for expanding roles and delivering clinical-based services.

Spring House, Pennsylvania — The Compliance Team (TCT), a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved accreditation organization, has launched a new pharmacy-based program that focuses on clinical disease management (CDM). Pharmacies that achieve CDM recognition are acknowledged by TCT for their roles in helping patients with diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, subsequently improving their overall health outcomes and quality of life. The CDM program focuses on pharmacies that have already moved from or are in the process of moving from a transaction-based practice to a clinical-based practice that promotes continuous pro-active patient-centered care in the community.

The CDM Recognition Program verifies and validates pharmacies that meet the established quality standards for clinical disease management.

“This program is another indication of our commitment to serving the needs of community pharmacies,” explained The Compliance Team CEO Sandra Canally. “This certification is a focused validation of a pharmacy’s ability to move to a Value-Based Care model, where the focus is on clinical-based instead of transaction-based services.”

Traditionally, patients with diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol seek care from their primary care providers; however, TCT knows that most patients see their pharmacists much more frequently. Pharmacy CDM recognition enables patients to receive their prescription medications from their community retail pharmacies, while benefiting from a higher level of pharmacy care. Most importantly, the pharmacy actively supports patients and their primary care providers in managing patients’ chronic conditions.

To participate in the new program, the pharmacy must develop a CDM program that is based on clinical evidence, guidelines, and best practices, and meets the related TCT quality standards. Under the program, the pharmacy will define target patients, establish measurable outcome goals, and develop individualized action plans to help patients achieve specific objectives. The pharmacy will need to identify tools and resources to enable pharmacists to continuously monitor patient health status, medication adherence, blood glucose and AIC levels for patients with diabetes, blood pressure for patients with hypertension, and blood cholesterol level for patients on statin medications. The CDM program incorporates patient self-management through diet and life-style modifications.

“Pharmacies that develop and implement a comprehensive CDM program can reduce overall health care costs and earn additional payment for their services by health plans and payers,” shared Canally. “It is yet another innovative solution developed by our amazing team to support our pharmacy providers.”

For more information on The Compliance Team’s clinic programs, go to www.TheComplianceTeam.org or call 215-999-6252.

Improving pharmacies and patients’ lives.

REGISTRATION OPEN: Navigating the Intersection of Health and Housing

Date: May 12, 2022

Navigating the Intersection of Health and Housing

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA), Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) invite you to attend a virtual meeting on Navigating the Intersection of Health and Housing. The neighborhoods in which people live, work, learn, and play in have a major impact on health and well-being. The meeting will highlight a variety of federal programs and resources focused on housing and health.

Date: June 9, 2022

Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM CT | 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET

Register Here

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the session.

Featured Speakers

  • Christie Appelhanz, Regional Administrator, Administration for Children and Families
  • Lacey Boven, Regional Administrator, Administration for Community Living
  • Flora D. Chavez, Enforcement Analyst, Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Myesha Kennedy, Public Health Analyst, Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Health Resources and Services Administration
  • Pamela Smith, Senior Community Planning and Development Representative, Community Planning and Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

For more information about the session, contact Rae Hutchison at CHutchison@hrsa.gov.

FY 2023 IPPS/LTCH PPS Proposed Rule Overview for Hospital Quality Programs

Date: May 11, 2022

FY 2023 IPPS/LTCH PPS Proposed Rule Overview for Hospital Quality Programs

Date: May 18, 2022

Time: 2:00 PM EDT

Register Here

Description:
The purpose of the event is to provide an overview of the Fiscal Year 2023 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS)/ Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) Proposed Rule as it relates to the Hospital IQR, Hospital VBP, HAC Reduction, Hospital Readmissions Reduction, and Medicare Promoting Interoperability Programs.

Speakers
Julia Venanzi, MPH, Program Lead, Hospital IQR and VBP Programs
Quality Measures and Value-Based Incentives Group (QMVIG)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Alex Feilmeier, MHA, Lead Solutions Specialist
Value, Incentives, and Quality Reporting Center (VIQRC)
Validation Support Contractor
Jessica Warren, RN, BSN, MA, FCCS, CCRC, Program Lead
Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program, QMVIG, CMS
Jennifer Tate, MPH, MLS(ASCP)CM, Program Lead
 HAC Reduction Program, QMVIG, CMS
Sophia Chan, PhD, MPH, Program Lead, HRRP, QMVIG, CMS

Rural Providers’ Guide to ACO Participation in 2023

Date: May 11, 2022

Rural Providers’ Guide to ACO Participation in 2023

Date: May 18, 2022

Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CT

Register Here

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is increasing the incentive to move into value-based care as well as the penalties for clinicians who don’t participate in an advanced alternative payment model. CMS also acknowledged that it expects every Medicare beneficiary to be in an accountable care plan by 2030.

By participating in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), rural providers have the unique advantage to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and deliver high-quality, coordinated care. In 2023, rural providers can join an ACO with no fees, no start-up costs, and minimal risk. With limited barriers to entry, now is the time for rural health systems to take advantage of the benefits of accountable care.

Join Lynn Barr, Founder of Caravan Health and Chief Innovation Officer of Signify Health, as she reviews ACO participation options available in 2023.

This webinar will discuss the benefits and important aspects of the Medicare Shared Savings Program and CMS’ newly announced ACO REACH program. Attendees will also learn the mechanisms and lessons learned for achieving long-term, population health success.

Optimize Patient Outcomes, Value, and Financial Stability With A Transitional Care Program in Your Rural Post-Acute Care

Date: May 11. 2022

Optimize patient outcomes, value, and financial stability with A Transitional Care Program in Your Rural Post-Acute Care

Date: May 19, 2022

Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CT

Register Here

Utilize swing beds at your facility to increase access for a broader patient group. Improving post-acute care in rural areas can reduce rural-urban disparities in patient outcomes after hospitalization and improve the financial stability of CAHs. Allevant Solutions focuses on a transitional care model that involves the patient and family, makes available the full resources of the Critical Access Hospital, and focuses on measured outcomes and evidence-based processes to ensure patients get the best care possible. The Transitional Care Program is centered on teamwork, communication, and collaboration. Allevant Solutions will cover the Transitional Care model as well as the business benefits of utilizing and marketing your swing bed program, discuss staff training and education, and review process improvement methodologies that can be used to grow your swing bed volume.

What you will learn:

  • Participants will be able to understand the value of developing high-quality Post-Acute Transitional Care in Critical Access Hospitals in response to a growing patient population and demands and challenges in acute care hospitals. 
  • Participants will be able to begin to quantify the opportunity and understand the key steps to initiate, implement and track progress in developing high-quality Post-Acute Transitional Care.
  • Participants will learn how Transitional Care is an effective way to incorporate population health, chronic disease management, and wellness.

Improving Access to Virtual Care for Homebound Rural Veterans

Date: May 11, 2022

Improving Access to Virtual Care for Homebound Rural Veterans

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Geriatric Scholar Christy Rothermel from Coatesville VA is narrowing the rural digital divide by helping homebound Veterans stay apace with VA’s rapid telehealth expansion.

Rothermel has been a VA psychologist since 2009. She is part of a multidisciplinary Home Based Primary Care team (HBPC). The HBPC delivers in-home care to Veterans who are unable to travel to VA health care facilities because of complex medical conditions or mobility restrictions. She arrived at Coatesville VA in Pennsylvania just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When the COVID pandemic began, in-home visits were significantly restricted for the safety of our Veterans, their family members and VA staff. It became even more important to keep our Veterans connected to their health care team and to VA support and resources. I felt that virtual care could really fill a gap that was created by COVID in terms of face-to-face care,” said Rothermel.

Virtual care appointments spiked during COVID-19 restrictions compared to pre-pandemic levels. But they began to drop with the reopening of in-home visits.

Sustaining momentum of increased use of VA Video Connect

After attending the VA Geriatric Scholars Program, a national workforce development program, she and her team decided to build on the momentum achieved during the pandemic. They did this with a quality improvement project to improve access to VA Video Connect, VA’s secure video conferencing app.

VA Geriatric Scholar Dr. Christy Rothermel

VA Geriatric Scholar Dr. Christy Rothermel

“One of the first things we did was identify all the barriers we could possibly think of that were limiting our patient’s access to being VA Video Connect capable,” said Rothermel.

They began by focusing on newly enrolled HBPC patients, opening the conversation about VA Video Connect during the admission process. “We were able to get their input in terms of what might be holding them back. Did they not have a smart device or were they concerned about not knowing the technology? Those sorts of things,” said Rothermel.

“The largest barrier was that there were Veterans who had a functional, neurological or medical impairment that made them unable to use the device,” explained Rothermel. “An example might be Parkinson’s disease, where the individual might have tremors or involuntary muscle movements. Or they might have a cognitive disorder where the individual may be unable to learn new information, such as the steps to sign into a virtual appointment on an iPad.”

Yet many of these patients had caregivers who wanted the tools and digital skills to help facilitate Veterans’ virtual visits. “We would work with the caregiver and provide that to them,” said Rothermel. “We want to assist the caregiver as much as we can. They really help a lot with virtual appointments.”

VA teams coordinate patient care to address barriers

In addition to supplying iPads, the team proactively addressed Veterans’ unique needs and circumstances prior to conducting a virtual visit.

For Veterans with hearing impairments, they provided pocket talkers. They also placed a consult with audiology to involve their expertise. Pocket talkers are listening devices that improve the ability to hear. “We found that they work very well with iPads and Veterans were able to hear me,” said Rothermel.

For patients with vision loss, they coordinated care with VA’s Visual Impairment Services Team. This team provided patients with the adaptive technology needed to conduct a virtual appointment.

People receptive and found it really helpful

They also enlisted the assistance of VA technical support specialists to walk Veterans through the set-up and use of their devices. “Once the education is provided, they see it’s not as difficult as they may have imagined,” said Rothermel. “There’s been a lot of positivity. People have been receptive and found it really helpful because you can easily get in touch with your provider and see them virtually.

“COVID was rough for our homebound Veterans. One Veteran said that VA Video Connect was his lifeline during COVID. Having the virtual care connection with providers and other staff members is really important.”

Rothermel’s HBPC team now includes VA Video Connect capability as an essential part of treatment planning for all Veterans in their care.

Missouri health officials and pediatricians ask parents to use caution as nationwide infant formula shortages continue

Date: May, 10, 2022

Missouri health officials and pediatricians ask parents to use caution as nationwide infant formula shortages continue

As the nationwide infant formula shortage continues to affect parents and caregivers, state health officials and pediatricians urge Missourians to know the dos and don’ts of infant formula use and refrain from hoarding supply. The formula shortage, which began as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic supply chain challenges, continues today and is exacerbated by the recalls that occurred in February 2022.

“The combined shortage and product recall have created anxiety among infant parents and caregivers,” said Paula Nickelson, Acting Director, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). “What often happens in these situations is that parents find alternative methods for feeding, and for infants, this could be dangerous and should be done in consultation with the child’s health care provider. We understand that manufacturers are doing everything they can to increase availability of formulas, and they are working closely with the FDA to ensure these products return to shelves to meet the current demand.”

Missourians are urged to follow these tips and consult their pediatrician with questions or concerns specific to their baby’s formula needs.

“Many different brands of infant formulas are FDA-regulated and are safe to use for most babies. Call your pediatrician or primary care provider if you have any questions,” said Dr. Maya Moody, President-Elect, Missouri Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics. “Always mix the formula as instructed on the can or bottle, and never add extra water to dilute the formula.” 

Missouri WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) is administered by DHSS, and the program’s participants are some of those who have been greatly impacted by the formula shortage and recalls. Missouri WIC offers the following list of do’s and don’ts for all parents and caregivers.

DO:

  • Do feed your baby over 6 months old more baby food and less formula. A great resource, Food to Grow On: Birth to 12 months, provides a guide to the nutritional intake needed by babies during their first year of life.
  • Do wean your babies over 12 months old off formula. After their first birthday, babies no longer need formula to meet their nutritional needs. Caregivers can wean the baby using water, milk and food.
  • Do consider relactation. It is possible, with some effort, for women to relactate even if they did not breastfeed when their baby was born or were not able to for long. Contact a local IBCLC to help if you want to try to relactate.
  • Do search for formula at multiple stores in your area. Check the customer service desk at the store to see if they are keeping any there. Call a store before making the trip to check their supply or ask when the next supply truck arrives.
  • Do tell friends and family the brand and type of formula you use and ask them to pick it up for you if they see it in a store while shopping.
  • Do call your pediatrician if you run low and ask for guidance. They will be able to give you guidance on a safe formula switch or may even have samples to help you for a few days.

DON’T:

  • Don’t hoard formula. Only keep a monthly supply, at the most, to give other caregivers the opportunity to find formula. Hoarding is making the shortage worse!
  • Don’t make homemade formula. Without proper regulation, homemade infant formula may lack proper ingredients that are vital to infant growth and can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses when consumed. There are many social media conversations about how homemade formula was used a long time ago and babies were just fine. They weren’t just fine. Babies died before commercial formula was widely available. The infant mortality rates were higher and babies were malnourished. Don’t make homemade formula.
  • Don’t dilute (water down) your baby’s formula to make it last longer. Your baby needs the full formula for proper nutrition and growth.
  • Don’t follow online advice except from trusted, expert sources. Your baby’s health and nutrition is too important to risk!
  • Don’t give cow’s milk or other milk substitutes to a baby under 1 year of age. Before your child is 12 months old, cow’s or goat’s milk may put him or her at risk for intestinal bleeding. It also has too many proteins and minerals for your baby’s kidneys to handle and does not have the right amount of nutrients for your baby.

The FDA shares additional infant formula safety tips here. 

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About the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services: The department seeks to be the leader in protecting health and keeping people safe. More information about DHSS can be found at health.mo.gov or find us on Facebook and Twitter @HealthyLivingMo.

Nurse Corps Scholarship Program: Need Application Help?

Date: May 10, 2022

Nurse Corps Scholarship Program Application Help

The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program application cycle closes Thursday, May 19, 2022 at 7:30 PM ET.

As you work on your application, please visit our Nurse Corps SP Application webpage and read the Application and Program Guidance.

Here are some frequently asked questions from a recent webinar:

Q: Where can I find my application number and do I need to add it to every page of every document? 

A: You can find the applicant number on the start page of your online application. You do need to apply your applicant number at the top of each document you upload. See page 36 of the APG. For letters of recommendation, they must contain your name and application ID number and the recommender’s name, title, organization, and address. They should also be signed by the recommender. See page 35 of the APG.

Q: If I am selected for the Nurse Corps Scholarship, when does the scholarship start to cover my tuition and fees?

A: If you are enrolled in a summer session that is:

1) normally required by the school for all students in your program and

2) in-progress through July 1, 2022, the scholarship will cover tuition and fees for those courses. See page 49 of the APG.

Q: What is a common mistake I should look out for?

A: Be sure to check every document that you upload has a signature and date if it has a signature line (for example: Enrollment Verification Form or Verification of Acceptance form).

Application Questions?

Watch the Application Webinar!

Did you know?

  • You are an eligible student if you are enrolled or are enrolling in one of the following programs: ADN, BSN, ABSN, MN, Direct Entry Masters-NP, MSN-NP. You are eligible for the career pathway program if you are enrolled in one of the above programs and hold a certification as a DNP, CNA, HHA, MA, LPN or CHW.
  • There is no minimum GPA requirement to apply.

Customer Care Center

For application-related questions, call 1-800-221-9393 (TTY: 1-877-897-9910) Monday through Friday (except federal holidays) 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.