NACHC recently partnered with Americares to increase access to Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for health center employees across the country. The MHFA initiative could not come at a more critical time for health centers. Patient visits for behavioral health services, including mental health and substance use disorders, have grown by 83% since 2010. …
NAPs Funding Opportunity Comes with Scoring Changes
BPHC has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Number HRSA-19-080, announcing $50 million for New Access Points (NAPs). Approximately 75 NAPs are expected to be funded. As in the past, NAP applications may be submitted by new organizations (new applicants) or by health centers currently receiving Health Center Program operational funding (satellite applicants.) The …
Our Round Up of the Year 2018: Resilience
It has been a year of trials and tribulations for Community Health Centers but our theme for the year is “Resilience.” Health centers have more than five decades of experience confronting setbacks and threats and emerging stronger than ever. The pattern remains unbroken in 2018. A brief funding cliff ushered in the New Year before …
Latest on ACA Litigation: Community Health Center Patients Are Still Covered
A federal judge recently ruled that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional, sparking a great deal of speculation and confusion among health care advocates about the future of health coverage. We will talk in a little more detail about the ruling and potential next steps below, but it is important to start with …
Same Day Billing Policies Affect Health Centers and Patients
Community Health Centers have a long-standing and proud tradition of providing patient-centered care. That means a patient’s individual needs and health outcomes drive clinical decisions. A key feature of how many health centers accomplish that task is through the integration of primary care and behavioral health. Health check-ups in the exam room focus on both …
Health Center Staff Join Forces to Tackle Active Shooter/Active Killer Scenarios
Active shooter situations often start and end quickly – generally about 10 to 15 minutes elapse between the start of an event and when law enforcement arrives. For this reason, mental and physical preparation are key. Earlier this month, NACHC partnered with Black Hawk Emergency Management Group, LLC, an organization specializing in disaster prevention and …
Celebrating Healthy Meals During Thanksgiving
With the Thanksgiving holiday nearly upon us, cooking healthy meals is on our minds. That brought us to Mary’s Center, a health center in Washington, D.C. Mary’s Center is no ordinary health center. The site we visited in the neighborhood of Fort Totten (one of 8 locations) opened just two years ago and operates a …
#GivingTuesday
Giving Tuesday is a day devoted to philanthropy and giving back, fueled by social media and collaboration among organizations. The day, set aside on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27 this year), is becoming a global movement and also a useful tool for Community Health Centers. #GivingTuesday, an organization devoted to helping groups and individuals …
The 2018 Midterm Elections: What We Know Now and What it Means for Health Centers in the Year Ahead
After one of the more highly anticipated elections in quite some time, we finally know what the political landscape will look like in 2019: Democrats are taking back the House of Representatives and Republicans will maintain control in the Senate. Democrats will hold at least 231 seats in the House (a gain of 36 seats) …
California Health Centers and Wildfires
NACHC is monitoring reports about the fires that have devastated communities across northern and southern California, particularly the Camp Fire in Butte County and the Hill and Woolsey fires in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The Camp Fire has killed 42 people and more than 200 residents remain missing. The blaze, the most destructive and …