Health Center Performance Improvement Toolkit 

HRSA is excited to introduce our Health Center Performance Improvement Toolkit. You can use it to conduct self-assessments to understand the focus areas and potential activities needed to achieve your performance improvement goals — it includes a guide and a tool for doing so.

These resources aim to foster innovation, enhance patient care, and improve health outcomes for the underserved populations you serve. Access the toolkit on their Health Center Performance Improvement Toolkit webpage.

Join a webinar on Thursday, November 14 to learn more about the toolkit. Speakers from the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders (a HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partner) and the Kentucky Primary Care Association will provide examples of how partners can support you as you use the toolkit.

Source: HRSA

2025 UDS Proposed Changes Program Assistance Letter

HRSA has released the Proposed Changes to 2025 UDS Program Assistance Letter (PDF). It details proposed changes for calendar year 2025 reporting requirements, including:

• Additions to measures that collect data on selected diagnoses and services (Table 6A) and quality of care (Table 6B)
  • Tobacco Cessation and Pharmacotherapies
  • Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)
  • Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) Screening
  • Initiation and engagement of substance use disorder treatment to align with CMS137v13.
• Updates to UDS clinical quality measure specifications to align with CMS electronic-specified clinical quality measures (eCQMs).

These changes align clinical performance measures across national programs to decrease reporting burden, improve data quality, and ensure consistency and comparability across various health care settings.

Source: HRSA

HRSA Awards Nearly $19 Million to Help States Improve Maternal Health

October, 2024:  HRSA announced nearly $19 million in awards to 15 states to identify and implement innovative strategies to address the maternal health crisis. Deputy Administrator Jordan Grossman, joined by Representative Robin Kelly (IL-02), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and Co-chair of the bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus, announced these awards in Chicago, IL as part of HRSA’s latest Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative state convening.

Read the full release HERE.

Source: HRSA

NACHC’s National Fly-In Day

From the National Association of Community Health Centers:  Are you joining us December 3-4 on Capitol Hill to stand up for health centers and crucial policies and funding set to expire on December 31?

Congress must prioritize health centers as year-end deadlines approach. Your voice is needed as we push for increased funding and policies to ensure sustainability for health centers and the 32.5 million patients you serve. We are looking for passionate advocates to fly to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, and meet with members of Congress on Wednesday, December 4. 

NACHC will provide more information at a prep event on the night of December 3 when we will distribute materials for Capitol Hill visits and be available for questions. Click here to learn more and register!

Source: NACHC

Get Ready for 2025 & Beyond with Regulatory Affairs

Webinar from NACHC – Thursday, November 14th:  Federal agencies have been busy finalizing rules and regulations that impact health centers and your patients’ ability to access care by clamping down on discrimination, reforming health IT practices, and more. Because all these final regulations have policies with different effective dates, it can be tough to keep everything straight! To help you make sense of it all, join an engaging webinar with NACHC’s Regulatory Affairs Team where we will:

• Cover the most important regulations for health centers to understand,
• Break down the timeline of compliance for these regulations, and,
• Share key takeaways you can bring back to your health center.

Register here to attend.

Source: NACHC

2023 UDS Data Now Available in the GeoCare Navigator

HRSA recently added 2023 UDS data to the Health Center Program GeoCare Navigator. If you don’t see the updated data, you may need to clear your cache. Here is how to do that: instructions for Google Chrome and instructions for Microsoft Edge. Make sure to select “All Time” as the time period.

If you have questions regarding the GeoCare Navigator, submit them via the BPHC Contact Form (Health Center Data and Research > HCP GeoCare Navigator).

Source: HRSA