Telehealth Resources: Implementation and Operations

Improving Hypertension Management: Applying Standing Orders and the Role of Medical Assistants (2024). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Presented by Mary Blankson, Chief Nursing Officer for Community Health Center, Inc. (CHCI), this session will cover how to implement standing orders using CHCI's hypertension guidelines and other national best practices. It will emphasize the key role of Medical Assistants (MAs) and demonstrate how standing orders support broader healthcare initiatives. Participants will gain knowledge on how to apply standing orders for hypertension management in their own health centers to improve patient care and streamline clinical processes. More Details...

Developing Curriculum in Line with Accreditation: Best Practices for Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Postgraduate Training Programs (2024). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Presented by Charise Corsino, Program Director of CHC's Postgraduate NP Residency Program, and Kerry Bamrick, Executive Director of the Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers, this activity session will explore curriculum development in the lens of accreditation standards. More Details...

Navigating Comprehensive Care for Refugees: Integrating Clinical Care, Cultural Sensitivity, and Community Collaboration (2024). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Presented by Kasey Harding, Director of the Center for Key Populations at Community Health Center, Inc., this webinar will explore clinical and cultural considerations depending on the country of origin, patient education, challenges in documentation, and care coordination with community organizations. This webinar will also include clinical and support staff to discuss lessons learned and best practices for operational aspects of refugee health clinics. More Details...

Addressing Mental Health Experiences Among Subpopulations of Migrant Seasonal Agricultural Workers (2024). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This two-part article series highlights the vital role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in addressing mental health challenges faced by Migrant Seasonal Agricultural Workers (MSAWs). CHWs leverage their deep understanding of community needs and cultural sensitivities to facilitate open discussions about mental health, combat stigma, and connect individuals to essential resources. By encouraging open dialogue and mutual support, communities can effectively tackle mental health disparities. More Details...

E-Consult Trends Across Medicaid Programs and Impact on FQHCs (2024). Resource Type: Publication. Description: NACHC and the Center for Connected Health Policy examine the current state of eConsult Medicaid policies in relation to FQHCs. This paper looks at a sampling of states to examine trends in eConsult policies that allow, exclude or do not specify the policy specific to FQHCs, resulting in reimbursement and telehealth operational implications for health center. More Details...

Organizational Self-Care Assessment Tool: Fostering a Culture of Wellness Among Health Center Staff (2024). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Health Outreach Partners’ Organizational Self-Care Assessment Tool: Fostering a Culture of Wellness Among Health Center Staff webinar focuses on the importance of adopting organizational self-care practices in the health center setting. The training covers how the assessment tool can assess each organization’s employee wellness practices. Use the link here to access the tool. More Details...

CHWs: The Key Players in Heat Stress Management Strategies Among MSAWs (2024). Resource Type: Publication. Description: As global temperatures rise, Migrant Seasonal Agricultural Workers (MSAWs) are increasingly at risk for heat-stress health issues due to their work conditions. Proactively involving Community Health Workers (CHWs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and local communities can raise awareness and provide essential support to mitigate these risks. By collaborating on education, emergency preparedness, and advocacy, stakeholders can take a strategic approach to improve conditions and health outcomes for MSAWs facing the impacts of climate change. More Details...

CHWs Supporting MSAWs' Health Across Life's Seasons (2024). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Community Health Workers (CHWs) are essential frontline public health workers with deep cultural understanding and adaptable skills. They play a crucial role in supporting Migrant Seasonal Agricultural Workers (MSAWs), who face unique challenges due to their transient work and diverse backgrounds. CHWs provide vital services such as healthcare access, language interpretation, legal guidance, and culturally appropriate support, ensuring MSAWs receive comprehensive care across different locations and life stages. This integrated approach supports positive health outcomes and addresses systemic barriers through community-driven initiatives. More Details...

Best Practices for Phone & Virtual Interpretation (2024). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This publication provides evidence based best practices for phone and virtual interpretation for farmworkers and other who are Limited-English proficient in health centers and clinics. This publication provides many resources to other publications with best practices resources for available interpretation services. We hope this can be applied to support farmworker patients who speak Indigenous languages to increase their access to health care services. More Details...

HITEQ Highlights: Crossing The Chasm of Innovation - One FQHC's Journey to Operationalize its Telehealth Strategy: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: In this HITEQ Highlights webinar, we focused on the intersection of telehealth strategy and operations. One health center\'s experience of leveraging telehealth as a tool for expanding service delivery and patient access will be a jumping off point from which to consider the benefits (and challenges) of dedicated telehealth resources within an organization. Participants learned how telehealth might benefit recruitment efforts and review relevant resources for ongoing telehealth support. More Details...

Navigating Compliance Challenges with the Information Blocking Rule: A Collection of Case Studies: HITEQ Center and Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP, September 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) 21st Century Cures Act Information Blocking Rule (Info Blocking Rule) prohibits covered actors – including health care providers, health IT developers of certified health IT, and health information exchanges/health information networks– from engaging in practices likely to interfere with, prevent, or materially discourage access, exchange, or use of electronic health information (EHI). The Info Blocking Rule includes eight exceptions that provide actors with certainty that, when their practice interferes with the access, exchange, or use of EHI and meets the conditions of one or more exception, such practice will not be considered information blocking.1 More Details...

Interoperability Readiness Scorecard: HITEQ Center, July 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Template. Description: Many health centers struggle to reap the benefits of technological advancement and investments in health information technology (health IT), while others embrace them and reap rewards. Interoperability is one such example; requiring health centers assess systems, relationships, and implementation. There are keys to successful interoperability implementation for which health centers must develop processes, stand up infrastructure (within the system, internally and externally, and organization), and then take action. Process refers to structured processes, policies, and procedures within the health center. Infrastructure refers to structural capacity and ability within the health center’s technology and staffing structure. Action refers to full implementation to the point of active and ongoing use and engagement. This scorecard encourages health centers to consider their processes, infrastructure, and action in a number of key areas. Each area key to interoperability are to be self-graded on a scale of 1 through 5, where 1 is poorly or not yet developed and 5 is well developed. Health centers can also use this to guide discussions and monitor progress over time. evaluate once steps have been completed. More Details...

FAQ: How can health centers comply with both 42 CFR Part 2 and the Information Blocking Rule?: July 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: What are the HIPAA guidelines related to PHI and PII? What is 42 CFR Part 2? What is the Information Blocking Rule? How can my health center comply with both 42 CFR Part 2 and the Information Blocking Rule? How can my health center safeguard EHI on the patient portal following 42 CFR Part 2? How can I find out if 42 CFR Part 2 applies to my health center? Where can I find sample Information Blocking policies, procedures, and templates? More Details...

Affirming Telehealth Practices for LGBTQIA+ Communities (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Join us for this one-hour session to explore promising telehealth practices to serve LGBTQIA+ communities and mitigate stigma and barriers to healthcare. This session will give a comprehensive overview of tools, resources, and best practices to help you build or expand your telehealth programming to improve the health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ patients. This session will be led by Emily Phillips, Fenway Health Telehealth Project Manager. More Details...

Assessing Provider Capabilities, Attitudes, and Preferences about Telehealth: HITEQ Center Question Bank, April 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: As health centers are charting their path forward with telehealth after the public health emergency ends, it will be critical to have methods in place to comprehensively assess the current experiences, capabilities, attitudes, and preferences of providers. Telehealth program improvements should be grounded in a real understanding of these factors to ensure readiness of all providers. More Details...

Growing the Next Generation of Health Center Executives: Establishing an Administrative Fellows Program (2023). Resource Type: Archived webinar. Description: This two-part series is designed to assist health centers with specific consultation on top issues in developing and implementing an Administrative Fellows Program in a Health Center setting. The faculty includes health center representatives experienced and successful with a health center-based Administrative Fellows Program for post-graduate Masters’ prepared administrators. More Details...

School-Based Telehealth Playbook (2021). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: This toolkit guides health centers through the design, implementation, and operation of a telehealth program that meets the needs of children and adolescents. This playbook includes essential components for school-based telehealth start-up, key considerations from health centers across the country, and amendable resources for every planning stage. While this playbook speaks to health centers, the resources, guides, and tips are useful for most health systems. More Details...

Clinical Quality Measures for Eligible Professionals: 2023 Update: A crosswalk of Clinical Quality Measures for UDS and other reporting from The HITEQ Center (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: This spreadsheet developed by the HITEQ Center provides a crosswalk of Clinical Quality Measures and their electronic specifications as defined in the 2023 update for Eligible Professionals (Clinicians). Fields include the crosswalk of measures with related information about CMS, NQF, and MIPS ID, and Telehealth Eligiblity, as well as inclusion in HRSA BPHC Uniform Data System (UDS) CY2023, Million Hearts, CMS Quality Payment Program (QPP) - APM Performance Pathway (APP) Measures, Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP)/ CMS ACO Shared Savings Program, CMS Core Set (Child Core Set Medicaid / CHIP): HEDIS Specified, CMS Core Set (Adult Core Set Medicaid): HEDIS Specified, Core Quality Measures Collaborative (ACO / Primary Care). Links are included throughout. More Details...

Specialty Care Access in Health Centers - What is the Potential of eConsults?: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Access to care is the essential work of health centers, and one pain point is how to ensure specialty access for health center patients. This webinar will discuss innovation in specialty care access using technology and e-Consults. Electronic consultations (“e-consults”) are asynchronous, consultative, provider-to-provider communications within a shared electronic health record (EHR) or web-based platform. E-consults are intended to improve access to specialty expertise for patients and providers without the need for a face-to-face visit. More Details...

Technology Strategies to Improve Pediatric Immunization: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: The importance of effective pediatric immunization strategies cannot be overstated at this moment in public health. Given all the potential barriers to access, how can technology support primary care in improving systems for effective vaccine uptake? Participants heared from Dr. Melissa Stockwell, whose research includes translational health IT interventions to promote vaccination as well as the use of large-scale, patient-centered communication technologies, like text messaging, for surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases and adverse events. More Details...

Webinar: Leveraging Health Center Medical-Legal Partnerships to Advance Community-Oriented Policing (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) have always been an effective, evidence-based tool for addressing the social determinants of health. How can MLPs advance public safety and community-oriented policing initiatives? In this national webinar supported by HRSA, MLP practitioners and stakeholders from Texas discussed: why community policing matters for health; how their work intersects with public safety approaches; and concrete strategies for engaging in community-oriented policing initiatives that affect the health and well-being of the communities they serve.​ More Details...

Using Teledentistry to Improve Prenatal Care (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This publication describes how the University of California, Irvine Family Health Center provides synchronous teledentistry services to pregnant patients. More Details...

Tool: Screening for Disability Discrimination (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: As part of Tips to Help Health Centers Address Disability & Chronic Disease Discrimination, consultant Katie Hathaway created two brand new screening tools to determine if your patient is experiencing discrimination based on a disability or chronic disease. There is one tool for adults and another for children and young adults (including those attending college). More Details...

Quality Improvement Starter Kit (2020). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: This resource, developed by AFL Enterprises, includes virtual training resources that can be used to share quality improvement techniques and practices more widely within your health center. More Details...

Health Center Environmental Scan Kickoff Webinar (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Throughout the public health emergency, health centers have adapted and evolved to serve their communities amid a confluence of factors. As such, it is becoming crucially important to understand the different strategies and partnerships that have emerged from this crisis. Health centers have an important and essential role in addressing the health-harming social and legal needs of their patients. The National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership (NCMLP) is conducting an environmental scan of health centers with the main goal of establishing, expanding, and sustaining the accessibility and availability of medical-legal partnerships to meet the evolving social needs of patient populations. On September 29, NCMLP staff gave an overview of the data we have so far, why it's so important to complete the scan, and how to actually participate. More Details...

Collaborating to Address the Health and Legal Needs of Patients Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence and Exploitation: Learning Collaborative Series (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: In May, we collaborated with Health Partners on IPV + Exploitation to host a four-part learning collaborative on partnering to address the health and legal needs of patients and clients experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and exploitation. The learning collaborative featured several partnership models and promising practices to develop, sustain, and grow partnerships between health care professionals and legal services providers. Speakers from Colorado Legal Services, Alaska Legal Services, Asian Health Services, and the Indiana LAVA project each shared how partnerships between providers and legal services partners have improved outcomes for survivors and increased access to services. The series also addressed creating MOUs between civil legal service programs, health centers, and domestic violence programs. Attention was also given to tools to utilize “CUES”, a universal education approach that allows providers to reach more patients as a form of both prevention and intervention. Learning Objectives: In this learning collaborative series, participants learned to: Identify strategies to build partnerships between civil legal services providers and community health centers to address the health and legal needs of survivors of IPV and exploitation. Describe strategies for sustaining and growing collaborative health justice responses to preventing and addressing IPV. Describe 3 tools that can help community health centers and civil legal services formalize partnerships and develop protocols for responding to domestic violence and building prevention strategies. More Details...

Advancing MLP in Health Centers Learning Collaborative Part 3 (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: In part three of this session, this learning collaborative allowed health centers and civil legal services staff to connect with peers at different levels of medical-legal partnership (MLP). The provided strategies for implementation and support by addressing the health-harming legal needs of special populations. More Details...

Advancing MLP in Health Centers Learning Collaborative Part 2 (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: In part two of this learning collaborative, health centers and civil legal services staff connected with peers at different levels of medical-legal partnership (MLP) implementation for support with addressing the health-harming legal needs of special populations. More Details...

MATRC Vendor Selection Toolkit (2022). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: In this toolkit MATRC has compiled the insights of experienced telehealth experts to help you identify the steps you should undertake to select the most suitable technologies for your telehealth services. More Details...

Understanding the Fundamentals: Health Center Compliance and Reproductive Health Services (Webinar) (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Health centers provide access to comprehensive primary care services for their patient population in underserved communities. Family planning services may be a component of the comprehensive primary care provided. This webinar was not produced using any federal funds. More Details...

Serving Veterans in Health Centers: A Compendium of Success Stories (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: These ten success stories from around country share how health centers are successfully supporting the unique needs of local military veterans. From oral health care and care coordination to housing and outreach to the VA, these stories capture the ingenuity, advocacy and passion of local health centers giving back to Veterans. More Details...

Telehealth and Digital Tools Equity Assessment: Developed in February 2022 (2022). Resource Type: Other. Description: This brief assessment, which can be downloaded in the Documents to Download section below, contains questions that health centers can ask potential vendors to ensure their tools support equitable access and address the needs of the health center\'s population. More Details...

Eyes on Access: Steps for Integrating Comprehensive Eye Health and Vision Services into Health Centers (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This is a Part 2 archive of a 2-part webinar series in Spring 2022 that reviewed the operational activities necessary to implement or enhance vision services in a health center. Learners reviewed planning factors such as provider configuration, cost, volume and supervision. More Details...

Telehealth Office Hours: Follow-up Strategies for Implementing Teledentistry (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Following up on last summer's initial office hour on Patient-centered Strategies for Tele-dentistry, this office hour will address questions and scenarios raised by health centers as they continue on their paths to implement the many applications of tele-dentistry. This session will provide useful tips and examples for developing tele-dentistry workflows and highlight case use examples focusing on pediatric populations. More Details...

Building the Case for Implementing Postgraduate NP Residency and NP/PA Training Programs (2021). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Join us as we discuss the the drivers and processes of implementing a postgraduate nurse practitioner residency program at your health center, the benefits of implementing a postgraduate residency program, and the residency tracks for Family, Psychiatric/Mental Health, Pediatric, and Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioners. We are joined by Charise Corsino, Program Director of the Nurse Practitioner Residency Program, and Nicole Seagriff, Clinical Program Director of the Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Residency Program, from the Community Health Center Inc. More Details...

Fundamentals of Comprehensive Care (2021). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Join us as we discuss the core concepts of team-based care and introduce elements of team-based care that builds upon these basics to support your teams in advancing their capability to provide satisfying and effective care to complex patient populations. We are joined by Margaret Flinter, Senior Vice President/Clinical Director for Community Health Center, Inc., and both Thomas Bodenheimer, MD, Physician and Founding Director, and Rachel Willard Grace, Director, from the Center for Excellence in Primary Care. More Details...

Growing Our Own: Cultivating the Next Generation of Primary Care Physicians in Community Health Centers (2017). Resource Type: Publication. Description: It is critical to advance policies and programs that help community health centers (CHCs) become Educational Health Centers (EHCs)2 and “grow their own” primary care training opportunities. This paper explores several pathways for promoting CHCs as teaching environments - enhanced partnerships between Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) and CHCs (with either the AMC or the CHC as the sponsoring institution3), and CHCs participating in HRSA Teaching Health Center (THC) funding opportunities (with sponsorship either by the CHC alone or by a consortium body) - and posits a spectrum of options and costs associated with each of these pathways to train medical residents. More Details...

Serving Military Veterans in Health Centers: Exploring Unexpected Partners and Resources (2021). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This webinar provides a current snapshot of Veteran patients in Health Centers and opportunities to advance projects in service to Veteran patients, with partners like the Veterans Administration or local philanthropies. Consider how ARP funding might support a vulnerable Veteran population and their needs. More Details...

NACHC Telehealth Office Hours: State Assistive Technology Act (2021). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This session from April 8, 2021 focuses on the State Assistive Technology (AT) Act program and the services they provide. State AT programs provide information and awareness about AT, train people how to use AT, demonstrate AT that is responsive to a person’s needs related to vaccine access, testing, physical distancing, using telemedicine, enrolling in programs, and participating in virtual health and wellness and social engagement programs. More Details...

HITEQ Highlights: Preparing for Value-Based Care through Sustainable Telehealth Workflows: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2020). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Join the HITEQ Center, in collaboration with Certintell, for a webinar on Preparing for Value-Based Care through Sustainable Telehealth Workflows. The webinar will provide an overview of how health centers can use telehealth during the current public health emergency and ensure that they are ready for the shift to Value-Based Care. We will cover sustainable telehealth services that are often underutilized and example workflows that have worked for other health centers. More Details...

Bridging the Digital Divide: Using Technology to Improve Access to Health Care for Public Housing Residents (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The purpose of this report is to outline the digital needs and challenges of public housing residents, the risks and benefits of using technology to improve patient care, and recommendations on how to prepare health centers and patients to optimize digital tools, improve access to care, and enhance efforts through partnerships to bridge the digital divide. More Details...

Developing Cross-Sector Partnerships (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This guide provides health center staff with tools and strategies to initiate, develop, and sustain community partnerships to better serve older adult residents of public housing. Content of this publication was developed through a 4-session learning collaborative launched by the SDOH academy with a small cohort of HRSA-funded health centers, HCCNs, and PCAs. More Details...

Telehealth Essentials Checklist Training Event Recording (2020). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This free live training event was offered by the Mid-Atlantic Teleheath Resource Center on Wednesday March 18 from noon – 1 PM ET. MATRC walked through a checklist of the essentials health centers need to have in mind (and get into place) to get started on implementing telehealth. More Details...

Pandemics and the Need for Telehealth: Dr. Joseph Kvedar of the American Telemedicine Association (2020). Resource Type: Other. Description: Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Joseph Kvedar, President-Elect of the American Telemedicine Association and Sr. Advisor for Virtual Care at Partners Health Care in Boston. More Details...

Implementing Mobile Dental Services in an Elder Care Facility: Promising Practice (2019). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Harbor Health Services in MA identified a need for oral health care for the elderly population in their community. As a result, they implemented a program to offer dental services in an elder care facility in their community. This promising practice describes their program and lessons learned. More Details...

Establishing a Dental Clinic in a Hospital Emergency Department: Promising Practice (2019). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This promising practice follows Community Health Center of Franklin County in Massachushetts. This health center established a dental clinic in a hospital emergency department as an emergency room diversion strategy for patients experiencing dental problems. More Details...

Compendium of Telehealth Research and Publications: A Summary of Recent Research along with Takeaways for Health Centers (2019). Resource Type: Publication. Description: In early 2019, HITEQ completed a literature review of recent research and publications about telehealth. Within this compendium, HITEQ summarizes these articles and discusses possible implications or considerations for health centers. The purpose of the rapid review was to determine whether the current research shows that services delivered via telehealth are equivalent to in-person services and if the use of telehealth services affects the use of other services. They found that, overall, telehealth is comparable to in-person care, however further research is needed to determine the impacts of telehealth use on other services. In other words, the question of whether telehealth can effectively substitute in-person care remains unanswered. More Details...

Barriers Encountered by Agricultural Workers Seeking Specialty Care and Potential Solutions (2018). Resource Type: Publication. Description: An issue brief for health center staff outlining the continuing challenges in providing specialty care to agricultural workers and their families. It highlights experiences of workers and provides recommendations, including opportunities for telehealth. More Details...

Virtual Visits Fact Sheet for Consumers: What Should I Know? (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Fact Sheet for consumers outlining what they should know, top reasons why people are turning to telehealth, what’s needed and how it works. The fact sheet also lays out challenges, risks and other considerations for those thinking about integrating telehealth. Two-page fact sheet for consumers outlining what telehealth is, and what they should take into consideration if thinking about integrating telehealth into their practice. The fact sheet also lays out challenges, risks and other considerations for those thinking about integrating telehealth. More Details...

Providing Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Care in Emergency Responses: Stories and Lessons Learned from Hurricane Sandy (2005). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This second edition of AAPCHO's emergency preparedness compendium highlights the value and need for sharing best practices that are sensitive to the specific needs of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA&NHPIs) in emergency management efforts. More Details...

Increasing Access To Care thorugh Tele-Dentistry: Promising Practice (2018). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Teledentistry is an emerging trend among health centers to expand access to dental care. This promising practice will discuss the story of Ravenswood Family Health Center in California and their use of the virtual dental home model. More Details...