COVID-19 Resources — Governance

The Biden Administration's COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate: Frequently Asked Questions for the HCH Community (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: On November 4, the Biden Administration issued two rules to provide further guidance on the COVID-19 vaccine mandate announced in early September. One rule outlines the requirements for health care facilities, while the second rule outlines those for private employers with 100+ employees. The National HCH Council has previously endorsed organizations that issued vaccine mandates, and we are grateful to see these new guidelines announced because they will increase the number of people getting vaccinated. To help with initial planning, below are answers to frequently asked questions for how the new rules will impact the Health Care for the Homeless community. More Details...

The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Health Center Workforce: Challenges and Solutions (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Despite increasing demand for health care services, health centers indicate a critical shortage of staff necessary to meet that demand. Burnout, stress, depression, etc. have eroded our healthy workforce. This Facebook Live session discussed workforce challenges and how to navigate these challenges to advance well-being. More Details...

Ten FAQs About Health Center Boards & the CMS Omnibus COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This short document addresses Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the implications of the CMS Omnibus COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule (CMS IFR) for health center boards and board members. More Details...

Tools for Creating an Environment that Supports Integrated Care (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This toolkit equips health centers with the guiding principles and tools needed to create an environment that facilitates integrated care. This resource, developed with support from HRSA, is meant to stimulate project team’s thinking and problem-solving skills related to place planning and build cohesion as they embark on improvement projects. (Released in 2021) More Details...

Planning a Capital Project to Accommodate Integrated Care: A First Steps Overview - Nov. 4, 2021 (2021). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Is your health center considering building new facilities to incorporate team-based, integrated care? This session will cover essential steps to prepare your project for success, including incorporating facilities goals in your strategic plan, understanding your patient base and community trends and analyzing your current operations to determine the space you need. We’ll also describe resources available to help you plan. More Details...

Performance Benchmarking Toolkit for Rural Health Centers (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This toolkit provides guidance in applying data analysis tools to help rural health centers more effectively track performance, understand key drivers, and incorporate operational insights for financial sustainability. This resource was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. (Released 2021) More Details...

Optimizing People, Place and Process: Resources to Facilitate Integrated Care in Federally Qualified Health Centers (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: As the second in a series, this toolkit builds upon the principles and tools presented in Capital Link’s Tools for Creating an Environment that Supports Integration. Ensuring your teams are well equipped by optimizing your current resources will not only improve outcomes today, but inform future strategic initiatives as you plan for service and capital expansion tomorrow. (Released 2022) More Details...

Key Considerations in Planning Your Facility for Integrated, Comprehensive Care (2021). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This webinar provides an overview of the most important factors to consider when planning a facility that will accommodate various types of integrated care. Participants will learn the guiding principles for place planning and tools for responding to common facility challenges as they create an environment that supports their integrated model of care delivery. More Details...

Introduction to the Planning and Financing a Capital Project to Accommodate Integrated Care Learning Collaborative (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Join Capital Link for an introductory webinar to learn more about our upcoming \"Planning and Financing a Capital Project to Accommodate Integrated Care\" Learning Collaborative and to gain insight on organizational readiness, select financial and operational benchmarks, financial capacity, and how to begin planning for your capital project. Capital Link is launching a fifth year of our capital planning learning collaborative, which provides practical direction and tools for capital project planning, financing, and completing for health centers that anticipate the need for a project in the next one to five years. More Details...

Legal Lessons Learned from the Pandemic for Health Center Boards (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Some of the health center board governance practices adopted during the pandemic may ensure improved governance for the foreseeable future and beyond. This short resource highlights legally-focused governance lessons learned during the pandemic. It also details considerations for assuring and maintaining a reasonable level of flexibility in the health center’s bylaws and key board-approved policies. More Details...

CCHN 2021 Community Health Center Governance Podcast Series (2021). Resource Type: Other. Description: This three-part podcast series provides short, digestible introductions to some of the important parts of being a board member for a CHC. This series is not a comprehensive guide of what it means to be a CHC board member, but rather provides a quick snapshot into relevant governance topics. More Details...

The Role of Health Center Boards in Business Continuity Planning (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Business Continuity Planning is the process that outlines the potential impacts of an unplanned disruption in operations and identifies the steps organizations will take to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate potential impacts. This short article outlines key considerations for health center boards related to Business Continuity Planning and questions boards can ask the CEO at their health center. More Details...

Intimate Partner Violence/Human Trafficking: Building Partnerships Between Community Health Centers And Domestic Violence Advocacy Programs (2020). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This webinar will feature the critical role of domestic violence advocacy programs in supporting patients on intimate partner violence/human trafficking (IPV/HT) and how to build meaningful collaborations including initiating Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and bidirectional warm referrals. More Details...

Increasing Staff Capacity to Respond to Intimate Partner Violence/Human Trafficking During COVID-19 (2021). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This webinar offers a combination of self-care and organizational practice strategies to help prevent provider burn out and bolster staff readiness for implementing CUES, as well as trauma-informed and healing-centered practices. More Details...

Hybrid Board Meetings: Our Next Normal? (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This article outlines practices to consider for hybrid board meetings (when some participants are in-person and others are virtual). More Details...

Health Center Boards & HRSA Health Center Program Compliance: Considerations During and After the Pandemic (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This short resource outlines key considerations for health center boards during and after the pandemic related to Health Center Program Compliance, outlines various resources available to boards on Health Center Program Compliance, and includes discussion questions for boards. More Details...

Performance Benchmarking Toolkit for Rural Health Centers: Tracking Data to Improve Financial Performance (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This toolkit provides guidance in applying data analysis tools to help rural health centers more effectively track performance, understand key drivers, and incorporate operational insights for financial sustainability. This resource was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. (Released 2021) More Details...

Evolution of the National Consumer Advisory Board: A Case Study in Consumer Leadership (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Consumer involvement in governance is a unique feature of Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) programs and other federally supported Health Centers. The National Health Care for the Homeless Council acknowledged in its founding principles that “all people have the right to participate in the decisions affecting their lives,” and the development and growth of the National Consumer Advisory Board (NCAB) helps us live up to that principle. This new NCAB History case study serves as a testament to the work of those who helped NCAB flourish, and shares lessons learned for other consumer-led groups. More Details...

The COVID-19 Pandemic Resources and Information: Spanish and English (2020). Resource Type: Other. Description: We at Migrant Clinicians Network have a priority to support both clinicians and the vulnerable patients they serve. MCN continually develops strategies and resources to support health centers, health departments, community groups, and clinicians as they reach out to communities that are often overlooked and give care to patients who might otherwise have nowhere to go. We remain highly concerned for the vulnerable populations that already encounter numerous barriers to health and to care. More Details...

Recruiting and Retaining Board Members: Considerations During and Immediately Post-Pandemic: Contratación y retención de miembros de la junta: consideraciones durante e inmediatamente después de la pandemia (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This short resource outlines how health center boards and staff that work closely with the board can adapt board recruitment and retention practices during the pandemic and as we begin to emerge into a new post-pandemic environment. More Details...

Health Center Governance & Telehealth: Current and Future Considerations for Strategy and Oversight: Gobernanza y telesalud del centro de salud: Consideraciones actuales y futuras para la estrategia y la supervisión (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This article outlines various strategic and oversight considerations related to telehealth for health center boards. A list of discussion questions is included at the end of the article. More Details...

FQHC Roles and Opportunities Related to Rural Hospital Financial Distress and Closure (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This publication, prepared with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration, provides a high-level examination of the lived experiences of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) that serve rural communities, particularly in the context of rural hospital financial distress and closure. (Released in 2021) More Details...

Financial Impact of COVID-19 on Rural Federally Qualified Health Centers (2021). Resource Type: Other. Description: The Financial Impact of COVID-19 on Rural Federally Qualified Health Centers report highlights the net projected losses of Rural FQHCs from April 2020 through June 2021, after taking into account critical federal support made available through December 2020. (Released in 2021) More Details...

Financial Impact of COVID-19 on California Federally Qualified Health Centers - Infographic (2021). Resource Type: Other. Description: Created with support from the California Health Care Foundation, this infographic highlights California FQHCs’ net projected losses from April through December 2020, after taking into account critical federal support made available through December 2020. More Details...

Key Considerations in Planning Your Facility for Integrated, Comprehensive Care (2021). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This webinar provides an overview of the most important factors to consider when planning a facility that will accommodate various types of integrated care. More Details...

Focusing on the Future: Strategic Planning and Thinking During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Enfoque en el futuro: planificación y pensamiento estratégicos durante la pandemia de la COVID-19 (2021). Resource Type: Document. Description: This short resource outlines how boards can use their strategic planning and thinking to support the health center as it navigates times of uncertainty and change. More Details...

Virtual Board Retreats (2021). Resource Type: Document. Description: This short resource outlines how health center boards can plan a virtual retreat during the pandemic, and offers some tools and templates that can be customized by boards. More Details...

Orienting New Health Center Board Members During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This short resource outlines how health center boards and staff that work closely with the board can adapt board orientation during the pandemic. More Details...