Quick Finds: Promising/Best Practices

Enhancing Healthcare Access for Special Populations Through Telehealth and Home Visitation Services: Part Two (2023). Resource Type: In-Person Training. Description: Hosted by the National Nurse-led Care Consortium and the National Center for Health in Public Housing, this 2-part webinar series discussed promising practices in home visitation and telehealth as ways to support improved access to comprehensive primary care for communities with high levels of disability and isolation, lack of adequate transportation, and other social drivers of health that contribute to health inequities, particularly residents of public housing. More Details...

Health Center Preparedness and Response Forum Webinar Series (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: For health centers serving priority populations, such as agricultural workers, individuals experiencing homelessness, residents of public housing, and other underserved groups including older adults, and Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian patients. HRSA National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs) hosted a four-part webinar series focused on preparing for and responding to a wide variety of emergencies.  More Details...

Successful Steps for Holistic Integration of Mental and Behavioral Health in Primary Care Learning Collaborative: Part Two (2023). Resource Type: Online Self-Paced Learning Modules. Description: Session two focused on enhancing understanding of integrated care models and aspects of gaining leadership support for successful implementation. Leadership endorsement is critical for the successful implementation of integrated care methods. Participants engaged in discussions centered around strategies to gain leadership buy-in. Case analyses and group exercises empowered attendees to identify key motivators for leaders and tailor their approach to effectively communicate the benefits of integrated care, thereby securing the necessary support. More Details...

Enhancing Healthcare Access for Special Populations Through Telehealth and Home Visitation Services: Part One (2023). Resource Type: Online Self-Paced Learning Modules. Description: The first session took place on November 7. We examined how home visitation can be integrated into the provider panel to expand access for aging and disabled patients residing in public housing. More Details...

Health Center Board Practices and Needs Assessment 2023 (English and Spanish): Findings Report and Governance Benchmarking Tools (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This resource, “Health Center Board Practices and Needs Assessment 2023: Findings Report and Governance Benchmarking Tools,” includes an overview of the assessment; addresses findings and tips related to the three major categories of board roles: Strategy, Oversight and Policy, and Board Functioning; and provides information on additional training and resource needs. This publication also includes a dashboard tool to allow centers to compare certain governance practices to other center boards across the country. More Details...

Successful Steps for Holistic Integration of Mental and Behavioral Health in Primary Care Learning Collaborative: Part One (2023). Resource Type: In-Person Training. Description: Integrated healthcare is a unique way to detect and address the broad spectrum of psychological, biological, and social needs among primary care patients. In part one of this learning collaborative, participants explored different levels of engagement and examined this framework of collaboration and the different levels of integration; we also learned about key strategies for successfully implementing integrated health care in your healthcare setting. Participants were introduced to the framework for patient and family engagement and reviewed an organizational assessment to gauge where action can be taken. 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...

PrEP Process Map Example: HITEQ Center, September 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: This resource is an example of a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Process Map. A process map is a picture of how a health center workflow moves from the start point to the end point. As you review the process map, make note of the design elements, such as use of colors, shapes, and icons, and the level of detail included in the map. You can download the process map in the Documents to Download section below. More Details...

Health Center Guidelines for Implementing FHIR and the Information Blocking Rule: HITEQ Center, September 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: The 21st Century Cures Act and the ONC Health IT Certification Program include rules for technical configuration and use of Health Level 7® (HL7) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources® (FHIR) for health data exchange and accessibility. Health centers are directed to enable and publish their healthcare data locations, known as FHIR endpoints,* to and from their electronic health record (EHR). Part of the Cures Act, known as the Information Blocking Rule, mandates that patients have “easy” access to their digital medical information, costs and claims associated with their health record, and whom the data can be shared with. More Details...

BPHCurates: Child and Adolescent Health and Social Resources: Targeted Resources on Food Insecurity, Behavioral Health, Oral Health, Staffing Shortages, and Telehealth to Support Child and Adolescent Health (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This resource packet provides health centers with resources to develop processes for improving service delivery and outcomes for children and adolescents, specifically related to telehealth, food insecurity, mental and behavioral health, oral health, and staffing shortages and retention. In addition, links to general child and adolescent health center technical resources are provided. More Details...

Stratifying Quality Measures by Housing Status and Location (2023). Resource Type: Online Self-Paced Learning Modules. Description: In this training, we learned how to impact communities meaningfully by utilizing data to improve screening, care quality, and health outcomes. NNCC and the Primary Care Development Corporation partnered to conduct a webinar that guided health centers serving public housing residents and other special groups on using UDS data for QI, care coordination, and care model design. More Details...

Organizational Self-Care Assessment Tool (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: The Organizational Self-Care Assessment Tool is designed to give you a snapshot of your organizational self-care practices, reflect on your strategies, and identify areas for future exploration. More Details...

Assessing Patient Satisfaction with Telehealth at Community Health Centers: A Policy Brief (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This brief describes findings from a national assessment of health center patients’ experiences with telehealth and the policy implications of these findings. The assessment focused on three key aspects of telehealth utilization, including 1) ease of use, 2) interaction with the clinician, and 3) overall comfort/satisfaction. More Details...

 Health Center and Supportive Housing Capital Development Partnerships Case Study: Portland, OR (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the value of community health and housing collaborations aimed at improving housing stability and quality of life for vulnerable populations. Exploration of these health and housing partnerships is fueled by increased demands for affordable and supportive housing combined with the need for more effective service coordination. Partnerships that expand the community’s housing and service infrastructure—the physical space— also provide opportunities for health centers to enhance care coordination and participate in efforts to address housing as a significant driver for health outcomes. Learn more about the key steps and decisions Central City Concern and their community partners made on their path to building new health and housing collaborations in their community. More Details...

Health Center and Supportive Housing Capital Development Partnerships Case Study: Atlanta, GA (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the value of community health and housing collaborations aimed at improving housing stability and quality of life for vulnerable populations. Increased demands for affordable and supportive housing combined with the need for more effective service coordination are fueling exploration of these health and housing collaborations. Read the case study to learn more about the key steps and decisions leading health centers and providers have made on their path to building new health and housing collaborations in their communities. More Details...

 Health Center and Supportive Housing Capital Development Partnerships Case Study: Denver, CO (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the value of community health and housing collaborations aimed at improving housing stability and quality of life for vulnerable populations. Exploration of these health and housing partnerships is fueled by increased demands for affordable and supportive housing combined with the need for more effective service coordination. Partnerships that expand the community’s housing and service infrastructure—the physical space— also provide opportunities for health centers to enhance care coordination and participate in efforts to address housing as a significant driver for health outcomes. Learn more about the key steps and decisions the Denver Housing Authority and Denver Health and Hospital Authority made on their path to building new health and housing co-developments in their community. More Details...

Sensitive Information and the Electronic Patient Record: HITEQ Center, June 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: With nearly 100% of community health centers utilizing electronic health records (EHR) to care for patients, focus has pivoted from implementation and new workflow development to enhancement in order to drive value and reflect patient needs and population trends. EHR technology presents potential opportunities and significant constraints. Providers frequently document and share potentially sensitive information in the EHR, such as risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), consistent offers of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), or patient sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). More Details...

A Guide to Essential Cybersecurity Tasks for Health Centers: For health centers with limited resources, developed in June 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: In an increasingly connected healthcare landscape, health centers face a dual challenge: the rising tide of cyber threats and the need to comply with stringent data protection regulations, all while managing limited resources. The ever-evolving nature of cyberattacks and the complexity of compliance requirements make it essential for health centers to prioritize cybersecurity tasks effectively. More Details...

A Compendium of Veteran Oral Health Best, Promising, and Emerging Practice Approaches (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: NNOHA partnered with the American Institute for Dental Public Health to collect current practices to increase access to oral health care for veterans. This guide describes strategies to engage and serve veterans in the community for oral health care. More Details...

Optimize Your Care Team to Improve Chronic Hypertensive Disease Management (2023). Resource Type: Online Self-Paced Learning Modules. Description: This webinar focuses on advancing the mgmt of hypertension & improving patient outcomes through optimization of care teams. We explore how care team optimization, grounded in evidence-based practices, enhances health outcomes & provides vital support for our workforce. During this session, you hear from Ingrid Andersson from Mary’s Center on using RNs to enhance chronic care management, with a special emphasis on patients dealing with hypertension. Through comprehensive discussions & case studies, you explore the latest promising practices that focus on the pivotal role of collaborative teams in achieving superior patient outcomes. 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...

Eyes on Access: Billing for Vision Services (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This is a continuation of the 2022 vision services webinar series. With a deep dive into billing for vision services, this webinar series addresses how health centers can align their billing procedures for vision services with their existing service lines. More Details...

Exploring Promising Practices on Diabetes Management and Prevention: NCHPH Webinar (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: In 2021, health centers reported over 2.8 million patients that were diagnosed with diabetes and over 91,000 among Public Housing Primary Care grantees (HRSA, 2022). This data signifies the need to explore what strategies health centers are implementing to improve the overall diabetes health outcomes for their patients. More Details...

The Managed Care Data Set - Video: Developed with Starling Advisors in 2022 (2023). Resource Type: E-Learning. Description: This is the second in a three module value based care basics series from the HITEQ Center. This module was developed by Starling Advisors in 2022. 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...

HITEQ Highlights: Improve the Collection and Respectful Use of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI): Inclusive SOGI EHR Workflows (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Collecting sensitive patient information, including data related to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI), is a critical part of operations for many health centers, especially FQHCs. Though required by many funding and reporting systems, for example, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Services, integrating how to capture these data in respectful and consistent ways may be a challenge. More Details...

HITEQ Highlights: What You Need to Know About Managing Data in Value Based Care Contracts: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This webinar will feature a panel of leaders in the health center world of value based care discussing how data can be managed and leveraged as a strategic asset. As value based care, alternative payment models, and managed care arrangements are becoming more common for health centers, health centers are called on to increase their knowledge and action in this area. Join us to hear from experts and pose any questions you have! More Details...

Clinical Decision Support and Care Plan Adjustment for Social Risks: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: When clinical teams have information on patients\' social risks (adverse social determinants of health), they can make care plan adjustments to account for those risks, e.g., by prescribing lower-cost medications. More Details...

Service Line Expansion: A Guide for Health Center Boards (English and Spanish) (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Health centers sometimes consider adding new services. If your health center is considering expanding the services it offers, your board of directors is a critical part of the process. This guide provides health center boards with an overview of service line expansion including why a health center might consider such expansion; information on the board’s role in the process; and questions to help guide decisions around expansion. More Details...

Geographic Expansion: A Guide for Health Center Boards (English and Spanish) (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Health centers sometimes consider expanding geographically, often by adding new sites. If your health center is considering expanding geographically, your board of directors is a crucial part of the process. This guide provides health center boards with an overview of geographic expansion. It provides an overview of why a health center might consider such expansion; information on the board’s role in the process; and questions to help guide decisions around expansion. More Details...

SDOH Screening & Referrals to Support Diabetes Control: Screening & Coding, Care Team Optimization, Referrals to the Community & Closing the Loop (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: In this three-part webinar series hosted by the National Nurse-led Care Consortium (NNCC), participants can expect to learn about the importance of SDOH screenings and whole-person wellness to improve diabetes management and outcomes. Presenters will share their knowledge of executing patient centered SDOH screening tools and referrals to support services while managing diabetes. This series will discuss implementing best practices for patient-centered approaches to care by utilizing SDOH screening and care team optimization and coordination. More Details...

Becoming a Teaching Health Center: Tips for Health Center Boards (English and Spanish) (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This resource offers tips for boards when a health center is considering starting the process to become a Teaching Health Center. It offers a case example of how one board used these strategies. More Details...

Expanding Health Center Services to an Aging Population through PACE (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar . Description: This National Center for Equitable Care for Elders (NCECE) webinar focused on features and benefits of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model within a health center context. The personalized care approach of PACE promotes safe community living for the growing population of older adults, many of whom have a range of complex health needs and varying levels of social support. More Details...

Tips for Boards on Health Center Workforce Challenges and Opportunities (2023). Resource Type: Elearning. Description: NACHC has developed two resources – an article and companion video – related to workforce for health center boards. The article provides tips that a board can consider in partnership with the CEO to help address workforce challenges and opportunities through board-level functions, including strategic planning, budget approval, policy approval, and other forms of oversight and board development. Available in English and Spanish. A companion video provides a summary of the article. Boards may find it helpful to watch the companion video to generate discussion about the board’s role related to workforce challenges and opportunities. More Details...

More than a Database: Understanding Community Resource Referrals within a Broader Framework: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Addressing patients’ social determinants of health via community resource referrals has historically primarily been the domain of social workers and information and referral specialists; however, community resource referral technology platforms have more recently entered the market. 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...

Performance Measure Data Definition Worksheet (2022). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: The Performance Measure Data Definition Worksheet can be used during the Quality Improvement (QI) process to assess the alignment of your health center’s workflows and documentation and your EHR vendor’s reporting logic processes. More Details...

Improving Care Coordination and Health Outcomes for Diabetic Patients through Medical and Dental Integration: Promising Practice (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: CommUnityCare in Texas shares how their organization implemented medical and dental integration through NNOHA Integration of Diabetes and Oral Health Learning Collaborative to help improve the health outcomes of patients with diabetes. More Details...

Guide to Attracting Funding Resources to Address Social Determinants of Health Needs (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This Guide to Attracting Funding Resources to Address Social Determinants of Health Needs will explore, from the community health center perspective, approaches to attract investments in SDOH that meet common, critical patient needs such as housing. 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...

Concurrent Treatment of Smoking Cessation and SUD in Primary Care (2022). Resource Type: Webinar. Description: n.a. More Details...

HITEQ Highlights: Deploying Smartphone Apps to Advance Mental Health in Primary Care: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Patient engagement through electronic health apps are one solution to the need for timely and ongoing patient support. This session discussed a program to support mental health through an integrated behavioral health model using a mental health app at Cambridge Health Alliance. More Details...

Work as a Social Driver of Health: How La Casa Family Health Center Identifies Farmworkers (2022). Resource Type: Podcast. Description: What happens when health center care teams know more about a patient’s occupation? This data can be especially important if the patient is an essential worker, as the Health Choice Network, a health center-controlled network based in Miami, and their partners at La Casa Family Health Center in New Mexico, learned during the COVID pandemic when treating a high-risk group of dairy farmworkers. This episode of NACHC’s podcast, Health Centers on the Front Lines, takes us behind the scenes at a health center and its partner network as they change the culture around disclosure of occupation among patients. More Details...

Tips for Health Center Boards for Evaluating the Sliding Fee Discount Program (English/Spanish) (2022). Resource Type: Microlearning. Description: Health center boards are required to adopt, review and evaluate at least once every three years, and, as needed, approve updates to the Sliding Fee Discount Program as noted in Chapter 19: Board Authority in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program Compliance Manual. This short video provides tips on how boards can work with the health center CEO to evaluate and approve updates to the Sliding Fee Discount Program. It contains sample data and questions a board may wish to ask as part of this process. More Details...

Environmental Determinants of Health: Fostering Environmental Health Programs in Public Housing Primary Care (2022). Resource Type: Webinar. Description: n.a. More Details...

Managed Care Data Checklist: Companion Document to Video Module: Payer Data: The Managed Care Data (2022). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: This checklist will walk you, the health center, through a series of common considerations for contracts you may receive from payers with a specific focus on contracts that include value-based payment components. This document assists organizations in understanding the necessary data and data-related tools for managing population health within a managed care environment. 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...

Using Health IT and EHRs to Address the Burden Providers Experience: Takeaways for primary care safety net settings including federally qualified health centers and look-alikes. June 2022. (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Providers are burnt out and most expect it to get worse. Burnout is typically defined as a psychological response to job stressors characterized by emotional exhaustion, detachment, and a sense of ineffectiveness. Investigations of burnout in primary care have usually focused on factors associated with burnout among individual clinicians. But, it may be more useful to think about organizational-level burnout, which can shift the focus from individual responsibility to organizational solutions. More Details...

Promising Practices: Providing Behavioral Health Care in a Medical Respite Setting (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This report presents a summary of the findings and highlights promising practices in behavioral health care that are currently being implemented in medical respite care (MRC) programs across the country. It outlines strategies and approaches that can be replicated and adapted to other programs’ unique contexts, equipping them to deliver high-quality care that is consistent with the Standards for Medical Respite Care and is responsive to the needs of people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in their communities. More Details...

Bright Spots in HIV Screening: Health center examples, developed June 2022 (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Since 2020, health centers have reported the HIV Screening clinical quality measure on Table 6B of the UDS. This measures the portion of medical patients aged 15 through 65 who have at least one HIV test recorded between their 15th and 66th birthday. HITEQ hosted discussions with health centers in fall of 2021 to find out how they have made progress on this particular clinical quality measure. More Details...