[WardFive] Fw: DOH accepting new applications for the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program

 

Albrette "Gigi" Ransom
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----- Forwarded Message -----
From: DCPCA Health Equity Alert <dcpca@mail.democracyinaction.org>
To: gigifor5C12@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 5:33 PM
Subject: DOH accepting new applications for the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program

DOH accepting new applications for the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program Thursday, September 27, 2012 CONTENTS 1. DOH accepting new apps for the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program 2. HHS continues to support state efforts to build affordable insurance exchanges 3. In Capitol Hill's shadow, health reform gets underway 4. The next frontier for elite med schools: Primary Care 5. Community health centers participate in National Voter Registration Day 6. Health care reform: Caring about costs, too 7. Most say Obama's health care law will be implemented; 7 in 10 expect changes 8. Branding health care exchanges to make the sale 9. More than one in 10 older adults are poor 10. Comcast expands Internet offer for low-income families to get online 11. Explore salary ranges by position in nonprofit job market 12. Fads vs. trends in fitness ARTICLE SUMMARIES DCPCA's 15th Annual Meeting -- "BEYOND THE STETHOSCOPE: How Community Health Centers Address the Social Determinants of Health" Tuesday, October 9th, 8:30 am - 5 pm Kellogg Conference Center at Gallaudet University 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC Sponsorship Opportunities for DCPCA's 15th Annual Meeting For more info, contact Senior Development Manager Jamie Odle at (202) 552-2319. 1. DC Department of Health Now Accepting New Applications for the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program DC Department of Health, News Release, September 27, 2012 Summary: DOH announced that its District-wide Health Professional Loan Repayment Program, which provides loan repayment services to eligible District providers practicing in HPLRP-certified Service Obligation Sites, is currently accepting new applications until October 31. Eligible participants for the loan repayment program include licensed and certified physicians and dentists, dental hygienists, registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, as well as clinical social workers, psychologists, and professional counselors. Practitioners interested in the program must be employed or have an employment contract with a certified SOS to provide direct patient care for at least 40 hours per week. To become a SOS, a site must be a public or non-profit entity located in a Health Professional Shortage Area and must submit an application for review to the HPLRP. Contract award amounts will be equivalent to 44% of a provider's total eligible debt up to $60,033 for physicians and dentists and $33,017 for all other eligible professionals. Contracts will be paid out in a lump sum within 90 days of the contract start date. HPLRP participants may renew their contracts, one year at a time, up to a total of 4 years, over which time the Program will pay 100% of a provider's total eligible debt, up to $136,440 for physicians and dentists and $75,042 for all other eligible providers. DOH will award contracts to qualifying participants beginning January, 2013 and will issue between 12 and 20 awards. For more info, contact the loan repayment program directly at mailto:hplrp@dc.gov?subject=HPLR%20Program or (202) 442-9168. 2. HHS continues to support state efforts to build Affordable Insurance Exchanges US Health and Human Services, News Release, September 27, 2012 Summary: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius awarded a new round of Affordable Insurance Exchange Establishment Grants to the District of Columbia, Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Minnesota. These awards will give states the flexibility and resources needed to create new health insurance marketplaces, known as exchanges, for their residents. Because of the Affordable Care Act, consumers and small businesses will have access to exchanges starting in 2014. The exchanges are one-stop marketplaces that will provide access to quality, affordable, private health insurance choices similar to those offered to members of Congress. Consumers in every state will be able to buy insurance from qualified health plans directly through these marketplaces and may be eligible for tax credits to help pay for their health insurance. These competitive marketplaces promote competition in the insurance marketplace and provide consumers with more insurance choices. The DC Department of Health Care Finance received $72,985,333 -- a Level Two Exchange Establishment Grant, a multi-year grant awarded to states further along in building their exchanges. The District is receiving a Level Two award to provide assistance to hire staff and consultants to manage activities related to the creation and first year of operations for testing and enhancement of the exchange. In addition, a substantial portion of the requested funding will be used to develop an IT system that facilitates critical exchange functions including eligibility, enrollment, and information exchange among individuals, employers, insurance carriers, and state and federal government agencies. For more info, read: Creating a New Competitive Marketplace: Affordable Insurance Exchanges and Affordable Insurance Exchanges. 3. In Capitol Hill's shadow, health reform gets underway By Sarah Kliff, The Washington Post, September 25, 2012 Summary: The DC Health Benefits Exchange Authority held a public meeting on Sept. 24, 2012. This meeting is where government officials decide what the Obama administration's signature legislative achievement will look like for residents of the nation's capital. As far as health exchange boards go, the District's has some serious health policy star power, a product of the many think-tanks and universities in its jurisdiction. The Brookings Institute's Henry Aaron sits on the board, as do health policy professors from Georgetown and the George Washington universities. The first agenda item: Deciding what set of essential health benefits DC will require all insurance carriers to cover. Next up on the agenda was the DC Health Insurance Exchange, the new marketplace where residents will be able to use federal subsidies to purchase insurance coverage. The District has been one of the more aggressive implementers of President Obama's signature health care legislation. It's among only a handful of states that have committed to running their own HIE, rather than ceding the task to the federal government. Even with widespread support, the District still has a to-do list that stretches 11 PowerPoint slides long. They have to decide whether all insurance plans will be sold through the insurance exchange, or if there will still be an outside market. Processes need to be put in place to vet insurance plans to make sure they meet new federal mandates. A communications plan must be put in place, so that DC residents actually know about the new marketplace. There's also the not-so-small matter of hiring an executive director. These are big decisions that will shape how residents buy insurance here just 15 months from now. 4. The Next Frontier For Elite Med Schools: Primary Care By Jenny Gold, National Public Radio, Shots - NPR's Health Blog, September 23, 2012 Summary: Johns Hopkins, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, and Cornell. What do these medical schools have in common? They're on the short list of top U.S. med schools that don't have departments of family medicine. Elite schools have long focused on training specialists and researchers, but with the federal health law's emphasis on primary care, some schools are looking harder at family medicine. Until this year, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York had neither a department nor any family physicians on staff. Students who were interested in becoming family doctors found little support. For the first three years of school, training focused almost exclusively on taking care of extremely ill patients in the hospital. Some med students want to spend their career keeping people healthy rather than trying to bring them back from a very serious illness. Some professors try to discourage students from going into primary care, telling them it was too much work, the pay was lousy, the job was boring, and it simply wasn't as intellectually rigorous as being a specialist. Mount Sinai ranks among the bottom 20 medical schools in the country when it come to the number of primary care doctors it graduates. But that may soon change. In June, Mount Sinai started a new department of family medicine. The dean of the medical school says the new department represents a fundamental change in Mount Sinai's mission. They want to be one of the leading medical schools that educates the next generation of primary care doctors. 5. America's Community Health Centers Participate in National Voter Registration Day National Association of Community Health Centers, News Release, September 25, 2012 Summary: Community health centers across the nation joined with thousands of other nonprofit organizations on September 25, 2012, for National Voter Registration Day. This day is an opportunity for nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations and individuals to help people register to vote. Voter registration deadlines vary by state, but registering to vote or updating an individual's registration on September 25th ensures they will be able to vote in the upcoming November election. This year, health centers nationally have already assisted more than 12,000 individuals in registering to vote through an initiative called Community Health Vote. America's community health centers are unique institutions, not just in the health care system, but in the fabric of the communities they serve, said NACHC Chair Kauila Clark. The very nature of health centers makes them an integral part of how Americans from all walks of life become involved in and integrated into their communities -- and a natural place for helping them take the step to be more informed and civically engaged. 6. Health care reform: Caring about costs, too By Joshua M. Sharfstein, Laura Herrera, and Charles Milligan, The Baltimore Sun, September 27, 2012 Summary: By establishing a health benefit exchange and expanding Medicaid coverage, Maryland is on a path to extend access to affordable health care to hundreds of thousands of individuals, families, and small businesses. For our progress to be sustainable, the growth in health care spending must be slowed and brought into balance. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, health spending in 1999 averaged $3,993 per person in Maryland, about the national average. Over the next decade, Maryland's per capita spending rose 88% to $7,492 in 2009, outpacing national growth by more than $500 per person. Greater spending on health care has led to substantial increases in the price of health insurance. A recent Commonwealth Fund study found that between 2003 and 2010, Maryland employers experienced more than a 50% increase in insurance premiums for family policies. To cope with rising costs, Maryland employers shifted a larger share of monthly premiums to employees and increased the use of deductibles and copayments. Over the last decade, health care spending grew faster than Maryland's economy as a whole. Many families and companies are paying a greater percentage of their income each year for coverage. Rising costs also threaten access to care. As costs go up relative to income, more businesses decide not to offer coverage -- and even when insurance is offered, more families elect not to pay the premiums and become uninsured. (Dr. Joshua Sharfstein is secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Dr. Laura Herrera is the department's chief medical officer. Charles Milligan is the department's deputy secretary for health care financing at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.) 7. AP-GfK Poll: Most say Obama's health care law will be implemented; but 7 in 10 expect changes By Associated Press, The Washington Post, September 26, 2012 Summary: It still divides us, but most Americans think President Barack Obama's health care law is here to stay. More than 7 in 10 say the law will fully go into effect with some changes, ranging from minor to major alterations, a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds. Only 12% expect the Affordable Care Act to be repealed completely. The law -- covering 30 million uninsured, requiring virtually every legal U.S. resident to carry health insurance and forbidding insurers from turning away the sick -- remains as contentious as the day it passed more than two years ago. There's still more than another year before its major provisions go into effect on Jan. 1, 2014. Although the overhaul survived a Supreme Court challenge in June, the November election appears likely to settle its fate. Republican Mitt Romney vows to begin repealing it on Day One while Obama pledges to carry it out faithfully. But the poll found that Americans are converging on the idea that the overhaul will be part of their lives, although probably not down to its last comma. They don't totally buy what either candidate is saying. Forty-one percent expect the law to be fully implemented with minor changes, while 31% expect to see it take effect with major changes. Only 11% think it'll be implemented as passed. Americans also prefer that states have a strong say in carrying out the overhaul. Also read: How the AP-GfK Poll on health care overhaul was conducted by Associated Press, The Washington Post, September 26, 2012. 8. Branding Health Care Exchanges To Make The Sale By Pauline Bartolone, National Public Radio, Shots - NPR's Health Blog, September 25, 2012 Summary: To many, the term "health insurance exchange" sounds like off-putting government-speak, and some states are eager to come up with a more appealing name for these new marketplaces. Peter Lee directs California's Health Benefit Exchange. It's up for a new name, and they want it to sound fresh, dynamic, and innovative. "What we're trying to figure out is what's a name that's going to stick, that's going to grab hold, that all Californians are going to say, 'Boy, that's where I go to find health care,' " Lee says. The exchange will have a website where people can buy private health insurance, and many consumers will have government subsidies to help them purchase the insurance. Planners hope at least 3 million customers will enroll for benefits starting in 2014. But that 3 million is a diverse bunch -- so organizers want a name that will grab all of them. Almost half of the people that are going to be eligible for subsidized coverage in the exchange are Spanish-speaking, but that's not the only market. They have about 600,000 people that speak Asian-Pacific Islander languages. Some of them speak Mandarin and some speak Hmong. Lee and his team solicited names in California, and got hundreds of suggestions. Among them: Avocado, Ursa, Eureka -- names or concepts uniquely Californian. Other names suggested were: Calvida, Beneficia, Healthifornia, and Wellquest. 9. More Than One in 10 Older Adults Are Poor By Carole Fleck, AARP Blog, September 12, 2012 Summary: More than 10 million Americans age 50 and older -- one in 10 -- lived in poverty last year, about the same as in 2010, according to new Census data. Older adults fared slightly better than working-age people. Here's how those figures broke down: About 6.5 million people 50 to 64 (11%), remained in poverty last year. Among people 65 and older, 3.6 million were officially considered poor, a rate of about 9%. Hiring was weak and unemployment remained high last year, likely contributing to the struggle millions of people faced to make ends meet. The Census report on income, poverty, and health insurance is the most detailed look that the bureau takes at Americans' household income. It showed that the poverty rate (the government set the threshold at $23,021 for a family of four in 2011) was lower for older adults than for younger age groups. All told, 46.2 million people (15%), of Americans were impoverished in 2011. Of those, 22% were children under age 18. Women continued to earn about 77% of the pay that men made. The median earnings of women who worked full-time last year was $37,118, while men earned $48,202. But both had to make do with less. Real median earnings of men and women declined by 2.5% between 2010 and 2011. It was 8.1% lower than in 2007, when the recession began. 10. Comcast expands internet offer for low-income families to get online for $10 per month By Associated Press, The Washington Post, September 24, 2012 Summary: Comcast is starting the second year of its Internet Essentials program in Washington to provide high-speed Internet at low cost for low-income families. The company announced an expansion of the program with Mayor Vincent Gray at Kramer Middle School. The program is part of an effort to close the gap between those who have broadband internet service and those who can't afford it. Comcast is expanding eligibility for the program to include all families with children who are eligible to receive free or reduced price school lunches. They can get broadband Internet service for $10 a month in the program, along with training. The families also qualify for a voucher to buy a computer for $150. About 400,000 people nationwide are enrolled. 11. The Nonprofit Job Market: Explore Salary Ranges by Position Graphic by Derek Lieu, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, September 25, 2012 Summary: The graph shows salaries for men and women who are top Executives, Administrators, Business Officials, Development Officials, Education Officials, Facilities Officials, Financial Officials, Human Resources Officials, Legal Counsels, Marketing Officials, Operations Managers, Program Officers, Public Relations Officials, and Technology Officials. *Data from GuideStar's 2012 salary survey. 12. Fads vs. trends By Kevin M. Norris, Washington Blade, September 20, 2012 Summary: Some of the latest fitness fads are CrossFit, Kettlebell training, P90X, Insanity, and pole dancing. If a fad is evidence-based, safe, and effective it may shift to a trend. The American College of Sports Medicine produces the most widely regarded top 20 yearly fitness trends. For 2012, the ACSM has some notable differences from 2011 with some trends dropping off the list and several others moving up the ladder. The only fad to make the list once again that solidifies its trend status is Zumba at number nine. New to the list at number 19 is wellness coaching, which may quickly move up the ladder and become a more wide-spread and embraced trend and very much part of the health paradigm. Exercise is about behavioral changes that supersede the short-lived bout of inspiration. Wellness coaching addresses these elements and embraces health and fitness as lifestyle fundamentals. Both Pilates and Swiss Balls are off the list and Pilates for the second year in a row. Both of these have been trends for more than a decade and it's important to note that just because a trend is no longer in the top 20, that doesn't mean it no longer has merit. It can simply mean that is has fallen out of popularity. Still at number one since 2008, is accredited and educated fitness professionals. Could anti-gravity Yoga, Physique 57, or Piloxing keep moving up the fad ladder and solidify into a trend? What about the latest "diet" Paleo that's quickly gaining momentum? EVENTS Feeding the Soul, Strengthening the Community Thursday, September 27th, 6 - 8:30 pm Patton Boggs LLP 2550 M Street NW The event will showcase Community of Hope's efforts to improve the health and quality of life of low-income, homeless, and underserved families and individuals in Washington, DC. For more info, contact Staci Gorden at (202) 407-7754. Executive Training on Navigation and Survivorship: Finding Your Patient Focus Thursday, September 27th – Friday, September 28th Embassy Suites 1250 - 22nd Street NW The George Washington University Cancer Institute will host a two-day training program that equips health care professionals with the tools needed to launch and sustain navigation and survivorship programs -- two cornerstones of patient-centered care. Participants learn strategic planning techniques for developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining patient navigation and survivorship programs. The training combines distance-learning and traditional classroom instruction to fully maximize participants' time. Prior to the in-person training, participants engage in a pre-course online webinar (Monday, September 10th) discussion that will lay the foundation for the two-day skill development training. At the conclusion of the training, participants walk away with a cohesive plan for either a survivorship or patient navigation program that will enhance the patient focus of their organization. The program is ideal for clinicians, administrators, program managers, and staff of institutions that provide care to cancer patients and survivors and those who are looking to or in the process of establishing navigation and/or survivorship programs. Register online to secure a spot. For questions and additional information, contact Elisabeth Reed at (202) 994-4088. Find more information on caSNP programs online. Community Health Fair Saturday, September 29th, 9 am - 2 pm Alfred Street Baptist Church 301 S. Alfred Street Alexandria, VA Listen to mini-lectures on asthma and allergy, skin care, chiropractor, OB/GYN, weight management, diabetes, gastro/colon, prostate, cardiovascular, podiatry, breast cancer, HIV/AIDS. Participate in panel discussions. Visit vendors. Do a demo. Door prizes. MEDICARE: Medicare Parts A, B, C, & D & QMB Tuesday, October 2nd, 12 noon - 2 pm DC Bar 1101 K Street NW This Public Benefits Training Series is a partnership between the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, and Whitman-Walker Health Legal Services with support from Bread for the City and DC Hunger Solutions. The trainings are free and an opportunity to learn about eligibility, benefits, application procedures, and practical tips on how to help your clients navigate the system. It's also an opportunity to hear about new developments or policy changes affecting the specific benefit program. Case managers, legal services lawyers, pro bono lawyers, or anyone who works with low-income clients is encourage to attend these sessions. Registration through the DC Bar Pro Bono Program is required, as there are some space limitations for certain sessions. DCPCA's 15th Annual Meeting Tuesday, October 9th, 8:30 am - 5 pm Kellogg Conference Center Gallaudet University 800 Florida Avenue NE In our 15th year hosting distinctive, change-making conferences that are free and open to all, the DC Primary Care Association invites you to join us for our 2012 Annual Meeting, as we continue on our journey to end health disparities in the District of Columbia. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ms. Jamie R. Odle, DCPCA Senior Development Manager, at (202) 552-2319.  Register online. Corps Community Day Thursday, October 11th, 4 - 7 pm Main Campus, Numa P. Adams Building Howard University College of Medicine In support of Corps Community Day, Howard University College of Medicine will be hosting a job fair with NHSC sites. NHSC-approved sites throughout the District, Maryland, and Virginia will be able to engage and recruit Howard University College of Medicine residents and students for job opportunities within their organizations. A large number of Howard University College of Medicine residents focus their training in primary care disciplines. Please register to participate via e-mail at mailto:ccdjobfairs@hrsa.gov?subject=Corps%20Community%20Day. Also, include the following contact information: Site Name; City, County, and State; Phone Number; and Email Address. Confirmation of your interest to participate will be sent to you within three business days on receipt of your reservation. A follow-up e-mail with logistical information will be sent within two weeks prior to the event. Reservation has been extended to Friday, September 28, 2012. Primary Care Fair Saturday, October 13th, 12 noon - 4 pm Dorothy I. Height/Benning Neighborhood Library 3935 Benning Road NE FREE health screenings and food demonstration | health information | games and prizes | gift bags for participants. Sponsored by the DC Department of Health - Community Health Administration - Primary Care Bureau. More Events... JOBS DCPCA Job Postings There are no positions open at this time. Community Health Center Job Postings Certified Dental Assistant, SOME (So Others Might Eat) (September 2012) Crisis Counselor, SOME (So Others Might Eat) (September 2012) Therapist, SOME (So Others Might Eat) (September 2012) Click on the link below to view open positions at: Bread for the City, Catholic Charities - Archdiocese of Washington, Community of Hope - Family Health and Birth Center, La Clínica del Pueblo, Mary's Center, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, SOME (So Others Might Eat), Unity Health Care, and Whitman-Walker Health. Other Job Postings More Jobs... RESOURCES LGBT Workshop The Mautner Project The Mautner Project seeks 25 participants who identify as LGBT, and are currently DC residents. Attendees of "Striving for Wellness! Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Cancer Education Curriculum" will be asked to sign in, complete a pre- and post-test, participate in a one-hour workshop designed and tailored for the LGBT community. Participants will be compensated with a $20 Giant Food Store gift card. To secure your slot, contact Riana Buford at (202) 332-5536. Registration by phone will take 10 minutes. DCPCA Program eHealthDC One of 62 federally-subsidized Regional Extension Centers, eHealthDC offers technical assistance, guidance, and information on best practices to support and accelerate adoption of electronic health records. eHealthDC is a neutral source and trusted advisor for credible EHR and health information technology -- offering direct, individualized, and on-site technical assistance to help more than 1,000 providers in DC achieve meaningful use and collect Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Incentive Payments. eHealthDC is committed to working with any provider -- regardless of specialty, affiliation, chosen EHR, or status of implementation. Currently, there are 1,245 providers in the eHealthDC community -- 1,020 of which are primary care providers. Join now before the funding runs out! For more information, visit eHealthDC online, send an email to info@eHealthDC.org, or call (202) 552-2312 or (202) 552-2344. You may follow eHealthDC on Twitter, like eHealthDC on Facebook, and connect with eHealthDC on LinkedIn. eHealthDC is a DCPCA program. DC Boards and Commissions DC Boards and Commissions Review the OBC Application Guide and fill out the OBC Application Form for a mayoral or council appointment to a board or commission. For more info, contact Jonathan Antista, Policy Associate, Committee on Health, at (202) 724-8170. DC Government Reports Hetrosexual Relationships and HIV in Washington, DC, DC HIV Behavior Study Series (19 pages) Annual Report 2011, DC Department of Health, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Administration (109 pages) DC Government Resource Funding Alert DC Office of Partnerships and Grants Services, September 17, 2012 More Resources... How to Submit a Post: Send a brief summary (100 words or less) to HealthEquityAlert (at) dcpca (dot) org. Include links for fliers and/or your organization. If you don't have a website or immediate posting capabilities, send an attachment. In the subject line, write HEA POST and the event's DATE. The District of Columbia Primary Care Association is a nonprofit health action and advocacy organization. Founded in 1996, DCPCA works to improve health care and health coverage for the District's low-income, uninsured, and medically vulnerable residents by ensuring that they receive high quality primary health care -- regardless of their ability to pay. DCPCA represents 13 primary care providers in 48 sites across the District of Columbia.  DCPCA'sHealth Equity Alert is prepared to share with colleagues news about health reform efforts, DC politics, local events, jobs, and resources. The summaries are provided for your information only and do not necessarily reflect the views of DCPCA. The circulation of the alert is more than 8,400 recipients. Click to Donate to DCPCA, Join DCPCA, or Unsubscribe from Alert. 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