Sip Mouden Inducted into Grassroots Hall of Fame for America’s Health Centers

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has inducted Sip Mouden, Chief Executive Officer of Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. (CHCA) in North Little Rock, AR, into the NACHC Grassroots Hall of Fame. The recognition honors the dedication and energetic efforts by advocates to rally public and political support for the strength and expansion of America’s Health Centers. She was presented the Hall of Fame Award at the 35th Annual NACHC Policy and Issues Forum in Washington, D.C., an event attended by more than 2,000 health center leaders from around the country.

“Sip Mouden has been a passionate advocate on behalf of health centers and the movement would not be what it is today without her dedication, skilled leadership and tireless energy” said Tom Van Coverden, President and CEO of NACHC. “She’s been on Capitol Hill many times carrying the health center message, and rallying public support and funding in her own state. We’re deeply appreciative of Sip’s commitment, hard work and leadership in advocacy.”

Sip has served in numerous leadership roles on behalf of health centers at the national and state level, including Chairmanship of the NACHC Rural Health Committee, serving on the NACHC-Primary Care Association Steering Committee, as well as the Legislative and Policy Committees. She has also testified on behalf of health centers on Capitol Hill, and was a featured speaker at a Congressional Briefing on the value of health care homes. Sip was named the 2008 Arkansas Rural Advocate of the Year by the Arkansas Rural Development Commission. Sip has over 30 years of health and social services administrative experience, within major medical and academic institutions, state government, private for profit health care businesses, insurance, and not – for- profit organizations.

Community Health Centers serve as the health care homes to over 20 million people in more than 7,500 communities, including over 125,000 Arkansans. Community Health Centers save the health care system an estimated $9.9 billion to $17.6 billion a year – while providing more than $12 billion in economic impact nationwide. With demand for health centers growing among the medically underserved and uninsured, local, state, and national support for initiatives that support and strengthen their mission is critical – now more than ever. The network of health center grassroots advocates, working in communities across the country to spread the message, help make this key support possible.

Health Care Reform Provisions Timeline

As reported in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, here are the effective dates of major provisions of the health-care overhaul:

WITHIN A YEAR:
Would provide a $250 rebate this year to Medicare prescription-drug beneficiaries whose initial benefits run out.

90 DAYS AFTER ENACTMENT:
Would provide immediate access to high-risk pools for people with no insurance because of pre-existing conditions.

SIX MONTHS AFTER ENACTMENT:
Would bar insurers from denying people coverage when they get sick. Would bar insurers from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Would bar insurers from imposing lifetime caps on coverage. Would require insurers to allow people to stay on their parents’ policies until they turn 26.

2011
Would require individual and small group market plans to spend 80 percent of premium dollars on medical services. Large group plans would have to spend at least 85 percent.

2013
Would increase the Medicare payroll tax and expand it to dividend, interest, investment, capital gains and other unearned income for singles earning more than $200,000 and joint filers making more than $250,000.

2014
Would provide subsidies for families earning up to 400 percent of poverty level, currently about $88,000 a year, to purchase health insurance. Would require most employers to provide coverage or face penalties. Would require most people to obtain coverage or face penalties.

2018
Would impose a 40 percent excise tax on high-end insurance policies.

2019
Would expand health insurance coverage to 32 million people.

SOURCES: Speaker of the House, Congressional Budget Office, Kaiser Family Foundation

Act Now: Health Centers Appropriations Letters

Time is Running Out - Health Centers Appropriations Letters

Take Action!

Stabenow-Bond and Pallone-Granger Dear Colleague Letters

FY 2011 Health Center Appropriations Letters Are Now Circulating
Only 13 Senators and 38 Representatives Have Co-Signed - Time is Running Out!

Have Your Members of Congress Signed On? Click Here to Check

You are receiving this alert because at least one of your Members of Congress has not yet signed the Health Centers Appropriations Letters supporting $370 million in funding for health centers in FY11.The DEADLINE TO SIGN ON IS MARCH 12!! Contact your Members of Congress TODAY to ask them to sign onto the Stabenow-Bond Health Center Appropriations Letter in the Senate or the Pallone-Granger Health Center Appropriations Letter in the House.

Call your Members of Congress toll-free TODAY by using the NACHC Advocacy Hotline at 1-866-456-3949. You can also click the link at the top right hand corner of this alert to contact your Members of Congress through the Health Center advocacy network.

To sign onto the Health Centers Appropriations Letters Senators can contact Oliver Kim with Sen. Stabenow or Julie Jolly with Sen. Bond. To sign on in the House, Representatives can contact Tiffany Guarascio with Rep. Pallone or Theresa Vawter with Rep.Granger. Both the House and Senate letter indicate support for a $370 million in increase in funding for the Health Center Program. The chances of getting this increase are directly related to the number of Cosigners on the Health Centers letters. This is our best chance to convey overwhelming support among members of Congress for increased funding for Health Centers in FY 2011. The deadline to sign onto the health centers letter is March 12!
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Background

This year's Health Centers Appropriations Dear Colleague Letters asks for an increase in funding for the Health Center Program to $2.56 billion. This increase equates to a Program increase of $370 million and could mean $100 million in funding to expand access to new communities, $250 million to stabilize existing health centers funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and $20 million to adequately fund the Federal Tort Claims Act fund. For more information and to access downloadable copies of the House and Senate Health Center Dear Colleague letters please visit the NACHC Federal Affairs web page.

Members of Arkansas Congressional Delegation Honored with National Health Care Awards

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) presented three of Arkansas’ Congressional members with awards during the 35th annual NACHC Policy and Issues Forum held in Washington, D.C., February 24-28. Senator Blanche Lincoln was presented with the “Distinguished Community Health Champion Award,” and Representatives Mike Ross and Vic Snyder were presented with the “Distinguished Community Health Superhero Award.”

The “Distinguished Community Health Champion Award” presented to Senator Lincoln is given only to select Members of Congress who have gone above and beyond in championing wider access to primary care and strengthening America’s investment in Community Health Centers. As a member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, Senator Lincoln has been a committed leader of improving access to care at our nation’s health centers, especially for America's seniors.

During the debate on health insurance reform in the Senate Finance Committee, Lincoln secured an amendment to ensure that Community Health Centers would not lose revenue when treating newly insured patients gaining coverage through the proposed Health Insurance Exchanges. Lincoln also introduced, along with Senator Snowe from Maine and others, the Menendez Amendment. This amendment provided, along with other provisions, that health centers should be paid a fair and comparable rate for serving Medicare patients as they are paid for serving Medicaid patients.

The “Distinguished Community Health Superhero Award” was presented to Representative Vic Snyder for his support in passing the bipartisan State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act, which ensures vital health insurance for over 11 million American children, as well as for his vote for the passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2009, the House of Representatives’ Health Care Reform package. The “Superhero Award” was also presented to Representative Mike Ross for his support in passing the SCHIP Reauthorization Act.

“We are thrilled that the National Association of Community Health Centers is recognizing Senator Blanche Lincoln and Representatives Mike Ross and Vic Snyder as outstanding leaders in their support of Community Health Centers and the patients they serve,” said Sip Mouden, CEO, Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. “As economic conditions remain challenging for many Arkansans, indeed many Americans, Senator Lincoln and Representatives Ross and Snyder understand that Community Health Centers provide equal access to affordable primary and preventive health care services, serve as local economic engines, and provide cost savings to all states’ health care systems through efficient delivery of care. Arkansas Community Health Centers are hopeful that with their continued leadership and support that not only Arkansas health centers, but also health centers nationwide, will be able to strengthen their systems of health care delivery and will be able to grow and meet the challenges and demands of the future.”

Arkansas Community Health Centers Mark Progress at One-Year Stimulus Anniversary

Healthier Communities and People, Thanks to Recovery Act Investment

People and communities are healthier thanks to the investment in America’s Community Health Centers from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), or the “economic stimulus.” The law, enacted one year ago this week, provided funds that helped Community Health Centers expand care to the growing numbers of jobless and uninsured people who were quickly filling up their waiting rooms. To increase capacity and serve more people, many health centers were able to keep or recruit new staff, such as nurses, physicians and dentists, purchase new equipment, and renovate or open new facilities.

“The economic stimulus investment has made a substantial difference for Arkansas Community Health Centers and the communities they serve,” said Sip Mouden, CEO, Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. “We are on track to expand health care access to over 50,000 additional patients, but the numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. For example, women who are patients of Corning Area Healthcare, Inc., an Arkansas Community Health Center in the northeastern part of the state, now have local access to prenatal and women’s health services through an OB/GYN hired with ARRA funding. Women no longer have to drive 30-60 miles or wait weeks to be seen by out-of-town private physicians. In the West Memphis area, patients of the East Arkansas Family Health Center, Inc. now have access to transportation to and from out-of-town specialty appointments. Lack of reliable transportation is no longer a barrier for patients to receive the care they need. Stories like these are repeated in Community Health Centers across the state.”

Signed on February 17, 2009, the economic stimulus bill provided a one-time investment of over $14 million for Arkansas Community Health Centers (CHCs) to expand care and create jobs. Arkansas CHCs will be able to serve over 50,000 additional patients, including more than 22,000 uninsured patients. Arkansas CHCs will also be able to create or retain over 260 jobs. The stimulus funding also allowed them to respond to the growing health care demands of the uninsured in a variety of ways that include, but are not limited to, increased hours of operation, adding new exam rooms, and adding a new health services delivery site in a medically underserved community. As President Obama recently noted, “For [health centers], health care isn't just about diagnosing patients and treating illness – it's about caring for people and promoting wellness. It's about emphasizing education and prevention, and helping people lead healthier lives so they don't get sick in the first place. And it works. Studies show that people living near a health center are less likely to go to the emergency room and less likely to have unmet critical medical needs.”

“The economic stimulus funding was the right medicine at the right time and one year later the investment is still delivering results,” said Mrs. Mouden. “It is important to remember, however, that this was one time funding. Continued financial support of Community Health Centers is critical now more than ever as our health centers strive to maintain the high quality services and programs currently offered and to expand health care to more high need communities in our state. There are still over 500,000 Arkansans who have no health care home or regular source of care.”

2009 Reflections and Accomplishments

As we embark upon 2010, Community Health Centers of Arkansas (CHCA), the Arkansas Primary Care Association (PCA), would like to take this opportunity to look back at the year that was 2009. This last year proved to be both tremendously busy and immensely rewarding. As we look forward to the New Year, please take a moment to share some of the successes and accomplishments of 2009.

Several plans/guidelines worked together to drive the focus of CHCA’s activities in 2009, including Bureau of Primary Health Care PCA expectations, CHCA’s Strategic Plan, and the Access for All Arkansans Plan CHCA developed in 2009. The purpose of the Access for All Arkansans Plan is to preserve and strengthen existing Community Health Centers (CHCs) and expand access to primary and preventive care to those currently without a “health care home.” The plan addresses five critical areas: 1) Capital Resources, 2) Operational Resources, 3) Quality, 4) Workforce, and 5) Policy and Legislation. In accordance with the plan’s purpose and critical focus areas, CHCA embarked on a variety of activities.

• Secured $10 million in State Funding for Arkansas CHC’s operations and $5 million in one-time capital needs funding. Through the State Funding, CHCs have additional resources to improve their financial stability, expand services in existing and new locations, expand hours of operation, and to enable CHCs to recruit needed providers in underserved areas.
• Supported CHCs in their pursuit of 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding. Arkansas CHCs received $13,572,035 through New Access Point grants, Increased Demand for Services grants, and Capital Improvement Program grants.
• Received the Arkansas Health Center Controlled Network (AHCCN) Grant which will assist the CHCs in sustaining the costs associated with securing and implementing Electronic Medical Records and Health Information Technology. Integration into the AHCCN will allow Arkansas CHCs to share data, collaborate on future health disparity initiatives, and provide patients with increased quality of care.
• Received a supplemental Cancer/Tobacco grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to assist Arkansas CHCs with enhancing tobacco cessation and prevention efforts in the selected Arkansas CHCs.
• Affected growth and access to care through advocacy and education. (7 new CHC locations opened in 2009.)
• Completed a Planning Grant in Phillips County, working to establish a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Helena/West Helena. CHCA also received a Planning Grant for Miller County.
• Hosted their Annual Primary Care Association Conference and 25th Anniversary Celebration. Conference Tracks included a Corporate Compliance track, Clinical Quality track, and a Financial Management track. The 25th Anniversary Celebration was held at the Governor’s Mansion.
• Provided opportunities for mentoring, sharing of best practices, resources, and training through a variety of networks including the Chief Financial Officers, Nurse Managers, Outstation Enrollment Network, as well as the newly created Mid-Level Managers Network and Communications/PR Network.
• Coordinated and hosted Uniform Data System (UDS) training, drawing 45 participants from Arkansas CHCs and 9 from Louisiana CHCs.
• Created a “Workforce/Recruitment” video to tell the story of the “true mission” of a CHC and the benefits of serving as a provider in a CHC. CHCA also designed a new Exhibit Display for medical and dental recruitment.
• Strengthened and built strong partnerships with key stakeholder groups including, but not limited to, the Governor’s Health Information Technology Task Force, the Arkansas Chronic Illness Collaborative Steering Committee, the Regional Quality Initiative Steering Committee, the Governor’s Healthcare Roundtable, the Arkansas Oral Health Coalition, the Arkansas Cancer Coalition, the Arkansas Minority Health Consortium, and the Coordinated School Health Action Team.
• Partnered with the Arkansas Tele-health Oversight and Management Coalition (ATOM) as the state strives to create a comprehensive statewide Telemedicine/Tele-health network accessible to all medical providers, including CHCs.
• Orchestrated and coordinated the acquisition of various supplies and equipment necessary to provide a continuum of care during the H1N1 crisis. Technical assistance and consultation was provided relating to Policies and Procedures H1N1 diagnostics and specimen collection to adhere to state and CDC guidelines. CHCA has also been directly involved with the Strategic National Stockpile initiative, assisting coordination of the delivery of anti-viral medications to all CHC communities.
• Participated in the national and state level initiatives aimed at defining and creating Medical/Health Care Homes.
• Participated in the entry level of the Governor’s Quality Leadership Award Program and received the Challenge Award.
• Purchased the SharePoint software program to create an intranet linking CHCA and all CHC staff members. This intranet portal houses a resource library, shared calendars, document sharing, and a discussion forum.

Understanding Recovery.Gov

The one year anniversary of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act being signed into law is approaching. As the anniversary draws near, we expect the media to be checking on and reporting what Community Health Centers and other organizations are doing with the funding.

We hope they will pick up on all the wonderful things Health Centers are doing with the funding, however we know they will be looking for any potential misuses of the funding as that makes for “more interesting” news.

The first source for any investigative reporter looking for misuses of funding will be Recovery.gov since that is the federal government’s public reporting web site. The problem is that, by design, Recovery.gov easily lends itself to misinterpretation. So, an eager reporter may pick up on something that appears to be a misuse of the funding which may in fact be perfectly legitimate and above board.

In order to help Community Health Centers and other reporting organizations prepare for potential media inquiries, Community Health Centers of Arkansas has prepared the White Paper "Understanding Recovery.gov - Common Misconceptions".

Click Here to read the full text of this White Paper.