December 18, 2009 Vol. 3 #46 Michigan Primary Care Association www.mpca.net 517.381.8000 Visit Our Blog Visit us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Upcoming MPCA Events Finance Officers Workshop (held in conjunction with UDS Training) January 13 12-5 pm Radisson Hotel Lansing, MI UDS Training January 14 8 am-4 pm Radisson Hotel Lansing, MI 2010 MPCA Legislative Forum February 2 Anderson House Office Building Lansing, MI Click here to learn about more MPCA events. Upcoming State & National Events Click here for a list of upcoming events to be held by other organizations in Michigan and across the country.     The MPCA e-Update is a weekly e-bulletin intended to keep MPCA members updated on issues important to Community Health Centers. Please feel free to forward this to interested individuals, or they may request to be added to the distribution list by registering here. Information from outside organizations does not represent an endorsement by MPCA, and opinions expressed by outside authors are not necessarily official positions or policies of MPCA.

STATE NEWS   Governor Granholm to Sign Smoking Ban Legislation In a signing ceremony scheduled for today at 1 pm, Governor Granholm will sign legislation passed by the Michigan Legislature on December 10 banning smoking in most Michigan workplaces.   MPCA Executive Director Recognized for Work Toward Eliminating Health Disparities The Michigan Minority Health Coalition - a statewide consortium dedicated to developing strategies, creating partnerships, and influencing public policy initiatives that will improve the health status of Michigan's ethnic and racial minority populations - honored Michigan Primary Care Association Executive Director Kim Sibilsky with the Anna McKeever Hilliard Visionary award at its Patient Advocacy Leadership Summit in East Lansing, Michigan, on December 10.   MPCA Gets New Online Advocacy Center In an effort to streamline advocacy efforts and synchronize with the National Association of Community Health Centers, MPCA has contracted with Capitol Advantage to host its online advocacy efforts.  Click here to access the comprehensive advocacy center which includes information about your state and federal elected officials, election information, and a link to media outlets across the state.  It is also where new advocates can register to receive action alerts asking them to take action when involvement can make a critical difference, and subscribe to MPCA's publications including News & Notes and the MPCA e-Update.   Michigan Among States to Get Bonuses for Boosting Enrollment in Children's Health Coverage HHS announced on Thursday the award of more than $72 million to nine states, including Michigan, for making significant progress in enrolling children in Medicaid and improving access to CHIP.  Michigan will receive $3.7 million.   NATIONAL NEWS   Senate Health Reform Debate Continues Floor debate on the Senate's health reform bill has been going on for over two weeks now, during which time nearly 1,000 amendments have been filed.  Last week, Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) said in order for him to vote yes on the bill it must include the House language for Health Center and National Health Service Corps funding. Click here to read more about the happenings as posted on NACHC's blog.   Senate Passes FY 2010 Omnibus Appropriations Act On Sunday the Senate voted 57-35 to pass the fiscal year 2010 Omnibus Appropriations Act (HR 3288), which totals $447 billion with $164 billion allocated to fund the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. As expected, the Health Centers program was level funded at FY 2009 levels, resulting in FY 2010 appropriations totaling $2.2 billion. This does not include a base grant adjustment.  (Source:  NACHC)  Michigan will receive over $140 million in funding for more than 150 Michigan projects. The bill was already passed by the U.S. House and now heads to the President's desk for his signature.   HHS Announces $27 million from Recovery Act to Help Older Americans Fight Chronic Disease HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced this week the availability of $27 million to help older individuals with chronic conditions improve their health and reduce their use of costly medical care. This competitive initiative gives every state Aging and Health Department and U.S. territory the opportunity to implement rigorously tested Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs (CDSMP), one of the most prominent being the Stanford University model.   H1N1 & SEASONAL FLU   Sanofi Pasteur Voluntarily Issues Non-Safety Recall of H1N1 Vaccine Sanofi Pasteur is voluntarily recalling H1N1 vaccine because it has determined the potency in four lots of pediatric syringes is below a pre-specified limit.  Approximately 800,000 doses of vaccine in these lots were distributed to providers.  The CDC and FDA have determined that this is unlikely to result in a clinically significant reduction in immune response among persons who have received the vaccine, so there is no need to revaccinate persons who have received vaccine from these lots. Providers are, however, asked to return any vaccine that remains unused to the manufacturer from the specified lots. Click here for the lot numbers.   Free RIDT Webcast The National Laboratory Training Network is offering a free one-hour webcast titled, "Are Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Tests (RIDTs) Useful in Diagnosing Influenza A and Seasonal Influenza?" The webcast that is available online 24/7 is intended for clinicians, laboratory personnel, and physicians from physician office labs and medical clinics.  Click here to register.   HHS Continues to Promote Taking Three Against the Flu In just three steps, you can do the most important things to fight the flu:  1) Get your flu shot; 2) Avoid giving others the flu by covering mouth/nose when coughing or sneezing and washing hands; 3) Taking antiviral drugs if prescribed by a physician. Treatment with antiviral drugs is especially important for those severely ill with influzena (individuals who are hospitalized, those with symptoms of shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, dizziness or confusion) and patients who are higher risk for influenza-related complications.   HEALTH CENTERS IN THE NEWS   New Clinic Would Bring 80 New Jobs Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced in a press conference on Tuesday that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is helping 10 companies grow in Michigan and is backing eight brownfield redevelopment projects. Among those is the Heart of the City Health Center, a new center that will bring together Cherry Street Health Services, Touchstone Innovare, an outpatinet mental health agency, and Proaction Behavioral Health Alliance. Center for Family Health Secures Enough Funding to Move Forward with Jackson High School-based Health Center The Center for Family Health has reached its $339,000 fundraising goal to move forward with the construction of its new teen health center at Jackson High School. Stimulus Funding Allows Jackson Nonprofits to Fill Growing Need for Help The Center for Family Health was awarded $1.09 million in stimulus money, which will be used to cover the administrative portion of its new community health center at 505 N. Jackson St. Construction for the 50,000-square-foot building is set to begin in April. The new facility - scheduled to open in June 2011 - also will allow the center to create 75 full-time, competitive-wage positions and provide services to 13,000 more patients in the next five years, Executive Director Molly Kaser has said. Click here for more about CHCs in the News.  Do have news or testimonials from patients, board members, or staff to share?  Please e-mail information to dhughes@mpca.net.     REPORTS & RESOURCES   The Price of Health Care:  Health Care Spending in the U.S. and Michigan This issue brief of the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation reports that Michigan's health care spending has been growing at a slower pace than the national average for more than a decade, and that Michigan's Medicaid reimbursements are among the lowest in the nation.   Michigan Gets Ahead of the Curve on Health Costs Blessed with decades of employer-based health benefits and pressure from unions and companies to hold down costs, Michigan has fared better than most states in controlling health spending, a new report, released today, has found. 50-State Survey of Eligibility Rules, Enrollment, Renewal Procedures, Cost-Sharing Practices in Medicaid and CHIP In 2009, despite the bleakest economic picture in years, states managed to safeguard and in some cases expand health coverage for children and parents in their Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's annual 50-state survey of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility rules, enrollment and renewal procedures and cost-sharing Practices. That was in large part due to the substantial help that states received through the congressional reauthorization of CHIP and the enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). MSA Bulletin 09-64 January 1 Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System Code Updates (distributed to all providers)     FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES   Early and Continuous Screening in Medical Home Program Funder:  HRSA Due:  February 22   Genesee County REACH US Legacy Project Will enhance ongoing work within recipient communities to reduce African American infant mortality rates and to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. (Genesee County Health Department through CDC, due:  January 22) Click here for a list of funding opportunities posted on the MPCA web site.     CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Click here for a list of career opportunities in Michigan Community Health Centers.