PRESCRIPTION DRUG USE SURVEY: Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, dental practitioners, and pharmacists are asked to participate in a needs assessment survey for the County of San Diego Overdose Data to Action grant. The purpose of this survey is to assess licensed health care providers’ perceptions of prescription drug use and prescribing opioids. Your feedback will provide valuable insight into the development of opioid stewardship recommendations and best practices for our region. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Responses will remain confidential and will be grouped with those of other respondents for reporting.
NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK: Each August, the National Association of Community Health Centers sponsors National Health Center Week (NHCW), which is designed to celebrate and increase awareness of America’s 1,400 community health centers. NHCW is celebrated Aug. 6-12. It’s an opportunity to highlight the commitment and passion of community health center staff, board members, and supporters who make it possible to provide quality, comprehensive health care services to more than 30 million patients across 14,500 communities annually. Each day of the week is dedicated to a particular area of focus:
- Aug. 6: Public Health in Housing Day
- Aug. 7: Healthcare for the Homeless Day
- Aug. 8: Agricultural Worker Health Day
- Aug. 9: Patient Appreciation Day
- Aug. 10: Stakeholder Appreciation Day
- Aug. 11: Health Center Staff Appreciation Day
- Aug. 12: Children’s Health Day
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER RESIDENTIAL FACILITY: During the regular Imperial County Board of Supervisors meeting on July 25, the director of Imperial County Behavioral Services announced $17.2 million in grant award funding from the California Department of Health Care Services. It will fund the construction of a 16-bed residential substance use disorder facility for adults, the first of its kind in the county. Its location on county-owned land in El Centro addresses significant gaps in the continuum of care and reduces not only higher treatment level client ambivalence (being close to family and other supports) but also a distance barrier. Currently, clients are required to travel to neighboring counties for these services. It is also anticipated to increase access for underserved populations that include seniors, adults with disabilities, homeless, justice-involved, and pregnant people. Available care will consist of incidental medical services, withdrawal management, and high-intensity residential treatment along with coordination of other local resources and services.
PRIVACY MANUAL: CHA has released its 2023 California Health Information Privacy Manual, a resource designed to help members comply with state and federal privacy laws. The manual covers HIPAA, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health, the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, the Patient Access to Health Records Act, the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act and includes updates on:
- Substance use disorder information to reflect revised law
- New federal information blocking law
- Revised breach notifications and regulations adopted by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
- New California laws protecting abortion and gender-affirming treatment
- CDPH’s authority to levy fines for privacy breaches
CALAIM TRAINING: Intrepid Ascent has partnered with Kaiser Permanente, Community Health Group, Blue Shield Promise, Molina, Aetna, & Health Net for a new series: CalAIM Academy. The intent of this series is to help San Diego providers avoid duplicative training by managed care plans by bringing all local managed care plans together into one training session. Details on the training sessions are below:
- Lunch n’ Learn #1: Eligibility & The Referral/Authorization Process, Aug. 11, noon to 1 p.m. (PT). Contracted ECM/Community-Supports providers are invited.
- Office Hours #1: Managed Care Plan Q&A, Aug. 25, 1-1:30 p.m. (PT). Everyone is invited.
- CalAIM Curious #2: Introduction to ECM/CS & Medi-Cal Contracting, Sept. 7, 11-noon (PT). Non-contracted ECM/Community-Supports Providers & Contracted Non-ECM/Community-Supports providers are invited.
- Office Hours #2: Managed Care Plan Q&A, Oct. 27, 1-1:30 p.m. (PT). Everyone is invited.
- Lunch n’ Learn #2: Eligibility & The Referral/Authorization Process, Nov. 8, noon-1 p.m. (PT). Contracted ECM/Community-Supports providers are invited.
- Office Hours #3: Managed Care Plan Q&A, Dec. 18, 2-2:30 p.m. (PT). Everyone is invited.
