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# ![](media/image2.jpeg){width="0.26319444444444445in" height="0.25in"} Late Breaking News {#late-breaking-news .CAP-Head-1}

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## Greetings! {#greetings .CAP-Head-2}

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## **HCAP NATIONAL GRANTEE MEETING:** We would like to thank all of the grantees who helped to make the national meeting a success. Through your participation in breakout sessions, submitting videos, facilitating breakout sessions, participating in the grantee product showcase, and organizing and facilitating regional and informational meetings, your fellow grantees were able to learn from the experts about the exciting work that is being accomplished across the country. {#hcap-national-grantee-meeting-we-would-like-to-thank-all-of-the-grantees-who-helped-to-make-the-national-meeting-a-success.-through-your-participation-in-breakout-sessions-submitting-videos-facilitating-breakout-sessions-participating-in-the-grantee-product-showcase-and-organizing-and-facilitating-regional-and-informational-meetings-your-fellow-grantees-were-able-to-learn-from-the-experts-about-the-exciting-work-that-is-being-accomplished-across-the-country. .CAP-Head-2}

**STAFF UPDATE**: The Healthy Communities Access Program would like to
congratulate Susan Lumsden, our former Branch Chief, on her new position
as the Branch Chief of the Training and Technical Assistance Branch
(TTAB), in the Division of State and Community Assistance. We look
forward to working closely with Susan and TTAB and wish her all the best
in her new position. We would like to welcome Dr. Barbara Bailey to the
Division of State and Community Assistance as the new Branch Chief for
the Health Care Systems Branch. Prior to this assignment, Dr. Bailey
served as the Acting Branch Chief of the Northern Operations Branch of
the Division of Health Center Management for approximately nine months,
and as the Chief of the Policy Assistance and Development Branch of the
Division of Community and Migrant Health for over four years. Dr. Bailey
brings with her a vast amount of knowledge and experience including
working in the HRSA Field Offices for many years. We look forward to
having Dr. Bailey as the leader of our HCAP team.

**CHANGE IN TA CONTRACT:** As many of you know, the TA contract that we
use is currently being changed from the Management Assistance
Corporation (MAC) to Management Solutions Consulting Group, Inc (MSCG).
Our new contact will now be Latonya Dunlow. Latonya can be contacted at
301-577-3100 or via email at <ldunlow@mscginc.com>. **All grantees
should continue to submit TA requests as usual through the grantee
website** and contact their project officer with any questions regarding
the status of existing TA requests. If grantees have additional
questions regarding existing TA scheduled **prior to January 31^st^**
may contact Shandy Campbell at <scampbell@mac1988.com> or call
301-468-6006 x437.

**PEER TO PEER REQUEST:** The Maine Health Alliance, which is a new
grantee serving the five most northern (and rural) counties in Maine, is
seeking information on the experiences of other grantees who are
utilizing e-prescribing tools.  They are interested in their 335
dispersed physicians having evidence- based prescribing information as
well as local cost and formulary information at the time of each patient
visit.  If any HCAP community can offer assistance or advice, please
contact Nancy Morris by phone at 207-799-1090 or by email at
<nmtmha@aol.com>.

**PEER TO PEER REQUEST:** Have you moved beyond a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with your consortium partners? The Wellness
Coalition of Southwest New Mexico, a new grantee, is looking for
documents that move relationships with consortium partners beyond the
level of an MOU to a contract. If you have such a document, please
contact: [rconnoley@wellnesscoalition.org.]{.underline}

Thanks!

Amanda & Diana

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# ![](media/image2.jpeg){width="0.26319444444444445in" height="0.25in"} CAP TA Calls {#cap-ta-calls .CAP-Head-1}

Technical assistance calls for grantees are generally held every other
Thursday from 2 to 3 PM EST. The schedule for February and March appears
below. To register, search for summaries or materials from prior calls,
or download materials for upcoming calls, please go to the grantee
website: **www.capcommunity.hrsa.gov**. Please remember that the site is
password protected. Grantees should contact their primary contact to
receive the password. Once you register for the call, please be sure to
download the materials that will be used during the call. You should
immediately receive a confirmation note by email that includes the
call-in number for the call. If you have difficulty registering or do
not receive the call-in number, please contact Shandy Campbell at
**scampbell@mac1988.com** or call 301-468-6006 x437 for the February
19^th^ call only. **Please note: For future TA calls, contact Latonya
Dunlow at <ldunlow@mscginc.com> or call 301-577-3100.**

With the exception of calls related to legal issues, TA calls are
summarized and posted on the grantee website
(***www.capcommunity.hrsa.gov***). Legal issue briefs are posted on the
site under legal issues. You may also request an audiotape copy of any
previous calls (up to one month after the call) by contacting Shandy
Campbell for the February 19^th^ call and Latonya Dunlow for future TA
calls at the email above.

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**GRANTEE NEWS**

######## Hope Medical Outreach Coalition

*Omaha, Nebraska*

Congratulations to Andrea Skolkin, Executive Director of Hope Medical
Outreach Coalition in Omaha, Nebraska, who has recently been appointed
Chair of the Nebraska Health Insurance Policy Coalition by Governor Mike
Johanns. The purpose of the Coalition is to analyze the characteristics
of the uninsured population in Nebraska and develop realistic strategies
for expanding health insurance coverage and improving access to high
quality health care services. The Coalition committee consists of 25
members, including state legislators and representatives from public and
private organizations.

Ms. Skolkin has been the Executive Director for Hope Medical since 2000.
Hope links thousands of low-income uninsured individuals to a full array
of health services (primary, specialty and tertiary care) provided by
volunteer medical and dental providers. The Hope Network includes
twenty-two partners, three federally qualified health centers and four
other health clinics. Together they provide primary care augmented by
volunteers, and brokerage of specialty and surgical care for low-income
uninsured individuals to all of the area\'s health systems, hospitals,
safety net health centers and 500+ providers. Training and a payer
resource guide for patient screening, interpreters and transportation
are provided to area health systems, health centers and clinics. A
bi-lingual comprehensive pharmacy opened in June 2002 as well as
development of technology to support the entire network. A vision and
eyeglass program and behavioral health services are in the development
stage. HCAP funds have been instrumental in the development of this
health network.

Ms Skolkin, in addition to the appointment as Chair of the Nebraska
Health Insurance Policy Coalition, also was accepted as a 2003-2004
fellow in the Creating Healthier Communities Fellowship program, as well
as a nominee for the Mary Lucretia and Sarah Emily Creighton Award that
recognizes women in the Omaha community who have significantly
ministered to the poor. For more information about this program, please
contact Andrea Skolkin at <askolkin@hopemed.us>.

**Muskegon Community Health Project\
***Muskegon, Michigan*

Congratulations to Access Health, whose "Three-Share Model" was
recognized in an article in the *Wall Street Journal* that examined
state and local efforts to provide health coverage to the uninsured. The
Access Health "Three-Share Model" was also featured in Michigan Governor
Jennifer Granholm\'s State of the State address on January 27th, 2004,
sighting it as a model that could be copied in Michigan for delivering
low-cost health coverage to Michigan\'s small businesses. Governor
Granholm followed up the address by visiting the Wee Care Child Care
Center in Muskegon the next morning, taking a first-hand look at Access
Health and interviewing several participants of the program.

Access Health was developed and implemented with a grant from the WK
Kellogg Foundation in 1999 by the Muskegon Community Health Project. It
provides low-cost comprehensive medical coverage to small businesses in
Muskegon County, Michigan. The program utilizes the "Three-Share Model"
that allows the employer to pay 1/3, the employee to pay 1/3, and a
community fund to pay 1/3. Access Health serves over 400 businesses in
Muskegon with over 1,000 participants enrolled. The Muskegon Community
Health Project is a 2002 HCAP awardee continuing the collaborative
movement to reduce disparities and improve access to care in Muskegon
County.

The \"Three-Share\" model has been modified in other communities in the
U.S. and many HCAP communities are considering or beginning its
implementation. For more information, contact Vondie Woodbury of the
Muskegon Community Health Project at (231) 728-3201 or via email at
<vwoodbury@mchp.org>.

**Southeast Kentucky Community Access Program (SKYCAP)**

*Hazard, Kentucky\
*

Congratulations to SKYCAP, honored by HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson as
one of eight winners of the first Innovation in Prevention Awards to
highlight businesses and organizations that are leading efforts to
promote healthy lifestyles in their communities.

The awards, part of President Bush\'s *HealthierUS* initiative and
Secretary Thompson\'s ongoing emphasis on preventive health, recognized
organizations in seven categories that have implemented innovative and
creative chronic disease health promotion and prevention programs.
\"These awardees go above and beyond the call of duty to promote healthy
lifestyles in their communities,\" Secretary Thompson said. \"We are
working from coast to coast to build a healthier, stronger America, and
these efforts start at the local level. To promote healthier lifestyles,
we need to reach Americans in the places they work, play and go to
school. We have no better partners than these eight organizations.\" To
be considered, a program had to address one or more of the following
categories of chronic diseases and underlying behavioral risk factors:
asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, obesity, physical
activity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use. SKYCAP was honored in the
category of Health Care Delivery System.

SKYCAP hires and trains \"patient navigators\" who break down barriers
to care for uninsured and underinsured rural families. These families
are disproportionately affected by chronic diseases such as asthma,
diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, along with others such as
cancer and mental illness. In the first three years of the program, the
navigators helped more than 9,000 patients get access to over 87,000
services, including primary care visits, dental, pharmaceuticals,
medical supplies, social, housing needs, transportation and most
important, education on disease management and prevention. In the
participating areas, there has been a 95 percent reduction in heart
disease-related emergency room visits, an 87 percent reduction in heart
disease-related hospital visits, and a 75 percent reduction in annual
cost of hospitalization since the program was implemented. For more
information on SKYCAP, please contact Fran Feltner at (606) 439-3557 or
via email at <fjfeltn@pop.uky.edu>.

# ![](media/image2.jpeg){width="0.26319444444444445in" height="0.25in"} Grant Opportunities and awarDs {#grant-opportunities-and-awards .CAP-Head-1}

**Ending Youth Violence**

*Deadline*: *February 17, 2004*

Fiscal year (FY) 2004 funds are available for a cooperative agreement
program for the evaluation of community-level interventions to reduce
youth violence. The program is sponsored by the CDC's Youth Violence
Prevention Through Community-Level Change program, which addresses the
\"Healthy People 2010\" focus area of Injury and Violence Prevention.

Approximately \$1,000,000 is available to fund two awards to public and
private non-profit and for-profit organizations and by governments and
their agencies. Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment
with the following performance goal for the National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control (NCIPC): Conduct a targeted program of research
to reduce injury-related death and disability. For more information, go
to <http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/04054.htm>.

######## 

######## RGK Foundation Awards

*Deadline: Rolling*

The RGK Foundation awards grants for programs that promote the health
and well-being of children and families. Grants typically range from
several thousand to \$150,000. While applications are accepted on an
ongoing basis, the committee reviews applications for more than \$50,000
only four times a year. Interested applicants can complete an electronic
letter of inquiry from the RGK website. If interested, RGK will contact
you within three weeks, inviting you to submit a formal proposal. Visit
<http://www.rgkfoundation.org/guidelines.php> for more information.

#  {#section-5 .CAP-Head-1}

# ![](media/image2.jpeg){width="0.26319444444444445in" height="0.25in"} conferences, programs, and other news {#conferences-programs-and-other-news .CAP-Head-1}

### 

Volunteers in Health Care Teleworkshop

*February 25^th^, 2pm Eastern Time\
*

The following VIH Teleworkshop, *Medicare Drug Benefits: What\'s Next
for Low-Income Beneficiaries?*, may be of interest to grantees. This
teleworkshop will be a dialogue with pharmacists, community
organizations, Pfizer and AstraZeneca about the impact of the Medicare
Reform Bill on the structure of patient assistance programs, discount
cards, and other strategies for providing medication assistance to
Medicare recipients. In this workshop, participants will learn about the
prescription access component to Medicare, how one community is
currently providing services to low-income seniors, how Medicare may
change existing services, and the impact of Medicare pharmaceutical
changes to pharmaceutical companies' patient assistance programs. The
cost to participate in the teleworkshop is \$50 per registrant. To
register for the call, please visit the VIH website at
[http://www.volunteersinhealthcare.org]() to complete the registration
form. Registrations and payment must be received by February 24, 2004.
For more information, please contact Volunteers in Health Care at:
877-844-8442.

**Third Party Reimbursement Training & Technical Assistance**

*March 18-19, 2004, Decatur, GA*

The Third Party Reimbursement Training & Technical Assistance program is
sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The next training will
be held in Decatur (Atlanta), GA on March 18-19, 2004. It is one of a
series of training opportunities that is being offered in each state.
The training is designed to help improve third party revenues for
organizations that receive grant funds directly from HRSA (i.e. HRSA
grantees) and organizations receiving funds through State and local
agencies that are supplemented with HRSA grant dollars (i.e. HRSA
subgrantees). This effort will assist HRSA grantees and subgrantees to
increase revenues for services provided to vulnerable populations
currently eligible for reimbursement from third party sources including
private insurance, Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Plan,
and Medicare. The effect will be that HRSA grants funds can be used to a
greater extent for the most vulnerable populations who have no source of
health insurance. There is no registration fee for the training.

Additional information and ON-LINE REGISTRATION is available through the
program website at: <http://www.hrsa.gov/tpr>. The upcoming training
schedule is available at:
<http://www.hrsa.gov/tpr/schedule-registration.htm>.

**Return On Community Investment (ROCI) Learning Institute** *\
March 23-24, Chicago, IL*

Communities Joined in Action presents an in-depth look at the newest
strategy for sustainable health care delivery systems serving the
uninsured and underserved populations.  ROCI Institute participants will
learn the methods and practices community leaders use in local public
and private sector coalitions to demonstrate the return on this
investment.  A classroom setting provides a more intensive learning
atmosphere, but also limits the number of participants so that everyone
can come away with a one-on-one experience.  For more information visit:
[http://www.cjaonline.net/events/roci.htm](http://www.magnetmail.net/ls.cfm?r=8046586&sid=98680&m=27248&u=AHA_HFSF_1&s=http://www.cjaonline.net/events/roci.htm).

**Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations**

*September 28 - October 1, 2004,*

*Washington, DC*

The Fourth National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally
Diverse Populations will be held in Washington , DC, September 28 -
October 1, 2004.  The objectives of the Conference are to showcase the
best of culturally competent health care to national health
organizations and leaders, share expertise

to advance promising interventions, and develop partnerships to improve
access to effective care for all Americans. Priority Consideration will
be given to proposals received before March 15, 2004. For more
information, visit: 
[http://]{.underline}[www.diversityrx.org/CCCONF/04/](http://www.magnetmail.net/ls.cfm?r=8046586&sid=94608&m=26562&u=AHA_HFSF_1&s=http://www.diversityrx.org/CCCONF/04/)[.]{.underline} 

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**REPORTS AND ISSUE BRIEFS**

### 

**Experts Discuss Role of IT in Improving Care**

At a Commonwealth Fund sponsored event, \"How Information Technology Can
Improve Health Care Quality,\" government and industry leaders
highlighted a number of private and public health systems and agencies
that have either implemented state-of-the-art health information systems
or are working toward that goal, but noted that health care systems and
government need to do much more to encourage and support broader
adoption of such models. For more information on this event, visit:
http://www.cmwf.org/programs/quality/roleofit_2ndpg.asp. To read,
download, or order other reports from The Commonwealth Fund visit:
http://www.cmwf.org/.

**HHS to Help States Offset Costs of Insurance for High-Risk Residents**

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson recently announced awards of nearly \$30
million in grants to 16 states that provide health insurance to
residents who cannot get conventional health coverage because they are
too sick. The grants will be used by the states to offset losses that
they incurred in the operation of high-risk pools, which are typically
state-created non-profit

associations that offer health coverage to individuals with serious
medical conditions. Enrollment in these pools is growing, with more than
172,000 individuals enrolled in state pools. The 16 states that received
grants are as follows: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi,
Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Oklahoma.
Information about this new program and how states may apply for a grant
are included in the interim final rule published May 2, 2003 in the
Federal Register. More information about risk pools is available at
<http://www.cms.hhs.gov/riskpool>.

**The Numbers of Uninsured in Large Firms Rises Sharply**

A recent Commonwealth Fund report titled, "The Growing Share of
Uninsured Workers Employed by Large Firms," found that large firms
employed 32 percent of workers lacking health coverage in 2001, up from
25 percent in

1987\. As of 2001, more than one of four of the nation\'s uninsured, or
some 10 million Americans, worked for firms with 500 or more employees
or were dependents of those workers. These findings are particularly
troubling given that big companies have traditionally been the
businesses most likely to offer health benefits to their employees. The
researchers also found that uninsured rates at large businesses are
three times higher for low-income workers (below 200 percent of the
poverty level) than for middle- or higher-income employees. To view the
full report, visit:
[http://www.cmwf.org/programs/insurance/glied_largefirms_672.pdf](http://www.cmwf.org/programs/insurance/glied_largefirms_672.pdf%0D)

**Data Profiles on Chronic Conditions**

The Center on an Aging Society has just released the last in a series of
twelve Data Profiles on chronic and disabling conditions. *Multiple
Chronic Conditions: A challenge for the 21st* *century*, confirms that
people with chronic conditions face challenges that permeate many
aspects of their daily lives and that those with multiple conditions are
affected to a greater extent. Multiple chronic conditions are more
prevalent among older people. As the U.S. population ages, the impact of
chronic conditions on daily life will likely be even greater. The Data
Profile is available at:

<http://ihcrp.georgetown.edu/agingsociety/pubhtml/multiple/multiple.html>

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**web resources**

### 

**One-Stop Shopping For Federal Grants**

**\
**The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a new,
single, comprehensive website that will contain information about
finding and applying for all federal grant programs.  The website,
[http://www.grants.gov](http://www.grants.gov/), makes it easier for
organizations to learn about and apply for federal grants.  This will
provide a single government-wide source for information about grants
programs across the federal government.  HHS awards more than half of
all the competitive grants across the federal government. HHS led the
development of the cross-agency website, which now has information about
more than 800 available grant programs involving all 26 federal
grant-making agencies.  The site also contains an \"Apply for Grants\"
feature that greatly simplifies the application process.  More
information about the site is available at [http://www.grants.gov](). 

**The Public Health Foundation (PHF) Announces New Website**

PHF has created a new website, the Public Health Infrastructure Resource
Center (PHIRC). This searchable site is a gateway to information about
the infrastructure of public health systems that protect the public\'s
health. PHIRC provides those wanting to strengthen public health systems
with information on the three core areas of infrastructure as defined by
the CDC: the

public health workforce; information, data, and communication systems;
and organizational and systems capacity. Other sections include Learning
Resources, What\'s New?, and a special Bioterrorism Preparedness
infrastructure section. The site is funded by the Public Health
Foundation and the Public Health Practice Program Office, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. To access this new exciting site, visit:
<http://www.phf.org/infrastructure>.

#### 

#### Health Literacy Fact Sheets 

The Center for Health Care Strategies is an organization that promotes
high quality health care services for low-income populations and people
with chronic illnesses and disabilities through training, technical
assistance, and grant making to state purchasers of publicly financed
health care, health plans, and consumer groups. They have recently
updated their fact sheets that cover various aspects of health literacy.
Each of these Fact Sheets covers an important aspect of health literacy.
The Center for Health Care Strategies prepared these fact sheets in 1997
(revised in 2003). Since then, the number of publications on health
literacy has grown exponentially and the issue is now being incorporated
into the federal health policy agenda. The production of this series was
made possible by funding from The Commonwealth Fund and Pfizer, Inc. To
access these fact sheets, please visit:
[http://www.chcs.org/resource/hl.html](http://www.chcs.org/resource/hl.html%0D)

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