The Latest from D.C.

In their final legislative action before the election, the House and Senate approved a three-month continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown and fund the government through December 20th, seemingly wrapping up loose ties until they return in November. However, since leaving Washington, two major hurricanes, Helene and Milton, have devastated portions of the Southeast.

In election news, we are only 18 days from the November general election. While Washington has been quiet with both chambers in recess, Members of Congress and candidates for office have been pounding the pavement in their home states and districts. Both Republicans and Democrats see control of the White House, House, and Senate within their reach, and while they disagree on federal funding, both parties have seen record spending on campaigns. Nearing $16 billion, 2024 is on track to become the nation’s most expensive federal election. ACH continues to engage with campaigns and elected officials on both sides of the aisle to prepare for whatever outcome we might see in November. 

As a reminder, ACH has created resources comparing the healthcare legislative priorities and insights of the nominated Democratic and Republican presidential tickets. This resource can be accessed via our Members-Only Portal using password: ACHMember. 

Expanding Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services with New Funding

Sixteen ACH members have been awarded a portion of the $240 million in funding to expand mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services at health centers nationwide. Learn more about how these funds are helping ACH members, Presbyterian Medical Services and Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, make a difference in their communities.

ACH Policy Priorities in Action

LinkedIn Editorial: Mitigating Disasters' Health Consequences via Effective Disaster Preparedness

Driving Equitable, Value-Based Care for Health Centers

ACO & Payer Leadership Summit

ACH's Amanda Pears Kelly was a panelist at the recent ACO & Payer Leadership Summit where she discussed funding for SDOH and advancing health equity with other senior executives from public and private health insurance plans, ACOs, hospital systems, physician groups, and solution providers to shape the future of healthcare.

UPenn Event on VBC & CHCs

Amanda is scheduled to speak at an upcoming virtual event on November 8, 2024, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET. The event, titled "Advancing Value-Based Care in Community Health Centers," is hosted by the University of Pennsylvania. It covers the challenges and opportunities that health centers encounter when implementing value-based payment programs, all while striving to enhance quality, reduce costs, and improve population health. The discussion will focus on creating sustainable models that support CHCs and their crucial role in the healthcare safety net.

Register to attend

Programming News

Phase 2 Entrepreneur Challenge Winners Announced

Catch the Highlights: Behavioral Health Opportunities & Challenges for FQHCs and CCBHCs Webinar

The recording and presentation from this month's Emerging Issues Webinar series is now available! This session featured expert speakers from CMS, SAMHSA, and Swope Health, who discussed the pros and cons of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model.

Webinar Alert: Demystifying Earmarks for Health Centers

Please join us on October 29th at 12:00 (ET), for a webinar on Congressional Directed Spending (Earmarks) requests and learn how your health center can apply for earmarked funds. 

Register Now for ACH’s 4th Annual Member Meeting

Upcoming Members-Only Virtual Office Hours

Membership News

• NeighborHealth's announced their expansion in East Boston. The project will add 27,000 square feet of clinical space, significantly increasing access to primary care for thousands of patients. Read more
  
• San Ysidro Health is opening the region's first Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and an after-hours Urgent Care at the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center. These services will support over 500 seniors, addressing long-standing healthcare needs in southeast San Diego. Read more

New Funding Opportunities 

We’ve just added new funding opportunities for FQHCs to our Members-Only Portal, including details on the Service Area Competition. 

Application Due Date: December 6, 2024, 
Agency: National Institutes of Health
Funding Amount: NCI intends to commit $2,400,000 to fund up to 3 awards in FY 2025. Application budgets may not exceed $500,000 in direct costs per year for the UG3 phase and may not exceed $850,000 in direct costs per year for the UH3 phase.
Purpose: This notice of funding opportunity invites proposals for Research Projects to advance the science of scale-up and sustainment of tobacco use treatment for cancer survivors. 

Corporate Member Highlight: Quest Diagnostics

ACH Staff News

Celebrating One Year of Membership & Grassroots Advocacy with Sami Noble

This month, we celebrate Sami Noble's first anniversary as ACH’s first Director of Membership and Grassroots Advocacy. Sami is embarking on a mission to visit 30 health centers across 20 states, aiming to deepen connections and support for our members.

Recently achieving her goal of becoming a Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker, Sami also launched ACH's first internship program, inspiring the next generation of healthcare advocates.

We're grateful for Sami's passion and commitment to enhancing our community health network!

Empowering Future Leaders in Community Health: ACH Internships

ACH Summer 2024 Intern Corina Mills

This summer, ACH launched its pilot Internship Program. Corina Mills, a senior in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University conducted research and compiled data into helpful databases that will benefit ACH and the members we serve. Reflecting on her experience, Corina shared, “This position bolstered my interest in addressing health equities through primary care and confirmed my desire to practice as a future physician in an FQHC.” 

We are excited to see how Corina continues her journey as a community health advocate and future physician.  

Must-Read Articles

Texas ranks last in the U.S. for access to mental health services. The need for state legislature to enhance initiatives that improve access to mental health care is discussed. Read more

The Pentagon plans to invest $500 million in women's health research to support studies on conditions like ovarian cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and musculoskeletal injuries. Read more

Serviam Care Network and Curana Health have launched the Value-Based Care Alliance of Florida to enhance senior care statewide. Read more