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Let Your Voice Be Heard! Advocacy at CHN
In order to keep community health centers, like CHN, in the neighborhoods that need us most, we need your help! Elected and appointed government officials will listen to our voice if we join together and make it loud enough.
Here are some simple steps to take to make your voice heard:
Join the Community
Healthcare Association of
New York’s (CHCANYS)
Action Network
Enrolling in CHCANYS’ Grassroots Action Network
is an easy way to stay informed about important
developments in the health center community
and to be notified when critical health center
policy issues are being considered by our state
and federal policymakers. As an Advocate, you
will receive important Policy Updates and Action
Alerts from both CHCANYS and the National
Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
and have access to tools to help you contact your
Representatives.
Personally Contact Your NY State Legislators
- New York State Assembly – Member list/
Search by zip - New York State Senate – Homepage Find your Senator
- New York City Borough Presidents and other
officials – Found through the official New York
City website (on left hand navigation under Elected
Officials, look for Borough President link) - New York City Council Members – Member list
(search by address) - U.S. Senate – Member list
- U.S. House of Representatives – Homepage
- U.S. President – Contact the White House
Join the National Association
of Community Health Centers’
(NACHC) Campaign for
America’s Health Centers
The Campaign for America’s Health Centers was launched
because the Health Centers program faces real threats
to its future as a result of actions already taken by and
proposals being considered in Congress:
- Federal support for the expansion of health
centers has already been reduced and further
reductions could dramatically impact existing
health centers. - Proposals to change the Medicaid program could
undermine the financial stability of every health
center – potentially reducing health center
revenues by half.
The Campaign for America’s Health Centers is dedicated to stopping these threats to health centers and their patients.
The policy institute
Our policy professionals are working to protect and advance policies that impact the mission of CHN at the federal, state, and local levels.
The Institute relies on CHN’s real life experience providing healthcare to underserved New Yorkers to advance public policy initiatives that will improve the lives of CHN patients and, ultimately, all Americans.
The Institute monitors the changing healthcare environment, provides analysis of issues affecting health centers and delivery of healthcare to medically underserved communities, creates partnerships to
advance sound and humane public policies, and fights for changes we believe will improve how the
nation’s most vulnerable patients receive care.
We can’t do it alone, so please let us know if you have ideas for how we can continue to expand and improve healthcare.
Current policy objetives include:
Nurse Practitioner Fellowship/ Residency programs
New graduate NP skills are largely varied due to lack of ACGME requirements for NP education programs. CHN runs two NP fellowship programs (family medicine and community psychiatry) to address this variability in training. In 2016, CHN’s FNP Fellowship Program was recognized as a best practice by HRSA. The program has been highly successful and recruited and retained many nurse practitioners. It is CHN’s mission to (1) ensure that the program receives continued funding (as per ACA requirements), (2) push for standardization of NP education programs, and (3) encourage the development of additional fellowship programs throughout the state and country. View a one-page overview of the program and our ask HERE
Statewide Colonoscopy Registry
CHN providers work hard to ensure that our patients are up to date on all of their life-saving screenings and testing, but more often than not, patients are unable to recall the date or results of their last colonoscopy. A statewide registry would go a long way to ensuring that every patient receives the appropriate tests, and will eliminate the ordering of necessary colonoscopies. View our recommendation HERE
Title X Family Planning Funding
Title X family planning centers have provided high quality and cost-effective family planning and related preventive health services for low-income women and men – and CHN is one of these. Our providers offer services to all young men and women in need of care. CHN, alongside many other organizations, depend on Title X funding to ensure that we can provide this. View a list of our services HERE
K-12 Sexuality Education in Schools
The Sexuality Education Alliance of New York City (SEANYC) advocates for comprehensive, K-12 sexuality education that meets the National Sexuality Education Standards for all New York City youth. This implies that the curriculum must be medically accurate, developmentally appropriate, evidence-based, culturally competent, unbiased, inclusive of LGBTQ experiences, and respectful of all. New York City schools have barely begun to provide this level of curriculum. CHN partners with other concerned stakeholders to advocate for the implementation of the National Sexuality Education Standards.
View the testimony of CHN family planning provider, Corey Westover, to city council HERE
Idling Reduction
Many of CHN’s clinics are located in congested city areas where, due to limited regulation, trucks and large vehicles often idle across the street. As a health center, it is our mission to provide the best possible care to our patients both inside and outside the clinic. This means ensuring that our patients are not subjected to air pollution each time they come to our sites to receive care.
LGBTQ issues
Click HERE to view CHN’s press statement on Governor Cuomo’s proposal to allow minor consent for HIV treatment.
Telemedicine
According to state law, FQHCs can only bill for telemedicine visits if (1) patients are physically in the clinic when they receive the service, and (2) the provider is physically in an Article 28 clinic when they provide the care. This serves as a significant barrier to patients who need care but are unable to get to the clinic for a variety of reasons (i.e. transportation, employment, severe sickness, etc.). Additionally, it bars providers from conducting visits from their home on weekends/weeknights and/or from administrative sites.
Provider Credentialing
The credentialing process for Medicaid providers is up to 180 days longer than that of commercial providers. In addition to receiving a licensure and DEA through the State Department of Education, Medicaid providers must also be enrolled in the NYS Medicaid Program, and subsequently the Medicaid Managed Care and CHIP programs. During this time, providers are unable to see or bill for patients, resulting in decreased access among underserved populations.
Food Access
Despite the expansion of New York City’s Green Truck program, many neighborhoods still do not have access to healthy foods. The majority of Green Trucks are located outside of food deserts – areas with limited to no access to healthy food. Since nutrition is significant predictor of health, we are committed to ensuring that our patients have access to – and are incentivized to buy – healthy fruits and vegetables.
Same Day Billing
Federally Qualified Health Centers are generally unable to bill for more than one visit type per patient per day (i.e. primary care and behavioral health). This presents a significant barrier to continuity and quality of care, particularly within the team-based care setting where “warm handoffs” are encouraged.
Provider Credentialing
The credentialing process for Medicaid providers is up to 180 days longer than that of commercial providers. In addition to receiving a licensure and DEA through the State Department of Education, Medicaid providers must also be enrolled in the NYS Medicaid Program, and subsequently the Medicaid Managed Care and CHIP programs. During this time, providers are unable to see or bill for patients, resulting in decreased access among underserved populations.
Food Access
Despite the expansion of New York City’s Green Truck program, many neighborhoods still do not have access to healthy foods. The majority of Green Trucks are located outside of food deserts – areas with limited to no access to healthy food. Since nutrition is significant predictor of health, we are committed to ensuring that our patients have access to – and are incentivized to buy – healthy fruits and vegetables.
Federal and State Commentary
Click to view CHN’s responses to proposed legislation
Federal Comments
- May 25, 2016
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses,
Department of Veterans Affairs. Federal
Register, Vol. 81, No. 101, 33155 - August 28, 2015
340B Drug Pricing Program Omnibus Guidance,
Federal Register, Vol. 80, No. 167, 52300, - SEPT 8, 2015
“Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and
Activities” published at 45 Fed. Reg. 22043
Testimony
- Hearing before the New York City Council
Committee on Health and the Committee on
Women’s Issues RE Oversight: Sex Education
in NYC Schools - Hearing before the New York City Council
Committee on Courts and Legal Services RE
Human Trafficking Intervention Courts
State Comments
- HLT-40-16-00030-A
Proposed Rule Making – Transgender Related
Care and Services, YOUTH Specific - August 28, 2015
Proposed Rule Making- Gender Identity
Discrimination, Addition of section 446.13 to
Title 9 NYCRR - April 18, 2016
Proposed Annual Update of the New York State
DOH Value Based Payment Roadmap
Policy Champions
As part of Community Healthcare Network’s grass roots advocacy, CHN has appointed several individuals from each clinic to serve as policy champions for their community. Each policy champion engages with local issues and works alongside community organizations to advocate for patient access to important resources, such as housing, healthy food, and employment. Policy champions keep a pulse on pertinent issues and highlight areas where CHN can positively impact its communities.