NHSC New Site Application Cycle Opens Soon

The 2020 National Health Service Corps (NHSC) New Site Application cycle will open for eligible health care sites on Tuesday, May 26 and will close on Tuesday, July 21 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Share this information with potential sites. Interested sites are encouraged to review the eligibility requirements and to sign-up to be notified when the application opens.

Eligible sites include health care facilities that provide outpatient, ambulatory and primary health care services (medical, dental, and behavioral and/or substance abuse treatment) to populations residing in high-need urban and rural areas. Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) are the only eligible inpatient facilities and must be affiliated with an NHSC-approved outpatient clinic.

Basic eligibility requirements:

We are excited to announce a new ECHO™ opportunity starting in May to support telehealth delivery in NH!   In a matter of days NH health and social service providers pivoted care to telehealth delivery.  This new four-session ECHO series entitled, Telehealth for Special Populations During COVID-19 and Beyond, seeks to enhance provider capacity in using telehealth delivery to meet the needs of older adults, pediatric populations, and persons with substance use disorder with complicating social determinants of health.  This opportunity is being offered through a partnership of the UNH Institute for Health Policy and Practice, New Hampshire Citizens Health Initiative, the UNH Center for Telehealth Practice, and the U Department of Nursing.  

Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is an evidence-based method developed by researchers at the University of New Mexico. During teleECHO™ sessions, interdisciplinary experts mentor and share their expertise across a virtual network via case-based learning, enabling community providers to serve the next of individuals with complex conditions in their own communities. This ECHO™ seeks to support not only primary care but behavioral health and social service organizations with the use of telepractice to meet patient/client needs. 

We are disappointed to not be with all of you for our annual conference and wanted to take a moment to thank the conference planning committee and our scheduled speakers, poster presenters, attendees, sponsors and exhibitors. We are in the process of issuing full refunds for the 2020 annual conference.  Thank again!

What COVID-19 Needs Are You Seeing in Your Community?

Please click here to view the NHNPA Annual Meeting Agenda. We will be sending the Zoom link as soon as it is available.  

Due to COVID-19 and the cancellation of our annual conference, we will hold the Annual Meeting via Zoom.   Please watch your email for a Zoom invitation and make every effort to join the Board of Directors on April 9th at 6:00 PM.  We will have an abbreviated Annual Meeting during which we will: announce awardees, elect new officers and vote on by-law revisions.  In order to conduct official business, we will need 50 members to attend the meeting, therefore your attendance is crucial.

The Legislature is officially suspended through April 10^th.  The State House and Legislative Office Building are not open.  If the Legislature resumes on April 13^th, we can expect bills will crossover from House to Senate (and vice versa) by the end of April. That means the session may be extended into June.  As of now, they are to be finished with most business by Memorial Day.  

The healthcare communities are scrambling to prepare for what may be a long spring with COVID-19 virus testing and treating patients with the virus.  This pandemic has hit in so many different ways.  The Governor’s Office, Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Unemployment Security to name a few have been doing an exemplary job working with the healthcare community to deal with the issues that are paramount.  Congresswoman Kuster was on a call on Tuesday for two hours with 118 members of the health care community listening to the issues such a childcare for the emergency workers and trying to find solutions.  Everyone is listening and trying to help.  We are fortunate to live in a state where everyone rolls up his or her sleeves to help.

The Legislature is officially suspended through April 10^th.  The State House and Legislative Office Building are not open.  If the Legislature resumes on April 13^th, we can expect bills will crossover from House to Senate (and vice versa) by the end of April. That means the session may be extended into June.  As of now, they are to be finished with most business by Memorial Day.  

The healthcare communities are scrambling to prepare for what may be a long spring with COVID-19 virus testing and treating patients with the virus.  This pandemic has hit in so many different ways.  The Governor’s Office, Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Unemployment Security to name a few have been doing an exemplary job working with the healthcare community to deal with the issues that are paramount.  Congresswoman Kuster was on a call on Tuesday for two hours with 118 members of the health care community listening to the issues such a childcare for the emergency workers and trying to find solutions.  Everyone is listening and trying to help.  We are fortunate to live in a state where everyone rolls up his or her sleeves to help.

POSTPONED!  

CANCELED - We hope to reschedule soon.

3.02.20

The full Senate will vote next week on SB 593, the bill prohibiting the use of titles such as “nurse anesthesiologist.”  The Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee voted 5-0 to put the bill in Interim Study.  Interim Study essentially means the bill is put aside and will not move forward. We expect the full Senate will also vote to Interim Study.  If so, another victory for now.  

CLOSED - THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO APPLIED.

 SB 593 comes to a halt! ... for now!

SB 593 was "referred to interim study" today which means it will not be heard again this session or be able to move forward. SB 593 would have allowed the Board of Medicine to issue sanctions against persons not licensed by the Board of Medicine who used terminology indicative of medicine (primary care physician, general practitioner, psychiatrist, etc).

The only speakers at the hearing were Sponsors Senator Sherman and Representative Marsh. Although many were signed in from the NH Nurse Anesthetists Association and the NH Nurse Practitioner's Association in opposition and to testify, the Chair quickly advised that based on Sen Sherman's request to have the bill "referred to interim study" there was no need for testimony. Kerry Nolte submitted written testimony to the committee on behalf of the NHNPA. The primary reason for this request is not that he or Rep Marsh don't feel it is a worthwhile bill but rather there are legal proceedings related to a similar executive declaration by the Board of Medicine that will be heard in NH Supreme Court.

We will keep you posted on the results of the Supreme Court case but it is very likely this will be reintroduced in another bill next year.

Thank you to all you sent in comments, stories, and concerns about SB 593!

Thank you to our NHNPA members who attended the hearing today including Pam Rosen, Dan Griffin, Kitty Kidder, and Sean Lyons. Thank you to those who provided advocacy or stories including Doreen Brado, Marylee Verdi, Mary Bidgood-Wilson, Brianna Seaver, Doris Barratt, Jennifer Bobolia, Cynthia Calhoon, Siobhan Benham, Wendy Wright, and Susan Feeney. (Apologies if I missed anyone.)

Kerry Nolte
Government Affairs Chair, NHNPA

NHNPA is seeking nominations for TWO important positions on our Board of Directors - Vice President and Member-At-Large.  All current members are encouraged to nominate a colleague or to self-nominate.  The nomination application will take less than 5 minutes - we will ask three quick questions about qualifications and prior involvement in NHNPA.  Below you will find brief descriptions about each board position, as they are described in the organization’s by-laws. We have also shared a general overview of the expectations of all our Board members. Nominations will be accepted through April 1, 2020.  If you have any questions about either position please feel free to contact the current Vice President Jillian Belmont ([email protected]).

Click here to make a nomination.  

The Vice President assumes office following the Annual Meeting.  The Vice President shall perform the duties and have the powers of the President during the absence or disability of the President.  The Vice President shall perform all the duties commonly incident to the office and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Executive Committee may designate. Convene the first meeting of the nominating committee. 

Action Required: SB 593 Hearing Scheduled for 2/19/20 10am

NHNPA believes SB 593 should not move forward. Any NP who serves as a PCP and has ever signed their name above the descriptors “Physician” or “Primary Care Physician” to certify any form for a patient should be concerned. If this bill passes, the Board of Medicine (BOM) could sanction APRNs accused of representing themselves as practicing medicine. We are in the process of preparing testimony for the hearing on 2/19 and are in need of relevant stories from our membership. Remember our voice is stronger when we stand together!

Legislative Update

This week we have the benefit of two updates, one from our lobbyist and a second one from the Chair of the Government Affairs Committee.

Request from NH Children's Health Foundation - Survey regarding providers practices, knowledge, and attitudes about providing Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC), including IUDs and implants

I am currently serving as the Board Chair of the New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation. The below request is related to our strategic grantmaking focused on preventing and reducing childhood trauma. Please share with your colleagues so we can get a robust response rate.

Georgio's | Milford, NH

6:00PM - Presentation & Dinner