Hello, and happy fall! 

For this issue of the Project Pulse Newsletter, we will be featuring projects in the category of Invest in Tools & Technology. The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) system is complex with a number of technology systems and an enormous data infrastructure. These systems need continual maintenance and updates to adequately prepare for the future. The tools and technologies the Department uses not only impact our administrative functions, but each is integral to our providers’ ability to perform their contractual obligations and to provide care to our members.

In addition, technological advancement is necessary to support our members and their families who rely on our systems to access services, seek resources, and gauge provider quality.

We hope that you learn something new about how the Department is using technology to improve the lives of those we serve!

~ The ARPA Team

Meet the Office of eHealth Innovation!

The Office of eHealth Innovation (OeHI) is located in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, and works closely with state agencies and community partners to define, execute, and evolve Colorado's Health Information Technology (IT) strategy and investments. OeHI also supports the Polis-Primavera administration’s vision of ensuring affordable, accessible, and equitable health care for all Coloradans.

In November 2021, OeHI and the eHealth Commission released the 2021 Colorado Health Information Technology (IT) Roadmap, the state’s health information technology strategy. The Roadmap addresses the evolving needs of health IT to support health and behavioral health care providers and community organizations supporting whole-person care. The Roadmap reflects input from stakeholders statewide who expressed a need for more streamlined technology infrastructure to provide accessible patient records and minimize time spent on data entry and administrative burden. 

In support of the Colorado Health IT Roadmap, OeHI and the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) are proud to share the Dollars to Digitize: ARPA 6.06 Grant Program and Social Health Information Exchange (SHIE) ARPA 6.12 Project.

By The Numbers

17

The number of projects in the Invest in Tools & Technology Project category - the most of any category

$82 mil

The approximate total overall budget of all projects in the Invest in Tools & Technology project category

16%

The % of all ARPA funding in the Invest in Tools & Technology project category

Community First Choice (CFC) Listening Session

CFC Listening Sessions are informal opportunities for stakeholders to bring questions and have conversations with the Department about CFC. No new policy or technical processes will be announced during these Listening Sessions. These meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of the month from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Interested stakeholders may include Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver recipients and older adult stakeholders.

The next meeting will be held:

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. MT

Join via Google Meet

Join via Phone:

(Toll-free) 1-513-464-9325, PIN: ‪949 690 025#

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HCBS Provider Training Grant Informational Webinar

This is an informational webinar, intended for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) providers and/or workers, relating to the ARPA 1.05 Provider Training Grant. Through the grant, HCBS Providers can apply for funding to support specialization and advancement opportunities for their HCBS workforce! Visit the ARPA 1.05 Grant portion of the ARPA webpage or see the Request for Applications for more information on the grant program.

The webinar will be recorded and posted on the Department website. Additional webinars will be scheduled for future grant cycles.

The webinar will be held:

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022

1-2 p.m. MT

Join via Zoom

Join by Phone:

(Toll-free) 1-877-853-5257

Meeting ID: 993 1700 7314, Passcode: 396389

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6.06 “Dollars to Digitize” Provider Digital Transformation and Electronic Health Record (EHR) Upgrades Grant Program Informational Webinar

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) and the Office of eHealth Innovation (OeHI) are partnering to distribute $18 million in ARPA funding to home and community-based services (HCBS) and behavioral health providers to enhance and strengthen their services through digital technology. The Dollars to Digitize ARPA 6.06 grant program will allow organizations to become more efficient and financially viable, improve care coordination, and attract and retain more providers and staff.

At this webinar, HCPF and OeHI staff will present highlights of the grant program, application process, and guidelines. Staff will also be available to answer questions about the grant program. The webinar will be recorded and posted to the ARPA grant website.

Please direct questions to gov.arpa.oehi@state.co.us

The webinar will be held:

Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022

11 a.m. - 12 p.m. MT

Register via Zoom

Registration is required and all meeting information will be sent by Zoom upon registration

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Community First Choice (CFC) Council

The CFC Council collaborates with and advises the Department on the design and implementation of a CFC option in Colorado. The CFC Council consists primarily of individuals with disabilities, those 65 years or older, and their representatives to help ensure CFC is implemented in a way that best meets the needs of Coloradans with disabilities. All interested stakeholders are welcome.

All interested stakeholders are welcome. CFC Council meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of each month from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., through May 2023. These meetings are open to the public.

The meeting will be held:

Wednesday, Nov 2, 2022

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. MT

Meeting Focus: Provider Qualifications

Join via Google Meet

Join via Phone:

1-260-230-1249, PIN: 719 313 221#

Meeting information will be posted on the Community First Choice Stakeholder Opportunities webpage.

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Direct Care Workforce Training & Career Advancement Action Group

Supporting the Direct Care Workforce Collaborative, this Action Group brings stakeholders together to develop solutions that recognize the diverse needs of this workforce and meet the need of improving wages and benefits. All interested stakeholders are welcome.

For more information, please see the Direct Care Workforce Collaborative webpage.

The meeting will be held:

Friday, Nov 4, 2022

9-10 a.m. MT

Join via Zoom

Join by Phone:

(Toll-free) 1-877-853-5257

Meeting ID: 969 4053 6000, Passcode: 115140

Key ARPA Links

• Invest in Tools & Technology Project Category Page
• 6.01 - Home Health/PDN Acuity Tool
• 6.02 - Specialty Search in Provider Specialty Tool
• 6.03 - Member-Facing Provider Finder Tool Improvement
• 6.04 - HCBS Provider Electronic Health Record System Upgrades
• 6.05 - Member Tech Literacy
• 6.06 - HCBS Provider Digital Transformation
• 6.07 - Innovative Tech Integration
• 6.08 - Care & Case Management System Investments
• 6.09 - Updates to Salesforce Database
• 6.10 - Member Data Sharing
• 6.11 - Centers for Excellence in Pain Management
• 6.12 - Systems Infrastructure for Social Determinants of Health
• 6.13 - Connect CMAs to ADT Data (previously named Connect CMAs to CORHIO) 
• 6.14 - Data Sharing with the SUA
• 6.15 - Improvements - System Communication [Interface with Trails]
• 6.16 - Eligibility Systems Improvements
• 6.17 - Tools and Technology FTE Support Invest in Tools & Technology
• Ask an ARPA Question
• Full ARPA Project Directory
• Grant Opportunities Page