Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States, behind skin cancer. An estimated 281,550 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in U.S. women in 2021, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer accounts for 15 percent of all new cancer diagnoses and 7 percent of all cancer deaths each year. Finding breast cancer early and getting state-of-the-art cancer treatment are the most important strategies to prevent deaths from breast cancer. Breast cancer that’s found early, when it’s small and has not spread, is easier to treat successfully. Getting regular screening tests is the most reliable way to find breast cancer early. Below are educational resources and fact sheets.

Have questions? They are available to talk through your ideas and encourage you to connect with them before applying for funding. If you don’t already work with a program officer, please reach out by email at funding@coloradohealth.org or by phone at 303-953-3600, and be sure to note the county you work in and the focus area of interest.

Deadline for application is October 15, 2021. Here is the link to the opportunity.

For FY21-22 Health Colorado will focus on the following milestones for incentives through Practice Transformation:

As you obtain each of the milestones, you can earn more incentives. If you obtain all the milestones for FY21-22, you have the potential to receive a total of $13,000 in incentives.

For additional information on the milestones and incentives, please contact your Practice Transformation coach:

OR

View the HCI FY21-22 Practice Transformation Incentive document here.

Health Colorado’s Condition Management Programs will address multiple conditions in several ways by impacting the following:

What are the key components of condition management?

Diabetes Management Program, focused on goals such as:

Maternity Care Management program, focused on pregnancy and postpartum

View the Condition Management Programs document here.

The Prescriber Tool empowers providers with real-time information on prescription drug costs and affordable alternatives. The goals of the Prescriber Tool are to help improve patient health outcomes and service, reduce administrative burden for prescribers, improve prescription drug affordability for Coloradans, employers and the state, and support providers with value-based payments  that reward them for addressing the number one contributor to rising health care costs – rising prescription drug costs. 

·   Real-Time E-Prescribing: Prescribers can now send prescriptions electronically to pharmacies for Medicaid patients, increasing convenience and saving time for patients, prescribers and pharmacies.    

·   Real-Time Benefits Inquiry: Prescribers now have rapid insight into preferred medications from the Medicaid preferred drug list, empowering them with drug affordability and cost options.    

·   Real-Time Prior Authorization: Prescribers can now get rapid prior authorizations, reducing workload and avoiding manual entry, forms, faxes, lists and rework.  

Please visit The Prescriber Tool Project for more information.

Should you have questions, please contact Coproviderrelations@beaconhealthoptions.com.

Visit the About the PDMP Program web page for more information about the PDMP Program.

Beacon's Colorado member engagement team would like to recognize our amazing providers that continue to provide stellar services to our community! Many of you have worked with our practice transformation team to select QI measures and goals related to preventative care. We want to come along side as a resource. Did you know that we offer live Getting Started ZOOM meetings on the first Thursday of the month at 11am that your patients and their families, or even your staff, can attend to learn about benefits and ask questions in real time?

This course starts September 15 and there is no fee. Click here for more information and to register.

This is a six week course on Thursdays from 9am - 10am starting on September 23. There is no fee. Click here for more information and to register.

There will be five weekly virtual sessions on Tuesdays from 12pm-1pm starting September 21. Click here for more information and to register.

From ECHO Colorado AND CoPPCAP

CoPPCAP, the Colorado Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation & Access Program, is offering this 8-session ECHO series to give participants the baseline knowledge and skills to assess and treat pediatric mental/behavioral health conditions in primary care. Topics covered include: Assessment & Screening, “What is Therapy”, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Suicide and NSSI, Trauma, and consideration of how to address behavioral health concerns in the very busy primary care setting. Each session is designed to provide a brief didactic overview of the topic followed by participant initiated robust case-based discussion.

This series meets weekly on Thursdays from 7:30am - 8:30am (MST) starting on September 30, 2021. Click here for more information and to register.

From ECHO Colorado AND CoPPCAP

CoPPCAP, the Colorado Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation & Access Program, is offering this free, eight-session ECHO series to give participants the baseline knowledge and skills needed to assess and treat pediatric mental/behavioral health conditions in primary care. Topics include SSRIs for anxiety and depression, stimulants and ADHD, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), comorbidity, and suicide. Each session will include a brief didactic overview of the topic followed by participant-initiated, robust case-based discussion.

This series meets weekly on Thursdays from 12pm - 1pm (MST) starting on September 30, 2021.

Click here for more information and to register.

From ECHO Colorado

This series offers clinically relevant topics for primary care providers who provide or are looking to build, expand, and improve care to preteens through young adults. Once completed, participants will be able to evaluate and manage common conditions in adolescent reproductive health. Over the course of six sessions, the series will include an overview of adolescent reproductive health issues, best practices in adolescent contraception and common adolescent gynecology concerns.

There will be six weekly virtual sessions on Thursdays from 7am - 8am starting on October 14, 2021.

Click here for more information and to register.

Engaging young people in conversations related to health behaviors, especially substance use, can be challenging even for trained professionals. To prepare providers for such discussions, the National Council developed a message framework for delivering substance use prevention messages, the foundation of which is building rapport and a trusting relationship with youth. In this webinar, attendees will learn:

• How to frame conversations and deliver substance use prevention messages to youth.

• Recognize the role of building rapport and trust with youth in delivering messages and discussing health related behaviors.

CULTURAL COMPETENCY--A free, comprehensive online training provided by The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Starting September 2, 2021, primary care providers can receive grant funding ranging from up to $60,000 to $120,000 (depending on practice size) to support the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Click here for details on the COVID-19 Primary Care Vaccination Program and how to apply. 

On August 23rd, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those 16 years of age and older. It was also announced that the Pfizer vaccine will be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee). The vaccine is still available for those 12 to 15 years old and for use as a booster for certain immunocompromised individuals under the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization. While Comirnaty is the first to receive FDA full approval, all available COVID-19 vaccines have been proven safe, effective, and authorized for emergency use against the virus. For more information, see the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment news release and/or the announcement from the Food and Drug Administration.

With this news, it is anticipated that there will be an increase in the demand for the vaccine. Please enroll with CDPHE to become a vaccine provider today!

In an effort to best organize and make readily available the wide array of health care provider vaccine resources, trainings and materials related to the COVID-19 vaccination program, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment CDPHE has created the online Colorado COVID-19 Health Care Provider Vaccine Information Toolkit. The toolkit has a variety of robust elements. Please share!

To ensure all Coloradans have every opportunity to be fully vaccinated, the Colorado Joint Vaccine Task Force is joining the CDC in new guidance that advises that providers should not miss any opportunity to vaccinate every eligible person who requests a COVID-19 vaccination. Click here for more information.