Revised Links/Public Health Reporting for Meaningful Use

As you may already know, meaningful use requires the electronic submission of Public Health data. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has adopted a simplified process to enable the submission of immunization data to I-CARE that satisfies meaningful use criteria. Eligible Professionals (EP’s) can now submit Immunization records to I-CARE by sending a Direct Message.
Here  are the 5 simple steps:
1.     Email the Illinois Health Information Exchange (ILHIE) to express your interest in public health reporting through ILHIE Direct.
2.     Register for an ILHIE Direct address (if you do not already have one).
3.     Register with I-CARE.
4.     Register your intent to submit public health data for meaningful use
5.     Send a test message (using your Direct address) to IDPH.
Click the following link for details on completing each step: http://tinyurl.com/ILHIEDirectPH  
Questions or concerns? Please contact: HFS.PHMU@illinois.gov or call 224-401-6986.
§  ILHIE Direct is a web-based, HIPAA-compliant secure messaging solution. It can also be used to send referrals and transfer of care documents and improve patient care, save time and lower costs. For more information about ILHIE Direct, visit: http://ilhiedirect.net
§  For more information about Public Health Reporting for Eligible Professionals visit: http://tinyurl.com/ilhie-phmu

Vaccinate Illinois Week – December 8-14, 2013

Vaccinate Illinois Week is a statewide effort to promote influenza vaccination throughout the influenza season and through the winter months.
The flu vaccine is the best way to protect you, your patients, and your family against this potentially serious disease. Everyone six months of age and older should get a yearly flu vaccine.
While flu activity is currently low in Illinois, public health officials expect activity to increase over the coming weeks as flu activity typically peaks in January or later. To reduce the risk of illness, public health departments and healthcare organizations across the state, including the Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP), are encouraging providers and the public to get a flu shot during Vaccinate Illinois Week.

What can you do to participate in and support Vaccinate Illinois Week?
Strongly Recommend Influenza Vaccine to Staff and All of Your Patients without Contraindications
Click here for strategies you can incorporate into your practice to prevent influenza infections and to download the Provider Flu Checklist.
Participate in ICAAP's Influenza Webinar - 12.10.13
ICAAP and Vaccinate Illinois Week partners are hosting a webinar on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 from 12:00-1:00pm featuring Dr. Lyn Finelli, Surveillance and Outbreak Response Team Lead, Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Shelle Allen, Families Fighting Flu. The presentation will give providers an update on current influenza activity for the 2013-2014 influenza season and cover the importance of yearly influenza vaccination. Shelle's 12-year-old daughter, Madi, was hospitalized for 93 days with influenza in 2011.Thankfully, Madi survived. Join the webinar to hear her story! Click here for more information and to register for the webinar.
Watch Families Fighting Flu’s New PSA
Families Fighting Flu has produced a public service announcement featuring 15-year-old, Madison Allen, a 15-year-old flu survivor who was given only a 1% chance to live after being diagnosed with the flu. Click here to watch her story and learn why annual influenza vaccination is so important for everyone six months of age and older.
Help Spread the Word about Vaccinate Illinois Week
Post information about Vaccinate Illinois Week on your practice's website or facebook page. For some key messages you may want to use, click here for sample social media messages or go to http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/nivw/nivw-keypoints-2013.pdf.
For more information and resources about the flu go to www.flu.gov or:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - www.cdc.gov/flu
Immunization Action Coalition - www.immunize.org/influenza
EverThrive Illinois - www.ilmaternal.org
Illinois Academy of Family Physicians - www.iafp.com
Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics - http://illinoisaap.org
Families Fighting Flu - www.familiesfightingflu.org

Vaccinate Illinois Week partners include: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Chicago Department of Public Health, CVS, DuPage County Health Department, EverThrive Illinois, Illinois Academy of Family Physicians, Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Public Health Association, Jewel-Osco, Northern Chapter of the Illinois, American College of Physicians, Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium, Telligen, and Walgreens.

 

December ICAAP webinars

I-CARE Web-based Training 12.3.13

The Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics is hosting an I-CARE webinar on December 3, 2013 from 3:00-4:00pm. The webinar will provide an overview of registry features, changes, and policies as well as a live tour of the site. Through this webinar, health care providers will learn about the benefits of participating in the immunization registry, features and individual modules of I-CARE, and the importance of using the registry to improve patient compliance. Register for the webinar. For more information, click here.

 Flu Webinar 12.10.13

The Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics and Vaccinate Illinois Week partners are hosting a webinar on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 from 12:00-1:00pm featuring Dr. Lyn Finelli, Surveillance and Outbreak Response Team Lead, Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Shelle Allen, Families Fighting Flu. The presentation will give providers an update on current influenza activity for the 2013-2014 influenza season and cover the importance of yearly influenza vaccination. Shelle's 12-year-old daughter, Madi, was hospitalized for 93 days with influenza in 2011.Thankfully, Madi survived. Join the webinar to hear her story! Click here for more information and to register for the webinar.

 Provider Flu Checklist - Click here to access a flu checklist for providers.

 

2013 EHR Attestation Update

Deadline for Submission of 2013 Attestations
Today the Illinois EHR Medicaid Incentive Payment Program launched their new attestation application, eMIPP. The deadline for submittal of 2013 attestations for Eligible Hospitals is December 31, 2013.  For Eligible Professionals the submittal deadline is March 31, 2014.
Minimum System Requirements
For best results, the computer used for registration and attestation should meet the minimum system requirements stated below.
1.       1) The recommended windows resolution is 1024 x 768.
2.       2) You must be sure you have a Java Run Time Addition (JRE) on your computer.
3.       3) The eMIPP system is designed to run on Internet Explorer 8.0 and above. 
4.       4) If you are using Internet Explorer 10.0, you can adjust the browser settings in order to maximize the eMIPP system view.  Open the “Tools” Menu and select the “Compatibility View” Settings option and enter the eMIPP system URL in the ‘Add this website’ option. 
5.       5) The eMIPP system uses pop-up menus that need to be displayed. In order for the module to display these correctly, the user will need to ensure that the Pop-up Blocker is turned off.  To turn Pop-up Blocker on or off, follow these steps:
Open Internet Explorer, and then click on the “Tools” menu located at the far right hand side of your browser's Tab Bar.
·        When the drop-down menu appears, select the Pop-up Blocker option.
·        A sub-menu will now appear. Click on the option labeled Turn Off Pop-up Blocker.
Learn How to Use the System
Training modules are available to assist providers and hospitals in learning how to use the eMIPP system to successfully register and attest for the EHR Medicaid Incentive Payment Program. Follow the links below to access the training modules. The modules use pop-up menus that need to be displayed. In order for the module to display these correctly, the user will need to ensure that the Pop-up Blocker is turned off. See step 5 above.
·         Illinois EHR Medicaid Incentive Payment Program (eMIPP) Adopt, Implement, Upgrade (AIU)
·         Illinois EHR Medicaid Incentive Payment Program (eMIPP) Meaningful Use (MU)
Additional Assistance
If you need additional support, please utilize the resources listed below.
·        Consult the HFS EHR website for EHR and eMIPP instructions and information, including a video that will walk you through the new sign on   process and how to navigate through the eMIPP application
·       For eMIPP or Illinois Medicaid Enrollment issues, contact the EHR Team at (877) 782-5565 and select option 8
·       For EHR Incentive Program questions, contact the Regional Extension Center (REC) at 855-MU-HELP-1 (855-684-3571)
·       For any other issue, please email HFS at hfs.ehrincentive@illinois.gov or contact a Regional Extension Center below
·       Illinois Health Information Technology Extension Center Collaborative Web site (Statewide Consortium)
·       Chicago Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center Web site (Chicago Consortium)

2013 EHR Attestation News!

The Illinois EHR Medicaid Incentive Payment Program will be launching their new attestation application, eMIPP, for 2013 attestations on Monday, November 18, 2013. To participate, the provider must be enrolled and active in Illinois Medicaid.    
Providers are required to have your assigned Federal CMS EHR registration number to access the new Illinois eMIPP system.  It is also recommended that you verify your registration information, especially the Payee Tax Identification number, prior to completing your attestation.  If a change or update is necessary to your registration information, you must correct it at the Federal CMS EHR Registration website
Access the eMIPP system by clicking https://medicaid.illinois.gov
If you need additional support, please utilize the resources listed below.

         Consult the HFS EHR website for EHR and eMIPP instructions and information, including a video that will walk you through the new sign on process and how to navigate through the eMIPP application.
·         For eMIPP or Illinois Medicaid Enrollment issues, contact the EHR Team at (877) 782-5565 and select option 8
·         For EHR Incentive Program questions, contact the Regional Extension Center (REC) at (855) 684-3571
 ·        For any other issue, please email HFS at hfs.ehrincentive@illinois.gov or contact a Regional Extension Center below
·        Illinois Health Information Technology Extension Center Collaborative Web site (Statewide Consortium)
·         Chicago Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center Web site (Chicago Consortium)
Please share this information with the appropriate individuals in your organization who are responsible for the EHR Payment Incentive Program. If this is your first year of attestation and you want to attest for Meaningful Use (MU) you will need to contact the HFS EHR team prior to attesting. You can either respond to this email or call 1-877-782-5565, option 8 to speak with a team member.

Thank you.
HFS EHR Team

Starting Strong Webinar-ACA and ABE

Starting Strong for Community Health! Webinar
The ACA and Application for Benefits Eligilibity (ABE)
Thursday, November 21
11:00am-12:00pm

Learning Objectives: -Build on the basic information presented in HFS's ABE webinar by walking through enrollment scenarios -Gain an understanding of how and which ABE enrollees will choose care coordination entities -Gain an understanding of who should enroll in CountyCare and who should not prior to January 1, 2014 -Gain an understanding of the long term vision for ABE and the Integrated Eligibility System (IES) Register online   Starting Strong Illinois invites you to the latest in a series of webinars on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Last  month, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services facilitated an introductory ABE webinar which provides an overview of the system  for Community Partners. This webinar is available here. On November 21, Starting Strong Illinois will host our twentieth webinar, which will provide additional detail about the ABE enrollment process and answer your lingering questions and concerns. What is Starting Strong Illinois? Starting Strong Illinois is a collaboration of health policy and advocacy groups working together to promote successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Illinois’ foundation community has provided generous support to make webinars and information sharing available to all stakeholders during this momentous time. Members of the Starting Strong Illinois collaborative include: AgeOptions, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Campaign for Better Health Care, Health & Disability Advocates, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group, EverThrive Illinois, Illinois PIRG Education Fund, and Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. The Webinar Facilitators:  EverThrive Illinois (formerly Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition), Health & Disability Advocates, and the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law combine their experience and expertise in working with community health providers with the nuts and bolts of state and federal health programs to bring credible, relevant and useful information to Illinois providers. Recordings of past webinars and materials are available for download from EverThrive Illinois' website Who Should Participate? Community-based organizations, advocacy groups, health care organizations, and individuals interested in ACA implementation and concerned about Illinois’ Medicaid program should participate. This webinar will also provide materials and information for staff of community health centers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, free clinics, school based health centers, and others to enable them to help their clients access income, health, educational, and employment supports. Register now by visiting EverThrive Illinois' website.

Illinois Health Connect PCCM Program Status

URGENT INFORMATIONAL NOTICE:  This notice is to clarify the status of the State of Illinois’ Primary Care Case Management (PCCM) Program, Illinois Health Connect, in light of the recent and upcoming healthcare changes within the Medicaid program. 
Illinois Health Connect (IHC) is not ending in October 2013. 

IHC will continue to operate as a statewide mandatory health plan choice for those individuals that are not required to participate in an Integrated Care Plan (ICP), Medicaid Medicare Alignment Initiative (MMAI), or a Care Coordination Entity (CCE).  As Illinois expands its care coordination programs, the counties where IHC operates may change.  If such a change does occur, Healthcare and Family Services will release an official notice to providers.  The IHC Helpline continues to be a valuable resource to Recipients and Providers.  It is available Monday through Friday 8:00am-7:00pm by calling 1-877-912-1999 (TTY: 1-866-565-8577. Important program information and resources are also available on the IHC website: www.illinoishealthconnect.com .
For more information on Care Coordination Expansion, please refer to the May 15, 2013 HFS Provider Notice: http://hfs.illinois.gov/assets/051513n.pdf
For more information on CCE implementation geographic rollout, please visit the HFS Care Coordination webpage: http://www2.illinois.gov/hfs/PublicInvolvement/cc/Pages/default.aspx  

2013 EHR Incentive Attestation Launch

2013 EHR Incentive Attestation Launch
The revised implementation date for accepting 2013 EHR Incentive attestations for eligible professionals and hospitals with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services will be November 18, 2013.  Additional notices will be sent and the department’s EHR website will be updated with 2013 program materials very soon.  
EHR Provider Incentive Payment program questions and concerns can be submitted by email to hfs.ehrincentive@illinois.gov or by contacting one of the Regional Extension Centers listed below. 
The Regional Extension Centers are designed to help providers receive subsidized or free services to achieve Meaningful Use of electronic health records (EHRs). 

Illinois Health Information Technology Extension Center Collaborative Web site (Statewide Consortium)
Chicago Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center Web site (Chicago Consortium)

 

BMI Assessment and Obesity-related Weight Management Follow-up among Children and Adolescents: Documentation and Claims Coding Instructions

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has posted a new Notice to the Provider Notices page. You may view the Notice page from one of the links below.
Encounter Rate Clinics page – http://www.hfs.illinois.gov/erc/
Federally Qualified Health Centers page – http://www.hfs.illinois.gov/fqhc/
Hospital Provider Notices page – http://www.hfs.illinois.gov/hospitals/
Local Health Departments Provider Notices page – http://www.hfs.illinois.gov/lhd/
Nurses Provider Notices page – http://www.hfs.illinois.gov/nurses/
Physicians Provider Notices page – http://www.hfs.illinois.gov/physicians/
Rural Health Clinics Provider Notices page – http://www.hfs.illinois.gov/rhc/
School-Based Health Services Provider Notices page – http://www.sbhsillinois.com/notice/
School Based Clinics Provider Notices page – http://www.hfs.illinois.gov/sbc/

 

Healthy Beginnings for Babies

About Healthy Beginnings for Babies: 
Regular well-baby check-ups during the first year of life are important to a child’s growth and long-term health. Yet, too many babies in the U.S . do not receive all the check-ups and appropriate vaccinations. In response to this important public health issue, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, in partnership with Merck, and the National Medical Association, has created Healthy Beginnings for Babies.  Healthy Beginnings for Babies, launching as a pilot program with community partners in Illinois, Florida and Pennsylvania, aims to increase well-baby pediatric visits and vaccinations during the first year of life.  To help mothers prepare for their well-baby visits, families will receive a resource guide that contains some information on what to expect at each visit and suggestions for questions to ask their health prof essional. It is the hope that Healthy Beginnings for Babies will spark efforts to help children get a healthy start in life. 

The EverThrive Illinois provides free Healthy Beginnings for Babies guides and posters.  For more information, call Sheila Sanders at 773-651-0520 or e-mail us at ssanders@ilmaternal.org. You may also visit our website at www.ilmaternal.org.
 

PCCM 2013 Provider Survey

Illinois Health Connect PCCM 2013 Provider Satisfaction Survey
Survey Methodology
The survey instrument was mailed to every medical home in the IHC program.  Respondents had the choice to remain anonymous or to provide their IHC number so that they would not receive further requests to complete the survey.  The mailing also contained a link to the online survey at Survey Monkey.  A notice about the survey with a link to the Survey Monkey website was posted on the IHC website, placed on the cover page of the provider panel roster for 2 months and distributed to all of the primary care professional societies so that they could subsequently distribute to members.   Additionally, the IHC Provider Service Representatives distributed surveys via face-to-face visits at provider offices and the IHC Helpdesk Staff requested providers to complete the survey during any inbound and outbound calls.  Respondents who provided their IHC numbers were removed from the contact list and 3 subsequent blast faxes and emails were sent to all medical homes.   A total of 1,436 completed surveys were returned over a thirteen week data collection period. This represents a response rate of 26.82% from a total of 5,719 medical homes.  Of these, 1,264 were faxed, 146 responded via the web link through Survey Monkey and 26 were mailed.  The remaining surveys were either incomplete or duplicates, and were not entered.
Survey Instrument
Illinois Health Connect Provider Survey questions were initially developed based on previous provider satisfaction surveys conducted by Automated Health Systems.  The survey questions were shared with the HFS PCCM/DM Steering Committee, the Quality Management Subcommittee, and the Provider Network Subcommittee, the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians and the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians.  Based on survey feedback from 2009 and new developments to the IHC program, questions were added to the 2010 PCP survey to evaluate PCP perceptions of the implementation of Phase I of the IHC Referral System and to assess the quality aspects of the IHC program such as access to the Provider Portal.  Each year, the survey instrument is updated to assess new program components and refined based on feedback.  The additions and modifications to the survey are carefully balanced with the goal of maintaining the consistency of the survey from year-to-year so trends can be analyzed.
Responses to the questions were posed as a 4-point Likert scale of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and Strongly Disagree.  No “neutral” response was included, as would be in the five-point Likert scale, to reduce social desirability bias and force respondents to render a positive or negative opinion.  For appropriate questions, respondents were given an option of “did not use”.  Surveys contained space for open-ended comments.
Survey Results
We appreciate all the provider offices and staff who took time out to complete this year’s IHC Provider survey.
We did group noteworthy and recurrent free text comments that you provided for IHC to use to improve our program.  Your valuable feedback was also provided to HFS, who will continue to work with IHC on improving our program. 
We received 1436 surveys and are pleased to report the following results:
97% Strongly Agree/Agree that IHC keeps me updated about changes and requirements
95% Strongly Agree/Agree that IHC is beneficial to my patients
95% of those offices that received assistance from the IHC Quality Assurance Nurse found the education received was helpful in explaining the quality components of IHC, such as how to achieve maximum bonus payments or understanding the Profile Measures
92% are overall satisfied with the administration of IHC 
91% Strongly Agree/Agree that IHC’s implementation of the Phase 1 referral system requiring patients be seen in their own medical home has been a positive strength towards strengthening the medical home
89% Strongly Agree/Agree that IHC’s Enrollee Services Call Center Staff respond satisfactorily to clients’ questions and needs
86% Strongly Agree/Agree that my assigned IHC Provider Services Representatives who visited my office helped my staff and me to understand the program better
84% Strongly Agree/Agree blast faxes and blast emails from IHC keeps me informed of important updates
81% Strongly Agree/Agree that it is easy to reach my IHC Provider Services Representative
79% Strongly Agree/Agree that IHC Provider Services Help Desk Representatives available at 877-912-1999 satisfactorily answered my program questions.

Please contact the Illinois Health Connect PCCM program with questions or comments you may have at 877.912.1999.