A new toolkit from NCDHHS offers a variety of resources to support healthcare providers with giving vaccines. The information and tools address the challenges involved in providing vaccines, including conversation guides, communication tools, and population-specific guidance.
Save the Date!
Fifth Annual Virtual Statewide Quality Forum
October 8, 2025 | noon - 1 p.m.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Health Benefits and North Carolina AHEC, in conjunction with the five Medicaid managed care standard plans, will host the Fifth Annual Virtual Statewide Quality Forum on October 8 from noon-1 p.m. Topics will include:
- Simplification Updates
- Key Developments on NC Division of Health Benefits
- Key Developments on 2026 Advanced Medical Home Measures and Benchmarking Approach
- Key Developments on NC HealthConnex Updates
- Screen Early, Optimize Health: Proven Strategies for Success
The forum is designed to help providers, practice managers, and quality managers succeed with Medicaid Managed Care quality initiatives. Look for additional details, including how to register, soon.
We hope you can join us!
The answer is The Hepatitis Virus.
Hepatitis is also the leading cause of liver cancer!
World Hepatitis Day is July 28th
What is Hepatitis?
An inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by a viral infection. There are five main hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D and E). These are of greatest concern because of the burden of illness and death they cause, and the potential for outbreaks and spread.
Different Types of Hepatitis:
A: Primarily spread when an unvaccinated person ingests food or water that is contaminated with the feces of an infected person. Does not usually cause chronic liver disease. Closely associated with unsafe water or food, inadequate sanitation, poor personal hygiene, and oral/anal sex. An effective vaccine is available.
B: Spread when an unvaccinated person is exposed to infected blood or body fluids from an infected person, including from infected mother to child at birth. A safe and effective vaccine offers 98-100% protection. Potentially life-threatening liver infection and a major global health problem. Puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.
C: As a bloodborne virus, Hepatitis C is most commonly spread through sharing needles when injecting drugs, and through sexual contact. If appropriate practices are not followed, it can also be spread via inadequate sterilization of medical equipment in healthcare settings or transfusion of unscreened blood / blood products. There is no effective vaccine against hepatitis C.
D: Infection with this strain cannot occur in the absence of hepatitis B. This co-infection is considered the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis due to faster progression to cancer and liver-related death. Vaccination against Hepatitis B is the only way to prevent hepatitis D infection.
E: Most commonly found in countries with limited access to essential water, sanitation, hygiene and health services. (Some outbreaks have occurred in war zones and camps for refugees or internally displaced populations.) This virus is shed in the stools of infected persons and enters the human body through the intestine. A vaccine to prevent this strain is licensed in China but is not yet available elsewhere.
Did you know.......
Medicare covers Hepatitis B Screening, Hepatitis B immunization and administration, and Hepatitis C Screening ? (It also covers HIV Screening, and since HIV is also a blood-borne virus often associated with hepatitis viruses, can be transmitted through sexual contact, (seniors ARE sexually active), it is important to offer this as well.)
Sources:
Are you a healthcare professional passionate about providing the best care for children? Don’t miss the opportunity to enhance your knowledge and earn contact hours with our Pediatric Pulse Live Webinars—a dynamic series designed to keep you informed on the latest in pediatric healthcare.
Each webinar offers 2 contact hours and delivers essential updates on timely topics in pediatric care. Whether you're a nurse, physician, or allied health professional, these sessions are crafted to support your clinical practice and deepen your understanding of complex pediatric issues.
🧬 August 12, 2025 | 11AM–1PM
Caring for Children with Genetic Conditions & Their Families
This insightful session will explore:
- The incidence and pathophysiology of selected pediatric genetic conditions
- Clinical priorities in managing these conditions
- The ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic diagnoses
- Strategies for family-centered care and compassionate communication
You’ll leave equipped with evidence-based tools to support children and families navigating the challenges of genetic disorders.
👉 Register Now - https://northwestahec.wakehealth.edu/t3/courses-and-events/75876/pediatric-pulse-caring-for-children-w-genetic-conditions-their-families
💉 September 11, 2025 | 11AM–1PM
Vaccines and Immunizations: What Every Pediatric Provider Needs to Know
Stay current with:
- The latest vaccine recommendations and immunization schedules
- Clinical indications for various pediatric vaccines
- How to address vaccine hesitancy with empathy and evidence
- Tools for effective communication with parents and caregivers
This session empowers you to be a confident advocate for immunization in your community.
👉 Register Now - https://northwestahec.wakehealth.edu/t3/courses-and-events/75872/pediatric-pulse-vaccines-and-immunizations
🎓 Why Attend?
- Earn 2 contact hours per session
- Learn from expert presenters in pediatric care
- Gain practical strategies for real-world application
- Participate in live Q&A and interactive discussions
Don’t miss this chance to sharpen your skills and stay informed on the latest in pediatric healthcare. Register today and be part of a community committed to excellence in caring for children.
Today we bring you updates from the latest CMS QPP Newsletter for Small Practices:
CMS Proposes Policy Changes for Quality Payment Program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule, which includes proposed policies for the Quality Payment Program (QPP).
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) includes proposals for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs), as well as several Requests for Information (RFIs).
Specifically, we’re proposing policies that:
- Continue the transformation of MIPS through MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs).
- Are responsive to feedback and concerns raised by interested parties.
- Maintain stability within the MIPS program through the established performance threshold.
2026 Policy Proposal Highlights
Key QPP policies that we are proposing in the CY 2026 PFS Proposed Rule include:
- Introducing 6 new MVPs for the 2026 performance year that are related to diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, neuropsychology, pathology, podiatry, and vascular surgery.
- Introducing a 2-year informational-only feedback period for new cost measures, allowing clinicians to receive feedback on their score(s) and find opportunities to improve performance before a new cost measure affects their MIPS final score.
- Maintaining the current performance threshold policies, leaving the performance threshold set at 75 points through the 2028 performance year.
- Introducing Qualifying APM Participant (QP) determinations at the individual level, in addition to existing determinations at the APM entity level.
Overview of RFIs
We are also seeking feedback on RFIs about the following topics:
- Establishing Core Elements for MVPs, to require reporting on key quality measures within each MVP.
- Establishing a process to assign clinicians to an MVP, to facilitate the most relevant reporting for their scope of care.
- Transitioning to FHIR-based electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) reporting in quality reporting programs.
- Understanding the current environment, including challenges, with collecting and exchanging high-quality healthcare data.
- Changing requirements for the Query of Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Measure and Performance-Based Measures in the Public Health and Clinical Data Exchange Objective.
Medicaid Managed Care Back Porch Chat
Key Updates: Children and Families Specialty Plan (CFSP) Launch, HOP
Thursday, July 31 | noon-1p.m.
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NC Medicaid published the 2025 NC Medicaid Standard Plan Performance Comparison Tool and accompanying Technical Guide. The new tool allows Medicaid beneficiaries to compare the performance of the five NC Medicaid Standard Plans.
The tool enables beneficiaries to make informed decisions about which Standard Plan works best for them. It provides easy-to-read comparisons of how the Standard Plans perform across different domains of health care, including: getting care, care experience, experience with providers, reproductive and sexual health, and children’s health. The complementary technical guide provides details on how NC Medicaid conducted the comparison, and where the data came from.
Here's one excerpt from the tool:
A Full Star means the health plan performed better than the average of all the Standard Plans
A Half-Filled Star means the health plan performed within the average of all the Standard Plans
An Empty Star means the health plan performed worse than the average of all the Standard Plans
Sources:
NC Medicaid Standard Plan Performance Comparison Tool 2025
NC Medicaid 2025 Standard Plan Performance Comparison Tool Technical Guide
The AHEC Standardized Onboarding and Credentialing program aims to improve the process of placing health science students in clinical placements through partnerships as well as onboarding and credentialing tools.
These tools help reduce the time and resources needed to onboard and credential students to clinical rotations. These tools, as well as support and guidance from AHEC and other partners, can make it easier for small practices to host students, helping to increase opportunities for training, and ultimately increasing clinical capacity. To get started or for more information, please contact Aubrey Delaney, Associate Director Onboarding and Credentialing at Audelaney@wakeahec.org.
Learn more: Standardized Student Onboarding and Credentialing.
From CMS:
CMS is committed to crushing fraud, waste, and abuse. The WISeR Model, which stands for Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction, will help meet this goal, while supporting people with Original Medicare to receive safe and appropriate care and protecting federal taxpayers.
Through WISeR, CMS will partner with companies specializing in enhanced technologies to test ways to provide an improved and expedited process for reviewing the medical necessity of select items and services shown to have little to no clinical benefit and that are particularly vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse.
With this announcement, CMS has issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for companies interested in participating in the model.
Find more information on the WISeR Model webpage, as well as the model press release and factsheet.
Send questions about the model to WISeR@cms.hhs.gov.
