Their behavior may become increasingly confrontational as a result.
Healthcare settings are places of intensified emotion.
How well do you and your staff respond to escalating confrontational behaviors from patients and their families?
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:
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.
WEBINAR OPPORTUNITY
Remote Patient Monitoring Optimization for FQHCs
June 25, 2025 | noon-1 p.m.
Join us for an exclusive training webinar hosted by NC AHEC Practice Support in collaboration with the NC Community Health Center Association. The training is designed specifically for federally qualified health center staff interested in optimizing or starting remote patient monitoring (RPM) as a solution for improved patient care. RPM is a new healthcare practice that uses digital devices to collect and transmit patient health data to healthcare providers. It allows for continuous monitoring and management of patient’s conditions from a distance. This healthcare practice can work successfully if implemented correctly.
This session will provide an overview of the latest trends, how to implement in your workflows, and appropriate Medicare/Medicaid billing codes to ensure financial sustainability and accuracy. Register now and take the first step in learning more.
Register for the RPM Webinar
Complete one or both of the interactive, self-paced eLearning modules on your computer or mobile device. Earn free contact hours!
PART 1 - About 1 in 10 Americans have diabetes, with 90-95% of those having Type 2 Diabetes. (CDC) The majority of these people receive health care in the primary care setting (Pilla et. al). Physiologically, diabetes affects multiple organ systems, as well as the emotional well-being of the affected person. Medicine regimens can be complex, especially for an older person with other chronic conditions. To enable the practice staff to support the person with Type 2 Diabetes, this course uses case studies of familiar patients seen in primary care. Practical office-based clinical assessment and patient education concepts are presented. Basic pharmacology of diabetes drugs, laboratory tests used to assess and monitor the disease and common physical exam findings are covered. Register online at www.nwahec.org/75805
PART 2 - Managing diabetes requires much more than taking medicines and visiting the primary care provider’s office---lifestyle changes at the heart of a person’s very self are needed. People with diabetes are 2-3 times more likely to have depression than those without diabetes (CDC). Typically considered a lifelong chronic condition, Type 2 diabetes requires the affected person to incorporate it into their self-image and work every day on difficult behavior changes. Mood disturbances may also be the result of physiologic changes caused by the illness, or from medication side effects. Building on the foundation of Part 1 of this series, this module focuses on the impact a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes can have on the mental health of patients they see in primary care. Register online at www.nwahec.org/75808
Part 2 builds on the case study presented in Part 1, so you are encouraged (but not required) to take both modules.
There is no charge for either online course. Course registration is generously supported by the Division of Health Benefits.
Practices that provide prenatal and postpartum care should bill the new F codes (0503F and 0500F) for their respective services, in addition to using global billing codes after delivery.
Read More
Some private and commercial insurers already require these codes, so providers should check with their billing team to review relevant protocol. These F codes are required by NC Medicaid’s clinical policy and apply to all delivery claims (not just those that are globally billed).
NC Medicaid urges providers to begin using the new codes as soon as possible. After July 1, 2025, Medicaid claims for delivery will deny if 0500F is not in the patient's history. This change will apply to both NC Medicaid Managed Care and NC Medicaid Direct claims.
Details and Source: New F Codes: Capturing Prenatal and Postpartum Care Services
The SUN Bucks food program is back for 2025 and is expected to provide benefits to more than one million school children in North Carolina this summer. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction are partnering again to administer the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program known as "SUN Bucks."
SUN Bucks provides a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child on a debit-like card that can be used to buy nutritious food at retailers and farmers markets that accept EBT, including most major grocery stores in North Carolina. SUN Bucks is one of three NC Summer Nutrition (SUN) Programs for Kids that keep children fueled during the summer while schools are out.
Most eligible children will automatically qualify for the program and were auto enrolled by May 2, 2025. Children automatically qualify if they are eligible for any of the following programs:
- Free and reduced-price (FRP) meals at schools by approved FRP application
- Food and Nutrition Services (also called FNS or food stamps)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Cherokee Tribal Food Distribution Program (CTFDP)
- Child is in Foster Care
- Child is enrolled in the McKinney-Vento program (experiencing homelessness or runaway)
- OR if they receive NC Medicaid benefits and have a household income below 185% of the federal poverty level
Families with children who qualify will receive a new 2025 SUN Bucks card in the mail.
Families with questions can visit the website at ncdhhs.gov/sunbucks or call the NC SUN Bucks Call Center at 1-866-719-0141, select a language, then select option 2 to speak with a SUN Bucks representative.
See the full Press Release from NCDHHS to learn more.
From the North Carolina Office of Rural Health:
The Office of Rural Health (ORH) offers qualifying physicians, with educational (student) loan debt, incentive payments to repay their loans tax-free through the Primary Care Physicians Initiative (NC PCPI). With the passage of Session Law 2023-134, incentive payments are awarded to eligible physicians in exchange for providing comprehensive primary care services in outpatient settings at eligible sites serving those with highest need located within Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the North Carolina's County Distress Rankings (Tiers).
Funding is limited and the awards will be based on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible and complete applications. ORH anticipates up to 16 awards in each of the six Medicaid Regions. The application portal will not accept more than 20 applications per Medicaid Region.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the guidelines carefully and gather necessary documentation so that they are prepared to complete the online application in its entirety via the application portal.
MEDICAID MANAGED CARE BACK PORCH CHAT
Key NC Medicaid Updates
Thursday, May 15 | noon-1 p.m.
Please join this month's Back Porch Chat on Thursday, May 15 from 12-1 p.m. This webinar will be hosted by Dr. Janelle White, Chief Medical Officer of NC Medicaid, and will cover important federal updates and NC Medicaid budget priorities.
Additional topics include:
- Clinical Coverage Request Process and Policy Revision Request Process
- 2024 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey Results
- Credentialing Committee Updates
- Justice-Involved Reentry Work
Register by clicking the blue button below. We look forward to connecting with you!
