Over the years, TACHC has responded to the Community Health Centers' needs for guidance by developing a number of manuals and providing training and technical assistance. With the arrival of the HIPAA and OIG Compliance issues, both of which impact all Center activities and manuals, TACHC developed a Master Plan for Guidance to Centers. Under a Center Compliance/Performance Improvement (CPI) Program, the Plan merged previous manuals and guidance into four Center manuals:

• Management and Operations Manual (including Board roles, leadership functions (including grant applications and contracts), environment of care, risk management, and patient rights. Also includes cross references the Public Health Service (PHS) manuals and guidance and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Reference Manual for Title XIX Program manual)
• Information Management Manual (including financial and business processes and records, grant support and medical records)
• Human Resources Manual (including personnel policies and procedures, employment, credentialing, competencies, orientation and training)
• Compliance and Performance Improvement Manual (including Center monitors for all center functions and programs including OIG Compliance, HIPAA, OSHA, and Performance Improvement)

The Center CPI Program is established to provide a framework to coordinate review of indicators and measures to confirm compliance with the laws and regulations, risk management, and ethical and professional standards. The Center CPI Program is designed to be consistent with:

• Federal and state law and regulations
• Compliance and performance improvement standards and requirements of the Public Health Service (PHS)
• Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA)
• Other FQHC program regulators including the Medicaid program and funded services
• OIG Compliance Program Guidelines [OIG Compliance Program for Individual and Small Group Physician Practices, Federal Register, Vol. 65 No. 194, October 5, 2000, pages 59434-59452]
• HIPAA simplification and privacy standards, [45 CFR Parts 160 and 164, December 28, 2000]
• JCAHO Standards for Ambulatory Care (Current)

The primary purposes of the CPI program are to promote efficient, effective, appropriate and quality health care services. Other purposes are to reduce fraud and other illegal and unethical conduct, to detect illegal and unethical conduct or potential conduct, to identify opportunities for improving services, and to take corrective measures and disciplinary action to ensure compliance and promote performance improvement.

To order a set of manuals, click here. (Note: Form requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download it here)