A Quarterly Resource Digest from Capital Link Spring 2019
Of Note...
Capital Planning: Determining Need, Measuring Impact, and Building Capacity
Statewide Capital Needs Assessments
With so many new legislators, many PCAs and HCCNs have an opportunity to proactively measure and communicate the capital plans and needs of their member centers for potential state and local funding. Building off the national needs assessment in conjunction with NACHC and the 18 other NCAs, Capital Link conducts needs assessments via electronic survey tools to help PCAs determine capital project plans, investment needs, sources of capital, projected funding gaps, and growth readiness to expand facilities to meet projected market need. We also ask member centers to provide details such as whether the project is to renovate or expand their existing facilities, open a new site, or augment their physical space to implement new services to meet patient/community needs. This information is then analyzed and PCAs use the resulting comprehensive report to help members identify potential funding sources and begin to strategize health center growth on a statewide basis.
Capital Project Value and Impact Report
Another tool used by PCAs and HCCNs to specifically communicate the value of growth plans is Capital Link’s customized Capital Project Value & Impact report. This report illustrates the compelling story of how health centers embarking on a capital project provide significant economic revitalization in their communities, including temporary impacts during construction and ongoing impacts post construction due to the increase in capacity. Using IMPLAN economic modeling software, the report illustrates economic impact, jobs, and tax revenues in an infographic format. Learn more here: http://caplink.org/services/analyze/value-impact-analyses.
Planning, Financing, and Completing a Capital Project: Capacity-Building Programs
Many PCAs and HCCNs supporting a number of member health centers anticipating the need to complete a capital project find capacity-building trainings are essential to help health centers maneuver the process. The first step is to ensure the centers understand their market environment and opportunities with a feasibility assessment that includes a Market Snapshot, Financial and Operational Assessment, and Debt Capacity Analysis. After assessing project feasibility, in-person and webinar trainings assist centers in planning, financing, and completing a capital project. Key topics include: Evaluating Your Market to Determine Your Operating Model and Right-Size Your Project; Organizational and Financial Readiness; Developing a Project Concept and Determining Project Feasibility; Design and Development: Assembling and Managing a Project Team; Evaluating your Financing Options and Fundraising Plans, and Implementation: Managing a Project and Lessons Learned.
Capital Planning and Financing Technical Assistance
Capital Link has 20 years of experience providing one-on-one coaching and technical assistance on a variety of topics, performed either on-site or remotely for FQHCs. This technical assistance is designed to bring customized expertise to health centers in order to successfully implement planning techniques and secure project funding. Also ask us about our peer group learning to advance the capital planning of health centers.
Capital Financing Resources – New Markets Tax Credits and HRSA’s Loan Guarantee Program
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund recently reported that the announcement for the calendar year (CY) 2018 New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program allocations will occur this spring. Community development entities (CDEs) who are awarded these allocations will be actively seeking near-term health center expansion or renovation projects to finance. If your member health centers need additional funding for a project, with a portion as equity, NMTC financing could be the answer!
HRSA’s Health Center Facilities Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) is also an important resource for health centers, providing Health Center Program awardees a guarantee of up to 80% of the financing needed to support construction, renovation, and modernization of medical facilities. Updates to LGP application instructions and review processes are underway. Capital Link is assisting with the preparation of new guidance materials, which will be available this spring. Capital Link will keep PCAs and HCCNs informed – stay tuned for upcoming webinars as well as in-person sessions at the NACHC P&I. Learn more here: http://caplink.org/events/events.
For more information about Capital Link’s capital planning and financing services or to sign up a health center for an in-person meeting at the NACHC P&I, please contact Mark Lurtz, Director of Partnership Development, at 636-233-1515 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Our Services
Sustainability and Growth Planning
State and Local Market Assessments analyze service areas in geographic, demographic, and economic terms, helping health centers evaluate and determine current and future patient
needs and helping PCAs/HCCNs identify areas of unmet need in the state for future planning.
Scenario Modeling helps forecast the impact of changing patient care models and revenues based on payment reform. Evaluating potential scenarios helps health centers better plan for impacts on operations, including patient utilization, care delivery, and service offerings.
Strategic Planning Facilitation walks health centers through the process of assessing key opportunities and challenges, identifying environmental influences, examining operating systems, establishing objectives, mobilizing staff and other stakeholders, and distilling information into actions, using our toolkit.
Advancing Financial & Operational Strength provides health center staff at all levels with in-depth training and resources related to financial and operational benchmarking; revenue cycle management; aligning people, place and process; capital planning; and performance improvement (to name a few) to improve business operations and financial health. The program launched in 2015 in California and has expanded in partnership with PCAs in to Missouri, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT Alternative Payment Methodology tools and trainings to help health centers prepare for value-based reimbursement.
Operations and Financial Management
Performance Evaluation Profiles provide multi-year performance trends, benchmarking the results against state, national, and peer medians across 73 financial and operational metrics.
Strategic Revenue Cycle Management training and technical assistance helps health centers to improve financial stability and operating performance.
Capital Project Financing
Capital Project Planning offers assistance in developing the rationale, feasibility, justification, and detailed plans necessary to complete a successful facilities project.
Financing Assistance helps health centers determine its plan of finance; complete its business plan and financial projections; obtain credit enhancement (if necessary); and structure and obtain the most favorable sources of financing through a variety of sources, including through USDA, New Markets Tax Credit financing and the HRSA Loan Guarantee Program.
Health Center Value and Impact
Value & Impact Analysis reports utilize key metrics from our database and IMPLAN economic modeling software to help health centers evaluate and communicate their value to payers,
policy makers, and community stakeholders.
For more information about Capital Link’s services, please contact Mark Lurtz, Director of Partnership Development, at 636-233-1515 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Our Resources
Publications
We offer publications available for download free of charge on our website. Topics include national trends, performance improvement, capital project planning, capital project financing, and patient centered medical home. Access our publications here.
Events and Webinars
Capital Link regularly exhibits and conducts presentations and education sessions at industry conferences for health centers and primary care associations. Find a list of our upcoming events here.
We offer webinars designed to offer useful information for health centers on a wide range of topics. The webinars have no charge, but participation is limited. Find a schedule of upcoming webinars here. Access recordings of any of our past webinars here.
Learning Collaboratives
Capital Link’s Learning Collaboratives are designed to help increase the capacity of health centers in a peer-to-peer learning format. Conducted through a series of webinars and virtual discussions facilitated by Capital Link, our Collaboratives are focused on topics such as planning and financing capital development projects or forming non-traditional partnerships with organizations to address Social Determinants of Health. Learn more about our current and upcoming learning collaboratives here.