- Colorectal Cancer Is Rising among Younger Adults. Some States Want to Boost Awareness.
- Rural Hospitals Built During Baby Boom Now Face Baby Bust
- Food Stamps Go Further in Rural Areas — Until You Add Transportation Costs
- CMS Announces Resources and Flexibilities to Assist with the Public Health Emergency in the State of Texas
- CMS Proposes New Payments for Digital Health Under CY2025 PFS Draft Rule
- Improving Public Health by Strengthening Community Infrastructure
- Biden Harris Administration Proposes Policies to Reduce Maternal Mortality, Advance Health Equity, and Support Underserved Communities
- Nearly Half of U.S. Counties Don't Have a Single Cardiologist
- Randolph County, Ill. Turns Unused Part of Nursing Home Into State-Of-The-Art Behavioral Health Center
- Safe and Stable Housing Is a Foundation of Successful Recovery
- Rural RPM Program Is a Lifeline for Pregnant Women
- Expert: Rural Hospitals Are Particularly Vulnerable to Increasing Cyberattacks Targeting Healthcare Facilities
- Biden-Harris Administration Invests Over $200 Million to Help Primary Care Doctors, Nurses, and Other Health Care Providers Improve Care for Older Adults
- AJPH Call for Papers Special Section on Intersections of Public Health And Primary Care
- NIH HEAL Initiative Turns Attention to Pragmatic Trials in Rural Communities
NCSL on COVID-19: Health Care in Rural America
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) focuses on rural areas in its podcast about state-level response to the pandemic. Find the podcast here.
RAND: Responding to Critical Care Surge Capacity
The RAND Corporation (Research ANd Development) included 61 rural hospitals in its survey of hospitals across the country about their capacity to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic. The report presents a range of strategies for creating capacity, including an online Critical Care Surge Response Tool that allows decision-makers at all levels — hospitals, health care systems, states, regions — to estimate current critical care capacity and rapidly explore strategies for increasing it. Read more here.
USDA COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched an online list of federal resources for rural communities. Find more information here.
CDC COVID-19 Updates
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides daily updates and guidance. A CDC site for rural-specific information has a recording of the April 8 Coronavirus update for rural stakeholders and communities. CDC also does regular clinical calls for public health emergencies, called Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA). Read more here.
Federal Office of Rural Health Policy FAQs for COVID-19
Find a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from our grantees and stakeholders, updated regularly, here.
HHS Guide for Implementing Virtual Case Management During COVID-19
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services issued a short set of key considerations for delivering services online or over the phone. Read more here.
Notice of Intent: New Funding Opportunity Announcement to Support Novel, High-Impact Studies Evaluating Health System and Healthcare Professional Responsiveness to COVID-19 – June 2020
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) intends to publish a new funding opportunity focused on evaluating topics such as innovations and challenges encountered in the rapid expansion of telemedicine in response to COVID-19, effects on quality, safety, and value of health system response to COVID-19, and the role of primary care practices and professionals during the COVID-19 epidemic. AHRQ expects to invest up to $5 million in FY2020 funds with particular interest in understanding how digital health innovations contributed to health system and healthcare professional innovation and challenges and solutions to meeting the needs of vulnerable populations including older adults, people living with multiple chronic conditions, rural communities, and uninsured and under-insured populations. Read more here.
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
On April 10, HHS began delivery of the initial $30 billion in relief funding to providers in support of the national response to COVID-19 as part of the distribution of the $100 billion provider relief fund provided for in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Administration is working rapidly on targeted distributions of the remaining $70 billion that will focus on providers in areas particularly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, rural providers, providers of services with lower shares of Medicare reimbursement or who predominantly serve the Medicaid population, and providers requesting reimbursement for the treatment of uninsured Americans. Read more about the delivery of this funding here. For more information, visit hhs.gov/provider-relief.
Will Federal Help Arrive in Time for Cash-Strapped Rural Hospitals?
From The Daily Yonder:
Hospitals across rural America are forced to make dramatic choices between furloughing staff and staying open to care for coronavirus patients. While Congress passed the relief measures, administrators worry help may come too late. Read more here.
Lessons from Covid-19: Distance Learning
From The Daily Yonder:
With 55.1 million students impacted by school closures related to Covid-19, distance learning is getting lots of attention. It certainly comes with challenges, but rural teachers and families are making do. Read more here.