- 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
- Rural RPM Program Is a Lifeline for Pregnant Women
- Safe and Stable Housing Is a Foundation of Successful Recovery
- 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
- Limited Continuing-Care Options in Rural Virginia Create Challenges for an Aging Population
AHRQ: National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality: Request for Nominations for Members
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is requesting nominations for the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality to serve 3-year terms beginning in the spring of 2021. At least one member of the committee must be familiar with rural health issues. The committee advises the AHRQ director and the Secretary of Health and Human Services in regards to AHRQ’s mission. Nominations are due within 60 days of this notice. Find more information here.
Rural Transit Agencies Are Keeping People Alive
Rural transit agencies are a lifeline to the communities they serve and have stayed open during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure residents are able to access essentials. This article discusses how they have adapted, the impact COVID-19 has had on rural transit agencies financially, and how they get their funding. Read more here.
Meatpacking and Prisons Drive the Rural COVID-19 Infection Rate
From The Daily Yonder:
This article summarizes an analysis that identified economic patterns in the distribution of COVID-19 cases. Findings show more than a third of new cases emerging in rural counties originated where manufacturing is the predominant economic driver. It also identifies prisons as a driver of coronavirus infections, as well as recreation economies. Read more here.
Public Inspection: HHS, CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs, Basic Health Program, and Exchanges: Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and Delay of Certain Reporting Requirements for the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program
This site serves as a pre-publication notice of interim final rule with comment period from the Health Resources and Services Administrations and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services giving flexibility to those providing services to Medicare, Medicaid, Basic Health Program, and Exchange beneficiaries in order to respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides a table outlining flexibilities and the dates in which they are applicable, including those for providers and facilities in rural areas. This interim rule is effective upon publication in the Federal Register, which is scheduled for May 8, 2020. Comments are due within 60 days of publication. Find the site here.
PACHC 2020 Annual Conference & Clinic Summit – Call for Proposals
PACHC is seeking presentation proposals for the 2020 Annual Conference & Clinical Summit. The conference will take place on October 6 – 8 at the Lancaster Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. Last year, over 700 health center leaders, staff and partners attended the event which included 55 educational opportunities. Learn more about the benefits of presenting at the Annual Conference & Clinical Summit.
Presentations should be in one of the following categories:
- Medical, Dental or Behavioral Health
- Quality, Transformation, and Risk Management
- Administrative Policies and Practices
- Outreach and Enrollment
- Human Resources
- Finance and Billing
- Legislative and Policy
- Customer Service
- Marketing and Communications
Submit today by completing the online call for presentations module by Friday, May 29. Review these helpful tips and instructions for how to submit a presentation using the online module. PACHC also encourages you to view the topic suggestions submitted by health centers, however, your presentation is not required to focus on these topics.
For questions or additional information, please email the Events and Communications Manager, Amanda Tekely at amanda@pachc.org or call her at (717) 761-6443, ext. 205.
The deadline for proposals to be submitted to the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers is Friday, May 29, 2020.
Online COVID-19 Training for Community Health Workers
In rural settings, Community Health Workers (CHWs) act as liaisons between providers and consumers, providing culturally-appropriate health education, making referrals for health and social services, and advocating for individuals and communities within the health service system. This free online training from the global public health organization, Medical Care Development (known as MCD), covers the various roles CHWs can take in combating the spread of the coronavirus.
ASTHO Training for COVID-19 Contact Tracers
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is providing a free online course for entry-level COVID-19 contact tracers. Contact tracing is a control measure for preventing further spread of disease. The training will be augmented by protocols specific to state and local jurisdictions and focus on building knowledge for remote contact tracing.
CMS Updates EMTALA Requirements and Implications Related to COVID-19
Recently, CMS issued a Memorandum that conveys information in response to inquiries from hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) concerning implications of COVID-19 for their compliance with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). The memo was revised to include additional guidance related to the establishment of drive through testing sites, clarification of expectations in relation to the triage process and the medical screening examination, and use of telehealth. Among other topics, the memo address transfers to and from rural hospitals.
CMS Publishes Update to RHC/FQHC COVID-19 Guidance
On April 30, CMS updated its MLN Matters® Special Edition Article is for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries. The update provides additional details about the new payment for telehealth services, cost-sharing related to COVID-19 testing, additional telehealth flexibilities, and the revision of the bed count methodology for determining the provider-based RHCs exemption to the RHC payment limit.
CMS Extends Promoting Interoperability Hardship Exception Deadline for Hospitals
If a health care provider is eligible to participate in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program, they must successfully demonstrate meaningful use of their certified electronic health record (CEHRT) each year to avoid a downward payment adjustment. Eligible hospitals and CAHs may be exempted from the Medicare downward payment adjustment if they can show that compliance with the requirement for being a meaningful EHR user would result in a significant hardship. To be considered for an exception (to avoid a downward payment adjustment), eligible hospitals and CAHs must complete and submit a Hardship Exception Application. CMS recently extended the deadline to September 1 for hospitals (previously July 1). The deadline to submit a Hardship Exception Application is November 30 for CAHs.