- Senator Baldwin Introduces HSHS Act to Protect Communities from Hospital Closures
- What to Know about Smoke, Heat and Health
- Tribal Partnership With UW-Madison Combines Ag Research With Indigenous Food Knowledge
- The Rewards of Working as Rural Docs
- Request for Information (RFI): Evolving the Network of the National Library of Medicine
- Dental Therapists, Who Can Fill Cavities and Check Teeth, Get the OK in More States
- 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
E-learning Program: Improving Cultural Competency for Behavioral Health Professionals
A five-hour, on-demand e-learning program to help behavioral health professionals increase their cultural and linguistic competency. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the program is accredited for contact hours for many behavioral health professionals. Find more information here.
Rural Resilience: Farm Stress Training
A self-paced online course for groups that work with farmers and ranchers to learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and suicide, ways to effectively communicate with people under stress, and how to reduce stigma related to mental health concerns. The training is sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation, Farm Credit, Michigan State University Extension, National Farmers Union, University of Illinois Extension. Find more information here.
Comments Requested: CMS Proposed Rule for Home Health Providers – August 31
On June 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule for the FY 2021 Home Health Prospective Payment System (PPS). The proposed rule includes a payment increase for fiscal year (FY) 2021 of 2.7 percent ($540 million total), which rural areas will experience as 2.3 percent. CMS also included a summary of the methodology for rural add-on payments. The rule also adopts the most recent Office of Management and Budget (OMB) statistical area delineations with 34 urban counties becoming rural and 47 rural counties becoming urban. Find more information here.
Supporting the Health and Wellbeing of Middle-Aged Adults Living Alone in Rural Counties
This report from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center shares insights from healthcare providers in 14 rural counties with the highest rates of middle-aged adults living alone in order to inform policy and practice in how best to support the health and well-being of this demographic. Read more here.
The Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of the Obstetrical Care Workforce in the U.S.
This brief from the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center describes the supply and geographic distribution of four types of OB care clinicians – obstetricians, advanced practice midwives, midwives (not advanced practice), and family physicians – using data from the 2019 National Plan and Provider Enumeration System and the American Board of Family Medicine. Read more here.
Request for Information: NIH Seeking Input on Health Disparities in Neurological Disease and Care – July 15
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) seek input from scientists, clinicians, patients, families, caregivers, advocates, and the broader community on the most important knowledge gaps, health and research needs, and promising opportunities to help guide the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s (NINDS) research. These disparities and inequities may exist across several demographic factors, including race/ethnicity, food/housing insecurity, socioeconomic status, geographic location, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, educational attainment, age, disability, etc. Responses are encouraged from all interested stakeholders. Read more here.
NACo: Nursing Homes & COVID-19
The National Association of Counties (NACo) gives an overview of COVID-19 cases in nursing home facilities across the U.S., many of which are county-owned and operated. The brief is a resource for counties on federal guidance, policies, and data and includes a case study on expanding testing in rural Linn County, Oregon. Read more here.
COVID-Related Provider Relief Funds for Medicaid and CHIP Providers – July 20
Providers participating in state programs for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) may still apply for emergency funding related to the pandemic distributed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to support the health care safety net. The initial Medicare-targeted General Distribution of funds through the CARES Act and the Payment Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act provided payments to nearly 320,000 providers who bill for Medicare fee-for-service. The Medicaid and CHIP Targeted distribution will make the Provider Relief Fund available to an additional 800,000 providers. The payment to each provider will be at least two percent of reported gross revenue from patient care; the final amount each provider receives will be determined after the data is submitted. Applicants must submit their data in the online portal created for this purpose by July 20. Find more information here.
FORHP Awards Rural Health Network Development Program
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) is recently announced that 44 rural health networks were awarded approximately $13 million for the new competitive funding cycle of the Rural Health Network Development (RHND) Program. The RHND Program is a three-year grant program designed to provide support to integrated health care networks who address the health care needs of their rural communities. Recipients are expected to achieve efficiencies, expand access to and improve the quality of essential health care services, and strengthen the rural health care system as a whole. Awarded applications range in a variety of focus areas including care coordination, value based care, chronic disease management, and behavioral health services. As FORHP continues to focus on sharing program outcomes, the identification and dissemination of rural evidence-based models maintains a priority. Find more information here. The Rural Health Information Hub (RHI hub) consists of a number of resources, including successful program models and evidence-based toolkits.
Administering Flu Vaccines During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released interim guidance intended to help immunization providers safely administer vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Routine vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential for protecting people and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases and outbreaks, including flu. This guidance will be reassessed and updated based on the evolving epidemiology of COVID-19 in the U.S.