- Helene Exacerbated Rise in Homelessness Across Western North Carolina
- 'It's a Crisis': How the Shortage of Mental Health Counselors Is Affecting the Rural Northwest
- FCC Launches New Maternal Health Mapping Platform
- How Mobile Clinics Are Transforming Rural Health Access for Cochise County Farmworkers
- Struggling to Adapt
- Rural Governments Often Fail To Communicate With Residents Who Aren't Proficient in English
- Mental Health Association Launches Hub To Help Rural Residents
- Prescription Delivery in Missouri Faces Delays under USPS Rural Service Plan
- Getting Rural Parents Started On Their Breastfeeding Journey
- USDA Announces New Federal Order, Begins National Milk Testing Strategy to Address H5N1 in Dairy Herds
- Creating a Clearer Path to Rural Heart Health
- Number of U.S. Hospitals Offering Obstetric Care Is Declining
- NRHA Announces 2025 Rural Health Fellows
- New RSV Drug Delivers Promising Results in Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
- Lack of Civic Infrastructure Drives Rural Health Disparities
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors Announces Launch of the Center for Advancing Healthy Communities
The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) announces the launch of its Center for Advancing Healthy Communities (CAHC), which will work to foster healthy communities for all by advancing health equity and eliminating social barriers.
“Despite incredible advances in the health field, disparities across our country are profound. Access to healthy living opportunities should be available to everyone,” said John W. Robitscher, MPH, NACDD’s CEO. “Through this Center, we are committed to making public health programs in communities across states and territories more effective, more equitable, and more inclusive.”
Led by Jennie Hefelfinger, MS, the Center’s efforts will leverage best practices and evidence-based programming to impact food and nutrition security, physical activity and the built environment, tobacco cessation, obesity, social connectedness, chronic disease-related mental health, and equity/social justice. It will build upon successful NACDD-led projects such as Building Resilient Inclusive Communities, the Walkability Action Institutes, Worksite Wellness, and more.
At Center launch, programs and team members include:
- Center Director: Jennie Hefelfinger, MS
- Associate Director: Vishwarupa (Vish) Vasani, MPH
- Arthritis Portfolio: Heather Murphy; Lisa Erck, MS
- Building Resilient Inclusive Communities (BRIC) program: Mara Galic, MHSc, RD; Joann Donnelly, MA, BCC, CSM; Leah Rimkus, MPH, RD; and Crystal Doxie, MBA
- Healthy Military Communities: Catherine McCann, PhD, MSPH
- State Partnerships Improving Nutrition and Equity (SPINE) program: Patrilie Hernandez, MS and Charita James, MS, RD
- Worksite Wellness: Lisa Erck, MS and Laura DeStigter, MPH
- Walkability Action Institutes: Karma Harris, MSPH
“We want to make every community healthier and stronger. Over the years, we’ve learned that the best way to accomplish this is to work together; to listen, to share, to nurture, and to work collectively to maximize the impact of each program,” said Hefelfinger. “We are excited to launch this Center, which will coordinate programs that logically work together, provide thought leadership to our partners, and continue to advance the mission of NACDD.”
CAHC will provide technical assistance and training for program implementation while expanding capabilities and resources, promoting healthful policy and environmental change, and collaborating to foster mutually beneficial partnerships.
“Our team of public health professionals at NACDD has been implementing chronic disease prevention and health promotion programs for more than 30 years,” Robitscher said. “Not only do we know how to make the programs effective, but we know where the opportunities are to integrate programs, share best practices, and make public health more impactful.”
Visit https://chronicdisease.org/the-center-for-advancing-healthy-communities/ to learn more.
The Community Health Literacy Assessment
A community health assessment identifies a community’s health status, needs, and issues through partner engagement and data collection and analysis. This information can help organizations develop a community health improvement plan and justify how and where resources should be distributed.
Historically though, community health assessments have not collected data on community health literacy measures. Researchers at the Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy at the University of Maryland developed the Community Health Literacy Assessment (CHLA) to help bridge this gap.
Visit Community Health Literacy Assessment to learn more about this resource.
CMS Publishes 2022 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS)
The annual Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule announces policy changes which sets the rates for Medicare payments made under the PFS, and updates for the Quality Payment Program (QPP) for Calendar Year 2022 has been released/published.
The annual Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule announces policy changes which sets the rates for Medicare payments made under the PFS, and updates for the Quality Payment Program (QPP) for Calendar Year 2022 has been released/published. Please review the following links for further information on those items.
- Press Release: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-physician-payment-rule-promotes-greater-access-telehealth-services-diabetes-prevention-programs
- Fact Sheet – CY22 Physician Fee Schedule: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/calendar-year-cy-2022-medicare-physician-fee-schedule-final-rule
- 2022 QPP resources Fact Sheet: https://qpp-cm-prod-content.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/1654/2022%20Quality%20Payment%20Program%20Final%20Rule%20Resources.zip
- Fact Sheet – Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP): https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/final-policies-medicare-diabetes-prevention-program-mdpp-expanded-model-calendar-year-2022-medicare
Should you wish to contact CMS QPP directly please use the following below information.
- By Phone: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET 1-866-288-8292 (TRS: 711)
- By Email: QPP@cms.hhs.gov
USDA Invites Applications for Grants to Improve Access to Healthy Foods While Creating Jobs for People Living in Underserved Rural Areas
Agency to Host Informational Webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 17
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small has announced that USDA is inviting applications for at least $4 million in grants to improve access to healthy foods while creating jobs for people in underserved rural areas.
USDA is making the grants available under the Healthy Food Financing Initiative Targeted Small Grants Program. Through this program, USDA is partnering with the Reinvestment Fund, the National Fund Manager, to provide the funding. Qualified grantees include grocery stores and food distributors that are working to improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas. These awards are expected to create and preserve quality jobs and revitalize low-income communities. The funding is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill.
To apply, applicants must submit a letter of interest by Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. If invited to apply, applicants must submit a full application. Additional information on how to apply is available at www.investinginfood.com.
USDA and the Reinvestment Fund are hosting an informational webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time for interested parties to learn more about the program. To register, visit https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4101009465716687631.
For more information, please contact help@investinginfood.com.
If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
CMS OMH Celebrates National Rural Health Day
Throughout the month of November, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) is recognizing National Rural Health Day, November 18, and highlighting the unique health needs of rural communities.
Despite comprising the vast majority of the land area in the U.S., rural areas only contain about 19% of the U.S. population (or approximately 60 million people). People who live in America’s rural areas face unique barriers to health care – including longer travel distances to receive care, a shortage of health care providers, lack of broadband internet access, etc. These can contribute to worse health outcomes for this population. In comparison to their people in urban communities, people who live in rural America are at a greater risk of death from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke. Black, Asian or Pacific Islander, White, and Hispanic populations that live in rural areas have also been shown to receive generally worse results for clinical care.
Existing health disparities can also be seen in COVID-19 vaccination rates between those who live in rural areas and those who live in urban areas. While 46% of adults in urban communities received their COVID-19 vaccine between December 2020 and April 2021, only 39% of adults living in rural areas were vaccinated during that same time period.
During November, we’re placing a spotlight on the work being done within CMS OMH and across all federal agencies to help address these disparities. Below are resources that you can share to help improve the health of rural Americans.
COVID-19 Vaccine Webinar for Rural Communities
On Monday, November 15, CMS OMH, along with representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will host a webinar to discuss federal COVID-19 resources, health care workforce mandates, health care coverage related to the COVID-19 vaccine, and more.
- Date: Monday, November 15
- Time: 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
- To register: Click here for the registration page
Resources
- Read the Rural-Urban Disparities in Health Care in Medicare Report to learn about differences in rural-urban health care experiences and clinical care received nationally. The report shows differences in quality of care provided according to race and ethnicity.
- Review the Rural Health Strategy to learn how CMS is applying a rural lens to agency activities and informing the agency’s path to achieving its rural health vision through intra-agency collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and the elevation of programs and policies that will advance the state of rural health care in America.
- Download the Rural Crosswalk: CMS Flexibilities to Fight COVID-19, which highlights COVID-19 provisions that CMS has issued by regulation or waiver. These provisions impact rural health care facilities and remain key for providers who serve rural communities.
- Read the report Trends in Racial, Ethnic, Sex, and Rural-Urban Inequities in Health Care in Medicare Advantage: November 2020.
- Download and share the Rural Health Strategy: 5 Key Objectives, which outlines five key objectives that aim to help rural health providers advance health care quality for patients.
- View the Data Highlight: Understanding Rural Hospital Bypass Among Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Beneficiaries in 2018 to learn the extent to which Medicare beneficiaries who live in rural areas bypass their nearest rural hospital, as well as what hospital services rural Medicare beneficiaries most often seek locally and at distant hospitals.
- Review the Community Health Access and Rural Health Transformation (CHART) Model, through which CMS aims to continue addressing disparities by providing a way for rural communities to transform their health care delivery systems. This can be accomplished by leveraging innovative financial arrangements, as well as through operational and regulatory flexibilities. You can also view the CHART Model overview webinar here.
- Visit the Rural Maternal Health webpage to find resources related to improving maternal health outcomes in rural communities.
CMS recognizes that more than 57 million Americans live in rural areas, and face several unique challenges. And those challenges can differ dramatically among the different kinds of rural areas across the country. Rural residents tend to be older and in poorer health than their urban counterparts, and rural communities often face challenges with access to care, financial viability, and the important link between health care and economic development.
Contact RuralHealth@cms.hhs.gov for any questions or inquiries related to rural health policies and programs.
Rural America is Losing its Pharmacies
Batson’s Drug Store seems like a throwback to a simpler time. The independently owned pharmacy in Howard, Kan., still runs an old-fashioned soda counter and hand-dips ice cream. But the drugstore, the only one in the entire county, teeters on the edge between nostalgia and extinction.
Julie Perkins, pharmacist and owner of Batson’s, graduated from the local high school and returned after pharmacy school to buy the drugstore more than two decades ago. She and her husband bought the grocery store next door in 2006 to help diversify revenue and put the pharmacy on firmer footing.
But with the pandemic exacerbating the competitive pressures from large retail chains, which can operate at lower prices, and from pharmaceutical middle men, which can impose high fees retroactively, Perkins wonders how long her business can remain viable.
She worries about what will happen to her customers if she can’t keep the pharmacy running. Elk County, with a population of 2,500, has no hospital and only a couple of doctors, so residents must travel more than an hour to Wichita for anything beyond primary care.
“That’s why I hang on,” Perkins said. “These people have relied on the store from way before I was even here.”
Corner pharmacies, once widespread in large cities and rural hamlets alike, are disappearing from many areas of the country, leaving an estimated 41 million Americans in what are known as drugstore deserts, without easy access to pharmacies. An analysis by GoodRx, an online drug price comparison tool, found that 12% of Americans have to drive more than 15 minutes to reach the closest pharmacy or don’t have enough pharmacies nearby to meet demand. That includes majorities of people in more than 40% of counties.
Senators Introduced the Rural Health Equity Act to Establish an Office of Rural Health within the CDC.
Senator Merkley (D-OR) and Representative McEachin (D-VA) led the bicameral introduction of the Rural Health Equity Act (H.R. 5848/S. 3149) to establish an Office of Rural Health within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and help address the unique health care challenges and inequities faced by rural communities across America. Alan Morgan, National Rural Health Association chief executive officer, notes that, “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the structural barriers facing rural Americans have become increasingly evident, and has exacerbated the need for rural representation within the CDC.”
New Policy Brief: CAH Use of Federal Funding and Regulatory Flexibilities
The Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) has released a new policy brief: Critical Access Hospitals’ Initial Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Use of Federal Funding and Regulatory Flexibilities. This brief uses survey data collected by the FMT about Critical Access Hospitals’ response during the first seven months of the COVID-19 pandemic and describes key findings from the survey including:
- How many participating CAHs received federal funding and from which sources
- Which regulatory waivers and flexibilities were most commonly used by participating CAHs
On our website, you can read more about other FMT work assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Critical Access Hospitals.
Governor Proclaims November 15-19, 2021 Rural Health Week in Pennsylvania
In an effort to draw attention to the wide range of issues that impact rural health, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has declared November 15-19, 2021, as Rural Health in Pennsylvania week at the request of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Association (PRHA) and the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health (PORH).
Governor Wolf made the proclamation to promote awareness of the full range of issues that impact rural health care throughout the Commonwealth and the health status of rural Pennsylvanians. Nationally, Pennsylvania ranks as one of the states with the highest number of rural residents, with 26 percent of Pennsylvanians residing in rural areas. In recognition of Pennsylvania’s diverse rural needs, the Commonwealth has supported the development of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, and other agencies and initiatives to address the needs of rural Pennsylvanians.
The week encompasses November 18, which is National Rural Health Day, established in 2011 by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) to showcase rural America; increase awareness of rural health issues; and promote the efforts of NOSORH, State Offices of Rural Health (SORHs) and others in addressing those issues.
“Nearly 59.5 million Americans, including 3.4 million Pennsylvanians, live in rural communities,” said Lisa Davis, PORH director and outreach associate professor of health policy and administration at Penn State. “These small towns and communities continue to be fueled by the creative energy of citizens who step forward to provide a wealth of products, resources, and services.
Rural communities also face unique health care concerns: a lack of providers; accessibility issues, particularly in terms of transportation and technology; and affordability issues as the result of larger percentages of uninsured and underinsured citizens and greater out-of-pocket health costs. Rural hospitals and health care providers, which frequently are the economic backbone of the communities they serve, deserve special consideration so that they can continue to provide high-quality services and meet the needs of rural residents.”
To celebrate the work being done to achieve health care access and equity in Pennsylvania, PORH will present Pennsylvania Rural Health Awards during virtual ceremonies across rural Pennsylvania.
PORH was established in 1991 to enhance the health status of rural Pennsylvanians and strengthen the delivery and quality of care in the communities in which they live. Each year, the organization presents awards to recognize rural health programs and individuals who have made substantial contributions to rural health in Pennsylvania. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, visit porh.psu.edu.
PRHA is dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of Pennsylvania’s rural citizens and communities. Through the combined efforts of individuals, organizations, professionals, and community leaders, the Association is a collective voice for rural health issues and a conduit for information and resources. More information can be found at paruralhealth.org.
Primary Care Access Helped Reduce Risk of COVID-19 Infection, Death
Counties with greater primary care access, more robust public health and fewer social vulnerabilities had fewer COVID-19 infections and deaths, according to a report from the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) and Robert Graham Center. “As we emerge from the current pandemic and re-imagine and rebuild primary care, we also need to look at other factors, such as investment in public health and community-based services,” PCC President and CEO Ann Greiner said in a statement. “It is beyond time for us all to reach beyond our silos and join forces to address the widening health inequities that the pandemic laid bare.”