- HRSA: Inclusion of Terrain Factors in the Definition of Rural Area for Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Grants
- Celebrating National Rural Health Day
- DEA, HHS: Third Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications
- Talking Rural Health Care with U of M
- Public Inspection: DEA, HHS: Third Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications
- CDC Presents a Five-Year Plan for Rural Healthcare
- Kansas Faith Leaders 'Well Positioned' To Help Fill Mental Health Care Gaps in Rural Areas
- The CDC Wants More Kansas Farm Workers to Get Their Flu Shots This Season
- Study: Rural Residents More Likely to Struggle With Medical Debt
- VA Proposes to Eliminate Copays for Telehealth, Expand Access to Telehealth for Rural Veterans
- Deaths From Cardiovascular Disease Increased Among Younger U.S Adults in Rural Areas
- In Rural Avery County, Helene Washed Away One of the Only Dental Clinics
- Rural Veterans Are Struggling with Access to VA-Provided Care
- Idaho Gained Nurses. But Not Enough To Deal with Retirements and Population Boom.
- Community Health Workers Spread Across the US, Even in Rural Areas
Read About Recent Farmworker Outreach Promising Practices: Lessons from the Field
The National Center for Farmworker Health highlights ten different promising practices and discusses lessons learned from each. The website for a national nonprofit has a broader library of resources and tools.
You Can Find the Most Updated Telehealth Guide for Critical Access Hospitals Here!
The National Rural Health Resource Center centers hospitals designated as Critical Access in a guide to planning, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining an effective telehealth program.
NTIA Released their Most Recent Broadband Infrastructure Map
An interactive map from the federal National Telecommunications and Information Administration shows how broadband infrastructure may impact local economies. Using county-level data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the map provides a percentage of households with a broadband subscription as well as data on employment, wages and income, poverty, home values, population change and migration, educational attainment, and gross domestic product.
Here You Can Find the FORHP Investment Preview for 2023
An archived recording of the March 1 presentation that previews grants we expect to be funded this year.
A New Proposed Rule on Disclosure of Ownership for Nursing Facilities Has Been Annnounced
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a proposed rule that would require the disclosure of certain ownership, managerial, and other information regarding Medicare skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and Medicaid nursing facilities. CMS believes that greater transparency about nursing home owners and operators can help CMS and other regulators hold these parties more accountable for the quality of care they furnish. Recent research from the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center looked at quality of SNFs serving rural Medicare beneficiaries and included an overview of SNF characteristics including ownership status. Comments are due by April 14, 2023.
Rural Schools and Their Community-Based Programs Supporting the LGBTQ+ Youth
This case series from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center highlights examples of four school- and community-based organizations providing support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) youth.
You Can Read About The University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction Here!
HRSA Rural Center of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders offers an incentive to help defray previous training costs of $750 to each qualifying provider who obtained a DATA Waiver. To qualify, providers must be practicing in an HRSA-designated rural county in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, or Northern New York. To apply for the $750 payment, providers should contact cora@uvm.edu.
Read About Guiding Rural Health Clinics at the End of the Public Health Emergency Here
The National Association of Rural Health Clinics first describes some of the COVID-related waivers and flexibilities that applied widely – such as those reducing barriers to telehealth – and then those that were specific to RHCs. These include relaxed requirements that physicians provide medical direction to nurse practitioners and justification to provide home nursing services, among others. These waivers will end with the public health emergency.
See Your States Timeline for Unwinding Medicaid Continuous Enrollment
As of April 1, states will resume eligibility reviews for enrollees in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), also known as unwinding the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement. This chart details the expected first month for each state/territory’s unwinding-related renewals, as well as the anticipated effective date for the first terminations of enrollees’ Medicaid coverage. The Georgetown University Center for Children and Families maintains a 50-State Unwinding Tracker that compiles information found on state websites, including links to how enrollees can update their contact information and communication materials and toolkits for partners. Nearly a quarter of individuals under age 65 who live in rural areas are covered by Medicaid.
Announcing a 2-year Extension of Guidance Regarding Non-U.S. Citizens with Valid Social Security Numbers and Employment Authorization Documents
The Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP) is pleased to announce a two year extension of guidance originally published on April 29, 2022 which makes non-U.S. citizens with valid Social Security Numbers (SSN) and work authorization, as evidenced by documentation such as an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), Form I-766, temporarily eligible to apply for assistance. This extension expires on May 2, 2025.
Please note, applicant(s) must meet all other criteria set forth in 7 CFR Part 3555 and Handbook 1-3555.
Thank you for supporting the Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program!
Help Resources
Rural Development Help Desk:
For GUS system, outage or functionality assistance
Email: RD.HD@USDA.GOV
Important Links:
SFHGLP Lending Partner Webpage: https://www.rd.usda.gov/page/sfh-guaranteed-lender
SFHGLP Webpage:https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-guaranteed-loan-program
USDA LINC Training and Resource Library:
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/lenders/usda-linc-training-resource-library
Procedure Notices: https://www.rd.usda.gov/resources/directives/procedures-notices