Rural Health Information Hub Latest News

The FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zurzuvae (zuranolone), the first oral medication indicated to treat postpartum depression (PPD) in adults. PPD is a major depressive episode that typically occurs after childbirth but can also begin during the later stages of pregnancy. Until now, treatment for PPD was only available as an IV injection given by a healthcare provider in certain healthcare facilities.

Underserved Clinicians Association Announces Partnership to Advance Financial Solvency, Workforce Excellence

The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) is collaborating with SMART Conversations® in a new partnership to help health centers improve their organizational effectiveness, boost financial solvency, and inspire workforce excellence. ACU will be offering SMART Conversations’ principle-based, facilitated trainings in communication and leadership development, as well as organizational culture and effectiveness, to help drive health equity in underserved communities. For questions about this partnership, please contact Amanda Pears KellyExecutive Director.

Here You Can Find a New Publication on Enhance Recruitment Working with Minority-Serving Institutions

Establishing a workforce that represents your patient population requires inclusive and equitable recruitment and retention efforts and partnering with minority-serving colleges and universities is one path for achieving greater diversity. This newly published paper from the ACU STAR² Center serves as a quick resource and reference guide for human resources professionals and health center leaders to understand how to identify and partner with minority-serving educational institutions. Click here to access this new publication!

Partnership for Quality Management (PQM) Seeks Rural Health Experts for Committees 

As previously mentioned in this newsletter, new committees are being formed by Battelle, as contracted by CMS, to make recommendations on healthcare quality measurement. Rural health experts are sought for all PQM committees (on the nomination form, one can check a box as a “rural health expert”). More information on PQM can be found here: Get Involved | Partnership for Quality Measurement (p4qm.org). The original July 30 deadline for nominations has been extended to August. Submit Nominations by August 14, 2023.

The MedPAC 2023 Data Book Has Been Released

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recently published its annual data book with information on Medicare spending – including Medicare Advantage (Part C) – prescription drugs, alternative payment models, acute care, and post-acute care, as well as demographic info that includes rural beneficiaries. Per the data book, 18 percent of the Medicare population is in rural areas, and Medicare Part C enrollment grew from just 26 percent in 2011 to 49 percent in 2022.