- 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
- Safe and Stable Housing Is a Foundation of Successful Recovery
- Rural RPM Program Is a Lifeline for Pregnant Women
- 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
Notes Published on the Pennsylvania Human Services Executive Budget
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) budget is a mixture of state and federal funding. Each year, DHS is involved in the state budget process where annual funding for the department’s programs and services are expected to be determined by June 30. To learn more about the budget process in Pennsylvania, visit the Office of the Budget. Each year, DHS publishes the “Blue Book,” which provides additional details on the Governor’s budget proposal as it relates to programs managed by DHS. The “Blue Book” is available on the DHS website, prior to the DHS budget hearings in front of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees on March 5 and March 6 respectively. Click here for the slides from DHS’ presentation. A recording is available on DHS’ YouTube page.
Improving Access to Pulmonary Rehab Programs
Two new educational videos from the National Rural Health Resource Center highlight the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the country’s rural communities and the steps that Critical Access Hospitals and other small rural hospitals can take to improve access to much-needed pulmonary rehabilitation services. The first video, Understanding COPD and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, provides an overview of COPD — its symptoms and causes — and explains how rural-based pulmonary rehabilitation services help to restore independence and quality of life in COPD patients. The second video, How to Launch a Pulmonary Rehab Program, highlights the benefits — to hospitals and their communities — of operating pulmonary rehab programs, and shares practical advice and tips.
CMS Changing Policy for Research Data Access – Comment by March 29
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to change the way that data is made available to researchers and seeks feedback from stakeholders who may be affected. Currently, CMS offers researchers two options for accessing CMS data: 1) have physical Research Identifiable File (RIF) data shipped to their institution, and 2) a secure online resource called the Chronic Conditions Warehouse Virtual Research Data Center (CCW VRDC). Because of growing concerns about data security, CMS will no longer ship physical data for new research. Beginning on August 19 of this year, researchers will be required to use the CCW VRDC. CMS will accept feedback on these plans via email at VRDCRFI@cms.hhs.gov until March 29.
Article Released Discussing Support for Vulnerable Rural Hospitals: Lessons Learned
An overview of state and federal programs and models designed to support Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other rural hospitals describes challenges – including chronic workforce shortages, high operating and staffing costs, inadequate reimbursement, operational and regulatory issues, and the diverse demographics of rural communities. The information comes from the FORHP-supported Flex Monitoring Team, a consortium of researchers evaluating the effectiveness of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program.
No-Cost Program Offered – AHRQ Telemedicine Safety Program: Improving Antibiotic Use
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use is a no-cost program that seeks to promote appropriate antibiotic use while maintaining patient satisfaction and reducing potential side effects in patients seen via telemedicine. They are currently recruiting primary and urgent care facilities, including community health centers, to participate in the program. This program, beginning in June 2024, consists of brief educational presentations about best practices to optimize antibiotic prescribing in the telemedicine environment. Participants will have access to technical assistance, coaching, webinars, and practical tools to implement improvements in their practice. The program is offering credit via the American Medical Association (AMA), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC), American Association for Physician Assistants (AAPA), and Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) to participants at no charge.
Webinars Being Offered on Population Health Management: A National Learning Series
More than a dozen HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs) are collaborating on a webinar series throughout March. Each webinar will focus on strategies for developing, evaluating, and supporting effective healthcare delivery models. Coordinators will ensure that webinar materials are practical, enhancing skills directly related to the training recipients. Visit the Population Health Management Task Force’s website for session details and registration.
Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program Now Open
The Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program is open now through March 7 at 7:30 pm. This year, Nurse Corps will prioritize awards for nurses and nurse practitioners working in primary care facilities, such as FQHCs, rural health clinics, and small rural hospitals. Please help make sure your eligible staff are aware of the application and deadline.
GoFundMe Evolves into Health Care Utility
GoFundMe started as a crowdfunding site for underwriting “ideas and dreams,” and as GoFundMe’s co-founders, Andrew Ballester and Brad Damphousse, once put it, “for life’s important moments.” Now, GoFundMe has become a go-to platform for patients trying to escape medical billing nightmares, KFF Health News reports.
Survey Finds Pennsylvania Hospital Strategies Are Reducing Staff Vacancies
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the number of open positions for healthcare workers in Pennsylvania hospitals is declining as hospitals invest more to retain employees, according to a new survey by The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). The Hospital Workforce Survey found that nearly all hospitals surveyed said they have been raising pay and making changes to work schedules. Some have also been offering flexible hours and even childcare to retain workers. Nearly 90% of hospitals also reported offering professional development opportunities or tuition reimbursement.
PhRMA Releases “Fact Sheets” on 340B Program
PhRMA, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association, a trade association representing pharmaceutical manufacturers, has released a set of “Fact Sheets” showing how 340B operates in each state. After stating that the 340B program is “broken,” the fact sheets focus on two issues:
- Whether 340B hospitals provide adequate charity care. For example, the PA sheet reads “hospitals in Pennsylvania make 7.1 times as much from 340B as they spend on charity care.”
- Out-of-state pharmacies under contract with in-state covered entities, including that “PBMs and chain pharmacies also now make a profit from this safety-net program.”