- 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
NRHA Joins COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Projects
To reinforce the association’s dedication to health equity, The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) has recently joined several national coalitions aimed at communicating vaccine safety and efficacy. HHS’ COVID-19 Community Corps aims to establish a network of trusted voices to promote vaccines. The Made to Save Coalition is a public education and grassroots effort to increase vaccine access in communities of color. And the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project includes resources to reach a variety of populations. Bookmark NRHA’s COVID resources page to find rural-relevant resources all in one place.
NRHA Details Rural Health Provisions within COVID-19 Relief Legislation
The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) produced a summary of the rural health provisions in COVID-19 relief legislation and highlights NRHA’s priorities for COVID-19 relief for rural health care.
Bipartisan, Bicameral Introduction of the CONNECT for Health Act
Bipartisan, bicameral legislation was introduced to expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make permanent COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to safely connect with their doctors. The CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 2903/S. 1512) was introduced by Sen. Schatz (D-HI) and 49 other Senators and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and four other Representatives.
Faith Communities Play a Role in Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy
Findings in PRRI/Interfaith Youth Core’s national research survey project, Religious Identities and the Race Against the Virus: Engaging Faith Communities on COVID-19 Vaccination, make the case for faith-based approaches in increasing vaccine uptake and for the inclusion of these critical health assets in public health strategies. Read the full report, executive summary or replay last week’s webinar presentation.
Pennsylvania Re-Expanding Vaccine Provider Network
COVID-19 vaccines will be sent to more providers in Pennsylvania, widening the distribution network to include doctors, small pharmacies, and others as part of the effort to overcome lingering hesitancy among residents who have yet to get the shot. The Department of Health allocated more than 295,000 doses to 383 providers, up from 225 providers that received shipments last week. The state is gradually adding providers after narrowing the vaccine administrator cohort to hospitals, FQHCs, and pharmacy chains. Now, as demand for the vaccine begins to slow, the state is increasing focus on hard-to-reach areas and populations. Gov. Wolf said more providers will be added in coming weeks “as we keep moving out from big facilities” and “figure out how we can get closer to people, which means putting it in the hands of people you trust.” Pennsylvania now ranks 10th in the nation in percent of population that has been vaccinated. The commonwealth has administered first doses of COVID-19 vaccines to about 48% of its eligible population of everyone 16 and older and more than 5.2 million people have received at least their first dose.
Pennsylvania Updates COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard to Highlight Race and Ethnicity Data by County
The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the latest update to the COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard. This latest update to the dashboard can be found on the second page of the COVID-19 vaccine dashboard. The update displays a county-specific view of vaccination demographics by race, ethnicity, gender, and age. The updated data also includes a county ranking of the percent of residents in each county that has received at least one dose of a vaccine. For more information on DOH’s efforts to promote justice, mitigate health inequities and promote transparency during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit the Health Equity and COVID-19 page.
State to College Students – Get Vaccinated Wherever You Are
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is encouraging vaccine providers to work with college students to ensure they get their full set of vaccinations. If it’s not possible for a student to receive both doses at the same location because they are returning home at the end of the semester, DOH says providers at the home location should work to ensure the college student gets fully vaccinated using the same vaccine they received as their first dose. DOH will support providers in these requests for second doses. DOH expects that numbers may not properly align, so encourages providers to include an explanation in the notes when filling out the second dose survey and report the data in PA-SIIS. Students should remember to bring their vaccination card with them to their second dose appointment.
Rural Infections Fall by 15%; Rural Vaccination Rates Lag in Two-Thirds of States
By Tim Murphy and Tim Marema
Most rural areas are continuing to see improvement in new cases and deaths. But the vaccination rate in rural areas is failing to keep pace with the urban rate in most cases.
Read more
COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Helpline in Pennsylvania for People with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has announced a partnership with Pennsylvania-based Rite Aid Pharmacy to ease access to COVID-19 vaccinations for people with intellectual disabilities and autism. Beginning May 4, people with an intellectual disability, autism, and their caregivers will be able to call a hotline managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) to request a COVID-19 vaccine, and callers will receive direct outreach from a nearby Rite Aid Pharmacy to schedule their vaccine appointment.
People with an intellectual disability or autism and their caregivers can call ODP Vaccination Call Center at 1-800-424-4345 to request a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for themselves and/or their caregivers. This hotline is staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. From there, ODP will give Rite Aid names and locations of individuals who need to be vaccinated. Rite Aid staff will assign local pharmacies to reach out to callers to schedule vaccinations at a Rite Aid location near to the caller. This effort will also be able to help coordinate special accommodations for individuals who need assistance with transportation or on-site aid, among other needs.
Anyone age 16 or older with an intellectual disability or autism and their caregivers can request a vaccine appointment through this effort, regardless of whether they are currently enrolled in a services and supports program through ODP. ODP oversees services and supports for approximately 57,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Pennsylvania but estimates that this only covers about 25 percent of Pennsylvanians who may qualify as having an intellectual or developmental disability. ODP is working with Pennsylvania’s Developmental Disabilities Council, Temple University’s Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, the Special Olympics, and Aging and Disability Resource Centers to help people with disabilities and their caregivers know about this option and assist with accommodations.
“As we continue to work to ensure that all Pennsylvanians who want a vaccine are able to get them, this collaborative approach between ODP and Rite Aid will allow us to ease this process for people with intellectual disabilities and autism and help us keep them and their caregivers safe moving forward,” said DHS Acting Secretary Meg Snead. “Rite Aid has been an incredible partner in helping us reach vulnerable people in our licensed facilities and community settings, and I am incredibly grateful for their continued work to ensure that we are getting these life-saving vaccines out efficiently and equitably.”
Since December 2020, more than 8 million Pennsylvanians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. More than 3.2 million Pennsylvanians are fully vaccinated. For more information on COVID-19 vaccinations and vaccine providers in your community, visit the Department of Health’s website.
Get more information about vaccines administered to DHS-licensed facilities through the work with Rite Aid and other vaccine providers.
HHS Announces Nearly $1 Billion from American Rescue Plan for Rural COVID-19 Response
Funding Will Help Communities, Hospitals, Health Clinics Respond to the Pandemic and Support Local Efforts to Increase Vaccine Confidence and Uptake in Rural Communities
Today, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing the availability of nearly $1 billion to strengthen COVID-19 response efforts and increase vaccinations in rural communities. As part of the Biden Administration’s commitment to expanding access to vaccines and ensuring equity in the COVID-19 response, the Health Resources and Services Administration, a part of HHS, will increase the number of vaccines sent to rural communities, expand testing and other COVID-19 prevention services, and work to increase vaccine confidence by empowering trusted local voices with additional funding for outreach efforts in underserved communities.
“Rural health providers are vital to ensure equity in COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and in making sure rural residents have the information about vaccine safety, especially for populations who are at an increased risk for COVID-19 infection or severe illness due to systemic health and social inequities and geographic isolation,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Support to Rural Health Clinics and small rural hospitals for COVID-19 testing, strengthening vaccine allocation and confidence, and vaccine outreach will help rural residents make informed health decisions about COVID-19 to protect themselves and their communities.”
HRSA’s Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation Program will provide $460 million to more than 4,600 rural health clinics (RHCs) across the country. RHCs will use the funds to maintain and increase COVID-19 testing, expand access to testing for rural residents, and broaden efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus in ways tailored to their local communities. RHCs are a special certification given to health care practices in underserved rural areas by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help ensure access to care for rural residents. HRSA will provide up to $100,000 per RHC-certified clinic site and will issue the funds this summer.
To further support COVID-19 testing in rural areas, HRSA will provide $398 million to existing grantees of the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) to work with approximately 1,730 small rural hospitals – those with fewer than 50 beds – and Critical Access Hospitals on COVID-19 testing and mitigation. SHIP state grantees will use the funding to support all eligible rural hospitals, up to $230,000 per hospital, and will issue the funds later in the year.
“Addressing the health care challenges rural areas face requires a targeted approach that’s tailored to the needs of local communities,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Diana Espinosa. “This critical funding strengthens our ability to deliver on President Biden’s commitment to ensure that the nation’s underserved communities and those who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 get the help they need.”
HRSA will also support RHCs to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in rural communities and expand outreach to build vaccine confidence. Working in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HRSA is inviting Medicare-certified RHCs to join the new Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution (RHCVD) Program to directly receive vaccines from the Biden Administration. HRSA and CDC will continue to enroll interested RHCs to receive COVID-19 vaccines, the allocation for which is separate from jurisdictions’ weekly allocations.
In addition, through the Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence (RHCVC) Program, HRSA will make nearly $100 million available in grants to eligible RHCs nationwide to address health equity gaps by offering support and resources to medically underserved rural communities where COVID-19 vaccine uptake lags in comparison to more populated areas. HRSA will fund all eligible RHCs that apply. The RHCVC Program is the first targeted RHC grant since the passage of the Rural Health Clinic Service Act in 1977.
RHCs will be able to use the funds to increase vaccine confidence, improve health care in rural areas, and reinforce key messages about prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Implementation efforts in rural communities will include disseminating information to rural residents about how and where to get vaccinated, and coordinating with existing vaccination sites and public health partners to identify strategies to increase vaccine confidence among key populations. RHCs may also use funding to promote vaccination and bolster patient literacy in rural areas on the benefits of broad vaccination and vaccine safety in support of continued efforts to return to a more normal lifestyle.
For more information about HRSA’s rural programs, visit the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy website: https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/index.html
To learn more about HRSA’s allocation to Rural Health Clinics for COVID-19 testing visit: https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/coronavirus/rural-health-clinics-covid-19-testing-fy20-awards
To learn more about the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP), visit https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/rural-hospitals.