- Request for Information (RFI): Evolving the Network of the National Library of Medicine
- Dental Therapists, Who Can Fill Cavities and Check Teeth, Get the OK in More States
- 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
Amanda Vaglia, D.O. Recognized as 2022 Rural Health Community Star
Amanda Vaglia, D.O, Primary Care Physician and Program Director at Indiana Regional Medical Center’s Rural Family Medicine Residency Program, Indiana Regional Medical Center, Indiana. PA, is Pennsylvania’s 2022 Community Star, designate by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH). NOSPRH, the member association for each of the 50 State Offices of Rural Health, leads National Rural Health Day. The Pennsylvania Office or Rural Health, University Park, PA, collaborates with NOSORH to recognize those who serve the vital needs of the estimated 57 million people living in rural America.
The nomination, submitted by Lisa Davis, MHA, Director and Outreach Associate Professor of Health Policy and Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, University Park, PA, lauded Vaglia’s advocacy for developing the Rural Physician Residency Program at Indiana Regional Medical Center (IRMC), to ensure access to high quality health care and to training the next cohort of talented rural primary physicians. Davis notes, “Dr. Vaglia has deep roots in rural Pennsylvania and has spent her academic and professional career on providing high quality primary care to generations of families, from birth to geriatrics.”
Dr. Vaglia has been a true rural health community champion and star. She has recognized the need to recruit and retain physicians in her community, cultivate rural leadership and practice in medical residents, and address rural population health. Dr. Vaglia is focused on education, collaboration, and communication that led the efforts to fulfill the vision of establishing a family medicine residency program at IRMC, which serves as the rural sole community hospital in the county. The Rural Residency Program has at its core, the mission of providing excellent, comprehensive, family medicine training so that graduates might fill health care disparities in rural Pennsylvania communities.
Dr. Vaglia also serves on statewide Pennsylvania Rural Physician Pathway Planning Committee, a collaboration between the Area Health Education Center program, rural clinical training programs across the state, the Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center, the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians, and the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, to envision an innovative clinical pipeline for recruitment, training, and retention in rural communities.
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health’s (NOSORH) annual Community Star recognition program is one of the most popular features of National Rural Health Day. Each person, coalition, and organization nominated to be their state’s Community Star represents the faces and grassroots initiatives that are working to address the social determinants of health and improve the lives of those who call rural their home. The 2022 Community Stars book can be accessed at www.powerofrural.org.
Gov. Tom Wolf Proclaims November 14-18, 2022 Rural Health Week in Pennsylvania
In an effort to draw attention to the wide range of issues that impact rural health, Gov. Tom Wolf has declared Nov. 14-18, 2022, as Rural Health in Pennsylvania week at the request of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Association (PRHA) and the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health (PORH).
Gov. 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 Nov. 17, 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 in communities across 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.
New Measures Assess Oral Health for Pregnant Persons
The Dental Quality Alliance released two measures that are intended to assess the extent to which pregnant persons are accessing the dental care delivery system. The measures also assess routine care that includes examination, risk assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning.
Federal Policy & Telehealth: What to be Aware of Going Forward.
The HRSA-supported Center for Connected Health Policy recorded its October 2022 webinar describing the telehealth policy landscape following the COVID-19 pandemic – including new and ongoing policy flexibilities, Medicare telehealth, and recent research initiatives.
The Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response Toolkit is Launched.
On November 14, the Rural Health Information Hub launches a new resource developed in collaboration with the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis with support from HRSA and the CDC. The evidence-based toolkit provides practical guidance for planning for, responding to, and recovering from disasters and emergencies. It also includes guidance and resources for different types of emergencies and considerations for special populations.
The Rural Health Clinic Program Reaches 45 Years.
An article in The Rural Monitor looks at the history of this program which now has more than 5,000 clinics across the country. For a more brief overview, the Rural Health Information Hub provides a short video about the challenges and victories of RHCs, from their origins in the Rural Health Clinic Services Act of 1977, and into the present, as they continue to provide an array of vital services to rural communities.
Person-Centered Innovation – An Update on the Implementation of the CMS Innovation Center’s Strategy.
This new report from the CMS Innovation Center provides an update on the Innovation Center’s progress in the implementation of its new strategy, describes areas of focus for the coming year, and begins the process of measuring progress against the strategy’s five objectives. This update includes a discussion of the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART Model). A companion supplemental document describes the rationale, methods, and limitations for each of the metrics, baselines, and targets described in this report. The supplemental document includes information on rural innovation models and the inclusion of safety-net providers like Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).
Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health Read About the Current Status and Efforts to Address Them.
A new paper from the Kaiser Family Foundation reports on data showing large disparities in maternal and infant health, the factors contributing to these disparities, and recent efforts to reduce them. Despite continued advancements in medical care, maternal and infant mortality rates in the U.S. are far higher than those in similarly large and wealthy countries, and disparities for people of color have only widened over time. The brief identifies women who are Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Other Pacific Islanders as those suffering consistently high rates of mortality with outcomes that worsened during the pandemic. Differences in health insurance coverage and access to care are known factors driving disparities. Less understood, but getting increased attention are significantly higher rates of mistreatment, such as shouting and scolding, and ignoring or refusing requests for help. Current federal efforts include expanded access to Medicaid coverage during the postpartum period and a $350 million investment through HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
Video, Telephone, and In-Person Buprenorphine Treatment for OUD During the Pandemic.
A study of 17,182 patients from the Veterans Health Administration sought to determine if patient characteristics – age, race/ethnicity, comorbidities, housing status – made a difference in the effectiveness of telehealth-delivered buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD). Effectiveness was determined by 90-day retention; three different telehealth modalities were examined, with each patient receiving at least one video visit, at least one telephone visit but no video, or only in-person. The study was conducted from March 23, 2020, to March 22, 2021, when policy shifted to allow greater use of telehealth to deliver a potentially lifesaving medication for OUD. Results showed significantly higher retention for patients using telehealth versus in-person visits, with higher retention observed in those with video visits. But patient characteristics made a difference in the type of telehealth used, and subsequently their retention in treatment. Among patients who received telehealth, those who were older, male, Black, non–service-connected, or experiencing homelessness and/or housing instability were less likely to have video visits.
CDC Updates Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids
In their new 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides updated evidence and research on the risks and benefits of prescription opioids for acute, subacute, and chronic pain. These include dosing strategies, tapering and discontinuation, comparisons with nonopioid pain treatments, and risk mitigation strategies. At 100 pages long, the guideline goes into some detail about the social, economic, and policy factors contributing to high rates of overdose death in rural areas, indicating that an integral part of effective pain treatment is understanding how social determinants of health influence the care provided to patients and the outcomes they experience.