- Telehealth Study Recruiting Veterans Now
- USDA Delivers Immediate Relief to Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities Impacted by Recent Disasters
- Submit Nominations for Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) Committees
- Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192) - Request for Information
- Dr. Mehmet Oz Shares Vision for CMS
- CMS Refocuses on its Core Mission and Preserving the State-Federal Medicaid Partnership
- Social Factors Help Explain Worse Cardiovascular Health among Adults in Rural Vs. Urban Communities
- Reducing Barriers to Participation in Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models and Supporting Primary and Specialty Care Transformation: Request for Input
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule
- Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
- NRHA Continues Partnership to Advance Rural Oral Health
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
- Q&A: What Are the Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Town Philanthropy?
Bureau of Health Workforce Clinician Dashboards
This resource offers data tools and information on retention and distribution of participants who have completed their training or service in Bureau of Health Workforce programs from 2012-2018. Shows retention rates for National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps alumni and includes filters for various clinician, program, location, and site characteristics. It features statistics with breakdowns by percentages of clinicians currently working in Health Professional Shortage Areas or working in rural communities. Find more information here.
The Behavioral Health Workforce in Rural America: Developing a National Recruitment Strategy
This project describes successful strategies to recruit and retain behavioral health workers in rural areas, based on phone interviews with state-level experts in rural health and behavioral health. It explores financial incentives, education and training programs, telehealth, licensure or scope of practice changes, innovative state approaches, and policy considerations. Read more here.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Launches $4.5M Geriatric Emergency Department Initiative for Rural Patients
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center launched a three-year initiative to build a “hub-and-spoke” model geriatric emergency department which will utilize telemedicine to extend services to rural areas. The goal of the initiative is to keep geriatric patients near their rural homes and keep complicated cases at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Read more here.
Depressed, Rural Moms Face Greater Health Challenges—and so Do Their Kids
This article summarizes research that found rural, low-income mothers with chronic depression were likely to experience more health problems and face challenges in dealing with their children’s behavioral problems. It discusses how physician distrust and stigma keep rural mothers from seeking mental health treatment. Read more here.
CMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is seeking comment on the Home Health Care Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey, which is used to collection information on the quality of care provided by Medicare-certified home health agencies. Comments are due by May 5, 2020. Read more here.
Working to Advance the Health of Rural Americans: An Update from the ABFM
This article covers existing disparities between the health of rural and urban Americans and describes research from the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) on the role of Family Physicians (FPs) in improving rural healthcare delivery. It includes proposed solutions from the ABFM to maintain the presence of FPs in rural areas. Read it here.
FCC: Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, Connect America Fund
Final rule from the Federal Communications Commission adopting the framework for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which will allocate funds to establish broadband networks in rural unserved locations. Read more here.
Social Determinants of Health in Rural Communities Toolkit
Rural Health Information Hub’s latest toolkit assembles resources and model programs that support rural organizations in implementing programs to address social determinants of health in their communities. Learn how to define, understand, and address social determinants of health and overcome barriers specific to rural areas. Created in collaboration with the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis. Read more here.
Visualizing COVID-19 in Appalachia
The COVID-10 Cases in Appalachia map displays the current number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Appalachia and throughout the United States. Higher numbers of cases are marked by larger dots, while smaller numbers of confirmed cases are represented by smaller dots. By clicking on a location, users can see confirmed COVID-19 cases and any related deaths at the county level. This map is automatically updated throughout the day drawing on data collected by the Johns Hopkins University. Due to frequent changes, it is advised that users refresh their browsers often when viewing the map. As of April 2, 11:15 am (ET), there were 5,433 confirmed COVID-19 cases in 314 Appalachian counties, up from 1,686 confirmed cases in 208 Appalachian counties on March 26.
Explore County-level Coronavirus Impact Planning is a searchable data base offering demographic data snapshots of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths in relation to hospital bed counts, population and businesses, and categories of people at risk for COVID-19 in each one of the nation’s counties. By hovering over each statistical icon, users can learn more about the supporting data. COVID-19 related data is updated daily
New ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code, U07.1, for COVID-19
In response to the national emergency that was declared concerning the COVID-19 outbreak, a new diagnosis code, U07.1, COVID-19, has been implemented, effective April 1, 2020.
As a result, an updated ICD-10 MS-DRG GROUPER software package to accommodate the new ICD-10-CM diagnosis code, U07.1, COVID-19, effective with discharges on and after April 1, 2020, is available on the CMS MS-DRG Classifications and Software webpage.
This updated GROUPER software package (V37.1 R1) replaces the GROUPER software package V37.1 that was developed in response to the new ICD-10-CM diagnosis code U07.0, Vaping-related disorder, also effective with discharges on and after April 1, 2020, that is currently available on the MS-DRG Classifications and Software webpage.
Providers should use this new code, U07.1, where appropriate, for discharges on or after April 1, 2020. Refer to the updated MLN Matters Articles for additional Medicare Fee-For-Service information:
- Update to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) for Vaping Related Disorder and 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Update to the Home Health Grouper for New Diagnosis Codes for Vaping Related Disorder and COVID-19
- April 2020 Integrated Outpatient Code Editor (I/OCE) Specifications Version 21.1 R1
For detailed information regarding the assignment of new diagnosis code U07.1, COVID-19, under the ICD-10 MS-DRGs, visit the MS-DRG Classifications and Software webpage. The announcement is located under the “Latest News” heading.
For additional information related to the new COVID-19 diagnosis code, visit the CDC website.