- 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
Crest and Oral-B Launch Communications Campaign
Crest and Oral-B have launched their latest #ClosingAmericasSmileGap campaign focusing on oral care supplies for back-to-school for students. For every Crest or Oral-B product purchased from August 1st to September 30th, Crest and Oral-B will donate oral care supplies to a child in need.
To underscore the critical need for oral healthcare among these communities, Crest and Oral-B have released a “U.S. Kids’ Oral Health Report Card” that sheds light on the shocking discrepancies in access, affordability, and education between low and high-income families in the U.S.
Click here for more information.
Click here to view the report card.
Funding Opportunity! Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan Mini-Grants
PCOH is requesting proposals for the 2023-2024 Oral Health Plan Mini-Grant Program. The purpose of this program is to facilitate the implementation of the goals and recommendations of the 2020-2030 PA Oral Health Plan, as well as to advance the oral health of all Pennsylvanians. Requests may not exceed $4,000.
Applications are due by September 29th at 5 pm.
Click here to view the guidelines.
Click here to apply.
Funding for this project is through the Pennsylvania Department of Health through Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by CDC, HHS or the U.S. Government.
CMS Requests Applications for New Primary Care Model
This week, the Innovation Center at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a Request for Applications detailing policies and requirements for the Making Care Primary Model. Interested applicants may apply later this month when the Application Portal opens. The model will launch on July 1, 2024, in eight states: Colorado, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Washington, and will operate over a ten-year period. This model aims to strengthen coordination between patients’ primary care clinicians, specialists, social service providers, and behavioral health clinicians, to drive improved chronic disease prevention, fewer emergency room visits, and better health outcomes. While Rural Health Clinics are not eligible, other rural primary care providers (including Federally Qualified Health Centers) may seek to participate.
Take A Look at the Latest Suicide Data and the Changes Over the Last Decade
The Kaiser Family Foundation examines newly released provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing a record high of 49,369 suicide deaths in 2022. Rates were highest among American Indian and Alaska Native people, males, and people who live in rural areas. Suicide by firearm is identified as the primary driver of the increase – up by 8 percent from 2020 and another 3 percent in 2022, while deaths from other suicide methods remained more stable.
Here You Can Find An Analysis of Newly-Released Federal Data on Hospital Ownership
The Office for Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services analyzed data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The report covers all U.S. hospitals enrolled in Medicare with data on hospital type, rural/urban location, organizational structure, and types of ownership – organizational and hospital chains, and individual owners.
A Heat-Related EMS Activation Surveillance Dashboard Has Been Released
An interactive map shows county-level Emergency Medical Services (EMS) activations related to heat illness. Selecting the Disparity Explorer tab shows patient data related to EMS response time, rate of EMS activation, number of deaths, and EMS transportation for patients at the urban, suburban, rural, and frontier levels. Updated weekly, the dashboard is sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
In a Maternity Desert, a New Kind of Home Visitation Program Brings Care to At-Risk Mothers
The latest feature article in the Rural Health Information Hub’s Rural Monitor features Project Swaddle, a community paramedic program that provides education, support, and medical care to pregnant and postpartum patients in rural Indiana.
A Consensus Panel Approach to Estimating the Start-Up and Annual Service Costs for Rural Ambulance Agencies
This brief from the Maine Rural Health Research Center serves to fill the information void on the costs of running ambulance services for three population-based service tiers and establishes a minimum access standard for ambulances servicing a 25-minute travel time radius from the ambulance station. The model enables policymakers and community stakeholders to develop strategic plans for the financing and provision of ambulance services.
Here You Can Explore A Rural Accountable Care Organization’s Journey
The FORHP-supported Rural Health Value team recently released a new Rural Innovative Profile on the South East Rural Physicians Alliance Accountable Care Organization. A physician-led ACO that includes 16 physician-owned clinics in Nebraska has been leveraging healthcare payment and delivery models to provide high-quality, comprehensive, coordinated, and patient-centered care at a lower cost.
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Release a Video for Maintaining Patient Access to Care in Rural America
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) provide a recording of their hour-long webinar that discusses federal priorities and policy efforts related to rural health care.