- 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
- Rural RPM Program Is a Lifeline for Pregnant Women
- Safe and Stable Housing Is a Foundation of Successful Recovery
- 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
- Limited Continuing-Care Options in Rural Virginia Create Challenges for an Aging Population
Using Social Media for Back-to-School Outreach
On Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 2:00 pm, InsurekidsNow.gov will present a webinar focused on the Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign. This webinar will help organizations leverage social media to reach parents and other community members at the local level and amplify messages that encourage families to enroll and renew Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) health coverage. Using the back-to-school season as a key moment in time, this webinar will provide an overview of the mostly widely used social media platforms by parents, explain the differences, discuss best practices for each, and share useful resources that can help organizations incorporate these tactics to reach more families and get them to take action in the new school year. To participate, register here.
2021 Pennsylvania Marketplace Plan Preview Webinars
MARK YOUR CALENDAR – PACHC will be hosting two webinars to preview the 2021 PA State-based Health Insurance Marketplace plans on Wednesday, Oct. 21 and Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. These webinars will provide enrollment assisters with information on individual plan design offerings for the upcoming enrollment period which begins on Nov. 1, 2020 and ends Jan 15, 2021. Each plan presentation will be 20-25 minutes with time for questions from attendees. Assisters need to be familiar with changes in provider networks, tiering and plan benefits to aid consumers in making the best choice for their needs.
UDS Training Save the Dates
The 2020 UDS Training will be held virtually on the mornings of Dec.3, Dec. 8, and Dec. 10 (specific time is TBD). Please mark your calendars for all dates as this will be held in a three-part series including dedicated time for Q&A. Attendees will:
- Gain an understanding of UDS reporting requirements including the patient profile, clinical services and quality of care indicators, operational and financial tables, and other required UDS reporting forms.
- Learn about the new measures and requirements included in 2020 reporting.
- Learn tips for success including strategies for submission.
More information and registration will open at a later date. For questions, please contact Amanda Tekely.
Register Today for NRHA’s RHC and CAH Virtual Conferences
Join for NRHA’s Rural Health Clinic and Critical Access Hospital Conferences, the association’s fastest-growing events for a reason, hosted virtually for the first time. Take advantage of the educational and networking opportunities designed for clinic and hospital professionals and board members serving rural America. If you register for both events, you can save $100 on your total registration cost. A draft agenda for both conferences can be found here.
NRHA’s September Grassroots Call
Your voices and perspectives are incredibly valuable. Each month, the NRHA team hosts a Grassroots Call to deliver an update of what is moving on Capitol Hill and learn more from NRHA grassroots advocates. This call also enables NRHA to supply in-depth explanations behind their advocacy efforts and how you can help. Their goal is to empower NRHA members with the information they need to advocate on behalf of NRHA legislative/regulatory priorities. The September Grassroots Advocacy Call will be held on Wednesday, September 30th at 2PM EST. NRHA looks forward to hearing from you! Register in advance for this meeting, and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Dentistry in the Era of COVID-19: What Dental Practitioners Need to Know
Plan to attend Dentistry in the Era of COVID-19: What Dental Practitioners Need to Know on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2:00 pm. This webinar, offered by the Mid-Atlantic AIDS Education & Training Center, will describe the anxiety and vulnerability medical and dental staff experience due to COVID-19 and identify how workflow practices have changed during the pandemic. It will also discuss how social and professional connectedness has changed due to the pandemic as well as discuss what practices organizations can utilize to protect and empower their staff during COVID-19 and in the future. Click here for more details and to register. One continuing education credit will be offered.
Americorps State Program: Opioid Outreach and Education Positions
The National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (NNCC) has an Americorps State Program grant and is seeking health centers throughout Pennsylvania to participate as host sites for Americorps members. The focus of these positions will be to build outreach and education programs targeted at fighting the opioid epidemic in your communities. For more information or questions, please contact Amy Williams, PACHC Program Specialist for Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder.
Save the Dates: Virtual Primary Care Career Fairs
The Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center will host two statewide virtual career fairs this October. Put these dates on your calendar and look for more details soon.
- Oct. 8 – Medical and Dental Professions
- Oct. 27 – Behavioral Health Professions
Contact Ama Dekyi, Recruitment Coordinator, PA Primary Care Career Center for more details.
ARC Annual Summit Goes Virtual With Summer Showcase
This year, ARC’s annual summit is going virtual with a four week seminar series discussing major themes and best practices guiding the Region’s economic future. Register now for Economic Innovation + Ingenuity During COVID: An Appalachian Perspective, a free seminar produced in partnership with the state of Ohio. Join a session every Wednesday, 11 am (ET) August 19- September 9:
- August 19: Lessons Learned in Leadership During the COVID-19 Crisis with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine; ARC Federal Co-Chairman Tim Thomas; and Coshocton Port Authority Executive Director Tiffany Swigert; moderated by Ohio Development Services Agency Director Lydia Mihalik.
- August 26: Appalachia’s dual pandemics: Substance Abuse and COVID 19 with Deputy Secretary of Health Preparedness and Community Protection in Pennsylvania Ray Barishansky; Executive Director of Ross County Community Action Commission in Ohio Julie Bolen; and Executive Director of Southern Tier East Regional Planning Development Board in New York Jennifer Gregory; moderated by RecoveryOhio Director Alisha Nelson.
- September 2: Highways to Cyberways: Innovations in Infrastructure with Natural Resources Business Specialist in Garrett County, Maryland Cheryl DeBerry; Executive Director of LENOWISCO Planning District Commission in Virginia Duane Miller; and Executive Director of DriveOhio Patrick Smith; moderated by Chief of the Office of BroadbandOhio Peter Voderberg.
- September 9: Attracting the Socially Distant Tourist with Executive Director of the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Jeff Lusk; Director of TourismOhio Matthew MacLaren; and Producing Artistic Director of Barter Theatre in Virginia Katy Brown; moderated by Ohio Development Services Agency Director Lydia Mihalik.
More information about the series is available at www.arc.gov/summit.
Quality Measure Workspace Series of Webinars—Beginning July 15
CMS is hosting a series of webinars in July and August for hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and clinicians reporting electronic clinical quality measures (eCQM). The first webinar will describe the resources available for the 2021 reporting period. Subsequent webinars will cover clinical flow (July 29) and the data element repository (August 12). Find more information here.