Rural Spotlight

Congratulations!  to Shawn Hayden with the Clark Community Mental Health Center

for your 2019 Community Star nomination and being selected by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH),  as the state of Missouri’s Community Star!

NOSORH will include Shawn’s profile in this year’s publication of Community Stars eBook, scheduled for release for the first time at: https://www.PowerofRural.org, on the morning of National Rural Health Day on November 21, 2019. 

Please remember to visit https://www.PowerofRural.org for additional information to assist you in your celebration of National Rural Health Day.

Thank you for your service, and we hope that you will join us as we celebrate the #PowerofRural!

November 7, 2019

What’s New

SAMSHA Launches FindTreatment.gov.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) launched a newly designed website that will help connect those who are looking for substance abuse treatment with approximately 13,000 locations across the United States. Visitors can enter a ZIP Code to find nearby locations of state-licensed facilities, treatment options, payment and insurance information, and what to expect on the first call. Providers may fill out an application to list their facility.

November is National Diabetes Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 30 million people in the United States have diabetes and 1 in 4 of them don’t know they have it. Adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke; for people living in rural areas, the risk factors associated with diabetes are higher.  To raise awareness, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney diseases encourages everyone to take a quiz – for themselves or someone else – to assess their risk of developing diabetes and the factors within their control.

AJPH Call for Papers on Rural Public Health – January 15.  The American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) invites papers assessing the role of government policy in the status and revitalization of rural health.  They seek papers that describe rural health research, report on interventions in rural settings, assess the impact of laws and policies, and examine the human health impact of climate change in rural areas. AJPH also invites editorials and commentaries proposing ways to apply public health methods that have been successful in other regions of the world, describing potential sources of funding, and depicting a vision for a rural public health of the 21st century.  Potential authors should visit the AJPH website to review instructions for authors and specific guidelines for the various types of manuscript formats.

Funding Opportunities

USDA Disaster Relief for Community Facilities Program – While Funds are Available.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide $150 million to help rural communities affected by natural disasters that occurred in calendar years 2018 and 2019. Applications will be accepted on a continual basis until funds are exhausted. The funds are supplemental to the USDA’s Community Facilities Program, which accepts applications on an ongoing basis through the USDA’s Rural Housing Service.  (See link for the Community Facilities Program in the Approaching Deadlines section below.) Read more »

November 4, 2019

National Rural Health Day (NRHD) on November 21, 2019 is a great time to get the word out about your good work to improve health and care for the people you serve across the state.

There are lots of resources available to you; start by checking out the free Community Stakeholder Toolkit – that includes coloring books, table tents, press releases and other resources to help you plan and publicize anything your planning to do on that day.

Share Your Bright Idea!  The Missouri State Office of Rural Health and National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) would like to hear from you! Are you planning an event on NRHD? Do you have a unique idea you’d like to share?

During the weeks leading up to NRHD, both our office and NOSORH would like to share your ideas on social media.  **Please send your ideas and any pictures you may have to us at: Lisa.Branson@health.mo.gov, and we will post them on the Missouri Office of Rural Health and Primary Care’s website located at: https://health.mo.gov/living/families/ruralhealth/index.php.  If you would like to share them nationally with NOSORH please Click here to submit your idea.

Thanks for all you do, everyday!

October 24, 2019

What’s New

A Guide to Telehealth Laws and Policy in 50 States.  This annual report from the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) is the most current guide of Medicaid provider manuals, state laws, and regulations for telehealth in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Key findings this year include reimbursement for some form of live video in all states and DC, and 22 states with reimbursement for remote patient monitoring.  The report includes an interactive map of policies as well as an at-a-glance infographic.

Challenges to Mapping Broadband Availability.  The Congressional Research Service (CRS) serves all congressional committees and Members of Congress by analyzing all aspects of current policies and the impact of proposed policy alternatives.  In this report, the CRS identifies the federal agencies involved in mapping broadband access across the United States, and factors contributing to the urban/rural digital divide.  The Federal Communications Commission currently has a map that shows residential internet service connections per 1,000 households and the CRS report seeks to make it easier to understand how rural areas are impacted.

Disrupting Food Insecurity.  Researchers at the Urban Institute identified several factors that contribute to a higher rate of insecurity in rural areas.  Their report features an interactive map with county-level data on these risk factors and a rural-specific list of facts and resources to disrupt food insecurity.

HHS Celebrates National Rural Health Day on November 21 .  This annual observation that takes place on the third Thursday each November was created to increase awareness of rural health-related issues and challenges and to recognize those who are working to improve the health and wellbeing of the millions of people living in America’s rural communities. During the week of November 18-21 there will be a special webcasted celebration featuring leaders of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, twitter chats, webinars, and a virtual job fair for rural healthcare sites.  Read more »

October 23, 2019

View the Rural Health Information Update.

October 21, 2019

View the Research Alert.

October 17, 2019

View the Research Alert.

October 16, 2019

View the Rural Health Information Update.

October 17, 2019

What’s New

New Guidelines for Long-Term Use of Opioids.  The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services released a guide for clinicians on tapering or discontinuing long-term opioid prescriptions.  Individual patients, as well as the health of the public, benefit when opioids are prescribed only when the benefit of using opioids outweighs the risks.  But once a patient is on opioids for a prolonged duration, any abrupt change in the patient’s regimen may put the patient at risk of harm and should include a thorough, deliberative case review and discussion with the patient.  While rates of prescribing have declined in recent years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports data showing opioid prescribing rates have been significantly higher in nonmetropolitan counties than in metropolitan counties.

New Data: One in Three Children Have Suffered an Adverse Childhood Experience. According to the 2018 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), one in three children under the age of 18 have experienced stressful or traumatic events that are strongly related to a wide range of health problems throughout a person’s lifetime.  The NSCH is an annual survey conducted by the Health Resources and Services Administration collecting information on several of these experiences, including:  having divorced/separated parents or a deceased parent, living with anyone with a drug or alcohol problem or who is mentally ill, having a parent who served time in jail, seeing or hearing parental violence, and witnessing or being the victim of neighborhood violence.  Last year, the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services examined adverse childhood experiences from a rural perspective and made recommendations to federal policymakers.

Funding Opportunities

NIH Strategies to Reduce Disparities in Rural – December 13.  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will invest up to $350,000 in research that promotes greater understanding of the challenges to better health outcomes and development of evidence-based interventions.  Eligible applicants are public and private entities at state and local levels, including small businesses, Native American tribal organizations, school districts, and public housing authorities.  Read more »