Date: May 19, 2021
Time: 11:00 AM CT
Speakers:
Topics will include:
May 13, 2021
CDC and USDA Team Up for Vaccine Education Effort. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is providing $9.95 million in funding to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to improve vaccine confidence in rural areas. NIFA will work with local partners through the Land Grant University System and its Cooperative Extension System, a nationwide educational network that provides non-formal higher education and learning to farming communities.
HRSA COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will provide claims reimbursement at the national Medicare rate for eligible health care providers administering vaccines to underinsured individuals. This may be particularly helpful in rural communities given higher rates of uninsured and underinsured.
HHS/DoD National Emergency Tele-Critical Care Network. A joint program of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is available at no cost to hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients and struggling with access to enough critical care physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and other specialized clinical experts. Teams of critical care clinicians are available to deliver virtual care through lightweight telemedicine platforms, such as an app on a mobile device. Hear from participating clinicians and email to learn more and sign up.
HHS Coordinates New Effort to Vaccinate Migratory/Seasonal Workers in Agriculture. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is working with several divisions, including the Food and Drug Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration to boost vaccination rates in a workforce often at heightened risk of COVID-19 infection.
RAND/RWJF Report: COVID-19 and the Experiences of Populations at Greater Risk. The RAND Corporation joined with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to examine the way people view health issues. Researchers asked people in the United States about their experiences related to the pandemic, and their views on issues such as freedom, racism, and the role of government.
May 11, 2021
Rural Northern Border Region Planning Program- Application Deadline June 14
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) will be making approximately 4 awards of up to $190,000 each for the 2021 Rural Northern Border Region Planning Program. This eighteen-month program will support eligible applicants located in the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) service area to help underserved rural communities identify and better address their health care needs.
The Rural Northern Border Region Planning Program supports planning activities to identify key rural health issues, assess rural health challenges, and engage in strategic planning activities to inform rural health plans across the northern border region.
Eligible organizations must be located in a rural or urban area within the four states of the NBRC service area. These states are Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. All activities supported by this program must be provided in HRSA-designated rural areas (as defined by the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer) within the NBRC service area.
As FORHP continues to focus on sharing program outcomes, the identification and dissemination of rural evidence-based models maintains a priority. The Rural Health Information Hub (RHI hub) consists of a number of resources, including successful program models and evidence-based toolkits.
FORHP will hold a webinar for applicants on Thursday, May 20, 2021 from 2 – 3 P.M. EST. A recording will be made available for those who cannot attend. For dial-in information, view the NOFO on Grants.gov, click the Package tab, then Preview, and Download Instructions; technical assistance information is on page (ii).
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Maribel Nunez: MNunez@hrsa.gov or 301-443-0466.
May 12, 2021
New from Rural Health Value:
The Rural Health Value team recently released a new Rural Innovation Profile focused on the efforts of a ten-county partnership across rural Northern Michigan that is addressing social determinants of health through systems change and collaboration.
Northern Michigan Community Health Innovation Region
This partnership of health and community providers across ten rural counties in Northern Michigan addresses social determinants of health through systems change and collaboration, including development of a Community Connections Hub Network, a clinical community linkages model that connects individuals and families to community resources.
Link: https://ruralhealthvalue.public-health.uiowa.edu/files/NMCHIR%20Profile.pdf
Top resources on the Rural Health Value website:
Social Determinants of Health – Learn and encourage rural leaders/care teams to address issues to improve their community’s health
Contact information:
Keith J. Mueller, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigator
Date: May 26, 2021
Time 1:00- 2:00 PM CST
It’s referred to by many terms in our industry: virtual care, telehealth, telemedicine, remote care, and digital health. No matter what you may call it, one thing is for certain – it’s here to stay!
This 60-minute webinar was created just for you. Join BRI Network as they dialogue and answer the burning questions you likely have:
May 12, 2021
Click here to view the RHIhub this week!
HRSA Expanding Community-Based Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach – Applications Due May 18. As part of the large federal investment in local-level response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will make approximately 10 awards with total funding of $125 million. The funding will support outreach, education and assistance related to the COVID-19 vaccine and go to public and/or private nonprofit organizations with demonstrated experience in public health programs across a broad geographic area. Applicants are expected to have partnerships with health and social service organizations that can directly hire community outreach workers from vulnerable, medically-underserved communities. This is the first of two funding opportunities for community-based vaccine outreach. The second funding opportunity will be released in mid-May and will focus on smaller community-based organizations.
FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program – Applications Open on May 12. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created this temporary program to help eligible individuals and households afford internet service during the pandemic. Eligible households can enroll through an approved broadband service provider or by visiting GetEmergencyBroadband.org. The program will end when the fund runs out of money, or six months after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the COVID-19 health emergency, whichever is sooner.
HRSA Celebrates National Nurses Week, May 6-12. National Nurse Week is here and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is celebrating the significant contributions of our country’s nurses. Did you know certified nurse midwives supported by the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) provide obstetric care in rural communities and other areas where access to such prenatal and postnatal care can be severely limited? With $800 million in additional funding through the American Rescue Plan, the NHSC is providing more support than ever before to certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and other disciplines working in underserved communities. Join HRSA in recognizing the hard work of the nurses by following along on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
FDA Approves Higher Dosage of Naloxone to Treat Opioid Overdose. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a higher dose nasal spray that deliver 8 milligrams (mg) of naloxone into the nasal cavity. The FDA had previously approved 2 mg and 4 mg nasal sprays.
The 2020 edition of the RUPRI Center’s annual report on Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment shows that as of March 2020, 36.1% of eligible Medicare beneficiaries were in an MA plan. The proportion of metropolitan enrollment (38.0%) is higher than that in nonmetropolitan counties (27.5%), but the rate of growth in enrollment has been higher in nonmetropolitan counties for the last three years.
Metropolitan MA enrollment in Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans remains strong (64.3% in 2020) but has declined since 2016 and is at its lowest level since at least 2009. The plurality of nonmetropolitan MA enrollment has been in local Preferred Provider Organization plans since 2012 (46.6% in 2020), but the percentage of nonmetropolitan enrollees in HMO plans has grown nearly every year since at least 2009. Enrollment in Private Fee-For-Service plans has continued to slide, reaching its lowest levels for both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan enrollees since at least 2009 (0.2% metropolitan and 1.2% nonmetropolitan in 2020).
Keith J. Mueller, PhD
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Phone: 319.384.3832
keith-mueller@uiowa.edu
May 6, 2021
Health and Human Service (HHS) Secretary Becerra, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Fudge Announce Joint Effort to Increase Access to COVID-19 Vaccinations:
May 5 – U.S. Health and Human Service (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge announced a joint-agency effort to increase access to COVID-19 prevention and treatment services, including testing and vaccinations, among disproportionately affected communities, including among HUD-assisted households and people experiencing homelessness. This program will leverage the Health Center COVID-19 Health Vaccine Program which currently provides a direct supply of vaccines to nearly 800 health centers across the country. HHS and HUD expect the effort will reach over 6,000 multifamily housing properties, 6,700 homeless shelters, and approximately 7,500 public housing properties across the country to respond to and stop the spread of COVID-19.
May 4 – Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing the availability of nearly $1 billion to strengthen COVID-19 response efforts and increase vaccinations in rural communities. As part of the Biden Administration’s commitment to expanding access to vaccines and ensuring equity in the COVID-19 response, the Health Resources and Services Administration, a part of HHS, will increase the number of vaccines sent to rural communities, expand testing and other COVID-19 prevention services, and work to increase vaccine confidence by empowering trusted local voices with additional funding for outreach efforts in underserved communities.
“Rural health providers are vital to ensure equity in COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and in making sure rural residents have the information about vaccine safety, especially for populations who are at an increased risk for COVID-19 infection or severe illness due to systemic health and social inequities and geographic isolation,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Support to Rural Health Clinics and small rural hospitals for COVID-19 testing, strengthening vaccine allocation and confidence, and vaccine outreach will help rural residents make informed health decisions about COVID-19 to protect themselves and their communities.”
May 4 – Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the availability of approximately $250 million to develop and support a community-based workforce who will serve as trusted voices sharing information about vaccines, increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence, and address any barriers to vaccination for individuals living in vulnerable and medically underserved communities.
This funding will help community-based organizations to hire and mobilize community outreach workers, community health workers, social support specialists and others to conduct on-the-ground outreach to educate and assist individuals in getting the information they need about vaccination, help make vaccine appointments, and assist with transportation and other needs to get to individuals to each of their vaccination appointments.
