Month: July 2019

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Announcement

May 9, 2019

What’s New

New One-Stop Resource for FORHP’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) created this new web page with information on upcoming RCORP funding opportunities, current grant recipients, and the program’s impact to date.  RCORP currently includes grants for planning, implementation, and medication-assisted treatment expansion for rural communities and consortia, as well as cooperative agreements for technical assistance, evaluation, and three Rural Centers of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders.  As a reminder, RCORP-MAT Expansion and RCORP-Rural Centers of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders are currently accepting applications through June 10.

Focus on Women’s Health.  May 12-18 is National Women’s Health Week, an annual promotion by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to remind women of the importance of self-care.

CDC: Pregnancy-Related Deaths Happen Before, During, and Up to a Year After Delivery.  In a new release earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about 700 women die from pregnancy-related complications each year in the U.S. and that 60 percent of these deaths could be prevented.  According to the Vital Signs report, Black women and American Indian/Alaska Native women were about three times as likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause as White women.  In 2018, several studies reported that this national trend is exacerbated by rural hospital closures.  The Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health recently updated an online portal for data, resources and learning events on maternal morbidity and mortality. Continue reading “Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Announcement” →

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Announcement

May 2, 2019

What’s New

Secretary Azar Statement on Measles Outbreaks.  Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Alex Azar issued a statement this week about the outbreak of measles, now diagnosed in more than 700 cases across the country.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed outbreaks in 22 states. Symptoms of measles generally appear about seven to 14 days after a person is infected and typically include high fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash of flat, red spots.  Available data do not indicate that rural areas are more or less affected, but the CDC’s national surveys that monitor vaccination coverage have identified that unvaccinated children are more likely to be uninsured, live below the poverty level, and live in rural areas. Many may not know about the CDC’s Vaccines for Children Program that serves children up to age 18 who are uninsured or underinsured, or who receive care through Federally Qualified Health Centers or Rural Health Clinics.  Adults who are unsure of their measles vaccination status should consider getting the updated Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine.

USDA Makes a Case for Rural Broadband.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released an extensive report on the role that broadband can play in boosting economic development and quality of life in rural areas.  Most of the report is dedicated to innovations in agricultural technology, but it identifies broadband as essential to improving health and education in rural areas.  The Federal Communications Commission reports that nearly one-quarter of people living in rural areas do not have access to a fixed terrestrial (nonmobile or satellite) broadband provider. Continue reading “Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Announcement” →

North Carolina Rural Health Research Program (NCRHRP) Survey

May 20, 2019

We Need Your Feedback! Help Us Inform Federal Rural Health Policy.

The North Carolina Rural Health Research Program (NCRHRP) at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill are currently conducting a survey of rural hospitals. Last administered in 2009, this current survey will provide important information about the current condition of rural hospitals, including challenges, goals, and solutions. This information is also an important means of informing federal rural health policy.

This quick 10-minute survey collects information about the experience of rural hospitals across the US, and results reported in publications by the NCRHRP. Results of this survey will be shared with and available to all participants and may also be shared with rural health policy makers and other rural health stakeholders.

The website for the survey is: http://go.unc.edu/NRHS

Click on the link above to be taken directly to the survey. Please note that this survey will be best displayed on a laptop or desktop computer. Some features may be less compatible for use on a mobile device. If the above link does not work, copy and paste the above URL into the address bar of your Internet browser. Or try the main link here: https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_50fhweTKuczXQUd

Your participation in this research is strictly voluntary. You can choose to end participation in the survey at any time.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS SURVEY please contact:

Sharita R. Thomas, MPP- NC Rural Health Research Program, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill; 725 MLK Jr Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7590; 919-966-6168; Sharita.Thomas@unc.edu