August 22, 2019
What’s New
Comments Requested: Rural Access to Health Care Services – October 9. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeks information from the public about measuring access to health care in rural communities. This Request for Information (RFI) supports the ongoing work of the HHS Rural Health Task Force that is seeking to identify the needs of rural communities, how to meet those needs, and what HHS policy changes can address those needs. Questions for public comment specific to rural communities include: what are the core health care services needed, what types and numbers of health care professionals are needed, what factors are important to identify core health services, and how should access to health care services be measured. People in rural communities face a range of health disparities, including greater obesity and disease burden in children and adults, higher mortality rates, and shorter life expectancy. Rural areas also have fewer health professionals per person compared to urban areas.
Agrisafe: Nurse Scholar Distance Education Program – Early Registration Ends August 23. Calling all nurses serving rural communities! Get the tools necessary to help farmers and ranchers in your community, while earning 18 Continuing Nursing Education hours. The Nurse Scholar program is a distance learning opportunity available to rural nurses provided by experienced health and safety educators. Increase your knowledge base in prevention, identification, and assessment of diseases related to agricultural work exposures. Classes are in the form of webinars from September 4 – December 6, 2019 that can be viewed live or On Demand.
Funding Opportunities
Rural Health Network Development Program – November 25. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced a new Notice of Funding Opportunity for The Rural Health Network Development Program (Network Development). This program will support up to 46 applicant organizations, which are either public or nonprofit private rural entities who represent a network of three or more separate, existing health care entities. HRSA expects to invest approximately $13 million for this program to support integrated rural health care networks that combine the functions of the network entities and include skilled, experienced staff, with a high functioning network board, to address the health care needs of the targeted rural community. Continue reading “Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Announcements”