Webinar: What is the RHC COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Program?

Date: August 31, 2021

Time: 2:00 PM CT

Registration Link

Join the Georgia Health Policy Center, Georgia State University, for a virtual learning session on the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Program.
In this one-hour webinar, we will share:
• What the Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Program is;
• Why you should be a part of it;
• How to enroll; and
• The TA resources available.

The Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Distribution Program (RHCVD) distributes COVID-19 vaccines directly to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in rural communities.

Webinar: Back to School and COVID-19: For Rural Educators and Administrators

Date: August 31, 2021

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Registration Link

The webinar will provide an overview of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) K-12 school guidance, adolescent vaccination recommendations, school-based vaccination strategies, and approaches to support socio-emotional well-being among school-age children and adolescents. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions of the presenters and panelists.

Webinar: Availability of Post-Acute Care and Long-Term Care Services in Rural Areas

Date: September 14, 2021

Time: 12:00 PM CT

Registration Link

During this webinar, Hari Sharma, PhD, will discuss the availability of post-acute care and long-term care services in rural areas, focusing on nursing homes. Dr. Sharma will examine the trends in nursing home closures and identify areas without nursing home services. He will then explore the extent to which hospitals with swing beds provide coverage for post-acute care and long-term care services in rural areas and assess the availability of home health care services in areas without nursing homes.

Webinar Recording: Rural Healthy People: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going

The Southwest Rural Health Research Center has launched a once-per-decade study to identify and address the health priority concerns of rural Americans. This Rural Healthy People initiative relies on survey data from rural health stakeholders to understand the Healthy People priorities that matter the most for rural health each decade. This webinar began by looking back at key findings from Rural Healthy People 2010 and Rural Healthy People 2020, which studied the top 10 rural health priorities for the past two decades. Speakers then looked ahead to Rural Healthy People 2030 to discuss major changes to Healthy People and what they mean for rural America. The session concluded by presenting early findings from the Rural Healthy People 2030 survey and discussing what comes next.

Access Archived Webinar Resources

Webinar: Best Practices for Mitigating Ambulance ED Delays

Date: September 7, 2021

Time: 1:00 PM CT

Registration Link

We’re in a perfect storm! In many communities, the Delta Variant has stressed healthcare systems to the max, and dramatically increased Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response volume. Staffing in EMS and hospitals is critically low, hospitals are nearly full, and 911 call volume in some communities at record levels. The eye of this storm is the hospital emergency department (ED). Patient volume at record levels, patients in the ED on observation status, and even patients awaiting inpatient beds are resulting in delays for ambulance crews trying to transition patients from their care to the ED staff. Numerous agencies across the country are reporting 60, 90, and 120+ minute delays getting patients into the ED. At the same time, some hospitals are seemingly able release EMS crews rather quickly, so they can respond to other 911 calls in the community.

A panel of experts for Academy of International Mobile Healthcare Integration (AIMHI) member agencies, EMS legal and Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) experts, representatives from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, and hospitals who have seemed to master the EMS turnaround speed will share their best practices for mitigating ED delays, and the legal consequences of ambulance parking. AIMHI will also present the results of their FLASH POLL on ED turnaround delays, and data from nearly 6 million patient care records from ESO will be presented to quantify the gravity of this challenging issue.

Nominations are now being accepted for 2021 Missouri Rural Health Champions – Due September 7, 2021

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care is seeking nominations for 2021 Missouri Rural Health Champions. Awards will be presented on November 18, 2021, during the Missouri Rural Health Day celebration. This award is designed to honor a minimum of one individual and one group, depending on the number and type of nominations received. The person or group honored should demonstrate how their contributions are making a difference in Missouri rural health care through collaboration, education, innovation and communication. The nomination deadline is September 7, 2021.

Click here to submit your nomination. Feel free to share this link as you deem appropriate.

 

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Announcements

August 26, 2021

Awards for the Rural Behavioral Health Workforce – Northern Border Region program. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy recently announced $1.365M supporting three awards to improve behavioral health care services in rural counties served by the Northern Border Regional Commission. This three-year project will support education and training for health professionals in treatment and interventions for behavioral health disorders, including substance use disorder.

FDA Warns Against Use of Ivermectin. Following reports of increased calls to Poison Control related to Ivermectin [pdf], the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory against its use for prevention or treatment of COVID-19. The drug is intended to treat or prevent parasites in animals and only approved for human use in small doses for parasitic worms, or as a topical treatment for head lice and skin conditions like rosacea. Severe illness and hospitalizations from overdose have also been reported; symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension (low blood pressure), allergic reactions (itching and hives), dizziness, ataxia (problems with balance), seizures, coma and even death.  HRSA-supported Poison Control Centers can be reached online or by phone at 1-800-222-1222.

Webinar: Social Determinants of Health: Where Do Care Managers Start?

Date: September 15, 2021

Time: 1:00 PM CT

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Social determinants of health (SDOH) are non-health related factors that account for up to 80% of health outcomes. SDOH significantly affect the work of care managers and social workers, all too often resulting in challenging barriers to the delivery of end-to-end care. It is essential for care teams to address SDOH in order to improve health outcomes and disparities in care.

In this webinar, we’re going back to basics to deliver an informative overview on:

  • Steps for identifying complex populations;
  • Utilizing relevant patient assessments;
  • Sourcing and securing appropriate resources to connect patients with community providers;
  • And highlighting recommended patient engagement strategies.

Following this overview, the team at MorCare will explore a case study scenario to demonstrate the effectiveness of using an automated solution to help facilitate success in screening, managing and engaging with your SDOH patients.