Month: February 2022

You’re Invited! Ending the HIV Epidemic Community Engagement

Date: February 15, 2022

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) invites you to attend the March Community Engagement Forum focused on Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in Missouri. DHSS and the EHE partners want to hear the barriers encountered to prevent, diagnosis and treat HIV and understand how to improve services.

The topic for March is Women and HIV.

Registration is open and can be accessed by clicking the links here: March 12 or March 15.

Please share this information! DHSS wants to hear from persons with HIV, those at risk of contracting HIV, community members impacted by HIV, local care and prevention planning bodies, stakeholders from organizations currently implementing HIV prevention and care programs and other community-based organizations, local health departments, and federally qualified health centers.

The attached document provides dates and topics for 2022.

 

Upcoming Webinar – Improving Rural Health

Date: February 15, 2022

Addressing Rural Health Needs: COVID-19, Equity and Access to Care

Webinar Date: February 28, 2022

Webinar Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

Register

Speakers

  • Tom Morris, MPA
    Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
    Health Resources and Services Administration
  • Josh Jorgensen
    National Rural Health Association
  • Creshelle Nash, MD, MPH, CHIE
    Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Rural communities have been hit hard by COVID-19. These areas are home to one in five Americans and have seen an increased risk of COVID-19 infection, lower vaccination rates, and additional health care access challenges. Access to care is lower in rural settings due to factors such as travel distance, broadband, and provider shortages. Additionally, these communities report poorer physical health compared to those in large urban areas. 

In this webinar, you will hear from leaders in the field of rural health who are working to improve the health and well-being of these communities. Speakers will discuss:

  • Federal health policy focused on improving access, quality, and financing for rural health care and their role in the response to COVID-19
  • The pandemic’s impact on health care services and steps to ensure digital health equity
  • Efforts to address health disparities in rural areas, including establishing equitable COVID-19 vaccine access across Arkansas.

Nearly $55 Million Awarded to Increase Virtual Health Care Access and Quality Through Health Centers

Date: February 15, 2022

Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded nearly $55 million to 29 Health and Resources Services Administration- (HRSA) funded health centers to increase health care access and quality for underserved populations through virtual care, such as telehealth, remote patient monitoring, digital patient tools, and health information technology platforms. Read the press release.

See a list of fiscal year (FY) 2022 Optimizing Virtual Care (OVC) award recipients.

Visit the Optimizing Virtual Care (OVC) technical assistance (TA) page for award recipient information and other resources.

RECORDING AVAILABLE!- 2022 HRSA IEA Webinar Series Part 1: Telehealth and the Impact of Community Health Workers (CHWs)

Date: February 14, 2022

Telehealth Webinar Series: The Role of Telehealth in Expanding Access to Care and Social Services

In case you missed the HRSA Telehealth Learning Series Part 1 on Telehealth and the Impact of Community Health Workers (CHWs), the recording is now available:

Watch Now

Please find the PowerPoint slides here and the speakers bios here

This webinar series is a close collaboration between HRSA Office of Intergovernmental And External Affairs (IEA) Region 1 and the Northeast Telehealth Resource Center. The series’ goal is to highlight sustainable models of telehealth and best practices to increase access to health care and reduce health disparities.

For more information about HRSA’s IEA, visit: https://www.hrsa.gov/about/organization/offices/hrsa-iea

For more resources and tools about telehealth please visit: 

For more information about this series, please contact Veronica Roa at vroa@hrsa.gov.

Rural Health Research Gateway

Date: February 14, 2022

New Fact Sheets on Colorectal and Cervical Cancer Prevention in Rural Health Clinics in South Carolina

Colorectal and Cervical Cancer Prevention in Rural Health Clinics in South Carolina

Patients in rural areas undergo cancer screening less frequently than urban patients with corresponding higher cancer incidence and mortality. This study used a mixed methods design to investigate perceptions and practices regarding cervical and colorectal cancer prevention at Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in South Carolina. Study results support the need for increased technical and material resources at RHCs to improve uptake of colorectal and cervical cancer screening.

Perceptions and Practices for Colorectal and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control in Rural Health Clinics in South Carolina

Providers are aware of current cervical and colorectal cancer screening guidelines and follow recommendations based on patient need and guidance from multiple organizations. Providers reported both patient- and provider-level barriers to cancer screening. Additional technical and material resources (e.g., small media, navigation services, electronic health record report customization) should be provided to RHCs to enable the implementation of evidence-based interventions to improve uptake of cervical and colorectal cancer screening.

Contact Information:

Jan Eberth, PhD
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Phone: 803.576.7384
jmeberth@mailbox.sc.edu

Additional Resources of Interest:

Click to view Research Alert.

 

NRHA Webinar: The No Surprises Act – Key Components and Operational Considerations

Date: February 14, 2022

The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is hosting a webinar entitled “The No Surprises Act – Key Components and Operational Considerations.” The content will be provided by Amy Tepp, CPA, Partner-in-Charge Revenue Cycle – Eide Bailly. The session will review the No Surprises Act part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act issued December, 2020. Regulatory Requirements of Parts I and II related to surprise billing will be discussed. Operational Considerations for compliance will also be highlighted.

Date: February 16, 2022

Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CT

Amy works out of the Minneapolis, MN office of Eide Bailly and oversees its Revenue Cycle Services within its Healthcare Consulting group. Amy has more than 30 years of experience in health care finance, leadership, reimbursement, revenue cycle, pricing and compliance. She has worked in the capacity of Medicare Auditor, Director of Reimbursement, Revenue Integrity, & Regulatory Review and Analysis, Compliance Officer, and Consultant. 

Please click here to register for this opportunity to learn more about how your facility can better understand the surprise billing requirements. This webinar will be available for replay if you’re not able to attend.

Feel free to forward to your internal team that is managing these processes in your facility.

MHA Wants Your Health Care Stories

Date: February 10, 2022

To celebrate 100 years of helping hospitals, the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) is soliciting 100 stories of individuals representing our hospitals. Every health care worker has an important story to tell. MHA wants to share these extraordinary stories — not only from front-line caregivers, but everyone from plant engineers to phlebotomists, and auxilians to administrators. Each person contributes to the essential work done every day.

Any story will be accepted and multiple submissions from each hospital are encouraged. Use MHA’s online submission form to submit your story or submit one on behalf of another person. MHA will share these stories throughout the year and will share them collectively as MHA wraps up the centennial celebration at MHA’s Annual Convention in November.

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Announcements

Date: February 10, 2022

HHS Effort to Boost Vaccine Confidence Sends $66.5 Million into Communities. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced more American Rescue Plan funding for community-based outreach to build COVID-19 vaccine confidence. This latest push in the effort that began last summer will support eight grantees with networks that reach rural areas and communities with underserved minority populations. The funding will be used to support trusted local partners who know and understand their neighbors and are best positioned to deliver needed information. 

Medicare to Cover Free, Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that people in either Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage will be able to get over-the-counter COVID-19 tests at no cost starting in early spring. Under the new initiative, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to access up to eight over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month for free. Tests will be available through eligible pharmacies and other participating entities. This policy will apply to COVID-19 over-the-counter tests approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For more information, CMS has posted a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

National Action Plan and Task Force on Human Trafficking. Twenty federal agencies will coordinate a government-wide effort to combat human trafficking, an issue that crops up in rural areas where secluded locations make it difficult for law enforcement to detect. Sometimes called a form of “modern day slavery,” human trafficking is estimated to generate illegal profits in the billions. The human toll is greatest on individuals with vulnerabilities such as recent migration, single motherhood, recent contact with the child welfare system, a substance dependency, or a mental health condition. A recent article from The Rural Monitor explains how rural providers are uniquely positioned to provide care for victims.

Spread the Word About Vaccine Boosters. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released new resources – posters, flyers, videos, and talking points – to help promote the extra protection from COVID-19 boosters. All vaccinated adults aged 18+ are eligible for a booster. A few weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded booster eligibility to include adolescents ages 12 to 17, recommending that they receive a booster shot five months after their initial vaccination. The CDC also released a new resource, based on input from rural health departments and organizations, with 12 strategies to increase vaccine uptake in rural communities (pdf). Search by zip code to find nearby locations providing adult and pediatric vaccines and boosters for COVID-19 and the flu at vaccines.gov.

Ongoing: HRSA Payment Program for RHC Buprenorphine-Trained Providers. In June 2021, HRSA launched an effort to improve access to substance use disorder treatment by paying for providers who are waivered to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder. Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) still have the opportunity to apply for a $3,000 payment on behalf of each provider who trained to obtain the waiver necessary to prescribe buprenorphine after January 1, 2019. Approximately $1.5 million in program funding remains available for RHCs and will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. Send questions to DATA2000WaiverPayments@hrsa.gov. There is ongoing availability of a free online course for waiver eligibility training from the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine and the Providers Clinical Support System.

Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project (RHPTP) Learning and Action Network (LAN)

Date: February 9, 2022

Population Health Information Technology

Date: This series will occur on Wednesdays throughout the month of April, beginning on April 06, 2022, and running through April 27, 2022.

Time: 1:00 – 1:45 PM CT

Enroll today!

Facilitator: Stratis Health

Population health management is a foundational component of value-based health care (VBC). As rural health organizations look toward strategies to engage in value-based alternative payment models (APMs), there are a variety of opportunities to utilize technology-based tools to support successful population health management, leading to improved patient outcomes and reduction of the total cost of care. Stratis Health will look at technologies and processes which have been incorporated by organizations as they shift to this new payment and patient care models. 

For busy rural health leaders, time is a key limitation, and awareness and understanding of technology-based tools and opportunities for their use in supporting population health strategies may often fall to the bottom of a to-do list

This virtual one-month Learning and Action Network (LAN) will provide participating rural health organizations a jump-start to understanding current trends in health information technologies and their potential for supporting rural population health strategies as part of transiting to VBC. Participants will also discover how to assess the potential use of tools that align with population health goals, as well as considerations for planning the next steps.

By participating in this LAN, participants will be able to:

  • Describe current trends and opportunities for small rural hospitals and rural health clinics to use information technology (IT) tools to support VBC population health strategies
  • Assess potential use of IT tools to support VBC population health goals
  • Identify a plan for the next steps regarding the potential use of technology tools in your organization

Leaders in the following roles that are engaged or expected to be engaged in the transition to VBC will benefit from this LAN including executive teams, health information technology, quality and safety, clinicians, and others interested in population health strategies.

Participants in the LAN will include a mix of short, recorded training sessions followed by live discussions, and is supplemented by an optional 1:1 consultation opportunity for each participating organization to assist in identifying a plan for next steps relating to the potential use of technology tools to support VBC population health strategies.

Live sessions will be held for 45 minutes every Wednesday in April. Participants will be asked to view recorded training sessions in advance of the four live discussions. The total time commitment for participants is anticipated to be about six-eight (6-8) hours.

This LAN will be open to the first 20 organizations to register and complete a memorandum of understanding.

Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project (RHPTP) Eligible Learning Collaborative

Date: February 9, 2022

Understanding and Improving Health Equity in Rural Health Care Settings: Challenges and Solutions to Address Rural Health Disparities

Date: This series will occur on the fourth Monday of each month beginning in April 2022 and running through July 2022.

Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM CT

Register TODAY as spots are limited!

Facilitator: Stratis Health

This virtual learning collaborative (LC) will focus on challenges and solutions specific to rural health providers to support improvement in health equity and reduction in health disparities. This interactive collaborative will include four (4) virtual, 60-minute learning sessions and additional brief readings and/or reflections between sessions to support understanding of disparities and strategies to address them.

By participating in this LC, participants will be able to:

  • Define health disparities and health equity and describe them within the context of their rural community
  • Assess if and how health equity and disparities are being addressed in their organization
  • Identify opportunities and strategies to intentionally use data, resources, and tools to improve health equity and embed equity in organizational culture and operations
  • Discuss potential new regulations and requirements for health care organizations to address health equity

Leaders in the following roles will benefit from this LC series: executive teams, human resources, quality and safety, clinicians, and others invested in health equity. 

This LC will be open to the first 20 participants to register and submit a memorandum of understanding.