Month: March 2022

Now accepting presentations for NRHA’s RHC, CAH Conferences

Date: March 24, 2022

NRHA is accepting session proposals for the 2022 Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Conferences, which will be held Sept. 20-23 in Kansas City, Missouri, NRHA’s hometown.

The goal of NRHA’s RHC and CAH events is to share effective practices, policies, and information and provide insights and best practices addressing many of the access, quality, and patient safety issues confronted by CAHs and RHCs.

Five interest tracks are available for CAH Conference submissions: innovation, financial, leadership, quality, and best practices.

Join NRHA in the City of Fountains this fall and be part of NRHA’s fastest-growing events for rural clinic and hospital leaders, educators, staff, advocates, and other stakeholders.

NRHA’s Annual Rural Health Conference is going hybrid

Date: March 24, 2022

The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) wants everyone to get the most out of the nation’s largest gathering of rural health pros. That’s why NRHA’s 45th Annual Rural Health Conference will be NRHA’s first hybrid event. Along with NRHA’s proud return to live educational and networking opportunities, NRHA will offer a limited virtual option for those unable to attend in person at rates equating to 50 percent of the corresponding in-person rates. Recordings and provided materials will be available for registered sessions through the virtual event environment for three months following the close of the event. Act soon to take advantage of discounted registration and accommodations – one hotel is already full. Scholarships toward the cost of onsite registration are now available on a first-come, first-served basis for students and attendees who would otherwise not be able to attend. NRHA is so excited to see everyone in Albuquerque this spring – it has been a long time coming.

Join CMS for April Webinar on Rural Health Quality

Date: March 24, 2022

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is pleased to invite the public to attend the upcoming webinar: “Rural Health Quality: How CMS Initiatives Improve How We Measure and Address Gaps in Care.” This presentation will highlight the unique challenges surrounding quality measurement in rural settings, and how CMS is working to address these issues to ensure equitable care is provided to all Americans regardless of where they reside. CMS will host this presentation twice. Register for the session that works best for you!

  • Wednesday, April 20, 2022, from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm (ET) (Register here)
  • Thursday, April 21, 2022, from 12:oo pm – 1:00 pm (ET) (Register here)

Please register in advance if you can attend, as space will be limited. CMS requests that you please only register for an event if you plan to attend. CMS hopes you can join and look forward to your participation! If you have questions on how measurement can support rural health quality that you would like addressed during the presentation, please contact MMSSupport@battelle.org.

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Announcements

Date: March 24, 2022

Twelve Years of the Affordable Care Act. March 23rd marked the anniversary of the landmark law that has helped millions of Americans gain access to health coverage. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has issued a series of briefs over the last year analyzing how that coverage affected different segments of the population, including rural residents, older adults, immigrants, and ethnic/racial minorities.

Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period Closes Soon. The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal will close on March 31 for Reporting Period 2. Providers who received one or more PRF payment exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate, during the second Payment Received Period must report on their use of funds no later than March 31, 2022. Providers who fail to submit a completed report by the March 31 deadline will be subject to further enforcement actions such as repayment or exclusion from receiving and/or retaining future PRF payments. For more details, review the Reporting Non-Compliance Fact Sheet. To get started, providers must register in the Portal (if not yet completed). More information and resources can be found on the PRF Reporting web page.

FCC Requests Comments on Promoting Telehealth in Rural America – Respond by April 14. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeks comment on revisions to its initiatives to fund access to broadband and telecommunication services for rural health care providers. FCC proposes to modify the way the internal funding cap applies to upfront costs and multi-year commitments in the Healthcare Connect Fund Program, and to streamline the invoice process in the Telecommunications Program. The rule also seeks comment on ways to further increase the speed of funding commitments.

Tobacco Use Down; Still High For Certain Groups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 47.1 million U.S. adults (19%) reported that they were currently using any commercial tobacco product in the 2020 National Health Interview Survey.  The prevalence of cigarette smoking was higher in rural areas than urban areas among adults who were non-Hispanic Black (38% higher), Hispanic (38% higher) and non-Hispanic White (62% higher).

The Implications of Long COVID for Rural Communities. While the definition of post-COVID-19 effects has evolved, experts have identified a range of health conditions that may include shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, tachycardia, exercise intolerance, and cognitive dysfunction. In an open access article from The Journal of Rural Health, researchers report an estimated 7 to 22 million individuals in the U.S. may experience long COVID, with greater implications for rural economies and health delivery systems. 

National Poison Prevention Week  March 20 – 26. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funds 55 poison control centers across the nation and the Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222). This week provides an opportunity to highlight the dangers of poisonings for people of all ages and promote community involvement in poisoning prevention. Over 2,000,000 poisonings occur annually, with nearly 43% of all exposures involving children younger than age 5. Two-thirds of calls to the Poison Help line are successfully resolved over the phone, preventing unnecessary visits to the hospital and reducing medical costs.

Ongoing: HRSA Payment Program for RHC Buprenorphine-Trained Providers. In June 2021, the Health Resources and Services Administration (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.

Perspectives One Year into Hospital Price Transparency Rules

Date: March 23, 2022

Hospital Price Transparency: Lessons on Compliance 1 Year In

Hospital price transparency is confusing and complex, but Wipfli has learned a lot in the first year of meeting those mandates.

Wipfli price transparency team has compiled a list of the top 4 lessons they’ve learned while helping clients meet all the requirements and be in compliance.

Click to read now. 

Health Resources and Services Administration Funding, Resources, and Upcoming Webinar

Date: March 23, 2022

Funding

Connecting Kids to Coverage NOFO:  CMS Funding– The Connecting Kids to Coverage HEALTHY KIDS 2022 Outreach and Enrollment Cooperative Agreements program provides funding opportunities to reduce the number of children who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and to improve retention of eligible children enrolled in the programs. Applications are due March 28, 2022.  For more information, visit:  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=337485

2022 NHSC Scholarship Program – The purpose of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program (SP) is to provide scholarships to students pursuing primary care health professions training in return for a commitment to provide primary health services in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).

Nurse Corps Scholarship Program – Nurse Corps provides financial support to students accepted to or enrolled in a nursing degree program at an accredited school of nursing in the United States. After graduation from nursing school, recipients serve a minimum two-year commitment at an approved health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses.

The scholarship includes payment of tuition, eligible fees, a monthly stipend for living expenses, and other reasonable educational costs (books, clinical supplies and instruments).

Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program (RMOMS) – The purpose of the RMOMS program is to improve access to and continuity of maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative ways to achieve these goals through an established or formal regional network structure. Applications are due April 5, 2022.  For more information, visit:   https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=336048.

Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Behavioral Health Care Support – The goal is to improve access to and quality of  Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and other behavioral health care services in rural communities, which includes increasing access to and utilization of prevention, treatment and recovery services to improve the care for those affected by behavioral health conditions, which may include substance use and mental health disorders. Applications are due April 19, 2022. For more information, visit:  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=334417.

Announcements

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Anniversary

March 23, 2022, marks the twelve-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Since its enactment on March 23, 2010, the ACA has led to an historic advancement of health equity in the United States. This landmark law improved the health of all Americans, including women and families, kids, older adults, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ and communities of color. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is holding a weeklong celebration from March 21 through March 25 to highlight the benefits of the ACA and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to building on its success and making health care a right for all Americans. For more information:  Fact Sheet: Celebrating the Affordable Care Act.

Health Center COVID-19 Vaccination Program

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recognized the one-year anniversary of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program, which received funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and has provided COVID-19 vaccines directly to thousands of HRSA-supported health center sites nationwide. To date, HRSA’s continued collaboration over the past year with state and jurisdictional immunization programs such as yours has supported health centers in the administration of more than 20 million vaccines in underserved communities across the country.  

View the press release here and visit the social media links:

National Poison Prevention Week

You are invite to join the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Region 7 in acknowledging National Poison Prevention Week (NPPW)  March 20 – 26, 2022.  NPPW is an opportunity to highlight the dangers of poisonings for people of all ages and promote community involvement in poisoning prevention. HRSA funds 55 poison control centers across the nation and the Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222).  Over 2,000,000 poisonings occur annually, with nearly 43% of all exposures involving children younger than age 5. Two-thirds of calls to the Poison Help line are successfully resolved over the phone, preventing unnecessary visits to the hospital and reducing medical costs.

You can promote NPPW in your community by downloading our #EveryMinuteCounts social media campaign assets and sharing the information on your social media channels.  

Below are several new video resources that highlight HRSA’s poison prevention messages.

The Save the Poison-Proof Home is a Happy Home video resources remain available on the HRSA Poison Help Website at:

Finally, please also visit the Poison Help program and HRSA’s Poison Help website to learn more. 

Resources/Webinars

Rural facilities may apply now through May 10 to become new sites for the National Health Service Corp (NHSC). As an approved site, the NHSC can assist in your efforts to recruit, hire, and retain clinicians.  Eligibility includes health care sites that that provide outpatient, ambulatory, and primary health care services (medical, dental, and behavioral health) to populations in high-need urban and rural areas. Additional, eligible site types include facilities that provide general substance use disorder treatment, a medication-assisted treatment program, or an opioid treatment program. This year, NHSC-approved sites with an inactive status may also apply to recertify during the open cycle.

Join the National Association of Rural Health Clinics and the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce on March 23rd at 1:00 pm CT for a special one-hour webinar for rural facilities. During the session, you will learn about the benefits of becoming an NHSC-approved site, like the NHSC loan repayment and scholarship opportunities available to job-seeking primary care trainees and practicing clinicians. Register for the session here.

Please join HRSA’s Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs on a national webinar designed to raise awareness of HRSA grant resources and share opportunities for building capacity and accessing technical assistance in Indian Country. The event, “HRSA Grant Funding and Resources – Stories from Tribal Nations” is scheduled for March 30, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm CT. REGISTER HERE.

HHS Region 7 Virtual Office Hours – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region 7 invites you to the HHS Region 7 Virtual Office Hours on Wednesday, April 6th, 9:00 am – 9:45 am CT. The Virtual Office Hours will provide partners and stakeholders the networking platform to engage with HHS leadership and subject matter experts to get answers to program and resource questions, request technical assistance and training, and share critical surveillance about emergent local, state, and regional healthcare issues/trends. Among the agencies that are scheduled to be in attendance are the Administration for Children and Families, Administration for Community Living, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. They will be providing a few program updates, followed by a Q&A session.

To register for the office hours, go here.

To help us prepare for the session, please send questions by COB March 30th to Catherine.Satterwhite@hhs.gov.

The evidence-based Count the Kicks stillbirth prevention program invites you to attend a Black Maternal Health Week webinar on the specific topic of stillbirth and racial disparities that persist in birth outcomes. The 90-minute webinar scheduled for April 12 at 12:00 pm CT/1:00 pm EST will cover the History of Black Maternal Health and include a status update on key markers from preconception to maternal mortality and morbidity. Healthy Birth Day, Inc. unveil a white paper that shows the link between stillbirth and maternal mortality and how an early warning system is saving the lives of moms and babies in states where the program is being utilized. Participants will leave with free tools and resources related to the highly effective Count the Kicks stillbirth prevention program, and a discussion on how to change the trajectory improving the lives of Black women and babies. Register today by clicking on this link.

Addressing Meth Use in the Midwest Webinar Series – Use of methamphetamine impacts people across the Midwest in many ways. The HHS Region 7 Harm Reduction Workgroup hosted a series of brief, 30-minute webinars to explore strategies to address meth use, ranging from prevention to treatment and recovery. The Workgroup includes HRSA, OASH, SAMHSA, CMS, ACF, HHS IEA, ACL, and ASPR.  The series included four webinars that were hosted January through March 2022.

To view all sessions in the Addressing Meth Use in the Midwest Webinar Series check out the below links. 

The Advancing Health Equity among Hispanic/Latino Populations Learning Series aimed to identify new strategies and current approaches to improve access to care and reduce health disparities in Hispanic/Latino communities.

To view all sessions in the series check out the below links. Interested in learning more and getting copies of the resources, presentations, and bios in English and Spanish? Contact Nancy Rios at NRios@hrsa.gov.   

How to Work With Your Medical Staff to Improve Physician HCAHPS Scores

Date: March 23, 2022

How to Work With Your Medical Staff to Improve Physician HCAHPS Scores

Webinar Date: March 30, 2022

Time: 1:00 PM CT

Presented by: Patricia Schou

‍As Executive Director at the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN), Pat has the overall accountability and responsibility for the organization and its subsidiaries. She is also responsible for ICAHN’s Accountable Care Organization / IRCCO (Illinois Rural Community Care Organization).

Register Here

Missouri Area Health Education Centers Interprofessional Education Conference

Date: March 18, 2022

Show Me Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice: Moving the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Needle

The Missouri Area Health Education Centers are hosting a one-day virtual conference on IPE designed to provide attendees with skills and knowledge centered around dynamic interprofessional health care experiences that enhance patient care. Key objectives include:

  • Strengthen ways in which academic environments prepare and incorporate students into practice environments.
  • Engage with colleagues practicing in health care and education, interested in IPE.
  • Lessons in implementation of IPE to facilitate effective and patient-centered health care education and practice to promote critical awareness and more informed, timely decisions.
  • Improve understanding of the provider needs to execute IPE in a busy practice and working in a diverse team setting. Focus on roles and responsibilities of IPE.

Date: Friday, March 25, 2022

Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM CT

Registration

MAHEC IPE Conference 2022 Program