Month: July 2022

New Articles Published on Health Care Access, Hospital Closures, Obstetrics, Medicare, Social Isolation, and Aging

Date: July 21, 2022

New Articles Published on Health Care Access, Hospital Closures, Obstetrics, Medicare, Social Isolation, and Aging

These journal articles written by the Rural Health Research Centers were recently added to Gateway.

Gateway lists the journal, a brief summary, and a link to additional information and access to the full text of the article, if available. While some journal articles are freely available, many require a subscription or affiliation with a subscribing library.

Additional Resources of Interest:

2022 Vulnerability Assessment Stakeholder Meetings – Newly Added Dates

Date: July 20, 2022

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has been granted Overdose Data to Action funding to update the Missouri Opioid Overdose and Bloodborne Infection Vulnerability Assessments. These assessments were last published in 2020 and identified counties at highest risk for 1) opioid overdoses and 2) bloodborne infections (i.e., HIV, hepatitis C, hepatitis B) associated with nonsterile drug injection. The overall purpose of the assessments is to raise awareness of areas more impacted by these health conditions and allow stakeholders to use the findings to better target services that will reduce risk of overdoses and risk of bloodborne infection spread through nonsterile drug injection.

In order to gain community-level feedback on the 2022 update and gather suggestions for possible future updates, DHSS is holding stakeholder meetings in each of Missouri’s six HIV Care Regions. DHSS is partnering with the Disaster and Community Crisis Center at the University of Missouri to facilitate the meetings.

Due to the need to gather very specific feedback on the assessments (rather than comments on the opioid epidemic in general) in a relatively short amount of time and due to the need for social distancing, a limited number of stakeholders will be accepted to each meeting. Registration is required and will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Lunch will be provided at the meetings. DHSS will take additional steps to gather feedback from a broader audience in the future.

For more information on the overall Overdose Data to Action funding, view the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Overdose Data to Action.

The 2020 Missouri Opioid Overdose and Bloodborne Infection Vulnerability Assessments and related materials are available on the Department of Health and Senior Services web page.

Use the links below to register for currently scheduled meetings.

St. Louis, MO (St. Louis County Library – Thornhill Branch) – Tuesday August 9, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Registration Link

Cape Girardeau, MO (Cape Girardeau Public Library) – Wednesday August 10, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Registration Link

Springfield, MO – Date to be determined

Columbia, MO – Date to be determined

Free COVID-19 Therapeutics Now Available

Date: July 18, 2022

All Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) may now enroll in the Health Resources and Services (HRSA) RHC COVID-19 Therapeutics Program to receive a direct supply of free COVID-19 Antivirals.

This program provides RHCs with access to COVID-19 therapeutics, Paxlovid and Lagevrio (Molnupiravir), shipped directly to RHCs. With the increase in COVID-19 due to new variants, the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) encourage all RHCs to enroll in all HRSA COVID Programs to ensure COVID-19 tests, therapeutics, and vaccines remain available for your patients.

To be eligible for the RHC COVID-19 Therapeutics Program, your clinic must have a formal relationship with an onsite or offsite pharmacy and/or your RHC and state guidelines must allow your medical providers to prescribe and dispense medication at point of care. COVID-19 therapeutics can be shipped directly to your RHC or that pharmacy with which your RHC has a formal relationship. 

If your RHC is already enrolled in the HRSA RHC COVID-19 Testing Supply Program and/or the RHC COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Program, you are already familiar with the Health Partner Ordering Portal (HPOP). By enrolling in the Therapeutics Program, your RHC will gain access to the therapeutics module (TPOP) in HPOP to directly place orders. If your RHC is not yet enrolled in these programs, that is okay too! Please visit the Therapeutics Program page on NARHC.org to review enrollment instructions.

With the addition of this program, your RHC may also become a recognized ASPR Test to Treat site. Your RHC can utilize free testing supplies through the HRSA RHC COVID-19 Testing Supply Program, and treat patients as needed with the therapeutics distributed through the new RHC COVID-19 Therapeutics Program. Once your RHC is enrolled in both programs and has placed your first therapeutics order, email RHCTreatment@hrsa.gov to be formally recognized as a Test to Treat site! Visit the COVID-19 Test to Treat Locator to find participating sites. 

Please visit NARHC.org for program FAQs, or email NARHC with any questions at rhccovidsupplies@narhc.org.

 

Rural Children with 4+ Adverse Childhood Experiences Often Lack Positive Experiences

Date: July 18, 2022

Rural Children with 4+ Adverse Childhood Experiences Often Lack Positive Experiences

Using the 2016-2018 National Survey of Children’s Health, this study looked at rural children with four or more adverse childhood experiences to determine the number and type of positive experiences for these rural children. The positive childhood experiences include after school activities, interaction with a community volunteer or connected caregiver, residing in a safe and supportive neighborhood, and living in a resilient family.

Contact Information:

Elizabeth Crouch, PhD
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Phone: 803.576.6055
crouchel@mailbox.sc.edu

Additional Resources of Interest:

Ending the HIV Epidemic in Missouri

Date: July 18, 2022

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services invites you to the September Community Engagement Forum on Ending the HIV Epidemic in Missouri. Learn about Disease Intervention Specialists’ role in linking newly diagnosed people to care and reengaging those previously diagnosed and their role in ending the HIV epidemic. Access registration by clicking here.

Upcoming dates:

  • Tuesday, September 13, 2022, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Disease Intervention Specialists, Ending the HIV Epidemic In Missouri
  • Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: HIV, and Partner Services A Year in Review

The National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers (NNPTC) is offering a three-day course that is open to clinicians offering STI services. This class is for clinicians that examine patients. The class size is limited to 50 participants. Continuing Education is provided. This 3 Day Part-time STI Rural Intensive will be held virtually from August 15-17, 2022. Register here.

The National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care and Treatment will be held August 23-26, 2022, VIRTUALLY. All are welcome. No cost to register or attend. To learn more and register, visit the conference website.

Access the recording and slide deck here if you missed June’s forum. Save the date for the final meeting in 2022 to be held Tuesday, December 13, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM.

Nursing Homes in Rural America: A Chartbook

Date: July 14, 2022

A new chartbook is available from the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis:

Nursing Homes in Rural America: A Chartbook

Hari Sharma; Lili Xu; Fred Ullrich; Clint MacKinney; Keith J. Mueller

Closure of nursing homes and hospitals with swing beds in recent years has changed the availability of post-acute and long-term care services in rural areas. This study examines the availability of post-acute and long-term care services as well as characteristics of residents and nursing homes in noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.

Please click here to read the brief.

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RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
University of Iowa
College of Public Health
Department of Health Management and Policy
145 Riverside Drive, N200 – CPHB
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: (319) 384-3832
Fax: (319) 384-4371

Web site: www.public-health.uiowa.edu/rupri

Follow us on Twitter! @RUPRIhealth

County-Level Availability of Obstetric Care and Economic Implications of Hospital Closures on Obstetric Care

Date: July 14, 2022

County-Level Availability of Obstetric Care and Economic Implications of Hospital Closures on Obstetric Care

This policy brief provides descriptive data on the economic changes underway in counties that lost obstetric care facilities between 2012 and 2019.

Key Findings

  • The majority of rural counties in the United States do not have an obstetric care provider within their borders.
  • Counties without obstetric care facilities have higher rates of poverty and lower rates of health insurance coverage across all ages.
  • For the years studied, data illustrate a decline in economic activity after counties experienced a loss in obstetric facilities, either through facility conversion or through hospital closure.
  • Counties which lost obstetric care access also had decreases in their labor forces and population of reproductive age.

Contact Information:

Alison F. Davis, PhD
Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health
Phone: 859.257.7260
alison.davis@uky.edu

Additional Resources of Interest: