Month: June 2024

FREE Cyber Security Tools and Services

June 28, 2024

FREE Cyber Security Tools and Services

Utilize free cyber security tools and services from Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) – America’s Cyber Defense Agency.

Malware, phishing, and ransomware are common forms of cyber-attacks. CISA offers the tools and services needed to protect against and rapidly respond to attacks.

Featured Content on the CISA Malware, Phishing & Ransomware Webpage:

  • Stop Ransomware – A whole of government approach that gives one central location for ransomware resources and alerts
  • Shields Up – as the nation’s cyber defense agency, CISA stands ready to help organizations prepare for, respond to and mitigate the impact of cyberattacks.
    • When cyber incidents are reported quickly, they can render assistance and issue warning to prevent attacks
  • Cybersecurity Alerts & Advisories – CISA is continually monitoring cyber space and actively shares threats and vulnerabilities
  • Joint Ransomware Task Force (JRTF) – serves as the central bod for coordinating an ongoing nationwide campaign against ransomware attacks in addition to identifying and pursuing opportunities for international cooperation

Click Here to Learn More

Medical Record Phishing Scams

June 28, 2024

Medical Record Phishing Scams

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent an alert regarding phishing scams for medical records. This can include criminals faxing your office fraudulent medical records requests to get you to send patient records in response.

To Detect a Potential Scam Request, CMS state to look for:

  • Instructions which direct you to send records to an unfamiliar fax number or address
  • Referencing Medicare.gov or @Medicare (.gov)
  • Indicating they need records to “update insurance accordingly”
  • Poor grammar, misspellings, or strange wording
  • Incorrect phone numbers
  • Skewed or outdated logos
  • Graphics that are cut and pasted

If you think you got a fraudulent or questionable request

  • Work with your Medical Review Contractor to confirm if it’s real
  • Submit medical documentation through the Electronic Submission of Medical Documentation (esMD), or
  • CMS medical review contractor secure internet portals, when available

New Articles – Today’s Essential Health Workforce Updates

June 27, 2024

New Articles – Today’s Essential Health Workforce Updates

Check out these new articles, which were funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through BHW’s Health Workforce Research Centers:

Upcoming PROMPT Learning Network Meeting, July 18

June 27, 2024

Upcoming PROMPT Learning Network Meeting, July 18

PROMPT is a Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Learning Network.

The goal of PROMPT is to:

  • Support Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and rural provider practices in transforming rural clinic practices to meet the ever-changing demands within the healthcare landscape
  • Improve clinical quality data capture and reporting
  • Improve quality performance and patient care in rural Missouri

PROMPT Learning network topics include:

  • Collaboration
  • Sharing of best practices
  • Quality improvement
  • Data analytics/data hygiene
  • Value based care
  • PCMH
  • Spotlight on RHCs

Additional Details:

  • Lunch will be provided at no cost to the attendees
  • Attendance to the PROMPT Learning Network Meeting is FREE but registration is required.
  • Funding is available for the RHCs to cover a one-night hotel stay for up to 2 rooms (July 17th – 2 double queen rooms) and mileage for one vehicle.
    • Please contact Charity Woodard at Charity@cabllc.com, if you need a room and be sure to include the number of rooms you need and will be in each room.
    • Room reservations will be made at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, 3621 W. Truman Blvd, Jefferson City, MO 65109.
    • Mileage reimbursement will be at the IRS standard mileage rate of .67 cents for one vehicle (roundtrip) from your work location. Mileage reimbursement forms will be handed out at the meeting.

Cost:  Free

When: Friday, July 18, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Where: Missouri Soybean Association, 734 South Country Club Drive

Click Here to Register no later than July 12

NRHA Now Accepting Rural Health Fellows Applications

June 27, 2024

NRHA Now Accepting Rural Health Fellows Applications

NRHA’s Rural Health Fellows Leadership Program is a yearlong, intensive training that develops leaders who can articulate a clear and compelling vision for rural America.

Each year, NRHA selects 10 to 15 highly motivated individuals who have proven their dedication to improving the health of rural Americans through their educational or professional experience.

The goal is to educate and develop a network of diverse rural leaders who can serve in key positions in the association, affiliated advocacy groups, and local and state legislative bodies.

Applications for the 2025 Rural Health Fellows Program are now open.

Learn More

Click Here to Apply

Registration Now Open for NRHA’s RHC, CAH Conferences

June 27, 2024

Registration Now Open for NRHA’s RHC, CAH Conferences

Your chance to share with rural colleagues, network with partners, and learn from clinic and CAH experts from across the country is NRHA’s Rural Health Clinic and Critical Access Hospital Conferences Sept. 24-27.

These events offer more than 40 educational and networking opportunities designed for clinic and hospital professionals and board members serving rural America. Rates have been announced and registration is now open so act early to save and reserve your hotel room.

Additionally, an awards ceremony is planned to honor the top 20 CAHs in the nation.

Click Here to Learn More

Click Here to Register

NRHA Accepting Presentation Proposals – 2025 Annual Conference in Atlanta

June 27, 2024

NRHA Accepting Presentation Proposals – 2025 Annual Conference in Atlanta

The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is now accepting presentation proposals for the 2025 Annual Rural Health Conference and Rural Hospital Innovation Summit, the nation’s premier events celebrating rural health.

These events are curated for anyone with an interest in rural health care, including:

  • Rural health practitioners
  • Hospital administrators
  • Clinic directors
  • Lay health workers
  • Social workers
  • State and federal health employees
  • Academics
  • Community members and more

This is an opportunity to share effective models, policies, research and information and provide your colleagues with insights and best practices addressing many of the access, quality and geographic issues confronted by rural communities.

Presentation submission information:

  • Submissions must be received no later than August 17, 2024
  • Only electronic abstracts will be accepted
  • Notification of acceptance will be sent out in late October
  • Presentations may not market products r services
  • If accepted, presenters must register for the conference

Have Questions? Call Gabriela Boscan at 202 639-0550

Submit a presentation proposal Here

Learn more about the 2025 Annual Conference

Call for Nominations: Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee

June 27, 2024

Call for Nominations: Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is accepting nominations for the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC).

This independent federal advisory committee consists of eleven members from a wide-range of backgrounds who make recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) on stakeholder-submitted physician-focused payment models and related topics.

The group is supported by staff from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) within HHS.  Last year, the group held meetings in September addressing:

  • Challenges facing patients and providers in rural communities
  • Approaches for incorporating rural providers in provider-based total cost of care (PB-TCOC) model design
  • Provider perspectives on payment issues related to rural providers in PB-TCOC models
  • Incentives for increasing rural providers’ participation in PB-TCOC models,
  • Successful interventions and models for encouraging value-based transformation in rural areas.

Click Here to Submit Nominations by July 10

MedPAC June Report to Congress Highlights Rural Considerations for Medicare Advantage Provider Networks

June 27, 2024

MedPAC June Report to Congress Highlights Rural Considerations for Medicare Advantage Provider Networks

As part of its mandate from Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) reports each June on improvements to Medicare payment systems and issues affecting the Medicare program, including changes to health care delivery and the market for health care services.

This year’s report addresses approaches for:

  • Updating clinician payments
  • Incentivizing participation in alternative payment models
  • Rural considerations for network adequacy standards and prior authorization in Medicare Advantage
  • Assessing health care utilization data sources for Medicare Advantage enrollees
  • Paying for software technologies in Medicare
  • Medicare’s Acute Hospital Care at Home program.

Click Here to Read Full Report

Rural Health Research on Rural Hospital Profitability from 2018 to 2023

June 27, 2024

Rural Health Research on Rural Hospital Profitability from 2018 to 2023

Profitability of rural hospitals in 2020-21 and 2021-22 was influenced by the Public Health Emergency (PHE) funding distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three briefs from the North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis center examine hospital profitability from 2018 to 2023, taking PHE funding into account.

Read More