Month: August 2025

Announcement for Providers that Reassign their Benefits to CAHs

August 21, 2025

Announcement for Providers that Reassign their Benefits to CAHs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that some Method II Critical Access Hospitals may be experiencing denials with Fiscal Intermediary Shared System (FISS) reason codes 31006 and 31007 indicating that providers do not have a reassignment on file in the Provider Enrollment Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS).

Medicare Administrative Contractors will reprocess these claims within approximately two weeks and Method II CAHs do not need to take any action.

Additional information to ensure eligible health care providers accurately reassign their benefits to Method II CAHs will be issued shortly.

Click Here to Learn More

August 21 is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day

August 21, 2025

August 21 is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a toolkit for sharing this year’s theme focused on hop and mental health, along with facts on fentanyl and life-saving resources with your communities.

Last week, the CDC released preliminary data showing an estimated 77,648 drug overdose deaths occurred in the 12 months ending in March 2025. This marks a 25 percent decrease compared to the same period ending in March 2024. In May last year CDC data showed that the percentage of people with drug use disorders was similar for rural and urban areas, but those living in rural areas at a greater risk of death from drug overdose than urban Americans.

Click Here for Facts on Fentanyl

Click Here for Life-Saving Resources

Click Here to read CDC report on drug use disorders

HRSA Webinar: Crush Med School Debt – Federal Programs for Financing Your Future in Medicine, August 28

August 21, 2025

HRSA Webinar: Crush Med School Debt – Federal Programs for Financing Your Future in Medicine, August 28

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is hosting a one-hour webinar about how the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) helps medical students, medical school faculty, and other clinicians interested in primary care pay down their education loans. In 2024, the NHSC supported 6,700 primary care physicians practicing in rural communities.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, August 28, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00p.m. ET

Click Here to Register

Save the Date: Minority Mental Health Webinar Series – Providing Mental Health Tips, August 28

August 21, 2025

Save the Date: Minority Mental Health Webinar Series – Providing Mental Health Tips, August 28

Join the Minority Mental Health Webinar to learn more from professionals at the University of Missouri’s Department of Psychiatry about ways to dispel myths and provide tips to address mental health disparities.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, August 28, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Free Training Opportunity: Alpha-gal Training Module from CDC (Free CE)

August 21, 2025

Free Training Opportunity: Alpha-gal Training Module from CDC (Free CE)

To help increase awareness of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) and more rapidly diagnose patients in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a new free online training module for healthcare providers (HCPs), epidemiologists, and public health officials.

The training includes opportunities for FREE continuing education in seven professional categories – CME, CNE, CEU, AAPA, CECH, AABSB/RACE, CPE, and CPH-providing educational credit for:

  • Physicians,
  • Nurses,
  • Pharmacists,
  • Physician Assistants,
  • Veterinarians,
  • Nurses,
  • Epidemiologists,
  • Public Health Professionals,
  • Educators, and
  • Health Communicators

Key Learning Objectives Include:

  • Describing the epidemiology identifying clinical characteristics,
  • Describing appropriate diagnostic testing,
  • Promoting appropriate management, and
  • Explaining tick bite prevention and its importance in preventing and managing the disease.

AGS is a serious, potentially life-threatening tickborne disease. People with AGS can have an allergic reaction to red meat and other products containing alpha-gal, like dairy and some medications. People can develop AGS after being bitten by some types of ticks, primarily the lone star tick in the United States.

CDC reported that between 2010 and 2022, there were more than 110,000 suspected cases of AGS identified. However, because the diagnosis of AGS requires a positive diagnostic test, and a clinical exam, and some people may not get tested, CDC estimates that as many as 450,000 people might be impacted by AGS in the US.

While suspected AGS cases are increasing each year, a 2022 U.S. Survey found that nearly half (42%) of healthcare providers had never heard of AGS and, among those who had, less than one third (29%) knew how to diagnose the condition. Limited awareness and knowledge of AGS among healthcare providers likely contributes to underdiagnosis of this condition. This can lead to incorrect patient management and underestimating of the number of AGS patient in the United States.

Click Here to Learn More About Alpha-gal Syndrome

Click Here to Read CDC Report

Click Here to Access Free Online Module

Webinar: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA): Federal Grants Landscape, August 28

August 21, 2025

Webinar: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA): Federal Grants Landscape, August 28      

Join Forvis Mazars for a webinar exploring OBBBA’s impact on federal grants. This webinar will share key changes and insights to understand OBBBA’s implications and opportunities for grants professionals and your organizations, providing perspectives on navigating the evolving federal grants landscape.

Gain practical strategies to identify new grant opportunities, develop adaptation plans, and navigate compliance requirements.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

  • Identify and prioritize new grant opportunities,
  • Prepare strategic adaptation plans, and
  • Recognize new compliance and accountability requirements

Target Audience:

  • Grants management and compliance officers,
  • Finance directors,
  • Controllers,
  • C-suite executives,
  • Program officers, and
  • Development staff in the nonprofit government services sector

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, August 28, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET

Click Here to Register

MRHA Webinar: Drones – Improving Rural Healthcare Access, August 28

August 20, 2025

MRHA Webinar: Drones – Improving Rural Healthcare Access, August 28

Join Valkyrie UAS Solutions for an innovative session exploring how long-range technology is transforming healthcare delivery in rural Missouri and beyond. As the home of the nation’s first rural healthcare drone hub, based in Rolla, Missouri, Valkyrie is pioneering the use of 100-mile range drones to address critical gaps in access to care.

This webinar will highlight how drone technology is:

  • Delivering specialty pharmaceuticals directly to rural patients,
  • Supporting rapid lab analysis through efficient sample transport,
  • Expanding telehealth reach and capabilities,
  • Reducing strain on rural caregivers, and
  • Improving patient outcomes while strengthening rural healthcare finances

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, August 28, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Whitepaper: How Health System CFOs Can Build Accountability-driven Improvement Strategies: 5 Steps

August 20, 2025

Whitepaper: How Health System CFOs Can Build Accountability-driven Improvement Strategies: 5 Steps

Struggling to translate improvement plans into real results? You’re not alone. Many hospitals set goals but fail to create accountability systems to meet them.

Without a structured approach, teams lose focus, metrics multiply and real ROI slips away.

This executive guide outlines five proven steps for continuous improvement. The strategies are drawn from systems achieving lasting financial performance improvement through better alignment, transparent governance and progress monitoring.

Inside the Report:

  • The most common reason performance improvement plans fall short – and how to fix it,
  • How to identify and prioritize the right improvement opportunities across departments, and
  • A blueprint for progress tracking that enhances accountability and strategic planning.

Click Here to download the Whitepaper

Webinar: Closing Healthcare Communication Gaps With AI, September 17

August 20, 2025

Webinar: Closing Healthcare Communication Gaps With AI, September 17

Disconnected systems and inefficient workflows often lead to patient frustration, staff dissatisfaction and compliance risk.

In today’s complex healthcare environment, outdated communication tools slow decision-making and leave critical messages unanswered, which has negative implications for care quality and patient satisfaction.

Join this virtual learning session to discover how AI-driven communications are transforming patient interactions, streamlining operations and supporting HIPAA compliance.

You’ll Learn:

  • Practical ways AI is being deployed to automate key workflows,
  • How to measure and optimize communication efficiency across care teams,
  • Steps to ensure security and compliance while scaling AI

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, September 17, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register