Author: dianawinder

Improving Access to Rural Healthcare – Vizient Shares Feedback

October 23, 2023

Improving Access to Rural Healthcare – Vizient Shares Feedback

Vizient, a National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Platinum Partner, has responded to the House and Ways Means Committee’s Request for Information (RFI) on enhancing rural healthcare. They highlighted the challenges rural health providers face and suggested policy changes to improve care delivery, financing, reimbursement, and the healthcare workforce. Vizient emphasized the importance of supporting the financial viability of rural healthcare providers, avoiding damaging payment policies, protecting key healthcare programs, and investing in the healthcare workforce. They also suggested using their Vizient Vulnerability Index™ to understand social determinants of health in rural areas.

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Patient and Provider Featured Telehealth Resources

October 17, 2023

Patient and Provider Featured Telehealth Resources

Want to learn more about telehealth? Need resources to guide your organization towards telehealth? Telehealth.HHS.gov shares trusted telehealth resources for patients and providers.

Resources for Providers Include:

  • Getting started with telehealth
    • How to evaluate telehealth vendors and begin offering care through telemedicine
  • Planning your telehealth workflow
    • How to set up and manage a workflow for virtual visits
  • Health equity in telehealth
    • How health care providers can improve access to telehealth for all populations
  • Preparing patients for telehealth
    • From scheduling to privacy, learn how to prepare your patients for virtual appointments to ensure their comfort and high quality care
  • Telehealth policy
    • Telehealth policy resources for health care providers and organizations
  • Billing for telehealth
    • Reimbursements for telehealth continue to evolve. Find resources on billing and reimbursement for Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers
  • Licensure
    • Telehealth licensure requirements vary at the federal, state, and cross-state levels for health care providers
  • Legal considerations
    • Read about the legal considerations for providing care through telehealth, including information on privacy and security, informed consent, and liability and malpractice
  • Best practice guides
    • Learn how to incorporate telehealth into your practice. Get resources and tips focused on different specialties and delivery models including telebehavioral health, telehealth for direct-to-consumer care, and telehealth for emergency departments.

Resources for Patients Include:

Prescribing Controlled Medications via Telehealth

October 17, 2023

Prescribing Controlled Medications via Telehealth

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), jointly with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has extended the full set of telemedicine flexibilities regarding the prescribing of controlled medications as were in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), through December 31, 2024.

Authorized providers are able to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth if they meet certain criteria.

Telemedicine flexibilities regarding prescription of controlled medications as were in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency include:

  • A practitioner can prescribe a controlled substance to a patient using telemedicine, even if the patient isn’t at a hospital or clinic registered with the DEA.
  • Qualifying practitioners can prescribe buprenorphine to new and existing patients with opioid use disorder based on a telephone evaluation.

For more information, see:

Prescribing Controlled Substances via Telehealth

Second Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications – from the Federal Register

Interstate licensure resources for health care providers, states, and health care organizations

Telehealth Policy Updates

Free Training: Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in Primary Care

October 17, 2023

Free Training: Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in Primary Care

Nine modules on topics that include pregnancy care for patients with substance use disorder and the increasing rates of Hepatitis C are provided by the University of Rochester Recovery Center of Excellence, one of three FORHP-supported Rural Centers of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders.

These educational modules are available at no cost and carry continuing education credits.

To register, please click on the module title, in the list below:

 

COPD in Rural Communities: A Learn More Breathe Better® Webinar

October 17, 2023

COPD in Rural Communities: A Learn More Breathe Better® Webinar

Ahead of National COPD Awareness Month in November, HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy will join the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Learn More Breathe Better® program and guest speakers to discuss this chronic lung disease and its impact in rural areas.

In this webinar, the Learn More Breathe Better® program will highlight resources you can use during National COPD Awareness Month in November and beyond. Guest presenters will speak about the impact of COPD on rural populations and how their programs address this disparity.

Guest speakers include:

  • Kristen Dillon, MD, FAAFP, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
  • Sally T. Buck, MS, FACHE, National Rural Health Resource Center (NRHRC)
  • Hilary Payne, MPH, Appalachian Pulmonary Health Project

For educational resources, visit Learn More Breathe Better’s National COPD Awareness Month page.

Register to learn about efforts to address health disparities and improve the lives of those with COPD in rural communities.

When: Wednesday, October 18, 2:00 p.m. ET

Register Here

If you have any questions about the webinar or registration, please email Greta Gorman at greta.gorman@nih.gov.

Funding Opportunity – Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health – HRSA-24-033

October 17, 2023

Funding Opportunity – Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health – HRSA-24-033

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health (Healthy Start or HS) Program. The purpose of HS is to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy and reduce the well-documented racial/ethnic differences in rates of infant death and adverse perinatal outcomes. HS is intended to support projects in communities and populations experiencing the greatest disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.

HS has two focus areas:

1) providing direct and enabling services (for example, screening and referrals, case management and care coordination, health and parenting education, and linkage to clinical care) to enrolled HS participants; and

2) convening Community Consortia (formerly known as Community Action Networks or “CANs”) comprised of diverse, multi-sector partners to advise and inform HS activities as well as to develop and implement plans to improve perinatal outcomes within the selected project area.

HS continues to have an increased emphasis on addressing social determinants of health, such as:

  • access to adequate food
  • housing and
  • transportation

to improve disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.

Based on stakeholder feedback, this FY 2024 HS competition also provides recipients with increased flexibility to tailor interventions to the unique needs of their community and/or target population.

The goals of HS are to:

1) Continue reducing infant mortality rates in the United States, and

2) Decrease disparities in infant mortality and poor perinatal health outcomes in  areas where those rates are high.

You can apply if your organization is in the United States and is:

  • Public or private Community-based Tribal (governments, organizations)

Additional Notes:

  • If you are a recipient of the Healthy Start Initiative – Enhanced (HRSA-23-130) (HSE) you are still eligible to apply for this grant if you are proposing a new project area, that is, an area not currently served by your or an existing HSE award. HSE grant project areas have been settled and it is not HRSA’s intent to alter or reset existing HSE project areas. Therefore, if you propose to serve a project area that fully overlaps with your own award or another HSE award, your application will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered.
  • Please see Appendix H for a list of Healthy Start Initiative – Enhanced project areas.

Still have questions? Please contact Mia Morrison: MCHBHealthyStart@HRSA.gov

Applications due by December 15, 2023

View Grant Opportunity

Apply Here

Funding Opportunity – Early Hearing Detection and Intervention State/Territory Program – HRSA-24-036

October 17, 2023

Funding Opportunity – Early Hearing Detection and Intervention State/Territory Program – HRSA-24-036

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) State/Territory Program. The purpose of this program is to enhance the state/territory EHDI system infrastructure to improve language acquisition for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children up to age 3. Funding will support state and territory EHDI systems of services so that DHH newborns, infants, and young children up to age 3 receive appropriate and timely services, including hearing screening, diagnosis, and early intervention (EI).

Who Can Apply?

  • Any state
  • District of Columbia
  • Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Guam
  • American Samoa
  • S. Virgin Islands
  • Micronesia
  • Republic of the Marshall Islands
  • Republic of Palau

In addition, you can apply if your organization is in the United States and is:

  • Public or private, non-profit
  • Community-based
  • Tribal (governments, organizations, as those terms are defined at 25 U.S.C. § 450b)
    • Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) are eligible
    • Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments) are eligible.

Watch the August 23, 2023 technical assistance webinar for more information

Get answers to Frequently Asked Questions for this funding

Applications are Due November 6, 2023

Apply Here

AHRQ Free Health Literacy Toolkits and Guides

October 17, 2023

AHRQ Free Health Literacy Toolkits and Guides

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) offers Free information to promote organizational policies and procedures which can foster the inclusion of patients and family while creating collaborative partnerships with other providers.

Free Tools

Health Literacy Toolkits, GIFS and Educational Resources

October 17, 2023

Health Literacy Toolkits, GIFS and Educational Resources

October is Health Literacy Month – Join the American Institute of Healthcare Compliance (AIHC), a non-profit training organization, for this international observance when hospitals, health centers, literacy programs, libraries, social service agencies, businesses, professional associations, government agencies, consumer alliances, and many other groups work together to integrate and expand the mission of health literacy.

Often patients don’t comply because they either don’t understand what is communicated or they are subject to Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) issues.

Check out these AIHC courses to support your organization: