NARCH Academy- Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional (CRHCP) Course: Registration Opens February 14th

January 13, 2023

NARCH Academy- Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional Course: Registration Opens February 14th

NARHC is offering Directors, Clinic Administrators & other RHC leaders a unique full-spectrum course designed to teach you how to operate a successful Rural Health Clinic. Upon course completion & attainment of an 80% or higher exam score, you will earn a CRHCP certification.

  • Enrollment*: Begins February 14, 2023. Download the PDF form HERE and return OR register online. As soon as your payment has been processed, you will receive an email notification with further instructions to access the course.
    *Course access given upon successful course registration/payment
  • Cost: NARHC Member $450/learner, Non-Member $600/learner
    Interested in a Scholarship? Check with your State Office of Rural Health to see if they participate!
  • Course Format: The course content is all online with an online proctored final exam. The final exam test window will be April 24-28, 2023.
  • Length of Course: Approximately 15-20 hours. Most people require 4-6 weeks to complete.
  • Content: The CRHCP Course consists of 4 modules: Admin & Finance, Billing & Coding, Regulatory Compliance & Quality, and Federal Updates with short pre-tests throughout the first 3 modules. To view the Learning Objectives, Click Here.
  • Pre-requisites: None.
  • Final Exam:  The final exam will be an online proctored exam only. It is 100 questions in multiple choice and multiple correct (select all that apply) format. The final exam will be available April 24-28, 2023.
  • What if I don’t Pass the Exam: 1 free re-take of the test will be allowed within the first 60 days (on-line).  If you do not pass the exam on the 2nd attempt you will have to re-take the course at full price at the next course offering.

NEXT SESSION INFORMATION: Fall 2023 CRHCP Session Registration
will open August 15th. 

Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC)-NOW OPEN

January 10, 2023

Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC)

Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program is now open. As a reminder, this provides loan repayment to nurses in exchange for a minimum two-year full-time service commitment, at an eligible health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses or an eligible school of nursing.

In order to be eligible:

  • You must be a:
    • Licensed registered nurse;
    • Advanced practice registered nurse, such as a nurse practitioner; or
    • Nurse faculty member
  • You received your nursing education from an accredited school of nursing located in a U.S. state or territory.
  • You work full-time in either:

HRSA will host two technical assistance webinars:

                             Thursday, January 26                                          Wednesday, February 15

                             2:00-3:30 p.m. ET via Zoom                               2:00-3:30 p.m. ET via Zoom

 

For more questions please contact:

Call: 1-800-221-9393 | TTY: 1-877-897-9910
M – F | 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. (except federal holidays)

Contact form

ORHPC- Invitation for Bid: National Rural Health Association Certification Program for CEOs/CFOs/CNOs

December 23, 2022

The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care is sponsoring the National Rural Health Association Certification Programs.

The purpose of the project is to fund Critical Access Hospitals for participating in the National Rural Health Association’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Certification Program, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Certification Program, or the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Certification Program.  Participation will gain leadership skills in CAH operational, financial, and quality improvement.

To submit a bid please see the DHSS Invitations for Bids or Proposals found here: https://health.mo.gov/information/publicnotices/invitations/index.php

Or the Missouri BUYS bid board found here: https://missouribuys.mo.gov/

For Questions you MUST contact: Janett.Walker@health.mo.gov

Please see the Attachment for additional information: 53067 National Rural Health Association Certification Programs IFB

Funding Opportunity-USDA Rural Development: Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grant Program

December 22, 2022

USDA Rural Development Webinar: Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grant Program

Want to know more about this grant program: Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grants | Rural Development (usda.gov)

Date: January 5, 2023

Time: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm CST

Online Attendance: Register HERE

In-Person: Location: Register HERE

USDA Rural Development State Office

601 Business Loop 70 West,

Parkade Center, Suit 235

Columbia, MO 65203

FY2023 Jan DLT WorkshopFlyer-USDA_HRSA

WEBINAR-Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center

December 21, 2022

Rural Health Redesign Center Organization (RHRCO) – Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center

Type of Event: Webinar

Target Audience: Critical Access Hospitals and other rural healthcare entities considering conversion to a Rural Emergency Hospital

Rural emergency hospital (REH) is a new Medicare provider designation established by Congress through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The intent of an REH is to prevent rural hospital closures, reduce health disparities and preserve access to outpatient care services in rural communities that may not be able to sustain a full-service hospital.

We are pleased to invite you to a webinar on January 18, 2023, at 12:30 pm ET, where the Rural Health Redesign Center (RHRC) and its technical partner Mathematica will host a 90-minute webinar to provide an overview of REH. Participants will learn about REH requirements and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ conditions for REH participation and payment. We will also describe how the Rural Health Redesign Center and its partners can assist entities through the REH conversion process and access ongoing transformation support.

To register for this event, please click here

*Funding for the Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center is provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

Funding Opportunity – Delta States Rural Development Network Grant Program -HRSA-23-031 Due March 22, 2023

December 21, 2022

Delta States Rural Development Network Grant Program -HRSA-23-031

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) will be awarding approximately $12 million through 12 grants for the 2023 Delta States Rural Development Network Grant Program (Delta). This three-year program will support integrated health care networks to achieve efficiencies; expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of basic health care services and associated health outcomes; and strengthen the rural health care system as a whole.

Applications are due March 22, 2023.

HRSA intends for the Delta Program to address gaps in service, enhance systems of care, and expand capacity of the local rural health care system. The Delta Program provides organizations the resources needed to help rural Delta communities develop partnerships and jointly address health topics in the following areas: 1) diabetes, 2) cardiovascular disease, 3) obesity, 4) acute ischemic stroke, 5) chronic lower respiratory disease, 6) cancer, and 7) unintentional injury/substance use.

The eligibility criteria for this program have been reauthorized to include all domestic public and private, nonprofit and for-profit, entities with demonstrated experience serving, or the capacity to serve, rural underserved populations. This includes faith-based, community-based organizations, tribes, tribal organizations, and State Offices of Rural Health (SORH). The applicant organization must represent a network that includes at least three or more health care provider organizations and at least 66 percent (two-thirds) of network partners must be located in a HRSA-designated rural area.

All activities supported by this program must be provided in HRSA-designated rural areas (as defined by the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer) within the Delta service region.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for FY23 Delta States Rural Development Network Grant Program can be viewed here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=340905

Interested applicants may attend a live webinar on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, from 2-3:30 p.m. ET. 

Audio Conference details:

  • Call-In Number: 833-568-8864
  • Participant Code: 14527157

Webinar recordings may be requested after the webinar by emailing DeltaStatesGrantPrgm@hrsa.gov.

For any questions on the Delta Program or this NOFO, please contact Diana Alatorre, Delta Program Coordinator, DeltaStatesGrantPrgm@hrsa.gov.

Now Available! December MBQIP Monthly

December 09, 2022

Now Available! December MBQIP Monthly

MBQIP Monthly is an e-newsletter that highlights current information about the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) and provides critical access hospitals (CAHs) information and support for quality reporting and improvement. MBQIP Monthly is produced through the Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance program by Stratis Health.

Current Issue:  MBQIP Monthly December 2022

  • CAHs Can! National Rural Virtual Quality Improvement Mentor Profile Series: Tammy Suchy
  • Data: CAHs Measure Up – Antibiotic Stewardship Program Reporting Implementation Update
  • Tips: Robyn Quips – Abstracting and Reporting Resources
  • Tools and Resources – Helping CAHs succeed in Quality Reporting & Improvement

Flex programs are encouraged to distribute MBQIP Monthly to their CAHs as an additional resource to supplement state-level MBQIP support (just forward the above summary to your hospitals).

This Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) best practice study includes strategies that high-performing CAHs employed to maintain the best possible health care experience for patients despite the coronavirus pandemic. It is an update to HCAHPS approaches collected from high-performing CAHs across the U.S. during focus group interviews conducted in late 2016.

  • Upcoming Office Hours! Ask Robyn – Quarterly Open Office Hour Call for Data Abstractors | Tuesday, January 24, 2023, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CT Register
    Sometimes it just helps to talk to someone! Quality Reporting Specialist Robyn Carlson offers open office hour calls to discuss your MBQIP abstraction questions. Sessions are free of charge, but registration is required. For more information about the Ask Robyn calls, contact Robyn Carlson (rcarlson@stratishealth.org).

If you have MBQIP questions, please contact tasc@ruralcenter.org.

RFA: Building State Capacity: Primary Care Office Training Academy

December 08, 2022

Request for Applications: Building State Capacity: Primary Care Office Training Academy 

 CLICK HERE FOR THE RFA: PCO Training Academy RFA 2023

ASTHO and NOSORH are excited to announce the request for applications (RFA) to the 2023 Virtual Primary Care Office (PCO) Training Academy! This six-month program provides the opportunity for new key PCO staff to receive mentoring from an experienced PCO staff member. Mentors are paired with mentees based on the needs identified in the mentee application.  A virtual training academy kick-off meeting will take place on March 7-9, 2023, approximately 3 hours a day.

The goals of the PCO Training Academy are to:

  • Measurably increase PCO directors’ or their staffs’ familiarity with all the major components of the work of Primary Care Offices, including knowledge of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) role and processes relating to PCO funding, support, and oversight;
  • Build useful working relationships among PCO directors and staff, both through a mentorship program of PCO directors who are able to consult and strategize amongst each other and between newer PCO directors and more experienced ones who are able to provide guidance and expert advice; and,
  • Foster PCO director and staff leadership in the fields of primary care and access to healthcare in their states/territories and communities by helping them form connections with other partners in state/territorial government and the public health community more broadly.

Applications are due by January 3, 2023:

  • To apply for a spot as a mentee, please complete and submit your Full Application via e-mail to bethk@nosorh.org. Attached is the RFA.
  • If you are a veteran PCO that is interested in serving as a mentor, simply fill out the survey at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KSLL5DR

HRSA Releases Updated Workforce Projections Dashboard

December 08, 2022

HRSA Releases Updated Workforce Projections Dashboard

The dashboard provides projections of the future supply and demand for healthcare occupations.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA) has released its updated Workforce Projections Dashboard.

This interactive dashboard shows projections of the supply and demand for the health workforce across the United States.

You can use this tool to:

  • View projections of the supply and demand for health care workers at the state and national level.
  • Analyze supply and demand trends by discipline.
  • Analyze projected ‘What if?’ scenarios in the event of changes in the health care landscape.

The projections are based on the Health Workforce Simulation Model that estimates the current and future supply and demand for healthcare workers by occupation, geographic area, and year. This model incorporates factors such as the changing population size, demographics, and location of the U.S. population; new entrants and exiting providers in various occupations; and differing levels of access to care.

If you have any questions, send them to NCHWAinquiries@hrsa.gov.

Learn More.

 

Missouri launches interactive dashboard displaying pregnancy-associated deaths

December 08, 2022

Missouri launches interactive dashboard displaying pregnancy-associated deaths

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Annually, an average of 61 Missouri women die while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy, making Missouri rank 44th in maternal mortality. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is leading the nation in launching the first statewide, interactive dashboard displaying maternal mortality data.

“The road to becoming a mother is not always easy. DHSS and the PAMR Board are looking to help ease what should be a joyful journey from becoming one of grief and loss,” said Paula Nickelson, acting director for DHSS. “Focusing on increasing awareness of new mothers’ needs and providing postpartum care are a few factors that can impact another new mother from becoming a mortality statistic. With the dashboard, DHSS is hoping to further awareness, discussions and the need to improve obtainable resources for mothers to prevent these tragic deaths.”

From a global standpoint, the United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality among 11 developed nations. Additionally, Black women are greater than three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

The dashboard summarizes three years (2017-2019) of data from the state Maternal Mortality Review Committee. The Committee operates using a standardized, comprehensive and evolving system to understand the context and causes surrounding a woman’s death. Accompanying visualizations of data highlight the information aiding in comprehension of the following:

  • Two leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths are mental health conditions and cardiovascular disease.
  • The majority of all maternal deaths occur in the time period between 43 days to one year postpartum.

The PAMR Board continues to review cases and provide recommendations for prevention. View the online PAMR dashboard and the latest PAMR annual report at Health.Mo.Gov/Data/Pamr. Women’s health resources supported by DHSS can be located at health.mo.gov/WomensHealth.