Bringing Hospital Care Home: A Revolution in Rural Healthcare

July 12, 2024

Bringing Hospital Care Home: A Revolution in Rural Healthcare

An innovative concept that started in urban centers is making its way into the heart of rural America; hospital-at-home (H@H) care.

The idea stemmed from the realization that patients in rural areas often face significant barriers to accessing regular treatment.

H@H bridges the access gap by offering high-quality care at the patient’s home (or nursing home or assisted living facility). Not entirely new, the concept has gained traction due to advancements in telemedicine and mobile health technologies.

Crescent Regional Hospital in Lancaster, Texas, has installed its first “holobox”, a 3D, life-sized, highly advanced holographic display that allows doctors to teleport to the hospital for real-time, holographic consults with patients. Additionally, the hospital at home movement continues to gain traction in rural areas across the country.

There is no question that H@H improves patient outcomes and satisfaction while reducing cost. Although the implementation process is more complex than imagined and may seem dauting for a community hospital with limited resources, the model is beneficial for the hospital and patients.

Click Here to Learn More

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:

“It Can’t Just be About the Money: How to Assure an Adequate Public Health Workforce” (American Journal of Public Health): Explores effective strategies for building a strong public health workforce that go beyond just offering salary incentives.
“Public Health Nurses’ Proficiencies and Training Needs in an Emergency Response: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study” (Journal of Public Health Management & Practice): Provides insights into the essential skills and training that public health nurses need during emergency responses.

“Advancing equity in challenging times: A qualitative study of telehealth expansion and changing patient-provider relationships in primary care settings during the COVID-19 pandemic” (Digital Health): Discusses how telehealth evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on health care equity and patient-provider interactions.

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

Using Kaspersky Antivirus Software? It is Now Banned in the U.S.

June 26, 2024

Using Kaspersky Antivirus Software? It is Now Banned in the U.S.

Why is Kaspersky Getting Banned?

Kaspersky is getting banned in the US after the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) conducted a review of the company’s cybersecurity and anti-virus transactions.

BIS states that Russia is a foreign adversary that poses ongoing threats to the United States.
According to the agency, Kaspersky is under the jurisdiction and control of the Russian Government
- Allowing Kaspersky to access to sensitive information from US customers.
BIS notes that the company poses “unacceptable risks to the United States’ national security and the security and safety of its people.”
- The main concerns are:
  - Kaspersky’s connections to Russia
  - Potential security weaknesses in Kaspersky’s products
  - A chance that Russia could exploit these weaknesses.

What Does This Mean to Current Kaspersky Users?

The Kaspersky ban essentially means you will not be able to purchase its software products
- If you already have one, it will stop working soon.
- Starting July 20, Kaspersky and any of its partners will not be able to sell or license cybersecurity or antivirus software in the US.
- Existing Kaspersky customers have until September 29 to find an alternative
  - The company will no longer be able to provide antivirus signature updates after this date.

Kaspersky’s ban in the U.S. shouldn’t come as a surprise. The firm has been on the government’s radar for quite some time.

In 2017, the US banned the use of the Moscow-based cyber security firm’s products across all government agencies.

Read more from the Bureau of Industry & Security website.

Data Breach – U.S. Bans Antivirus Software

June 26, 2024

Data Breach – U.S. Bans Antivirus Software

Financial Business and Consumer Solutions (FBCS), a debt collection enterprise, has been impacted by a massive data breach that affects millions of Americans. FBCS is a debt collection agency that specializes in recovering charged-off consumer and commercial debts, such as car loans, healthcare bills, utility bills, student loans, and credit cards.

The initial tally of those affected from this cyber incident was around 1.9 million, which the company raised to 3 million in June 2024. The data breach leaked a treasure trove of consumer data, including full name, Social Security Number (SSN), date of birth, and driver’s license number or ID card. The company has informed affected individuals as well as concerned authorities.

If your organization transfers collection accounts to this or any other agency, the collection agency becomes a business associate according to HIPAA.

Read more about the cyber incident on the FBCS website.

Detecting Financial Exploitation of the Elderly & Compliance

June 17, 2024

Detecting Financial Exploitation of the Elderly & Compliance

Criminals are getting smarter every day and using advanced technology, such as Artificial Intelligence to scam the elderly. Loneliness also creates situations for vulnerable adults leading to romance scams.

The federal government, states, commonwealths, territories and the District of Columbia all have laws designed to protect older adults from elder abuse and guide the practice of adult protective services agencies, law enforcement agencies, and others. Basic definitions associated with elder abuse are provided as well as a link to the DOJ State Elder Abuse Statutes.

This new article also reviews government agency oversight and the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, various forms of scams and how to report financial fraud other elderly to the Elder Fraud Hotline and the FBI.

Click Here to read this and other articles related to Elder Abuse

Detecting Abuse of the Elderly

June 17, 2024

Detecting Abuse of the Elderly

Duty of care is a requirement that a person act toward others and the public with the watchfulness, attention, caution and prudence that a reasonable person in the circumstances would use.

If a person’s actions do not meet this standard of care, then the acts are considered negligent and any damages resulting may be claimed in a lawsuit for negligence.

Information in this article can be useful when completing a Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) risk assessment and any time a health care professional determines it is necessary to gain a deeper understanding of presenting problems which are warning signs of:

Elder physical abuse
Elder sexual abuse
Elder psychological abuse
Elder abandonment
Elder neglect and financial exploitation

Read Article

Caring, Awareness & Resources for Our Elders

June 13, 2024

Caring, Awareness & Resources for Our Elders

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month and Saturday, June 15, 2024 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

According to the Office of Inspector General (OIC), they continue to protect the health and wellbeing of those in long-term care as an oversight agency.

Learn more:

Visit the OIC dedicated page which has educational videos, elder care & safety awareness posters to download.
Read this article: Elder Abuse Awareness for the Healthcare Workforce
Read this article: Detecting abuse of the Elderly
June Newsletter – features the Elder Justice Act and Rights of Elderly Americans

Article: A Disconnect Between Health Care Leaders and Workers

May 24, 2024

Article: A Disconnect Between Health Care Leaders and Workers

A recent survey suggests many workers do not intend to leave health care entirely, but rather break ties from individual employers due to job dissatisfaction.

The survey also cites a gap in perception between what workers find important and what management think they find important.

Additionally, NRHA Partner Relias discussed how rural health care organizations can leverage a changing nursing workforce.

Read: Becker’s Hospital Review: A disconnect between healthcare leaders

Read: NRHA: Nursing shortage solutions are happening because they must

Why are Rural Americans – Especially Women- Dying Younger?

April 25, 2024

Why are Rural Americans – Especially Women- Dying Younger?

Rural Americans aged 25 to 54 are dying of natural causes such as chronic diseases and cancer at wildly higher rates than their urban peers, according to a recent report.

The disparity was significantly worse for women, and for Native American women in particular.

The gap highlights how persistent difficulties accessing health care and a dispassionate response from national leaders can eat away at the fabric of rural communities.

The National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA’s) Government Affairs team has produced policy briefs on rural women’s health and American Indian and Alaska Native health.

Read Rural Women’s Health policy brief

Read American Indian and Alaska Native Health policy brief

Category: Articles