FREE Ventilator for Rural Hospitals

March 12, 2024

The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care (ORHPC) has been notified that the Strategic National Stockpile is offering all Rural Hospitals the opportunity to claim a FREE ventilator.

Important Notes:

  • These ventilators were first offered to rural hospitals in 2021
  • All rural hospitals are eligible to request a ventilator
    • Regardless of participation in 2021
  • Request your ventilator now, by completing the Rural Hospital Ventilator Form
    • Be sure to include appropriate and accurate point of contacts
    • You will also need to coordinate with logistics and respiratory departments to ensure smooth delivery of the unit

Ventilator Distribution Opportunity for Rural Hospitals, Frequently Asked Questions:

  • How many ventilators can I request?
    • rural hospitals may submit a request for more than one ventilator (per model) via the interest form. However, please remember there is no guarantee as distribution is contingent on availability
  • Can I request a new ventilator if I already received a ventilator in 2021 during the COVID-19 response?
    • Yes. Rural hospitals may request a ventilator(s) regardless if they participated in the previous distribution of ventilators
  • Will I need to return the ventilator?
    • No. However, you will be responsible for ongoing maintenance of the ventilator
  • What is included in the ventilator kit?
    • Each model should include one ventilator and one accessory kit
  • Do I need to cover the cost for shipping and delivery of the ventilator?
    • No. Once the ventilators are ready to ship, the Strategic National Stockpile will coordinate with their contractor to confirm and arrange delivery.
      • Prior to delivery, it’s important your hospital’s point of contact coordinate internally with your logistics and respiratory team to ensure the equipment will be delivered to the correct facility.
  • Ventilator models available include:
    • ResMed Astral 150
    • AutoMedx SAVE II
      • Please note: these models were NOT produced through the Defense Production Act and have been fully maintained and cleared by the FDA for regular use.

Claim Your Free Ventilator Today

Studying Nursing? Apply for HRSA’s Scholarship!

March 11, 2024

Studying Nursing? Apply for HRSA’s Scholarship!

The Health Resources and Services Administrations’ (HRSAs’) Nurse Corps Scholarship Program application is open!

The program provides scholarships to nursing students in exchange for a minimum two-year, full-time service commitment (or part-time equivalent) at an eligible health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses.

Eligible nursing students can apply to the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program. If accepted HRSA will pay your tuition, fees, and other educational costs, along with a monthly stipend.

In return, after you graduate, you work at an eligible health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses.

You are eligible if you:

  • Are a U.S. citizen (born or naturalized), a national, or a lawful permanent resident
  • Are an accepted or enrolled student in a nursing degree program at a United States accredited school of nursing
  • Begin classes no later than September 30
  • Don’t have any federal judgment liens
  • Don’t have an existing service commitment
  • Aren’t overdue on a federal debt

Questions:

Call: 1 800-221-9333 M-F 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (except federal holidays

Contact form

Application Program Guidance

Apply

New Research: Health Centers and Patient Support Services

March 11, 2024

New Research: Health Centers and Patient Support Services

A recent Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funded study shows that health centers with the highest use of patient support services, such as transportation, score higher than other health centers on 90% of clinical quality process measures (e.g., cervical cancer screening, childhood immunization status).

This research suggests that health-related social services that health centers provide make a significant positive impact on clinical health outcomes.

Read the published article and other articles about high-quality care in health center in HRSA’s Health Center Library

Opportunity for Participation – Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use

March 11, 2024

Opportunity for Participation – Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is accepting applications for participation in the Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use. Learn how to improve patient safety and reduce harm associated with antibiotics in a FREE 18-month AHRQ program that starts in June, 2024.

This program is designed for primary care, urgent care, and direct to consumer practitioners to help improve their antibiotic prescribing practices over telemedicine.

This is an 18-month program starting in June 2024 and enrollment is open now.

There will be one webinar per month, which can be viewed asynchronously if needed.

CME/CEU/MOC points are available for free.

Benefits of Participation:

  • Improve efficiency and patient satisfaction with antibiotic prescribing, using approaches such as scripting for live and patient portal interactions
  • Perform better on antibiotic-related quality measures
  • Receive continuing education credits (CEUs), continuing medical education credits (CMEs), and American Board of Internal Medicine Maintenance of Certification (MOC) points through live and/or self-paced materials

Cost: FREE

Learn More

Join the Program

CMS Resource Documents – Understanding and Using New Payment Codes

March 11, 2024

CMS Resource Documents – Understanding and Using New Payment Codes

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released two new resources to assist providers and stakeholders in understanding and using new payment codes.

Notice of Funding Opportunity RCORP – Impact: HRSA-24-014

March 11, 2024

Notice of Funding Opportunity RCORP – Impact: HRSA-24-014

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently released the Notice of Funding Opportunity for Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Impact (RCORP-Impact) HRSA-24-014.

The purpose of RCORP Impact is to improve access to integrated and coordinated treatment and recovery services for substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), in rural areas.

Ultimately, RCORP-Impact aims to address the SUD/OUD crisis in rural communities and promote long-term, sustained recovery.

Eligible Applicants:

  • State governments
  • For profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Special district governments
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Small business
  • City or township governments
  • County governments
  • All domestic public or private, non-profit, and for-profit entities

Each grantee will receive up to $750,000 per year for a four-year project that meets the following goals:

  • Goal 1: Service Delivery
    • Establish and/or expand coordinated and comprehensive SUD treatment and recovery services
  • Goal 2: Workforce
    • Develop a responsive SUD workforce, which includes both peers and clinical providers with diverse scopes of practice
  • Goal 3: Supportive Services
    • Establish and/or enhance coordination with supportive social services to ensure that rural individuals and families affected by SUD have the greatest opportunity possible for sustained, long-term recovery
  • Goal 4: Sustainability
    • Develop innovative, multi-sectoral approaches to ensure the continued availability of services supported by RCORP-Impact in the target rural service area

Have questions or cannot access the full announcement electronically?

Please contact:

Sarah O’Donnell, HRSA, (301) 443-0298, sodonnell@hrsa.gov

Applications Due: May 6, 2024

Learn More

Apply Here

Funding Opportunity: Advanced Nursing Education – Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (ANE-SANE) Program

February 20, 2024

Funding Opportunity: Advanced Nursing Education – Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (ANE-SANE) Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to increase the number of qualified sexual assault nurse examiners.

The Advanced Nursing Education-Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (ANE-SANE) Program will expand advanced nursing education and training to improve access to sexual assault forensic examination. The ANE-SANE Program aims to provide better access to mental and physical care for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

The purpose of this program is to increase the supply, distribution and quality of the sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) workforce and aims to provide access to mental and physical care for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

HRSA will award approximately $14.2 million to up to 28 grantees over a period of three years through this funding opportunity.

Eligible Applicants:

  • Accredited schools of nursing
  • Nursing centers
  • Academic health centers
  • Nurse-managed health clinics
  • Rural health clinics
  • HRSA-supported health clinics
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers
  • Public or non-profit hospitals and emergency health care service providers
  • State and local health departments
  • Non-profit community-based and faith-based
  • Federally recognized Tribal Government and Native American organizations

View Grant Opportunity

Applications are due by April 2, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Questions? Please contact

Michael Clark, ANE-SANE@hrsa.gov, (301) 594-4203

New COPD Videos available: Getting Started with Pulmonary Rehab in Rural Communities

.February 20, 2024

New COPD Videos available: Getting Started with Pulmonary Rehab in Rural Communities

Two new educational videos now available from the National Rural Health Resource Center highlight the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the country’s rural communities and the steps that critical access hospitals and other small rural hospitals can take to improve access to  much-needed pulmonary rehabilitation services.

The first video, Understanding COPD and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, provides an overview of COPD – its symptoms ad causes – and explains how rural-based pulmonary rehabilitation services help to restore independence and quality of like in COPD patients.

The second video, How to Launch a Pulmonary Rehab Program, highlights the benefits – to hospitals and their community – of operating rural pulmonary rehab programs, and shares practical advice and tips on how critical access hospitals and small rural hospitals can successfully build and sustain their own pulmonary rehab programs. The video includes a look at two critical access hospitals – Sparta Community Hospital in Illinois and Hood Memorial Hospital in Louisiana – that opened pulmonary rehab programs in 2023.

Additional Resources

 

2024 NOSORH Rural Health Grant Writing Institute: Register by Friday, February 16

February 9, 2024

2024 NOSORH Rural Health Grant Writing Institute: Register by Friday, February 16

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) invites you to a unique learning experience where you can enhance your grant writing skills, turn rurality to your advantage, learn to connect with funders and more.

This virtual learning series is tailor-made for beginners aiming to develop the skills needed to research and draft winning program proposals from various funders.

The institute runs March 4 – April 29, 2024. Virtual learning sessions will take place Mondays from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. ET

Curriculum Highlights:

  • Getting Started on Writing a Proposal
  • Developing a Strong Evaluation
  • How to Use Data to Make the Case for Rural
  • Finding Funding and other Resources to Support Your Proposal

Participants will benefit from:

  • Tools, templates and tips to assist in grant writing
  • Opportunities for
  • One-on-one support
  • Peer review
  • Discussion with other new and experience grant writers

Interested persons must register by Friday, February 16.

Cost: $750

Register Here