October 14, 2025

October is “Let’s Talk Month” in Missouri – Resources Available

Governor Mike Kehoe has officially proclaimed October as “Let’s Talk Month” in Missouri, recognizing the importance of open, honest and ongoing communication between adults and youth about health and well-being.

The proclamation highlights the state’s commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue around adolescent health. The initiative is led by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) through its Adolescent and School Health Program.

“Let’s Talk Month” aims to encourage trusted adults – parents, teachers, mentors and caregivers – to engage in conversations with young people about topics that impact their physical, emotional and mental health. To support these efforts, DHSS is promoting a suite of tools and resources designed to make these conversations easier and more effective.

Among the featured tools is the “Connect with Me” resource, available as both a mobile app and a physical card set. The tool offers conversation starters organized by youth-relevant themes such as body image, mental health and relationships. These prompts are intended to help adults and youth navigate discussions that may not arise naturally.

Additional materials, including pamphlets and topic-specific guides, are available for free through the DHSS website. The Adolescent and School Health Program continues to expand its offerings and welcomes suggestions for future resources to better serve Missouri’s youth and those who support them.

Download the Connect With Me app, or to access the Connect with Me tools or order printed materials, visit Health.mo.gov/Connect.

September 24, 2025

New Microsoft Offers to Support Rural Health Efficiency Innovation, and Resiliency

To build on Microsoft’s philanthropic commitment to all rural health hospitals in the US, the Rural Health Resiliency program is pleased to announce that the following offers are now available:

• Windows 10 Extended Security Update (ESU) Free One-Year Extension
  • The free one-year Windows 10 ESU is now available to all US rural hospitals.
  • The ESU extends the use of Windows 10 devices in a secure manner, while lightening the cost burden for the transition to Windows 11.
  • The ESU extension is valid through October 13, 2026, and covers up to 250 devices running the latest software update (22H2) per rural hospital.

How to Access Windows 10 ESU and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. 1. To be qualified for this offer, confirm your hospital is listed as “rural” in the Urban and Rural Hospitals database.

• • • All independent Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Emergency Hospitals are also qualified.
    • For health system customers, only the specific hospitals listed as rural in the database qualify for this offer.

1. 2. If you are not yet registered for the Microsoft Rural Health Resiliency Program, register here.
   3. If you do not have an existing Microsoft Account, click here to create your account today. If you have an existing account, sign in as the administrator of the Office 365 account.
   4. Accept TechSoup as a Provider and accept the Microsoft Customer Agreement.
   5. Fill out this request form
   6. Look for an email from TechSoup within the next five business days. It will include the product keys to access your licenses. Once you receive that mail, you will have five calendar days to download the product keys. You will receive one product key per order.

Click Here to Learn More about Microsoft’s ESU program

• Pro Bono Cloud Capability Evaluations

Many rural hospitals still depend on on-premises infrastructure due to financial, technical, and connectivity challenges. This legacy IT drains budgets, slows staff, and steals time from patient care. The Cloud Capability Evaluation gives rural hospitals a clear roadmap to shift IT infrastructure to be cloud-powered, secure, and cost effective.

• • If your hospital is already registered for the Rural Health Resiliency program send an email to: RuralHealth@microsoft.com to schedule your free evaluation.
  • If your hospital has not yet registered for the program, and would like to access the Free Cloud Capability Evaluation and other offers, click here to register today.
• Free AI-powered Claims Denial Navigator Tool

To streamline insurance claim processing, the Claims Denial Navigator – the first AI innovation co-created with healthcare leaders in the Rural Health AI Innovation Lab (RHAIL) – is now available for free on GitHub: RHAIL Claims Denial Navigator.

This AI-powered tool helps recover lost revenue and streamline the process of researching and resolving denied Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance claims. Built to be lightweight and flexible, this tool:

• • Requires minimal capacity in SharePoint, Azure, and Power Apps,
  • Operates entirely within your hospital or organization’s existing IT environment, and
  • Is EHR-agnostic with no integration or interfacing required

The Microsoft Rural Health Resiliency (RHR) Program provides free cybersecurity, affordability, and AI tools to all rural hospitals in the U.S.

• Register today or visit the webpage for more information.
• Questions? Reach out to the Rural Health Resiliency Team at RuralHealth@microsoft.com.

September 16, 2025

New FMT Product: Rural Resource: Availability of Obstetric Simulation Training by State

The Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) has released a new product, Rural Resource: Availability of Obstetric Simulation Training by State. Obstetric simulation training is one-way clinical health professionals can maintain skills, which is of particular importance for rural hospitals with low birth volumes and for rural hospitals that do not have obstetric un8its but need to remain prepared for obstetric emergencies.

This environmental scan includes a list of obstetric simulation trainings by state as well as national and regional offerings, Fifteen trainings identified have a specific rural focus, and each training includes a link to the program, a description, the intended audience, and whether the training includes a mobile unit.

Critical Access Hospitals can use this resource to identify available trainings in their state or neighboring states, foster new partnerships with organizations offering simulation training, or use as examples of rural-specific training programs.

Click Here to View Resource

July 25, 2025

Missouri Tobacco Quit Services

Lung cancer is the leading cancer-related cause of death among adults in the United States, and smoking combustible commercial tobacco products remains the leading cause of lung cancer.

Missouri Tobacco Quit Services offers a package of resources to support providing information about lung cancer screening services in partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center, Project CONNECT.

Click Here to Explore Missouri Tobacco Quit Services

June 17, 2025

Free Compliance Checklist

According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), over 40% of a hospital’s total patient care expenses are attributed to administrative costs, including regulatory burden.

This challenge is especially true for hospital pharmacies. Many do not have the staff, expertise, nor bandwidth needed to keep up with ongoing compliance needs amidst day-to-day patient care activities.

Are you prepared for the recent regulatory updates? Download the CPS Optimizer Quarterly Compliance Action Checklist, which serves as a quick, timely assessment to identify gaps, implement recommended corrective actions, and reduce regulatory risks.

Click Here to Learn More and Download CPS’ Free Compliance Checklist