Category: Resources

Free Meals are Being Served to Children at Hundreds of Locations in Missouri

June 20, 2023

Free Meals are Being Served to Children at Hundreds of Locations in Missouri

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Summer Food Service Program is designed to provide breakfast, lunch, suppers and/or snacks to children living in eligible areas during the summer months and during times of public emergencies, when children do not have access to free or reduced-price meals at school. An online interactive map is provided to help families in Missouri find out where their children can receive free meals this summer.

Community organizations serve the meals at schools, churches, parks, swimming pools, YMCA facilities, Boys and Girls Clubs, and other spots where children gather when school is not in session. The meals are provided to all children that attend the meal service location. Children do not have to register and there is no fee to participate in the program.

The map and more information about the Summer Food Service Program can be found at health.mo.gov/sfsp. For families without access to the internet, summer meal sites in the area can also be found by texting the phrase “Summer Meals” to the text number 914-342-7744.

Meals will be served to children age 18 and under. They are also provided to individuals age 18 to 21 that have been determined by a state or local educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who participate in an established school program for the mentally or physically disabled.

Funding for the Summer Food Service Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

More information about the Summer Food Service Program is available online at health.mo.gov/sfsp or by telephone at 888-435-1464 (toll-free). Individuals who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or have a speech disability can dial 711 or 1-800-735-2966. Community organizations that would like to become sponsors may also email the Summer Food Service Program at sfsp@health.mo.gov or write to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Summer Food Service Program, P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102 for more information.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Simple Strategies to Stay on Top of Resident Changes – June 2023 Newsletter

June 15, 2023

Simple Strategies to Stay on Top of Resident Changes – June 2023 Newsletter

The Health Quality Innovation Network (HQIN) has released the June 2023 newsletter. The June newsletter includes articles such as:

In addition read about Learning Opportunities:

Click Here to Read More

June 2023 MBQIP Now Available

June 12, 2023

June 2023 MBQIP Now Available

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.

June 2023 content:

  • CAHs Can! QI Mentor Stories – Building a Quality Warehouse
  • Data: CAHs Measure Up – Health Care Disparities in Rural Areas – A Data Driven Approach
  • Tips: Robyn Quips – CMS Data Element Change
  • Tools and Resources – Helping CAHs succeed in Quality Reporting & Improvement

Providing Care for LGBTQ+ Patients Using Telehealth

June 7, 2023

Providing Care for LGBTQ+ Patients Using Telehealth

Telehealth can help improve access to quality care. Using telehealth appointments allows for a safe, convenient way for LGBTQ+ patients to access health care. Visit this page to learn best practices and access resources for providing quality LGBTQ+ telehealth care.

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Supporting Patients with Remote Patient Monitoring

June 7, 2023

Supporting Patients with Remote Patient Monitoring

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a growing telehealth practice that allows health care providers to monitor a patient’s health from their own home. Providers can support patients in managing acute and chronic conditions and it can cut down on patients’ travel costs.  Learn more about how to use remote patient monitoring and about billing and reimbursement.

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Become a Pathfinder Hospital with the Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator

June 6, 2023

Become a Pathfinder Hospital with the Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator

The American Heart Association® has opened applications for rural hospitals, like yours, to join the Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator. Participation in the accelerator connects hospitals across the country at no-cost, as pathfinders in quality improvement and patient outcomes.

Join peers, with the support of the American Heart Association, to optimize acute care and align with clinical practice guidelines, using resources built specifically to meet rural health care needs.

What is the Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator?

The Situation:

Americans living in rural areas face higher mortality rates than urban residents. Data indicates that rural residents are at a 30% higher risk of stroke, are 40% more likely to develop heart disease, and live an average of three years fewer than their urban counterparts.

Longer, Healthier Lives

In response to the discrepancy between rural and urban mortality, the American Heart Association has launched the Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator  with the goal of ensuring that Americans living in rural areas have the best possible chance of survival and the highest quality of life attainable by promoting consistent, timely and appropriate evidence-based care.

Participation in the accelerator provides no-cost access to newly added quality improvement programs, 1-on-1 consultation, education and resources, and collaboration with a community of peers to support rural hospitals in achieving this goal together.

What is Included:

  • No-cost access to any newly added Get with the Guidelines® Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease and/or Stroke programs through December 31, 2025
  • 1:1 rural quality consultation services
  • American Heart Association-facilitated stroke and cardiac rural learning collaboratives
  • Access to clinical experts and thought leaders through conferences and webinars
  • Access to guidelines and statements through American Heart Association Professional Membership
  • Pre-built toolkit of marketing resources to communicate with your community
  • No-cost clinical continuing education courses via American Heart Association’s Lifelong Learning Center
  • Inclusion in the Rural Community Network, an exclusive online networking community built for rural hospitals to share resources and collaborate
  • Optional reporting for disease-specific cardiac and stroke Health Care Certification Programs
  • Get With The Guidelines Rural Recognition Programs for Stroke and Coronary Artery Disease that bring equity to recognition, awarding hospitals on the high quality acute care delivered prior to patient transfer

Request More Information

Learn more about the Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator at heart.org/ruralaccelerator

Highlighting Disparities During National Men’s Health Month

June 5, 2023

Highlighting Disparities During National Men’s Health Month

During June, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) is recognizing National Men’s Health Month by encouraging men from populations that are underserved to prioritize their health and well-being.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for men of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, accounting for 1 in every 4 male deaths. Among Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries, men had a higher prevalence of ischemic heart disease (32.3%) than women (22.2%) in 2018. Men from minority populations are often disproportionately affected by heart disease and many of its risk factors, including high blood pressure. According to the CDC, hypertension was more common in Black (58.4%), Asian (51.9%), Hispanic and Latino (50.4%) men from 2015-2018 compared to White men (49.8%). Racial disparities are prevalent not only in heart disease, but also in prostate cancer, which is the second-leading cause of cancer death among males. In 2019, Black men had the highest rate of new cancer diagnoses, followed by White, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Asian and Pacific Islander men.

In addition to promoting men’s physical health this month, CMS OMH is highlighting the importance of men’s mental health. Since men are far less likely to seek mental health treatment than women due to stigma, their mental health concerns often go untreated. In 2021, the suicide rate among males was approximately four times higher than the rate among females. Though men make up 50% of the U.S. population, they represent nearly 80% of suicides.

National Men’s Health Month allows CMS OMH an opportunity to highlight racial and ethnic disparities in men’s health as well as the importance of physical and mental well-being for men of all backgrounds. We encourage you to share the below resources with the men in your community to help them take control of their health this month and all year.

Resources:

Guide to Using the Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs Screening Tool: Promising Practices and Key Insights

June 1, 2023

Guide to Using the Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs Screening Tool: Promising Practices and Key Insights

Click HERE to download “A Guide to Using the Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs Screening Tool: Promising Practices and Key Insights” from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

In this document, CMS describes the health-related social needs (HRSN) Screening Tool from the Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model and share practices for universal screening.

HRSNs are individual level, adverse social conditions that negatively impact a person’s health or health care. HRSNs are distinguished from social determinants of health — the structural and contextual factors that shape everyone’s lives — and can be identified by the health care system and addressed in partnership with community resources.

Identifying and addressing HRSNs can have many benefits, including improvements to a person’s health and reduced health care spending.

Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs Screening Tool

Free Candida Auris Pocket Card for Your Staff

June 1, 2023

Free Candida Auris Pocket Card for Your Staff

Candida auris is a yeast (type of fungus) that causes serious infections and can spread in health care settings.

It can spread through facilities via contact with contaminated environmental surfaces or equipment or from person to person.

Symptoms might not be noticeable because individuals infected with Candida auris are often sick with another serious illness or condition.

Click HERE to download pocket cards to share with staff in your facility to help them identify and stop the spread of Candida auris. For best results, print on card stock and flip on the long edge (to line up front side of card to back side). HQIN recommends laminating the page before cutting the cards to distribute. If laminating, print on regular copier paper and use a (heavy) 5 mil laminating pouch.

Simple Strategies: Team Approach to Improving Sepsis Reimbursement and Reputation

June 1, 2023

Simple Strategies: Team Approach to Improving Sepsis Reimbursement and Reputation

Health care staff in billing, coding, quality, clinical documentation integrity, utilization review, information technology, nursing and physician services have key roles in the administrative processes of sepsis.

Interdisciplinary collaboration between these roles can help ensure standardized processes are developed to avoid unnecessary impacts to reimbursement and reputation.

Click Here to Download this Resource