Category: Resources

Health Care Artificial Intelligence Toolkit

October 7, 2024

Health Care Artificial Intelligence Toolkit

This guide is designed to help community health clinics and rural hospitals navigate information regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.  It discusses:

  • Foundational considerations
  • Governance for AI applications
  • Steps to assess and mitigate discriminatory impacts of AI systems in healthcare

The toolkit also includes an AI tool vendor evaluation checklist for community health clinics and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)

Click Here to Access Health Care Artificial Intelligence Toolkit

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October 4, 2024

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, advocates, health care workers, survivors, and community partners across the country work together to end domestic violence.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) safety-net settings of care can support domestic violence awareness by sharing content and resources.

Download HRSA’s Implementation Framework that has activities and resources for HRSA-supported settings of care to prevent and respond to intimate partner violence in the communities they serve.

Click Here to Download Implementation Framework

Telehealth Best Practices for Back to School

October 4, 2024

Telehealth Best Practices for Back to School

School-based telehealth can increase a student’s ability to access health care providers. School-based telehealth can include annual exams, monitoring chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma, and providing behavioral health services.

Students who access health care using telehealth in school may have reduced time away from class, reduced travel costs, and increased availability for appointments.

With students back in school, school-based telehealth providers can educate parents about services.

This best practice guide highlights strategies for creating a school-based telehealth program.

Click Here for Best Practice Guide

Additional Best Practice Guides for Telehealth

New FMT Brief: Characteristics of Communities Affected by Critical Access Hospital Mergers

September 30, 2024

New FMT Brief: Characteristics of Communities Affected by Critical Access Hospital Mergers

The Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) has released a new policy brief, Characteristics Affected by Critical Access Hospital Mergers.

This brief provides comparative statistics on the demographic, socioeconomic, health status, and geographic characteristics of communities served by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) by their merger status.

Findings from this study will help inform hospital leaders, State Flex Programs, and policymakers about community characteristics that may be associated with CAH mergers, and about the rural populations that are affected by CAH mergers.

Key findings from this brief include:

  • Between 2010 and 2022, CAHs were the targets of 128 mergers, meaning a health care entity acquired or merged them under a single owner.
  • CAH mergers were unevenly distributed across the U.S. Census regions, largely concentrated in the Midwest and the South.
  • Communities where CAHs merged had:
    • Lower rates of insurance for both adults and children
    • Lower median income inequality
    • Higher unemployment rates compared with counties without CAH mergers

Click Here to View Policy Brief

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is Available Statewide in Missouri!

September 30, 2024

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is Available Statewide in Missouri!

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by delivering high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to the homes of registered children under age 5, at no cost to the family.

The Missouri Imagination Library was made possible by legislation (Section 178.694 RSMo) that identifies school districts as the local partner for this initiative. Full funding was included in DESE’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget to establish and administer Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for all children in Missouri age 0-5.

There is no cost to schools for the books or the postage to deliver them.

Sign your child up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Access Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Parent Portal

New Product from FMT: Workforce Toolkit to Support Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Providers

September 18, 2024

New Product from FMT: Workforce Toolkit to Support Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Providers

The Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) has released a new product, the Workforce Toolkit to Support Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Providers.

This toolkit:

  • provides background on health care workforce challenges in the U.S.,
  • describes common workforce challenges faced by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and
  • provides examples and links to external resources that CAHs may use to address their own workforce needs and enhance recruitment and retention.

The toolkit includes five modules that discuss key workforce challenges and resources by topic:

  • Introductory module that summarizes broad challenges in the rural health care workforce
  • Organizational culture and leadership
  • Leveraging partnerships
  • Emergency medical services workforce
  • Administrative and support staff workforce

Each module exists as a standalone webpage on the FMT website, and the FMT has also created PDF versions of each module that may be saved locally or printed for reference.

Click Here to View Toolkit

It’s Telehealth Awareness Week – Telehealth Resources

September 18, 2024

It’s Telehealth Awareness Week – Telehealth Resources

The Health Resource and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Office for the Advancement of Telehealth works to improve access to quality health care through integrated telehealth services. Programs support direct services, research and technical assistance.

Click Here to find the latest information on telehealth

Additional Resources:

Free Cybersecurity Services and Tools Available to You

September 17, 2024

Free Cybersecurity Services and Tools Available to You

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has curated a database of free cybersecurity services and tools as part of their continuing mission to reduce cybersecurity risk across U.S. critical infrastructure partners and state, local, tribal and territorial governments.

What’s included:

  • CISA’s no-cost, in-house cybersecurity services designed to help individuals and organizations build and maintain a robust and resilient cyber framework
  • An extensive selection of free cybersecurity services and tools provided by the private and public sector to help organizations further advance their security capabilities
  • CISA has also initiated a process for organizations to submit additional free tools and services for inclusion on this list

All organizations should take certain foundational measures to implement a strong cybersecurity program before requesting a service or further exploring resources.

Start with these Top 3 Services:

  • Connect with your Regional Cybersecurity Advisor (CSA)
    • CISA’s program of work is carried out across the nation by personnel assigned to its 10 regional offices.
    • Region 7 CSA contact: CISARegion7@cisa.dhs.gov
  • Sign up for Cyber Hygiene Services
    • CISA’s Cyber Hygiene services help secure internet-facing systems from weak configurations and known vulnerabilities
    • Email vulnerability@cisa.dhs.gov to enroll in Cyber Hygiene
  • Cybersecurity Performance Goal (CPG) Assessment
    • CISA’s CPGs are a common set of practices all organizations should implement to kickstart their cybersecurity efforts
    • Small and medium-sized organizations can use the CPGs to prioritize investment in a limited number of essential actions with high-impact security outcomes.
    • CISA has mapped the free services in the Free Cybersecurity Tool & Services database
    • Click Here to learn more about CPGS

Click Here to Access CISA’s Free Cybersecurity Services and Tools

CMS Releases Revised Guidance for Rural Emergency Hospital Provisions, Conversion Process and Conditions of Participation

September 17, 2024

CMS Releases Revised Guidance for Rural Emergency Hospital Provisions, Conversion Process and Conditions of Participation

The Centers for Medicaid Services & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released guidance regarding the enrollment and conversion process for eligible facilities interested in participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs as a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH).

Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) are a new provider type established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to address concerns over rural hospital closures. REHs provide emergency and outpatient medical and health services to patients that generally stay less than 24 hours.

As of January 1, 2023, Medicare pays REHs an additional 5% over the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) rate to deliver emergency hospital, observation, and other outpatient services to Medicare patients. Medicare-covered REH services include all covered out-patient services, including radiology, laboratory, outpatient rehabilitation, surgical, maternal health, and behavioral health. Copayments for REH services are based on the standard OPPS rate (excluding the 5% increase).

For more information and links to the final rule, visit the CMS webpage for Rural Emergency Hospitals.

Click Here to view the Rural Emergency Hospital factsheet