Through the Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care’s work with rural hospitals, a need has emerged for education directed towards critical access hospital (CAH) staff and mid-level leaders (MLLs) on the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of value-based care and population health.

Explore the Podcast Series:

Mini-Podcasts for Hospital Staff | Three 10-minute Podcasts

The basics of population health and social determinants of health are applicable to everyone that works in a hospital. Use these 10-minute podcasts during departmental/staff meetings.

• How Population Health Relates to Me
• Patient Experience is More than Meets the Eye
• Using Telehealth to Positively Impact Patient Experience

Podcasts for Mid-Level Leaders | Five 30-minute Podcasts

Learn best practices from experts and CAH mid-level leaders as they address social determinants of health and shift towards population health.

• Understanding Population Health and Value-Based Care for Rural Organizations
• The Mid-Level Leader’s Role in Population Health
• Collaborating with Your Community to Address Social Determinants of Health
• Community Care Coordination is an Essential Component of Population Health
• How to Communicate Population Health Throughout the Organization and Community

With the support of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and through a grant from the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, this podcast series was developed by the Minnesota Path to Value Project.

Date: May 18, 2021

Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CT

Register Here!

FLYER – RHC Reimbursement Change Panel Discussion 5-18-2021

Session Description:
With the ever-changing rural health care landscape, sometimes it’s difficult to keep up. The Beatles said it best… “Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends.” This session takes that approach to the next level! Our friends from the Maine Rural Health Research Center, Lilypad, National Association of Rural Health Clinics and Stroudwater Associates will combine their vast expertise and knowledge providing “a little help” for participants to better understand the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) reimbursement change that went into effect April 1, 2021. This panel discussion format web session will provide ample time for questions and answers!

Following the session, participants will be able to:
•Summarize the new RHC reimbursement changes that went into effect April 1, 2021
•Describe how the changes might impact Independent RHCs
•Describe how the changes might impact RHC affiliated with hospitals with fewer than 50 beds
•Describe how the changes might impact RHCs affiliated with hospitals with greater than 50 beds

Presenters:
Gregory Wolf – Lilypad
John Gale – Maine Rural Health Research Center (MRHCR)
Bill Finerfrock – National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC)
Nathan Baugh – National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC)
Jonathan Pantenburg – Stroudwater Associates

The Missouri Office of Rural Health and Primary Care has partnered with Stroudwater Associates to provide a 10-week webinar series for Missouri’s Rural Health Clinics, focusing on financial, operational, and strategic improvement. The one-hour webinars will be offered once a week, starting the week of April 12, 2021. All sessions will be recorded. Slides and recordings will be available on the Missouri Office of Rural Health, Rural Health Clinic webpage.

Click here to view flyer and register!

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has opened the 2021 Nurse Corps Scholarship Program (SP) application cycle.

Nurse Corps SP provides financial support to students enrolled in nursing degree programs in exchange for a commitment to serve in high-need areas across the country. Scholarship support includes payment of tuition, required fees, other reasonable educational costs, as well as a monthly living stipend. After graduation, scholarship recipients fulfill their service commitment at an approved health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses.

HRSA has received a historic increase in funding this year under the American Rescue Plan. With this additional funding, Nurse Corps anticipates making significantly more awards overall, including in the following areas:

• Up to 20 percent of total awards to nurse practitioners (NP) specializing in psychiatric mental health
• Up to $5 million to women’s health NPs and certified nurse midwife advanced practice nurses and registered nurses (RNs) who wish to pursue a career in women’s health
• Up to $2 million for career pathway/entry-level health professionals such as certified nursing assistants, home health aides, medical assistants, and licensed practical (vocational) nurses seeking degrees to become RNs
• Visit the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program and Nurse Corps Facebook pages to learn more.Before applying, review the Application and Program Guidance (APG) for information on eligibility and requirements.

  The application cycle closes on May 6.

  Click here to Apply 

The Maine Rural Health Research Center released a policy brief examining the ability of rural areas of the U.S. to handle an HIV or hepatitis C outbreak and a chartbook looking at HIV prevalence and services to help these patients in the rural U.S.

• Capacity of Rural Counties to Address an HIV or Hepatitis C Outbreak
• Rural HIV Prevalence and Service Availability in the United States: A Chartbook

Contact Information:

Erika Ziller, PhD
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Phone: 207.780.4615
erika.ziller@maine.edu

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans has consistently increased since the program’s redesignation by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. MA plans have long included supplemental benefits not available in original Medicare, such as dental and vision coverage. Additional supplemental benefits are becoming available through MA plans, such as those serving beneficiaries with chronic conditions. Yet in 2019, a considerable gap remained between rural and urban MA enrollment. Given these gaps in plan availability, rural beneficiaries may also lack access to plans offering supplemental benefits not covered in original Medicare. This brief identifies differences in MA plans that include supplemental benefits available to rural (nonmetropolitan) and urban (metropolitan) enrollees.

RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis finds that beneficiaries in noncore and micropolitan counties have significantly fewer MA plans to choose from, with most of the difference attributable to lower availability of health maintenance organization and local preferred provider organization plans. Among the 13 most common MA supplemental benefits, 11 are available in fewer nonmetropolitan counties compared to metropolitan counties. The difference in supplemental benefits is most prominent for hearing exams, eye exams, preventive dental care, fitness programs, remote access technologies, health education, and over-the-counter items.

Contact Information:

Keith J. Mueller, PhD
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Phone: 319.384.3832
keith-mueller@uiowa.edu

Date: March 15, 2021

Time 9:00 am- 2:00 pm CST

Click here to Register.

The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) Nurse Preceptor Academy combines a virtual workshop with online course work to give preceptors ideas and confidence in the ability to teach new hires important skills that will lead them to be safe, competent, and independent practitioners. This is an interactive Academy with pre-work, group discussion, and casework.

​On February 22, 2021, the Biden administration announced several reforms to the U.S. Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Click here to read how the reforms may affect small business.

Capital Link, a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAP), developed this Health Center Facility Loan Guarantee Program Toolkit. It provides application tips and tools for preparing a capital project, collecting the materials needed to submit an application, and navigating the application process efficiently. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Where the award-winning documentary “The Providers” is concerned, its value is immeasurable!

Set against the backdrop of the physician shortage and opioid epidemic in rural America, The Providers follows three health care providers and their patients, and shows the awe-inspiring courage, commitment, and, tenacity that we know to be the real Power of Rural.

“The Providers” will be available for viewing November 1-21, 2020.

Watch anytime during the viewing period.

Click to Register.

Don’t forget to download the Discussion Guide