May 16, 2023

Governor Mike Parson signed Senate Bill (SB) 51

On April 27, Governor Mike Parson signed Senate Bill (SB) 51, which allows Missourians more direct access to physical therapy services, into law. A signing ceremony was held in Governor Parson’s office at the State Capitol where he was joined by SB 51 sponsors, Senator Karla Eslinger and Representative Brenda Shields, and other stakeholders.

“We are all about streamlining processes and making it easier for Missourians to receive the services they need without unnecessary government burdens,” Governor Parson said. “SB 51 will make access to physical therapy care easier for more Missourians, while reducing patient costs and protecting their quality of care. We are proud to sign this good piece of legislation into law and look forward to more being sent to my desk soon.”

Provisions of SB 51 can be found below:

• Qualified physical therapists may treat patients without a prescription or referral from a physician;
• Qualified physical therapists may provide certain educational information, fitness or wellness programs, screenings, and consultations without a prescription or referral from a physician; and
• Physical therapists are required to consult with an approved health care provider after every 10 visits or 30 days, whichever occurs first, before continuing therapy.

For more information on SB 51, click here

May 15, 2023

Picture of Rural – Share Your Pictures

“A picture is worth a thousand words, and nothing says “Power of Rural” like an image of a person or place where the practice of good health is happening?”

To kick off National Rural Health Day (NRHD) 2023, NOSORH is asking all rural health collaborators, innovators, providers, and community stakeholders to share their pictures of rural! We want to showcase happy faces and great places where healthy is happening in rural communities across America. All submitted photos will be considered for use in the 2023 NRHD promotional campaign, including social media graphics and toolkits (posters, flyers, etc.) developed to celebrate the “Power of Rural” on November 16.

What does rural look like to you? A few ideas for pictures include:

• Places (general store, landscape, or landmark)
• People (parade, farm, or long-term care home)
• Community (festival, outdoor concert, or gathering)
• Health (someone caring for a patient, a blood drive, or paramedic)

Photo Guidelines and Details

• Submit your photo(s) by May 26, 2023
  • To be considered for inclusion in this year’s NRHD campaign, including a Save the Date graphic, select toolkit items, and website and social media posts through November 2023.
• All photos must be original and restriction-free
  • No third party may own or control any materials the image contains
• The photo must not infringe upon trademark, copyright, intellectual rights, or rights of privacy of any entity or person
• Please only share images of U.S. landscapes, rural communities, friendly smiles, and those that depict rural health or activities promoting healthy living/activities
  • Share up to five (5) HIGH-QUALITY images only
• No scanned images will be used
  • Photos taken with smartphone cameras are suitable – upload full-size images for maximum resolution
  • Only submissions marked with “Yes, I agree” in the official photo release form will be considered

There is no guarantee that photos will be used in this year’s campaign

Deadline: Friday, May 26, 2023

For questions, please contact info@nosorh.org

To learn more about National Rural Health Day, visit powerofrural.org

Submit a Picture

May 2, 2023

Missouri Nursing Board Member Vacancies

Interested in serving the state of Missouri? The Missouri Board of Nursing currently has 3 vacancies on their Board; a RN, LPN and a public member. There is also a RN member on an expired term.

The public member shall be at the time of his or her appointment a citizen of the United States; a resident of this state for a period of one year and a registered voter; a person who is not and never was a member of any profession licensed or regulated pursuant to this chapter or the spouse of such person; and a person who does not have and never has had a material, financial interest in either the providing of the professional services regulated by this chapter, or an activity or organization directly related to any profession licensed or regulated pursuant to this chapter.

This is the link to the board application information, Boards and Commissions (mo.gov)

This page provides details about the time commitment and qualifications for Board of Nursing members; https://boards.mo.gov/UserPages/Board.aspx?78

Questions?  Please contact:
Lori Scheidt
Executive Director
Missouri State Board of Nursing
Division of Professional Registration
Missouri Department of Commerce & Insurance
573-751-0069
lori.scheidt@pr.mo.gov

May 9, 2023

Your Help is Requested for a Medicaid Expansion Study

The Institute of Public Policy and the Center for Health Policy at the University of Missouri are conducting an online survey with healthcare providers which asks about their experiences with Medicaid and Medicaid expansion. The goal is to capture the perspective of providers who play a key role in the successful implementation of Medicaid expansion and it is important to explore the challenges experienced by providers when caring for new enrollees. This study has been approved by the MU IRB and there is a $20 e-gift card incentive provided for participation. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and can be accessed by visiting this link: tinyurl.com/MO-Medicaid.

Questions about the study? Contact the University of Missouri Researcher at (573) 882-1739 or medicaidresearchproject@missouri.edu.

Questions about your rights as a research participant? Contact the University of Missouri Institutional Review Board (IRB) at (573) 882-3181 or muresearchirb@missouri.edu.

May 1, 2023

Summer Internship Opportunities Available with NRHA

NRHA has developed a robust internship program that gives participants the opportunity to grow professionally and gain firsthand knowledge about rural health. To ensure each intern is provided with a rewarding experience, the association offers three unpaid internship concentrations in communications, government affairs, and program services. Internships can be tailored to meet course requirements if students are interested in receiving academic credit. While we welcome interns year-round, NRHA limits the number of interns it hosts at one time to ensure we offer the best possible experience. If you want to learn more about rural health and how to effectively advocate on behalf of rural patients and providers this summer – or you know someone who does– apply soon and share this opportunity.

April 28, 2023

Annual Wellness Visits and Advance Care Planning for Rural Health Clinics

A study published by Preventive medicine found that patients significantly reduced their total healthcare costs when they completed an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV). “Practices adopting AWVs have noted increased revenue, more stable patient populations, and stronger provider-patient relationships,” according to the study’s authors, Arpit Misra and Jennifer Lloyd.

Advance Care Planning (ACP) can help physicians and care teams adhere to a patients’ wishes in the event this person cannot speak for themselves.

Combining the delivery of annual wellness assessments with advance care planning can inherently create value for your patients. Both services are entirely covered for Medicare beneficiaries and support comprehensive care coordination. For clinics and providers, value can be found in meeting performance metrics and capturing additional reimbursement.

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