December 20, 2022

 Help Map the Broadband Gap

Missourians have until January 13, 2023, to file challenges to FCC maps of broadband coverage in time to affect our share of more than $42 billion in funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

Check the FCC Broadband Map to see if your community is listed correctly.

Connecting All Missourians – Office of Broadband Development Flyer

For more information, please see the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) Press Release.

December 16, 2022

2022 – 2023 Rural Healthcare Provider Transition  Project (RHPTP)  Cohort

On behalf of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), the National Rural Health Resource Center is excited to announce the 2022-2023 cohort of small rural hospitals and certified rural health clinics selected to participate in the third year of the Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project.

1. Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center, Cedartown, GA
2. Meeker Memorial Hospital & Clinics, Litchfield, MN
3. Mercy Health-Marcum and Wallace Hospital, Irvine, KY
4. Swift County Benson Health Services, Benson, MN
5. Northern Maine Medical Center, Fort Kent, ME
6. Speare Memorial Hospital, Plymouth, NH

Organizations were selected based on leadership, commitment, and organizational preparedness for transitioning to alternative payment and care delivery models in the future. We look forward to working with these organizations over the next year and sharing their successes and outcomes in future newsletter editions. Congratulations!

December 15, 2022

Two New Products from the Flex Monitoring Team (FMT)

The Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) has released two new products about English proficiency and use of interpreters in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). The first brief, Rates of Limited English Proficiency in Counties with Critical Access Hospitals, uses data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau to describe and visualize the share of the population with limited English proficiency (LEP) in each county containing a CAH. This information may be useful to understand the need for language interpreter services in CAH counties.

In the second brief, Interpretation Services for Patients with Limited English Proficiency in Critical Access Hospitals, the FMT describes common themes that emerged through interviews with six CAHs about their language interpretation services. Interviewees discussed challenges, strengths, and support needed for providing language interpreters.

Rates of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Data Brief

Interpretation Services Policy Brief

December 09, 2022

Now Available! December MBQIP Monthly

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.

Current Issue:  MBQIP Monthly December 2022

• CAHs Can! National Rural Virtual Quality Improvement Mentor Profile Series: Tammy Suchy
• Data: CAHs Measure Up – Antibiotic Stewardship Program Reporting Implementation Update
• Tips: Robyn Quips – Abstracting and Reporting Resources
• Tools and Resources – Helping CAHs succeed in Quality Reporting & Improvement

Flex programs are encouraged to distribute MBQIP Monthly to their CAHs as an additional resource to supplement state-level MBQIP support (just forward the above summary to your hospitals).

• Reminder! MBQIP Data Reporting Reminders
  For use by Flex Programs in helping CAHs with quality data reporting by reminding them of upcoming data submission deadlines, corresponding collection time periods, and submission tools. The December 2022 Reporting Reminder Template can be found on the MBQIP Data Reporting Reminders webpage.
  Flex programs, please tailor this information and distribute it to CAHs as appropriate for your state.
• New!  Best Practices in Patient Experience at CAHs: Incorporating Lessons from COVID-19

This Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) best practice study includes strategies that high-performing CAHs employed to maintain the best possible health care experience for patients despite the coronavirus pandemic. It is an update to HCAHPS approaches collected from high-performing CAHs across the U.S. during focus group interviews conducted in late 2016.

• Upcoming Office Hours!  Ask Robyn – Quarterly Open Office Hour Call for Data Abstractors | Tuesday, January 24, 2023, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CT Register
  Sometimes it just helps to talk to someone! Quality Reporting Specialist Robyn Carlson offers open office hour calls to discuss your MBQIP abstraction questions. Sessions are free of charge, but registration is required. For more information about the Ask Robyn calls, contact Robyn Carlson (rcarlson@stratishealth.org).

If you have MBQIP questions, please contact tasc@ruralcenter.org.

December 08, 2022

HRSA Releases Updated Workforce Projections Dashboard

The dashboard provides projections of the future supply and demand for healthcare occupations.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA) has released its updated Workforce Projections Dashboard.

This interactive dashboard shows projections of the supply and demand for the health workforce across the United States.

You can use this tool to:

• View projections of the supply and demand for health care workers at the state and national level.
• Analyze supply and demand trends by discipline.
• Analyze projected ‘What if?’ scenarios in the event of changes in the health care landscape.

The projections are based on the Health Workforce Simulation Model that estimates the current and future supply and demand for healthcare workers by occupation, geographic area, and year. This model incorporates factors such as the changing population size, demographics, and location of the U.S. population; new entrants and exiting providers in various occupations; and differing levels of access to care.

If you have any questions, send them to NCHWAinquiries@hrsa.gov.

Learn More.

December 08, 2022

Missouri launches interactive dashboard displaying pregnancy-associated deaths

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Annually, an average of 61 Missouri women die while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy, making Missouri rank 44^th in maternal mortality. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is leading the nation in launching the first statewide, interactive dashboard displaying maternal mortality data.

“The road to becoming a mother is not always easy. DHSS and the PAMR Board are looking to help ease what should be a joyful journey from becoming one of grief and loss,” said Paula Nickelson, acting director for DHSS. “Focusing on increasing awareness of new mothers’ needs and providing postpartum care are a few factors that can impact another new mother from becoming a mortality statistic. With the dashboard, DHSS is hoping to further awareness, discussions and the need to improve obtainable resources for mothers to prevent these tragic deaths.”

From a global standpoint, the United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality among 11 developed nations. Additionally, Black women are greater than three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

The dashboard summarizes three years (2017-2019) of data from the state Maternal Mortality Review Committee. The Committee operates using a standardized, comprehensive and evolving system to understand the context and causes surrounding a woman’s death. Accompanying visualizations of data highlight the information aiding in comprehension of the following:

• Two leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths are mental health conditions and cardiovascular disease.
• The majority of all maternal deaths occur in the time period between 43 days to one year postpartum.

The PAMR Board continues to review cases and provide recommendations for prevention. View the online PAMR dashboard and the latest PAMR annual report at Health.Mo.Gov/Data/Pamr. Women’s health resources supported by DHSS can be located at health.mo.gov/WomensHealth.

December 7, 2022

Register TODAY! Ending the HIV Epidemic Community Forum – A Year in Review – December 13

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services invites you to attend the upcoming quarterly Community Engagement Forum focused on Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in Missouri. These virtual sessions are designed for YOU! The Bureau of HIV, STD, and Hepatitis wants to hear your thoughts on ending the HIV epidemic in Missouri and how best to serve those living with HIV. Registration is open and can be accessed by clicking the date: December 13. Please forward this information to others who may like to attend! Thank you for your assistance in Ending the HIV Epidemic in Missouri.

Save-the-Date for the first event in 2023, to be held Tuesday, March 14, at noon and 6 p.m.

Past events are available to view and download HERE with a copy of the presentation slide deck.

December 2, 2022

2023 NRHA Rural Health Award nominations now open!

Nominations are now open for NRHA’s 2023 Rural Health Awards. Each year NRHA honors outstanding individuals and organizations in the field of rural health who have dedicated their time and talents to improving the health and well-being of others. Previous Rural Health Award recipients have stretched the boundaries of possibility by forging innovative programs and services, making rural life healthier and more compassionate. Nominate your favorite rural health individual, organization, program, or student for these prestigious awards soon for consideration. Winners will be honored during a special ceremony during NRHA’s Annual Rural Health Conference in San Diego next spring.

November 30, 2022

National Center for Healthy Housing – Survey Request

The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) invite you to take the Identifying Needs of Rural Healthy Housing Organizations questionnaire.  This questionnaire is meant for any organization serving rural communities on issues related to health, housing, and/or healthy housing. Please note that the host organizations are not using any formal definition of “rural.” For the purposes of this questionnaire, respondents may be any organization that considers itself to serve rural areas or rural populations.  

This questionnaire will give organizations the opportunity to capture both the unique challenges and opportunities of serving residents in rural service areas. This questionnaire will also assist the host organizations to develop relevant resources and tools over the next year. It should take 12 minutes or less to complete as the host organizations are interested in your initial reactions without needing to prepare or collect additional information. Take the questionnaire here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MQLG7MZ.

For Questions Please Contact: Anna Plankey