Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Announcements

December 20, 2018

Funding Opportunities

NHSC: Students to Service Loan Repayment Program – EXTENDED to December 27. The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) awards up to $120,000 to medical and dental students in their final year of school in exchange for a three-year commitment to providing primary care services at NHSC-approved sites in rural and underserved areas. Review the 2019 Application and Program Guidance for more information on how to apply. In FY 2018, nearly 80 students were placed and are providing primary care services in rural areas through the NHSC Student to Service Loan Repayment Program. The deadline for application has been extended one week to December 27 at 7:30 pm ET.

NIH High-Priority Research on Aging – Letters of Intent January 1. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) names health and well-being of older residents in rural areas as one of seven high priority areas for behavioral and social research of relevance to aging. Specifically, the NIH seeks to build “infrastructure support [that] will facilitate research networks through meetings, conferences, small-scale pilots, short-term educational opportunities (such as intensive workshops, summer institutes, or visiting scholar programs) to encourage growth and development” of aging-relevant research. Deadline for application is February 1.

DOJ Grants for Culturally-Specific Sexual Assault Services – Letters of Intent January 30. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will make 12 awards of up to $300,000 each for community-based organizations with expertise in sexual assault intervention for one or more the following ethnic minorities: American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders, African Americans, and Hispanics. Activities may include 24-hour hotline services; assistance through medical, criminal justice and social support systems; and/or crisis intervention and other short-term support services. Proposed activities must extend beyond intimate partner violence to include a broad range of survivors such as child and youth survivors, adults abused as children, and victims sexually assaulted by those other than an intimate partner. In rural parts of the country, the effects of violence and abuse are often exacerbated by limited access to support services for victims, a lack of acceptance for alternative lifestyles, distance, transportation barriers, stigma, and other challenges. Deadline for application is February 13.

AAP Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) – January 31. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will make grants ranging from $2,000 – 10,000 for planning and implementation projects that advance the health and well-being of children in underserved communities. Funded projects must predominantly serve a population of children with unmet health needs or demonstrated health disparities and aim to develop strong, broad-based community partnerships. They must also be led by an AAP-member pediatrician who plays a significant role in the project. The most recent policy brief from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services is Exploring the Rural Context for Adverse Childhood Experiences.

USDA Rural Energy for America Program – January 31. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide grants to state and local governments, federally-recognized tribes and rural power suppliers among other eligible entities, to assist small businesses (including health care facilities) and agricultural producers located in eligible rural areas. Assistance provided must consist of energy audits, renewable energy technical assistance, and/or renewable energy site assessments to increase American energy efficiency and independence.

NIH Researching HIT for Health Disparities – Letters of Intent February 4. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will provide funding for research that examines how adoption of health information technology (HIT) impacts minority health and health disparity populations (including rural) in access to care, quality of care, patient engagement, and health outcomes. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, state and local governments, tribal governments, public and private, non-profit organizations, and public or private institutions of higher learning. Deadline for application is March 4.

Advanced Nursing Education Nurse Practitioner Residency Program – March 4. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will make 20 awards for total funding of $20 million to eligible schools of nursing, nurse managed health clinics, academic health centers, state or local governments, and other private or public non-profit entities. The purpose of the program is to prepare nurse practitioners for primary care practice, with a preference for Nurse Practitioner Residency programs that benefit rural or underserved populations.

Policy Updates

Visit the FORHP Policy page to see all recent updates and send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov

All Hospitals Must Make Standard Charges Public – Effective January 1. CMS released responses to Frequently Asked Questions regarding the policy that hospitals must establish, update, and make public a list of their standard charges for all items and services, effective January 1, 2019. This policy applies to all hospitals operating in the U.S., including critical access hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and inpatient psychiatric facilities. The charges must be provided in a machine-readable format that can be easily imported/read into a computer system (e.g., XML, CSV). A PDF does not satisfy this definition. The policy was finalized in the 2019 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rule published on August 2, 2018.

Nominations: Advisory Panel for Outreach and Education – January 16. CMS requests nominations for new members of the Advisory Panel for Outreach and Education (APOE) that will advise the Department of Health and Human Services and CMS on education programs that help the public select health insurance coverage. CMS seeks expertise in a variety of fields including health communications and social media, senior citizen advocacy, disability policy health, economics research, behavioral health, health insurers and plans, health IT, direct patient care, and outreach to minority and/or underserved communities, including rural.

Comments Requested: Changing Privacy Regulations in HIPAA – February 12. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services seeks comments from the public on certain aspects of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This is the federal provision that requires health care providers to safeguard the privacy and security of their patients’ medical records and other data known as “protected health information,” or PHI. In this request, the OCR seeks to remove regulatory obstacles and decrease regulatory burdens in order to facilitate efficient care coordination while preserving the privacy and security of PHI. There is particular focus on the opioid crisis with this request.

Resources, Learning Events and Technical Assistance

Supporting Rural Programs Through Telehealth – Thursday, December 20 at 1:00 pm ET. Rural PREP, the collaborative for Rural Primary Care, Research, Education and Practice, holds this one-hour webinar to review telehealth as a means of education, collaboration and supervision for rural health care providers.

AgriSafe: Ergonomic Safety for Farm Women – Tuesday, January 8 at 1:00 pm ET. In this hour-long webinar, AgriSafe’s Clinical Director will identify ergonomic issues leading to musculoskeletal injuries for women in farm and ranch work and review resources for injury prevention.