Rural Spotlight

Forensic Center will use Telehealth to Reach Rural Patients

May 1, 2023

Forensic Center will use Telehealth to Reach Rural Patients

UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs, Colo., is opening a first-of-its-kind medical unit that will provide forensic nursing care to patients who have experienced sexual or physical assault and any other type of abuse. It also houses an expanded forensic telehealth program that will support rural hospitals and clinics across the region. Across the country, health care providers are utilizing telehealth programs as one strategy to combat staffing shortages, with others including non-monetary benefits such as flexible scheduling. Your chance to discuss rural-specific strategies to enhance telehealth capacity is at NRHA’s 46th Annual Rural Health Conference May 16-19 in San Diego.

Webinar – Engaging Patients on their Payment Journey

May 9, 2023

Webinar – Engaging Patients on their Payment Journey

The world of patient responsibility payments can be complex. If your solution is broken, why make a change? Sometimes the reason revolves around the patient experience while other times it is simple economics.

Azalea and its partner, RevSpring, will help you explore the benefits of making a change vs. the effort it takes to switch.

In this webinar you will learn from payment experts how:

  • A personalized payment experience increases pay rates, self-service rates and eBill adoption
  • Key merchant services concepts to help you decide if you have the right terms and rate structure
  • To cut your manual reconciliation time in half
  • To overcome perceived switching barriers

Speaker: Marlen Prato, Sr. Product Manager

Marlen brings over 20 years’ experience in payment processing with various roles supporting eCommerce Products and Strategic Operations for Enterprise customers. Marlen is responsible for the strategic product direction for RevSpring’s merchant services offering including processing services and gateways, hardware devices, and automated reconciliation tools.

When: Wednesday, May 24, 2:00 EST

Register Now

 

Advancing Health Equity During National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May 9, 2023

Advancing Health Equity During National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

During May, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) recognizes National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month.

Throughout this month, and the entire year, CMS OMH is working to highlight disparities for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders who account for more than 7% of the U.S. population, with Asian Americans being the fastest-growing race group in the United States. Between 2017 and 2019, the population of Asian Americans enrolled in Medicare grew by 11%, which was the highest percentage increase in enrollment compared to White, Black, and Hispanic enrollees.

However, nearly one-third of Asian Americans have limited English proficiency. CMS OMH’s Coverage to Care (C2C) initiative is working to close health literacy gaps and eliminate barriers to health care by helping AANHPI enrollees understand their health coverage and connect to primary care and preventive services. C2C resources are available in multiple languages—including Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese— to help individuals make informed decisions and become active partners in their health care and the health care of their families.

As the number of AANHPI Medicare enrollees grows, we are working to ensure these populations can effectively access the health care they need through policy and equity initiatives. Throughout the month of May, CMS OMH encourages you to share the below resources with the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations you serve.

Resources

Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander webpage to find behavioral health resources specific to these populations.

Rural Citizens Access to Telehealth (RCAT)

May 9, 2023

Rural Citizens Access to Telehealth (RCAT) 

The Rural Citizens Access to Telehealth (RCAT) project is a partnership between the Missouri Telehealth Network and the Department of Social Services, MO HealthNet Division. They will provide funding, education, and training opportunities, to eligible partners, to introduce or enhance existing telehealth services for rural providers accepting Medicaid patients.

Increase Access

  • Reduce barriers to care, such as time and distance

Better Outcomes

  • Patients receive consistent, timely, appropriate care

Patient Recruitment and Retention

  • Increase patient volume while maintaining existing patients

Telemedicine services provide an opportunity for citizens living in rural areas with unique rural healthcare challenges to access services in the comfort of their home/or community.

  • Are you serving primarily rural populations in Missouri?
  • Do you participate in MO HealthNet?
  • Are you looking to introduce or expand Primary Care and/or Behavioral Health telehealth services?

Click here to take survey and learn more.

USDA Seeks Applications for Technical Assistance Grants – Expand Access to Safe, Affordable and Equitable Housing for People in Rural America

May 9, 2023

USDA Seeks Applications for Technical Assistance Grants – Expand Access to Safe, Affordable and Equitable Housing for People in Rural America

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, has announced that the Department is accepting applications for technical assistance grants to preserve rental housing and expand access to safe, affordable and equitable housing for people in rural America.

USDA is making available $7.9 million in funding through its Rural Housing Service (RHS) and through two Multifamily Housing (MFH) Technical Assistance grant programs: the Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance (NP TA) Grant Program and the Off-Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance (Off-FLH TA) Grant Program. This funding is available for eligible technical assistance providers seeking grants to provide technical assistance services to qualified applicants.

There is $6.9 million in grants available through the NP TA Grant Program. The program awards grants to eligible nonprofit organizations and public housing authorities (PHAs) to provide technical assistance and other services to enable affordable housing preservation through the transfer of MFH Direct Loan properties from current owners to nonprofits or PHAs.

Eligible grantees:

  • Public and private nonprofit organizations
  • Public Health Agencies (PHAs)
  • Tribal housing nonprofits
  • Tribally designated housing entities.

Another $1 million in grants will be available for eligible nonprofits through the Off-FLH TA Grant Program. This program awards grants to nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance to applicants for Off-FLH loans and grants. These grants are used to increase the availability of affordable, decent housing for farm laborers.

Available funding amounts for the technical assistance programs may also be found here.

Minimum Award amounts:

  • Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance – $100,000
  • Off-Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance – $500,000

Maximum award amounts:

  • Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance – $500,000
  • Off-Farm Housing Technical Assistance – $250,000

Deadline to submit applications: July 3, 2023, Noon ET

For additional information see page 28469 of the Federal Register

To learn more, read full Stakeholder Announcement.

General questions should be directed to:

Stephanie Vergin, Policy Advisor

Production and Preservation Division

Multi-Family Housing

United States Department of Agriculture

NPTA.RFP@usda.gov or

RD.FLHTA@usda.gov

 

Summer Internship Opportunities Available with NRHA

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.

Internship Application

Your Help is Requested for a Medicaid Expansion Study

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.

USDA Mental Health Awareness Month Workshop Series Starts in May

May 2, 2023

USDA Mental Health Awareness Month Workshop Series Starts in May

You’re invited to the USDA Mental Health Awareness Month Workshop Series taking place on Tuesdays starting May 9 through June 6, 2023 from 2:00-3:30pm ET. The workshop series convenes farmers and ranchers, faith leaders, rural health providers, USDA employees, and Federal, state, and university partners to dialogue and discuss mental health challenges, stressors, and the resources and services available to address them. Click here and see below for more information and to register.  

Farm Stress and Suicide Prevention: Data, Challenges, and Opportunities co-hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation
Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Register

This session provides context for the issue of farm stress and suicide by focusing on available data, challenges, and opportunities for farm stress researchers, practitioners, and service providers. Panelists include the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the American Farm Bureau Federation, Farm Aid, and others to discuss the state of the field and offer insights into their respective partner programs, resources, and emergent needs.

Veteran’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Workshop
Tuesday, May 16, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Register

Rural Veterans experience a significantly increased risk of suicide. In this workshop, you will learn how to act with care and compassion if you encounter a Veteran who is in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Rural Mental Health Matters: Challenges, Opportunities & Resources for Communities cohosted by the National Association of Behavioral Health and Development Disability Directors
Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Register

This session focuses on the resources and tools that are available in rural places, where over 60% of Americans live in mental health provider shortage areas. Speakers will examine current programs focused on giving rural and frontier communities the tools they need to thrive through creative problem solving. With perspectives rooted in rural services, behavioral health, and technology, the presentations and follow-on conversation will explore the importance of increasing the efficiency of providers in rural areas and other solutions, to challenges that rural communities face to ensure community wellbeing and economic prosperity.

Farm Stress and Suicide: Faith, Place, and Community Health
Tuesday, May 30, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Register

This session provides an overview of the USDA Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and highlights the challenges faced by many Americans during Mental Health Awareness Month. A training on farm stress, health and wellbeing will be provided by The Well Church Initiative of Texas A&M Extension, to discuss and highlight tools and resources available to faith and community-based organizations as they support their congregants and communities.

LGBTQ+ Mental Health in Rural Communities
Tuesday, June 6, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Register

This session will focus on the lived experienced of LGBTQ+ identifying folks in rural communities across the country. Discussion and dialogue will focus on mental health, the relationship to stress, and more.

These meetings will be conducted virtually using Zoom.gov. A link to the workshop will be provided upon registration; please contact center@usda.gov with any questions.

NRHA Webinar – Keeping Care in our Communities: Telehealth as a Lifeline for Rural Healthcare

May 2, 2023

NRHA Webinar – Keeping Care in our Communities: Telehealth as a Lifeline for Rural Healthcare

Thursday, May 4, 2:00 – 3:00 pm CST

Join healthcare experts Steve Barnett (President and CEO, McKenzie Health System), Corey Scurlock (CEO and Founder, EQUUM Medical), and Rodney Buchanan (Hospital Administrator, Westfield Memorial Hospital) in an informative webinar on telehealth for rural healthcare facilities. With their combined experience of over 60 years in successful rural hospital operations, healthcare management, financial analysis, strategic planning, and business development, the panelists will provide tangible insights into implementing telehealth solutions that are both successful and profitable.

In this discussion-driven webinar, the panelists will share how to identify where telehealth can fit in your organization and how to get started. They will debunk myths about the cost and complexity of telehealth and provide best practices for implementation. Additionally, the benefits of ongoing program measurement and goal communication will be discussed to help you gain buy-in over time.

As a rural healthcare facility, you will learn how to evaluate telehealth as a solution for your organization by outlining its components and understanding its potential benefits.

Register

NRHA Webinar – Recruiting and Retention for Rural Hospitals

May 2, 2023

NRHA Webinar – Recruiting and Retention for Rural Hospitals

Wednesday, May 3, 2:00 – 3:00 pm CST

Join Jimmie Bilby, Chief Growth Officer at TRS Healthcare, for a webinar on creating a competitive advantage in recruiting and retention for rural hospitals. Jimmie has over 23 years of leadership experience and will share proven strategies, including leveraging a hospital’s Mission/Vision/Values. His presentation, “Radical Recruiting and Retention for Rural Hospitals,” will challenge you to think outside the box and explore new concepts.

Register