Rural Spotlight

Register Now: Practicing Equity in Authentic Community Engagement, August 14

July 10, 2024

Register Now: Practicing Equity in Authentic Community Engagement, August 14

Authentic Community Engagement (ACE): people want it, people talk about it, but it is rare to see organizations implement “authentic” community engagement. If Community Engagement (CE) is going to be successful, it has to be authentic.

This session will provide attendees with an understanding of ACE that can lead to developing effective strategies that will have deeper impact in the communities you serve.

Learning Objectives:

  • Increase the knowledge of ACE by describing the beliefs, values and principles of “authentic” community engagement
  • Deepen the understanding of ACE by referencing to historical impacts of authentic community engagement and its potential to effect community betterment
  • Learn how to imagine and implement authentic community engagement as a strategy to address infant and maternal mortality
  • Develop skills to help better engage those with lived experience and the broader community, including men and fathers with greater “authenticity”

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, August 14, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Register Now: HRSA National Telehealth Conference, July 16

July 10, 2024

Register Now: HRSA National Telehealth Conference, July 16

Navigating the latest in telehealth? Join health care professionals, policymakers, and industry stakeholders at the National Telehealth Conference on July 16 for insights on balancing telehealth solutions and vital in-person services.

Learn how others are integrating telehealth into their practice and working to give patients a choice in how they receive their care.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, July 16, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET

Click Here to Register

Notice of Funding Opportunity: Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Payment Program

July 10, 2024

Notice of Funding Opportunity: Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Payment Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to improve access to quality health services.

The Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Payment Program – HRSA-25-079, provides funding to freestanding children’s hospitals to train pediatric and other residents in graduate medical education programs and aims to provide balance in the level of federal graduate medical education funding.

The purpose of this grant is to compensate for the disparity in the level of federal graduate medical education (GME) funding for freestanding children’s teaching hospitals versus other types of teaching hospitals.

Freestanding children’s hospitals receive little to no GME funding from Medicare because children’s hospitals have a low Medicare caseload.

Applications are due by August 8, 2024

Learn More

Apply Now

Have questions? Join the technical assistance webinar to learn more about this funding opportunity, including application requirements.

Click Here to join webinar, July 18, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET

RHIhub This Week

July 10, 2024

RHIhub This Week

RHIhub This Week keeps you informed of the latest rural news, funding opportunities, publications and events.

Click Here to Read

Free Webinar: How to Conduct an Ethical Investigation, July 18

July 9, 2024

Free Webinar: How to Conduct an Ethical Investigation, July 18

This educational webinar is for anyone who is involved or will be involved, in investigating or handling complaints related to health care compliance matters.

Why You Should Attend This Webinar:

  1. It’s FREE but Registration is Required (Click link below to register)
  2. Compliance in health care is complex and from time to time, an employer may need to investigate concerns about an employee’s workplace behavior

Investigating and resolving an allegation correctly and ethically strengthens and protects your organization.

A proper investigation gives management needed information and a factual basis on which to make its decisions. It also reinforces both fairness of the employee discipline process and your commitment to learning about employee concerns

The objectives and scope of investigations vary widely, but its overriding purpose is always to find out the relevant facts. Each investigation may be unique and handled differently and following standard techniques can help you investigate in a fair, ethical transparent and consistent manner.

This webinar will cover the common mistakes investigators make:

  • In planning the investigation and understanding their role
  • When dealing with the employee who raised the concern about actual or suspected misconduct
  • When interviewing the investigation participants
  • When documenting the investigation, especially the investigation report

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, July 18, 12:00 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

Webinar: Introduction to MRHA Connect

July 9, 2024

Webinar: Introduction to MRHA Connect

The Missouri Rural Health Association (MRHA) has announced an engagement competition on MRHA Connect – a groundbreaking, community-driven online platform designed to foster collaboration among rural Missouri

  • Healthcare professionals
  • Advocates
  • Academics
  • Subject matter experts
  • Community leaders

Start engaging, collaborating and sharing today, to climb the leaderboard.

Joining MRHA Connect is simple. Visit Home – Missouri Rural Health Association (mrhassociation.org) and sign up for free to become a member of this dynamic community.

Don’t miss this opportunity to:

  • Connect with your peers
  • Share strategic advice
  • Solve challenges
  • Develop new approaches to rural healthcare in Missouri

Attendees at the Intro to MRHA Connect Webinar will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card.

Register Now

ACO Flex Model Office Hour – July 16

July 9, 2024

ACO Flex Model Office Hour – July 16

In this hour-long session, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Innovation will provide an overview of the new ACO Primary Care Flex Model (ACO Flex Model, which will focus on primary care delivery in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (SSP).

The ACO Primary Care Flex Model (ACO PC Flex Model) is a voluntary model that will focus on:

  • Primary care delivery in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program)
  • Testing how prospective payments and increased funding for primary care in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) impact:
    • health outcomes
    • quality
    • costs of care

In Addition, the flexible payment design will empower participating ACOs and their primary care providers to:

  • Use more innovative, team-based, person-centered and proactive approaches to care

The model, which starts January 1, 2025, aims to grow participation in ACOs and the Shared Savings Program and increase the number of people with Medicare in an accountable care relationship.

CMS has released a Request for Applications and the application portal is open until August 1 for new or renewing ACOs who submitted an application to SSP by June 17, 2024.

CMS plans to announce applicants selected to participate in October 2024.

This model seeks to increase accountable care relationships for people with Medicare, especially those in rural and underserved communities.

Learn More

Office Hours: Tuesday, July 16, 2:00 p.m. ET

Click Here to Register for Office Hours

HHS Finalizes Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Rule – Impacts for RHCs – Monday, July 15

July 8, 2024

HHS Finalizes Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Rule – Impacts for RHCs – Monday, July 15

The National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) will host the free, FORHP-supported webinar, with information on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services final rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities and the RHC impacts, including:

  • Requirement to post a notice of nondiscrimination
  • Requirements to post notice of availability of translation and auxiliary aid services in top 15 foreign languages
  • Requirement to establish and train employees on policies and procedures related to nondiscrimination

Additional time for Q&A will be provided.

Advanced registration is required.

Cost: Free

When: Monday, July 15, 2:00 p.,. ET

Click Here to Register

USDA Funding Opportunity: Broadband Technical Assistance Program, August 20

July 8, 2024

USDA Funding Opportunity: Broadband Technical Assistance Program, August 20

The Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) program provides financial assistance through cooperative agreements to eligible entities to receive or deliver broadband technical assistance and training.

Eligible Applicants Include:

  • Federal-recognized Tribes and Tribal entities
  • State of local governments, including agencies and subdivisions
  • Territories or possessions of the United States
  • Institutions of higher education (including 1862 Land-Grant Institutions, 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities
  • Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) IRS status
  • Cooperatives or mutual organizations
  • Corporations
  • Limited Liability Companies or Limited Liability Partnerships

Applications are due by August 20, 2024, 11:59 p.m. ET

Click Here to Learn More and Apply

National Medical Fellowships – Health Equity Leaders Program for Underrepresented Professionals, Apply by August 12

July 8, 2024

National Medical Fellowships – Health Equity Leaders Program for Underrepresented Professionals, Apply by August 12

This program provides students from groups that are underrepresented in health care, medical, and allied health professions with a learning opportunity in health equity services, scholarship, leadership and policy.

Eligible applicants must be:

  • Currently enrolled in an accredited medical, graduate-level nursing, or physician assistant school
  • Interested in working in underserved communities, and
  • Part of a group NMF designates as underrepresented:
    • African American/Black
    • Hispanic/Latino
    • American Indian
    • Alaska Native
    • Asian American (Vietnamese or Cambodian only)
    • Native Hawaiian
    • Other Pacific Islander

Click Here to Learn More and Apply