Rural Spotlight

Register Now! 2025 Rural Hospital & Clinic Revenue Optimization Virtual Conferences, January 22

January 13, 2025

            

Register Now! 2025 Rural Hospital & Clinic Revenue Optimization Virtual Conferences, January 22

Join Wintergreen and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) for the third annual Rural Hospital & Clinic Revenue Optimization Virtual Conferences.

The two regional, three-hour sessions are tailored specifically for rural hospitals and clinics, offering practical revenue optimization strategies from the perspective of hospital and clinic operators.

Session will highlight:

  • Hospital and clinic alignment and designation options,
  • Implementation of novel benefits and incentive programs,
  • Rural-specific recruitment and retention strategies, and
  • Using technology to inform decision-making processes.

Each FREE session is region-specific so be sure to register for Region C which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, January 22, 10:00 a.m.

Click Here to Register

Upcoming Webinar: Improving Patient Engagement in Cervical Cancer Prevention, January 16

January 10, 2025

Upcoming Webinar: Improving Patient Engagement in Cervical Cancer Prevention, January 16

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. Join the Maternal and Child Health Bureau for an hour-long session to learn about a new toolkit to improve patient engagement in cervical cancer prevention.

The toolkit supports efforts to increase patient and community engagement in cervical cancer prevention, screening, and management. The toolkit as designed to meet the needs of health centers and safety-net settings and may be useful to other health care organizations that are committed to preventing cervical cancer.

Click Here to download the toolkit and supporting documentation.

Webinar Cost: Free

Webinar Date: Thursday, January 16, 2:00 p.m. ET

Click Here to Register

Webinar: 2025 Physician Fee Schedule – Registration Required, January 30

January 10, 2025

Webinar: 2025 Physician Fee Schedule – Registration Required, January 30

Subject matter experts from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will present highlights of policy updates from the Calendar Year 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule.

Covered topics will include:

  • General care management,
  • Advanced Primary Care Management,
  • Telehealth,
  • Policy updates for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers,
  • Behavioral health,
  • Dental services, and more.

The webinar is FREE but registration is required.

When: Thursday, January 30, 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: The Latest HIPAA Requirements – A Check-in on Your RHC’s Compliance, January 14

January 10, 2025

Webinar: The Latest HIPAA Requirements – A Check-in on Your RHC’s Compliance, January 14

The National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) will host the free, FORHP-supported webinar with information for Rural Health Clinic (RHC) HIPAA compliance and updates.

HIPAA compliance is an integral component of your RHC’s compliance, but the complexity of the rules and frequent changes can make it especially challenging.

This webinar will help you check-in on your RHC’s compliance with the latest HIPAA requirements, featuring a health law expert with decades of experience.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, January 14, 2:00 p.m. ET

Click Here to Register

HIPAA Security Rule Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Electronic Protected Health Information, Comment by March 7

January 10, 2025

HIPAA Security Rule Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Electronic Protected Health Information, Comment by March 7

On January 6, 2025, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule to modify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule to strengthen cybersecurity protections for electronic protected health information.

The proposal will strengthen the Security Rule’s standards and implementation specifications with new proposals and clarifications. This rule will impact hospitals, providers, health plans, and any other entity that use or transmit electronic protected health information. Comments are due by March 7, 2025.

Click Here to Read More and Make Comment

Upcoming Webinar: An Updated Model of Rural Hospital Financial Distress, January 14

January 10, 2025

Upcoming Webinar: An Updated Model of Rural Hospital Financial Distress, January 14

This webinar will provide an overview of new research by the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program on the topic of rural hospital financial distress.

The aim of this research was to create an updated Financial Distress Index model that recognizes recent changes in the operating environment and uses financial performance, government reimbursement, organizational traits, and market characteristics to predict the risk of rural hospital financial distress two years hence.

Rural hospital profitability continues to be a challenge; having a model that can accurately predict financial distress and closure helps programs and policymakers better target resources to prevent closure or convert to other models of care.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, January 14, 1:00 p.m. ET

Click Here to Register

RHIhub This Week Now Available

January 9, 2025

RHIhub This Week Now Available

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

Click Here to Access RHIhub This Week

Apply Now – Rural Hospital Stabilization Program (RHSP)

January 9, 2025

Apply Now – Rural Hospital Stabilization Program (RHSP)

The Rural Hospital Stabilization Program (RHSP) is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and administered by the National Rural Health Resource Center. The ultimate goal of the program is to strengthen rural health care delivery nationwide.

RHSP aids rural hospitals, at no cost to them, to help them improve their financial stability by enhancing or expanding health care services that meet community needs. This may include everything from pulmonary rehabilitation to outpatient behavioral health services to expanded primary care and keep care close to home.

The Center’s subject matter experts and a team of nationally recognized consultants familiar with rural hospitals, provide:

  • Comprehensive financial and operational assessments,
  • Education,
  • One-on-one coaching,
  • Peer-to-peer sharing, and
  • Other forms of customized assistance.

Hospitals participating in the cohort-style program work to identify clinical areas where the expansion or addition of services would help to ensure that care is available locally, and develop those service lines to:

  • Bolster patient volume,
  • Optimize service utilization, and
  • Improve cash flow.

Hospitals that meet program expectations and are selected for participation may receive financial support for operating and equipment costs for service line development and a Community Engagement Champion.

Benefits of Participation:

  • Enhanced and expanded service lines
  • Financial stabilization
  • Operational efficiency
  • Quality Improvement
  • Community Awareness and Perception

To learn more:

Click Here to Apply

Upcoming Webinar Series – Improving Preventive Care in Early Childhood, March 3

January 8, 2025

Upcoming Webinar Series – Improving Preventive Care in Early Childhood, March 3

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched this new webinar series. It focuses on opportunities for state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs to improve delivery of developmental and lead screenings, immunizations, and early oral health interventions during well-child visits in early childhood. The webinar series will be followed by an action-oriented affinity group in the spring of 2025.

Who should attend:

  • State Medicaid and CHIP programs staff,
  • Pediatric providers,
  • Public health agencies,
  • Quality Improvement partners,

Click Here to visit the Improving Well-Child Care website for more information.

Please submit any questions to the quality improvement technical assistance mailbox: MACQualityImprovement@mathmatica-mpr.com

Cost: Free

When:

  • Monday, March 3, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., State Medicaid and CHIP Experiences Promoting Preventive Care through Well-Child Visits in Early Childhood
  • Monday, March 31, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., Overview of the Improving Preventive Care in Early Childhood Affinity Group and Expression of Interest Process
  • Monday, April 14, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., Addressing Barriers to Well-Child Visits and Preventive Care: Promising Approaches to Transportation in Medicaid and CHIP

Click Here to Register (you may register for one or all three in the series)

Upcoming Webinar – Supporting Perinatal Individuals Experiencing Substance Use Disorders: Strategies for Perinatal Care Professionals and Systems of Care

January 8, 2025

Upcoming Webinar – Supporting Perinatal Individuals Experiencing Substance Use Disorders: Strategies for Perinatal Care Professionals and Systems of Care

Join the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) for this roundtable webinar which will offer actionable strategies that support providers in delivering compassionate, comprehensive care.

This roundtable will address the stigma around mandatory reporting, which deters some pregnant and postpartum women from seeking care and provide insights on creating safe plans of care.

In addition, the session will highlight training opportunities, resources, and guidance on integrating substance use disorder care into workflows.

Attendees will learn about:

  • Barriers to care,
  • Solutions to improve access, and
  • The importance of educating providers on state-specific mandatory reporting.

Practical examples, such as “warm hands” and harm reduction strategies will be shared.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, January 15, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET

Click Here to Register