Rural Spotlight

Caring, Awareness & Resources for Our Elders

June 13, 2024

Caring, Awareness & Resources for Our Elders

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month and Saturday, June 15, 2024 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

According to the Office of Inspector General (OIC), they continue to protect the health and wellbeing of those in long-term care as an oversight agency.

Learn more:

Webinar: Combatting the Rise of Syphilis Through State Communication Campaigns, June 20

June 13, 2024

Webinar: Combatting the Rise of Syphilis Through State Communication Campaigns, June 20

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) will be conducting a webinar focused on the development of targeted, state specific communication blueprints for syphilis prevention.

Historically, communication campaigns play an important role in addressing public health issues. In partnership with CDC, this webinar will provide an overview of a year-long project to update communication campaigns to address rising syphilis rates.

Each jurisdiction will share their campaign

S target audience, draft messages and creative concepts, and planned next steps for testing and implementation.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, June 20, 2:00 – 3:00 ET

Register Here

**Please note you will need to login to the ASTHO website to complete the registration process.

New Resources for Occupational Licensure Compacts

June 12, 2024

New Resources for Occupational Licensure Compacts

The licensure process is intended to protect the general public and to ensure patient safety. Health professionals must meet the licensure requirements of the state where they are located and be licensed or legally permitted to practice in the state where the patient is located.

To practice in a state, providers must meet the requirements. Requirements include education exams and background checks. Health care providers are expected to maintain and renew their license. Maintenance may require an annual fee, continuing education and self-reporting disciplinary actions.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) supported Multi-Discipline Licensure Resource Project aims to improve licensure portability for health care professionals working between states and for people who are geographically isolated.

The site now includes compact information for professions such as:

  • Psychology
  • Social Work
  • Counseling
  • Dentistry
  • Dieticians
  • Physician Assistants
  • Nursing
  • School Psychologists

Learn More

List of all topics for licensure

See Licensing Across State Lines

Save the Date: National Telehealth Conference

June 12, 2024

Save the Date: National Telehealth Conference

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is hosting a virtual National Telehealth Conference that brings public and private sector leaders together to discuss telehealth best practices.

Conference topics include:

  • Licensing across state lines to increase access to behavioral health care
  • Implications of health policy to inform telehealth’s future
  • Expanding access to services for underserved and low-income communities
  • Exploring health care innovations and future telehealth technologies
  • Improving health equity through expansion of broadband connectivity and adoption of telehealth

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, July 16, 9:30 – 5:00

Register Here

CDC Webinar: Learn About COVID & Fatiguing Illness, June 13

June 10, 2024

CDC Webinar: Learn About COVID & Fatiguing Illness, June 13

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds this monthly webinar-style ECHO learning session to rapidly disseminate findings about Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

The series offers:

  • Presentations by subject matter experts
  • Examples of emerging best practices and models of care
  • Facilitated Q&A

This program is intended primarily for providers who care for patients with PCC and ME/CFS but is open to all healthcare professionals and all Long COVID and ME/CFS patient-lived experience experts interested in learning more about the treatment of Long COVID and ME/CFS.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, June 13, 3:00 p.m. ET

Register Here

Requirements for Buprenorphine Prescribing

June 10, 2024

Requirements for Buprenorphine Prescribing

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced in January 2023 that clinicians no longer need a federal waiver to prescribe buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder.

Clinicians are still required to register with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to prescribe controlled medications.

In June 2023 the DEA began to require that registration applicants – both new and renewing – affirm they have completed a new, one-time, eight-hour training.

Exceptions for the new training requirement are:

  • Practitioners who are board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry
  • Graduates from a medical, dental, physician assistant or advanced practice nursing school in the U.S. within five years of June 27, 2023

Please note Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) still have the opportunity to apply for a $3,000 payment on behalf of each provider who trained between January 1, 2019 and December 29, 2022.

Approximately $889,000 in program funding remains available for RHCs and will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted.

Please send questions to DATA2000WaiverPayments@hrsa.gov

New Occupations Added to Guide for Licensure Portability

June 10, 2024

New Occupations Added to Guide for Licensure Portability

The Multi-discipline Licensure Resource Project is an effort supported by HRSA to improve licensure portability for health care professions working between states and for people who are geographically isolated.

Previously, the site provided guidance for four disciplines:

  • Psychology
  • Social work
  • Physical therapy
  • Occupational therapy

New disciplines have been added:

  • Counseling
  • Dentistry
  • Dietitians
  • Emergency medical services
  • Physician assistants
  • Nursing
  • Advanced practice nursing
  • School psychologists

Click Here to Professional’s Guide to Occupational Licensure Compacts

CDC Webinar: What Rural Clinicians Should Know about Influenza A (H5N1), June 18

June 10, 2024

CDC Webinar: What Rural Clinicians Should Know about Influenza A (H5N1), June 18

Consider joining this webinar to hear experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discuss clinical features of influenza A (H5N1), recommendations and considerations for influenza testing and treatment, and strategies for culturally competent patient evaluations for possible exposure to influenza A.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, June 18, 2:00 p.m.

Register Here

Upcoming MRHA Webinar: Nephrology Services for Rural Hospitals, June 20

June 10, 2024

Upcoming MRHA Webinar: Nephrology Services for Rural Hospitals, June 20

Consider joining this webinar to learn how rural hospitals are serving their community by providing Nephrology services.

In the past, patients on dialysis were being transferred out, as rural hospitals had no Nephrologist, nor the dialysis equipment needed to provide dialysis.

In this webinar, you will learn how a rural CAH implemented a Tele-Nephrology solution that saw over 100 patients in the first 12 months. You will also hear directly from the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) that implemented the program with no prior dialysis experience on her nurse team. She will share the impact it had on the hospital and community and discuss lessons learned by the clinical team since its implementation over 4 years ago.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, June 20, 12:00 p.m.

Register Here

FREE Webinar – Compliance within a Value-Based Healthcare Organization, June 25

June 5, 2024

FREE Webinar – Compliance within a Value-Based Healthcare Organization, June 25

Please consider joining the FREE Compliance within a Value-Based Healthcare Organization webinar.

Sheryn Honest will be addressing these common questions related to the Value-Based (VBC) and compliance during the 60-minute session:

  • What Fraud & Abuse Laws are associated with a Compliance Program?
  • How does the new OIC General Compliance Program Guidance (GCPG), published in November 2023, impact VBC organizations?
  • What are the 7 core elements of a Compliance Program?
  • Why do you need a Compliance Program?
  • Who’s involved in the Compliance Program?
  • What’s a Business Associate (BA) and what does a healthcare provider need to know about working with BA’s?
  • Do you know what an FDR is and what that means in a value-based organization (as a Medicare Advantage provider)?
  • What training & education is required?

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the fundamentals of a compliance program
  • Identify the 7 core elements of a Compliance Program and what are some practical (and necessary) things that can be done to remain compliant
  • New elements in the OIG’s GCPG

Cost: FREE

When: Tuesday, June 25, 11:00 a.m. CT

Register Here