Rural Spotlight

FREE Ventilator for Rural Hospitals

March 12, 2024

The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care (ORHPC) has been notified that the Strategic National Stockpile is offering all Rural Hospitals the opportunity to claim a FREE ventilator.

Important Notes:

  • These ventilators were first offered to rural hospitals in 2021
  • All rural hospitals are eligible to request a ventilator
    • Regardless of participation in 2021
  • Request your ventilator now, by completing the Rural Hospital Ventilator Form
    • Be sure to include appropriate and accurate point of contacts
    • You will also need to coordinate with logistics and respiratory departments to ensure smooth delivery of the unit

Ventilator Distribution Opportunity for Rural Hospitals, Frequently Asked Questions:

  • How many ventilators can I request?
    • rural hospitals may submit a request for more than one ventilator (per model) via the interest form. However, please remember there is no guarantee as distribution is contingent on availability
  • Can I request a new ventilator if I already received a ventilator in 2021 during the COVID-19 response?
    • Yes. Rural hospitals may request a ventilator(s) regardless if they participated in the previous distribution of ventilators
  • Will I need to return the ventilator?
    • No. However, you will be responsible for ongoing maintenance of the ventilator
  • What is included in the ventilator kit?
    • Each model should include one ventilator and one accessory kit
  • Do I need to cover the cost for shipping and delivery of the ventilator?
    • No. Once the ventilators are ready to ship, the Strategic National Stockpile will coordinate with their contractor to confirm and arrange delivery.
      • Prior to delivery, it’s important your hospital’s point of contact coordinate internally with your logistics and respiratory team to ensure the equipment will be delivered to the correct facility.
  • Ventilator models available include:
    • ResMed Astral 150
    • AutoMedx SAVE II
      • Please note: these models were NOT produced through the Defense Production Act and have been fully maintained and cleared by the FDA for regular use.

Claim Your Free Ventilator Today

Upcoming Webinar: Solar Powered Healthcare: Resilience and Cost-Savings

March 11, 2024

Upcoming Webinar: Solar Powered Healthcare: Resilience and Cost-Savings

Climate conditions and natural disasters including wildfires, severe storms, and flooding can lead to widespread power disruptions that can have dire consequences for health centers and the communities they serve.

From the loss of critical health services to spoiled medications and revenue losses, a reduction in the level of dependable power has a negative impact on health center operations and direct health consequences for patients, particularly those living in low income, rural and vulnerable communities.

Health centers rate reliable power as a top priority as they plan, design and construct facilities and many are choosing solar power with battery backup as an affordable solution for both emergency and year-round use.

Register now to join Capital Link and their CHARGE partners, the National Association of Community Health Centers and Collective Energy, to learn more about this resilient, affordable clean energy option.

Cost: No Charge

When: Monday, March 25 12:00 p.m. CT

Register Now

Rural Residents Have Less Access to Special Needs Care

March 11, 2024

Rural Residents Have Less Access to Special Needs Care

According to the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), the patient-to-primary-care-physician ratio is about 39 physicians for every 100,000 people.

In many rural areas, this can create crucial gaps in care for children with special needs, whose families often struggle with transportation and accessibility of services.

Additionally, Rural Health Research Gateway offers a new recap on post-acute care in rural areas.

Read Crucial Gaps in Care Article

Read Recap on Post-acute care

Webinar: Achieving Birth-Friendly Status in Rural Hospitals, Tuesday, March 12

March 11, 2024

Webinar: Achieving Birth-Friendly Status in Rural Hospitals, Tuesday, March 12

Registration is now open for a four-part webinar series presented by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) in collaboration with the Rural Health Information Hub to support access to safe, high-quality maternity care in rural communities.

The first presentation, at 1 p.m. CDT March 12, will discuss achieving birth-friendly status in rural hospitals, including why it’s important to meet it.

“Birthing Friendly” is a designation to describe high-quality maternity care and was launched by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the fall of 2023. To earn the designation, hospitals attest to meeting a 2-component measure established by CMS.

Speakers will introduce the Birthing Friendly measure and discuss the why and how of meeting it.

The next two webinars in the Rural Maternal Health Series will take a deeper dive into how hospitals can engage with their state Perinatal Quality Collaborative (PQCs) and standardize clinical care through implementing AIM patient safety bundles, developed by the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health.

Cost:

The webinar is FREE

When: Tuesday, March 12, 1:00 p.m. CT

Register Now

Studying Nursing? Apply for HRSA’s Scholarship!

March 11, 2024

Studying Nursing? Apply for HRSA’s Scholarship!

The Health Resources and Services Administrations’ (HRSAs’) Nurse Corps Scholarship Program application is open!

The program provides scholarships to nursing students in exchange for a minimum two-year, full-time service commitment (or part-time equivalent) at an eligible health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses.

Eligible nursing students can apply to the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program. If accepted HRSA will pay your tuition, fees, and other educational costs, along with a monthly stipend.

In return, after you graduate, you work at an eligible health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses.

You are eligible if you:

  • Are a U.S. citizen (born or naturalized), a national, or a lawful permanent resident
  • Are an accepted or enrolled student in a nursing degree program at a United States accredited school of nursing
  • Begin classes no later than September 30
  • Don’t have any federal judgment liens
  • Don’t have an existing service commitment
  • Aren’t overdue on a federal debt

Questions:

Call: 1 800-221-9333 M-F 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (except federal holidays

Contact form

Application Program Guidance

Apply

New Research: Health Centers and Patient Support Services

March 11, 2024

New Research: Health Centers and Patient Support Services

A recent Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funded study shows that health centers with the highest use of patient support services, such as transportation, score higher than other health centers on 90% of clinical quality process measures (e.g., cervical cancer screening, childhood immunization status).

This research suggests that health-related social services that health centers provide make a significant positive impact on clinical health outcomes.

Read the published article and other articles about high-quality care in health center in HRSA’s Health Center Library

Opportunity for Participation – Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use

March 11, 2024

Opportunity for Participation – Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is accepting applications for participation in the Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use. Learn how to improve patient safety and reduce harm associated with antibiotics in a FREE 18-month AHRQ program that starts in June, 2024.

This program is designed for primary care, urgent care, and direct to consumer practitioners to help improve their antibiotic prescribing practices over telemedicine.

This is an 18-month program starting in June 2024 and enrollment is open now.

There will be one webinar per month, which can be viewed asynchronously if needed.

CME/CEU/MOC points are available for free.

Benefits of Participation:

  • Improve efficiency and patient satisfaction with antibiotic prescribing, using approaches such as scripting for live and patient portal interactions
  • Perform better on antibiotic-related quality measures
  • Receive continuing education credits (CEUs), continuing medical education credits (CMEs), and American Board of Internal Medicine Maintenance of Certification (MOC) points through live and/or self-paced materials

Cost: FREE

Learn More

Join the Program

CMS Resource Documents – Understanding and Using New Payment Codes

March 11, 2024

CMS Resource Documents – Understanding and Using New Payment Codes

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released two new resources to assist providers and stakeholders in understanding and using new payment codes.

Notice of Funding Opportunity RCORP – Impact: HRSA-24-014

March 11, 2024

Notice of Funding Opportunity RCORP – Impact: HRSA-24-014

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently released the Notice of Funding Opportunity for Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Impact (RCORP-Impact) HRSA-24-014.

The purpose of RCORP Impact is to improve access to integrated and coordinated treatment and recovery services for substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), in rural areas.

Ultimately, RCORP-Impact aims to address the SUD/OUD crisis in rural communities and promote long-term, sustained recovery.

Eligible Applicants:

  • State governments
  • For profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Special district governments
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Small business
  • City or township governments
  • County governments
  • All domestic public or private, non-profit, and for-profit entities

Each grantee will receive up to $750,000 per year for a four-year project that meets the following goals:

  • Goal 1: Service Delivery
    • Establish and/or expand coordinated and comprehensive SUD treatment and recovery services
  • Goal 2: Workforce
    • Develop a responsive SUD workforce, which includes both peers and clinical providers with diverse scopes of practice
  • Goal 3: Supportive Services
    • Establish and/or enhance coordination with supportive social services to ensure that rural individuals and families affected by SUD have the greatest opportunity possible for sustained, long-term recovery
  • Goal 4: Sustainability
    • Develop innovative, multi-sectoral approaches to ensure the continued availability of services supported by RCORP-Impact in the target rural service area

Have questions or cannot access the full announcement electronically?

Please contact:

Sarah O’Donnell, HRSA, (301) 443-0298, sodonnell@hrsa.gov

Applications Due: May 6, 2024

Learn More

Apply Here

Call for Speaker Proposals – NOSORH Annual Meeting

March 11, 2024

Call for Speaker Proposals – NOSORH Annual Meeting

The National Organization or State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) is now accepting speaker proposals for the 2024 NOSORH Annual Meeting.

The NOSORH Annual Meeting will be held in Niagara Falls, New York, September 11 – 12, 2024.

NOSORH encourages a diverse range of speakers to submit proposals that focus on, but are not limited to, these key rural health topics:

  • Innovations and Success Stories in State Offices of Rural Health (SORH)
  • Advancing Health Equity and Inclusivity
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Behavioral Health and Rural Health Integration
  • Workforce Development and Sustainability
  • Strengthening Rural Health Systems and Infrastructure
  • SORH Leadership Strategies
  • Emergency Management and Community Resilience
  • Economic Development and Health
  • Social Determinants and Community-Based Solutions
  • Emerging Models and Technologies in Rural Health
  • Intersectoral Collaborations

Speaker Benefits and Logistics

  • Approved travel expenses for one speaker will be fully reimbursed
  • Lodging and per diem will be covered during the designated period
  • Receipts for all expenditures over $25 are required, excluding food and beverages

See full details on speaker benefits and logistics

Submit a Proposal