October 3, 2019 What's New RHIhub Toolkit for Rural Suicide Prevention. The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) recently announced a new toolkit that compiles resources and model programs to aid organizations in implementing suicide prevention programs in rural communities. According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide rates are higher in rural areas of the country. Earlier this year, the CDC released a map of suicide mortality, showing a concentration in states that are mostly rural. Funding Opportunities National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP) – October 31. The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program awards up to $120,000 to medical and dental students in their final year of school in exchange for a three-year commitment to provide primary care services at NHSC-approved sites in high-need areas, including rural. Review the 2019 Application and Program Guidance for more information on how to apply. EPA Technical Assistance for Small Public Water Systems – November 14. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will invest $15 million to provide training and technical assistance for small publicly owned wastewater systems, communities served by onsite/decentralized wastewater systems, and private well owners to improve water quality under the Clean Water Act. EPA Student Design Competition for People, Prosperity and the Planet – November 19. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will make 20 awards of $25,000 each for innovative, technology-based projects that simultaneously improve the quality of people's lives, provide economic benefits and protect the environment. The annual People, Prosperity and the Planet grant program is open to teams of college/university students working to design solutions that respond to the needs of people in the United States, including those in small, rural, tribal and/or disadvantaged communities. Policy Updates Visit the FORHP Policy page to see all recent updates and send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. CMS Issues Omnibus Burden Reduction Final Rule. On September 26, CMS issued a final rule to remove or update Medicare regulations the agency has identified as unnecessary, obsolete, or excessively burdensome on hospitals and other healthcare providers. This includes regulatory updates for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), rural health clinics (RHCs) federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and hospital and CAH swing-bed providers. Among other updates for CAHs, the final rule replaces the current requirement on systems for infection control with a new infection prevention and control and antibiotic stewardship Condition of Participation (CoP). CMS is also requiring that CAHs develop, implement, and maintain Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement Programs (QAPI) programs, that will replace the existing annual evaluation and quality assurance review requirement. In implementing the QAPI requirements, CMS encourages CAHs to utilize the technical assistance and services available through the State Flex Programs, including the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). For RHCs and FQHCs, the final rule reduces the frequency of review of the patient care policies and facility evaluation from annually to every two years. The final rule also makes changes to other requirements such as those pertaining to emergency preparedness. To see all the facility types and regulations affected, you may access the final rule in the Federal Register. These regulations will go into effect on November 29, 2019, except for the CAH QAPI and antibiotic stewardship requirements (March 30, 2021 and March 30, 2020, respectively). CMS Issues Final Rule on Discharge Planning Requirements for Hospitals, CAHs, and HHAs. On September 26, CMS issued a final rule updating regulations for hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and home health agencies (HHAs) on the transition from acute care into post-acute care (PAC), a process called "discharge planning." For CAHs, the final rule adds a new, separate condition of participation (CoP) specific to discharge planning. The new regulatory language outlines the standards for the discharge planning process, beginning with identifying those patients (at an early stage of hospitalization) likely to suffer adverse health consequences upon discharge in the absence of adequate discharge planning. Detail on the specific requirements is provided in the Federal Register. These regulations will go into effect on November 29, 2019. Learning Events and Technical Assistance CMS Rural Health Open Door Forum – Thursday, October 3 at 2:00 pm ET. CMS is holding a one-hour call to provide policy updates relevant to rural providers including a recently published final rule with comment period on program integrity enhancements to the provider enrollment process, revised rural health clinic (RHC) guidance updating emergency medicine requirements, and updates to the State Operations Manual Chapter 2 for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) adding a provider-based location. A question and answer session will follow these updates. To participate by phone, dial 1-888-455-1397 and reference the conference passcode 4676500. CMS asks that participants please dial in at least 15 minutes prior to call start time. 3RNet Recruiting for Retention Academy – October 8 through December 17. The National Rural Recruitment & Retention Network (3RNet) will hold a series of webinars on best practices for recruiting a sustainable health workforce. The series will feature national experts on rural/underserved recruiting and retention, provide opportunity to ask questions, and give access to resources. The deadline to register is October 7. Public Health and Transportation Webinar Series: Part One - Collaborating Together for Community Health – Thursday, October 10 at 2:00 pm ET. A Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grantee, the National Center or Mobility Management (NCMM), will host a series of webinars on collaborations between transportation – a barrier to health care access in rural areas – and public health. This webinar is the result of new collaborations between the Department of Transportation and CDC's Health Impact in 5 Years initiative. Part one will focus on how public health and transportation professionals can work together to support community health and well-being. This webinar will provide an opportunity for mobility management and transportation practitioners to hear from public health professionals on potential areas for collaboration between the two sectors, and discuss ideas for developing, implementing, and evaluating initiatives to improve community health. HRSA Virtual Job Fair – Wednesday, October 16 at 6:45 pm ET. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will hold a three-hour virtual job fair to connect job-seeking medical, nursing, dental, and mental/behavioral health clinicians and trainees with hundreds of opportunities at health care facilities, most in medically-underserved areas of the country. Resource of the Week Continuing Education Credits Offered for Continuing Awareness. Staying up to date on alerts sent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now a way for clinicians to earn Continuing Education credits. The most recent alerts for which the credits are offered provide up-to-date information and guidance from the CDC on transmission of HIV, care for homeless persons who are at risk of contracting Hepatitis A, and Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections – all conditions that have been related to needle-sharing behavior. The credits are offered through a CDC partnership with Medscape, a website providing news and resources for health professionals. Approaching Deadlines 3RNet Recruiting for Retention Academy – October 7 Comments Requested: Rural Access to Health Care Services – October 9 Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Grant Program – October 15 Small Rural Hospital Transition Project – October 16 USDA Small Business Innovation Research, Phase I – October 23 Comments Requested: Proposed Changes to Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records – October 25 Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program – October 28 Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas – October 31 National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program – October 31 USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) – October 31 Comments Requested: Rural Eligibility for FORHP Funding – November 2 Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship – November 6 EPA Technical Assistance for Small Public Water Systems – November 14 EPA Student Design Competition for People, Prosperity and the Planet – November 19 Rural Health Network Development Program – November 25 HRSA Rural Health Network Development Planning Program – November 29 Bloomberg Public Health Fellows – December 1 Delta States Rural Development Grant Program - December 6 Partnership to Promote Local Efforts To Reduce Environmental Exposure – December 15 NIH: Research for Disparities Among Minority/Underserved Children – Cycles thru May 2020 Guaranteed Loans for Rural Rental Housing – Ongoing through 2021 Community Food Projects Technical Assistance – Ongoing SBA Guaranteed Loans for Small Business – Ongoing Drinking Water State Revolving Fund – Ongoing Seeking Nominations: National Advisory Committee on Migrant Health – Ongoing HUD Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program – Ongoing RWJF Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health – Ongoing Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans – Ongoing Funding for Rural Water and Waste Disposal Projects – Ongoing Drinking Water and Waste Disposal for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages – Ongoing HIT Strategies for Patient-Reported Outcome Measures – Ongoing HIT to Improve Health Care Quality and Outcomes – Ongoing Community Facilities Program – Ongoing Summer Food Service Program – Ongoing | 
Connect with HRSA
No comments:
Post a Comment