December 5, 2019 What's New Ready, Set, PrEP to Prevent HIV. On December 3, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced a national program that makes medications that can prevent HIV available at no cost to people without prescription drug insurance coverage. Taken daily, the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) reduces the risk of contracting the HIV virus. Raising awareness to risk and prevention is part of the National Plan for Ending the HIV Epidemic. See the Events and Resource of the Week sections below for opportunities to learn about HIV/AIDS in rural areas of the country, and watch this space throughout the month for more resources and information. Community-Based Participatory Research for Cancer Screening in a Rural Area. This report examines the effectiveness of a research model that involves community members and researchers working collaboratively to design, implement, and evaluate a program for intervention and social change. In this case, researchers looked at the Empowering Communities for Life program, designed to increase colorectal cancer screening in two rural and underserved counties within the Mississippi Delta region of Arkansas. The report describes the Community-Based Participatory Research model, the preliminary training and collaboration with community partners, and discusses participant barriers and facilitators to effective screening. GAO Report Finds Rural Veterans Face Challenges Accessing SUD Treatment. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined trends in the number of and expenditures for veterans receiving substance use disorder (SUD) services, including specialty SUD services, differences in use of services between rural and urban veterans, and the issues affecting access to those services in rural areas. The GAO found little difference between rural and urban veterans in the use of SUD services overall; however, there were differences in the use of and access to specialty services, such as intensive outpatient services, residential rehabilitation treatment programs, and medication assisted treatment. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking steps to improve rural access issues by addressing provider shortages, transportation, availability of telehealth, and access to prescription drugs. Funding Opportunities DOJ Assistance for Rural Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault – January 27. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will make 50 awards of up to $750,000 each for collaborative projects designed to address and prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities. ACF Chronic Pain and Disease Self-Management for Older Adults – January 29. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) will make seven awards of up to $300,000 each for development of a results-based, comprehensive strategy for addressing behavioral health and/or chronic pain among older adults and adults with disabilities. ACL Empowering Communities to Reduce Falls and Falls Risk – January 31. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) will make seven awards of up to $300,000 each to help communities reduce falls and/or falls risk among older adults and adults with disabilities. An emphasis is on projects that will target specific populations, such as rural communities, underserved areas, veterans, caregivers, or Tribal elders. USDA Assistance for Renewable Energy Development – January 31. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide grants of up to $100,000 each to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses lower their energy costs. DOJ Grants to Address Violence Against Women/Children in Underserved Populations – February 12. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will make 10 awards of up to $450,000 each to help communities develop and implement outreach strategies for victims. Special consideration will be given to projects that address the specific challenges that rural communities face. In a separate but related program, the DOJ will make 20 awards of up to $300,000 each for Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, also due on February 12. Rural Health Research Research in this section is provided by the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Sign up for alerts when new publications become available. Community Health Worker Roles and Responsibilities in Rural and Urban America. Growing bodies of research in public health point to community health workers (CHWs) as vital figures in ensuring cost-effective access to needed services. They are uniquely situated, often armed with cultural competence and a personal understanding of the challenges their clients face, to help clients navigate barriers and address social determinants of health. To investigate the CHW field in rural and urban environments, researchers at the Southwest Rural Health Research Center conducted a series of focus groups in four states and report on commonalities and differences between CHWs in urban and rural areas. Policy Updates Visit the FORHP Policy page to see all recent updates and send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. New Medicare ACO Beneficiary Engagement Toolkit and Case Studies. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the second toolkit in a series that provide ideas and strategies that promote value-based care in current and prospective Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Based on interviews and focus groups with rural and urban providers, this toolkit highlights how ACOs can better engage with beneficiaries, including beneficiary participation on governance boards, enhanced communication in the clinical setting, and additional support for self-care management. Three new case studies also highlight ACO approaches to advance care planning, provider engagement, and communicating to providers the "three day rule" waiver for skilled nursing facilities. Rural provider participation in ACOs has been increasing in recent years. Learning Events and Technical Assistance HIV/AIDS Prevention in Rural Communities – Thursday, December 5 at 10:00 am ET. In recognition of World AIDS Day on December 1, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will hold a 90-minute webinar on the ways rural primary care providers are increasing access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, also known as PrEP. When taken daily, PrEP reduces the risk of contracting the virus that causes AIDS. Studies have shown that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%, and by at least 74% among people who inject drugs. HRSA Telehealth Learning Series: Expanding HIV Prevention Efforts and Treatment through Telehealth - Thursday, December 5 at 1:00 pm ET. Join the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on this 60-minute webinar. Speakers from Iowa Department of Public Health/NuCara Pharmacy and Medical Advocacy and Outreach will discuss issues rural Americans face in accessing HIV care and the opportunities that telemedicine provides to extend services in a way that addresses barriers to care that are unique to this population. They will also speak about opportunities to leverage existing infrastructures to support the extension of services and how to assess the costs and benefits of utilizing telehealth in place of traditional service delivery models. For more information, contact Nancy Rios at NRios@hrsa.gov. Assistance with FCC Rural Health Care Program – Tuesday, December 10 at 2:00 pm ET. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is an independent, not-for-profit corporation designated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to administer federal funds for the FCC's Rural Health Care Program. In this hour-long webinar, USAC will provide assistance for the application filing window (Request for Services) that opens on January 1. Introducing the Rural Suicide Prevention Toolkit – Wednesday, December 11 at 1:00 pm ET. The Rural Health Information and the Rural Health Research Center will present the Rural Suicide Prevention Toolkit, designed to support organizations implementing programs in rural communities. New MBQIP Measures for Emergency Department Transfer Communication – Thursday, December 12 at 3:00 pm ET. The Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Program (MBQIP) is a project supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy that invites Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to voluntarily report their data on quality measures and look for ways to improve patient outcomes. New measures for emergency department transfer communication will be implemented starting January 1. This hour-long session will review the updated measure specifications and revisions to the measure for CAH staff. Watch this space for additional trainings in coming weeks. Resource of the Week HIVAIDS in Rural America. The recent CDC report, HIV Incidence: Estimated Annual Infections in the U.S., 2010-2016, estimates that the decrease in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections has plateaued because effective HIV prevention and treatment are not adequately reaching individuals with the highest need for these services; such as those in rural areas. This hour-long webinar presented by the Rural Health Information Hub last month provides an overview of the "Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America" initiative, discusses the distribution of HRSA-funded Ryan White HIV/AIDS medical providers in rural areas of the U.S., and highlights the work of a current Ryan White recipient working in rural Alabama. Approaching Deadlines Delta States Rural Development Grant Program - December 6 SAMHSA Tribal Behavioral Health Grant Program – December 10 NIH Strategies to Reduce Disparities in Rural – December 13 HHS Request for Information: PreventionX – December 13 Partnership to Promote Local Efforts To Reduce Environmental Exposure – December 15 SAMHSA Expanding Practitioner Education for SUD – December 16 SAMHSA Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals with SUD – December 16 AcademyHealth/NCHS Health Policy Fellowship – January 1 Comments Requested: Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Proposed Rule – January 17 SAMSHA Recovery Community Services Program – December 23 DOT Access and Mobility for All Pilot Program – January 6 DOJ Grants for Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault – January 8 DOJ Sexual Assault Services for Tribes – January 10 Comments Requested: Transparency in Coverage Proposed Rule – January 14 AJPH Call for Papers on Rural Public Health – January 15 Participate in Kidney Care Choices Model – January 22 Participate in Primary Care First Model Options – January 22 HRSA Primary Care Residency Training Program – January 24 DOJ Assistance for Rural Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault – January 27 ACF Chronic Pain and Disease Self-Management for Older Adults – January 29 ACL Empowering Communities to Reduce Falls and Falls Risk – January 31 USDA Assistance for Renewable Energy Development – January 31 EPA Environmental Justice Collaborative – February 7 DOJ Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence – February 12 DOJ Grants to Address Violence Against Women/Children in Underserved Populations – February 12 HRSA/FORHP Rural Health Research Program – February 21 NIH: Research for Disparities Among Minority/Underserved Children – Cycles thru May 2020 Guaranteed Loans for Rural Rental Housing – Ongoing through 2021 USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants – Ongoing 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 | 
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