April 15, 2020 What's New Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. On April 10, HHS began delivery of the initial $30 billion in relief funding to providers in support of the national response to COVID-19 as part of the distribution of the $100 billion provider relief fund provided for in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Administration is working rapidly on targeted distributions of the remaining $70 billion that will focus on providers in areas particularly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, rural providers, providers of services with lower shares of Medicare reimbursement or who predominantly serve the Medicaid population, and providers requesting reimbursement for the treatment of uninsured Americans. For more information, visit hhs.gov/provider-relief. Notice of Intent: New Funding Opportunity Announcement to Support Novel, High-Impact Studies Evaluating Health System and Healthcare Professional Responsiveness to COVID-19 – June 2020. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) intends to publish a new funding opportunity focused on evaluating topics such as innovations and challenges encountered in the rapid expansion of telemedicine in response to COVID-19, effects on quality, safety, and value of health system response to COVID-19, and the role of primary care practices and professionals during the COVID-19 epidemic. AHRQ expects to invest up to $5 million in FY2020 funds with particular interest in understanding how digital health innovations contributed to health system and healthcare professional innovation and challenges and solutions to meeting the needs of vulnerable populations including older adults, people living with multiple chronic conditions, rural communities, and uninsured and under-insured populations. HHS Guide for Implementing Virtual Case Management During COVID-19. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services issued a short set of key considerations for delivering services online or over the phone. Federal Office of Rural Health Policy FAQs for COVID-19. A set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from our grantees and stakeholders, updated regularly. CDC COVID-19 Updates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides daily updates and guidance. A CDC site for rural-specific information has a recording of the April 8 Coronavirus update for rural stakeholders and communities. CDC also does regular clinical calls for public health emergencies, called Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA). USDA COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched an online list of federal resources for rural communities. RAND: Responding to Critical Care Surge Capacity. The RAND Corporation (Research ANd Development) included 61 rural hospitals in its survey of hospitals across the country about their capacity to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic. The report presents a range of strategies for creating capacity, including an online Critical Care Surge Response Tool that allows decision-makers at all levels — hospitals, health care systems, states, regions — to estimate current critical care capacity and rapidly explore strategies for increasing it. NCSL on COVID-19: Health Care in Rural America. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) focuses on rural areas in its podcast about state-level response to the pandemic. Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties. The RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis provides up-to-date data and maps on rural and urban confirmed cases throughout the United States. An animated map shows the progression of cases beginning January 21. Rural Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019. The Rural Health Information Hub has created a guide to help you learn about activities underway to address COVID-19. Funding and Opportunities Please note that many deadlines for Federal funding opportunities have been extended. See Approaching Deadlines section below. DOL National Farmworker Services for Career Training and Housing – May 14. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will make 65 awards with a total investment of nearly $10 million to assist migrant and seasonal workers and their families. The purpose of the program is to counter chronic unemployment and underemployment for agricultural workers through career and training services, housing assistance, and youth services to help them acquire new skills for higher wages and year-round employment. Eligible applicants are state and local workforce development entities, public institutions of higher education, nonprofits, and tribal governments and entities. DOJ Preventing Trafficking of Girls – May 26. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will make four awards with total funding of $1.8 million to prevent and reduce victimization of girls who are vulnerable to sex trafficking. Priority consideration will be given to applications that address specific challenges in rural communities, and/or that demonstrate benefit to high-poverty areas or persistent poverty counties. NIH Addressing Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality/Morbidity – May 29. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will make awards of up to $500,000 year for five-year projects that research the mechanisms underlying racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity and/or testing the efficacy of interventions to reduce these disparities. One specific area of research interest includes strategies to ensure minority women living in rural areas receive preventative obstetric care. CDC Supporting Tribal Public Health Capacity/Coronavirus Response – May 31. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will make 574 award with total funding of $40 million to strengthen the tribal public health system to carry out surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory capacity, infection control, mitigation, communications, and other preparedness and response activities in response to COVID-19. SAMHSA Treatment, Recovery, and Workforce Support Grants – June 1. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will make eight awards with total program funding of $4 million to support individuals in substance use disorder treatment to live independently and participate in the workforce. Eligible applicants nonprofit entities that provide treatment or recovery services; award recipients must partner with one or more state or local entity. SAMHSA intends to make an equitable distribution of awards in terms of geography (including urban, rural and remote settings) and balance among populations of focus and program size. HRSA Nursing Workforce Diversity-Eldercare Enhancement Program – June 4. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will make two awards of up to $500,000 each to expand opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The purpose of the program is to strengthen the eldercare workforce in rural communities that have disparities in healthcare access and delivery. HRSA Nurse Practitioner Residency Integration Program – June 8. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will make five awards of up to $1 million/year for a three-year program. The program objective is to expand and/or enhance accredited nurse practitioner residency programs in community-based settings. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, schools of nursing, academic health centers, and nurse-managed health clinics. Priority is given to projects that benefit rural and underserved populations. HRSA Supporting Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Screening and Intervention Program – June 9. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will make one award of $1 million to reduce alcohol use among pregnant women, and to improve developmental outcomes for children and adolescents with a suspected or diagnosed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Eligible applicants are any domestic public or private entity, including community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and Indian tribes/ tribal organizations. Policy Updates Visit the FORHP Policy page to see all recent updates and send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Summary of Medicare Emergency COVID-19 Waivers for Health Care Providers. CMS has temporarily waived several Medicare regulations to support hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The new waivers focus on reducing supervision and certification requirements so that practitioners can be hired quickly and perform work to the fullest extent of their licenses. This Fact Sheet summarizes the new changes in addition to previous waivers that impact all types of providers, including Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, physicians, skilled nursing facilities, and others. Comments Requested: Proposed Rule for Skilled Nursing Facilities – June 9. On April 15, CMS published a proposed rule for the FY 2021 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS). The proposed rule includes a proposal to update the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) delineations used to identify facility as an urban or rural and to calculate the wage index. CMS has proposed that 47 currently rural areas will become urban and 34 currently urban areas will become rural if the proposal is finalized. The rule also includes a S748 million payment increase to SNFs and non-CAH swing beds which rural SNFs will experience as an average increase of 2.5%. CMS also proposed several changes to coding used by the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) case mix system and the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program (SNF VBP). Comments Requested: Proposed Rule for Hospice Providers – June 9. On April 15, CMS published a proposed rule for the FY 2021 Hospice Prospective Payment System (PPS). The proposed rule includes updates to the hospice wage index, payment rates, and cap amount for fiscal year (FY) 2021, including an overall 2.6 percent payment increase of $580 million. Rural hospice providers would experience an average 2.8% increase. The rule also proposes a 5 percent cap on wage index decreases and adopts the most recent Office of Management and Budget (OMB) statistical area delineations with 34 urban counties becoming rural and 47 rural counties becoming urban. Comments Requested: Proposed Updates for FY 2021 Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities – June 9. On April 14, CMS published the proposed rule for the FY 2021 Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities (IPF) Prospective Payment System (PPS). CMS proposes updates to the wage index and payment rates, including a payment increase of 2.4 percent or $100 million in FY 2021. Rural IPF providers will continue to receive a 17 percent payment adjustment and IPF payments are estimated to increase by 2.5 percent in rural areas. The rule also proposes to adopt the most recent Office of Management and Budget (OMB) statistical area delineations and a 5 percent cap on wage index decreases for all IPF providers impacted by their wage index. Learning Events and Technical Assistance AgriSafe: COVID-19 Weekly Think Tank – Thursday, April 16 at 12:00 pm ET. The AgriSafe Network holds a discussion with rural health and safety professionals to identify risks that farmers, farm workers and ranchers face as it relates to COVID-19. CMS Tribal Webinar Series: Meet Your Native American Contact – Thursday, April 16 at 2:00 pm ET. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold the first in a series of six webinars to provide an overview of the recent CMS reorganization and new roles and responsibilities of the CMS Native American Contacts. NCTRC Webinar: COVID-19 and Telebehavioral Health – Thursday, April 16 at 2:00 pm ET. The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC) will cover telemental and telebehavioral health in this hour-long webinar. CMS COVID-19 Call with Nurses – Thursday, April 16 at 3:00 pm ET. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) leadership will provide updates on the agency's latest guidance and will be joined by leaders in the field interested in sharing best practices with their peers. Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Conference ID: 5058949. Adapting Opioid Treatment Programs to COVID-19 – Thursday, April 16 at 3:30 pm ET. Experts from the University of Rochester Center of Excellence on Rural Substance Use Disorder will discuss the steps they are taking to adapt substance use disorder (SUD) programs as quickly as possible in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Telehealth 101: Intro and Q&A – Fridays at 4:00 pm ET. The HRSA/FORHP-supported South Central Telehealth Resource Center (TRC) will provide the basics of telehealth and telemedicine each Friday through May 8. Get more resources and find your regional TRC online. HRSA Telehealth Learning Series: COVID-19 – Monday, April 20 at 2:30 pm ET. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will hold a 60-minute webinar focusing on telehealth in the time of COVID-19. For more information, contact Nancy Rios at NRios@hrsa.gov. Telehealth Learning Series for SUD Treatment and Recovery – Tuesday, April 21 at 1:00 pm ET. Live, one-hour sessions each week feature providers with expertise in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support using videoconferencing. The series is hosted by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network and the HRSA/FORHP-supported National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers. SAMHSA: Peer Recovery Support Across Crisis Services – Thursday, April 23 at 2:00 pm ET. This hour-long webinar from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will discuss peer-run respite programs, warm lines, and peer support services within hospital emergency departments NOSORH Rural Health Data Institute – Register by May 1. The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) will hold a series of 90-minute webinars each week from May 12 to June 30. Designed for those with limited knowledge of how to use data, the learning sessions will move through the process of collecting data, cleaning it up, and analyzing it in a way that everyone can understand. The Institute is open to rural health professionals, including clinical, administrative, and academic personnel. Resources of the Week Rural COVID-19 Innovations. The Rural Health Information Hub posted an ongoing collection of best practices, lessons learned in rural communities adapting to COVID-19. Borne the Battle: VA Podcast for Veterans. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched this weekly podcast in 2016 to engage and reach out to veterans. Recent recorded episodes provide updates related to the Coronavirus, including how to manage debt and get access to benefits. Approaching Deadlines DOL National Emergency Grants for Dislocated Workers – Ongoing FEMA Public Assistance Program: COVID-19 Response – Ongoing Small Business Administration Coronavirus Relief Programs – Ongoing Payment Deferrals: USDA Guaranteed Loans for Rural Development – Until September 30 HRSA Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project – April 17 Department of Treasury Support for Native Community Development – April 21 Department of Treasury Support for Rural Community Development – April 21 CDC National Center of Excellence for Prevention of Childhood Agricultural Injury – April 24 NHLBI Program to Support COPD Action Plan – Extended to April 24 Comments Requested: DEA Proposes Changes for Mobile Narcotic Treatment Programs – April 27 DOJ Reentry, Education and Employment for Incarcerated Adults – April 27 DOJ Improving Reentry for Adults with Substance Use Disorders – April 27 DOJ Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence – April 27 DOL Homeless Veterans Reintegration Programs – April 27 HRSA Support for Opioid-Impacted Families – Extended to April 27 CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention – April 30 Nurse Corps Scholarship Program – April 30 USDA Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grants – April 30 USDA Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program – April 30 CDC Programs to Support Ending the HIV Epidemic – Extended to May 1 Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health Scholarship – May 1 Innovations in Accessible Mobility – Extended to May 1 DOJ Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program – May 4 DOJ Second Chance Act Community-Based Reentry Program – May 4 DOJ Support for Children of Addiction-Related Crime – May 4 HRSA Ryan White HIV/AIDS – Dental Reimbursement Program – Extended to May 4 SAMHSA Tribal Opioid Response Grants – May 4 PCORI Grants for Research Addressing Disparities – May 5 AmeriCorps Grants for Indian Tribes – May 6 NIH: Research for Disparities Among Minority/Underserved Children – May 7 Nominations: HRSA Tribal Advisory Council – May 7 USDA Rural Housing Preservation Grants – May 7 Bureau of Indian Affairs National Tribal Broadband Grant – May 8 USDA Local Food Promotion Program – May 11 CDC Research to Prevent Firearm-Related Violence and Injuries – Extended to May 12 ACL Grants for Alzheimer's Disease Programs – Extended to May 13 USDA Rural Community Development Initiative – May 13 DOJ Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Program – May 14 DOL National Farmworker Services for Career Training and Housing – May 14 National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program – Extended to May 15 NIH Cancer Research in Geographically Underserved Areas – May 15 CDC Integrated Viral Hepatitis Surveillance and Prevention – May 18 DOJ Direct Services for Victims of Human Trafficking – May 18 DOJ Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program – May 18 DOT Accelerating Innovative Mobility Challenge Grants – Extended to May 18 SAMSHA State Opioid Response Grants – May 19 DOJ Comprehensive Substance Abuse Site-Based Program – May 21 National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Programs – Extended to May 21 AHRQ Patient-Centered Evidence for Preventing Heart Disease/Stroke – May 22 ACL Alzheimer's Disease Programs/Dementia Capability in Indian Country – May 26 CDC Public Health Programs to Address Alzheimer's Disease – May 26 DOJ Future Victim Specialists to Serve AI/AN Victims of Crime – May 26 DOJ Preventing Trafficking of Girls – May 26 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Implementation – Extended to May 26 NIH Addressing Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality/Morbidity – May 29 CDC Supporting Tribal Public Health Capacity/Coronavirus Response – May 31 Request for Information: Maternal/Infant Health Care in Rural – Extended to May 31 Delta Regional Authority Economic Development Assistance – May 31 USDA Grants for Household Water Well Systems – May 31 SAMHSA Treatment, Recovery, and Workforce Support Grants – June 1 CMS Minority Research Grant Program – June 2 USDA Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program – June 3 DOT Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone Program – Extended to June 3 HRSA Nursing Workforce Diversity-Eldercare Enhancement Program – June 4 USDA Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program – June 4 CDC Drug Free Communities – Extended to June 8 HRSA Nurse Practitioner Residency Integration Program – June 8 Comments Requested: Proposed Rule for Hospice Providers – June 9 Comments Requested: Proposed Updates for FY 2021 Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities – June 9 Comments Requested: Proposed Rule for Skilled Nursing Facilities – June 9 HRSA Supporting Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Screening and Intervention Program – June 9 HRSA Telehealth Network Grant Program – Extended to June 15 HRSA Telehealth-Focused Rural Health Research Center Program – Extended to July 1 Ongoing Opportunities AHRQ Research to Improve Patient Transitions through HIT – Ongoing through December 2022 EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund HUD Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program NARHC Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional Course NIH Research to Improve Health Care Quality and Outcomes Through HIT NIH Strategies for Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in HIT Nominations for Federal Advisory Commission on HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Nominations for National Advisory Committee on Migrant Health RWJF Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health SBA Guaranteed Loans for Small Business USDA Community Facilities Program USDA Community Food Projects Technical Assistance USDA Drinking Water and Waste Disposal for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants USDA Guaranteed Loans for Rural Rental Housing – through 2021 USDA Summer Food Service Program USDA Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans USDA Rural Energy Savings Program USDA Funding for Rural Water and Waste Disposal Projects | 
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