September 24, 2020 What's New Tool for Rural Grant Eligibility Updated. The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer tool has been updated to include the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revised delineations for metropolitan, micropolitan, and combined statistical areas. Comments Requested: Modifications to the Definition of Rural for FORHP Grants – October 23. Yesterday, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) proposed modifications to the definition of 'rural' used to designate areas to be eligible for its rural health grants. The proposed definitions are based on a data-driven methodology that will allow community organizations serving rural populations within metro areas to be able to apply for grants as well as allow more of the rural populations within metro areas to access services provided using grant funds. CDC: Urban-Rural Differences in Suicide Rates, 2000-2018. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used data from the National Vital Statistics System to find that suicide rates increased overall for urban and rural areas for the years studied, with the pace of increase greater for rural suicide rates. On Wednesday, the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics released their findings from a survey on Mental Health Treatment Among Adults in 2019. Results show that overall, as the level of urbanization decreased, the percentage of adults who had taken medication for their mental health increased, and the percentage who had received counseling or therapy decreased. SAMHSA: National Survey on Drug Use and Health. In its annual report, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) presents data on the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, as well as trends in mental health and access to treatment. Statistics cover a range of demographic and geographic characteristics, including comparison of urban and rural. Census Report on Income and Poverty in the United States, 2019. The report from the U.S. Census Bureau presents data based on information collected every month in the Current Population Survey (CPS). Findings show a median household income of $68,703 in 2019, with a 1.3 percent decline in the official poverty rate. New Report on Post-Acute Care in Rural America. This week, the National Rural Health Resource Center released findings from their May 2020 Virtual Summit, which focused on the issues, challenges, and strategies related to the integration of acute and post-acute care in rural areas. The report covers the current state of rural post-acute care, including the impact of COVID-19, and explores strategies and tactics to address key issues, such as payment, workforce, and community care coordination. COVID-19 Resources Federal Office of Rural Health Policy FAQs for COVID-19. A set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from our grantees and stakeholders, updated regularly. COVID-19 FAQs and Funding for HRSA Programs. Find all funding and frequently asked questions for programs administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). CDC COVID-19 Updates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides daily updates and guidance, including a section specific to rural health care, and a Toolkit for Tribal Communities. New every week: MMWR Weekly COVID-19 Briefing is now a podcast series with the latest scientific information published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CMS Coronavirus Stakeholder Calls. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hosts recurring online sessions to share information related to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the health care community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts. HHS Coronavirus Data Hub. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) launched a website in July with data on the COVID-19 response at federal, state, and local levels. The hub includes estimated and reported hospital capacity by state, with numbers updated daily. GHPC's Collection of Rural Health Strategies for COVID-19. With support from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), the Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) provides reports, guidance, and innovative strategies gleaned from their technical assistance and peer learning sessions with FORHP grantees. 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 posted a guide to help you learn about activities underway to address COVID-19. The online resource now includes Rural Healthcare Surge Readiness, a tool with resources for healthcare systems preparing for and responding to a COVID-19 surge in their communities. SAMHSA Training and Technical Assistance Related to COVID-19. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) created this list of resources, tools, and trainings. Funding and Opportunities CDC Monitoring/Evaluating Harm Reduction Syringe Services – October 28. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will invest $6.9 million in a three-year program to monitor and evaluate syringe services throughout the United States. Applicant eligibility is unrestricted for two cooperative agreements that will include technical assistance for syringe service programs (SSP), development of a national training network, and implementation of an SSP monitoring and evaluation program. HRSA National Research Service Award Grants – November 9. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will make 15 awards of $500,000 each for training postdoctoral professionals pursuing careers in biomedical and behavioral health research related to primary care. Eligible applicants are public and private institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community-based organizations. DOL H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program – November 13. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will make up to 40 awards with a total investment of $40 million to train health care professionals working in rural areas. The H-1B Skills Training Grants fund projects that train workers for high-skill jobs in underserved areas of the country to allow employers to meet workforce needs. Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program – November 30. This program provides technical assistance to small and rural hospitals, rural health clinics, and other health care organizations located in the 252 counties and parishes served by the Delta Regional Authority (a federal agency and HRSA partner). Applicants must be willing, able and ready to undertake a large, comprehensive project over multiple years, with activities supporting quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, telehealth, community care coordination, workforce, emergency medical services, and population health. This is an ongoing opportunity with applications accepted on a rolling basis; applicants applying by November 30 may join the cohort beginning work in February 2021. AmeriCorps State and National Grants for Community Service – January 6. AmeriCorps awards federal grants to community organizations for civic engagement through service and volunteering. Funding priorities include recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic and programs that actively advance racial equality. Rural Health Research Research in this section is provided by the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Sign up to receive alerts when new publications become available. Urban Hospitals with a High Percentage of Inpatient Days for Rural Patients. This study from the North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center evaluated differences in urban hospitals with high and low percentages of rural inpatient days using several indicators. These indicators fall into five broad categories: Medicare payer mix, size, profitability, distance to the next closest hospital, and wage index. Policy Updates Visit the FORHP Policy page to see all recent updates and send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Comments Requested: The Role of Telehealth in Improving Quality and Access to Care – October 9. The Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee requests public input on the role that telehealth can play in new physician payment models. This committee reviews and recommends payment models proposed by the public to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and they have posed several questions in this RFI to improve their understanding of how telehealth is used in value-based care and how it can be improved. Email comments to PTAC@HHS.gov. Request for Information: Quality Measures for Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) – October 19. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seek public input on the potential benefits and challenges of using a nationally available set of quality measures in the delivery of Medicaid-funded HCBS. HCBS programs vary by state and serve a variety of targeted Medicaid enrollees, such as people with developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and/or mental illness, and provide opportunities for Medicaid beneficiaries to receive services in their own homes and communities rather than in institutions. Payment for COVID-19 Testing for Nursing Facility Residents. This flowchart from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guides providers on how to bill Medicare for COVID-19 testing for beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities/nursing facilities. It also includes resources and explanations on how to receive reimbursements for testing if residents have Medicaid, private health insurance, or no health insurance. Medicare Finalizes Two New Specialty Care Payment Models. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized two new mandatory Medicare payment models. The Radiation Oncology Model (RO Model) creates a bundled payment system that is the same for all providers of radiotherapy treatment, regardless of whether care occurs in an outpatient department or in a physician's office. The End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Treatment Choices Model (ETC Model), part of the Federal Advancing Kidney Health Initiative, adjusts payments to ESRD facilities based on the availability of home dialysis programs and the reduction of kidney transplant wait times. Each model begins January 1, 2021. Learning Events and Technical Assistance AgriSafe Webinars for National Farm Safety & Health Week – Thursday, September 24 at 1:00 pm ET. The AgriSafe Network has lined up a week of free webinars with information and resources on a number of health and safety issues affecting agricultural workers. These include mental health innovations, COVID-19 prevention efforts, workplace sexual harassment, and injury prevention. Recordings of webinars from earlier in the week are available for viewing. IHS Suicide Prevention Webinar Series – Thursday, September 24 at 12:00 pm ET. The Indian Health Service (IHS) will provide an overview of the Zero Suicide (ZS) framework along with resources and educational information. Introducing the Rural Community Paramedicine Toolkit – Thursday, September 24 at 1:00 pm ET. The Rural Health Information Hub will provide an overview of community paramedicine, in which paramedics become certified to provide health care outside the scope of first responder services. HRSA: Telehealth for HIV Care – Tuesday, September 29 at 2:00 pm ET. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will hold a one-hour webinar to identify existing resources and opportunities to develop infrastructure. HHS Telemedicine Hack – Wednesdays at 12:00 pm ET through November 25. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is partnering with the ECHO Institute at the University of Mexico, and the Public Health Foundation's TRAIN Learning Network to deliver a 10-week peer-to-peer learning community called Telemedicine Hack to provide knowledge and skills for video-based telemedicine. All ambulatory providers (e.g., primary care, surgical, rural/urban, dental, mental health, solo practitioners) are invited to participate. BPC: Tracking Funding to Fight the Opioid Epidemic - Wednesday, September 30 at 12:00 pm ET. The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a think tank combining ideas and solutions from both parties. In this one-hour session, the BPC will discuss a newly-released report on federal funding distributed to states for the opioid epidemic in fiscal year 2019. Community Rounds: Suicide and Substance Use Disorders – Wednesday, September 30 at 12:00 pm ET. The University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction (UVM CORA) hosts a community rounds workshop on the risk factors, screening methods, and key elements of safety planning for patients with substance use disorders (SUD) and suicidal ideation in rural communities. Community rounds with UVM CORA are a live, hour-long monthly webinar series providing health professionals an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and discuss topics related to science-based best practices for SUD. FORHP funds UVM CORA in the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program as a Rural Center of Excellence on SUD (RCORP-RCOE). Helping Rural Communities Recover from the Opioid Crisis – Fridays, October 2 – 23 at 12:00 pm ET. Recovery Center of Excellence at the University of Rochester will host two virtual sessions each Friday from October 2 – 23 on this year's symposium theme: Treatment on Demand and the Ecosystem of Recovery. FORHP funds the University of Rochester in the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program as a Rural Center of Excellence on substance use disorder (RCORP-RCOE). HRSA Virtual Job Fair for Primary Care Clinicians –Wednesday, October 7 from 6:45 to 10:15 pm ET. HRSA is hosting a virtual job fair on Wednesday, October 7 from 6:45 to 10:15 pm ET. Register now if you are a clinician seeking work in rural and underserved communities. National Health Service Corps (NHSC)- or Nurse Corps-approved facility with open opportunities must also register to participate. Resource of the Week NIH Ensuring Diversity in Vaccine Clinical Trials. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is providing resources for community leaders to help convey the importance of participating in research studies. The site provides fact sheets and videos in English and Spanish with volunteers describing their experiences participating in clinical trials. Approaching Deadlines HUD Rural Capacity Building for Affordable Housing – September 28 Nominations: HRSA Tribal Advisory Council – September 30 Pandemic-Related Payment Deferrals: USDA Guaranteed Loans for Rural Development – September 30 AAFP Health Equity Fellowship – October 1 IHS Tribal Injury Prevention Program – October 1 Comments Requested: Proposed Changes to Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System – October 5 Comments Requested: Proposed Updates to the CY2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule – October 5 NIH Health Services Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities – October 5 HRSA Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children – October 6 Comments Requested: The Role of Telehealth in Improving Quality and Access to Care – October 9 CDC/NACCHO: Addressing Disability Needs in COVID-19 Preparedness – October 13 RWJF 2021 Culture of Health Prize – October 15 ARC Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems – Letters of Intent October 16 Request for Information: Quality Measures for Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) – October 19 FCC High Speed Broadband/Rural Opportunity Fund – October 22 Comments Requested: Modifications to the Definition of Rural for FORHP Grants – October 23 CDC Monitoring/Evaluating Harm Reduction Syringe Services – October 28 IHS Tribal Self-Governance Program Negotiation – October 28 Comments Requested: CMS Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to COVID-19 – November 1 National Health Service Corps Students-to-Service Loan Repayment Program – November 5 HRSA National Research Service Award Grants – November 9 RWJF Health Policy Fellowship – November 9 NIH Research for Tobacco Control Policies – November 12 Comments Requested: Part I of the CY 2022 Advance Notice of Medicare Advantage and Part D Payment Policies—November 13 DOL H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program – November 13 HRSA Rural Health Network Development Planning Program – November 16 NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Program – November 20 Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program – November 30 HUD Indian Housing Block Grant Program – December 10 NBCC Minority Fellowship Program for Mental Health Counselors – December 15 NIH Digital Interventions to COVID-19 Secondary Effects – December 30 AmeriCorps State and National Grants for Community Service – January 6 Ongoing Opportunities AHRQ Research to Improve Patient Transitions through HIT – December 2022 ASA Rural Access to Anesthesia Care Scholarship CDC Training Pediatric Medical Providers to Recognize ACEs CMS Community Health Access and Rural Transformation Model (CHART) – Letters of Intent January 28, 2022 Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program Dept of Commerce: Economic Development Assistance Programs DRA Technical Assistance for Delta Region Community Health Systems Development EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund HUD Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program IHS Tribal Forensic Healthcare Training IHS/DOD Medical Supplies and Equipment for Tribes (Project TRANSAM) NARHC Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional Course NIH Pilot and Feasibility Studies for Drug/Alcohol Prevention Trials – January 7, 2021 NIH Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health – May 2022 NIH Research – Alcohol and Other Substance Use – Dates Through August 2022 NIH Research on Minority Health/Health Disparities – September 8, 2022 NIH Research on Palliative Care in Home/Community Settings – September 8, 2022 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 Opportunity Zones for Economic Development Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development RWJF Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health RWJF Pioneering Ideas Brief Proposals SBA Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Southeast Rural Community Assistance Loans 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 Intermediary Relending Program USDA Rural Business Development Grants USDA Rural Business Investment Program USDA Rural Energy Savings Program USDA Summer Food Program USDA Technical Assistance for Healthy Food Financing Initiative USDA Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans USDA Funding for Rural Water and Waste Disposal Projects USDOT Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S) | 
Connect with HRSA
No comments:
Post a Comment