January 6, 2022 What's New New Funding Available for RMOMS program – Applications Due April 5. This week, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) posted a funding opportunity for the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program (RMOMS). The RMOMS initiative began three years ago to address persistent disparities and lack of obstetric services in rural areas. For this round, applicants can request up to $1 million per year for a four-year program, subject to available funding. Each grantee will build networks for continuum of care, test models to address unmet needs for their target population, and develop sustainable financing. Learn more about the ongoing work (PDF) of current grantees in the first annual report, and write to RMOMS@hrsa.gov with questions. Spread the Word About Vaccine Boosters. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services released new resources – posters, flyers, videos, and talking points – to help promote the extra protection from COVID-19 boosters. All vaccinated adults aged 18+ are eligible for a booster. Search by zip code to find nearby locations providing adult and pediatric vaccines and boosters for COVID-19 and the flu at vaccines.gov. Expanded Eligibility Allows More Rural Clinicians to Qualify for Loan Repayment. Join us for a webinar on Thursday, January 13 at 2:00pm ET to hear how qualified health care clinicians could receive student loan repayment in return for serving at NHSC-approved sites – even if their health professional shortage area (HPSA) score has not been competitive for awards in the past. Recent funding increases make it much easier for rural clinicians to qualify for loan repayment under its programs. Find out which program is right for you, and apply to one of the three loan repayment programs. Last application cycle, every eligible NHSC applicant received an award regardless of HPSA score. The deadline to apply through NHSC is Thursday, February 3 at 7:30pm ET., so act quickly! Simpler Dialing Code for Suicide Hotline. Recently, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced a new dialing code, 988, for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. While the original 10-digit number is still in use in most areas, 988 will be available to everyone across the U.S. beginning July 16, 2022. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. but some groups, including people who live in rural areas, have substantially higher rates. CMS Releases Guidance on Enforcement of Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a memo to State Survey Agency Directors providing provider-specific guidance and survey procedures for assessing and maintaining compliance with the November 5 rule requiring COVID-19 vaccination for health care workers. This guidance applies to most Medicare- and Medicaid-certified providers and suppliers except for those in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Surveyors in these states should not undertake any efforts to implement or enforce this interim final rule. NIH Draft Report on Priorities for Rural Telehealth – Comment by February 4. The Office of Disease Prevention at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) invites public comments on the draft report from the recent Pathways to Prevention Workshop: Improving Rural Health Through Telehealth-Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication. The report summarizes the workshop discussions and identifies future research priorities. Share Your Experiences on Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response. The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) wants to hear about how rural communities, health care facilities, public health departments, first responders, tribes, rural serving organizations, and others have had to adapt, collaborate, and innovate in the face of disasters and public health emergencies. RHIhub is looking for examples of lessons learned, successes, challenges, or other helpful information to highlight related to emergency preparedness, response, and recovery for a variety of disasters. Examples will be shared in an emergency preparedness toolkit on the RHIhub website. Ongoing: HRSA Payment Program for RHC Buprenorphine-Trained Providers. In June 2021, HRSA launched an effort to improve access to substance use disorder treatment by paying for providers who are waivered to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder. Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) still have the opportunity to apply for a $3,000 payment on behalf of each provider who trained to obtain the waiver necessary to prescribe buprenorphine after January 1, 2019. Approximately $1.5 million in program funding remains available for RHCs and will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. Send questions to DATA2000WaiverPayments@hrsa.gov. There is ongoing availability of a free online course for waiver eligibility training from the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine and the Providers Clinical Support System. COVID-19 Resources Provider Relief Fund (PRF). The reporting portal is open for providers required to report on PRF payments during Reporting Period 2, and will remain open until March 31, 2022. NARHC Assistance with Federal Programs for COVID-19 Testing, Vaccine Distribution, and Provider Relief Fund. The National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) has background information and guidelines in its collection of technical assistance webinars for all COVID-related programs designated for Rural Health Clinics. Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Resources for COVID-19. A set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from our grantees and stakeholders. Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Distribution (RHCVD) Program. Under the program, Medicare-certified RHCs will receive direct COVID-19 vaccines in addition to their normal jurisdictions' weekly allocation. Contact RHCVaxDistribution@hrsa.gov for more information. Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation. The new resources help individuals, teachers, school administrators, librarians, faith leaders, and health care professionals to understand, identify, and stop the spread of misinformation. The toolkit includes common types of misinformation and a checklist to help evaluate the accuracy of health-related content. Online Resource for Licensure of Health Professionals. As telehealth usage increased during the pandemic, FORHP funded new work with the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards to reduce the burden of multi-state licensure. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing in each state for psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists assistants, and social workers. HRSA COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund. HRSA will provide claims reimbursement at the national Medicare rate for eligible health care providers administering vaccines to underinsured individuals. HHS Facts About COVID Care for the Uninsured. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) helps uninsured individuals find no-cost COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccines. The HRSA Uninsured Program provides claims reimbursement to health care providers generally at Medicare rates for testing, treating, and administering vaccines to uninsured individuals, including undocumented immigrants. There are at-a-glance fact sheets for providers and for patients in English and Spanish. 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, COVID-19 Vaccination Trainings for new and experienced providers, and Tips for Talking with Patients about COVID-19 Vaccination. HHS/DoD National Emergency Tele-Critical Care Network. A joint program of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is available at no cost to hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients and struggling with access to enough critical care physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other specialized clinical experts. Teams of critical care clinicians are available to deliver virtual care through telemedicine platforms, such as an app on a mobile device. Hear from participating clinicians, and email to learn more and sign up. Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth. ProviderBridge.org was created by the Federation of State Medical Boards through the CARES Act and the FORHP-supported Licensure Portability Grant Program. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing by state as well as a provider portal to connect volunteer health care professionals to state agencies and health care entities. New: Reaching Farm Communities for Vaccine Confidence. The AgriSafe Network is a nonprofit organization that provides information and training on injury and disease related to agriculture. Their health professionals and educators created a social media toolkit that aims to provide clear messages about COVID-19 vaccination for agriculture, forestry, and fishing workers. Funding and Opportunities HRSA Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program – extended to January 27. The Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program offers funding to registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses and nurse faculty toward payment of their qualifying educational loans in exchange for a two-year service commitment at a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses or at an eligible school of nursing in the case of nurse faculty. Additional loan repayment is available for a third year of service. Indian Health Service Behavioral Health Integration Initiative – February 2. An expected 15 awards from total funding of $6 million will go to federal recognized tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations to integrate behavioral health with primary care. CDC Rigorous Evaluation of Recovery Support Services – March 14. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will make five grants with total funding of more than $11 million for evaluation of effective strategies that link people in recovery for illicit substance use disorders to at least one evidence-based recovery support service available within their community. American Indian Public Health Resource Center Technical Assistance – Ongoing. While located at the North Dakota State University, the Center supports communities across the nation through ongoing technical assistance, policy development, self-determination feasibility analysis, education, research, and programming in partnership with tribes. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. New Guidance on Medicaid Payment for Mobile Crisis Services. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance to state Medicaid officials on the scope of and payments for qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The guidance describes the requirements for qualifying services and provider qualifications, options for provider payments, and the requirements for receiving an increased federal share of costs. States are encouraged to take into account additional travel time when developing services for rural areas. Research has found higher proportions of rural populations have mental illness and substance use disorder compared to urban as well as challenges accessing care. Comments Requested: Proposed Updates to the Federal Health Insurance Exchanges – due January 27. CMS seeks public input on proposals to update payment parameters and risk adjustment methodologies for issuers offering qualified health plans through federally-facilitated and State-based Exchanges on Healthcare.gov. This rule also proposes to add appointment wait time standards to assess network adequacy, require issuers to submit information about whether providers offer telehealth services, and increase the threshold of essential community providers (ECP) from 20 percent to 35 percent of providers. CMS seeks comment on whether newly Medicare-certified Rural Emergency Hospitals should be added to the Hospitals ECP category, how HHS can address health equity, and how to avoid plan choice overload. Learning Events and Technical Assistance Q&A on NHSC Loan Repayment Programs – Tuesday, January 11 from 9 am – 5 pm ET. Applicants for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) three programs for loan repayment can get assistance in the first of four Q&A sessions. Recruiting/Training Health Professionals for Tribal Communities – Tuesday, January 11 at 12:00 pm ET. RuralGME.org is the FORHP-supported organization providing free training and resources to support graduate medical education (GME) in rural areas. In this one-hour session, experts will discuss the value of GME programs in tribal nations and strategies for recruitment. Training for Mental Health Crisis in Farm Communities – Tuesday, January 11 at 1:00 pm ET. In this 90-minute session, the AgriSafe Network will teach lay people and professionals to recognize and respond to mental health crises using the approach of Question, Persuade, and Refer. Office Hours for Rural Health Care Connect – Thursday, January 13 at 2:00 pm ET. The federally funded program that brings telecommunications to rural health care facilities will hold an hour-long session to answer questions about the new online portal for funding requests. The deadline to file for FY2022 funding is April 1. Rural Health Research Gateway: Aging in Place in Rural America – Tuesday, January 18 at 1:00 pm ET. Researchers will present results from a range of studies investigating challenges, opportunities, and policy implications for older adults aging in place in rural areas. HRSA Women's Health Leadership Series – Thursday, January 20 at 10:00 am ET. HRSA's Office of Women's Health will join with the Office of Global Health to honor Cervical Health Awareness Month with a session titled, The Current State of Cervical Health Domestically and Internationally: An Opportunity for Knowledge Exchange and Bidirectional Learning. Resource of the Week AHRQ on Disparities in 2021. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued its annual report on quality and access in the U.S., with an examination of disparities by race/ethnicity and geographic locations along the rural-urban continuum Approaching Deadlines NIHB/CDC Building Capacity for Tribal Infection Control – January 7 Nominations Sought for Indigenous Health Equity Committee – extended to January 7 NIH Research for AI/AN End-of-Life Care – January 8 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Seed Grants for Climate Change and Health – January 10 USDA Farm to School Grants – January 10 HHS Grants for Family Planning Services – January 11 HRSA Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program – extended to January 11 HRSA Nurse Faculty Loan Program – January 13 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Implementation – January 13 CDC Research on Telehealth Strategies for PrEP and ART – January 18 Comments Requested: DEA Regulation of Telepharmacy Practice – January 18 NIH Researching Behavioral Risk Factors for Cancer in Rural Populations – January 18 Department of Labor YouthBuild Program – January 21 CDC Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health – January 24 ACL Empowering Communities for Chronic Disease Self-Management – January 25 ACL Empowering Communities to Deliver and Sustain Falls Prevention Programs – January 25 CDC Seeking Public Input on Work-Related Stress for Health Workers – Extended to January 25 HRSA Delta Region Rural Health Workforce Training Program – January 25 CDC Cancer Prevention and Control for State, Territorial, and Tribal Organizations – January 26 Comments Requested: Proposed Updates to the Federal Health Insurance Exchanges – January 27 HRSA Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program – extended to January 27 HRSA Access to HIV Services for Women and Children – January 28 HRSA Rural Health Network Development Planning Program – January 28 HHS COVID-19 and Health Equity Impact Fellowship – extended to January 31 HHS Technology Challenge for Racial Equity in Postpartum Care – January 31 HRSA Centers of Excellence for Training Minorities in Health Professions – January 31 SAMHSA-American Psychiatric Association Diversity Leadership Fellowship – January 31 HRSA Leadership Education in Adolescent Health – February 1 Indian Health Service Behavioral Health Integration Initiative – February 2 Indian Health Service Forensic Healthcare Services for Domestic Violence Prevention – February 2 Indian Health Service Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention Program – February 2 Indian Health Service Zero Suicide Initiative – February 2 National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Programs – Extended to February 3 CDC Research to Prevent Firearm-Related Violence and Injuries – February 4 Comments Requested: NIH Draft Report on Priorities for Rural Telehealth – February 4 RWJF Summer Health Professions Education Program for Underrepresented Minorities – February 5 HRSA Predoctoral Training in Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene – February 7 SAMHSA Harm Reduction Program – February 7 VA Supportive Services for Veteran Families – February 7 USDA Farm and Food Worker Relief Grants – February 8 IHS Tribal Self-Governance Negotiation – February 10 IHS Tribal Self-Governance Planning – February 10 CDC Strengthening Infection Prevention – February 11 SAMHSA Grants for Rural Emergency Medical Services Training – February 14 CDC Evaluating Substance Use Prevention Incorporating ACEs Prevention – February 22 HRSA Mobile Health Training - Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention – February 22 USDA Rural eConnectivity Broadband Loan and Grant Program – February 22 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Behavioral Health Care Technical Assistance (RCORP-BHCTA) – March 9 CDC Rigorous Evaluation of Recovery Support Services – March 14 HRSA Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Program – March 18 HRSA Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program – March 21 FCC/USAC Rural Health Care Connect Fund – April 1 FCC/USAC Telecommunications Program – April 1 HRSA Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program – April 5 USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Program – April 5 Ongoing Opportunities CFPB Rental Assistance Finder HHS/DoD National Emergency Tele-Critical Care Network Extended Public Comment Period for FCC's COVID-19 Telehealth Program FCC Emergency Broadband for Individuals and Households FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance HRSA Payment Program for Buprenorphine-Trained Clinicians – Until Funds Run Out AgriSafe Nurse Scholar Program – March 2022 AHRQ Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grants – September 2022 AHRQ Research to Improve Patient Transitions through HIT – December 2022 American Indian Public Health Resource Center Technical Assistance ASA Rural Access to Anesthesia Care Scholarship Burroughs Wellcome Fund Seed Grants for Climate Change and Health – Quarterly through August 2023 CDC Direct Assistance to State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Health Agencies CDC Training Pediatric Medical Providers to Recognize ACEs Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program Department of Commerce American Rescue Plan Funding for Indigenous Communities – September 2022 Department of Commerce: Economic Development Assistance Programs Department of Labor Dislocated Worker Grants DRA Technical Assistance for Delta Region Community Health Systems Development EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund FEMA/SAMHSA Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) GPHC & RWJF: Rapid Cycle Research and Evaluation Grants for Cross-Sector Alignment HRSA Technical Assistance for Look-Alike Initial Designation for the Health Center Program Housing Assistance Council: Housing Loans for Low-Income Rural Communities 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 Project Talk Initiative Host Site Applications NIH Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health – May 2022 NIH Practice-Based Research for Primary Care Suicide Prevention – June 2022 NIH Research – Alcohol and Other Substance Use – Various Dates Through August 2022 NIH Research: Intervening with Cancer Caregivers to Improve Patient Outcomes – September 8, 2022 NIH Research on Minority Health/Health Disparities – September 8, 2022 NIH Research on Palliative Care in Home/Community Settings – September 8, 2022 NIH Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health – Various Dates Until September 2023 NIH Researching the Role of Work in Health Disparities – Various Dates Until September 2024 NIH Special Interest Research – Pandemic Impact on Vulnerable Children and Youth – May 2024 Nominations for Federal Advisory Commission on HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Nominations for National Advisory Committee on Migrant Health Primary Care Development Corporation Community Investment Loans 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 Tribal Grant Writing Training USDA Community Facilities Program USDA Community Food Projects Technical Assistance USDA Drinking Water and Waste Disposal for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages USDA Economic Impact Initiative Grants USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants USDA Healthy Food Financing Initiative Technical Assistance USDA Intermediary Relending Program USDA Rural Business Development Grants USDA Rural Business Investment Program USDA Rural Energy Savings Program USDA SEARCH – Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (for Water/Waste Projects) 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) | 
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