| Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. May 4, 2023 What's New Updates to Requirements for Buprenorphine Prescribing. The FORHP-supported Center on Rural Addiction at the University of Vermont provides information on new federal requirements for outpatient providers prescribing buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder. While no longer needing a waiver from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), clinicians will still be required to register with the DEA to prescribe controlled medications. Beginning on June 27, the DEA registration will require applicants – both new and renewing – to affirm they have completed a new, one-time, eight-hour training. Exceptions for the new training requirement are practitioners who are board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry, and those who graduated from a medical, dental, physician assistant, or advanced practice nursing school in the U.S. within five years of June 27, 2023. CMS Guidance to States Surveyors and Providers for the End of the Public Health Emergency. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) waived certain requirements to allow greater access to health care products and services for beneficiaries of public health insurance. Several of these waivers, including health and safety requirements for CMS-designated Rural Health Clinics and Critical Access Hospitals, will end when the official public health emergency expires on May 11. Certain policies, such as the Acute Hospital at Home initiative and telehealth flexibilities have been extended by Congress through December 31, 2024. GAO Finds Increases in Health Information Exchange Lower for Small and Rural Providers. Electronic health information exchange is the ability to exchange medical records and other health information electronically among health care providers and between health care providers and patients. Survey data show that the use of various electronic exchange methods among hospitals and physicians has increased in recent years. However, a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that as of 2021, reported use among small and rural hospitals was lower than that of other hospitals. An Important Notice for HRSA Grantees. On May 26, HRSA will follow a federal requirement to upgrade security measures for online systems requiring a login for external users. The new multi-factor login procedure will affect those who access HRSA's Electronic Handbook (EHB) system, including grantees, grant applicants, service providers, and consultants. To avoid issues with upcoming application and reporting deadlines, it is important to set up the new login procedure ahead of the change on May 26. HRSA is hosting a one-hour webinar session on May 12th at 1:00 pm ET to walkthrough the new EHBs login process. Participants will need to register in advance; the webinar only has 3000 slots available, but the session will be recorded and made available to users. Ongoing: HRSA Payment Program for RHC Buprenorphine-Trained Providers. As announced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in January 2023, clinicians no longer need a DATA 2000 Waiver to prescribe buprenorphine; however, the payment program to defray earlier training costs is still active. Launched in June 2021, the initiative pays for providers who previously trained for the waiver 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 between January 1, 2019 and January 25, 2023 (when Congress eliminated the X-waiver requirement). Approximately $900,000 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. Ongoing: The University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction, a HRSA Rural Center of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders, offers an incentive to help defray previous training costs of $750 to each qualifying provider who obtained a DATA-Waiver. To qualify, providers must be practicing in a HRSA-designated rural county in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, or Northern New York. To apply for the $750 payment, providers should contact cora@uvm.edu. COVID-19 Resources **New: Updates to Coverage for COVID-19 Tests. The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) will end on May 11, 2023. The ending of the PHE may impact an individual's coverage of COVID-19 tests. To help providers and the public understand these changes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has developed a new Consumer Fact Sheet on COVID-19 tests in both English and Spanish. If you have any type of health insurance, you can get up to eight over-the-counter tests per month with no out-of-pocket costs through May 11, 2023. After that date, laboratory tests for COVID-19 ordered by providers will still be covered with no out-of-pocket costs for people with Medicare. Over-the-counter tests will still be available, but there may be out-of-pocket costs. Rural Health Clinics can continue to access free testing supplies directly from HRSA. (See more information below.) Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Distribution Programs - Vaccines, Testing Supplies, Therapeutics. As a reminder, CMS-certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) can receive COVID-19 vaccines, testing supplies, and COVID-19 antivirals directly from HRSA. Please reference the linked websites for additional information and enrollment instructions. Technical assistance resources for these programs are available through the National Association of Rural Health Clinics. Note: The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent vaccine for people 12 years of age and older is available to order through RHC Vaccine Distribution Program in both single and multi-dose vials. The single-dose option responds to widespread requests to allow greater flexibility for RHCs that may not have the demand or capacity to store multi-dose vials. Contact RHCVaxDistribution@hrsa.gov for more information. 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. Teams of critical care clinicians - critical care physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other specialized clinical experts – 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. Online Resource for Licensure of Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Psychologists, and Social Workers. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing in each state. Funding and Opportunities Indian Health Service Produce Prescription Pilot Program – June 8. An estimated six to eight awards, each up to $500,000 per year for a five year program, will fund community based programs to increase access to fruits, vegetables, and health traditional foods. CDC Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences through Data to Action – June 12. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects to make 12 awards, each up to $485,000 per year for a five year program. Grantees will form multi-sector partnerships, use data to inform a prevention strategy, and focus efforts on social determinants of health that drive adverse childhood experiences. U.S. Dept of Education Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions Program – June 12. Nine awards, each ranging from $250,000 to $600,000 per year for a five-year project, will go to institutions of higher education that have undergraduate enrollment of at least 10% Native American. Priorities include meeting social, emotional, academic, and career development needs with a focus on underserved students. USDA Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant – June 20. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers grants to intermediary organizations to provide technical assistance and training for rural organizations and agencies to identify and plan for community facility needs that exist in their area. Apply to Become a New Site for the NHSC – June 22. Eligible rural health care facilities can expand clinician recruitment by applying to become an approved site for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Eligibility includes health care sites providing outpatient, ambulatory and primary health care services (medical, dental, and behavioral health) in high-need areas, including rural communities. Eligible site types also include facilities providing general substance use disorder treatment or an opioid treatment program. ACF Demonstration Grants to Strengthen the Response to Victims of Human Trafficking in Native Communities Program – June 30. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) will fund three demonstration projects to deliver services to victims. NIH Research to Address Vaccine Hesitancy in Health Disparity Populations – June 2026. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding community-engaged research to address the barriers to increasing reach, access, and uptake of vaccinations among health disparity populations at high risk and likely to experience vaccine hesitancy. AgriSafe FarmResponse On-Demand Course for Mental Health Competencies – Ongoing. The national nonprofit AgriSafe Network provides an online, on-demand course that provides training on competencies that are necessary to provide appropriate mental health care for agricultural producers and their families. Delta Regional Authority Community Infrastructure Fund – Ongoing. The federal Delta Regional Authority will provide funding for community-based and regional projects that address basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, and flood control. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Comments Requested: Two Proposed Rules to Improve Access to Care in Medicaid and CHIP – July 3. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services seek public input on proposals to establish national standards for access to care for states providing Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services through fee-for-service and through managed care plans. The proposals address transparency in rates paid to providers, methods to monitor availability of providers in managed care networks, collecting enrollee feedback through surveys, compensation for home and community based providers, and states' use of Medical Care Advisory Committees. Medicaid is an essential source of health insurance coverage in rural areas covering nearly a quarter of adults under age 65 and about one in five adults 65 and older. Learning Events and Technical Assistance Learn About HRSA Funding Opportunities for Nursing Students and Nurses – Wednesday, May 10 at 2:30 pm ET. HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce holds a two-hour session to discuss opportunities for students, graduates, and nursing programs. Save the Date: American Heart Association Rural Health Summit for Southwest Region – Friday, May 12, Dallas, TX. The American Heart Association (AHA) may provide scholarship for those who need financial assistance to attend this conference of rural health leaders from Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming. New Recommendations for Hepatitis B Screening – Tuesday, May 16 at 1:00 pm ET. In recognition of Hepatitis Awareness Month, HRSA's Bureau of Primary Health Care is hosting a webinar to brief clinicians and other health care providers about the release of new recommendations for screening and testing. For rural communities, the rise in prevalence has been linked to injection drug use, with data showing a substantial number of people are unaware they're infected. Register for Rural Suicide Prevention Workshops – May 23, and July 25. This comprehensive training for service providers in rural communities includes special focus on youth, substance use, and Indigenous communities. The interactive workshop features video demonstrations, active discussion groups, and access to the latest research on best practices. Attendees will get free, ongoing support – including online discussion forums and monthly Q&A video calls – for one year after the workshop. This opportunity is provided by the University of Rochester Recovery Center of Excellence (COE), one of three COEs in FORHP's rural opioid programming. Resource of the Week Three Years of Sharing Telehealth Information. Three years ago, HRSA launched Telehealth.HHS.gov to provide resources for patients, providers and policymakers. Also available in Spanish, the site stays up-to-date on funding, events, research, and licensure, as well as guidelines that help providers and patients get the most out of telehealth practices. Approaching Deadlines DOJ Mentoring for Youth Affected by Opioid and Other Drug Misuse – May 4 HRSA Nurse Corps Scholarship Program – May 4 SAMHSA Developing Infrastructure for Mental Health of Children/Families in AI/AN Communities – May 5 ACF Community Economic Development Projects – May 8 CDC Overdose Data to Action: Limiting Overdose in Localities – May 8 CDC Overdose Data to Action in States – May 8 SAMHSA Cooperative Agreements to Implement Zero Suicide – May 8 SAMHSA Implementation Research in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics – May 8 SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program – May 9 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health – May 12 HRSA Rural Health Care Coordination Program – May 15 SAMSHA National Strategy for Suicide Prevention – May 15 SAMHSA Tribal Behavioral Health Program – May 15 Department of Justice Tribal Researcher Capacity Building Grants – May 16 USDA Produce Prescription Program (Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program) – May 16 NIH Research to Improve Native American Health – May 17 HRSA Delta Health Systems Implementation Program – May 18 ACF Child Care Dissertation Grants – May 19 VA Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grants – May 19 ACL Funding One Rehabilitation Research Center for Minority Entities – May 22 SAMHSA Community Behavioral Health Clinics - Improvement and Advancement Grants – May 22 SAMHSA Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics - Planning, Development, and Implementation Grants – May 22 SAMHSA Promoting the Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care – May 22 SAMHSA SUD Treatment for Racial/Ethnic Minorities at High Risk for HIV/AIDS – May 22 SAMHSA Cooperative Agreement for the Hispanic/Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence – May 23 HRSA Health Careers Opportunity Program – May 24 HRSA Integrated Maternal Health Services – May 24 AHRQ Safety Program for Telemedicine – May 25 SAMHSA American Indian and Alaska Native Behavioral Health Center of Excellence – May 26 USDA Healthy Meals Incentives Grants for Small/Rural School Food Authorities – May 26 Comments Requested: CMS Proposed Hospice Payment Rate Update for FY 2024 – May 30 DOJ Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program – June 1 Comments Requested on Proposed Medicare Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Payment Rates – June 2 HRSA Screening and Treatment for Maternal Mental Health and SUD – June 2 HRSA State Maternal Health Innovation Program – June 2 Comments Requested on Proposed Medicare Inpatient Psychiatric Payment Rates – June 5 Comments Requested: CMS Releases Proposed Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System for FY 2024 – June 5 SAMHSA Partnerships for Success for Communities, Local Governments, University, Colleges, and Tribes/Tribal Organizations – June 5 SAMHSA Partnerships for Success for States – June 5 USDA Rural Housing Preservation Grants – June 5 CDC Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services in Indian Country – June 6 Indian Health Service Produce Prescription Pilot Program – June 8 Comments Requested on Proposed Medicare Hospital Payment and REH Updates – June 9 CDC Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences through Data to Action – June 12 U.S. Dept of Education Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions Program – June 12 HRSA Maternal Health Research Collaborative for Minority-Serving Institutions – June 12 HRSA Maternal Health Research Collaborative for Minority-Serving Institutions - Coordinating Center – June 12 DOL Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities (WORC) for Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border Regions – June 13 AHRQ Small Research Projects to Advance the Science of Primary Care – June 16 IHS Tribal Self-Governance Program Planning – June 20 USDA Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant – June 20 USDA Rural Utilities Service Community Connect Grant Program – June 20 HRSA New Sites for the National Health Service Corps – June 22 ACF Demonstration Grants to Strengthen the Response to Victims of Human Trafficking in Native Communities Program – June 30 Berkley Rural Public Health Master's Program – August 13 UMMC Caregiver University for Alzheimer's Support – Quarterly deadlines October 10 Ongoing Opportunities HRSA Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications CFPB Rental Assistance Finder Economic Development Administration Public Works/Economic Assistance Program (CARES Act Funding) Extended Public Comment Period for FCC's COVID-19 Telehealth Program FCC Affordable Connectivity Program for Broadband Service FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance HRSA Payment Program for Buprenorphine-Trained Clinicians – Until funds run out SAMHSA 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Volunteer and Job Opportunities USDA Emergency Rural Health Care Grants (Track One only) – September 2023 or until funds run out ACF Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program ACF Rural Community Development Program for Rural Water Systems AgriSafe Mental Health Training for Agricultural Producers & Families AHRQ Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grants – October 2023 American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) Foundation - Accreditation Grants American Heart Association Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator American Indian Public Health Resource Center Technical Assistance Appalachian Regional Commission J-1 Visa Waivers for Doctors 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 Delta Regional Authority Community Infrastructure Fund Delta Doctors J-1 Visa Waiver Program 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 EPA Water Infrastructure and Innovation Program FEMA/SAMHSA Post-Disaster Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program GPHC & RWJF: Rapid Cycle Research and Evaluation Grants for Cross-Sector Alignment HRSA Seeking Nominations for Migrant Health Advisory HRSA Technical Assistance for Look-Alike Initial Designation for the Health Center Program Housing Assistance Council: Housing Loans for Low-Income Rural Communities HUD Distressed Cities and Persistent Poverty Technical Assistance Program 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 Native Americans into Medicine Host Sites for National Environmental Public Health Internship NIH Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination – Various dates until October 2025 NIH Project Talk Initiative Host Site Applications NIH Research to Improve Native American Health – Various dates until September 2023 NIH Researching Mental Health Practices in Low-Resource Settings – September 2024 NIH Researching Social, Behavioral, and Economic Impact of COVID-19 in Underserved/Vulnerable Populations – September 2024 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 NIH Researching Barriers to Care for HIV-Associated Comorbidities – May 2025 NIH Research to Address Vaccine Hesitancy in Health Disparity Populations – June 2026 Nominations for Federal Advisory Commission on HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Oweesta Native CDFI Loan Funds and Technical Assistance Primary Care Development Corporation Community Investment Loans Rural Community Assistance Corporation Community Facility Loans for Western States and Pacific Islands Rural Community Assistance Corporation Environmental Infrastructure Loans for Western States Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development RWJF Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health RWJF Pioneering Ideas Brief Proposals SAMHSA Training to Provide Medication Assisted Treatment SBA Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Southeast Rural Community Assistance Loans Tribal Grant Writing Training Treasury Department Opportunity Zone Economic Development Program United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc Tribal Health Program Support 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 Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees 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 and Loan Guarantees USDA Funding for Rural Water and Waste Disposal Projects USDA Water and Waste Disposal Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands and Colonias USDOT Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S) Veterans Affairs Health Professional Scholarship Program WWAMI Area Health Education Center Scholars Program | 
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