| Read this online. July 27, 2023 What's New USDA Awards $129 Million in Emergency Rural Health Care Grants. See which states and rural health projects got funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Emergency Health program. This initiative supported 179 new grant recipients that will expand access to health care in 39 states and Puerto Rico. Part of the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress in March 2021, the funding is intended to support rural hospitals and health care clinics, improve facilities, purchase new equipment, and help distribute fresh food to families, senior citizens, veterans, and people with disabilities. Partnership for Quality Management (PQM) Seeks Rural Health Experts for Committees – Submit Nominations by July 30. As previously mentioned in this newsletter, new committees are being formed by Battelle, as contracted by CMS, to make recommendations on health care quality measurement. Rural health experts are sought for all PQM committees (on the nomination form, one can check a box as a "rural health expert"). More information on PQM can be found here: Get Involved | Partnership for Quality Measurement (p4qm.org). Nominations for all committees have a deadline of July 30. New Medicare Telehealth Trends Dashboard. Developed by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation (ASPE), the tool provides data on telehealth visits by Medicare beneficiaries from 2019 through 2021. Compares telehealth use by patient characteristics, including urban and rural residence and Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), visit specialty, health conditions, and state. ASPE will hold a one-hour online demonstration of the dashboard on Thursday, July 27 (TODAY) at 11:00 am ET. Community Member Perspectives on Adapting the Cascade of Care for Opioid Use Disorder for a Tribal Nation in the United States. Researchers interviewed 20 individuals – clinicians, peer support specialists, cultural practitioners, and others familiar with OUD treatment – in a Minnesota tribal community. The Cascade of Care model measures the quality of outcomes at each stage of treatment, from diagnosis to long-term maintenance, and was first proposed in 1998 as an approach to care for HIV/AIDS. NSCL Promotes GME Training for Rural Areas. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) describes actions taken by states to address physician shortages in rural and underserved areas through graduate medical education (GME). The article covers statewide collaborations and appropriations, Medicaid payments, and incentives for rural clinical training. National Academies: Federal Policy to Advance Racial, Ethnic, and Tribal Health Equity – Thursday, July 27 at 1:00 pm ET. Over one hour, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will release and discuss their report, Federal Policy to Advance Racial, Ethnic, and Tribal Health Equity. Commissioned by the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the report identifies how past and current federal policies operate in ways that create, maintain, and amplify racial, ethnic, and tribal health inequities. In its latest Rural America at a Glance, the Economic Research Service at USDA reports Nonmetro Blacks/African Americans had the highest incidence of poverty in 2019 (30.7 percent), while nonmetro American Indians/Alaska Natives had the second highest rate (29.6 percent). The poverty rate for nonmetro Whites in 2019 was less than half as much (13.3 percent) of both of those other groups. Nonmetro Hispanics had the third highest poverty rate of any individual race or ethnicity—21.7 percent. Ongoing: Updates to Requirements for Buprenorphine Prescribing. As announced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in January 2023, clinicians no longer need a federal waiver to prescribe buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder. Clinicians will still be required to register with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (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. 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 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. COVID-19 Resources Learning About Long COVID & Fatiguing Illness – Thursday, August 10 at 3:00 pm ET. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fund this monthly webinar-style ECHO learning session to rapidly disseminate Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) findings and emerging best practices. The series offers didactic presentations by subject matter experts, examples of emerging best practices and models of care, and a facilitated Q&A. This program is intended primarily for providers who care for patients with PCC and ME/CFS but is open to all healthcare professionals and all Long COVID and ME/CFS patient-lived experience experts interested in learning more about the treatment of Long COVID and ME/CFS. Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period 5. The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal is open from July 1 to September 30, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Providers who received one or more PRF (General or Targeted) and/or American Rescue Plan Rural payments exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate, from January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022 must report on their use of funds during Reporting Period 5 to comply with PRF Reporting Requirements. More information and resources can be found on the PRF Reporting webpage. 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 through the CARES Act by the Federation of State Medical Boards and HRSA's Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. 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 NACCHO Building Workforce Capacity at Rural/Frontier Health Departments – August 4. The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) will provide training and technical assistance for local health departments that serve rural and frontier jurisdictions to effectively respond to, recover from, and build community resiliency related to the COVID pandemic and future public health emergencies. PCORI Building Capacity for Patient-Centered Research/Clinical Effectiveness – Letters of Intent September 28. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) funds projects that encourage the integration of patients, caregivers, clinicians, and other stakeholders as members of the research process. Read more about PCORI's many rural-based projects. Two related opportunities: 1) PCORI Dissemination Initiative provides funding to actively communicate pertinent PCORI-funded research findings; and 2) PCORI Stakeholder Convening Support, that will fund convenings that include patients, researchers, clinicians, purchasers, payers, health system leaders, and other stakeholders. Applicants for each opportunity are required to submit Letters of Intent by September 28. USDA Disaster Repair Grants for Rural Community Facilities – Ongoing while funds last. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides grants to repair essential community facilities in rural areas that were damaged by Presidentially Declared Disasters in calendar year 2022. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community. It does not include private, commercial, or business undertakings. 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. Two National-Level Organizations Supporting Rural Postpartum Health Across the United States. These case studies from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center profile two national organizations doing unique work in the area of rural postpartum health: MomMoodBooster and Pack Health. Both organizations aim to improve postpartum mental health through online content delivery combined with peer coaching support. These may serve as examples to others considering this work. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. No policy updates this week. Learning Events and Technical Assistance National Maternal Mental Health Hotline Informational Webinar for Tribal Communities – Monday, July 31 at 1:00 pm ET. HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau will share information on its nationwide phone line, launched last year, providing free emotional support and referrals to pregnant and post partum women facing mental health challenges. Aspen Institute on Rural Disaster Preparedness – Tuesday, August 1 at 2:00 pm ET. From 2:00 – 4:00 pm, the policy research organization hosts an event in collaboration with the Housing Assistance Council, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Rural LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), the International Economic Development Council, and the Federal Reserve Board. AgriSafe: Talking About Ticks and Lyme Disease – Tuesday, August 8 at 1:00 pm ET. This hour-long webinar hosted by the AgriSafe Network will cover the things you need to know to prevent tick bites when working outdoors, how to remove a tick if bitten, as well as the symptoms that can result from tick bites that may indicate Lyme Disease. Rural Emergency Hospitals Assistance – Wednesday, August 9 at 1:00 pm ET. The FORHP-funded Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Technical Assistance Center (the Rural Health Redesign Center and Mathematica, a partnering policy research organization) will be sharing information about the REH provider type, considerations for converting, and conditions of participation requirements during a one-hour webinar. Attendees will also learn about no-cost technical assistance for hospitals considering a conversion. The REH provider type is designed to address concerns that some rural hospitals would not be able to sustain operations and could be at risk of complete closure. Approaching Deadlines DHS Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project – July 28 HHS Seeks Input on Smoking Cessation Framework Draft – July 30 Comments Requested: New Partnership for Quality Measurement – Extended to July 30 Partnership for Quality Management (PQM) Seeks Rural Health Experts for Committees – July 30 ACF Alaska Native Tribal Resource Center on Domestic Violence – July 31 GAO Calls for HIT Advisory Nominations – July 31 Hardship Exceptions for Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program – July 31 Nominations for GAO Health Information Technology Advisory Committee – July 31 VA Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas – July 31 HHS Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity – August 1 EPA Brownfields Job Training Grants – August 2 CDC Foundation Seeking Community Data for Overdose Prevention – August 4 DOJ Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions – August 4 NACCHO Building Workforce Capacity at Rural/Frontier Health Departments – August 4 ACL Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative – States and Community Grants – August 7 Department of Education Full-Service Community Schools Program – August 8 ACF Culturally Specific Family Violence Prevention – August 11 National Medical Fellowships Health Equity Leaders – August 11 Berkley Rural Public Health Master's Program – August 13 Dept of Transportation Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program – August 14 CMS Seeking Researchers for Health Data Access Program – August 15 Comments Requested: ACL Updates Older Americans Act – August 15 Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project – August 15 DOT Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Programs – INFRA Grants – August 21 Comments Requested: CMS Updates Policy for End Stage Renal Disease – August 25 USDA Grants for Education and Research at 1890 Land-Grant Institutions – August 30 EPA Community-Based Research to Mitigate Environmental Health Disparities – August 31 USDA Emergency Rural Health Care Grants (Track One only) – September 2023 or until funds run out Comments Requested: Remedy for 340B Medicare Drug Payment Policy – September 5 NIH Research to Improve Native American Health (AIDS Related) – September 7 NIH Tobacco Control Policies to Promote Health Equity – September 8 Comments Requested: Proposals to Update Medicare Outpatient Payments and Other Policies – September 11 Comments Requested: Proposals to Update Medicare Clinician Payment and Other Policies – September 11 NRHA Rural Health Fellows Program – September 14 EPA Solar for All Competition – September 26 PCORI Building Capacity for Patient-Centered Research/Clinical Effectiveness – Letters of Intent September 28 PCORI Dissemination Initiative – Letters of Intent September 28 PCORI Stakeholder Convening Support – Letters of Intent September 28 AHRQ Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grants – October 1 NIH Assessing Real-World Effectiveness of Telehealth Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication in Rural Communities – October 5 UMMC Caregiver University for Alzheimer's Support – Quarterly deadlines until October 10 American Psychological Foundation Grant for Rural First Responders Mental Health Interventions – October 15 NIH Pilot Interventions to Integrate Social Care and Medical Care for Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases – October 19 NIH Researching Social Networks to Promote Behavior Change – November 3 Ongoing Opportunities HRSA Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications 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 SAMHSA 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Volunteer and Job Opportunities USDA Disaster Repair Grants for Rural Community Facilities – Ongoing while funds last USDA Water Infrastructure Grants for 2022 Disaster Areas – Ongoing while funds last ACF Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program ACF Rural Community Development Program for Rural Water Systems Addiction Policy Forum: Sites for Anti-Stigma Pilot AgriSafe Mental Health Training for Agricultural Producers & Families 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 AmeriCorps American Connection Corps for Broadband in Rural Areas Appalachian Community Fund Technical Assistance Grants Appalachian Regional Commission J-1 Visa Waivers for Doctors ASA Rural Access to Anesthesia Care Scholarship CDC Direct Assistance to State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Health Agencies CDC Training Pediatric Medical Providers to Recognize ACEs CORH Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program 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 DRA Technical Assistance for Delta Region Community Health Systems Development EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund EPA Water Infrastructure and Innovation Act 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 National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence Technical Assistance 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 Native American Research Centers for Health – Various dates until July 2026 NIH Project Talk Initiative Host Site Applications 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 NRHA Chief Nursing Officer Certification Program for Rural Hospitals 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 RTT Collaborative: Rural Training Track Directors University RWJF Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health RWJF Pioneering Ideas Brief Proposals SAMHSA Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program for Communities Post-Disaster 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 Intermediary Relending Program USDA Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees USDA National School Lunch Afterschool Snack 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 Veterans Affairs Virtual Living Room - Using Technology to Address the Critical Healthcare Needs of Veterans in Rural Areas WWAMI Area Health Education Center Scholars Program | 
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