| Read this online. September 14, 2023 What's New FY 2023 Award for the Rural Health Care Coordination Program. Last week, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy announced $3 million in awards to 10 healthcare organizations that will expand access to and quality of equitable health care services through care coordination strategies exclusively in rural areas. FORHP intends for the RHCC Program to foster the development of formal network partnerships and sustainable care coordination strategies to address social determinants of health, improve rural health outcomes, and deliver patient-centered health care services. Grantees will utilize innovative and evidence-based models to address one primary focus area (heart disease; cancer; chronic lower respiratory disease; stroke; or maternal health), including the underlying risk factors contributing to the selected focus area. Previous award recipients have impacted their communities through strengthened health care networks, increasing patient referrals, access to care, health insurance enrollment, and improved health outcomes. Congress Increased Rural Physician Training – Is it Working? Experts analyze Medicare-funded residency training two years after Congress created 1,000 new residency slots reserved specifically for rural and underserved areas. The data show a need to re-examine residency slot distribution methods, sustainable funding, and technical assistance supporting rural locations. FORHP began a separate effort a few years before with the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program (RRPD). Since 2019, RRPD has funded $54 million to 73 organizations across 36 states and six medicine disciplines. Maternal Mortality Crisis and Extension of Medicaid Postpartum Coverage. Examining the effect of extended postpartum coverage brought by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, policy experts present evidence that ensuring access to care for 12 months after giving birth is a key strategy to address the U.S. maternal mortality crisis. The authors note that Medicaid is used predominantly in rural areas and by individuals who are racial/ethnic minorities. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show significantly higher rates of maternal death in 2021. A separate report from the CDC, out last month, reveals 1 in 5 women reported mistreatment while receiving maternity care, with clear disparities by race/ethnicity and insurance types. The FORHP-funded Rural Health Research Centers have increased their work on this issue in the last three years, following earlier determination that rates of maternal mortality have long been higher for rural residents. HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day: September 18. HRSA's Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) brings attention to the growing number of people with HIV living longer and healthier lives. Current data indicate approximately 60 percent of people living with HIV in the U.S. are now over the age of 50. The federal effort to end the HIV epidemic prioritizes states that have a disproportionate burden of HIV in rural counties. According to recent research, the challenges to caring for older people living with HIV in these states – lack of health care workforce and infrastructure, current politics and stigma, and historic disparities in the South – are greater in rural areas. 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. One June 27, the DEA began to require that registration applicants – both new and renewing – 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. Watch this 11-minute video that explains the changes. 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 December 29, 2022 (when Congress eliminated the waiver requirement). Approximately $889,000 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 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 USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program – September 30. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides loans and grants to assist in the economic development of rural areas, including funds for health care facilities and equipment, telecommunications networks, and job creation projects. Applications cycles are by quarters; the next deadlines are December 31, March 31, and June 30. USDA Community Wildfire Defense Grants – October 31. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides grants for at-risk local communities and tribes to plan for and mitigate the risk of wildfires. Priority is given to projects in areas identified as having a high or very high wildfire hazard potential; that benefit low-income communities; and/or serve communities impacted by a severe disaster within the previous 10 years. EPA Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience/Sustainability Program – November 6. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides funding for projects that are designed to increase water systems' resilience to natural hazards in small and disadvantaged communities. NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Program – November 16. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offer loan repayment assistance for researchers that are not employed by the NIH. Loan repayment awards are based on an applicant's potential to build and sustain a research career, not to support specific research. Preference is given to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds; applicants must be U.S. citizens with a health-related doctoral degree from an accredited institution. CDC Evaluation of Policy-Level Interventions to Prevent Overdose – December 1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) solicit investigator-initiated research to evaluate the effectiveness of policies for reducing drug use and overdose. Equally important to quantifying the impacts of these policies on health outcomes is understanding how implementation affects outcomes among groups experiencing disproportionate burden of overdose. 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. Examining Rural-Urban Differences in the Availability of Hospital-Based Cardiac Services Between 2010-2020. Among the findings from the Rural and Minority Health Research Center: From 2010 to 2020, the proportions of metropolitan and micropolitan hospitals offering specialized cardiac care substantially increased, but there was no significant change among hospitals in rural noncore counties. Policy Updates Visit the FORHP Policy page to see all recent updates and send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. New Resources to Understand and Use Z-Codes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) released this new infographic to assist providers with understanding Z codes as a tool to improve the quality and collection of health equity data. Z codes are the diagnosis codes that document Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), e.g., housing, food insecurity, transportation, etc. CMS OMH also created a Journey Map with step-by-step details on how healthcare professionals can use these codes to enhance quality improvement activities, track factors that influence people's health, and provide further insight into existing health inequities. One participant in FORHP's Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) has found collecting Z codes to be an important step to encouraging community healthiness. PTAC Public Meeting on Rural Participation in Alternative Payment Models – September 18-19. The next quarterly public Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) meeting will focus on encouraging rural participation in population-based total cost of care models. PTAC was authorized under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 to make recommendations on population-based total cost of care model proposals. Selected topics to be discussed in the two-day September PTAC meeting include challenges facing rural providers and patients and approaches for involving rural providers in such alternative payment models. For further information on the hybrid (in-person and livestream) meeting, please see the agenda, panelist bios, and a registration form. Learning Events and Technical Assistance Application Assistance for NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program – Thursday, September 14 at 2:00 pm ET. Medical, dental, nursing, and physician assistant students in their final year of school can receive awards up to $120,000 in exchange for a three-year commitment providing primary care services at NHSC-approved sites in high-need rural and other provider shortage areas. Coordinating Transportation in Rural Areas – Thursday, September 14 at 2:00 pm ET. The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center will hold an hour-long webinar featuring the Center for Independent Living for Western WI that has expanded their transportation program to serve 42 of the most rural counties in Wisconsin. See Funding section above for an educational opportunity from the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center. Northeast Telehealth Resource Center Conference – September 18-19. The two-day event in Nashua, New Hampshire will feature networking opportunities over the course of 20 sessions with industry experts. The NETRC is one of 12 regional components of the HRSA-supported National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers. National Health Service Corps Webinar for Tribal Communities – Tuesday, September 19 at 1:00 pm ET. HRSA's National Health Service Corps loan repayment and scholarship programs can help eliminate health professional student loan debt. This hour-long informational webinar offers a Q&A session for health care students, professionals and facilities that serve tribal communities. Co-hosted by HRSA, the National Council of Urban Indian Health and the National Indian Health Board. Addressing Staff Burnout in Rural Settings - Tuesday, September 19 at 2:00 pm ET. HRSA's Bureau of Primary Health Care and the HIV/AIDS Bureau invite you to a one-hour session on burnout, its impact on health worker, and resilience strategies. Providers will share their distinct perspective on challenges and opportunities in the rural setting and discuss resources. The session will focus on HAB and BPHC dually-funded recipients, but encourage all award recipients in rural communities to attend. HRSA Virtual Job Fair for Health Care Professionals – Wednesday, September 20 at 6:00 pm ET. Over three hours, career-seeking health care professionals can connect with representatives from 50 health care facilities recruiting for open vacancies in underserved communities. Webinar on Unwinding Medicaid: Challenges for States and Beneficiaries and What's to Come – September 21 at 1:30 ET. During their monthly public meeting, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment Advisory Committee (MACPAC) will host a panel discussion on unwinding the continuous coverage provision in Medicaid, the state-level change process for public health insurance enrollment brought by the official end of the pandemic. Currently, over 6 million Medicaid enrollees have been disenrolled. Data released in May show the stakes are especially high for children and families in rural and small towns. Registration for the public meeting is required to attend this session. Resource of the Week Expanding Jail-Based Mental Health Services in Rural Counties. A feature article in The Rural Monitor examines the challenges of providing access to mental health services in rural jails. Features a telehealth counseling program in rural Texas and an Ohio program offering case management and mental health services to people in the county jail. Approaching Deadlines NRHA Rural Health Fellows Program – September 14 Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health: Wilderness and Austere Medicine Fellowship – September 15 NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award – September 15 PFund Foundation Promoting Rural Interconnections for Sexual Minorities (PRISM) Grant – September 15 USDA Empowering Rural America Program – Letters of Intent September 15 USDA Small Business Innovation Research – Phase 1 – September 19 Institute of Museum and Library Sciences: Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program – Preliminary Proposals September 20 EPA Solar for All Competition – September 26 DOT Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program – September 28 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 NIHB Climate Ready Tribes Emergency Mitigation Planning Grants – September 29 Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital Fellowship Program in Rural Health Leadership – September 30 National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship for Addictions Counselors – September 30 USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program – September 30 3RNET Recruiting for Retention Academy – October 1 AHRQ Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grants – October 1 Comments Requested: Requirements Related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act – October 2 Food Research & Action Center Grants to Research Equitable Access in Child Nutrition – October 3 NIH Assessing Real-World Effectiveness of Telehealth Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication in Rural Communities – October 5 UMMC Caregiver University for Alzheimer's Support – October 10 National Aging and Disability Transportation Center/Creative Solutions to Rural Transportation Course – October 13 Northwest Public Health and Primary Care Leadership Institute – October 13 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 USDA Community Food Projects – October 30 USDA Community Wildfire Defense Grants – October 31 NIH Native Collective Research Effort Addressing Overdose, Substance Use, Mental Health, and Pain – November 1 Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellows – November 1 NIH Researching Social Networks to Promote Behavior Change – November 3 Comments Requested: CMS Proposes Minimum Staffing Standards for Nursing Homes – November 6 EPA Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program – November 6 IHS Small Ambulatory Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives – November 10 NIH Build UP Trust Challenge – November 14 NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Program – November 16 CMS Making Care Primary Model – November 30 CDC Rigorous Evaluation of Policy-Level Interventions to Prevent Overdose – December 1 HRSA National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program – December 7 NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program – January 23 HHS Innovation Challenge: Preventing Human Trafficking/Women and Girls – February 1 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/SAMHSA Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Training and Mentoring 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 Western Region Public Health Training Center – Future Leaders Program WWAMI Area Health Education Center Scholars Program 3RNET Recruitment and Retention Assistance | 
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