| Read this online. September 7, 2023 What's New New Awards to Address Rural Opioid Overdose. Last week, HRSA announced more than $80 million in new awards for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). Now moving into its sixth year, the nine grant programs under RCORP make up the federal response to the opioid crisis that is specific to rural communities, where rates of drug overdose are higher. RCORP funding supports interventions such as distributing the lifesaving overdose reversal drug naloxone, increasing treatment sites, expanding access to behavioral health care, and caring for infants at risk for opioid exposure. September is Suicide Awareness Month. The latest provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed the highest number of deaths on record in 2022. Rates were highest among American Indian and Alaska Native people, males, and people who live in rural areas. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provides a digital toolkit (in headline link) with sharable messages for email and social media platforms. And on Tuesday, September 12, NIMH will hold a 90-minute webinar on Suicide in American Farming. CMS Proposes Minimum Staffing Standards for Nursing Homes – Comment by November 6. On September 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting proposed rule. Under CMS's proposal, nursing homes participating in Medicare and Medicaid would be required to meet specific nurse staffing levels that promote safe, high-quality care for residents. Nursing homes would need to provide residents with a minimum of 0.55 hours of care from a registered nurse per resident per day, and 2.45 hours of care from a nurse aide per resident per day, exceeding existing standards in nearly all states. CMS estimates approximately 75 percent of nursing homes would have to strengthen staffing in their facilities. As the long-term care sector continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the proposed standards take into consideration local realities in rural and underserved communities through staggered implementation and exemptions processes. CMS specifically seeks comment on its proposed definition of "rural" for these exemptions. The proposed rule uses the Census definition of rural and urban, meaning that "rural" encompasses all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area. See the Census Bureau for more information on urban area classification, including a high-resolution map of the urban areas based on the 2020 Census. Applications Open for CMS Making Care Primary Model – Apply by November 30. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center) is now accepting applications for the recently announced Making Care Primary (MCP) Model. The model will launch July 1, 2024, in eight states: Colorado, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Washington, and will operate over a ten-year period. This model aims to strengthen coordination between patients' primary care clinicians, specialists, social service providers, and behavioral health clinicians, to drive improved chronic disease prevention, fewer emergency room visits, and better health outcomes. While Rural Health Clinics are not eligible, other rural primary care providers (including Federally Qualified Health Centers) may seek to participate. Eligibility requirements and additional model details can be found in the Request for Applications (RFA). CMS Announces New Statewide Total Cost of Care Model. This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development Model ("States Advancing AHEAD" or "AHEAD Model"). The model is a state-based approach that aims to better address chronic disease, behavioral health, and other medical conditions. Under the AHEAD Model, participating states will be better equipped to promote health equity, increase access to primary care services, set health care expenditures on a more sustainable trajectory, and lower health care costs for patients. States participating in AHEAD will be accountable for quality and population health outcomes, while reducing all-payer avoidable health care spending to spur statewide and regional health care transformation. CMS will partner with states to redesign statewide and regionwide health care delivery to improve the total population health of a participating state or region by improving the quality and efficacy of care delivery, reducing health disparities, and improving health outcomes. Hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Emergency Hospitals, and primary care providers, including Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics, will be eligible for voluntary participation in states that join the AHEAD model. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for state applicants will be released in late fall 2023. 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 NIHB Climate Ready Tribes Emergency Mitigation Planning Grants – September 29. The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) provides funding for the development of tribal emergency mitigation plans related to extreme weather, coastal erosion, or other impacts of climate change. Food Research & Action Center Grants to Research Equitable Access in Child Nutrition – October 3. The Food Research & Action Center will provide grants to support research activities that identify barriers to equitable access in the child nutrition programs, as well as strategies to help overcome these barriers. Priority will be given to projects representing underserved communities including rural areas those affected by persistent poverty or inequality. National Aging and Disability Transportation Center/Creative Solutions to Rural Transportation Course – October 13. The national nonprofit offers course modules, resources, and discussion forums that focus on solutions to rural transportation issues. The course is designed for public, private, and nonprofit transportation and human services providers, including volunteer programs; city/county employees, including those working in the fields of aging and disability services, healthcare, housing, or employment; tribal agencies; and anyone interested in learning about rural transportation. See Learning Events below for an upcoming webinar from the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Mandatory Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Quality Measures. This final rule requires—for the first time—that states, the District of Columbia (DC) and certain territories mandatorily report measures on the quality of health care provided to Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries. Prior to this rule, states voluntarily reported quality measures from the Medicaid Child Core Set and the Adult Core Set. This rule implements mandatory annual reporting of the Child Core Set and the behavioral health measures on the Adult Core Set using a standardized format. It also establishes reporting requirements of measures in the Health Home Core Set for states that elect to implement one or both of the optional Medicaid health home benefits. Medicaid is an important source of health insurance covering over one in five rural residents under the age of 65. Learning Events and Technical Assistance Medicaid and CHIP Renewals: Reaching American Indian and Alaska Native Populations – Thursday, September 7 at 3:00 pm ET. With publicly available data showing more than 5 million people disenrolled from Medicaid to date, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is holding a series of webinars to review strategies for reaching special populations at state and local levels. CDC Briefing on Vaccine Confidence – Tuesday, September 12 at 3:00 pm ET. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will hold an hour-long briefing to share new report findings about the status of vaccine confidence in the U.S. Registration is required to attend this briefing. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting. Questions: vaccinestrategists@cdc.gov. National Telehealth Conference – September 12. Join health care professionals, policymakers, and industry stakeholders from around the country at HRSA's virtual telehealth conference. Learn about the latest telehealth best practices, health equity, broadband, and more. 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 Health Centers 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. Resources of the Week Caring for Women with Opioid Disorder. September is National Recovery Month and HRSA's Office of Women's Health has a toolkit to support organizations and health care providers that care for women living with opioid use disorder (OUD). Updated Value-Based Care Resources for Rural Health Providers. The Rural Health Value team recently updated Demonstrating Your Value: A Guide to Potential Value-based Care Partnerships for Rural Health Care Organizations. This resource can help rural health care leaders demonstrate the value their organizations can bring to networks, affiliations, payers, systems, or accountable care organizations (ACOs). The Rural Health Value team also updated its Catalog of Value Based Initiatives for Rural Providers, as one-page summaries describing rural-relevant, value-based programs. The Rural Health Value team is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Approaching Deadlines 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 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 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 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 IHS Small Ambulatory Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives – November 10 NIH Build UP Trust Challenge – November 14 CMS Making Care Primary Model – November 30 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 | 
No comments:
Post a Comment