| Read this online. October 26, 2023 What's New New Funding Opportunity: Rural Health Network Development Planning Program – Applications Due January 26. Yesterday, FORHP announced a new application cycle for its program that supports organizations in their efforts to develop integrated health networks. Approximately 30 awards, each up to $100,000, will allow networks to conduct planning activities over the course of one year with the goal of expanding access and improving quality of care in the rural communities they serve. FORHP will host a one-hour webinar for applicants via Zoom on Tuesday November 14 at 3:00 pm Eastern. A separate webinar will be held to assist applicants from Tribes and Tribal Organizations on Monday, November 20 at 3:00 pm Eastern. For more information, please see the Dear Tribal Leader Letter on the HRSA Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Tribal Affairs website. Facilities Selected for Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project. Five facilities have been selected to participate in the fourth cohort of FORHP's program that helps small rural hospitals prepare for value-based care: Byrd Regional Hospital in Louisiana; Jaynes Family Practice in Kentucky; Mee Memorial Healthcare System in California; La Vernia Family Medical Center in Texas; and Veterans Memorial Hospital Medical Clinic in Iowa. Participants will receive targeted technical assistance provided by the National Rural Health Resource Center to strengthen their foundation in key elements of quality, efficiency, patient experience and patient safety. The application for the next cohort opens in early January 2024. National Advisory Committee Makes Recommendations on Federal Program for Early Childhood Care. When the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services met in Bend, Oregon earlier this year, their focus was the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) in rural areas. MIECHV was established in 2010 as part of the Affordable Care Act and is administered by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau here at HRSA, in partnership with other agencies within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). The committee made eight rural-specific recommendations to HHS, including an effort to distinguish between rural and urban outcomes, and to ease data and administrative burdens that come with federal funding. CFPB Webinar: Medical Debt & Older Adults – TODAY, October 26 at 2:00 pm Eastern. In this webinar, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will discuss consumer rights, share what they learned from consumer medical debt complaints, and show you how to help consumers submit their own complaint to help resolve issues they are encountering with inaccurate medical billing and collections. The data presented in this webinar is from research that focused on older adults, but the trends and solutions can benefit all consumers. Recent research from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center found higher rates of contact by collection agencies for medical debt among rural compared to urban Medicare beneficiaries. 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. On 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 Learning About Long COVID & Fatiguing Illness – Thursday, November 9 at 3:00 pm Eastern. 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. 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 NIH Research Centers in Minority Institutions – December 18. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will provide grants to institutions to enhance capacity for research related to health, particularly on diseases that disproportionately impact populations that experience health disparities. To be eligible, applicants must award doctorate degrees in the health professions or health-related sciences, have a mission to educate students from populations underrepresented in biomedical research, and have received an average of less than $50,000 per year of NIH support for the past three fiscal years. National Board for Certified Counselors Foundation Rural Scholarships – December 31. The foundation arm of the National Board for Certified Counselors awards scholarships and fellowships to graduate-level students pursuing careers as professional counselors working with underserved populations. Their rural scholarships are offered to students living in rural areas who are currently enrolled in a master's level counseling program. NIH Research to Understand Disparities in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality – Various Dates Until October 2026. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will support multidisciplinary and innovative intervention research to understand and address maternal morbidity and mortality in the U.S., particularly but not exclusively among racial and ethnic minority, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and underserved rural populations, with a focus on understudied healthcare factors. GSA Federal Surplus Property Available for Public Use – Ongoing. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) allows certain nonfederal organizations such as state and local governments to request property the federal government no longer needs. National Indian Health Board Vaccination Event Funding – Ongoing. The national nonprofit offers funding for tribal health organizations to host COVID-19 vaccination events. Events may be vaccination clinics, vaccine drives, and back-to-school events, among others. Events must feature COVID-19 vaccines or boosters, and other vaccines may also be offered and promoted. Requests will be accepted on a rolling basis in the order received for as long as funding is available. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. See NASHP Webinar in Events below. Learning Events and Technical Assistance NASHP Webinar on CMS' Newest Innovation: the AHEAD Model – TODAY Thursday, October 26 at 12:00 pm Eastern. In this learning event hosted by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will give insight and details of a new project from the CMS Innovation Center designed to improve population health while curbing cost for states. A Notice of Funding Opportunity for the AHEAD Model (Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) will soon be announced, seeking participation from as many as eight states. Eligible applicants are state Medicaid agencies, state public health agencies, state insurance agencies, or other entities with the authority and capacity to enter into an agreement with the federal government. As with all CMS Innovation Models, selected states will receive tools and resources to help move the entire healthcare system toward value-based care, with improved outcomes for all participants in that system – patients first, but also providers, and the public and private insurers that pay providers. The AHEAD Model will have a focus on engaging rural and safety net hospitals and primary care providers, including Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Emergency Hospitals, and Rural Health Clinics. RHC Emergency Preparedness 101 – Tuesday, November 7 at 3:00 pm Eastern. Independent and provider-based Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are required to develop and implement emergency preparedness policies and procedures at least every two years. During this free webinar FORHP-supported National Association of Rural Health Clinics will share an overview of RHC emergency preparedness requirements found in CMS regulations and guidance, important components of an emergency preparedness manual, learn sample exercises, and provide time for Q&A. Advanced registration is required. Rural Definitions and Data: Changes after the 2020 Census – Wednesday, November 8 at 1:00 pm Eastern. Experts from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy will review how rurality is defined by the federal government, what changes in these definitions were made recently, and how this may affect rural areas' eligibility for federal funding. SAMHSA Tribal Listening Session on Behavioral Health/SUD Resources – Thursday, November 9 at 4:00 pm Eastern. Scroll to "Upcoming Events" to see details of this session hosted by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Officials will meet to discuss funding and implementation for a new federal program under development, Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Resources for Native Americans. Resource of the Week A Guide to Working with Rural Philanthropy. The Rural Health Information Hub updated this guide with background information on rural-focused philanthropies, identifying actions and characteristics that may make a program successful. Approaching Deadlines 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 – Comment by November 6 EPA Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program – November 6 NIH Researching Firearm Injury Prevention in Community Healthcare Settings – November 7 IHS Small Ambulatory Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives – November 10 EPA Funding One Entity Providing Technical Assistance for Tribal Nations and Entities Addressing Brownfields – November 13 NIH Build UP Trust Challenge – November 14 DOT Assistance for Communities through the Thriving Communities Program – Letters of Interest November 15 NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Program – November 16 Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health Scholarship – November 17 Veterans Health Administration Rural Scholars Fellowship – November 17 NIH Research Centers in Minority Institutions – December 18 USDA Community Facilities Technical Assistance/2022 Disaster Areas – November 24 CDC Rape Prevention and Education – November 30 CMS Making Care Primary Model – November 30 HUD Fair Housing Initiatives Program – November 30 CDC Rigorous Evaluation of Policy-Level Interventions to Prevent Overdose – December 1 Commonwealth Fund/Harvard Fellowship in Minority Health Policy – December 1 HRSA National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program – December 7 HRSA Healthy Start: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health – December 15 NIH Research Centers in Minority Institutions – December 18 National Board for Certified Counselors Foundation Rural Scholarships – December 31 USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program – December 31 AmeriCorps State and National Grants – January 4 NARHC Bill Finerfrock Health Policy Fellowship – January 5 NIDA Seeking Telemedicine/Remote-Based Platforms for SUD Treatment – January 8 Request for Information: Upcoming ICD-11 – Comment by January 12 NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program – January 23 Rural Health Network Development Planning Program – January 26 HHS Environmental Justice Community Innovator Challenge, Phase 1 – January 30 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 National Indian Health Board Vaccination Event Funding – Ongoing while funds last 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 GSA Federal Surplus Property Available for Public Use 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 National Indian Health Board Vaccination Event Funding National Indigenous Women's Resource Center Technical Assistance for Domestic Violence Programs 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 Research to Improve Native American Health – October 2024 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 NIH Research to Understand Disparities in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality – Various dates until October 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 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