| Read this online. October 19, 2023 What's New Request for Information: Upcoming ICD-11 – Comment by January 12. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the global standard for health data, clinical documentation, and statistical aggregation. It provides a common language for recording, reporting, and monitoring diseases. It facilitates the collection and storage of data for analysis and comparison of mortality and morbidity data. ICD-11 is the 11th revision, a result of an unprecedented collaboration with clinicians, statisticians, classification, and IT experts from around the world. For the first time, ICD will be fully electronic, include more diagnostic codes, and can be used online or offline – a vast improvement on previous revisions. For this Request for Information (RFI), the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), needs feedback from a wide variety of users – including those with expertise in how rural health may be impacted. To submit comments in response to the RFI, please send by close of business January 12, 2024, to NCVHSmail@cdc.gov, and include on the subject line: Response from [your organization or name] regarding ICD–11 RFI. Medicaid's Important Role in Small Towns and Rural Areas. Policy experts at the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families detail the critical role of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in rural areas, where people are more likely to face challenges getting coverage. Medicaid and CHIP are public sources of insurance. Medicaid provides health care coverage for eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities, while CHIP provides low-cost health coverage to children for families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid. Using data from the U.S. Census, Georgetown's researchers found that Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program served a greater share of rural adults and children compared to urban areas in all states and nationwide. This is especially true of states in the South and Southwest: the highest share of adults in small towns and rural areas who are enrolled in Medicaid live in Kentucky, Louisiana, and New Mexico, covering about one-third of rural adults. Georgetown's issue brief also provides county-level Medicaid enrollment rates, showing the large range within and across the states. New Map Shows Rural Emergency Hospitals. As part of their ongoing work supported by FORHP's Policy Research Division, the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program is tracking conversions to Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), a new type of health care provider. Created by Congress in response to the growing number of rural hospital closures, the REH is meant to maintain emergency service and outpatient care in rural communities. The REH provider type is a designation that comes with a new payment system under Medicare. Based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 14 hospitals have converted to be REHs as of October 17, 2023. The Hospital State Division at FORHP funds a technical assistance center to provide support to hospitals considering conversion to an REH. Subject matter experts at the center provide no-cost technical assistance for hospitals considering a conversion, helping hospital leadership teams assess the pros and cons of making the change from traditional services. DEA Extends Prescribing for Controlled Substances Via Telehealth. On October 10, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency joined with the Department of Health & Human Services to announce an extension telemedicine flexibilities put in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Now through December 31, 2024, authorized providers (see Updates to Requirements for Buprenorphine Prescribing below) can prescribe controlled substances to new and existing patients based on a telephone evaluation, or through other means of telemedicine. 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 HRSA Healthy Start: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health – December 15. HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau administers grants to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy and to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in rates of infant death. Funding is set aside for rural communities. USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program – December 31. 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 March 31, and June 30. AmeriCorps State and National Grants – January 4. AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides funding for programs that are designed to strengthen communities and solve local problems, including those found in rural and underserved areas. Funding priorities include serving historically underrepresented communities, environmental health, services for veterans, and financial planning and literacy. NARHC Bill Finerfrock Health Policy Fellowship – January 5. The National Association of Rural Health Clinics provides a four-week fellowship in Alexandria, Virginia (just outside of Washington, DC) for mid-career professionals to learn leadership skills for becoming grassroots advocates for rural health. NIDA Seeking Telemedicine/Remote-Based Platforms for SUD Treatment – January 8. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) names rural populations as an area of interest for applications that will rapidly improve the ability to: 1) offer remotely delivered substance use disorder (SUD) treatments to patients, and 2) conduct clinical trials of novel treatment using remote patient safety and clinical outcomes monitoring to reduce the need for in-person clinical visits. HHS Environmental Justice Community Innovator Challenge, Phase 1 – January 30. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services seeks community- and tribal-led strategies that address health and environmental hazards related to climate change. Phase 1 of the challenge will reward innovative concepts to address disparities and advance health equity; Phase 2 will test dissemination and uptake of winning approaches at a small scale/community level. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. See What's New section above. Learning Events and Technical Assistance Mobilizing an Emergency Preparedness Response for Agricultural Workers – Thursday, October 19 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The National Center for Farmworker Health will discuss community-level resources and key steps to prepare, plan for, and respond to national emergencies that impact migratory and seasonal agricultural workers (MSAW). Strategies for HIV Treatment Disparities in Rural Communities – Friday, October 20 at 12:30 pm Eastern. In a two-part series, the Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) will share both clinical and social service strategies for HIV treatment in rural and underserved settings. The AETC is supported by HRSA's HIV/AIDS Bureau, bringing expertise and resources to the Ending the HIV Epidemic that has a focus on seven states – Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Carolina – where a significant number of new cases were in rural areas when the effort was initiated in 2017. The second session in this series will take place a week later on October 27. Indigenous Survivors on Intimate Partner Violence – Wednesday, October 25 at 3:00 pm Eastern. The National Indigenous Women's Resource Center will provide an overview of the root causes of domestic violence as well as the importance of traditional cultural practices in the support of survivors. NASHP Webinar on CMS' Newest Innovation: the AHEAD Model – 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. Resource of the Week Updated Federal Profile for Community Health Workers. The update is part of the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. The handbook includes 300+ profiles covering over 500 occupations. The new CHW profile reflects the core CHW duties, competencies and training and employment sites. While the profile focuses on CHWs, it also mentions other professions such as peer support specialists, community health representatives, and promotores de salud for the first time. Approaching Deadlines NIH Pilot Interventions to Integrate Social Care and Medical Care for Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases – October 19 PTAC Solicits Public Input on Encouraging Rural Participation in Alternative Payment Models – Comment by October 20 FCC Seeks Further Comment on 5G Fund for Rural America – Comment by October 23 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 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 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 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 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 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 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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