March 21 What's New FORHP 2024 Preview – Wednesday, April 3 at 3:00 pm Eastern. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy continues to shape our programs to better address rural health needs, while also maintaining proven practices. Join us for our annual Preview webinar as we walk you through our investments and activities for this fiscal year. We'll preview anticipated funding opportunities, as well as our "hidden gems" - resources and projects that may not be well-known. HRSA National Health Service Corps: Three Options for Loan Repayment Programs – Apply by May 9. The application window for HRSA's National Health Service Corp (NHSC) loan repayment programs just opened with a 50 percent increase in funding available for primary care clinicians who commit to working for at least two years in underserved and rural areas. This year, HRSA also seeks to address language barriers for patients and will provide a $5,000 award enhancement to providers who demonstrate Spanish proficiency. The award is available to eligible applicants in all three loan repayment programs and is in addition to the maximum award amounts up to $105,000. The open NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program, along with other NHSC programs, helps health centers recruit and retain providers to rural communities. In 2023, NHSC rural provider numbers represent 38 percent of the overall health workforce supported by the programs. Application Assistance for Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Impact – Thursday, March 21 at 1:00 pm Eastern. FORHP will hold a session to detail application requirements for the latest program for opioid treatment and recovery under the RCORP umbrella. The deadline for RCORP-Impact is May 6. Webinar Series on Rural Maternal Health Continues March 26. Registration is open for a four-part webinar series presented by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), in collaboration with the Rural Health Information Hub. The second part of the series highlights resources available for hospitals through the Perinatal Quality Collaboratives. Meeting of the HRSA Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality. HRSA will hold a virtual public meeting of the Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality (ACIMM) over three days beginning April 4. Topics discussed may include the federal Healthy Start program and rural healthcare access, social drivers of health, and women's health before/between pregnancies. Individuals with lived experience and community members will provide remarks on how to achieve optimal maternal health and overall birth outcomes for underserved populations. Register at the ACIMM website and submit comments via email to SACIM@hrsa.gov. CMS Seeks Input on a New Beneficiary Disenrollment Survey - Comments Due May 13. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is developing a survey to collect beneficiaries' reasons for disenrolling from a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan or Prescription Drug Plan (PDP), and they seek public input on the necessity of the survey, ways to enhance the quality and clarity of the questions, the estimated time burden on beneficiaries, and the methods for administering the survey. CMS will use the Disenrollment Survey to monitor the quality of service that Medicare beneficiaries get from plans and their providers and to understand beneficiaries' expectations about their MA and PDP benefits and services. Rural enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans has been growing over the last decade, and researchers expect that a majority of rural beneficiaries will be enrolled in MA by 2025. 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 are still required to register with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to prescribe controlled medications. On June 27, 2023, 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 Learn About Long COVID & Fatiguing Illness – Thursday, April 11 at 3:00 pm Eastern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds this monthly webinar-style ECHO learning session to rapidly disseminate findings about Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). The series offers 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. CDC's COVIDVaxView Dashboard. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to share weekly COVID-19 vaccination data using a variety of data sources. A new resource, COVIDVaxView Interactive, goes deeper with a look at variations in vaccine confidence by demographics and geography. Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period 6. The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal opened January 1 and will remain open until March 31, 2024 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 July 1 to December 31, 2022, must report on their use of funds during Reporting Period 6 to comply with PRF Reporting Requirements. More information and resources can be found on the PRF Reporting webpage. Home Test to Treat is a new program funded by the National Institutes of Health focused on providing COVID-19 care and treatment for adults who are at greater risk of being affected by COVID-19. Adults who do not currently have COVID-19 or flu may enroll and receive free tests if they are uninsured or are enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Affairs health care system, or the Indian Health Services. Individuals who are currently positive for COVID-19 can enroll to receive telehealth services for COVID-19 and treatment (if prescribed) at no cost. Enrollees may also be invited to participate in a completely optional research component of the program. Informational flyers are available in English and Spanish. Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth. ProviderBridge.org was created through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (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 Alaska Native Tribal Consortium/Alaska Pacific University - Alaska Indigenous Research Program and Scholarship – April 14. A series of three courses, each one week long, that provide Indigenous-centered, cross-cultural health research education and training for students, researchers and health professionals working in tribal health. Department of Education Demonstration Grants for Mental Health Service Professionals in Elementary and Secondary Schools – May 14. Total funding will go to approximately 33 grants for high-need Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), State Educational Agencies (SEAs) and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). The program seeks applicants that can demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers in schools. IHS American Indians Into Medicine – May 14. The Indian Health Service (IHS) provides funding to implement the Indians into Medicine Program that is designed to attract and recruit qualified Indians into health professions and to ensure the availability of health professionals to serve Native populations. HHS Community Level Innovations for Improving Health Outcomes – May 15. The Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services provides grants for projects that demonstrate community level innovations to increase use of preventive health services, improve health outcomes, and reduce health disparities driven by social determinants of health. NIH Innovations for Healthy Living – Improving Minority Health/Eliminating Health Disparities – June 10. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide funding from small business concerns to develop a product, process, or service with the aim of improving health in one or more NIH-defined population groups with health disparities. AHRQ Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use – Ongoing enrollment until June 2024. The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) seeks participants for a free, 18-month program beginning in June 2024 to promote appropriate antibiotic use for patients seen via telemedicine. Clinics and providers wanting to improve antibiotic prescribing will receive training and one-on-one expert coaching in diagnosis and treatment via telemedicine. 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. Partnership to Address Social Needs Across Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Prospective Payment System Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals. This policy brief from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis used survey data from the American Hospital Association to examine partnerships between hospitals and external organizations to address social needs. Prevent or Treat: Availability of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Dialysis in High Need Rural Counties. Researchers from the Rural and Minority Health Research Center assess the availability of in-county diabetes self-management education and dialysis across rural and urban counties. Among the findings: at least one site for kidney dialysis services is available in 59.2 percent of all counties across the U.S., but present in only 31.1 percent of noncore rural counties. Rural-Urban Differences in Housing Cost Burden Across the U.S. The University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center examines rural-urban differences in housing affordability across Census regions, divisions, states, and counties, using data from the 2017-2021 American Community Survey. Racial/Ethnic Differences in Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence and Postpartum Abuse Screening Among Rural US Residents who Gave Birth 2016-2020. The University of Minnesota describes rates of self-reported intimate partner violence among rural residents before or during pregnancy, and the frequency by which different racial or ethnic groups are not screened for abuse after giving birth. Uses 2016-2020 data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a population-based surveillance survey. Features statistics with breakdowns by race or ethnicity. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Commission Reports to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP. Also known as MACPAC, the non-partisan Medicaid and CHIP Payment Advisory Commission conducts analysis and makes recommendations to Congress about policies affecting Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In the first of two reports required for 2024, MACPAC focuses on ways to increase Medicaid beneficiaries' participation in policymaking, how to make the denials and appeals process in Medicaid Managed Care more transparent, and provides analysis of allotments to states for Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospitals. A separate report to Congress from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) evaluates Medicare's fee-for-service payments to providers, the Medicare Advantage and the Part D Prescription Drug Program, special needs plans for beneficiaries who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and the new Rural Emergency Hospital provider designation. Information Session on CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule – Tuesday, March 26 at 1:00 pm Eastern. In January, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule to enhance access to health information and streamline prior authorization processes for medical items and services. CMS's Office of Burden Reduction & Health Informatics is hosting an online session to educate patients, providers, and administrative, health IT, and government affairs professionals about the provisions in final rule and how it builds on current CMS interoperability policies. Questions can be submitted beforehand via the registration form. If you register and receive a message that the event is full, you will receive an email after the event with a link to both a recording and transcript of the presentation. The use of various electronic exchange methods among hospitals and physicians has increased in recent years, but use among small and rural hospitals is lower than that of other hospitals. Please reach out to CMSInteroperability@cms.hhs.gov with questions. Learning Events and Technical Assistance Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center 2024 MATRC Summit – April 14-16 in Pocono Manor, PA. One of 12 regional centers in the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers, the MATRC will hold its summit in-person only to explore trends, innovations, policy, and best practices. Resources of the Week Telehealth in Action: Digital Navigators Connect Patients to Care. Digital navigators teach people how to use telehealth and technology. Learn about how one of the HRSA-funded Telehealth Resource Centers created a class for digital navigators to help connect patients to care. Farm State of Mind. The American Farm Bureau created a national resource directory with on-demand training, research, helpful tips, and opioid-related information for farm and ranch families. According to the National Rural Health Association, farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. Local Master Plan for Aging – Shasta, Butte, and Glenn Counties. A report from the nonprofit Diversability Advocacy Network summarizes findings from a needs assessment for older adults and people with disabilities. Each of these counties, located in central California, has a significant portion that is rural, a poverty rate above 17 percent, and a demographic mix that includes Tribal, Asian, Hispanic, and Black communities. Approaching Deadlines SAMHSA Rural Emergency Medical Services Training – March 20 NIHB/CDC Strengthening Tribal Public Health Systems – March 21 Department of Commerce Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program – March 22 HRSA Behavioral Health Integration Evidence Based Telehealth Network Program – March 22 NIH National Institute of Nursing Research Bridge-to-Care Initiative/Community Partnerships to Address SDOH – March 22 DOJ Office on Violence Against Women – Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations – March 26 Help shape the future of the Marketplace Quality Rating System (QRS) and Qualified Health Plan (QHP) Enrollee Experience Survey – Comment by March 28 CMS Changing Policy for Research Data Access – Comment by March 29 CMS Accepting Applications for New Physician Residency Slots – March 31 HRSA Provider Relief Reporting Period 6 – March 31 National Rural Health Association – Residency in Healthcare Executive Leadership Development – March 31 USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) – March 31 CDC Strengthening Public Health Systems Through National Partnerships – April 1 SAMHSA Grants to Expand SUD Capacity in Treatment Drug Courts – April 1 USDA Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program – April 1 HRSA Advanced Nursing Education – Sexual Assault Examiners Program – April 2 HRSA State Maternal Health Innovation – April 2 RWJF Healthy Eating Research for Children and Adolescents – Letters of Intent April 3 DOJ Sexual Assault Services – Culturally Specific Grant Program – April 4 CDC Million Hearts Hypertension Control Challenge – April 5 HRSA Licensure Portability Grant Program – April 8 DOJ Office on Violence Against Women – Rural Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program – April 12 SAMHSA Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment Program – April 12 Alaska Native Tribal Consortium/Alaska Pacific University - Alaska Indigenous Research Program and Scholarship – April 14 SAMHSA First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act – April 15 Department of Treasury Capital Magnet Fund for Affordable Housing – April 16 HRSA Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program – April 16 HRSA Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Capacity Development – April 16 CDC Drug Free Communities – New Grants – April 17 USDA Rural eConnectivity Program – April 22 DOJ Office of Violence Against Women – Grants to Indian Tribal Governments – April 24 DOJ Office on Violence Against Women – Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) – April 24 HRSA Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program – Supplement Funding for Rural Emergency Services – April 25 HRSA National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program – April 25 Department of Veterans Affairs Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grants – April 26 SAMHSA Building Communities of Recovery – April 29 USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants – April 29 DOJ Adult Treatment Court Site-Based Program – May 2 HRSA Nurse Corps Scholarship Program – May 2 Federal Agencies Seek Input: Effects of Consolidation in Health Care – Comment by May 6 HRSA Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program – May 6 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Impact – May 6 HRSA National Health Service Corps: Three Options for Loan Repayment Programs – May 9 Department of Education Demonstration Grants for Mental Health Service Professionals in Elementary and Secondary Schools – May 14 USDA Farmers Market/Local Food Promotion Program – May 14 USDA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program – May 14 HHS Community Level Innovations for Improving Health Outcomes – May 15 NIH Strategies to Improve Health Outcomes/Advance Health Equity in Rural Populations – May 17 CMS Request for Information on Medicare Advantage Data – Comment by May 29 AHRQ Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use – June 2024 NIH Innovations for Healthy Living – Improving Minority Health/Eliminating Health Disparities – June 10 NIH Researching Barriers to Care and Risk of HIV-Associated Comorbidities Among Vulnerable Population Groups – June 28 EPA Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants – November 21 Ongoing Opportunities HRSA Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications Medicaid and CHIP Renewal and Transition Resources for Partners Extended Public Comment Period for FCC's COVID-19 Telehealth Program 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 Communities USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants 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 Association of American Indian Physicians Tribal Grant Writing Training 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 Tribal Environmental Justice Technical Assistance Center 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 Special Interest Research – Pandemic Impact on Vulnerable Children and Youth – May 2024 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 Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination – Various dates until October 2025 NIH Researching Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention – February 2026 NIH Research to Address Vaccine Hesitancy in Health Disparity Populations – June 2026 NIH Planning Grants for Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) – various dates until July 2026 NIH Research to Understand Disparities in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality – Various dates until October 2026 NIH Data Informed, Place-Based Community-Engaged Research to Advance Health Equity – January 2027 NIH/UVA Seeking Rural Individuals to Participate in Weight Loss Study (iREACH) – until 2027 NIH Project Talk Initiative Host Site Applications 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 Rural Grocery Transition Specialist Program 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 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/NRHA Rural Hospital Technical Assistance 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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