| View this in your browser. May 23, 2024 What's New Coming Soon: Available Funding for The Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention - Workforce Expansion Program. HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce has dedicated $4.75 million to this program to increase the nursing workforce in rural (non-metro) and underserved areas to address the critical shortage of nurses, specifically in acute and long-term care settings. Eligible applicants include: public and private institutions of higher education; accredited schools of nursing; health care facilities; entities that confer associate's degrees in nursing, such as community colleges; and partnerships between training and health care facilities. This is a forecasted opportunity and may change when the application opens. Overdose Deaths in Decline. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released provisional data from their National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) indicating an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2023 – a decrease of 3 percent from the 111,029 deaths estimated in 2022. This is the first annual decrease in drug overdose deaths since 2018. Several states across the nation saw decreases; Nebraska, Kansas, Indiana, and Maine experienced declines of 15 percent or more. Still, some states saw increases. Alaska, Washington, and Oregon stood out with notable increases of at least 27% compared to the same period in 2022. Various factors make a difference in provisional counts versus final counts, such as records indicating "pending investigation." The data are based on death records NCHS receives each month from state vital registration offices with no distinction between urban and rural. HRSA Modifications to the Definition of Rural for FORHP Grants – Comment by May 28. On April 26th, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) announced a proposed modification to the definition of 'rural' used to designate eligible areas for rural health grants. Because access to needed health care is likely to be reduced when roads are most difficult to traverse, FORHP proposes to modify the definition of rural areas by integrating the new Road Ruggedness Scale (RRS) released in 2023 by the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The proposed modifications are based on a data-driven methodology to identify areas with difficult mountainous terrain. All areas included in the current definition of rural would remain included. CMS Now Accepting Applications for the Medicare Shared Savings Program – Apply by June 17. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now accepting applications for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, in which groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers collaborate, with the goal of offering coordinated high-quality care to people with Medicare. ACOs inexperienced with risk-based payments and who provide care to rural and underserved beneficiaries may be interested in Advance Investment Payments, and those interested in alternative payments for primary care providers may consider the ACO Primary Care Flex Model. For both of these options, ACOs must first apply to the Shared Savings Program. To learn more about the application process, register for the upcoming June 5 webinar on Completing Phase 1 of the Application and Avoiding Common Deficiencies. Email questions to SharedSavingsProgram@cms.hhs.gov. CMS Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Orientation – Thursday, May 23 at 2:00 pm Eastern. During this webinar, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will provide information on the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP), including recent enhancements aimed at improving access to prediabetes care to underserved communities with a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes. MDPP is a behavior change program that community-based and health services organizations may offer to Medicare beneficiaries who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Rural counties have a higher proportion of adults with diabetes than urban counties and are less likely to have diabetes self-management education. Upcoming Webinar: Understanding Housing as a Social Driver of Health for Rural Residents – Wednesday, May 29 at 1:00 pm Eastern. During this one-hour webinar, presenters will share recent research findings on rural/urban differences in housing cost burden and quality of housing stock. This webinar will also include results from a series of key informant interviews on challenges and opportunities to support housing and improve health for rural residents. After attending, participants will be able to describe differences between rural and urban residents in basic housing access and quality measures. Attendees will also be able to identify opportunities to improve housing as a social driver of health through policy and programming. The presenting researchers are from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center, one of nine FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Centers. Take the HRSA Grantee Satisfaction Survey. Each program director of active HRSA grants has received an invitation to take our new and improved Grantee Satisfaction Survey. With the highest possible response rate through June 10, we can pinpoint crucial areas for action. For general questions about the survey, contact HRSAGranteeSurvey@hrsa.gov Ongoing: 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, June 13 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. 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 HRSA Cervical Cancer Learning Series for Safety-Net Settings in US-Affiliated Pacific Islands – June 7. From July 25 to October 3, HRSA's Office of Women's Health will hold a series of free, virtual sessions, each one hour long, to improve cervical cancer prevention, screening, and management in safety net settings located in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Continuing medical education credits are available at no cost to physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and physician assistants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cite a lack of screening and follow-up care in rural areas for higher rates of lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and cervical cancers in rural areas. For more details on the program, contact CERVNet@norc.org. Download resources from OWH's page for the Federal Cervical Cancer Care Collaborative. HRSA Faculty Loan Repayment Program – June 27. HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce supports the recruitment and retention of health professions faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds. As a faculty member, you train the next generation of health care professionals to provide care in rural and other communities throughout the nation. HRSA can help you reduce your financial burden so you can focus on teaching. The Faculty Loan Repayment Program provides up to $40,000 in loan repayment assistance as well as funding to offset the tax burden. Native Americans in Philanthropy/Common Counsel Foundation – Native Voices Rising Grants – June 28. The two nonprofits collaborate to provide general operating support to strengthen native-led organizations that are improving the lives of their community members. Focus areas include but are not limited to: environmental and climate justice, health and healing, voter and civic engagement, and youth and intergenerational engagement. USDA WIC State Agency General Infrastructure Grants – July 5. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make 25 awards to state governments as well as tribal governments and organizations to support modernization of USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The request for application includes four tracks, each with one objective: 1) updating management information systems or electronic benefit transfer system; 2) enhancing these systems and/or other technology to provide a better user experience for WIC applicants; 3) increasing public awareness of WIC; 4) upgrading technology equipment to improve WIC performance. A separate but related program USDA Improving WIC Workforce – Implementation Projects is accepting applications until July 1. According to the national nonprofit, Food Research and Action Center, poverty rates for families with young children are higher in rural than in metropolitan areas. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Assistance for Rural Emergency Hospital Conversion – Thursday, June 6 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The FORHP-funded Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center (the Rural Health Redesign Center) will be sharing information about a new federal designation, the Rural Emergency Hospital, a provider type designed to address concerns that some rural hospitals would not be able to sustain operations and could be at risk of exposure. Experts will explain eligibility, considerations for converting, and conditions of participation. This session will include a Fireside Chat where attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from two CEOs that worked with the Technical Assistance Center and decided to convert and one CEO who went through the process and decided against converting. Learning Events and Technical Assistance Migrant Clinicians Network: Emerging and Re-Emerging Viruses, from COVID-19 to Avian Flu – Thursday, May 23 at 4:00 pm Eastern. The Migrant Clinicians Network is a national nonprofit focused on access to care for migrants, immigrants, and asylum seekers in the U.S. During this session, experts will share the latest information and resources in English and Spanish. Telehealth Roundup: Maternity Care Deserts – Friday, May 24 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The South Central Telehealth Resource Center (SCTRC) will present possible solutions to the problem of counties lacking maternity care resources. The SCTRC is one of 12 regional centers in the HRSA-funded National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers. Engaging Communities: The Crucial Role of Outreach in Rebuilding Public Health Trust – Tuesday, May 28 at 1:00 pm Eastern. Join the nonprofit Health Outreach Partners in a webinar to delve into the essential role of outreach in rebuilding trust and confidence in the public health system among Migratory and Seasonal Agricultural Workers (MSAWs) and other underserved communities. Health Workforce Resource Showcase: The Rural Telementoring Training Center – Thursday, May 30 at 2:00 pm Eastern. HRSA's Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs hosts this event highlighting the work of the HRSA-funded Rural Telementoring Training Center, which provides free training, tools, and technical assistance to support the implementation and evaluation of telementoring programs for rural and remote health care workers. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Webinar Series on Maternal Health Disparities – Friday, May 31 at 12:00 pm Eastern. In this series running through the end of June, the nongovernmental institution established by Congress more than 160 years ago is sharing current findings on disparities in maternal health. Resource of the Week ICYMI: HeatRisk Forecast Tool. In case you missed it: last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created the nation's first health-based alert system and heat guidance for clinicians. As part of this effort, the CDC also provides a HeatRisk Dashboard with resources for high-heat days, details on local air quality, and actions to stay safe in these conditions. Finally, the CDC has a site with clinical guidance for heat health, focused initially on treating children with asthma, pregnant women, and people with cardiovascular disease. Approaching Deadlines AHRQ Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use – May 23 CDC Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality – May 23 CDC Regional Centers for Public Health Preparedness and Response – May 23 HRSA Rural Health Research Program – May 23 HRSA Modifications to the Definition of Rural for FORHP Grants – Comment by May 28 Medicare Proposes Updates for SNF, IRF, and Hospice Payment Rules – Comment by May 28 Medicare Proposes Updates to Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Payment Policies – Comment by May 28 ONC Seeks Feedback on Federal IT Strategic Plan – Comment by May 28 USDA Micro-Grants for Food Security – May 28 CMS Request for Information on Medicare Advantage Data – Comment by May 29 HRSA Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program – May 29 Appalachian Community Fund General Fund – May 31 Association of Clinical Research Organizations Diversity and Inclusion Site Resource Grants – May 31 Dept of Ed Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grants –May 31 Administration for Children and Families – Next Generation Child Support Employment Services Demonstration – June 3 CMS Minority Research Grant Program – June 3 FTA Seeking Comments on Updates to Rural Areas Formula Grant Programs – Comment by June 3 Interact for Health Rural Changemaker Program – June 3 CISA Seeking Comments on New Covered Cyber Incidents for Covered Entities such as Critical Access Hospitals – Comment by June 4 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Funding: Addressing Substance Use – Letters of Intent Required by June 4 First Nations Development Institute - Native Youth and Culture Fund – June 5 HRSA Cervical Cancer Learning Series for Safety-Net Settings in US-Affiliated Pacific Islands – June 7 National Aging and Disability Transportation Center: Rural Transportation Planning Grants – June 7 Proposed Updates to Medicare Hospital Payment for Fiscal Year 2025 – Comment by June 10 NIH Innovations for Healthy Living – Improving Minority Health/Eliminating Health Disparities – June 10 SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program – June 10 ACL Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative – Grants to States and Communities – June 11 CMS Updates to the Low-Income Beneficiaries through Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition Program – Comment by June 11 IHS Tribal Self-Governance Program Planning Cooperative Agreement – June 12 IHS Tribal Self-Governance Program Negotiation Cooperative Agreement – June 12 Alaska Community Foundation Suicide Prevention Grant – June 14 DOJ Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program – June 14 CMS Medicare Shared Savings Program, Phase 1 – June 17 ACL Elder Justice Innovation Grants – June 18 Department of Labor Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) for Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border Regions – June 20 HRSA Delta Health Systems Implementation Program – June 24 Become a New Site for the National Health Service Corp – June 25 HRSA Rural Northern Boarder Region Outreach Program – June 25 HRSA Faculty Loan Repayment Program – June 27 CDC: A Cultural Approach to Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country – June 28 NIH Researching Barriers to Care and Risk of HIV-Associated Comorbidities Among Vulnerable Population Groups – June 28 Native Americans in Philanthropy/Common Counsel Foundation – Native Voices Rising Grants – June 28 DOJ Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program – July 1 USDA Improving WIC Workforce – Implementation Projects – July 1 USDA WIC State Agency General Infrastructure Grants – July 5 HRSA Center for Maternal and Child Health Medicaid Partnerships – July 10 HRSA Maternal and Child Health Policy Innovation Program – July 10 CMS Increasing Organ Transplant Model – Comment by July 16 ACF Community Economic Development Project – July 17 Telehealth Implementation Bootcamp – July 18 NIH Advancing HIV Service Delivery Through Pharmacies and Pharmacists – August 13 HRSA Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project – August 15 NIH Health Care Models for Persons with Multiple Chronic Conditions from Populations that Experience Health Disparities: Advancing Health Care towards Health Equity – September 7 NIH Notice of Special Interest: Telehealth Strategies for Individuals with HIV and Substance Use Disorders – September 7 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 Tribal Environmental Impact Network Call for Technical Assistance Providers 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 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 NOSORH Rural Primary Care Institute Nominations for Federal Advisory Commission on HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases NRHA Chief Nursing Officer Certification Program for Rural Hospitals Opportunity Finance Network/Partners for the Common Good – Economic Justice Partnership Fund 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 Circuit Rider Program – Technical Assistance for Rural Water Systems 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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