| View this email in your browser. July 25, 2024 What's New HRSA's Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program released a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the expansion of existing approved residency programs and the establishment of newly approved residency programs. This program trains physicians and dentists in community-based settings with a focus on rural and underserved areas, providing the majority of training in community-based outpatient settings where most people receive their health care. The NOFO has two components: one to support residency slots starting in Academic Year (AY) 2024-2025 and another to support residency slots starting in AY 2025-2026. You must apply to the announcement number that corresponds to the specific academic year and NOFO number. Academic Year 2024-25 (HRSA-25-091)--Application due September 5, 2024 11:59 p.m. ET. - Eligible applicants: Teaching Health Center Planning and Development grant recipients and other programs that have filled positions in the 2024 residency match process but have not received THCGME funding from HRSA.
- Award: $10 million to up to six grantees over a period of four years.
Academic Year 2025-26 (HRSA-25-077)--Applications due September 20, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET. - Eligible applicants: Current teaching health centers, Teaching Health Center Planning and Development grant recipients who have obtained accreditation, and other programs who are planning to be accredited and train, starting July 1, 2025, are eligible to apply. Funding for these new slots will depend on congressional appropriations.
- Award: $80 million to 41 grantees over a period of four years.
ASTHO on State Policies to Bolster Rural Health Care Workforce. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) explains policy and programs from HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce that state-level policymakers can use to address shortages in rural areas. 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 $756,842 in program funding remains available for RHCs and will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. Send questions to DATA2000WaiverPayments@hrsa.gov. COVID-19 Resources Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period 7. The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal opened July 1 and will remain open until September 30, 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 January 1 to June 30, 2023 must report on their use of funds during Reporting Period 7 to comply with PRF Reporting Requirements. More information and resources can be found on the PRF Reporting webpage. Learn About Long COVID & Fatiguing Illness – Thursday, August 8 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. Funding and Opportunities CDC Rural Public Health Communications Fellowship – August 2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a training opportunity that will support health marketing, communication activities, and health communication research in rural health. The fellowship will take place in the CDC Office of Rural Health in Atlanta, Georgia beginning in September. Qualified candidates will have received a master's degree in public health, health communication, behavioral health, social sciences, or a related field within the past 5 years. DOJ Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions – August 13. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) provides grants to tribal coalitions that have been recognized by the Office on Violence Against Women for direct services to victims, increasing awareness, and promoting local legislation and policy to better address violent crimes against women. Delta Regional Authority Leadership Institute Executive Academy – August 16. The federal Delta Regional Authority provides an educational opportunity that trains leaders from diverse backgrounds, sectors, and industries in the counties and parishes served by the DRA, with an emphasis on economic, public health, educational, and infrastructure challenges. 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. Rural-Urban Differences in Midwifery Care During Childbirth in the U.S. This infographic from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center provides a snapshot of rural-urban differences in midwife-attended births, including changes over time as access to rural obstetric care declined and severe maternal morbidity and mortality rose across the United States. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Proposed Updates to Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Payments for Calendar Year 2025 – Comment by September 9. This proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), issued on July 10, 2024, seeks public comment on payment updates and policy changes to Medicare's physician fee schedule payments and includes other proposals affecting Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Proposals include payment for both in-person and virtual caregiver training services, permitting certain health care providers to provide virtual direct supervision to auxiliary personnel when required, temporary extension of virtual supervision of residents by teaching physicians in certain cases, permitting Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to furnish periodic assessments using audio-only communications technology when video is not available on a permanent basis, and the return of statutory restrictions on geography, site of service, and practitioner type for non-behavioral health telehealth services. The proposed rule also includes proposed updates applicable to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), including to allow RHCs to bill for administration of part B preventive vaccines at time of service, continue to require provision of primary care services but no longer enforce "primarily engaged in furnishing primary care services," seeks comment on how to define "mental diseases" as related to the requirement that RHCs cannot be "primarily engaged in the treatment of mental diseases," and to eliminate productivity standards. The rule also includes updates to the Quality Payment Program, Medicare Shared Savings Program, and several other proposals affecting RHCs including removal of hemoglobin/hematocrit from the six required lab services and permitting RHCS to bill individual HCPCS care management codes instead of G0511. In addition, coverage for necessary dental exams and procedures are being considered for certain treatment services and expansion of colorectal cancer screenings to promote better access for all beneficiaries is being proposed. Medicare Prescription Payment Plan Final Part Two Guidance on Select Topics, Implementation of Section 1860D-2 of the Social Security Act for 2025, and Response to Relevant Comments. On July 16th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released final part two guidance regarding the plan outreach and education for the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This guidance includes policy directing plan outreach and education to increase awareness of the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. To access the payment options outlined in the latest guidance, individuals with Medicare must opt into the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan to utilize the new benefit. Starting in 2025, Medicare Prescription Payment Plans will provide the option to people with Medicare prescription drug coverage to spread the costs of their prescription drugs over the calendar year instead of paying a lump sum at the time of purchase. In addition, the policy to cap the annual out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,000 for all individuals enrolled in the Medicare prescription drug program will also begin. Authorized in the Inflation Reduction Act, the new cap on out-of-pocket drug costs is expected to provide needed financial relief for high prescription drug costs. The cap will also significantly impact rural enrollees who have higher rates of certain health conditions that requires costly medications. The Government Accountability Office Issues a New Report on Medicaid. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, Congress provided temporary enhanced federal funding to states to keep enrollees continuously enrolled in Medicaid. Beginning in April 2023, states resumed full eligibility redeterminations (unwinding). States had flexibility in the in their pace of unwinding and many states were still in the process as of May 2024. The CARES Act includes a provision for the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the federal agency that examines how taxpayer dollars are spent, to report on the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other things, this report examines the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) oversight of Medicaid unwinding. The unwinding of the continuous Medicaid coverage provision has resulted in over 22 million enrollees being disenrolled as of May 23, 2024, and over 49 million have had their coverage renewed. GAO reviewed documentation of CMS's efforts to assess state compliance with federal unwinding requirements and resolve any noncompliance from March 2023 through April 2024 and interviewed CMS officials about plans for future oversight. According to the report, during the unwinding, CMS found compliance issues with federal redetermination requirements in almost all states, including with long-standing requirements. GAO is recommending that CMS document and implement the oversight practices the agency learned during unwinding were needed for preventing and detecting states compliance issues with redetermination. New Report Concludes that Achieving Value in Rural Areas May Require Increased Spending. The Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC), an independent federal advisory committee, has transmitted a Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on key issues related to encouraging rural participation in population-based total cost of care (PB-TCOC) models, which are a type of alternative payment model where payment is made up of costs and utilization for all covered medical services delivered to an individual or group. This report compiles information from previous payment model proposals PTAC reviewed, literature addressing the topic, and input received during a rural-focused meeting last year. They conclude that while value-based care often focuses on improving quality while reducing spending, achieving value in rural areas may require increasing spending. Increasing rural provider participation in PB-TCOC models requires a sustainable glidepath to value-based care that includes a multi-payer approach and a longer glidepath for taking on risk in rural areas. They recommend a multi-pronged approach that would improve rural infrastructure, increase and enhance sustainable funding, enhance recruitment and training of rural health physicians and providers, increase community health organization capacity, and address health disparities. Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Seeks to Improve Health Information Sharing and Interoperability through New Proposed Rule. Comment by September 1, 2024. On July 10, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), released the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Patient Engagement, Information Sharing, and Public Health Interoperability (HTI-2) proposed rule for public comment. The HTI-2 proposed rule has two sets of new certification criteria designed to enable health IT for public health as well as health IT for payers to be certified under the ONC Health IT Certification Program. These new certification criteria, which would improve public health response and advance the delivery of value-based care, focuses heavily on standards-based application programming interfaces to improve end-to-end interoperability between data exchange health care providers and public health organizations or payers. This rule also establishes the standards and implementation of a new, real-time prescription benefit tool certification criterion, which would empower providers and their patients to make more informed decisions with more transparent information comparing the patient-specific cost of drugs and suitable alternatives. In addition, the proposed rule also updates policy within the HTI-1 final rule published January 2024 related to the exchange of conical images and information blocking. Learning Events and Technical Assistance Recovery Housing as a Bridge to Aligning Social and Medical Interventions – Wednesday, July 31 at 12:00 pm Eastern. The FORHP-supported Center on Rural Addiction at the University of Vermont will hold an hour-long session to discuss recovery housing as a model to bridge social and medical needs. Advancing Health Equity among Hispanic/Latino Populations – Wednesday, July 31 at 1:00 pm Eastern. HRSA's Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs will cover HRSA initiatives and programs addressing maternal healthcare needs in underserved communities. The session will be broadcast in Spanish with live English interpretation. For more information, contact Veronica Roa at VRoa@hrsa.gov or Nancy Rios at NRios@hrsa.gov. View past sessions and materials on our HRSA En Español page at https://www.hrsa.gov/es/seminarios-web/fy23 Resources of the Week FEMA: Federal Housing and Sheltering Resource Timeline and Compendium. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) indicates that disasters are occurring more frequently, often impacting communities still recovering from a previous disaster. This timeline lays out the phases of federal response before and after a disaster. The compendium of housing and shelter programs includes 10 cabinet-level departments, including FEMA, the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services (HHS), Agriculture (USDA), and Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Disasters and Impacts in Appalachian Kentucky: A Behavioral Health Analysis. Research published in the Journal of Appalachian Health reports on disasters in eight rural southeast Kentucky counties in 2021-2022, the changing nature of the disasters, and the behavioral health impact on the residents affected. Build Healthy Places Network Rural Playbook. In 2022, the national nonprofit Build Healthy Places Network (BHPN) released "A Playbook for New Rural Healthcare Partnership Models of Investment," a resource for addressing social determinants of health in rural communities. In this update, BPHN reconnects with organizations featured in the original playbook to gain a deeper understanding of the partnership landscape. Approaching Deadlines DHS 2024 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grants – July 25 HRSA Nurse, Education, Practice, Quality and Retention – Workforce Expansion Program – July 26 HRSA Rural Hospital Stabilization Pilot Program – July 26 CMS Proposed Rule on Anomalous DME Spending and MSSP Financial Calculations – Comment by July 29 DOJ Meeting the Basic Needs of Underserved Crime Victims – July 29 DOJ National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative – July 29 NIH Request for Information: Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative – Comment by July 31 Medicare ACO Primary Care Flex Model Request for Applications – August 1 CDC Rural Public Health Communications Fellowship – August 2 HRSA Delta Region Maternal Care Coordination Program – August 2 HRSA Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning Program – August 2 Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) Opioid Crisis Innovation Challenge – August 8 DHS Funding One Entity for Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project – August 9 USDA Native Community Development Financial Institution Relending Demonstration Program – August 9 National Medical Fellowships – Health Equity Leaders Program for Underrepresented Professionals – August 12 USDA Rural Business Cooperative Service – Delta Health Care Services Grants – August 12 DOJ Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions – August 13 NIH Advancing HIV Service Delivery Through Pharmacies and Pharmacists – August 13 HRSA New Access Points for Health Center Program – August 15 HRSA Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project – August 15 DOL Mine Health and Safety Grants – August 20 USDA Broadband Technical Assistance Program – August 20 CMS Announces Proposed Changes to Medicare Home Health Program – Comment by August 26 Payment Updates in CY 2025 End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) Proposed Rule – Comment by August 26 HHS Proposal to Improve Patient Engagement, Information Sharing, and Public Health Interoperability – Comment by September 1 HRSA Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program (for Academic Year (for Academic Year 2024-2025) – September 5 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 CMS Innovation in Behavioral Health Model – September 9 Proposed Updates to Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Payments for Calendar Year 2025 – Comment by September 9 Proposed Updates to Medicare Outpatient Payments for Calendar Year 2025 – Comment by September 9 CMS Transforming Maternal Health Model – September 20 HRSA Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program (for Academic Year 2025-2026) – September 20 AHRQ TeamSTEPPS®: No Cost Training for Patient Safety – Sessions through November 2024 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 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 California Department of Health Care Access – Small and Rural Hospital Relief Program 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) Licensure Portability: the Multi-Discipline Licensure Resource Project 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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