| Read this in your browser January 10, 2025 What's New Apply Now: Rural Hospital Stabilization Program – First cohort applications are due Wednesday, January 15. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) is pleased to support the Rural Hospital Stabilization Program (RHSP), a new initiative designed to assist rural hospitals in improving their financial stability and meeting community health care needs. Administered by FORHP through a grant to the National Rural Health Resource Center, this program offers no-cost assistance to rural hospitals to enhance or expand health care services such as pulmonary rehabilitation, outpatient behavioral health services, and primary care, ensuring care remains accessible close to home. Leveraging a team of nationally recognized consultants familiar with rural hospitals, RHSP provides tailored guidance and support to help hospitals implement sustainable solutions. Applications for the first cohort of hospitals are due on Wednesday, January 15. To learn more about eligibility, benefits of participation, and to apply, visit the program website. New ASPE Issue Brief on Medicaid/CHIP Enrollee Use of Telehealth. In this brief, the Department of Health and Human Services' Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) examines trends in Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) telehealth utilization before and during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Specifically, it describes patterns of telehealth service utilization based on where enrollees and providers live and work, highlighting trends for rural and urban enrollees, and telehealth utilization in geographic health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). It concludes that the use of telehealth in the Medicaid and CHIP programs warrants continued examination in both urban and rural areas. Medicaid and CHIP are important sources of insurance coverage in rural areas covering 47 percent of children and 18 percent of adults in rural counties. CDC Providing Updates About H5N1 Bird Flu. While H5N1 bird flu is caused by viruses that most commonly affect birds and poultry, they can also affect cows and other animals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) keeps most recent information at cdc.gov/bird-flu, including a series of brief videos – each 30-45 seconds – with answers to frequently asked questions. See Resources of the Week below for related information. Expand GME Training at Your Rural Hospital: How to Apply for Section 126 and 4122 – Thursday, January 16 at 1:00 pm Eastern. Federal legislation under Section 126 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and Section 4122 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, authorizes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to distribute additional residency positions (also known as slots) for physician training. The application period opened this week and runs through March 31, 2025. Eligible hospitals must use MEARIS, CMS's online application system to apply for 200 newly available Section 126 slots and the 200 Section 4122 slots. In a one-hour webinar, experts will provide background information on Section 126 and Section 4122 and show participants how to apply with a focus on considerations for rural hospitals. The session is hosted by RuralGME.org, the FORHP-supported organization that helps hospitals plan and develop rural residencies. Funding and Opportunities ACL Advancing Strategies to Deliver and Sustain Evidence-Based Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Programs to Support Older Adult Behavioral Health – February 19. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) invests total funding of than $6.2 million to develop and implement multi-faceted strategies that support the delivery and sustainability of evidence-based chronic disease self-management education (CDSME) programs for older adults (age 60 and older) and individuals with disabilities with one or more behavioral health conditions and older adults and individuals with disabilities with one or more stressors that are negatively impacting their behavioral health through a statewide initiative. HRSA Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program – February 28. HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce will award approximately $23 million to 28 awardees over a five year period to expand the number of fellows at accredited Addiction Medicine Fellowship (AMF) and Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship (APF) programs trained as addiction medicine specialists who work in underserved, community-based settings that integrate primary care with mental health disorders and substance use disorder prevention and treatment services. Eligible applicants are sponsoring institutions of accredited AMF programs or accredited APF programs. The sponsoring institution must be accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). USDA Rural Utilities Service High Energy Cost Grants – February 28. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces a notice of funding opportunity, subject to appropriation, of up to $10 million in competitive grants to assist communities with extremely high energy costs. The grant funds may be used to acquire, construct, or improve energy generation, transmission, or distribution facilities serving communities where the average annual residential expenditure for home energy exceeds 275 percent of the national average. Eligible projects also include on-grid and off-grid renewable energy projects and the implementation of energy efficiency and energy conservation projects for eligible communities. Projects cannot be for the primary benefit of a single household or business. Rural Health Research Research in this section is provided by HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Centers and available on the Rural Health Research Gateway. Upcoming Webinar: An Updated Model of Rural Hospital Financial Distress – Tuesday, January 14 at 1:00 pm Eastern. This webinar will provide an overview of new research by the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program on the topic of rural hospital financial distress. The aim of this research was to create an updated Financial Distress Index model that recognizes recent changes in the operating environment and uses financial performance, government reimbursement, organizational traits, and market characteristics to predict the risk of rural hospital financial distress two years hence. Rural hospital profitability continues to be a challenge; having a model that can accurately predict financial distress and closure helps programs and policymakers better target resources to prevent closure or convert to other models of care. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. CMS Rural Community Hospital Demonstration – Apply by March 1. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is conducting a new solicitation to select 10 hospitals to participate in the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration. This demonstration tests the feasibility and advisability of paying rural hospitals with fewer than 51 beds and that are not eligible to be Critical Access Hospitals cost-based reimbursement for Medicare inpatient services. Per statute, CMS can only accept applications from hospitals in the 20 least densely populated States, according to data for 2020 from the U.S. Census Bureau: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming. The demonstration began in 2004 and has been extended three times. The current 5-year period of participation ends June 30, 2028. Hospitals currently participating in the demonstration do not need to complete a new application. If you have questions about the demonstration, please email RCHDemo@cms.hhs.gov. HIPAA Security Rule Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Electronic Protected Health Information – Comment by March 7. On January 6th, 2025, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule to modify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule to strengthen cybersecurity protections for electronic protected health information. The proposal will strengthen the Security Rule's standards and implementation specifications with new proposals and clarifications. This rule will impact hospitals, providers, health plans, and any other entity that use or transmit electronic protected health information. Comments are due March 7, 2025. CMS Announces Selection of States Participating in the Innovation in Behavioral Health Model. In December, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced four states will participate in the Innovation in Behavioral Health Model (IBH Model). The selected states are Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. The IBH Model is a collaboration between CMS and state Medicaid agencies to build a model that provides integrated care to Medicaid and Medicare populations with moderate-to-severe mental health conditions and/or substance use disorder (SUD). Model implementation began on January 1, 2025. States Selected for the CMS Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model. This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the states selected to participate in the Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model. The Model aims to improve access to care and resources to address individual physical health, mental health, and social needs during pregnancy and postpartum for mothers and infants enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Medicaid agencies for each selected state will receive targeted technical support in Access to care, infrastructure, and workforce capacity; Quality improvement and safety; and Whole-person care delivery. TMaH launched on January 1, 2025 and will run for 10 years. The 15 states selected are below, and states with awardees currently implementing the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's Rural Maternal and Obstetrics Management Strategies (Rural MOMS) program are italicized: - Alabama
- Arkansas
- California
- District of Columbia
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- New Jersey
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
To stay up to date on upcoming model announcements, events, and resources, sign up for the TMaH listserv. The Latest HIPAA Requirements – A Check-in on Your RHC's Compliance – Tuesday, Jan 14 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) will host the free, FORHP-supported webinar with information for Rural Health Clinic (RHC) HIPPA compliance and updates. This webinar will feature a health law subject matter expert. Additional time for Q&A will be provided. Advanced registration is required. 2025 Physician Fee Schedule Webinar: Registration Required – Thursday, January 30 at 2:00 pm Eastern. Subject matter experts from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will present highlights of policy updates from the Calendar Year 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule in a webinar produced by the Rural Health Information Hub. Covered topics will include: general care management, Advanced Primary Care Management, telehealth, policy updates for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers, behavioral health, dental services, and more. The webinar is free, and you must register to attend. Learning Events and Technical Assistance Every Ride Counts: Pilot Projects Discuss Their Experiences – Tuesday, January 14 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center holds a panel discussion with the five pilot sites featured in the program report for the Every Ride Counts Campaign. The sites represented: - Fairfax, VA
- Iola, KS
- Redmond, WA
- Ketchum, ID
- Cedar Bluff, VA
Improving Patient Engagement in Cervical Cancer Prevention – Thursday, January 16 at 2:00 pm Eastern. January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. Join the Maternal and Child Health Bureau for an hour-long session to learn about a new toolkit to improve patient engagement in cervical cancer prevention. The toolkit supports efforts to increase patient and community engagement in cervical cancer prevention, screening, and management. The toolkit was designed to meet the needs of health centers and safety-net settings. It may be useful to other health care organizations that are committed to preventing cervical cancer. Download the toolkit and supporting materials in English and Spanish. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported higher rates of cervical cancer for rural residents than urban. Become a Rural Host Site for CDC's Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) – Thursday, January 23 at 2:00 pm Eastern. In this 90-minute session, learn about the benefits of a unique partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop the nation's next generation of public health professionals. The host site application cycle typically opens for 2-4 weeks in/around February. Application Assistance: Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Overdose Response – Thursday January 30 at 2:00 pm Eastern. FORHP will hold a technical assistance webinar to assist with applications for up to 20 grant awards who will support improving health care in rural areas by aiming to reduce and prevent the risk of overdoses in rural areas, first announced December 20, 2024. Resource of the Week Bird Flu Exposure Prevention – Employer Checklist. The Western Center for Agriculture created this checklist for employers of farmworkers to decrease risk of H5NI exposure. Available in both English and Spanish, it covers California-specific regulations in addition to guidance on written procedures, sanitation, biosecurity, training, personal protective equipment, and medical care. COVID-19 Resources Learn About Long COVID & Fatiguing Illness – Thursday, January 9 at 3:00 pm Eastern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds this monthly webinar-style Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) 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 health care 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. *New: a short course on Long COVID in Children and Adolescents opened on November 14 and runs until February 25, 2025. 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. Approaching Deadlines NIDA Seeks People with Lived Experience for New Working Group – Respond by January 10 VA Proposes Expanded Access to Telehealth for Rural Veterans – Comment by January 13 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Funding: Improving Mental and Behavioral Health – Letters of Intent January 14 North Central Regional Center for Rural Development/Purdue University: Multi-State Rural Development Research or Extension Project Grants – January 15 SAMHSA/American Psychological Association - Psychology Minority Fellowship Programs – January 15 NHTSA Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grants – January 17 HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Professionals – January 21 HRSA Graduate Psychology Education Program – January 21 CMS Proposed Changes to Medicare Part C and D – Comment by January 27 HRSA Centers of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science, and Practice – January 27 HRSA Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program – January 27 OIG Updating Antikickback Safe Harbor Provisions – Comment by January 27 Enterprise Community Partners/HUD Section 4 Capacity Building Grants: Rural and Tribal Communities – January 31 HRSA Rural Veterans Health Access Program – February 5 RWJF Summer Health Professions Education Program – February 5 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Funding: Broad Pragmatic Studies – Letters of Intent February 6 PCORI Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Topical Studies – Letters of Intent February 6 HRSA Black Lung Clinics Program – February 11 HRSA Black Lung Data and Resource Center Program – February 11 CMS Seeking Input to Protect Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers – Comment by February 17 ACL Advancing Strategies to Deliver and Sustain Evidence-Based Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Programs to Support Older Adult Behavioral Health – February 19 HRSA Rural Health Network Development Planning Program – February 19 HRSA Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Program (funding goes to schools, not individuals) – February 19 HRSA Nurse Faculty Loan Program – February 24 U.S. Department of Energy Demonstration Funding for Energy Improvement in Rural/Remote Areas – Letters of Intent February 27 HRSA Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program – February 28 USDA Rural Utilities Service High Energy Cost Grants – February 28 CMS Rural Community Hospital Demonstration – Apply by March 1 HIPAA Security Rule Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Electronic Protected Health Information – Comment by March 7 Ongoing Opportunities Bold indicates HRSA- and/or FORHP-funded opportunities. 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 CMS Medicaid and CHIP Renewal and Transition Resources for Partners Communities Unlimited, Inc: Water and Wastewater Loans for Rural Systems Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency – Technical Assistance for Rural EMS Communications 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 Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications 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 Forensic Nursing Consultation Program and 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 HRSA National Rural Health Resource Center: Rural Hospital Stabilization Program 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 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 RCORP Rural Center of Excellence on SUD Prevention: Developing a Rural Community Approach to Overcoming Stigma 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 SAMHSA 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Volunteer and Job Opportunities Small Business Administration Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Small Business Administration Certified Development Company (504) Loan Program: Rural Initiative Pilot Program Southeast Rural Community Development Loans Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program 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 – Ongoing with deadlines every quarter 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 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