| Read this in your browser February 13, 2025 What's New Appalachian Regional Commission Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) – Letters of Intent Required by February 14. The federal Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) provides funding to assist in substance use recovery programs that focus on re-entry into the workforce. Eligible applicants are local public and nonprofit organizations located in the counties served by the ARC. Two types of awards given: 1) Up to $500,000 for three-year implementation grants, and 2) Up to $100,000 for 18-month planning grants. DEA, HHS Finalize Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) are amending their regulations to expand the circumstances under which practitioners registered by the Drug Enforcement Administration are authorized to prescribe schedule III-V controlled substances approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of opioid use disorder via telemedicine, including an audio-only telemedicine encounter. Under these new regulations, after a practitioner reviews the patient's prescription drug monitoring program data for the state in which the patient is located, the practitioner may prescribe an initial six-month supply of such medications (split amongst several prescriptions totaling six calendar months) through audio-only means. CMS Connecting Kids to Coverage – Apply by March 7. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will award a total of $66.3 million in grants and cooperative agreements to educate families about the availability of free or low-cost health coverage under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Eligibility includes State, local, and Tribal governments; Federal health safety net organizations; nonprofits and faith-based organizations; and elementary or secondary schools. A webinar for applicants will be held today at 1:00 pm Eastern. New State Fact Sheets from USDA. The Economic Research Service (ERS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regularly updates data on population, income, poverty, food security, education, employment/unemployment, farm characteristics, farm financial indicators, and agricultural exports for all states and includes breakouts for rural and metropolitan areas. County-level Data Sets include poverty estimates, unemployment, and median household income. A separate ERS report examines the Trends and Patterns of Job Quality in the United States, including wages, employer sponsored health insurance coverage, and retirement benefits between 2000 and 2022. Funding and Opportunities HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals – March 18. HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce will award approximately $10.9 million to up to 29 awardees over a period of four years. The funding will go to community-based organizations, including Rural Health Clinics, for training that prepares students to become mental health workers, peer support specialists, and other behavioral health-related paraprofessionals. HRSA Telehealth Research Center – April 15. HRSA's Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT) will make one award to conduct clinically informed and policy-relevant research to expand the evidence base for telehealth services. Also from OAT, the Telehealth Rapid Response Center – April 15 will conduct data analysis and short-term, issue-specific telehealth research studies to help stakeholders understand the impact of telehealth policies and regulations. US Department of Justice: Jail-Based Medication-Assisted Treatment Mentor Site Initiative – Ongoing. The U.S. Department of Justice supports a peer-to-peer learning opportunity for jails through its Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program. USDA/NRHA Rural Hospital Technical Assistance – Ongoing. Through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) supports technical assistance for rural hospitals to identify and address local health care needs and strengthen health care systems. The overall goal of the program is to enhance hospital systems for improved efficiency and financial performance, bolster quality of care, and support communities. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Rural Provider Participation in Medicare ACOs Grows. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Shared Savings Program Fast Facts, updates data on provider and beneficiary participation in an accountable care organization (ACO). An ACO is a group of healthcare providers that work together to coordinate care for Medicare patients. As of January 2025, 53.4 percent of beneficiaries in Traditional Medicare are enrolled in an accountable care relationship with a provider participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) accountable care models. In MSSP, the number of rural and safety net providers has grown since last year. There are now 2,872 Rural Health Clinics, 547 Critical Access Hospitals, and 7,036 Federally Qualified Health Centers participating. Overview of Residency Program Selected for Section 126 Round 3 Graduate Medical Education Slots – Federal legislation under Section 126 the Consolidation Appropriation Act, 2021 authorizes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to distribute additional residency positions (also known as slots) for physician training. RuralGME.org, the FORHP-supported organization that helps hospitals plan and develop rural residencies, has published an analysis of CMS released data on the 109 hospitals that received residency slots via the third round of Section 126 distributions on November 21, 2024. This analysis builds on FORHP's previous examination of first and second round awardees and uses newly released CMS data to identify the rural status of the training sites of the selected residency programs. The application period for the next round of Medicare-funded slots opened the first week of January 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. The application period for Medicare-funded slots opened the first week of January and runs through March 31, 2025. Resources of the Week List of Hospitals in the U.S. The Rural Health Research Program at the University of North Carolina (UNC) compiles a list of all hospitals operating in the U.S. as a downloadable resource to the public. The newest list has all acute care and specialty hospitals that were open as of January 1, 2023, including their addresses, bed counts, rural/urban definitions, CMS rural payment designations (Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Rural Emergency Hospitals), and more. The UNC research center also keeps a running list of rural hospital closures since January 2005. Critical Access Hospital Financial Sustainability Guide. This resource from the National Rural Health Resource Center provides guidance and assistance to state Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program personnel, leaders of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and others helping CAHs manage long-term financial stability. COVID-19 Resources Learn About Long COVID & Fatiguing Illness – Thursday, February 13 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, intended primarily for providers who care for patients with Long COVID but open to all health care professionals. Experts at the February 13 session will discuss nutrition and Long COVID. 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 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 CMS Proposed Collection for Updated PACE Audit Protocol – Comment by February 21 HRSA Nurse Faculty Loan Program – February 24 HRSA Maternal and Child Health Secondary Data Analysis Research – February 25 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 Business Development Grants – February 28 USDA Rural Utilities Service High Energy Cost Grants – February 28 CMS Rural Community Hospital Demonstration – Apply by March 1 VA Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program – March 3 HIPAA Security Rule Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Electronic Protected Health Information – Comment by March 7 HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals – March 18 HRSA Rural Residency Planning and Development Program – Apply by April 10 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Pathways – Apply by April 14 Telehealth Rapid Response Center – April 15 HRSA Telehealth Research Center – April 15 Ongoing Opportunities - Updated February 2025 Bold indicates HRSA- and/or FORHP-funded opportunities. Administration for Children & Families: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency – Technical Assistance for Rural EMS Communications Delta Regional Authority: Community Infrastructure Fund Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program Federal Emergency Management Agency/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Post-Disaster Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program General Services Administration: Federal Surplus Property Available for Public Use HRSA Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications HRSA/SAMHSA Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Training and Mentoring HRSA RCORP Rural Center of Excellence on SUD Prevention: Developing a Rural Community Approach to Overcoming Stigma HRSA Technical Assistance for Look-Alike Initial Designation for the Health Center Program Indian Health Service SOAR Health Training on Human Trafficking Indian Health Service/Department of Defense: Medical Supplies and Equipment for Tribes (Project TRANSAM) Licensure Portability: the Multi-Discipline Licensure Resource Project National Rural Health Resource Center: Rural Hospital Stabilization Program Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program for Communities Post-Disaster Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Training to Provide Medications for Opioid Use Disorders Small Business Administration Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Small Business Administration Rural Initiative Pilot Program Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program USDA: America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative USDA: National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program USDA: Summer Food Service Program USDA/National Rural Health Association: Rural Hospital Technical Assistance USDA Rural Development: Circuit Rider Program – Technical Assistance for Rural Water Systems USDA Rural Development: Community Facilities Program USDA Rural Development: Grants for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages USDA Rural Development: Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – Ongoing with deadlines every quarter USDA Rural Development: Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees USDA Rural Development: Rural Business Development Grants USDA Rural Development: Rural Business Investment Program USDA Rural Development: Rural Energy Savings Program USDA Rural Development: SEARCH – Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (for Water/Waste Projects) USDA Rural Development: Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees US Department of Housing and Urban Development: Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program US Department of Justice: Jail-Based Medication-Assisted Treatment Mentoring Initiative US Department of Transportation: Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S) US Department of Veterans Affairs: Health Professional Scholarship Program US Department of Veterans Affairs: Virtual Living Room - Using Technology to Address the Critical Healthcare Needs of Veterans in Rural Areas US Environmental Protection Agency: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund | 
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