| Read this in your browser March 20, 2025 What's New Application Assistance for RCORP – Northern Border Rural Workforce – Wednesday, March 26 at 2:00 pm Eastern. During this hour-long webinar, FORHP staff will give an overview and answer questions about applications for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) – Northern Border Rural Workforce. Goals of this funding include the development of training programs focused on placement of individuals in well-compensated behavioral health employment opportunities within the service area of the federal Northern Border Regional Commission. HRSA plans to make up to eight awards and grant recipients can receive up to $400,000 per year over a four-year period of performance. Read more details about the RCORP-Northern Border Workforce Notice of Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov and apply by April 11. For questions, write to ruralopioidresponse@hrsa.gov. If you are not able to join the technical assistance session via Zoom (Passcode 5D4yZSgV), you can call in: - Phone number: 833 568 8864
- Meeting ID: 161 412 5345
- Passcode: 42068165
ERS Reports Rising Rural Mortality Rates. Yesterday, the Economic Research Service (ERS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report indicating worsening health for working-age adults in rural areas in the U.S. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers found that the gap in mortality rates between rural and urban areas grew from a rural lead over urban areas of 6 percent in 1999 to a rural lead of 43 percent in 2019. CDC Updates Urban-Rural Classification for Counties. Last week, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the new NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties. For this update, the NCHS used delineations of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas from the Office of Management and Budget as well as estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau to classify counties and county equivalents into six categories – four metropolitan and two nonmetropolitan. This scheme allows researchers, policy makers, and others to study the health of U.S. residents according to how urban or rural their county is. Read more about how FORHP uses several federal data sources to define rural for programs. Funding and Opportunities HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals – Deadline extended to April 1. 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. The original deadline was March 18. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. CMS Proposes Updates to ACA Marketplace Rules – Comment by April 11. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released for public inspection the Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule, which proposes additional safeguards meant to protect consumers from improper enrollments and changes to their health care coverage, as well as to establish standards that aim to ensure the integrity of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces. It was formally published on Wednesday, March 19, with comments due April 11. CMS Innovation Center Ending Four Models Early. Last week, the Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (also known as CMMI) announced they are terminating four models early to align with its statutory obligation and strategic goals. Innovation Center Models are intended to be time-limited experiments to determine what approaches should be expanded nationwide, what components need further testing, and what approaches are not viable for expansion. The models ending early are Primary Care First, Making Care Primary, ESRD Treatment Choices (ETC), and Maryland Total Cost of Care. Termination of the ETC model will be proposed through rulemaking. Subject to discussions with State authorities, Maryland will transition to the AHEAD model and begin its implementation period in January 2026. Medicare Shared Savings Program Application Due Dates Released. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) that want to begin participating in the Medicare Shared Saving Program starting January 1, 2026, must apply between May 29 and June 12 at noon Eastern. The Shared Savings Program is a voluntary program that encourages groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers to come together as an ACO to give coordinated, high-quality care to Medicare beneficiaries. After submitting an application, new ACOs that serve rural areas may be eligible for Advanced Investment Payments, upfront funds to build infrastructure and address beneficiary needs. Learning Events and Technical Assistance Informational Webinar on NASHP Maternity Care Deserts Policy Academy – Tuesday, March 25 at 11:30 am Eastern. With support from HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau, the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) will provide an overview and answer questions about the NASHP policy academy, Advancing State Strategies to Address Maternity Care Deserts, where teams of state health officials (e.g. public health, Medicaid, behavioral health, provider groups, etc.) will receive technical assistance to support and advance innovative state-level policy initiatives that address the growth of maternity care deserts and improve access to maternal and child health care. Approaching Deadlines HRSA Primary Care Training /Residency Training in Street Medicine – March 20 USDA Rural Development: Economic Development Loans & Grants – March 31 Federal Communications Commission via Universal Service Administrative Company: Rural Health Care Program – Health Care Connect Fund – April 1 HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals – Deadline extended to April 1 U.S. Department of Transportation Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program – April 3 HRSA Rural Residency Planning and Development Program – April 10 CMS Proposes Updates to ACA Marketplace Rules – Comment by April 11 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Northern Border Rural Workforce – April 11 HRSA National Telehealth Resource Center Program – April 14 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Pathways – April 14 HRSA Regional Telehealth Resource Center Program – April 14 HRSA Telehealth Rapid Response Center – April 15 HRSA Telehealth Research Center – April 15 USDA Rural Development: Community Connect Grants – April 21 Ongoing Opportunities 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 National Health Service Corps/SAMHSA: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Training 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 ProviderBridge: Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development 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: Economic Development Loans & Grants – Ongoing with deadlines every quarter USDA Rural Development: Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants USDA Rural Development: Grants for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – Ongoing with deadlines every quarter USDA Rural Development: Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees USDA Rural Development: Rural Business Investment Program USDA Rural Development: Economic Development Loan & Grants Programs – Ongoing with deadlines every quarter 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 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Office of Hospital Facilities Funding U.S. Department of Justice: Jail-Based Medication-Assisted Treatment Mentoring Initiative U.S. Department of Transportation: Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund | 
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