| Read this in your browser June 12, 2025 What's New Learning Series on Obstetric Readiness Begins June 25. The five-part series is geared toward obstetric readiness for emergency medical services and emergency departments in rural and under-resourced communities, identifying opportunities for collaboration between EMS, hospital EDs, and community networks of support. The series includes recommendations specifically for rural EMS and EDs, with innovative strategies such as telehealth and mobile care units. Register now to attend any or all of the sessions, each 75 minutes long via Zoom, taking place from June 25 to August 13. In the first session, experts will summarize the challenges to obstetric care in rural communities and identify community resources to support pregnant and postpartum patients. The series is hosted by the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) with funding administered by HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau. It builds on previous HRSA-funded work, the AIM Obstetric Emergency Readiness Resource Kit. To find the series in the headline link, look for Obstetric Readiness Summer Sprint 2025. Funding and Opportunities HRSA Loan Repayment Programs Open. HRSA has three loan repayment programs open to support working health professionals: They include the: (1) The Faculty Loan Repayment Program providing up to $40,000 in health professional student loan repayment to faculty who serve two years at an eligible health professions school. Application deadline: July 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET; (2) The Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program (STAR LRP) providing up to $250,000 for a six-year, full-time service commitment. Behavioral health clinicians, support workers, clinical support staff, and individuals trained in substance use disorders are eligible to apply through July 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET; and (3) The Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program providing up to $100,000 in exchange for a three-year, full-time service commitment. Clinicians providing pediatric medical or surgical care or child and adolescent mental and behavioral health care are eligible. Application deadline: July 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET. 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. Preventing Medical Debt Among Rural Residents: Example Programs From Hospitals in Minnesota and Montana. Medical debt, which includes unpaid bills, loans, and other debt incurred from health care expenses, affects roughly 15% of adults in the U.S. This is despite more than 90% of U.S. adults having some form of health insurance. Medical debt is an important social driver of health, with disproportionate impacts for populations already experiencing greater health risks. Overall, rural residents report more problems paying medical bills and are more likely to be unable to pay their medical bills altogether in comparison to urban residents. This case series from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center examines how two rural hospitals aim to reduce medical debt for their patient populations and address barriers to medical debt relief. Policy Updates Visit the FORHP Policy page to see all recent updates and send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. RHC & FQHC Care Coordination Services: HCPCS Code G0511 Deadline Extended to September 30. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) extended the deadline for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to report individual CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) and HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) base and add-on codes for care coordination services instead of reporting HCPCS G0511 to September 30, 2025. The additional time, extended from July 1, 2025, allows for RHCs and FQHCs to update billing systems following the policy change issued in the CY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule final rule. More information on the CY 2025 payment rates for care coordination is available on the CMS Rural Health Clinics Center webpage and the CMS FQHC Center webpage. Approaching Deadlines CMS Shared Savings Plan ACO – June 12 CMS Requests Public Feedback on the Health Tech Ecosystem – Comment by June 16 HRSA National Health Service Corps – New Sites – June 17 HRSA Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program – July 17 NOSORH Rural Health Capital Resources Training Series – Live sessions through June 18 Draft Guidance for Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program – Comment by June 26 USDOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grants – June 26 USDA Rural Development: Economic Development Loan & Grants Programs – June 30 USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – June 30 HRSA Faculty Loan Repayment Program – July 3 HRSA Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program – July 10 HRSA Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program – July 10 CMS Request for Information: Hospital Price Transparency Accuracy and Completeness – Comment by July 21 Ongoing Opportunities - Reviewed June 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 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 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Federal Emergency Management Agency/: Post-Disaster Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program USDA: National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program USDA: Summer Food Service Program USDA/National Rural Health Association: Rural Hospital Technical Assistance USDA Rural Development: America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative 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: 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 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 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Physical Therapy Telehealth Research Study for Older Veterans – Ongoing until October 2026 | 
No comments:
Post a Comment