Rural Health Information Hub Latest News

Pew Report Highlights Broadband Expansion in Appalachia

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimates that 21 million Americans lack broadband access. Broadband is a critical infrastructural component needed for business development, job creation, health care services, education, and more. Last week, the Pew Charitable Trusts released a 48-page analysis of state programs related to broadband improvements. The analysis mentioned ARC’s POWER Initiative and our commitment to connect broadband to other policy priorities such as economic development, transportation, and agriculture. The report also highlighted broadband expansion efforts in four Appalachian states – North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia – and how each is working to close connectivity gaps. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s (TNECD) Broadband Accessibility Grant Program, for example, has awarded more than $25 million to broadband support projects within 30 counties since 2018.

Similarly, in 2019 ARC’s POWER Initiative awarded more than $13 million to broadband projects in coal-impacted communities and we’re excited to continue this support. POWER is currently accepting applications for grant funding in fiscal year 2020. The application deadline is 5:00pm on March 27, 2020, via the POWER 2020 Application Portal. If you’d like to learn more about how to prepare a strong POWER application, watch these brief videos for some important tips!

Community Health Workers: Evidence of Their Effectiveness

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the National Association of Community Health Workers recently published a summary of the research examining community health workers over the past fifty years. This research has focused on assessing their effectiveness in improving health outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and bridging the gap in health disparities. This work is supported through HRSA’s cooperative agreement with the National Organizations of State and Local Officials.

Read the summary (PDF – 281 KB).

Wellness Funds: Flexible Funding to Advance the Health of Communities

The accountable communities for health (ACH) model is a multi-sector, community-based partnership that brings together health care, public health, social services, and other sectors such as education and the justice system to collectively address priority health and social issues.  To promote Wellness Funds that help build ACHs, the Funders Forum on Accountable Health created this support to explain the model and provide case studies on the work of three communities, two of them rural.

New Medicare ACO Beneficiary Engagement Case Studies and Video

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a new video and case studies that provide ideas and strategies promoting value-based care in current and prospective Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).  These resources highlight how ACOs can provide nonclinical support for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD); maintain patient advisory committees to improve care for beneficiaries with ESRD; and leverage health navigators to identify and resolve care gaps for beneficiaries in rural areas.  The information can be accessed here.

New Data on Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States

The National Vital Statistics System is the oldest and most successful example of data sharing  in Public Health across all levels of government.  Among the key findings in this most recent report on drug overdose deaths, is an overall decline of 4.1 percent between 2017 and 2018.  The rate of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (drugs such as fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and tramadol) increased by 10 percent.  Click here for more information.

CMS Announces Actions to Address Spread of Coronavirus

March 5, 2020

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing several actions aimed at limiting the spread of the Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Specifically, CMS is issuing a call to action to health care providers across the country to ensure they are implementing their infection control procedures, which they are required to maintain at all times. Additionally, CMS is announcing that, effective immediately and, until further notice, State Survey Agencies and Accrediting Organizations will focus their facility inspections exclusively on issues related to infection control and other serious health and safety threats, like allegations of abuse – beginning with nursing homes and hospitals. Critically, this shift in approach, first announced yesterday by Vice President Pence, will allow inspectors to focus their energies on addressing the spread of COVID-19.

As the agency responsible for Medicare and Medicaid, CMS requires facilities to maintain infection control and prevention policies as a condition for participation in the programs. CMS is also issuing three memoranda to State Survey Agencies, State Survey Agency directors and Accrediting Organizations – to inspect thousands of Medicare-participating health care providers across the country, including nursing homes and hospitals.

“Today’s actions, taken together, represent a call to action across the health care system,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “All health care providers must immediately review their procedures to ensure compliance with CMS’ infection control requirements, as well as the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We sincerely appreciate the proactive efforts of the nursing home and hospital associations that have already galvanized to provide up-to-the-minute information to their members. We must continue working together to keep American patients and residents safe and healthy and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

The first memorandum released today provides important detail with respect to the temporary focus of surveys on infection control and other emergent issues. Importantly, it notes that, in addition to the focused inspections, statutorily-required inspections will also continue in the 15,000 nursing homes across the country using the approximately 8,200 state survey agency surveyors. Surveys will be conducted according to the following regime:

  • All immediate jeopardy complaints (a situation in which entity noncompliance has placed the health and safety of recipients in its care at risk for serious injury, serious harm, serious impairment or death or harm) and allegations of abuse and neglect;
  • Complaints alleging infection control concerns, including facilities with potential COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses;
  • Statutorily required recertification surveys (Nursing Home, Home Health, Hospice, and ICF/IID facilities);
  • Any re-visits necessary to resolve current enforcement actions;
  • Initial certifications;
  • Surveys of facilities/hospitals that have a history of infection control deficiencies at the immediate jeopardy level in the last three years;
  • Surveys of facilities/hospitals/dialysis centers that have a history of infection control deficiencies at lower levels than immediate jeopardy.

The memorandum also includes protocols for the inspection process in situations in which COVID-19 is identified or suspected. These protocols include working closely with CMS regional offices, coordinating with CDC, and other relevant agencies at all levels of government. The agency is also providing key guidance related to inspectors’ usage of adequate personal protective equipment.

The other two memoranda provide critical answers to common questions that nursing homes and hospitals may have with respect to addressing cases of COVID-19. For example, the memoranda discuss concerns like screening staff and visitors with questions about recent travel to countries with known cases and the severity of infection that would warrant hospitalization instead of self-isolation. They detail the process for transferring patients between nursing homes and hospitals in cases for which COVID-19 is suspected or diagnosed. They also describe the circumstances under which providers should take precautionary measures (like isolation and mask wearing) for patients and residents diagnosed with COVID-19, or showing signs and symptoms of COVID-19.

Finally, the agency is announcing that it has deployed an infection prevention specialist to CDC’s Atlanta headquarters to assist with real-time in guidance development.

Today’s actions from CMS are focused on protecting American patients and residents by ensuring health care facilities have up-to-date information to adequately respond to COVID-19 concerns while also making it clear to providers that as always, CMS will hold them accountable for effective infection control standards. The agency is also supplying inspectors with necessary and timely information to safely and accurately inspect facilities.

To view each memo, please visit the below links:

Suspension of Survey Activities: https://www.cms.gov/medicareprovider-enrollment-and-certificationsurveycertificationgeninfopolicy-and/suspension-survey-activities

Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention Concerning Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): FAQs and Considerations for Patient Triage, Placement and Hospital Discharge: https://www.cms.gov/medicareprovider-enrollment-and-certificationsurveycertificationgeninfopolicy-and/guidance-infection-control-and-prevention-concerning-coronavirus-disease-covid-19-faqs-and

Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in nursing homes: https://www.cms.gov/medicareprovider-enrollment-and-certificationsurveycertificationgeninfopolicy-and/guidance-infection-control-and-prevention-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-nursing-homes

Contact: CMS Media Relations
(202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries

Testing for HIV and TB Coinfection

In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new recommendations for HIV testing that was to increase the early diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by recommending it be a routine part of medical care. But were you aware that HIV is the most important known risk factor for the progression from latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to TB disease? Individuals testing positive for LTBI and HIV infection that are not treated for both conditions have a high risk of progressing from LTBI to TB disease. By clicking here, you can read more on this issue from information that will be included in the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s TB Manual.

Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine Offers Discrepancy Guide for Physician Licensure Applications

The Pennsylvania Department of State’s (DOS) Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA) offers guides to help physicians avoid common discrepancies on initial licensure and physician assistant supervising physician applications. Discrepancies delay the processing and approval of applications. The instructions outline the necessary documentation and information needed to successfully complete an application and avoid delays. Access the Discrepancy Guide for Initial Physician Licensure Applications here. Each of the professional licensure boards has an application checklist listing all of the requirements and needed documents for a licensure application to be complete.