- CMS: Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
- CMS: Medicare Program; FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Fiscal Year 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
- CMS: Request for Information; Health Technology Ecosystem
- VA: Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity
- State: 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: J-1 Visa Waiver Recommendation Application
- Public Inspection: CMS: Request for Information: Health Technology Ecosystem
- HHS: Request for Information (RFI): Ensuring Lawful Regulation and Unleashing Innovation To Make American Healthy Again
- VA: Solicitation of Nominations for the Appointment to the Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs
- GAO Seeks New Members for Tribal and Indigenous Advisory Council
- VA: Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity
- Telehealth Study Recruiting Veterans Now
- USDA Delivers Immediate Relief to Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities Impacted by Recent Disasters
- Submit Nominations for Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) Committees
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Launches Emergency Assistance Program to Help Low-Income Families Amidst COVID-19
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller announced an Emergency Assistance Program (EAP) to help low-income families who lost wages experiencing financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Families who qualify will be eligible for a one-time payment to assist them in meeting basic needs and help them secure more stable financial footing in the future.
The program will use existing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to provide support to low-income families who qualify. The program will be open to families with a child under the age of 18 or a woman who is currently pregnant. In order to qualify, families must have at least one person in the household who was employed as of March 11, 2020 and experienced an hour or wage reduction of at least 50 percent for two weeks or more or lost employment entirely due to the public health crisis.
Families must meet income limits of 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines and have no more than $1,000 in a savings or checking account.
Qualifying families will be issued a one-time grant equal to two months of TANF benefits. The average monthly TANF grant for a family of three is $403, so a qualifying family of three would receive a one-time grant of $806 through the program. Information on monthly grants by household size and county is available online here. Funds will be issued through an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card.
Pennsylvanians can apply for Medicaid, the EAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other public assistance programs at any time through DHS’ online COMPASS application at www.compass.state.pa.us. Those who prefer to submit paper applications can mail documents to their local County Assistance Office (CAO) or leave documents in a CAO’s secure drop box, if available. CAOs are still closed to the public, but mail and drop boxes are being monitored so applications can be processed.
Potentially Avoidable Inter-facility Transfer from Veterans Health Administration Emergency Departments: A Cohort Study
This research presents a study on potentially avoidable inter-facility transfers within Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities. It details patient characteristics, such as rurality of residence and age, as well as transfer location characteristics, such as number of beds and median length of stay, among other factors. Read more here.
Older Americans Act: Nutrition Services Program
This report provides an overview of the Nutrition Services Program authorized under the Older Americans Act. It describes the administration of the Nutrition Services Program, its funding, service delivery, program participation, and program evaluation. It includes brief rural references throughout. Read more here.
Factors Associated With Perceived Job Preparedness Among RNs: Results From a National Survey
This research examines perceived job preparedness by practice location, gender, and professional characteristics among practicing registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice nurses who completed a web-based national survey. The particular focus was on the probability their nursing education adequately prepared them for job. Read more here.
Extreme Poverty Counties Found Solely in Rural Areas in 2018
This article examines high and extreme poverty areas by rural and urban county designation. It includes a map showing rural high poverty and extreme poverty counties and urban high poverty counties. It discusses the geographic concentration of extreme poverty in regions with above-average populations of racial minorities, highlighting 6 counties in South Dakota with a large Native American population and 4 counties in Mississippi with historically high poverty rates among African Americans. Read more here.
A Best Practices Approach to Treating Maternal Hemorrhage
This report provides an overview of how Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Texas, developed and implemented protocols to improve maternal hemorrhage outcomes. It discusses the impact and lessons learned from implementing the protocols as well, as future maternal health improvement goals at the medical center. Read more here.
Antibiotic Resistance: Additional Federal Actions Needed to Better Determine Magnitude and Reduce Impact
This report explores four challenges that federal agencies face in addressing antibiotic resistance. It provides eight recommendations for federal agencies to strengthen their efforts to combat antibiotic resistance. It includes references to antibiotic stewardship guidance and programs for Critical Access Hospitals throughout. Read more here. Find the full report here.
Selected Health Provisions in Title III of the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136)
This report provides an overview of the healthcare-related provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on sections of the law addressing medical supply shortages, testing and preventative services, and support for the healthcare workforce. It discusses provisions related to telehealth services and rural healthcare systems. Read more here.
Rural Broadband in the Time of COVID-19
This April 16, 2020 webinar recording highlights the state of rural broadband and its capacity to handle the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses remote work, distance learning, telehealth, the CARES Act, and the pandemic in Indian Country. The webinar is presented in two parts. Find Part 1 here. Find Part 2 here.
Public Health Response to the Initiation and Spread of Pandemic COVID-19 in the United States, February 24–April 21, 2020
This report identifies factors that contributed to the spread of COVID-19 in early 2020. It discusses transmission due to travel, large gatherings (including a funeral in rural Georgia), high-risk workplaces such as rural meatpacking facilities, densely populated areas, and unrecognized transmission related to limited testing and asymptomatic and presymptomatic spread. Read more here.