- Fact Sheet: The Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Investments in Rural America, Invites Public Nominations for Rural Innovators Initiative
- Rural Victims of Intimate-Partner Violence Need More Resources and Support, Study Finds
- A Tribe in Maine Is Using Opioid Settlement Funds on a Sweat Lodge to Treat Addiction
- Fact Sheet: USDA, HHS Announce New Actions to Reduce Impact and Spread of H5N1
- Call for Experts: Forum on Aging, Disability, and Independence
- Bill to Expand Definition of 'Village' Qualifying for Water Funds Passes Alaska House
- Child Care Workers Caught in Middle of Michigan's Broken Child Care System
- Few Options Available for Substance Abuse Treatment in the Big Bend
- In Rural Texas, ERs Are Facing a Growing Mental Health Crisis
- Ways and Means Members Put Forth Solutions to Strengthen Telehealth Access and Improve Health Care for Rural Communities
- Sage Memorial Hospital in Navajo Nation Constructs New Facility to Improve Health Care
- How the State, Tribes and Federal Government Are Working to Curb SD's Syphilis Epidemic
- Rural Children Struggle to Access Hospital Services, Say Researchers
- RPHARM Program Fulfills Need for Rural Pharmacists
- A Pilot Program in Rural Vermont Hopes to Build a Blueprint for Substance Abuse Recovery
FEMA: Here’s How You Can Prepare for Extreme Heat
With global climate watchers reporting Tuesday, July 4 as the hottest on record, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is striving for widespread awareness and preparation for more intense temperatures. The first step is knowing who is most vulnerable in each community. In rural areas, manual laborers are the most visible but older adults – especially those with medical conditions – who live alone are at increased risk and may go unnoticed. One important tip is to build a support network, check on neighbors, and create a plan for emergencies like a power outage. See the Funding section below for a new grant opportunity from FEMA.
New Resource Released on Integrating Behavioral Health and Oral Health
The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) released a new resource, “NNOHA User’s Guide for Integration of Behavioral Health and Oral Health.” The resource provides guidance on how to implement a behavioral health and oral health integration program. The guide includes a description of NNOHA’s systems-based framework for behavioral health integration, promising practices from community health centers, and workflow examples. There is also a readiness assessment to help community health centers determine their level of preparedness to implement a behavioral health integration program.
Updated Oral Health Risk Assessment Tool Launched
The American Academy of Pediatrics has streamlined their “Oral Health Risk Assessment Tool.” The tool is now accompanied by an intake form to collect pertinent patient information from parents/caregivers. An updated self-management goal sheet supports shared decision-making on preventing cavities and maintaining healthy teeth at home. The tool is available in both English and Spanish.
New Dental Clinical Practice Guidelines Released
The American Dental Association released a new clinical practice guideline on caries restoration. The new guideline includes sixteen recommendations for treating moderate or advanced caries lesions in primary and permanent teeth without a history of endodontic treatment. The guidance associated conservative approaches to removing carious tissue with a lower risk of adverse effects.
CMS Release a New School-based Services Technical Assistance Center
As a follow-up to the May 2023 release of the School-Based Services (SBS) Comprehensive Guide to Medicaid Services and Administrative Claiming, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the SBS Technical Assistance (TA) Center. This TA Center will support State Medicaid agencies, local education agencies, and school-based entities seeking to expand their capacity for providing Medicaid school-based physical and behavioral health services, and it will assist these entities in obtaining payment for Medicaid SBS. Schools can play an important role in bridging equity gaps among students in low-income and rural communities where access to health care services may be more limited.
CMS Proposes Policy Updates for End Stage Renal Disease
On June 26, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule under the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System for dialysis services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries on or after January 1, 2024. This includes facility-level adjustments for ESRD facilities that have a low patient volume, for facilities in rural areas, and for the wage index. In addition, CMS is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) soliciting comments regarding potential changes to the Low-Volume Payment Adjustment (LVPA) methodology and the possible creation of a new payment adjustment that accounts for isolation, rurality, and other geographic factors to inform future rulemaking. Comments are due by August 25, 2023.
Commonwealth Fund on State Health System Performance
Learn why Massachusetts, Hawaii, and New Hampshire top the health policy nonprofit’s ranking based on 58 measures of access, quality, disparities, and outcomes among other factors. While there’s scant mention of health care in rural areas, many of the emerging crises at the center of the report – namely, avoidable deaths from preventable and treatable causes – are known to have higher incidence in these areas.
USDA Economic Research Service on Rural Access to Primary Care
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) update their chart showing the number of physicians per capita in rural counties.
The Built Environment and Social and Emotional Support Among Rural Older Adults
Previous studies on social infrastructure in the built environment – specifically, the physical places that facilitate social interaction and social tie formation – relied heavily on urban settings or samples with limited diversity. For this study, researchers examine whether social infrastructure is associated with well-being for older adults in rural areas and whether this relationship varies across race and ethnicity.
ACL Proposes Update to Older Americans Act Programs
The federal Administration for Community Living (ACL) is seeking input on proposed updates to the regulations for its Older Americans Act programs. The proposed rule is the first substantial update in 35 years, addressing new issues that have emerged and clarifying a number of requirements for programs, such as ACL’s state and tribal caregiver support programs. Last year, the FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway evaluated 50 State Plans on Aging, including common and innovative approaches for serving older adults. Respond by August 15, 2023.