- 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
HHS Mask Distribution Program Update
Consistent with President Biden’s national strategy to defeat COVID-19, the Department of Defense, in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will deliver free masks to HRSA-supported health centers and Health Center Program look-alikes. The mask delivery timeframe has been updated to begin by late April. Health centers who want to opt out can do so by contacting Health Center Program Support online or via phone at 877-464-4772, 7:00 am to 8:00 pm, Monday-Friday (except federal holidays).
Pennsylvania Governor Nominates Pennsylvania’s Victim Advocate
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced he has nominated Suzanne V. Estrella, Esq. to serve as Pennsylvania’s Victim Advocate for the Office of Victim Advocate. Estrella possesses more than 20 years of legal experience primarily serving survivors of sexual and domestic violence. For the past five years, Estrella has held positions with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, most recently serving as legal director. In this role she established and oversaw the Sexual Violence Legal Assistance Project which provides comprehensive, short-term civil legal services to victims of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and sexual assault. She also provided training and education to rape crisis centers and other professionals who serve survivors of sexual assault throughout the commonwealth.
New Resource from the RUPRI Rural Health Value Team
The Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Rural Health Value team has recently updated their Catalog of Value-Based Initiatives for Rural Providers. The resource includes one-page summaries of various HHS value-based programs appropriate for rural participation. It covers programs implemented by HHS, primarily by CMS and its Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Recent catalog additions include 1) Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Community Transformation and Accountable Care Organization Tracks 2) the Radiation Oncology Model, and 3) the Value in Opioid Disorder Treatment Model.
Senate Confirms Becerra as HHS Secretary
The Senate voted to confirm President Biden’s nominee for HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. The Senate voted 50-49 in favor of Bacerra’s nomination with Susan Collins (R-ME) as the lone Republican supporting his nomination. Xavier Bacerra will be the first Latino HHS Secretary.
Senate HELP Committee Advances Biden’s Nominees for Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health
The Senate HELP Committee advanced President Biden’s nominations for Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, and Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH), Rachel Levine, out of committee. Both nominees received bipartisan support, with Murthy receiving a vote of 16-6 and Levine receiving a vote of 13-9. Next, the nominations will go before the full Senate.
NIH Requests Information on Improving the Mental Health of Rural People
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) seeks input on how the National Institute of Mental Health might learn about and remedy research gaps in knowledge to address mental health disparities in rural people and communities. Comments may be submitted via email to rural_mental_health@nih.gov or on the submission website by April 15, 2021. Include the Notice number, NOT-MH-21-190, in the subject line.
OMH Announces New Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Maternal Health Care e-Learning Program
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) has launched a free, accredited, 2-hour e-learning program, which is designed for providers and students seeking knowledge and skills related to cultural competency, cultural humility, person-centered care, and implicit bias across the continuum of maternal healthcare. You can register for the Maternal Health e-Learning Program here.
Analysis: Redefining Nonmetro Counties Could Affect Rural Identity, Development, and Federal Funding
By Tony Pipa and Natalie Geismar, Brookings Institution
The impact of the proposed change is so little understood that the Office of Management and Budget should take a much closer look before deciding, according to an analysis from the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution.
Read more
Read more coverage about the proposal to redefine metro and nonmetro counties here.
Rural Initiatives Resources
Resources to help your state Flex Program implement research and best practices.
Read the Brief: Rural Initiatives Addressing Community Social Needs
The Technical Assistance and Services Center (TASC), a program of the National Rural Health Resource Center (The Center), is excited to share with you resources that support the “Rural Initiatives Addressing Community Social Needs” brief provided by the Flex Monitoring Team.
The brief follows two Critical Access Hospital (CAH)-based initiatives out of Staples, Minnesota, and St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Included in this e-mail are links to TASC resources that can support your ongoing efforts for CAH initiatives in your state.
VIDEO: Population Health for Rural Hospitals: What the experts are saying
Hear from rural health care experts as they identify key initiatives that leaders and providers should take to develop a local infrastructure further to best deliver and manage population health in the future.
Building Trust in Collaborative Partnerships
Collaboration is one of the keys to sustainability in our changing health care environment. This webinar, along with the accompanying worksheet, is designed to help rural health network leaders improve their skills and build capacity for meaningful and impactful collaborations.
Population Health Learning Collab
TASC partnered with multiple subject matter experts to facilitate discussions and provide education through a web-based learning collaborative for Flex Program personnel to gain knowledge about population health and how Flex Programs can help support CAHs, rural health clinics, and rural communities in through population health initiatives.
Put Data to Use in Your Communities
Learn how to effectively conduct population health analytics with access to a web-based database for acquiring health data specific to your location. This tool also consists of educational modules offering step-by-step instructions of common population health analytical procedures.
Population Health Readiness Assessment
The goal of this assessment is to connect users with tools and resources targeted towards their rural health organizations’ unique strengths and needs for transitioning towards population health through each milestone of Getting Motivated, Getting Informed and Getting Going.
This toolkit compiles evidence-based and promising models and resources to support organizations implementing food access programs in rural communities across the United States.
The toolkit compiles evidence-based and promising models and resources to support organizations implementing mental health programs in rural communities across the United States, with a primary focus on adult mental health.
All Hands on Deck: The Pandemic Through Nurses’ Eyes
This recording and transcript of a podcast from the Commonwealth Fund features experiences of nurses at rural hospitals and clinics discussing shortages of personal protective equipment, workforce challenges, and solutions to support nurses in the future.