- 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
Share Your Thoughts and Opinions on Health – Respond by March 15
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is seeking English-speaking people living in rural areas to participate in virtual discussions about health. The purpose of these discussions is to obtain consumer feedback on newly developed health materials. HRSA is open to speaking with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Sessions will be held in March and May via Zoom and will last approximately 90 minutes. All who participate will receive monetary token of appreciation. If you or someone you know may be interested, please have them contact Heidi.Palacios@
ONC Reports on Interoperability of Electronic Health Records
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published a data brief examining rates of interoperability by hospital size, type, method of interoperability, and suburban-urban status.
CRS on Broadband Provisions passed by Congress
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) provides objective policy and legal analysis to committees and members of the U.S. House and Senate. This report provides information on each federal program included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, designed to increase broadband availability for underserved areas of the United States.
ERS on COVID-19 and Rural America
The Economic Research Service (ERS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture analyzes county-level data on the prevalence of COVID-19 and local employment rates. A second report takes a closer look at the impact on counties where meatpacking accounts for more than 20 percent of employment.
AHRQ Data Request: Improving Rural Health Through Telehealth-Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is seeking published and unpublished scientific information to inform their review of this subject. Key questions in the review include those about the effectiveness of provider-to-provider telehealth and about effective implementation strategies. Submit information to AHRQ’s Evidence-Based Practice Centers Program on or before April 1.
New Public Education Videos in Spanish on COVID-19 and Flu
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published new videos in Spanish for the COVID-19 and Flu public education campaign. Share these 30- and 60-second videos in Spanish featuring Dr. Eliseo Perez-Stable, Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ¿Son seguras para nosotros las vacunas contra el COVID? FAQ1 30- and 60-second ¿Tienen los latinos mayores de 65 años más riesgos de enfermedades graves por COVID? FAQ2 30– and 60-second.
ACS Guidebook on 2021 Messaging Now Available
The 2021 Messaging Guidebook: Effectively Messaging Cancer Screening During the COVID-19 Pandemic, which is based on American Cancer Society market research findings, is now available. The guidebook serves to assist health systems, cancer centers, healthcare providers, patient navigators, and cancer coalitions in efforts to resume preventive cancer care. The ACS is also sharing the Effectively Messaging Cancer Screening During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Issue Brief which is an abbreviated version of the guidebook. And do not forget, March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!
Lessons Learned from a Year of Virtual Integrated Behavioral Health
The Health Information Technology, Evaluation and Quality Center (HITEQ) in a new resource highlights promising practices in virtual integrated behavioral health care from community health centers who rapidly transitioned to new mechanisms of care delivery through the shift to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. These practices are generated from observations in group and individual conversations with health center leaders, primary care association staff, and behavioral health practitioners over a three-month period in Fall 2020. This document is intended to spark adaptation and improvement by providing a brief snapshot into the tremendous creativity and hard work that has characterized health center operations since the start of the pandemic.
NHSC Offers Free DATA 2000 Training
Clinicians working to address the opioid epidemic may be eligible for free training to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT). This training will help you qualify for some National Health Service Corps (NHSC) programs. If you are already in an NHSC program, you may qualify for enhanced award benefits. NHSC is partnering with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to increase the number of Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) Waiver-certified clinicians in high-need communities. SAMHSA’s Provider Clinical Support System (PCSS) offers the most effective, evidence-based clinical practices in preventing, identifying, and treating opioid-use disorder (OUD).
Research Finds Little Advancement in Physician Workforce Diversity
University of Pennsylvania researchers have found that notable progress has not happened since 2009, when the Liaison Committee on Medical Education set forth new diversity accreditation guidelines. This is particularly true for Black, Hispanic and American Indian/Native Alaskan (AIAN) physicians. Absolute numbers of Black, Hispanic and AIAN physicians have increased but so have the number of all physicians. Therefore, the percentage of physicians in underrepresented groups has not increased appreciably. Read the Fortune magazine article or check out the research on JAMA Network Open.