In an opinion piece, the authors argue that investment in primary care is essential to improving the nation’s healthcare system. Primary care is the first place patients should turn with questions or issues about their health. But this is happening less and less, as decades of underinvestment make it difficult for patients to consult with primary care clinicians who truly know them and their health histories. Read more.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zurzuvae (zuranolone), the first oral medication indicated to treat postpartum depression (PPD) in adults. PPD is a major depressive episode that typically occurs after childbirth but can also begin during the later stages of pregnancy. Until now, treatment for PPD was only available as an IV injection given by a healthcare provider in certain healthcare facilities.

Establishing a workforce that represents your patient population requires inclusive and equitable recruitment and retention efforts and partnering with minority-serving colleges and universities is one path for achieving greater diversity. This newly published paper from the ACU STAR² Center serves as a quick resource and reference guide for human resources professionals and health center leaders to understand how to identify and partner with minority-serving educational institutions. Click here to access this new publication!

This blog describes COVID-19-era Medicare policies for audio-only telehealth and the future of those policies. Discusses data for audio-only visits, barriers for telehealth using a visual component, and quality of care issues. Read the AARP blog.

   The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services examines telehealth visits by Medicare beneficiaries from 2019 through 2021, including urban and rural residences, Health Professional Shortage Areas, visit specialties, health conditions, and the state.

As previously mentioned in this newsletter, new committees are being formed by Battelle, as contracted by CMS, to make recommendations on healthcare quality measurement. Rural health experts are sought for all PQM committees (on the nomination form, one can check a box as a “rural health expert”). More information on PQM can be found here: Get Involved | Partnership for Quality Measurement (p4qm.org). The original July 30 deadline for nominations has been extended to August. Submit Nominations by August 14, 2023.

This case study series from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center highlights local programs in Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, and Washington.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recently published its annual data book with information on Medicare spending – including Medicare Advantage (Part C) – prescription drugs, alternative payment models, acute care, and post-acute care, as well as demographic info that includes rural beneficiaries. Per the data book, 18 percent of the Medicare population is in rural areas, and Medicare Part C enrollment grew from just 26 percent in 2011 to 49 percent in 2022.