- 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
Addressing Social Needs Through Medicaid: Read the Report on Lessons from North Carolina
This report examines what was learned from North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilots, a project launched in 2021 with $650 million in Medicaid funding that focused on the health-related social needs of enrollees living in three primarily rural regions of the state.
Will the Availability of OTC Narcan Increase Access? Here You Can Find Recent Research Regarding Naloxone
The national nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation highlights state policies and recent research related to over-the-counter (OTC) access to naloxone, a drug that rapidly reverses opioid overdose. A clue may be provided by a 2022 study linked in the brief that examines how pharmacies decided to stock the prescription version of the drug. The study identified that independent pharmacies, those in rural areas, and pharmacies in states with lower overdose rates or without expanded Medicaid were less likely to have it available.
A New Report on Rural SUD Stigma and Treatment Has Just Been Released
In June 2023, the three FORHP-supported Rural Centers of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders – University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction, University of Rochester, and the Fletcher Group – collaborated to conduct an online survey of practitioners affiliated with grant sites of FORHP’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.
The FY23 Rural Maternity Obstetrics Management Strategies Program Has Begun
Nearly $2 Million in grant funding was awarded to two rural health networks in Mississippi and New Hampshire through the FORHP-supported Rural Maternity Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) Program. The awarded projects are designed to increase access to maternal and obstetrics care and are a part of a federal investment through the Department of Health & Human Services totaling nearly $90 Million to Address Maternal Health Crisis across the Nation in awards to support the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, a whole-of-government strategy to combat maternal mortality and improve maternal and infant health, particularly in underserved communities.
Final Recommendation Statement Have Been Released on Screening for Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released a final recommendation statement on screening for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The Task Force recommends that all pregnant people have their blood pressure measured throughout pregnancy. To view the recommendation, the evidence on which it is based, and a summary for clinicians, please go here.
Higher Buprenorphine Doses and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Study Results Published
Individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) who were prescribed a lower buprenorphine dose were 20% more likely to discontinue treatment than those on a higher dose, according to a study of patients prescribed buprenorphine in Rhode Island from 2016 to 2020, as fentanyl became widely available. “The current recommended target dose of buprenorphine was derived from studies conducted prior to the widespread availability of fentanyl. Now, we’re seeing people with higher levels of tolerance to and dependence on opioids, and our findings suggest that a higher buprenorphine dose – up to 24 mg – may help improve treatment retention for these individuals,” said Rachel Wightman, M.D., Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology at Alpert Medical School of Brown University and one of the principal investigators of the study.
Rep. Thompson Introduces Legislation Promoting Rural Telehealth Services
Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) and Ann Kuster (NH-02) introduced the bipartisan Helping Ensure Access to Local TeleHealth, or the HEALTH Act, as part of National Telehealth Awareness Week. This legislation secures Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services provided by community health centers and rural health clinics. It will continue to allow providers to utilize audio-only telehealth visits for patients who do not have access to broadband services. PACHC worked with Rep. Thompson’s office on the legislation. “As the nation’s largest network of primary care providers, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) provide a wide array of services in underserved areas of the country, both rural and urban,” said Cheri Rinehart, President and CEO of Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC). “The ability to use telehealth throughout and after the pandemic has clearly demonstrated how vital telehealth is in improving health equity by increasing access to care for the vulnerable populations FQHCs serve and contributing to positive outcomes. Telehealth must remain an available service to ensure continued access to critical primary and behavioral health care services.” Click here to learn more.
Alumni Association to Recognize 13 Penn Staters with 2023 Alumni Fellow Award
The Penn State Alumni Association honored 13 Penn Staters with the 2023 Alumni Fellow Award; the most prestigious award given by the Alumni Association. A ceremony to honor their achievements was held on September 20 at the State Theatre in downtown State College. Among this year’s honorees is George Garrow’s 85g Med (Shenango*), President and CEO of Primary Health Network. Congratulations Dr. Garrow. Visit the Alumni Association’s website for more information on this year’s honorees and the award.
Are You Trying to Make Sense of it All? Find COVID-19 Vaccine Bridge Access Programs Here!
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has created the HHS Bridge Access Program which encompasses both the CDC Bridge Access Program and the Health Center Bridge Funding Program.
The CDC Bridge Access Program will temporarily provide no-cost 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine for adults without health insurance and adults with insurance that does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs. Health center patients can access the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine at health centers, safety-net, and public health providers designated by state and local health departments, and more than 20,000 retail pharmacy locations nationwide. Provider Education Resources include a communications toolkit and FAQs.
The Health Center Bridge Funding Program is one-time funding with a 16-month period of performance (Sept. 1, 2023 – Dec. 31, 2024). Activities must be related to COVID-19 services, such as COVID-19 testing, vaccination, therapeutics, enabling/patient support services to support COVID-19 related services, community vaccination events, personnel who support COVID-19 related services, and supplies that support COVID-19-related“ services. However, health centers must make every effort to get free COVID supplies from the CDC Bridge Access Program and HRSAs Testing Supply and Therapeutics Programs. Health Center Bridge Funding post-award submission is due in electronic handbooks on Oct. 2, 2023. Health centers can submit programmatic questions via the BPHC Contact Form.
Additionally, HHS issued a provider letter reviewing the necessary steps to take to discontinue the public health emergency-era CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program. The letter includes a reminder that with the approval of 2023-2024 monovalent XBB.1.5 variant mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, Bivalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA
This New Bulletin Provides Updates to Childhood Nutrition and Weight Management Services
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Medical Assistance Programs has issued a new bulletin. The purpose of this bulletin is to advise providers enrolled in the Medical Assistance (MA) Program of the expansion of Childhood Nutrition and Weight Management Services (CNWMS) for MA beneficiaries under 21 years of age to include pharmacotherapy as a result of changes to coverage of obesity drugs and updated guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The bulletin also addresses coding changes as a result of the 2023 Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) updates.