Rural Health Information Hub Latest News

Human Services Study Finds Positive Effects for Medicaid Recipients with Housing Support

Harrisburg, PA – Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller announced the findings of a study on the effects of permanent supportive housing programs on long-term health and health care spending among Medicaid recipients experiencing homelessness. The study, conducted in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s Medicaid Research Center, looked at nearly 5,900 cases from 54 Pennsylvania counties who received permanent supportive housing services from 2011-2016 and found that people who experienced homelessness saw improving health outcomes and decreased Medicaid utilization and spending after receiving permanent supportive housing services.

Continue reading “Human Services Study Finds Positive Effects for Medicaid Recipients with Housing Support”

Modern National Resource Allocation System

Our Healthcare Systems Bureau issued a Request for Information (RFI) November 14th to conduct market research as part of HHS’ commitment to optimize the transplant system and ensure that organs are allocated as efficiently as possible. The RFI seeks information about current and potential IT infrastructures for allocating organs and performing related functions such as patient and donor data management.

As part of that market research, we are seeking information on (1) more effective ways modern IT systems may be able to allocate organs and manage patient and donor data on a national scale; and (2) entities that are capable of developing a system that may be more effective than the one we have today.

We are interested in hearing from all sources, both non-profit and for-profit, to leverage innovation from across all fields and industries.

Learn more about this Request for Information.

Prevention X

The HHS Office of the Chief Technology Officer has issued a Request for Information on PreventionX, which will inform how HHS could catalyze the scaling and deployment of effective prevention strategies into today’s social and economic environment. Responses will be accepted until December 13, 2019.

HRSA Strategy to Address Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

We are seeking information about how the agency could sustain activities described in the HRSA Strategy to Address Intimate Partner Violence, 2017-2020 and/or begin new initiatives to address intimate partner violence in communities served by HRSA programs.

Specifically, we are seeking responses to the “Questions for Public Comment” section of our Request for Information. These responses may inform our decision making related to planning future initiatives.

Comments are due by 11:59 pm ET on December 9.

New Technical Assistance Summary on HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Response to the Opioid Epidemic

To better understand the impact of the opioid epidemic on the HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) hosted a technical expert panel on the “Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Response to the Opioid Epidemic” and developed an executive summary and new technical assistance document.

The panel convened program recipients and other experts to discuss the intersection of the program and the opioid epidemic and how services for people with HIV who have a substance use disorder could be bolstered to improve health outcomes. The technical assistance document provides examples from the expert panel and follow-up phone interviews with panel participants. It also highlights how Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program providers address clients’ behavioral health needs, including those related to substance use.

Read the summary (PDF – 173 KB).

HRSA-Wide Approach To Address Intimate Partner Violence, Published in Public Health Reports

HRSA’s Christina Lachance, MPH, Sabrina Matoff-Stepp, PhD, Jane Segebrecht, MPH, and Nancy Mautone-Smith, MSW, LCSW coauthored a commentary that describes the development and early implementation of The HRSA Strategy to Address Intimate Partner Violence, 2017-2020 (PDF – 428 KB).

The article highlights key features of an integrated approach to address IPV across HRSA programs and offers recommendations for implementing similar efforts.

Read the article.

Health Professionals Receive Free MAT Training, DATA 2000 Waivers

HRSA’s National Health Service Corps (NHSC) has teamed up with SAMHSA’s Provider Clinical Support System (PCSS) to connect qualified medical and behavioral health providers to free Medication-Assisted Treatment training, professional development resources, and an opportunity to obtain the DATA 2000 Waiver. The collaboration helps increase access to quality substance use disorder and opioid use disorder treatment in hard hit rural and underserved communities throughout the U.S.

Learn more about our NHSC-PCSS Collaboration.

World AIDS Day is December 1

On December 1st, we commemorate World AIDS Day. The 2019 theme is “Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Community by Community.” The purpose of World AIDS Day is to bring attention to the HIV epidemic, endeavor to increase HIV awareness and knowledge, show support and commitment to helping those living with the disease, and remember those who have died from HIV/AIDS in our country and around the world.

HIV has transformed from what was once a deadly disease to now a manageable, chronic condition if there is access to high-quality health care, critical support services, and appropriate medications. People with HIV who take HIV medication daily as prescribed and reach and maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV-negative partner.

This World AIDS Day, HRSA remains committed to ending the HIV epidemic. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration announced the “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America” (EHE) initiative. Through HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and the HRSA-funded Health Center Program, the agency will play a leading role in helping diagnose, treat, prevent and respond to end the HIV epidemic. Learn more about HRSA’s role in the initiative.

FCC Publishes Final Rule on Rural Health Care Program

Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) finalized regulations to promote transparency and predictability, and further the efficient allocation of limited Rural Health Care Program resources while guarding against waste, fraud and abuse. The FCC promotes telehealth in rural areas through the Rural Health Care Program (RHC Program), which provides financial support to help rural health care providers obtain broadband and other communications services at discounted rates. The regulations went into effect on November 12, unless noted otherwise for some specific provisions in the final rule.

Full article: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-10-11/pdf/2019-20173.pdf