The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seeks comments from the public on two modules being added to the National Healthcare Safety Network, which is used to track healthcare-associated infections.  The new modules will be used to capture the daily, aggregate impact of COVID-19 facilities and to monitor medical capacity to respond at local, state, and national levels.

Comments are due on June 16, 2020 and can be submitted here.

On April 22, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR) released a new toolkit to help state and local healthcare decision makers maximize workforce flexibilities when confronting COVID-19 in their communities. The toolkit contains a number of “Resource Collections” on topics that have been of particular interest to rural providers including scope of practice expansions, licensure, EMS resources, and volunteer workforce needs, among other workforce and training resources.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), launched a new COVID-19 Uninsured Program Portal, allowing health care providers who have conducted COVID-19 testing or provided treatment for uninsured COVID-19 individuals on or after February 4, 2020 to submit claims for reimbursement. Providers can access the portal at COVIDUninsuredClaim.HRSA.gov.

Rural Development (RD) provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas.

Select upcoming RD deadlines:

• Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program – Application Deadline: July 13.
• Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant – Electronic Application Deadline: April 30, 2020 via grants.gov | Paper Application Deadline: May 5, 2020.
• Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant: Supplemental 2019 Disaster Relief Act Funding: Deadline: April 30, 2020 via grants.gov | Paper Application Deadline: May 5, 2020.

Governor Wolf’s administration is making immediate changes to the Food Recovery Infrastructure Grant Program to help ensure food banks are adequately supplied to meet the needs of Pennsylvania residents.

Increased demand on the charitable food system related to COVID-19 has demonstrated an immediate need for resources to support additional cold storage space, and more flexibility and changes to this grant program. The changes also encourage partnerships between nonprofit organizations such as food banks and farms, processors and cooperatives that continue to experience challenges within the food supply chain as a result of the COVID-19 emergency.

Changes to the grant solicitation process include:

• Closing the round of grant eligibility on May 8 to review applications and deliver awards as soon as possible;
• Expanding the list of potential partners beyond retailers and wholesalers to also include farms, processors and cooperatives; and
• Removing pre-application meeting requirements to expedite applications.

To apply, the applicant must describe its current food recovery operation and explain how the food infrastructure equipment will enhance its current program. The organization must also provide a description of the proposed program and provide what food retailers, wholesalers, farms, processors and cooperatives will be partners for the project. Additionally, the organization must provide a description of how the program will be operated by staff and or volunteers.

The deadline to apply is Friday, May 8. Learn how to apply for the Food Recovery Infrastructure Grant Program.

With over 22 million jobs wiped out so far during the COVID-19 pandemic, WalletHub today released its report on the Cities with the Biggest Growth in Unemployment Due to COVID-19, along with accompanying videos.

In order to identify where workers have been most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, WalletHub compared 180 cities based on how their unemployment rate has changed over time. We compared unemployment during the latest month for which we have data (March 2020) to March 2019 and January 2020 in order to see the difference from the beginning of the year and from last year. Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A.

To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/cities-with-the-biggest-growth-in-unemployment-due-to-covid-19/73647/

By Liz Carey On Apr 29, 2020 Last updated Apr 28, 2020

By Tim Marema, Bill Bishop and Tim Murphy On Apr 29, 2020 Last updated Apr 28, 2020

Analyzes state inpatient data from 2014-2016 across 16 states to determine how inpatient hospital bypass behavior – rural residents utilizing a hospital other than their local hospital – is motivated by patient and hospital characteristics. Compares hospital characteristics, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), by rural bypass level and compares patient demographics by rural bypass status.

More information.