- 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
APA Resources for Farmer Stress
The American Psychological Association (APA) goes in depth on stressors affecting U.S. farmers, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The dedicated site includes a video conversation about farmer stress and links to resources.
NACO: Considerations for Counties in COVID-19 Vaccination Plans
The National Association of Counties (NACO) describes steps identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for vaccine distribution, explains the county role for each of these, and provides a list of resources. Find more information here.
Guidance on Hospital COVID-19 Data Reporting and Enforcement
This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the requirements and enforcement process for all Medicare and Medicaid hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to report COVID-19 data. Hospitals and CAHs must report daily to the federal government or to their state if they receive a written release from the state. Failure to do so will result in a series of enforcements actions over several weeks that could result in termination of the Medicare provider agreement. Separate guidance provides the definitions of the data elements for hospitals and in-hospital labs.
Comments Requested: Proposed DATA 2000 Training Payment Application – December 7
HRSA will soon be able to reimburse Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) for the average training costs of eligible physicians and practitioners to obtain Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) waivers. These waivers allow eligible physicians to treat opioid dependency in settings other than opioid treatment programs (OTPs). FQHCs and RHCs are encouraged to provide comments on whether the proposed application collects necessary and useful information, if HRSA accurately estimated the burden of completing the application, and how the application could be improved. Find more information here.
Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Meaningful Use Hardship Exception Applications – November 30
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires that all CAHs use 2015 Edition certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) to meet the requirements of the Promoting Interoperability Programs. If a CAH can provide proof that meeting this requirement results in a significant hardship, they can apply for a hardship exception, which is valid for only one payment adjustment year. CAHs that do not meet the requirement and do not get a hardship exception will have a downward payment adjustment. Find more information here.
A Comparison of Rural and Urban Specialty Hospitals
This study from the North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center addresses three types of specialty hospitals: long-term acute care hospitals, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and inpatient rehabilitation facilities. The research compares urban and rural specialty hospitals by percent of inpatient days for rural residents and for Medicare beneficiaries, among other factors, and also looks at operating expenses, Medicaid days, and profitability.
RWJF: National Trends and Demographics in Suicide Deaths
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) reports on the trend of increasing suicide rates in the United States. Data details compare rates by age, race, gender, and urbanization from the years 2000 to 2018; a companion brief includes state-level trends.
Sleeve Up to Fight Flu
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a new social media campaign, “#SleeveUp to #FightFlu.” encouraging everyone aged 6 months and older to get the flu vaccine. Widespread vaccination will help reduce the strain on health care systems responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC’s preliminary estimates for the 2019-2020 flu season include up to 740,000 hospitalizations and up to 62,000 deaths. Read more here.
CDC: Rates of Alcohol Induced Deaths Among Adults in Urban and Rural Areas
A new data brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, among adults aged 25 and older, deaths caused by alcohol were stable from 2000 to 2006, but then increased 43 percent between 2006 and 2018. During that same time, death rates increased for men and women at all levels of urbanization. For women in rural areas, the death rate was among the lowest in 2000; by 2018, rates for women in noncore areas had more than doubled.
FCC Extends Purchasing Deadline for COVID-19 Telehealth Program
The Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau has extended the deadline for recipients of COVID-19 Telehealth Program funding to purchase eligible telehealth devices and implement services to December 31. Read more here.