- Health Care Providers Try Novel Ways to Get Shots in Arms of Rural Residents
- New COVID-19 Cases Drop by 5% in Rural Counties While Urban Areas See a 15% Drop
- Why Lagging COVID Vaccine Rate at Rural Hospitals 'Needs to Be Fixed Now'
- HHS Announces Nearly $1 Billion from American Rescue Plan for Rural COVID-19 Response
- HHS Announces $250 Million from American Rescue Plan to Develop and Support a Community-Based Workforce to Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations in Underserved Communities
- Top Critical Access Hospitals Announced
- Farm Bureau Launches Farm State of Mind Resource Directory to Support Mental Health Month
- Finding a Doctor Is Tough and Getting Tougher in Rural America
- HHS Launches New Reimbursement Program for COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Fees Not Covered by Insurance
- 2021 National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Three Loan Repayment Programs Deadline Extended to May 27
- FCC Now Accepting Applications for Round 2 of COVID-19 Telehealth Program
- HHS Awards Over $32 Million in American Rescue Plan Funding to Expand COVID-19 Training and Support for Health Centers
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Proposed Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2022 Rates; Quality Programs and Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Requirements for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals; Proposed Changes to Medicaid Provider Enrollment; and Proposed Changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Modification of Limitations on Redesignation by the Medicare Geographic Classification Review Board
- Fully Vaccinated Adults 65 and Older Are 94% Less Likely to Be Hospitalized with COVID-19
Already in Fiscal Crisis, Rural Hospitals Face COVID-19
LDI Virtual Seminar Eyes Coronavirus’ Spread Through America’s Hinterlands
The eighth virtual “Experts at Home” seminar convened by the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI) focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in rural America. New evidence suggests that rural populations are at heightened risk for contracting the virus due to factors such as age, race/ethnicity, and prevalence of multiple chronic health conditions. The seminar brought together experts from academia and top government positions to discuss the unique challenges the pandemic poses for the health and economies of the country’s rural areas.
NRHA’s Rural Horizons | Spring 2020
Addressing Mental Health and Psychosocial Support with the COVID-19
A new resource developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Group for Mental Health and Psychosocial Supports in Emergency Situations helps in providing guidance to individuals struggling with their mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak. Addressing Mental Health and Psychosocial Support with the COVID-19 focuses on topics such as: older adults coping with stress, supporting people working with the COVID-19 directly, activities for adults and children who are being quarantined and much more.
Assessing the Effectiveness of CHWs
Over the years, there have been many studies on the effectiveness of the community health worker (CHW) in improving health outcomes. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the National Association of Community Health Workers recently published a summary of the research from the past 50 years. It focused on assessing effectiveness in improving health outcomes, reducing healthcare costs and bridging the gap in health disparities.
IRRC to Consider New Regulation for Child Abuse Reporting for Dentists
On Thursday, March 19 the Independent Regulatory Review Committee (IRRC) will consider a final regulation, as required by the Child Protective Services Law, to implement the mandatory reporting requirements for practitioners regulated by the State Board of Dentistry. As “mandated reporters,” board regulated practitioners will be required to complete mandatory training in child abuse recognition and reporting.
Public Charge Rule FAQs Updated
The National Health Center Immigration Workgroup has updated its FAQs on the Public Charge rule effective March 1. The updated FAQs now include information about the rule’s Feb. 24, 2020 effective date and the factors beyond the use of public benefits that immigration officers will consider when deciding whether or not to approve an application for a Green Card. These resources and more are available on NACHC’s Caring for Immigrant Patients webpage.
New Toolkit: Social Determinants of Health In Rural Communities.
This toolkit from the Rural Health Information Hub was produced in collaboration with the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis. It compiles evidence-based and promising models to help rural communities implement programs that address social determinants of health.
Rural Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019
The Rural Health Information Hub has created a guide to help you learn about activities underway to address COVID-19. Check it out here.
DEA Telehealth Guidance Released
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued new guidance to allow DEA-registered telehealth practitioners to issue prescriptions for controlled substances to patients for whom they have not conducted an in-person medical evaluation, for the duration of the public health emergency. All of the following conditions must be met: (1) The prescription is issued for a legitimate medical purpose by a practitioner acting in the usual course of his/her professional practice (2) The telemedicine communication is conducted using an audio-visual, real-time, two-way interactive communication system and (3) The practitioner is acting in accordance with applicable Federal and State law.
Pennsylvania Releases Resources for Those in Substance Use Recovery
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has provided the following information for supporting vulnerable friends and families in substance use recovery:
- PA Department of Drug & Alcohol Facebook page with support links for Get Help Now Hotline, Family, online/virtual recovery supports, and more: https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDDAP/
- SAMHSA links to information on telemedicine; tips for social distancing/quarantine/isolation; guidance for opioid treatment programs; disaster planning & crisis care…https://www.samhsa.gov/
- Pro-A developed a list of online recovery supports, including AA, NA, Refuge Recovery, SMART Recovery, and many more. http://pro-a.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PROA-Online-Support-Resource-list-31720.pdf
- Recovery support organizations who may offer online/virtual recovery support information:
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- Faces & Voices of Recovery (national resource): https://facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/about/who-we-are/
- PRO.A: http://pro-a.org/
- for SE Pennsylvania, PRO-ACT
- for Western PA, Message Carriers
- In central PA, RASE Project