CDC Office of Rural Health Call for Papers

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) welcomes submissions for its upcoming collection, Rural Health Disparities: Contemporary Solutions for Persistent Rural Public Health Challenges.

Public health challenges have been documented in rural geographical areas and remain persistent public health, medicine, and health services problems. These challenges include limited health care access, excessive tobacco use in poor counties, limited physical activities, socioeconomic inequities, behavioral and mental health conditions, and major chronic diseases. These persistent rural health challenges magnify and lead to racial and socioeconomic disparities.

The goal of this collection is to capture current solutions to these challenges. Peer-reviewed articles in this collection will help advance the discourse on rural public health beyond biomedical models for chronic disease prevention. For this collection, PCD encourages the submission of manuscripts covering diverse topics using various article types. We encourage authors to explore the social determinants of health, environmental influences, policy interventions, and community-based initiatives contributing to chronic disease prevention in rural areas.

PCD is a peer-reviewed public health journal published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and authored by experts worldwide. Visit the PCD website for more information about the journal, submission guidelines, and deadlines for this upcoming collection.

Key Dates: Accepted manuscripts will be published on a rolling basis. Please submit an inquiry to the Editor in Chief at PCDeditor@cdc.gov by July 19, 2024. All manuscripts intended for this collection are due by January 24, 2025. The collection will include published manuscripts along with a guest editorial, set to be published in Summer 2025.

New Economic Analysis for Dentistry Released

A new analysis from the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute shows the economic impact of dentistry in all 50 states. In Pennsylvania, the annual economic impact generated by dental offices is $16.4 billion and the average annual economic impact per dentist is $2.3 million. The full data available in Excel format includes impact measures such as direct and indirect spending, economic impact per dentist and the number of jobs within dental practices as well as jobs supported by dental offices.

Click here for the Pennsylvania infographic.
Click here for the full analysis.

New World Economic Forum White Paper Released

The World Economic Forum released a white paper, “The Economic Rationale for a Global Commitment to Invest in Oral Health.” This paper was created in collaboration with the American Dental Association, Colgate-Palmolive Company, and Henry Schein. This white paper is the first in a planned series that explores the role of various sectors in improving oral health. The intention of the authors is to inspire international health leaders, policy-makers, and private sector partners to reconnect the mouth to the body in pursuit of a healthier future for all.

Click here to read the white paper.

Mpox Cases on the Rise in Pennsylvania 

Mpox cases continue to rise in Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) is encouraging providers to continue to screen all patients with suspected mpox for travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or recent contact with someone who has traveled to DRC. Providers should be aware of the more stringent infection control measures required for Clade I mpox and are encouraged to follow the CDC guidelines for infection prevention and control for mpox. Outreach, education, testing and vaccination continue to be important. According to DOH, Hispanic men are significantly impacted and there is need for these interventions among the migrant worker population. See mpox toolkit for more information on mpox and promotional materials.

Clinical Quality Measures for Eligible Professionals: 2024 Update Released

A new spreadsheet developed by the HITEQ Center provides a crosswalk of Clinical Quality Measures and their electronic specifications as defined in the 2023 update for Eligible Professionals (Clinicians). Fields include the crosswalk of measures with related information about CMS, NQF, and CMS Quality or MIPS ID, and Telehealth Eligibility, as well as inclusion in HRSA BPHC Uniform Data System (UDS) CY2024, Million Hearts, CMS Quality Payment Program (QPP) – APM Performance Pathway (APP) Measures, 2024 APM Performance Pathway: CMS Web Interface Measure Benchmarks for CMS ACO Shared Savings Program, CMS Core Set (Child Core Set Medicaid / CHIP): HEDIS Specified, CMS Core Set (Adult Core Set Medicaid): HEDIS Specified, Core Quality Measures Collaborative (ACO / Primary Care). Links are included throughout. Download the spreadsheet here.

Medicare Telehealth Legislation Takes Another Step Forward

Last week, the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee advanced a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth payment policies to the full Energy & Commerce Committee. The bill, H.R. 7623, the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024, includes a two-year extension of current policies and would also ensure that Medicare reimburses telehealth visits at the same rate as in-person visits. This payment parity language, along with the rest of the policy extensions, passed the subcommittee by a 21-0 bipartisan vote. The full Committee will consider the bill in the coming months.

New Study Provides Summary on Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Retention

According to a new study by the Provider Retention and Information System Management (PRISM), behavioral health professionals who had an experience with rural health care during their training are more likely to work and stay in rural areas when they enter practice. PRISM’s Behavioral Health study that was published by The Journal of Rural Health is now available here. This study assesses the amount of exposure to care in rural underserved communities that behavioral health clinicians received during training and how it impacted their success and retention in rural safety net practices.

America is Experiencing More than a Red-Blue Divide

 

rural health Clinic

If you’re serving multi-generations like most Community Health Centers are, you’ll want to look at the charts in Washington strategist Bruce Mehlman’s Six-Chart Sunday newsletter. The infographics highlight some startling differences between older and younger generations across an array of topics, including values, economics, party identification, and happiness.

HRSA Regional Office Offers Free Presentation on Securing Federal Grants

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Region 3 Office, will present key steps and resources for seeking federal grants. Attendees will have a chance to learn about identifying HRSA grant opportunities, navigating the grant application process, and accessing technical assistance resources. In addition, the session will include tips from a current HRSA grantee and details on how to become a HRSA grant reviewer. Individuals at all levels of experience, from those considering a first grant submission to those with prior grant writing experience, are welcome. PLEASE NOTE: The registration site also includes the full grant writing series, Ready! Set! Write! Grant Writing from A to Z. Scroll down the page to register for the free federal session scheduled for Tuesday, June 4, 9:30–11:00 am. Click here to register!