USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Program Accepting Applications for FY 2024 Funding

Posted on by lad3

Please read the information below to see how USDA Rural Development can help your community!

The Community Facilities Program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas under 20,000 population. The loan rate is currently 3.875% and would be fixed for the life of the loan. Terms can be up to 40 years for acquisition or renovation of real estate and the useful life of equipment purchased. This loan program has no fees or prepayment penalties and does not require prevailing wages.

CF video (lumen5.com) Check out this video of for more information on the Community Facilities program and great projects USDA Rural Development has funded in PA.

See below for more examples of recent projects funded through our program in Pennsylvania.

USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Loan & Grant Program and Pennsylvania Nonprofits

What can Rural Development do for your organization and community?

  • Purchase, construct, and/or improve essential community facilities, and pay related eligible project expenses
  • Computer and technology upgrades
  • Construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation of facilities an ADA compliance
  • Parking and paving improvements
  • HVAC equipment, electrical upgrades, emergency generators
  • Interior improvements
  • Training equipment

Examples of Projects in Pennsylvania include:

  • LifeQuest Assisted Living in Bucks County received a Community Facilities Direct Loan of $39.9 Million to construct 123 new assisted living units and renovation of the existing nursing center to implement a 10-15 bed memory care unit.
  • Bear Creek Foundation in Luzerne County received a Community Facility Direct Loan of $11.4 Million to construct a 36,000 square-foot addition to its existing charter school.
  • Meadville Public Library in Crawford County received a Community Facility Direct Loan and Grant of $132,460 for a roof replacement.
  • Big Valley Ambulance Club, Inc in Mifflin County received a Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant of $128,200 for the purchase of a 2023 Life Line Victory liner ambulance.
  • Penn Township in Clearfield County received a Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant of $85,000 for the purchase of a Freightliner chassis with dump box and appurtenances.
  • Sutersville Volunteer Fire Company in Westmorland County received a Community Facility Direct Loan and an Economic Impact Initiative Grant of $187,700 to purchase a new pumper truck, hose and spreader package for the fire department.

Please note that all applications are considered as loan only first. Grant funding is awarded based on financial need, availability of funds, and are a maximum of $50,000.

For more information on our program and how to apply, contact:

Crawford, Erie, Forest, Venango & Warren Counties
Courtney Bailey – Courtney.Bailey@usda.gov #814-547-5938

Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence, Mercer & Washington Counties
Keith Lehman – Keith.Lehman@usda.gov #724-482-5289

Clarion, Fayette, Indiana, Jefferson & Westmoreland Counties
Eli Bratich – Eli.Bratich@usda.gov #724-482-5283

Blair, Cambria & Somerset Counties
Ron Moore – Ronald.Moore3@usda.gov #724-261-3891

Cameron, Columbia, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Lycoming, McKean, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga and Union Counties
Judy Bartlett – Judy.Bartlett@usda.gov #570-749-3051

Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, Wayne & Wyoming Counties
Charles Garnett – Charles.Garnett@usda.gov #570-836-5111, x121

Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Lancaster, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill & Philadelphia Counties
Tonya St. Clair – Tonya.Stclair@usda.gov #484-795-7614

Adams, Bedford, Fulton, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata & Mifflin Counties
Ana Liza Setters – Analiza.Setters@usda.gov #717-601-3247

Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Lebanon, Perry & York Counties
Melissa Kuhns – Melissa.Kuhns@usda.gov #717-601-3245

Revised Rural Health Value Catalog of Value-Based Initiatives Released

Posted on by lad3

The Rural Health Value team is pleased to share updates to the Catalog of Value-Based Initiatives for Rural Providers. Two new models are now included: AHEAD and GUIDE

Catalog of Value-Based Initiatives for Rural Providers

This catalog summarizes rural-relevant, value-based programs primarily by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and its Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), to help rural leaders and communities identify HHS value-based programs appropriate for rural participation.

The following models are now included in the catalog:
States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development Model (AHEAD) – a state total cost of care model that seeks to drive state and regional health care transformation and multi-payer alignment, with the goal of improving the total health of a state population and lowering costs. CMS will release a Notice of Funding Opportunity in late Fall 2023, with applications due in Spring 2024.

Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) – participants in the GUIDE Model will establish dementia care programs (DCPs) that aim to improve quality of life for people with dementia, help them remain in their homes and communities, and reduce strain on their unpaid care givers. A Request For Applications was released in Fall 2023, with model launch July 2024.

Related resources on the Rural Health Value website:

New Report Provides Medicare Advantage Enrollment Update for 2023

Posted on by lad3

New from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis

Medicare Advantage Enrollment Update 2023
Edmer Lazaro, DPT, MSHCA; Fred Ullrich, BA; and Keith Mueller, PhD

The Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) continues to monitor MA enrollment trends and how it is influenced by changes in health policies. More MA plans are being offered in 2023 than in any other year, indicating the appeal of this program for insurers throughout the country. The MA program delivers the program’s benefits to 53.9 percent of metropolitan beneficiaries, and the current rate of growth shows similar trends among nonmetropolitan enrollees. Such plans are attractive because they typically offer extra benefits, often with no additional premium. As the market continues to grow and enrollment rates in MA increase, researchers should continue to examine how well the MA program serves its beneficiaries, especially those living in nonmetropolitan areas. Changes in the MA program highlight the importance of developing policies that aim at improving care access for nonmetropolitan enrollees.

Click here to read the full report.

USDA Report Analyzes Three of Its Rural Broadband Programs and Their Reach

Posted on by lad3

A new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture examines three broadband programs and if they were able to reach the target audiences.

The report looked at three programs: The Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) was the largest of them in terms of funds obligated during the study period, with about $3.6 billion in grants and loans in Fiscal Year 2010. ReConnect obligated $1.5 billion in grants and loans from Fiscal Year 2019 to Fiscal Year 2021, and Community Connect obligated $253 million in grants from Fiscal Year 2009 to Fiscal Year 2021.

“The populations served by all three programs tended to be more rural, less educated, poorer, and older than those in areas not served (for BIP) or ineligible (for Community Connect and ReConnect),” the report stated. “All programs reached a larger share of the American Indian/ Alaska Native (AIAN) and White populations than other races and a larger share of the non-Hispanic than Hispanic population.”

However, only 10% of AIANs who lived in areas eligible for ReConnect in 2020 were in approved project services areas,  the lowest percentage for any racial group. This resulted from a low percentage of the eligible AIAN population in areas proposed to be served in ReConnect applications and not from a greater share of AIANs in areas that would have been served by rejected or withdrawn applications.

“Outreach and technical assistance efforts may help address some of the observed differences across racial and ethnic groups in their tendency to be included in applications to broadband programs and in their likelihood of having applications approved,” the report stated.

Brian Whitacre, a professor and Jean & Patsy Neustadt Chair in the department of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University, said he was pleased to see a report that looks at outcomes.

“In the past, we’ve had all these federal broadband programs, and we’ve never really done an analysis of where that money is going,” he told the Daily Yonder.

This report, he said, looks at whether the money is going to the people it’s intended to.

Read the full article on The Daily Yonder website.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro Proclaims November 13-17, 2023 Rural Health Week in Pennsylvania

Posted on by lad3

In an effort to draw attention to the wide range of issues that impact rural health, Gov. Josh Shapiro has declared November 13-17, 2023, as Rural Health in Pennsylvania week at the request of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Association (PRHA).

Gov. Shapiro made the proclamation to promote awareness of the full range of issues that impact rural health care throughout the Commonwealth and the health status of rural Pennsylvanians. Nationally, Pennsylvania ranks as one of the states with the highest number of rural residents, with 26 percent of Pennsylvanians residing in rural areas. In recognition of Pennsylvania’s diverse rural needs, the Commonwealth has supported the development of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, and other agencies and initiatives to address the needs of rural Pennsylvanians.

The week encompasses November 16, which is National Rural Health Day, established in 2011 by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) to showcase rural America; increase awareness of rural health issues; and promote the efforts of NOSORH, State Offices of Rural Health (SORHs) and others in addressing those issues.

“Nearly 59.5 million Americans, including 3.4 million Pennsylvanians, live in rural communities,” said Lisa Davis, PORH director and outreach associate professor of health policy and administration at Penn State. “These small towns and communities continue to be fueled by the creative energy of citizens who step forward to provide a wealth of products, resources, and services.

Rural communities also face unique health care concerns: a lack of providers; accessibility issues, particularly in terms of transportation and technology; and affordability issues as the result of larger percentages of uninsured and underinsured citizens and greater out-of-pocket health costs. Rural hospitals and health care providers, which frequently are the economic backbone of the communities they serve, deserve special consideration so that they can continue to provide high-quality services and meet the needs of rural residents.”

To celebrate the work being done to achieve health care access and equity in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health will present Pennsylvania Rural Health Awards during virtual ceremonies across rural Pennsylvania.

PRHA is dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of Pennsylvania’s rural citizens and communities. Through the combined efforts of individuals, organizations, professionals, and community leaders, the Association is a collective voice for rural health issues and a conduit for information and resources. More information can be found at paruralhealth.org.

Editors:  For additional information, please contact Lisa Davis, Director, Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, at 814-863-8214 or lad30@psu.edu.

New Report Released on Equity of Hospital-based Emergency Care

Posted on by lad3

Researchers at Penn State have published a new report, A Conceptual Framework for Optimizing the Equity of Hospital-Based Emergency Care: The Structure of Hospital Transfer Networks.

Emergency care includes two key components: initial stabilization and transfer to a higher level of care. Significant work has focused on ensuring that local facilities can stabilize patients. However, less is understood about transfers for definitive care. To better understand how transfer network structure impacts population health and equity in emergency care, we propose a conceptual framework, the hospital transfer network equity-quality model (NET-EQUITY). NET-EQUITY can help optimize population outcomes, decrease disparities, and enhance planning by supporting a framework for understanding emergency department transfers.

The central thesis of our framework is that the structure of hospital transfer networks influences patient outcomes, as defined by the Institute of Medicine, which includes equity. The structure of hospital transfer networks is shaped by internal and external factors. The four main external factors are the regulatory, economic environment, provider, and sociocultural and physical/built environment. These environments all implicate issues of equity that are important to understand to foster an equitable population-based system of emergency care. The framework highlights external and internal factors that determine the structure of hospital transfer networks, including structural racism and inequity. We also describe ways that NET-EQUITY can be applied to generate research questions and how policymakers can respond should research find inequity.

Authors:  Charleen Hsuan, PhD; Brandan Carr, PhD; David Vanness, PhD; Yinan Wang, PhD; Douglas Leslie, PhD; Eleanor Dunham, PhD; and Jeannette Rogowski, PhD

Read the full article here.

 

Can Rural Voters Be Swayed at the Ballot Box?

Posted on by lad3

While partisanship remains strong among rural voters, certain messages resonated with voters across the political spectrum. They included battling inflation, bringing good-paying jobs to local communities, and battling corporate greed.

Could Democratic candidates, whose support among rural voters has waned considerably over the past two decades, regain some support utilizing these messages?

Big Takeaways

  • The survey suggests as many as 37% of rural voters are swing blue-collar voters who could be swayed by the certain policy proposals and messaging.
  • While partisanship remains strong among the rural electorate, voters were aligned on many of their chief concerns: affordable housing, the high cost of food, and corporate greed.
  • Three messaging points — lowering prices; bringing good-paying jobs to local communities; and a populist message focused on corporate greed — received such broad support that they rivaled voters’ agreement on core values like family and freedom.
  • President Joe Biden is viewed 18 points more unfavorably than Donald Trump, suggesting the Democratic Party has a lot of work ahead if they plan to move rural swing voters.

The Numbers

  • 51 percent of Democrats thought the economy was working well for them, compared to 17 percent of Republicans.
  • Respondents were asked to pick two issues from a list of 14 that were the most important for themselves and their families. The respondents could also choose “other,” “none,” or “not sure.
    • 54% chose the rising cost of living as one of their most important issues, followed by retirement and Social Security (25 percent), health care (19 percent), dysfunction in government (15 percent), and jobs and the economy (15 percent).
  • Respondents were asked to pick two concerns from a list of 11 that were the most important for themselves and their families. The respondents could also choose “other,” “none,” or “not sure.
    • 43% chose the rising cost of food as one of their most important issues, followed by rising gas prices (24 percent), rising energy costs (21 percent), rising housing costs (19 percent), and a lack of good-paying jobs (18 percent).

Click here to read the full report.

Integrating Mental Health Care into Primary Care Doesn’t Add to Costs

Posted on by kow5101

Penn Medicine and Independence Blue Cross have been studying a new billing code created to help healthcare providers address mental health issues since 2018. Their work previously showed that linking primary care and mental health services increased the number of patients receiving needed behavioral health care and led to mental health improvements. Their new research shows it doesn’t add costs. Read more.

The Commercial Price for Paxlovid Will be 100 Times Production Cost

Posted on by kow5101

Last week, drug maker Pfizer released that the commercial list price for its COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid will be $1,390 per treatment course. For comparison, earlier this year experts at Harvard University calculated the cost of producing a five-day treatment course of Paxlovid tablets to be only $13.38. Public health advocates are urging the Biden administration to force Pfizer to lower the price, noting that the Department of Health and Human Services has the legal authority to do so because Paxlovid was developed in part with federal funds. To date, the federal government has never used this authority, even though it has existed in law for more than 40 years.