While major cities have been hit hard by the coronavirus, health care workers in rural areas are also facing long shifts and limited supplies on the front line of COVID-19. In particular, rural facilities are struggling with a lack of personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks, N95 respirators, gowns, and face shields, with many stakeholders concerned that rural medical providers seem to have been left out of the supply chain. To help maximize the health care workforce, CMS recently unveiled new health care workforce flexibilities that will allow hospitals to quickly and virtually expand their staff and use them the most efficient way possible. Additionally, a recording of a Rural Health Information Hub presentation on critical care and pulmonary management updates from the COVID-19 frontlines is available on demand.
