Frail Older Adults Not Getting the In-Home Health Care They Need
Nov 15, 2018 - Highlights a recent study which found disparities between the need for home-based medical care and what is actually provided, between male and female patients, and between patients of different races. Specifically discusses access barriers to home health care in rural areas. The study found that rural residents were 78% less likely to receive home-based care than residents in the most metropolitan counties.
Source: Home Health Care News
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On National Rural Health Day, We Recommit to Improving Rural Health
Nov 15, 2018 - Blog post from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma on National Rural Health Day, the challenges and strengths in rural health, and CMS's contributions to rural health, including the agency's Rural Health Strategy.
Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Blog
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Rural Americans More Likely to Die from Preventable Causes
Nov 15, 2018 - Blog post from the National Conference of State Legislatures celebrating National Rural Health Day and drawing attention to rural health disparities. Although the country as a whole has seen declines in four of five leading causes of death, that decline is slower in rural areas. Rural people experience higher death rates from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke.
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures Blog
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Rural-Proofing: A Conversation with North Dakota’s Mylynn Tufte on National Rural Health Day
Nov 14, 2018 - Interview with a state health officer from North Dakota in recognition of National Rural Health Day. Discussion includes population health and social determinants of health, thinking about rural healthcare when creating policies, demand for healthcare workers, and more.
Source: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Supports Launch of New Rural Health Project with Texas A&M University
Nov 13, 2018 - Announces a project from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) and Texas A&M University Health Science Center (TAMHSC) that will identify and implement solutions to healthcare challenges facing rural and underserved communities in Texas. The project aims to improve access to healthcare and reduce disparities in health status and outcomes in rural communities in the state.
Source: Blue Cross Blue Shield
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CDC: Barriers to Participation in the NIOSH Coal Workers Health Surveillance Program Federal Register
Nov 13, 2018 - In an effort to improve participation in health screenings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Coal Worker's Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP) is seeking information from coal miners, their advocates, unions, and industry stakeholders about potential barriers to participation in the health screenings offered by the CWHSP. Comments are due by January 14, 2019.
Source: Federal Register
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CMS Announces New Medicaid Demonstration Opportunity to Expand Mental Health Treatment Services
Nov 13, 2018 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced existing and new opportunities for states to design innovative service delivery systems for adults with serious mental illness (SMI) and children with serious emotional disturbance (SED). This includes the ability for states to receive authority to pay for short-term resident treatment services in an institution for mental disease (IMD).
Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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For Some Rural Tennessee Hospitals, Sustainability Means Avoiding Repeat Customers
Nov 13, 2018 - Discusses how one rural Tennessee hospital has worked with home health agencies in the community to reduce readmissions. Also touches on the difficult balance of trying to keep patients out of the hospital without losing volume, especially because many rural hospitals are operating on a thin margin.
Source: Nashville Public Radio
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U.S. Department of Labor Provides National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant to Deliver Employment Services to Combat Opioid Addiction in Rural California
Nov 13, 2018 - The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) awarded a National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant (NHE DWG) to the California Department of Employment Development. This grant will provide employment services to those seeking careers in healthcare professions related to addiction, treatment, prevention, and pain management in rural counties in the state that have been most affected by the health and economic effects of opioid use, addiction, and overdose.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor
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UMass Amherst Researchers Battle Against Youth Suicide in Rural Alaska Native Communities
Nov 13, 2018 - Highlights a youth suicide prevention program that uses a community mobilization approach in 15 remote Alaska towns. Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide (PC CARES) aims to respectfully provide Alaska Native communities with a practical method for translating scientific research into culturally relevant ways to reduce suicide risk factors and increase safety, help-seeking and support. Rural Alaska Native youth suicide rates are up to 18 times higher than all American youth.
Source: News Medical
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