Nevada - Project ECHO: Antibiotic Stewardship
Supports an interaction platform with an infectious disease physician and clinical pharmacologists specializing in infectious diseases to help clinicians manage infectious disease patients and to provide evidence-based antibiotic stewardship by optimizing antibiotic usage in order to reduce resistance. Offers an opportunity for clinicians to present a COVID-19 patient case for review.
Date: 04/2021
Type: Tutorial/Training
Sponsoring organization: University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
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Colorado - COVID-19 Just-in-Time ECHO for Primary Care
An ongoing COVID-19 series offered three times a week by an interdisciplinary panel of public health, clinical, and pharmacotherapy experts. Provides COVID-19 updates on testing locations, availability and guidelines, false claims regarding medication management, challenges in primary care particularly related to telehealth, and discussion on de-identified patient cases.
Date: 04/2021
Type: Tutorial/Training
Sponsoring organization: Project ECHO Colorado
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FDA: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Information and guidance from the FDA related to COVID-19. Provides information on vaccines, diagnostics, personal protective equipment, and treatments, including information targeted to healthcare professionals.
Date: 04/2021
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Food and Drug Administration
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ASHP COVID-19 Resource Center
Resources to help pharmacists respond to COVID-19. Includes information on vaccination, treatment, and testing.
Date: 04/2021
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
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An Examination of Telehealth Policy Impacts on Initial Rural Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Patterns During the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Explores changes in the patterns of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in western North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic. Examines the impact of telehealth policy changes during the pandemic on the patient population seen for MOUD, access to MOUD services for rural patients, overall MOUD clinic volume, and changes to the provision of MOUD.
Author(s): Phillip M. Hughes, Genevieve Verrastro, Carriedelle Wilson Fusco, Courtenay Gilmore Wilson, Bayla Ostrach
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2021
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation. Contains information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medicare beneficiary healthcare access, mortality, and service use. Presents an option for Medicare's coverage of telehealth beyond the public health emergency.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Opioid and Substance Use Strategies for Critical Access Hospitals
Recording of a February 26, 2021, webinar discussing the role of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in addressing opioid and substance use disorders (O/SUDs) in local systems of care. Provides a framework to support CAH opioid and substance use initiatives. Highlights examples of O/SUD activities taken by CAHs and offers lessons learned.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 02/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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2021 Rural Advocacy Agenda
Outlines the American Hospital Association's federal policy priorities for rural hospitals in 2021. Offers recommendations in the areas of payment and reimbursement, care coordination, maternal and obstetric care, behavioral health, regulations, health information technology, workforce, and prescription drug prices.
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Rural, Suburban, and Urban Differences in Chronic Pain and Coping Among Adults in North Carolina: 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Uses data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to assess rural, suburban, and urban differences in chronic pain severity, causes, and coping mechanisms used by adults in North Carolina. Provides data and statistics on chronic pain by rurality, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and other characteristics.
Author(s): Ann P. Rafferty, Huabin Luo, Kathleen L. Egan, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 18
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
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Health System Challenges for Critical Access Hospitals: Findings from a National Survey of CAH Executives
Results of a 2019 survey of 174 respondents, examining challenges including uncompensated care, affordability of health insurance, patients seeking care beyond their local hospital, and prescription drug prices. Intended to help rural health policymakers in development of strategies to maintain Critical Access Hospital viability and access to healthcare in rural communities.
Author(s): Sharita Thomas, Kristie Thompson, Kathleen Knocke, George Pink
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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