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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Provider Bridge
Connects healthcare professionals with state agencies and healthcare entities to increase access to care for patients in rural and underserved communities, and assists in mobilizing volunteer healthcare professionals during public health emergencies.
Sponsoring organization: Federation of State Medical Boards
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CMS Nursing Home Resource Center
Provides information for nursing home providers and CMS partners on regulations and guidance, training and resources, technical information, payment policy, and recent COVID-19 data and related policies. Includes resources and guidance for people in nursing home and their caregivers.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Well Water in Rural Communities: Improving the Safety of Federally Unregulated Private Wells
Provides links to guides, case studies, and other tools that state and local public health agencies can use to implement policy, system, and environmental changes to improve water quality in private wells, especially those in rural communities.
Sponsoring organization: ChangeLab Solutions
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Telemedicine for Health Equity Toolkit
Toolkit providing information and guidance for safety-net healthcare systems on telemedicine program development and implementation. Includes sections with information for leadership, providers and teams, and considerations for reaching rural and underserved populations to address health disparities. Toolkit will be regularly updated to reflect regulatory changes and insights from healthcare administrators.
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Care Innovations, Commonwealth Fund, UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations
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Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model
Provides information on a CMS model that permitted ambulance care teams to use alternate models of emergency healthcare, such as telehealth treatment and transport to alternative destinations, to improve quality and lower costs of care. Rural Medicare-enrolled suppliers or hospital-based ambulance providers without current medical dispatch and/or telehealth were eligible to participate. Concluded December 31, 2023.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Pennsylvania Rural Health Model
Provides information on a joint CMS and the Pennsylvania Department of Health model designed to improve the financial viability of rural Pennsylvania hospitals and reduce the growth of hospital expenditures across payers, including Medicare. Includes information on participating hospitals and details about the performance period and model targets.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Indian Health Service: Sexual Abuse Prevention
Features news, policies, and trainings regarding the prevention of sexual abuse in Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities. Details policies to oversee patient safety in healthcare settings.
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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Nurse Practitioner State Practice Environment
Interactive map providing an overview of nurse practitioner (NP) licensure for all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories. Shows states and territories in which NPs are permitted full, reduced, or restricted practice, and provides definitions of these terms.
Sponsoring organization: American Association of Nurse Practitioners
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CMS Open Door Forum Podcast and Transcripts
Provides audio recordings and transcripts of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Door Forum calls since January 2020, including the Rural Health Open Door Forums.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Telehealth.HHS.gov
Features information about U.S. government efforts to support and promote telehealth services, including information on how to start a telehealth program, billing and reimbursement, and policy. Includes links to toolkits and resources on behavioral health, maternal health, training and workforce development, and more.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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