RHIhub This Week - January 6, 2021
Share how rural communities and healthcare providers are innovating to provide COVID-19 vaccination. Please email your examples to Kristine Sande at kristine@ruralhealthinfo.org with the subject line: COVID-19 Innovations. Innovations addressing other aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic are also welcome for inclusion in the Rural COVID-19 Innovations section.
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Do you have a passion for telling engaging and authentic visual/audio stories about people making a difference? Join the Rural Health Information Hub team as our Digital Storyteller, a new role focused on video and podcast production. Apply online by January 15, 2021.
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Jan 5, 2021 -- Features the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) and their efforts to keep rural water-treatment employees healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic so local communities could continue to access potable water. Through a partnership, RCAP provided 105,000 N95 masks to water, wastewater, and solid waste treatment facilities in rural and tribal areas. Source: The Daily Yonder 'Last Responders' Brace for Surge in COVID Deaths Across US Jan 4, 2021 -- Discusses how the increase in COVID-related deaths has overwhelmed "last responders," or workers at morgues and funeral homes. Describes how funerals and grieving rituals have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically for Native communities who have been among the hardest hit with COVID illnesses and deaths. Source: Kaiser Health News Its Freezer Kaput, This NorCal Hospital Had Two Hours to Give out 600 Vaccine Shots Jan 4, 2021 -- At a hospital in Northern California, a freezer that held 830 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine stopped working and medical staff had two hours to use them before they would no longer be viable. Details how medical professionals quickly distributed all of the doses to the county jail and the local community. Source: Los Angeles Times Meet the Nurse Who's Running a Texas COVID-19 Clinic All on Her Own Jan 4, 2021 -- Features a nurse practitioner that manages the only health clinic in northern rural Grimes County, Texas, highlights her efforts to overcome challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and keep the clinic open. Describes how federal relief funding and temporary telehealth provisions helped her continue operations. Source: Popular Science Telemedicine is Sweeping Puerto Rico, and It's Here to Stay Jan 4, 2021 -- Examines how Puerto Rico is benefitting from the expansion of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in rural communities with limited access to healthcare. Discusses how the pandemic and recent earthquakes have made it more difficult to access care, but telemedicine allows patients to seek care from wherever they are. Source: Direct Relief When Teachers Brought Free Lunch to Kids amid COVID-19, They Saw Poverty up Close Jan 3, 2021 -- In some rural school districts where teachers and administrators volunteered to deliver food to needy families during the COVID-19 outbreak, educators encountered poverty firsthand. Highlights federal programs that helped families pay for groceries and the continued efforts by school districts across the country to ensure students did not go hungry. Source: USA Today Doctor Drives Three Hours to Get COVID-19 Vaccine to Rural Michigan Hospital Dec 30, 2020 -- Features a doctor who drove almost three hours to deliver a cooler holding 130 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to a hospital in rural Michigan. Smaller hospitals and facilities face challenges receiving and storing the vaccines, but the vaccines bring hope to healthcare workers who have been fighting the disease for months. Source: CNN Federal RegisterGAO: Request for Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) NominationsJan 4, 2021 -- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is accepting nominations for appointment to the Medicaid CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Appointments are effective May 2021. Letters of nomination and resumes are due by January 26, 2021. Source: Federal Register IHS: Reimbursement Rates for Calendar Year 2021 Dec 31, 2020 -- Notice from the Indian Health Service (IHS) announcing the calendar year 2021 reimbursement rates for inpatient and outpatient care provided to Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal program beneficiaries by IHS facilities. The updated rates apply to all qualifying services provided on or after January 1, 2021. Source: Federal Register |
Grants for organizations that work to meet the needs of ill and injured veterans and their families. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jan 29, 2021 Sponsor: Disabled American Veterans Grants for Expansion and Sustainability of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances Supports the operation, expansion, and integration of Systems of Care intended to increase the provision and availability of mental health services to children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: Feb 5, 2021 Sponsors: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Grants for fire departments, EMS organizations, and fire academies for equipment, training, personnel wellness programs, capital funding, and collaboration/regional communication efforts. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories Application Deadline: Feb 12, 2021 Sponsors: Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Dental Trade Alliance (DTA) Foundation Grant Funding for innovative projects designed to increase access to oral healthcare. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories Letter of Intent (Required): Feb 12, 2021 Application Deadline: May 20, 2021 Sponsor: Dental Trade Alliance Foundation Grants to Prevent Prescription Drug/Opioid Overdose-Related Deaths Provides funding to states, U.S. territories, and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa that receive the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant to reduce the number of prescription drug and opioid overdose-related deaths and adverse events among individuals 18 years of age and older. Geographic coverage: Eligibility is limited to states, U.S. territories, pacific jurisdictions, and tribal entities that receive the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block grants. Application Deadline: Mar 1, 2021 Sponsors: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Rural Health Care Telecommunications Program Assistance to healthcare providers for eligible expenses related to telecommunications and voice services for the use of telemedicine and telehealth. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Apr 1, 2021 Sponsor: Universal Service Administrative Company Rural Healthcare Connect Fund Provides assistance to healthcare providers for eligible expenses related to broadband connectivity at a flat discounted rate of 65%. Participants can apply as a member of a consortium or a stand-alone entity. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Apr 1, 2021 Sponsor: Universal Service Administrative Company Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional Course A course designed to teach directors, clinic administrators, and other Rural Health Clinic leaders how to operate a successful Rural Health Clinic. Upon course completion and the attainment of an 80% or higher exam score, participants will earn certification. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Applications accepted on an ongoing basis Sponsor: National Association of Rural Health Clinics Summer Food Service Program Funding to provide free, nutritious meals and snacks to help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need during the summer months. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Applications accepted on an ongoing basis Sponsors: U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Food and Nutrition Service |
Collection of over 160 community-based program models, data and mapping information, and other resources for communities to reduce opioid addiction and overdose. Program models cover prevention, harm recovery, recovery, and treatment, and can be filtered by setting to select rural-specific examples. Sponsoring organization: Opioid Policy Research Collaborative The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Could Improve Its Wage Index Adjustment for Hospitals in Areas With the Lowest Wages Analyzes characteristics of hospitals with area wage indexes (AWI) in the bottom quartile in 2020, including rurality, geography, Medicaid expansion status, and hourly wages. Provides an overview of the hospital wage index system and AWI, circularity, and the impact of these policies on prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals. Offers policy recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding future adjustments. Additional links: Full Data Brief Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS) Date: 12/2020 Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Calls/Webinars Up-to-date guidance for clinicians from subject matter experts on key emergency preparedness and response topics. Many recent calls are focused on COVID-19 vaccination and related concerns. Slides and webinar recordings for past COCA calls are available. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Date: 12/2020 Collecting Early Childhood Obesity Measurements Through a Home Visiting Program: A Proof-of-Concept Study Describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a proof-of-concept protocol for collecting data on weight and length/height of children aged 6 months to 5 years through existing home visiting programs in rural and urban areas of South Carolina, Texas, Illinois, and Florida. Features a measurement checklist for parent educators and discusses implications for public health, such as obesity prevention. Author(s): Julie Kapp, Brian Hall, Allison Kemner Location: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17 Date: 12/2020 The Coronavirus Pandemic Highlights Why Family Caregivers Need to Be Integrated into the Health Care Team and Shows Us How to Make It Happen Describes the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on family caregiving. Identifies approaches to help integrate family members into care teams. Discusses the use of telehealth, virtual visits, and other digital technology such as patient portals which can include family caregivers. Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation Date: 01/2021 COVID-19 CISA (Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment) Clinical Consultation Healthcare providers and health departments in the U.S. can request a consultation for a complex COVID-19 vaccine safety question that is (1) about an individual patient residing in the U.S. or vaccine safety issue and (2) not readily addressed by CDC or Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices guidelines. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Date: 12/2020 COVID-19 Response Practices in Transit Provides descriptions and examples of practices implemented by rural, tribal, and urban transit agencies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes discussion on practices for protecting passengers and workers; cleaning, disinfecting, and ventilating vehicles and infrastructure; operational considerations; passenger communications; and technology and innovation. Sponsoring organization: National Rural Transit Assistance Program Date: 01/2021 Diagnosing and Managing Mild TBI in Rural Kids Discusses the challenges of diagnosing and treating pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in rural areas. Covers recommendations and rules for computerized tomography (CT) scans and symptom assessment, recovery and support for patients, educational resources for patients and families, and telemedicine as an option that increases access to follow-up care for mTBI. Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association Date: 01/2021 How Does DATA-Waiver Provider Patient Capacity Relate to Opioid and Buprenorphine Prescribing? Explores if regulatory changes to increase the patient capacity among buprenorphine waivered providers effects buprenorphine and opioids prescription rates at the county-level. Compares prescription rates by metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties. Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Date: 12/2020 Innovative COVID-19 Programs to Rapidly Serve New Mexico: Project ECHO Details an evaluation of 10 different telementoring programs created by Project ECHO to address the COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico. Compares the attendance data and infection data by county. Explores lessons learned and discusses Project ECHO's potential role in future crises. Author(s): Joanna G. Katzman, Laura E. Tomedi, Karla Thornton, et al. Location: Public Health Reports, 136(1), 39-46 Date: 11/2020 Medicare Severe Wound Care: Spending Declines May Reflect Site of Care Changes; Limited Information Is Available on Quality Reports on an analysis of where Medicare beneficiaries received care for severe wounds in 2018 and Medicare payment for these services. Provides an overview of the implementation of a dual payment system for long-term care hospitals in 2016, and examines how the dual payment system affected the availability and quality of severe wound care for Medicare beneficiaries. Includes data on severe wound care by facility type in addition to Medicare spending by urban and rural location. Additional links: Full Report Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office Date: 01/2021 Synergistic Disparities and Public Health Mitigation of COVID-19 in the Rural United States Describes how public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic emphasize racial, economic, and geographic disparities, especially among rural and poor populations. Covers public health mitigation measures, including disease surveillance, physical distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene, and public health communication. Discusses the ethical demands of public health practice during and following a public health emergency. Author(s): Kata Chillag, Lisa Lee Location: Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 17(4), 649-656 Date: 11/2020 Water Safety in California Public Schools Following Implementation of School Drinking Water Policies Study examining results from a California testing program created to detect lead in charter and public school drinking water. Analyzes factors associated with access to safe drinking water, including differences between rural and urban schools. Features data and statistics indicating whether school water systems were compliant with health standards and whether school drinking water was tested for lead. Author(s): Isioma Umunna, Lauren Blacker, Christina Hecht, et al. Location: Preventing Chronic Disease, 18 Date: 12/2020 |
Deadline: Jan 29, 2021 Colorado Rural Health Center Event Dates: Apr 7 - 9, 2021 Conference Website Call for Proposals: 2021 16th Annual Tribal Leader/Scholar Forum Deadline: Feb 5, 2021 National Congress of American Indians Policy Research Center Event Dates: Jun 20 - 24, 2021 Anchorage, AK Conference Website |
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Tell Us How RHIhub Has Impacted YouThe Rural Health Information Hub is seeking your comments on how our services have helped you in your efforts to improve healthcare and population health in rural communities. Have the RHIhub services helped you to stay informed, get a grant, find the proper federal agency contact or other expert, or otherwise changed your life?Please send an email telling how RHIhub has impacted you to kristine@ruralhealthinfo.org. Your stories may be used in testimony, budget documents and presentations concerning the Rural Health Information Hub. |