News Archive

News from the past 15-90 days.

$21 Million Fed Grant to Boost Fla. Health Centers
May 4, 2012 -- Wink News Now, (FL) article reports that community health centers around Florida will receive $21 million in federal grants under the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced this week.

Alabama to Get $2M for Community Health Centers
May 4, 2012 -- CBS 42.com, (AL) article reports that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that community health centers in Alabama will be getting $2,000,000 in grants, due to the health care law - the Affordable Care Act.

CommuniCare Receives $5M Grant to Build New a Woodland Facility
May 4, 2012 -- Daily Democrat, (CA) article reports that the Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $5 million in funding CommuniCare Health Centers to build a new facility in Woodland that will consolidate all of the services they provide currently in two outdated sites into one larger site. They estimate they will be able to serve over 2,000 additional patients in the first year of the new health center.

Finding the Broadband Pipes for Rural Telemedicine     Top Story 
May 4, 2012 -- TechTarget article reports that at this year's American Telemedicine Association's annual meeting, many new topics governed the conversation, such as how remote patient care via live video streams will fit into accountable care organizations and their patient-centered medical homes. But an old topic, getting rural telemedicine practitioners access to broadband pipes that will support this mode of care, lingers on.

Illinois Health Centers to Receive $9.5M in Grants
May 4, 2012 -- Illinois health care centers are receiving nearly $9.5 million in grants made possible by the national health care overhaul.

Med Schools Boost Enrollment, but Residency Slots Threatened     Top Story 
May 4, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article tells how the nation's medical schools are on track to boost enrollment 30% by 2016, but they may not have residency slots available for all of their new graduates, the Association of American Medical Colleges reports.

NCW Clinics Get Obamacare Funding
May 4, 2012 -- Wennatchee World, (WA) article reports that two regional community health centers have been awarded federal grants under the Affordable Care Act — popularly called “Obamacare” — to expand installations and buy equipment, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced Tuesday.

Notice of Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless     Federal Register 
May 4, 2012 -- This notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for use to assist the homeless.
Learn more about: Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless

Nurses Shining Exception to Public's Dim View of Healthcare     Top Story 
May 4, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that in a Gallup poll done last summer the healthcare industry ranked near the bottom in terms of popularity, but one bright spot is nursing, which the Gallup Poll consistently ranks as the most honest and ethical profession.

Rural Health Services gets $5M Grant
May 4, 2012 -- Aiken Standard, (SC) article reports that Rural Health Services Inc. is the recipient of a $5 million government grant, which will be used to build a new community health center on the north side of Aiken.

Secretary Sebelius Statement in Honor of National Nurses Week 2012
May 4, 2012 -- In this document Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius makes a statement in honor of National Nurses Week.

Senate Ag Committee Gets Ball Rolling by Passing its Farm Bill     Top Story 
May 4, 2012 -- Agri-View article gives details of the Farm Bill that the U.S. Senate Ag Committee passed by a 12-5 vote last week.

Texas Gets More than $61M for Health Centers
May 4, 2012 -- Associated Press article via Yahoo News reports that Texas has been awarded more than $61 million in federal grants to support community health centers.

Three Southern Health Care Centers get Federal Funding
May 4, 2012 -- Register - Herald, (WV) article reports that three health care facilities in southern West Virginia landed federal dollars enabling them to expand.

White House Makes $1.9 Billion Bet: Oregon Can Fix Health Care     Top Story 
May 4, 2012 -- Washington Post, (DC) article reports that the Obama administration made a $1.9 billion bet that Oregon can dramatically reduce health costs in an unprecedented way, by conducting a pilot program using the Accountable Care Organization model for its Medicaid program.

Community Connect Grant Program; Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels     Federal Register 
May 3, 2012 -- The Rural Utilities Service, announces its Community Connect Grant Program application window to provide grants that to provide financial assistance in the form of grants to eligible applicants that will provide currently unserved areas, on a “community-oriented connectivity” basis, with broadband service that fosters economic growth and delivers enhanced educational, health care, and public safety services.
Learn more about: Community Connect Broadband Grant Program

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Healthcare Facility Documents: Proposed Revisions and Updates and Notice of Information Collection; Comment Request     Federal Register 
May 3, 2012 -- Comments are being requested by the Department of Housing and Urban Development on a comprehensive set of closing and other documents used in connection with transactions involving healthcare facilities (excluding hospitals) that are insured pursuant to section 232 of the National Housing Act (Section 232).

Household Water Well System Grant Program; Announcement of Application Deadlines and Funding     Federal Register 
May 3, 2012 -- USDA Rural Development announces the availability of grants from the Household Water Well System Grant Program to qualified private non-profit organizations to establish lending programs to construct or repair household water wells for an existing home.
Learn more about: Household Water Well System Grant Program

Medicaid Program; State Plan Home and Community-Based Services, 5-Year Period for Waivers, Provider Payment Reassignment, and Setting Requirements for Community First Choice; Correction     Federal Register 
May 3, 2012 -- This document from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services corrects a technical error that appeared in the proposed rule published elsewhere in this Federal Register today entitled “Medicaid Program; State Plan Home and Community-Based Services, 5-Year Period for Waivers, Provider Payment Reassignment, and Setting Requirements for Community First Choice.”

Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 107 Individuals for Approximately $452 Million in False Billing     Top Story 
May 3, 2012 -- Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder announced yesterday that a nationwide takedown by Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in seven cities has resulted in charges against 107 individuals, including doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $452 million in false billing.

National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality: Request for Nominations for Public Members     Federal Register 
May 3, 2012 -- The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is requesting nominations for public members of the council to advise the Secretary of HHS and the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) on matters related to activities of the Agency to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.

National Study: “Heavy” Marijuana Use Up 80 Percent Among Teens
May 3, 2012 -- Office of National Drug Control Policy tells of a study that found that marijuana use among teens in 2011 rose over the preceding three years, with an especially sharp rise in past-month, heavy use (i.e., 20 or more times in the past 30 days) of the drug.

Online Medicare Enrollment Expanded to Dialysis Facilities, Rural Health Clinics     Top Story 
May 3, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that end-stage renal disease facilities, federal qualified health centers and rural health clinics can now submit or update their Medicare enrollment online.

Proposed Rule: Comment Request; Medicaid Program; State Plan Home and Community-Based Services, 5-Year Period for Waivers, Provider Payment Reassignment, and Setting Requirements for Community First Choice     Federal Register 
May 3, 2012 -- This proposed rule with comment request from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would revise Medicaid regulations to define and describe State plan home and community-based services. It also offers States new flexibility in providing necessary and appropriate services to elderly and disabled populations, provider payment reassignment, and setting requirements for community first choice

Proposed Rule; Comment Request; Federal Housing Administration (FHA): Section 232 Healthcare Facility Insurance Program-Strengthening Accountability and Regulatory Revisions Update     Federal Register 
May 3, 2012 -- Comments are being requested by the Department Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for revising regulations applicable to, and closing documents used in, FHA insurance of regulations governing insurance of healthcare facilities (nursing homes, intermediate care facilities, board and care homes, and assisted-living facilities.) This rule proposes amendments to update HUD's Section 232 regulations, to reflect current policy and practices, and to improve accountability and strengthen risk management.

Researcher Looks at Glass Half-Full in Rural Study
May 3, 2012 -- Kansas City Nursing News article tells of a study done by a University of Kansas School of Nursing student, as part of her doctoral program, that researched the positive aspects in a rural health care setting.

Senate Seeks Proposals for Improving Health Care Program Integrity Efforts     Top Story 
May 3, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that six members of the Senate Finance Committee yesterday asked health care providers and others to submit their ideas for improving Medicare and Medicaid program integrity efforts.

The ReUse Center: It All Comes Back Around     Top Story 
May 3, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article tells how the village of Chamisal, New Mexico, is working hard, and unconventionally, to take charge of its waste.

U.S. Spends Far More for Health Care Than 12 Industrialized Nations, but Quality Varies     Top Story 
May 3, 2012 -- The United States spends more on health care than 12 other industrialized countries yet does not provide "notably superior" care, according to a new study from The Commonwealth Fund.

USDA Invites Applications for Grants to Provide Broadband Service to Remote Rural Communities     Top Story 
May 3, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is accepting applications through the Community Connect Broadband program for grants to provide broadband service to residents of remote, rural communities.
Learn more about: Community Connect Broadband Grant Program

Arizona's New KidsCare to Help Thousands
May 2, 2012 -- Arizona Republic article reports that A new version of Arizona's children's health-insurance program opened Tuesday and eventually will cover nearly 22,000 low-income kids.

CMS to Cover New Technology for Medicare Patients with Heart Valve Damage
May 2, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that they will now cover transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for Medicare patients under certain conditions.

Dept. of Health and Human Services Announces Mo. Health Care Grants
May 2, 2012 -- KOMU News, (MO) article reports that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced more than $10 million in new grants awarded to Missouri community health centers due to the Affordable Care Act.

Fed Push: Recruit, Retain Rural Doctors     Top Story 
May 2, 2012 -- Times-Reporter, (OH) article gives details of the White House Rural Council Rural Health Stakeholders Meeting that was held in Washington, D.C. this week.

Feds Give Nevada $500,000 for Rural Health Centers
May 2, 2012 -- KTVN Reno article reports that Nevada is getting nearly half a million dollars for its community health centers as part of a federal grant through the health care reform law.

Grant Money Helps Local Clinic Reach Rural Patients
May 2, 2012 -- KOMU News, (MO) article reports that the Family Health Center of Boone County in Columbia will receive $2,573,997 from the Capital Development-Building Capacity Program that will build a family health center and dentist's office in the rural community of Marceline.

Health Care Practitioners Short in Supply in Rural Communities
May 2, 2012 -- MPR News, (MN) article reports that rural health leaders from Minnesota told White House officials Tuesday that their communities not only face shortages of nurses and doctors, but of many other health care workers as well.

HHS Announces $10.4 Million to Enhance Rural Health Care     Top Story 
May 2, 2012 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced that rural health providers across the nation will receive more than $10.4 million to provide direct health care services to their communities through Rural Health Services Outreach Grants.

HUD Awards $56 Million in Grants to Promote Affordable Housing and Economic Development in Native American Communities     Top Story 
May 2, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded more than $56 million to 76 tribal communities throughout the nation to improve housing conditions, promote community development and to spur local economies with construction projects and jobs.

Idaho Clinics Granted Almost $10 Million in Grants from the New Health Care Law for Community Health Centers
May 2, 2012 -- KIVI-TV, (ID) article reports that the U.S. Health and Human Services has announced $9,642,221 in grants awarded to community health centers in Idaho due to the Affordable Care Act.

In Massachusetts, Hope for Higher Salaries if Health Care Inflation Slows
May 2, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that Massachusetts' state legislators put the finishing touches on a major health care cost-control bill, but there is still one big question: How much could it save? A recent report claims employers and employees could see between $8 billion and $34.5 billion in savings over nine years.

Indiana Gets $5.8M in Health Care Grants
May 2, 2012 -- MSNBC article reports that Indiana will get $5,867,930 in grants from the new health care law for its community health centers.

Nearly $10 Million in Grants will Help Augusta Area Health Clinics
May 2, 2012 -- Augusta Chronicle, (GA) article reports that two clinics that serve the needy in the Augusta area are getting nearly $10 million to renovate or construct new buildings.

Rural Areas to Receive Broadband Internet
May 2, 2012 -- Maryville Daily Forum, (MO) article tells how members of the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments and MoBroadbandNow met this week to discuss plans to beef up the area's broadband infrastructure.

Rural Incomes Grow Faster Than Nation     Top Story 
May 2, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article reports that per capita income in rural America is still only 80 percent of the national average, but from 2009 to 2010, gains in rural counties were faster than the nation as a whole.

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Solicitation of Comments     Federal Register 
May 2, 2012 -- This notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration solicits comments on Parts A through F of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.

Santa Cruz, Watsonville Health Centers to get Nearly $8 Million
May 2, 2012 -- Santa Cruz Sentinel, (CA) article reports that Santa Cruz health centers will receive nearly $8 million to expand service to thousands of uninsured, immigrant and other needy patients, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday.

$18 for A Baby Aspirin? Hospitals Hike Costs for Everyday Drugs for Some Patients     Top Story 
May 1, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article warns consumers of a circumstance that excludes thousands of patients every year from full Medicare coverage when they are hospitalized under observation status.

Electronic-Records Goals Aren’t Met by 80% of U.S. Hospitals     Top Story 
May 1, 2012 -- Bloomberg News article reports that more than 80 percent of hospitals have yet to achieve the requirements for the first stage of a $14.6 billion U.S. program to encourage doctors to adopt electronic medical records, the industry’s largest trade group said.

Health Care Law Helps Community Health Centers Build, Renovate Facilities, Serve More Patients     Top Story 
May 1, 2012 -- New funding of more than $728 million from the Affordable Care Act will help build and expand community health centers, create jobs, and expand access to an additional 860,000 patients, according to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Some Insurers Deny ER Coverage to People Who Have Been Drinking     Top Story 
May 1, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use and that can derail hospitals' best intentions, experts say.

The Opportunities Now in Rural America     Top Story 
May 1, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how it will take many different pieces to complete the puzzle of providing a sufficient skilled workforce in rural America.

AAFP Honors Top 10 Medical Schools for Contributions to Family Medicine Workforce     Top Story 
Apr 30, 2012 -- AAFP News Now article reports that ten allopathic medical schools that have contributed the most to the pipeline of family physicians were honored when the American Academy of Family Physicians presented its Top Ten Awards during the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Spring Conference.

Affordable Care Act Saved People on Medicare Over $3.4 Billion on Prescription Drugs     Top Story 
Apr 30, 2012 -- Due to the Affordable Care Act, seniors and people with disabilities with Medicare have saved a total of $3.4 billion on prescription drugs from the enactment of the law through March of 2012, according to recently released data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Ashland, Kan., has a New Model for Rural Medicine
Apr 30, 2012 -- Wichita Eagle, (KS) article tells of a unique physician recruiting program in Kansas where a rural hospital’s young, innovative administrator, created a recruiting model based not on financial reward but on paid time off for volunteer and mission work.

Child Labor Rule Shelved     Top Story 
Apr 30, 2012 -- DTN/The Progressive Farmer article reports that the Labor Department has announced it would withdraw its controversial proposed rule dealing with children who work on farms and would not pursue its revision as long as President Barack Obama is in office.

Farmer’s Union Hopes to Lower Costs Via Health Insurance Co-op
Apr 30, 2012 -- Colorado Public News article tells how the Farmers Union is seeking to do for healthcare what it has done successfully for milk, livestock and equipment: Form a co-op.

North Dakota's 85 and Older Population Presents Challenges
Apr 30, 2012 -- In-Forum, (ND) article tells of a growing segment of North Dakota’s population, what the U.S. Census calls the “oldest old,” defined as those 85 and older. The 2010 Census revealed that North Dakota has the second-highest proportion of oldest old in the nation, at 2.48 percent of the total state population.

Poverty on the Plains - Report Finds Poverty in Rural Areas Higher than Urban Centers     Top Story 
Apr 30, 2012 -- The Center for Rural Affairs has released a report that challenges many conventional assumptions about where poverty and food insecurity exists in the central United States.

Rural Hospitals Provide Better Value     Top Story 
Apr 30, 2012 -- According to data released by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), small, rural hospitals nationally have equal or better quality outcomes, and cost less per Medicare beneficiary than their urban counterparts.

Your Kids Know About the Delta Project, Do You?
Apr 30, 2012 -- Surfky (KY) article tells of a little known program administered through the Trover Health System has been educating and assisting area youth for more than a decade.

Kansas Lawmakers to Debate who Can Pull Baby Teeth
Apr 28, 2012 -- Baltimore Sun, (MD) article tells of a debate that is going on in the Kansas legislature with one group that advocates child healthcare pushing legislation to allow dental practitioners to fill teeth and remove baby teeth, along with teeth cleaning that dental hygienists already provide.

HHS Announces New Affordable Care Act Options for Community Based Care     Top Story 
Apr 27, 2012 -- New opportunities in Medicaid and Medicare that will allow people to more easily receive care and services in their communities rather than being admitted to a hospital or nursing home were announced yesterday by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Changes in Provider and Supplier Enrollment, Ordering and Referring, and Documentation Requirements; and Changes in Provider Agreements; Final Rule     Federal Register 
Apr 27, 2012 -- This final rule from CMS requires all providers of medical or other items or services and suppliers that qualify for a National Provider Identifier (NPI) to include their NPI on all applications to enroll in the Medicare and Medicaid programs and on all claims for payment submitted under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In addition, it requires physicians and other professionals who are permitted to order and certify covered items and services for Medicare beneficiaries to be enrolled in Medicare. Finally, it mandates document retention and provision requirements on providers and supplier that order and certify items and services for Medicare beneficiaries.

New Web Videonovela Series Helps Spanish speaking Patients Compare Treatments for Diabetes
Apr 27, 2012 -- The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is offering a new Spanish-language videonovela, Aprende a vivir (Learn to Live), that features messages to help diabetes patients compare their treatment options to find a regimen that works best for them.

Notice of Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless     Federal Register 
Apr 27, 2012 -- This notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for use to assist the homeless.
Learn more about: Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless

Poor, Sick and Expensive: Colorado's Scaled-Down Medicaid Expansion
Apr 27, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that Colorado has an indigent care program that helps charity clinics and hospitals cover bills, but that's starting to change as Colorado is adding people to its rolls for Medicaid, the state and federal health program for the poor and disabled.

Rebates for Those Who Bought Their Own Insurance to Average $127 Per Person     Top Story 
Apr 27, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News brings together a variety of articles discussing how millions of consumers and small businesses will receive an estimated $1.3 billion in rebates from their health plans this summer under a provision of the health care law that requires insurance companies to pay refunds if they don't spend a high enough percentage of premium dollars on health care costs.

Vermillion-Parke Mobile Health Center to Deliver Services to Children in Area School Corporations
Apr 27, 2012 -- MDwise, (IN) article reports that the Vermillion-Parke Community Health Center's mobile School-Based Health Center is slated to open in August 2012. The mobile health center will help to reduce health care disparities, enhance continuity of care and empower the area's homeless and vulnerable populations to become more self-sustaining.

Wanted: Mavericks and Missionaries to Solve Mississippi's Doc Shortage     Top Story 
Apr 27, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article tells of a Mississippi physician recruitment program that offers students a $30,000 scholarship that covers all the expenses of medical school, if they agree to go back into practice in a rural area for four years after they graduate. But there is a catch: Students must originally come from a small rural town far from health care.

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Support for Small, Socially Disadvantaged Agricultural Producers and Cooperatives to Create Jobs, Boost Local Economies     Top Story 
Apr 26, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is accepting grant applications to assist small, socially disadvantaged agricultural producers and cooperatives in rural areas to spur job creation.

Bill Signed into Law to Establish Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce, Advisory Board
Apr 26, 2012 -- The Republic, (IN) article reports that a new Mississippi law aims to bring more physicians to the state by creating the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce within the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Commission of Leading Experts Unveils Plan to Improve Care for Chronically Ill Patients and Reduce Health Spending By $184 Billion Over the Next Decade     Top Story 
Apr 26, 2012 -- Noting the "unprecedented opportunity" provided under the Affordable Care Act, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, and other recently enacted federal laws, the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System today unveiled a community-based plan to enhance health and reduce spending by improving care for chronically ill patients and targeting quality improvement efforts to conditions that can yield the greatest benefit in a relatively short time.

Hurry – Don't Miss Out on Early Bird Registration Fees for the 2012 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health!
Apr 26, 2012 -- The Center for Rural Health announces that Early Bird Registration for the 2012 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health ends April 29.

Office of Rural Health Policy Releases the 2012 Community Paramedicine Evaluation Tool     Top Story 
Apr 26, 2012 -- HRSA’s Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) is pleased to announce the release of the 2012 Community Paramedicine Evaluation Tool that is intended to be used to evaluate Community Paramedicine programs in a standardized manner.

Postal Rescue Passes Senate     Top Story 
Apr 26, 2012 -- Wall Street Journal article reports that the Senate approved a bill that would avert closings of post offices and distribution centers for two years and continue Saturday mail delivery.

SAMHSA Releases Mental Health, United States 2010 Report
Apr 26, 2012 -- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released Mental Health, United States, 2010 a new report that includes mental health statistics at the national and State levels from 35 different data sources.

Small, Rural Health Providers Lag in EHR Adoption, Studies Find     Top Story 
Apr 26, 2012 -- iHealthBeat article reports that electronic health record adoption rates are rising faster among large physician groups and hospitals than among small, rural health care providers, according to two new studies published in the journal Health Affairs.

Tracking Rural's Population Gains     Top Story 
Apr 26, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article reports that rural America’s population increased slightly from July 2010 to July of 2011, but most rural counties lost population according to the most recent data released by the Census Bureau.

Warren Buffett's Son Tackles Hunger in Rural America     Top Story 
Apr 26, 2012 -- CBS News article reports that Howard Buffett has announced a new partnership to feed the needy with the food processing giant Archer Daniels Midland and Feeding America, a national hunger charity.

What Happened in Our History Books?     Top Story 
Apr 26, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article tells of a study done of textbooks over the past 50 years that found that high school students increasingly are being taught that rural America is a deprived and lonely place.

Announcement of Small, Socially-Disadvantaged Producer Grant (SSDPG) Application Deadlines in Fiscal Year 2012     Top Story      Federal Register 
Apr 25, 2012 -- The Rural Business-Cooperative Service announces the availability of approximately $3 million in competitive grant funds for the FY 2012 SSDPG program to fund technical assistance to small, socially-disadvantaged agricultural producers in rural areas.
Learn more about: Small, Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grant Program

Health Care Law Protects Against Fraud, Saves Nearly $1.6 Billion     Top Story 
Apr 25, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a final rule yesterday that prevents fraud in Medicare and is estimated to save taxpayers nearly $1.6 billion over 10 years.

Medicare Proposed Payment Rule would Promote Improved Inpatient Care     Top Story 
Apr 25, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) yesterday issued a proposed rule that would update Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient stays to general acute care hospitals paid under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) paid under the LTCH Prospective Payment System (PPS).

Pharmacists Included in Loan Repayment Program     Top Story 
Apr 25, 2012 -- American Pharmacists Association article reports that pharmacists are now included in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP), which gives grants to states to operate their own loan repayment programs for primary care providers in medically underserved areas.

RAC Webinar: The Role of Leadership in the EHR Project: What Rural Leaders Need to Know     Top Story 
Apr 25, 2012 -- The Rural Assistance Center (RAC) is offering a free webinar on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. The topic is how hospital leadership is critical when implementing electronic information systems, particularly in rural and critical access hospitals.

Rural Post Offices May Get Reprieve     Top Story 
Apr 25, 2012 -- STLtoday.com, (MO) article reports that rural post offices on the chopping block would get a reprieve for another year if Congress continues its rare display of compromise in overhauling Postal Service operations.

VA Adding Family Therapists and Mental Health Counselors to Workforce
Apr 25, 2012 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded its mental health services to include professionals from two additional health care fields: marriage and family therapists (MFT) and licensed professional mental health counselors (LPMHC).

AmeriCorps Member Application Form; Information Collection; Submission for OMB Review, Comment Request     Federal Register 
Apr 24, 2012 -- The Corporation for National and Community Service is seeking approval of the AmeriCorps Member Application Form which is used by individuals to apply to serve in an AmeriCorps program.

Caregiving Affects Health of Three-Quarters of Caregivers, According to National Survey
Apr 24, 2012 -- AAFP News Now article reports that nearly three out of four Americans who provide care for a family member or friend who is disabled, elderly or has physical or mental limitations said caregiving had at least some impact on their health, and six in 10 said caregiving caused them to lose sleep sometimes, according to a recent national survey.

Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program Announces its 2012-2013 Fellowship Year - Deadline is May 15, 2012
Apr 24, 2012 -- The John A. Hartford Foundation announces it's Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program for the 2012-2013 fellowship year, with an application deadline of May 15, 2012.

Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment; Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment; Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program; Physician Self-Referral; and Patient Notification Requirements in Provider Agreements; Corrections     Federal Register 
Apr 24, 2012 -- This document corrects technical errors that appeared in the final rule with comment period published in the Federal Register on November 30, 2011, entitled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment; Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment; Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program; Physician Self-Referral; and Patient Notification Requirements in Provider Agreements” and in the correction notice published in the Federal Register on January 4, 2012, entitled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment; Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment; Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program; Physician Self-Referral; and Patient Notification Requirements in Provider Agreements; Corrections.”

Medicare Stable, but Requires Strengthening     Top Story 
Apr 24, 2012 -- The Medicare Trustees Report released yesterday shows that the Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund is expected to remain solvent until 2024, the same as last year’s estimate, but action is needed to secure its long-term future.

Nearly All School District Policies for Foods Sold Outside of Meals Fall Short of Nation's Dietary Guidelines
Apr 24, 2012 -- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation article reports that fewer than 5 percent of school districts nationwide required foods and drinks sold outside of meals during the 2009–10 school year to meet all of the recommendations of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, according to a study published today in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Report Shows Lower Costs in Medicare Due to the Affordable Care Act     Top Story 
Apr 24, 2012 -- The Medicare Program will save over $200 billion through 2016 due to the Affordable Care Act, and beneficiaries in traditional Medicare will enjoy $59.4 billion in lower costs, according to a report released yesterday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Rural America’s Economy Strong, with Concerns     Top Story 
Apr 24, 2012 -- Canton Daily Ledger, (IL) article discusses Creighton University’s Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI), which assesses rural economic health based on a scale from 0 to 100, and examines about 200 communities with an average population of 1,300 in Illinois and nine other Great Plains states.

Summit to Focus on Rural Health Care
Apr 24, 2012 -- Las Cruces Sun - News, (NM) article reports that Rebecca Spitzgo, director of the National Health Service Corps, will be the keynote speaker at the 2012 Healthcare Workforce Summit on Thursday and Friday of next week at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.

USFA, Office of Health Affairs Release Funding Alternatives for Emergency Medical and Fire Services     Top Story 
Apr 24, 2012 -- The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) in partnership with the International Fire Services Training Association (IFSTA), announce the revision and release of Funding Alternatives for Emergency Medical and Fire Services that provides the most up to date information regarding funding for local level Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and fire departments and includes sources of federal funding as well as other new and innovative funding sources not discussed in previous editions.

Changes to the Labor Certification Process for the Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment of H-2B Aliens in the United States; Revisions to Transition Period     Federal Register 
Apr 23, 2012 -- In this notice the Employment and Training Administration is revising its guidance to clarify that the Final Rule amending H-2B regulations governing the certification of temporary employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal non-agricultural employment will not be operative until April 27, 2012.

Disparities Report Highlights Health Care Challenges for Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Apr 23, 2012 -- The latest National Healthcare Disparities Report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) shows that access to health care was not improving for most racial and ethnic groups in the years 2002 through 2008 leading up to enactment of the Affordable Care Act.

Illinois Plan Won't Make Schools Consolidate     Top Story 
Apr 23, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article reports that several states have required that smaller school districts merge to save money, but Illinois is not planning to force school consolidation because consolidation is itself an expensive process.

Information Collection Approval; Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment of H-2B Aliens in the United States     Federal Register 
Apr 23, 2012 -- This notice from the Employment and Training Administration sets forth the effectiveness of information collection requirements related to the Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment of H-2B Aliens in the United States.

NRHA Keynote’s Advice: “We Don’t have to Wait for Washington”     Top Story 
Apr 23, 2012 -- NRHA Rural Health Voices blog gives excerpts from New York Times bestselling author T.R. Reid's keynote address at NRHA’s 35th Annual Rural Health Conference that was held in Denver last week.

Prognosis HIS Executive Slated to Offer EHR Advice at Illinois Rural Health Association Conference
Apr 23, 2012 -- PR Newswire article reports that Melanie Pita, J.D., will offer her expert perspective on the electronic health records journey for rural hospitals as she presents "EHRs: Meaningful Use & Beyond" during the Illinois Rural Health Association's Annual Conference, being held April 24-26, 2012, at the Thelma Keller Convention Center in Effingham, Ill.

Small, Rural School Achievement Program; Application Deadline for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012     Top Story      Federal Register 
Apr 23, 2012 -- Under the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program, the U.S. Department of Education awards grants on a formula basis to eligible local educational agencies to address the unique needs of rural school districts. In this notice they establish the deadline for submission as May 31, 2012.
Learn more about: Small, Rural School Achievement Program

State Community Development Block Grant Program: Administrative Rule Changes     Federal Register 
Apr 23, 2012 -- This final rule from the Department of Housing and Urban Development streamlines and updates their regulations to reflect statutory changes, clarifies the program income requirements, and provides other clarifications to the State Community Development Block Grant Program regulations,

USDA Unveils New Food Hub Resource Guide to Expand Market Opportunities for Farmers and Ranchers     Top Story 
Apr 23, 2012 -- The U. S. Department of Agriculture unveiled the first Regional Food Hub Resource Guide, bolstering its commitment to expand market opportunities for small and mid-sized producers.

Applications for New Awards; Promise Neighborhoods Program-Implementation Grant Competition     Federal Register 
Apr 20, 2012 -- The Department of Education announces a funding opportunity for the Promise Neighborhoods program to significantly improve the educational and developmental outcomes of children and youth in our most distressed communities, and to transform those communities. This notice invites applications for implementation grants.
Learn more about: Promise Neighborhoods Program - Implementation Grant Competition

Applications for New Awards; Promise Neighborhoods Program-Planning Grant Competition     Federal Register 
Apr 20, 2012 -- The Department of Education announces a funding opportunity for the Promise Neighborhoods program to significantly improve the educational and developmental outcomes of children and youth in our most distressed communities, and to transform those communities. This notice invites applications for Planning Grants.
Learn more about: Promise Neighborhoods Program: Planning Grant Competition

Comment Request for Information Collection for Site Visit Data Collection; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)-Funded Grants; Job Training Evaluations; Extension Without Revisions     Federal Register 
Apr 20, 2012 -- Employment and Training Administration is requesting comments on a regular three year extension of approval for collecting site visit data from organizations that received grants under the Health Care and Other High Growth and Emerging Industries Training grant initiative and three other ARRA grant programs.

HHS Releases Funding Opportunities for 97 Head Start Service Areas     Top Story 
Apr 20, 2012 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced the availability of Head Start funding in 97 Head Start service areas across the country.

Medicare Program; Extension of Certain Wage Index Reclassifications and Special Exceptions for the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems (PPS) for Acute Care Hospitals and the Hospital Outpatient PPS     Federal Register 
Apr 20, 2012 -- This notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announces changes to wage indices and hospital reclassification's.

NP Hosts Forum on Rural Neb. Growth
Apr 20, 2012 -- North Platte Telegraph, (NE) tells how several hundred business and community leaders from around west-central Nebraska met at the North Platte Holiday Inn Wednesday for the Governor's annual Conference on Rural Development.

Payment or Reimbursement for Emergency Services for Nonservice-Connected Conditions in Non-VA Facilities     Federal Register 
Apr 20, 2012 -- This final rule from the Veterans Affairs Department expands the qualifications for payment or reimbursement to veterans who receive emergency services in non-VA facilities, and establishes accompanying standards for the method and amount of payment or reimbursement.

Rural America is Fighting for its Survival
Apr 20, 2012 -- KBLA News, (MO) article tells of the “Big Rural Brainstorm,” conference which brought together about 200 people earlier this year in Newton, Kansas. The two-day event generated a lot of discussion on how to help small towns stay vibrant and relevant in an increasingly urban world.

Senate Spending Bill Includes Rural Hospital Provision     Top Story 
Apr 20, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday approved a Transportation, Housing and Urban Development spending bill that includes legislation to help finance rural hospital construction and improvements.

A Portraitist Breaks Free of Faces     Top Story 
Apr 19, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article tells how celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz escaped to rural America to recharge and found pieces of America: rural settings of rushing waters, mountain vistas, and meaningful objects of the past.

Consumers Can Now Compare Results from Home Health Agencies Patient Surveys
Apr 19, 2012 -- CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner today announced the new tool that offers prospective patients, their families and caregivers the chance to compare home health agencies by looking at patient survey results

Dental Insurance, but No Dentists
Apr 19, 2012 -- New York Times Op-Ed by Louis W. Sullivan, a physician and past secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services discusses the looming dental access crises in America and what can be done to prevent it.

Inching Toward Legislative Finish Line, Iowa House Passes $1.6 Billion Budget for Health Care and Social Services
Apr 19, 2012 -- DesMoines Register, (IA) article reports that the Iowa Legislature inched closer to resolving next year’s budget on Wednesday, with House passage of a bill funding state health-care programs and social services.

More Physicians Awarded Meaningful Use Money
Apr 19, 2012 -- American Medical News article reports that for the first time, physicians and other health professionals received more cash in Medicare meaningful use bonuses than hospitals got in a single month, however, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission data show that the vast majority of physicians have yet to collect a dime of government incentives for their use of electronic health records.

New Commonwealth Fund Survey: One-Quarter of Working-Age Adults Had a Gap in Health Care Coverage in 2011; Buying Coverage on Your Own Not an Affordable Option for Many     Top Story 
Apr 19, 2012 -- Commonwealth Fund article reports that one of four (26%) working-age U.S. adults experienced a gap in health insurance coverage during 2011, often because they lost or changed jobs, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report that also shows how difficult it is for people to regain health insurance on their own after losing employer-sponsored coverage.

New Report: Competitive Bidding Saving Money for Taxpayers and People with Medicare     Top Story 
Apr 19, 2012 -- People with Medicare are already saving money on durable medical equipment (DME) through the Medicare competitive bidding program, according to a report released yesterday by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Rural Post Offices Fight for Survival     Top Story 
Apr 19, 2012 -- Tri-State Neighbor, (SD) article reports that a moratorium has delayed any post office closings until at least May 15, and the U.S. Senate this past week began debating a bill that could reform the post office and change laws regarding the operation of the independent agency.

Shortage of U.S. Farmers Reaching Epidemic Proportions: USDA Official     Top Story 
Apr 19, 2012 -- Iowa Farmer Today article reports that USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, in an effort to try to stem the graying of America’s farmers and ranchers, is making stops at universities around the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about agricultural careers.

VA Community Clinic Contract Will Expand Services to Arizona Veterans
Apr 19, 2012 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs has selected the developer to build a new health care clinic in Gilbert, Arizona.

VA to Increase Mental Health Staff by 1,900     Top Story 
Apr 19, 2012 -- The Department of Veteran Affairs has announced that the department would add approximately 1,600 mental health clinicians – to include nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers as well as nearly 300 support staff to its existing workforce of 20,590 mental health staff as part of an ongoing review of mental health operations.

Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Analysis of Transportation Barriers to Utilization of Medicare Services by American Indian and Alaska Native Medicare Beneficiaries     Federal Register 
Apr 18, 2012 -- The purpose of the proposed study by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is to identify and analyze transportation barriers associated with the utilization of Medicare services by American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) beneficiaries, to identify and analyze the health outcomes resulting from those barriers, and ultimately to identify potential solutions that could help mitigate the problem and produce meaningful improvements in health care use and health outcomes for this population.

Bill Would Expand Clinics' Hiring Options for Mental Health Care Providers
Apr 18, 2012 -- California Health Online article discusses a problem that is shared in rural communities across California, they can't find enough social workers to take care of people's mental health needs.

Community Health Centers Under Pressure to Improve Care     Top Story 
Apr 18, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News reports that hundreds of the nation's nearly 1,200 federally funded community health centers fall short on key quality of care measures, according to federal data analyzed by Kaiser Health News and USA Today.

Duncan, Vilsack Highlight Need for Rural Ed Investments     Top Story 
Apr 18, 2012 -- Governing article reports that jump starting the economy of rural America starts with reinvigorating the education system,  Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during the keynote address Tuesday at the Education Commission of the States’ 2nd annual National Summit on the Role of Education in Economic Development in Rural America.

Flieth Named Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer
Apr 18, 2012 -- Jamestown Sun, (ND) article reports that Shirley Flieth has been selected to receive the Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer award for her work at Jamestown Regional Medical Center.

HIT Standards Committee; Schedule for the Assessment of HIT Policy Committee Recommendations     Federal Register 
Apr 18, 2012 -- Section 3003(b)(3) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 mandates that the HIT Standards Committee develop a schedule for the assessment of policy recommendations developed by the HIT Policy Committee and publish it in the Federal Register. This notice fulfills the requirements of Section 3003(b)(3) and updates the schedule posted in the Register on May 4, 2011.

Less Diverse = Older     Top Story 
Apr 18, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how counties that are growing older are less diverse than counties with lower median ages, and rural counties are growing older than counties in metro areas.

McBride Named 2012 National Rural Health Association’s Outstanding Researcher     Top Story 
Apr 18, 2012 -- Washington University in St. Louis News, (MO) article reports that the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) will honor Timothy D. McBride, PhD, associate dean for public health at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, with its Outstanding Researcher Award April 19 during the NRHA’s 35th annual Rural Health Conference.

Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program-Stage 2; Corrections     Federal Register 
Apr 18, 2012 -- This document corrects technical errors and typographical errors in the proposed rule entitled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program—Stage 2” which appeared in the March 7, 2012, Federal Register.

Rural Federal Assistance Offices Consolidating
Apr 18, 2012 -- OA Online article reports that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced that it would be consolidating about 50 offices statewide over the next 18 months by moving staff at those locations to other offices.

Rural Georgia Center Relies on Educators, Electronic Records to Boost Patients' Health
Apr 18, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article profiles the TenderCare Clinic, a community health center in rural Georgia, as an example of how using health educators and electronic health records can boost patient's health.

Scott Vetoes Hit Hard on State's Health-Care Facilities
Apr 18, 2012 -- Sunshine State News, (FL) article reports that Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday took a scalpel to health and human services programs, vetoing more than $38 million from the 2012-13 state budget -- including money for university training and research programs, a Southwest Florida children's hospital and a variety of local projects.

Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority; Administration for Community Living     Top Story      Federal Register 
Apr 18, 2012 -- The Department of Health and Human Services establishes the Administration for Community Living in order to achieve several important objectives: reduce the fragmentation that currently exists in Federal programs addressing the community living service and support needs of both the aging and disability populations; enhance access to quality health care and long-term services and supports for all individuals; promote consistency in community living policy across other areas of the Federal government; and complement the community infrastructure, as supported by both Medicaid and other Federal programs, in order to better respond to the full spectrum of needs of seniors and persons with disabilities.

USDA Announces New Farm to School Program to Improve the Health and Nutrition of Kids Receiving School Meals     Top Story 
Apr 18, 2012 -- Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced that USDA will be providing grants that invest in farm to school programs nationwide to help eligible schools improve the health and wellbeing of their students and connect with local agricultural producers.
Learn more about: Farm to School Grant Program

VA Begins Tribal Consultation Sessions
Apr 18, 2012 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs hosted its first tribal consultation focused on providing services to American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans in Washington, D.C., on April 5, the first of four scheduled meetings VA plans to hold in 2012 to address the needs of the American Indian and Alaska Native Veteran population, currently estimated at 200,000.

"Low Income Levels'' Used for Various Health Professions and Nursing Programs Included in Titles III, VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act     Federal Register 
Apr 17, 2012 -- The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is updating income levels used to identify a “low income family” for the purpose of determining eligibility for programs that provide health professions and nursing training for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Proposed Project: The Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL) and Nursing Student Loan (NSL) Programs: Forms     Federal Register 
Apr 17, 2012 -- Comments are being requested by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on proposed changes to the Deferment Form (Deferment-HRSA Form 519) and the Annual Operating Report (AOR-HRSA Form 501) for the Health Professions Student Loan and Nursing Student Loan programs.

Health Care Jobs Will Grow Twice as Fast as General Economy, Study Says     Top Story 
Apr 17, 2012 -- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Human Capital Blog article reports that by 2020, nearly one in nine jobs in the United States will be in the health care sector, according to new research from the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University at Albany, State University of New York.

HIT Policy Committee Advisory Meeting; Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Apr 17, 2012 -- This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public advisory committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The meeting will be held on May 2, 2012, in Washington, D.C. and will be open to the public.

HIT Standards Committee Advisory Meeting; Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Apr 17, 2012 -- This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public advisory committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The meeting will be held on May 24, 2012, in Washington, D.C. and will be open to the public.

Non-Competitive Program Expansion Supplement to Revise, Update, and Disseminate Educational Curricula Regarding Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
Apr 17, 2012 -- The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will be issuing a non-competitive program expansion supplement to 45 Geriatric Education Centers (GEC) Program grantees to revise, update, and disseminate educational curricula regarding Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (AD).

Rural Areas of Colorado Soon to be Better Connected
Apr 17, 2012 -- CBS Denver, (CO) article reports that rural schools, hospitals and libraries in Colorado will soon be better connected thanks to a statewide broadband project unveiled Monday.

SAMHSA is Accepting Applications for Up to $1.3 Million in Statewide Family Network Program Grants     Top Story 
Apr 17, 2012 -- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for Statewide Family Network Program grants . The purpose of this program is to enhance State capacity and infrastructure to be more oriented to the needs of children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances and their families.
Learn more about: Statewide Family Network Program

Using Art to Enhance Health Care in Rural Communities     Top Story 
Apr 17, 2012 -- HealthyState.org article reports that the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and University of Florida chose Immokalee as the latest site to develop an art in health care program. The initiative targets rural communities in Florida with widespread health issues that remain unaddressed.

Announcement of a New Organization within the Department of Health and Human Services – the "Administration for Community Living” (ACL)     Top Story 
Apr 16, 2012 -- Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced a new organization within the Department of Health and Human Services, the “Administration for Community Living” (ACL), with the goal of increasing access to community supports and full participation, while focusing attention and resources on the unique needs of older Americans and people with disabilities.

Clarity Group, Inc. Announces Partnership with National Rural Health Association     Top Story 
Apr 16, 2012 -- PR Web article reports that Clarity Group Inc., has partnered with the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) to bring its risk, quality and safety management tools to the small and rural healthcare market.

Hospitals Settle Medicare Rural Floor Case with HHS     Top Story 
Apr 16, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that the Department of Health and Human Services has reached a $700 million settlement to compensate roughly 500 hospitals for past underpayments related to an error in Medicare's "rural floor" budget neutrality adjustment for fiscal years 1999 through 2011, according to Hooper, Lundy & Bookman PC, a law firm representing hospitals in the case.

Medicare to Tie Doctors' Pay to Quality, Cost of Care     Top Story 
Apr 16, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article discusses a delicate and little-noticed provision of the 2010 health care law: paying more to doctors who provide quality care at lower cost to Medicare, and reducing payments to physicians who run up Medicare's costs without better results.

NRHA Announces Commitment to Action as Part of the Clinton Global Initiative America Meeting     Top Story 
Apr 16, 2012 -- The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) today announced its commitment to develop a National Rural Community Health Worker Training Network to help recruit and retain Community Health Workers to rural and underserved areas along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Rural America's Shifting Workforce     Top Story 
Apr 16, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article reports that the workforce in rural America grew in the last year with more than 210,000 more workers available in rural and exurban counties, but the distribution of those new workers varies across the country.

Rural Areas get $1.5M in Economic Grants
Apr 16, 2012 -- Phoenix Business Journal, (AZ) article reports that the Arizona Commerce Authority has put $1.5 million in grants into rural economic development programs aimed primarily at manufacturing and technology companies.

Are Rural Schools a Threatened Species?
Apr 13, 2012 -- Livingston County News, (NY) article interviews five rural school superintendents that discuss rural school district efforts to function adequately in today’s fiscally austere climate and the impact of the newly introduced tax cap.

Center for Rural Health Development to Host Governance, Leadership Forums
Apr 13, 2012 -- State Journal, (WV) article tells who the speakers are who are scheduled to take part in the 2012 Governance & Leadership Forums presented by the Center for Rural Health Development Inc. The forums are scheduled for May 4-5, 2012, at Stonewall Resort & Conference Center in Roanoke.

Dental School to be Established
Apr 13, 2012 -- Carroll County News, (AR) article reports that Arkansas is one of 14 states without its own dental program, but that the state's medical school is now taking steps to establish a dental school at its Little Rock campus.

Free Rural Health Clinic to Aid Some 600 Nevadans
Apr 13, 2012 -- Reno Public Radio, (NV) article reports that more than 600 people have signed up to get free health screenings, eye exams and even dental work at Silver Stage High School in rural Silver Springs. The event will be held Friday, April 13, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturday, April 14, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hochul Priorities: Agriculture, Rural Hospitals
Apr 13, 2012 -- Daily News, (NY) article reports that finding ways to protect and strengthen agriculture and rural hospitals are the top two priorities for U.S. Rep. Kathy Hochul

More Spectrum, Better Health     Top Story 
Apr 13, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article by Alan Morgan, Chief Executive Officer for the National Rural Health Association, discusses how rural communities are becoming more dependent on broadband access for getting the best in health care and that's why the Federal Communications Commission needs to open up new spectrum now.

Notice of Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless     Federal Register 
Apr 13, 2012 -- This notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for use to assist the homeless.
Learn more about: Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless

Recruitment of Sites for Assignment of Corps Personnel Obligated Under the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program     Top Story      Federal Register 
Apr 13, 2012 -- The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces that the listing of entities, and their Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) scores, that will receive priority for the assignment of National Health Service Corps (NHSC) scholarship recipients (Corps Personnel, Corps members) during the period July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013, is posted on the NHSC Web site at http://datawarehouse.hrsa.gov/HGDWReports/OneClickRptFilter.aspx?rptName=NHSCAppSiteList&rptFormat=HTML3.2.

Registered Dental Practitioners: A New Way to Fill The Need For Dental Care?
Apr 13, 2012 -- KCUR News, (KS) article tells how a proposal to create a mid-level dental provider position remains bogged down in the Kansas Legislature. A severe shortage of dentists is greatest in rural Kansas and this could be the solution.

Steuben Rural Health Network Announces New Initiative
Apr 13, 2012 -- The Leader, (NY) article tells of "Girls on the Run," a new initiative to help pre-teen girls develop self-esteem, with an emphasis on mental, physical and social health. The Steuben Rural Health Network, will begin this fall in Steuben, Chemung and Schuyler counties.

Top USDA Rural Development, SBA Officials Carve Out Ohio Job Creation, Business Investment Opportunities
Apr 13, 2012 -- USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Doug O’Brien joined SBA Deputy Associate Administrator Harry Haskins and about 30 area lenders, economic development teams, venture capitalists and state and Congressional representatives at Columbus’s historic North Market to determine how best to boost job creation and promote rural small business investment in Ohio.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (ACN) Joins Forces with the First Lady and Dr. Biden to Support Veterans and Military Families     Top Story 
Apr 12, 2012 -- AACN article tells how in a broad, coordinated effort, more than 150 state and national nursing organizations including the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and over 500 nursing schools have committed to further educate our nation’s 3 million nurses so they are prepared to meet the unique health needs of service members, veterans, and their families.

FDA Takes Steps to Protect Public Health     Top Story 
Apr 12, 2012 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it is taking three steps to protect public health and promote the judicious use of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals.

Medicare Program; Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs for Contract Year 2013 and Other Changes     Top Story      Federal Register 
Apr 12, 2012 -- This final rule with comment period from CMS revises the Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Part C) regulations and prescription drug benefit program (Part D) regulations to implement new statutory requirements; strengthen beneficiary protections; exclude plan participants that perform poorly; improve program efficiencies; and clarify program requirements. It also responds to public comments regarding the long-term care facility conditions of participation pertaining to pharmacy services.

Report Calls for Expansion of Alaska’s Dental Health Therapist Model     Top Story 
Apr 12, 2012 -- Alaskapublic.org article tells of a new report from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation that attempts to make the case for expanding Alaska’s Dental Health Therapist model to other parts of the country. Their program brings mid-level dental care, in the form of preventative services, extractions and fillings, to under-served parts of rural Alaska, where tooth decay has been a persistent concern of public health officials.

5 Primary Financial Metrics for Critical Access Hospitals
Apr 11, 2012 -- Beckers Hospital Review article tells of research, which was supported by HHS, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and the Health Resources and Services Administration, that found five main key performance indicators that best measure performance critical to the success of a Critical Access Hospital without cluttering interpretation.

Adults Experiencing Mental Illness have Higher Rates of Certain Chronic Physical Illnesses
Apr 11, 2012 -- A new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that adults (aged 18 and older) who had a mental illness in the past year have higher rates of certain physical illnesses than those not experiencing mental illness.

CMS Taps 27 ACOs to Start Shared Savings Program     Top Story 
Apr 11, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has named 27 accountable care organizations to begin the Medicare Shared Savings Program on April 1, 2012. The program will help physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers work together to improve care for people with Medicare.

CPCI to Launch in Seven Markets Nationwide, Says CMS     Top Story 
Apr 11, 2012 -- AAFP News Now article reports that CMS' Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) released the names of seven geographic markets that have been chosen to participate in the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative (CPCI) first announced by CMS in September 2011.

Getting Older, County by County     Top Story 
Apr 11, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article reports that the median age of most every U.S. county is growing older, but rural counties have the oldest median age — and the gap between rural and urban counties is growing.

ORHP Announces FY 2012 Network Planning Awards     Top Story 
Apr 11, 2012 -- The Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) has announced the 12 recipients of their Network Planning awards whose purpose is to expand access to, coordinate and improve the quality of essential health care services and enhance the delivery of health care in rural areas.

Primary Care and Public Health Encouraged to Work Together     Top Story 
Apr 11, 2012 -- American Medical News article tells of a report by the Institute of Medicine that discusses how the nation’s health probably would improve if primary care and public health were better integrated.

Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Technical Assistance Teleconference on RHC Accreditation     Top Story 
Apr 11, 2012 -- On Friday, April 20th, the National Association of Rural Health Clinics will hold a technical assistance call on the new rural health clinic accreditation program that has been recognized by CMS.

Teen Birth Rate Drops to 70-Year Low
Apr 11, 2012 -- KHQ News, (WA) article tells of a report released Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics showing the teenage birth rate for American teenagers fell 9% from 2009 to 2010, a record low in the seven decades since such statistics were last collected.

The Little District that Could: How One Kansas District Keeps a Near Perfect Record on State Exams     Top Story 
Apr 11, 2012 -- Hechinger Report article tells of a rural school district in Kansas that has earned awards and a reputation as an exceptionally high-performing district, despite not being affluent or having high property taxes.

USDA and NIFA Announce Funding Opportunity for Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program     Top Story 
Apr 11, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has released a Request for Applications for the Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grant Program. The program supports health education and promotion activities to enhance the quality of life in rural communities.

Vitamin D Found Most Lacking in Big City and Rural Dwellers
Apr 11, 2012 -- Medscape Today News article reports that when it comes to risks for vitamin D deficiency, and the medical care and costs associated with that deficiency, where you live appears to play an important role.

Bill Would Expand Emergency Coverage for Veterans
Apr 10, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) recently introduced the VA Enrollment Act (H.R. 4246), legislation that would expand Department of Veterans Affairs' coverage for emergency care provided in non-VA facilities.

Healthcare Job Growth Slows in March, but Q1 Strong     Top Story 
Apr 10, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that the healthcare sector created 26,000 jobs in March, a precipitous deceleration in growth when compared with the first two months of 2012, new federal data shows

Indian Health Professions Preparatory, Indian Health Professions Pregraduate and Indian Health Professions Scholarship Program     Top Story      Federal Register 
Apr 10, 2012 -- The Indian Health Service announces the availability of approximately $14.0 million to fund scholarships for the Indian Health Professions Preparatory, Indian Health Professions Pregraduate and Indian Health Professions Scholarship Programs for FY 2012. The application deadline for new and continuing students is now May 7, 2012.
Learn more about: Indian Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship

New Health Law Provisions Cut Red Tape, Save up to $4.6 Billion     Top Story 
Apr 10, 2012 -- The Department of Health and Human Services today proposed a one-year delay in the deadline for implementing the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10) for administrative health care transactions. Also noted were proposed changes that would save health care providers and health plans up to $4.6 billion over the next ten years.

UnitedHealthcare Gives $700,000 Grant to the California Telehealth Network to Help Expand Access to Quality Care
Apr 10, 2012 -- Business Wire article reports that UnitedHealthcare has donated $700,000 to the California Telehealth Network to help expand telemedicine training and provide technical support for rural and medically underserved clinics and hospitals in California.

A Guide on the Path from Poverty     Top Story 
Apr 9, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article tells how a rural community organization in North Carolina adds to its food mission strong guidance for low-income families, help with tax credits, college aid, and other benefits that can boost their prospects.

Arizona Gets OK to Expand Health Coverage to Kids
Apr 9, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that nearly 22,000 poor kids in Arizona will gain health insurance coverage under a Medicaid deal the state has reached with the Obama administration, federal officials said last week.

Duluth Training Program for Rural Doctors Feels Money Pinch
Apr 9, 2012 -- Duluth News Tribune, (MN) article reports a that medical residency program in the heart of Duluth that trains future doctors to work in rural areas is being squeezed by decreasing funding and increased regulation, its director said.

Farmers Market Promotion Program Grants Available     Top Story 
Apr 9, 2012 -- Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking grant applicants for the 2012 Farmers Market Promotion Program.

Geriatrics Scholars Program – Keeping Rural Providers Up on the Latest in Geriatrics Management for Rural Vets
Apr 9, 2012 -- Department of Veteran Affairs article tells of the Geriatrics Scholars Program, sponsored by the VHA Office of Rural Health (ORH), that trains clinicians from rural Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in the most current science in geriatric care and in the principals of implementation science.

In Kansas, No Consensus on How to End ‘Dental Deserts’
Apr 9, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article discusses how there is an ongoing disagreement over how to solve dental care access problems in Kansas.

Lawmakers Ask FCC to Protect Rural Broadband from New Rule     Top Story 
Apr 9, 2012 -- The Hill, (DC) article tells how a bipartisan group of 44 representatives and 21 senators signed letters from each body to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski last week asking the commission to avoid proposed rule changes that could imperil the deployment of high speed Internet in rural areas.

Minnesota Medicaid HMOs Refund $73M to State, Feds
Apr 9, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that four big Minnesota managed-care plans will repay state and federal taxpayers an estimated $73 million as part of a deal the HMOs made with Gov. Mark Dayton's administration last year.

Proposed Bills Address NH Healthcare
Apr 9, 2012 -- Nashua Telegraph, (NH) article reports that the fate of the Affordable Care Act lies in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet, before the justices issue their ruling, New Hampshire lawmakers are busy trying to get ahead of the health care reform bill, and other federal health programs.

SD Organizations Get Rural Health Grants
Apr 9, 2012 -- Daily Republic, (SD) article reports that U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson says organizations in Pierre, Yankton and Vermillion will receive federal grants to improve health care services in rural areas of South Dakota.

The 2012 Race to the Top Fund Continues Investments in Statewide Systems of High Quality Early Education Programs
Apr 9, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that $133 million from the 2012 Race to the Top fund will be available for continued investments in state-level, comprehensive early education reform. The Departments intend to fund down the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 slate and invite the next five applicants, Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wisconsin, to apply.

The Map of Rural College Graduates     Top Story 
Apr 9, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how in rural counties, a higher percentage of adults have college degrees than in the past, but the increase has lagged in the South and West, while graduation rates have increased faster in the Northeast and the Midwest.

US Department of Labor's OSHA Seeks Applications for $1.2 Million in Susan Harwood Safety and Health Training Grants     Top Story 
Apr 9, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is soliciting applications under the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program to fund training for workers and employers in recognizing workplace hazards and control measures, and understanding their rights and responsibilities.
Learn more about: Susan Harwood Training Grant, FY 2012

Where America Needs Doctors, in One Map     Top Story 
Apr 9, 2012 -- Washington Post, (DC) article tells how the geographic data firm Esri has put together a county-by-county map of which parts of the country have the greatest need for doctors right now.

White House Moves $500 Million to IRS for Health Law Implementation     Top Story 
Apr 9, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News brings together a variety of articles telling how funds were diverted to the Internal Revenue Service outside the normal appropriations process to help implement the president's healthcare law. Meanwhile, other news outlets report on developments related to accountable care organizations and primary care payment issues.

White House Rural Council Hosts Native American Food and Agriculture Roundtable Discussion
Apr 9, 2012 -- The White House Rural Council hosted a Native American Food and Agriculture Roundtable Discussion, bringing together tribal leaders and experts on Native American agricultural economic development with Administration officials.

Correction to Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Rural Energy for America Program     Federal Register 
Apr 6, 2012 -- The Rural Business-Cooperative Service has published corrections to the deadline dates for their Rural Energy for America Program.

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; OAA Title III-C Evaluation     Top Story      Federal Register 
Apr 5, 2012 -- The Administration on Aging (AoA) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the the OAA Title III-C Elderly Nutrition Services Program. The program is intended to reduce hunger and food insecurity, reduce social isolation and improve the health and well-being of the older adults who participate. It specifically targets unserved individuals with the greatest economic need (including low-income minorities and those living in rural areas).

HRSA; Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request     Federal Register 
Apr 5, 2012 -- HRSA is seeking comments on data collected through the Nursing Scholarship Program (NSP). NSP awards scholarships to individuals for attendance at accredited schools of nursing in return for a minimum of 2 years of full-time clinical service at a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses.
Learn more about: Nursing Scholarship Program

MedPAC Discusses EHR Program; Recommends Medicare Benefit Redesign
Apr 5, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that meeting today in Washington, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission discussed the Medicare electronic health record incentive program. Also, the commission unanimously voted to recommend that Congress direct the Health and Human Services secretary to develop and implement a new Medicare Fee-For-Service benefit design to replace the current design.

Request for Information on Prescription Medication Adherence; Notice     Federal Register 
Apr 5, 2012 -- The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health is seeking information about causes, impact and potential solutions associated with the public health problem of prescription medication non-adherence in adults with chronic conditions.

U.S. Consumers Would Have Received Nearly $2 Billion in Health Insurance Rebates If Protections Under the Affordable Care Act Had Taken Effect in 2010     Top Story 
Apr 5, 2012 -- According to a new Commonwealth Fund study, consumers nationwide would have received an estimated $2 billion in rebates from health insurers if the new medical loss ratio (MLR) rules enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act had been in effect in 2010.

CMS; Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Apr 4, 2012 -- This notice is a revision of a previously approved collection for Medicare Enrollment Application—Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Suppliers. The goal of evaluating and revising the CMS 855S DMEPOS supplier enrollment application is to simplify and clarify the information collection without jeopardizing the need to collect specific information.

CMS; Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Apr 4, 2012 -- This notice is a revision of the previously approved collection for Medicare Registration Applications. This new Medicare registration application form allows physicians who do not provide services to Medicare beneficiaries to be given a Medicare identification number without having to supply all the data required for the submission of Medicare claims.

Grants Update: Wisconsin Rural Training Track Collaborative
Apr 4, 2012 -- Announcement of a grant to the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative to create the Wisconsin Rural Training Track Collaborative, an initiative for developing a family medicine rural training track and potentially other vehicles for expansion of resident training in rural communities.

Lack of Access to Dental Care Endangering Health, Costing Colorado Millions     Top Story 
Apr 4, 2012 -- Health Policy Solutions (CO) tells about the Kids In Need of Dentistry program in Denver, Co where pediatric patients receive high-quality, affordable dental care services.

NRHA Announces 2012 Rural Health Award Recipients     Top Story 
Apr 4, 2012 -- NRHA announces its 2012 Rural Health Award recipients. The organizations and individuals will be honored April 19 during the 35th Annual Rural Health Conference.

Pilot Program Seeks to Cut Hospital Stays
Apr 4, 2012 -- Buffalo Business First article tells of a consortium of western New York hospitals and community organizations that have been selected for the Community-based Care Transitions Program, a pilot program funded by CMS.

Reports Provide Data on Medicare, Medicaid Dual Eligibles     Top Story 
Apr 4, 2012 -- AHA News reports that two new reports from the Kaiser Family Foundation examine the roles played by Medicare and Medicaid in providing care for 9 million low-income elderly and disabled people who have health coverage under both programs.

USDA and the American Association of Community Colleges Sign Agreement to Increase Access to Education, Underscores Rural Council Goal to Strengthen the Rural Economy
Apr 4, 2012 -- Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the American Association of Community Colleges that is designed to highlight one of the goals of the White House Rural Council—to expand access to training and higher education for rural citizens and strengthen the rural economy.

Broadband Projects Take a Bumpy Ride
Apr 3, 2012 -- Post Bulletin, (MN) article tells how almost two years after more than $200 million in federal dollars were awarded to 18 broadband projects in Minnesota, some have encountered difficulties, including a dearth of fiber.

CMS Makes Improvements to Medicare Drug Health Plans     Top Story 
Apr 3, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued final regulations for Medicare Advantage (MA) and prescription drug benefit (Part D) programs to improve benefits and the quality of care for seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in these programs.

Gregoire Suspends Plan to Limit Medicaid Emergency Room Visits
Apr 3, 2012 -- Seattle Times, (WA) article reports that a plan by the state Medicaid program to stop paying for emergency room visits for all conditions deemed "nonemergency" — set to go into effect Sunday — has been suspended by Gov. Chris Gregoire pending the outcome of budget negotiations under way in the state Legislature.

Health Divide in NC Reflects Economic Disparities
Apr 3, 2012 -- WRAL News, (NC) article reports that the North Carolina counties where people are healthiest tend to be urban and affluent, while poor, rural counties struggle the most with bad health, according to a recently released study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties Ranked in Every State     Top Story 
Apr 3, 2012 -- The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announce the release of the 2012 County Health Rankings. Published on-line at www.countyhealthrankings.org, the rankings assess the overall health of nearly every county in all 50 states, using a standard way to measure how healthy people are and how long they live.

How Rural Are the States?     Top Story 
Apr 3, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article tells how nearly three out of ten Americans live in a rural area or a small city, but in most states, the percentage of rural residents is far greater.

Medicare Announces Funding for State Health Insurance Counseling Programs for 2012     Top Story 
Apr 3, 2012 -- Nearly $46.5 million for basic grant funding will be distributed to State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) to help people with Medicare get more information about their health benefits and choices, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner announced today.

Medicare Now Covers Annual Screening for Depression     Top Story 
Apr 3, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that in October, Medicare began to cover annual depression screening in primary care settings with no cost sharing for beneficiaries. This change in coverage comes as concern grows that mental health issues often go undiagnosed in the elderly.

Summit to Focus on Rural Health Care
Apr 3, 2012 -- Las Cruces Sun - News, (NM) article reports that Rebecca Spitzgo, director of the National Health Service Corps, will be the keynote speaker at the 2012 Healthcare Workforce Summit on Thursday and Friday of next week at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.

Tiny Sandstone. Minn., Fights for its 25 Bed Hospital
Apr 3, 2012 -- Star Tribune, (MN) article reports that civic leaders here are crying foul over what they view as a hostile takeover of one of Sandstone's most precious assets: a 25-bed hospital that has the only 24-hour emergency room and heliport for miles.

CMS Awards Three More CO-OP Loans
Apr 2, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has awarded another $206 million in loans to help three organizations establish Consumer Oriented and Operated Plans in Maine, Oregon and South Carolina.

E-Prescribing Update: File for Hardship Exemption by June 30 to Avoid Penalties     Top Story 
Apr 2, 2012 -- AAFP News Now article reports that physicians who provide health care services to Medicare beneficiaries but who are not yet successfully prescribing electronically have until June 30 to request a significant hardship exemption that would exclude them from the 2013 penalty related to CMS' electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) incentive program.

HHS and Education Launch New Stop Bullying Website     Top Story 
Apr 2, 2012 -- Building on the momentum the Obama administration started more than a year ago to stop bullying in schools and communities, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan today unveiled a revitalized Stop Bullying website – www.stopbullying.gov – to encourage children, parents, educators, and communities to take action to stop and prevent bullying.

New HHSinnovates Winners Show Culture of Innovation at HHS     Top Story 
Apr 2, 2012 -- Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced six winners in the HHSinnovates program in a ceremony at HHS headquarters. Secretary Sebelius launched the program in 2010 to reward innovative projects and spur accelerated innovation throughout one of the largest federal departments.

New Policy Briefs Available from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services     Top Story 
Apr 2, 2012 -- The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services has posted three new Policy Briefs on its website.

We Can’t Wait: HHS Secretary Announces Veterans’ Priority in Health Professions Training Grants     Top Story 
Apr 2, 2012 -- Two grant programs totaling more than $24 million will help veterans enter the health professions workforce and increase the nation’s supply of advanced practice nurses and physician assistants, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced last week.

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Recipients for Energy Audits, Renewable Energy Development Assistance, and Feasibility Studies Funding     Top Story 
Mar 30, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA has selected for funding 10 projects nationwide to help rural small businesses and agricultural producers reduce energy consumption and implement renewable energy technologies.

Data Show Minnesota Hospitals Getting Healthier by the Year
Mar 30, 2012 -- Pioneer Press, (MN) article reports that over the past decade, a growing number of hospitals in greater Minnesota have consolidated into larger health systems. Now, a new report shows that those medical centers are doing very well financially.

Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Renewal of Deeming Authority of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. for Medicare Advantage Health Maintenance Organizations and Local Preferred Provider Organizations; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Mar 30, 2012 -- This notice requests comments on the announced proposal of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to renew the Medicare Advantage “deeming authority” of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC) for Health Maintenance Organizations and Preferred Provider Organizations for a term of 6 years.

Medicare Program; Renewal of Deeming Authority of the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission for Medicare Advantage Health Maintenance Organizations and Local Preferred Provider Organizations; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Mar 30, 2012 -- This notice requests comments on the announcement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on their proposal to renew the Medicare Advantage “deeming authority” of the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC) for Health Maintenance Organizations and Preferred Provider Organizations for a term of 6 years.

National Advisory Council on Migrant Health; Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Mar 30, 2012 -- The National Advisory Council on Migrant Health will hold a public meeting on May 7, 2012, in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss services and issues related to the health of migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families and to formulate recommendations for the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

National Health Information Network Soon Will Stand on Its Own     Top Story 
Mar 30, 2012 -- American Medical News article reports that a once conceptual “network of networks” that evolved into the Nationwide Health Information Network Exchange is leaving the direct oversight of the Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology to stand as its own nonprofit organization.

The Supreme Court Arguments are Over - What Happens Now?     Top Story 
Mar 30, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News brings together a variety of news outlets that sum up the Supreme Court oral arguments and preview when to expect a decision, what impact the legal review might have on politics and what other ripple effects could occur.

AMA: Physicians Facing Imminent Storm of Federal Regulations     Top Story 
Mar 29, 2012 -- The American Medical Association (AMA) and state and national medical specialty societies sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expressing serious concern about an onslaught of overlapping regulations that affect physicians.

Announcement Notice; Establishment of a Federally Funded Research and Development Center     Federal Register 
Mar 29, 2012 -- This notice announces the intention of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) to facilitate the modernization of business processes and supporting systems and their operations.

CRNA Court Victory is a Win for Rural Hospitals     Top Story 
Mar 29, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that a California appeals court this month ruled that certified registered nurse anesthetists in that state do not need physician supervision to do their jobs. It's a clear victory for rural hospitals in California that have complained that requiring physician supervision of CRNAs adds unneeded costs and limits the range of surgery services they can provide.

Don't Miss Out on Early Bird Registration Fees for the 2012 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health
Mar 29, 2012 -- The Center for Rural Health has sent out a reminder that early bird registration ends April 29 for the 2012 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health

HRSA’s Nursing Scholarship Program Taking Applications     Top Story 
Mar 29, 2012 -- The Health Resources and Services Administration has announced that the 2012 application cycle for the Nursing Scholarship Program has opened.

Justices Explore Merits of Preserving Parts of the Health Law if Mandate is Overturned     Top Story 
Mar 29, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News brings together a variety of articles discussing how on the third day of the Supreme Court's consideration of the health law, justices sparred over whether some parts of the measure could proceed if the court decides to void its insurance mandate.

Tribal Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities Lead in Offering Community Outreach Services
Mar 29, 2012 -- A new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that 81 percent of substance abuse treatment facilities run by tribal governments provided outreach services to persons in the community who may need treatment.

Critical Access Hospitals and the National Health Service Corps     Top Story 
Mar 28, 2012 -- Recruiting providers to your Critical Access Hospital (CAH) – or keeping them there – may be easier if the provider knows they could receive up to $60,000 to pay off their school loans, in addition to receiving a salary. Now National Health Service Corps (NHSC) approved sites can make that offer.

New Study Highlights Critical Role of CHCs in Health Care System     Top Story 
Mar 28, 2012 -- AAFP News Now article reports that the demand for health care services among uninsured and underinsured patients continues to outpace the resources of the nation's community health centers (CHCs), leaving millions of these patients without access to basic primary care services, according to a new study released by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).

Painkiller Opana, New Scourge of Rural America     Top Story 
Mar 28, 2012 -- Deccan Herald, (IN) article tells how prescription drug abuse is the new scourge of rural America now leading to more deaths in the United States than heroin and cocaine combined, and rural residents are nearly twice as likely to overdose on pills than people in big cities. Opana is the hot new prescription drug.

Stemming the Mental Health Crisis in Rural America     Top Story 
Mar 28, 2012 -- Newswise article tells how new online training modules have been designed by the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) to help primary care providers better treat patients with mental health issues. The modules will be particularly helpful in rural areas where the need for mental health care is overwhelming.

The Unemployment Divide     Top Story 
Mar 28, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how unemployment ticked up in January in rural counties, a consequence of layoffs after the Christmas season, but he divide between job - rich and jobless rural counties remains stark.

VA Grant Supports Improvement at California Veterans Facility
Mar 28, 2012 -- To ensure California’s State Veterans’ Home in Yountville remains a comfortable and safe residence for Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs is awarding a grant to the state of $1,043,522 for a new fire alarm system.

What Individual Mandate, Other Health Law Rulings May Mean for Americans     Top Story 
Mar 28, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News brings together stories from various news outlets that analyze arguments around the individual mandate and what a ruling by the Supreme Court will mean for most Americans.

College Degree Gap Widens     Top Story 
Mar 27, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how in many ways, rural America has caught up with the rest of the United States in terms of educational achievement, but over the past 40 years, the gap in the percentage of adults with college degrees has increased between urban and rural counties.

Conversations: Don Berwick Looks Ahead on Health Care     Top Story 
Mar 27, 2012 -- Washington Post, (DC) article interviews Don Berwick, former administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services about how the Affordable Care Act has changed the health-care system, what challenges it faces in coming years and why his time as Medicare administrator may be his only stint in government service.

HHS Selects Winners of Heart Health Apps Challenge     Top Story 
Mar 27, 2012 -- The winners of a search for innovative technology applications to help solve tough health IT problems were announced March 25 in Chicago by the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Farzad Mostashari, M.D., Sc.M. The Investing in Innovation (i2) program’s “One in a Million Hearts Challenge” uses prizes and challenges to foster innovative health IT solutions that empower patients to pursue healthy lifestyles and improve their heart health.

High Court Unlikely to Push Health Law Ruling Into the Future     Top Story 
Mar 27, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News brings together a variety of article discussing how based on justices questions' during the opening day of oral arguments in the challenges to the health law, it appears the court was receptive to arguments by both the federal government and the measure's opponents that the case should be decided now rather than waiting until after the individual mandate's penalties for not having health insurance have kicked in.

HUD, VA to Provide Permanent Housing and Support to More Than 10,000 Homeless Vets     Top Story 
Mar 27, 2012 -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced today that HUD will provide $72.6 million to public housing agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to supply permanent housing and case management for more than 10,000 homeless veterans.

Oregonians for Healthy Communities Education Project
Mar 27, 2012 -- The Northwest Health Foundation is sponsoring six regional forums focusing on the creation of the next generation of health delivery in Oregon, and they would like to invite you to participate.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans; Exchange Standards for Employers     Top Story      Federal Register 
Mar 27, 2012 -- This final rule from the Department of Health & Human Services will implement the new Affordable Insurance Exchanges, consistent with title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. The Exchanges will provide competitive marketplaces for individuals and small employers to directly compare available private health insurance options on the basis of price, quality, and other factors.

Rural Health Network of Oswego County Offers Health Care Scholarships
Mar 27, 2012 -- Oswego Daily News, (NY) article reports that county residents pursuing a career in the health care field may be able to receive some extra financial aid courtesy of the Rural Health Network of Oswego County.

Sheridan Company Gets Grant to Develop Mobile Wound Care App
Mar 27, 2012 -- KOTA News, (SD) article reports that a Sheridan, Wyoming, company is developing an app for Apple products to help rural doctors consult with experts and compare pictures to diagnose patients and treat wounds.

Telemedicine Brings Pediatric Specialists to Rural California
Mar 27, 2012 -- HealthyCal.org article tells of the pediatric audiology telemedicine program, run through UC Davis, where specialists consult with doctors in remote or underserved locations.

UA Researchers to Study Stigma of AIDS in Black Churches
Mar 27, 2012 -- University of Alabama Crimson White article tells of a recently funded multi - year grant that will examine the role that African-American congregations can play in reducing HIV and AIDS related stigma in rural Alabama.

2012: the Year of Meaningful Use     Top Story 
Mar 26, 2012 -- CMS Blog entry by Marilyn Tavenner and Farzad Mostashari discusses how CMS has set an ambitious goal for 2012: get 100,000 health care providers paid under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs by year’s end.

EHR Adoption Rates Jump for Solo Practices
Mar 26, 2012 -- American Medical News article reports that meaningful use incentives and adequate preparation time to meet them have contributed to the rise in adoption of electronic health records for medical practices with one or two physicians.

Free Health Clinics at a Crossroads     Top Story 
Mar 26, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article discusses how free health clinics have long been places people turn to when they don't have health insurance or money to pay for care, but the health law’s expansion of coverage puts free clinics in uncharted territory.

Have Fillings, Will Travel
Mar 26, 2012 -- Daily Mail, (NY) tells how the Greene County Rural Health Network is going to continue its decade-long quest of providing oral health services to approximately 1,000 second and third graders.

HUD Awards $110.8 Million in Grants to Protect Thousands of Children from Lead and Other Home Hazards
Mar 26, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $110.8 million in grants to 43 local projects to conduct a wide range of activities intended to protect children and families from potentially dangerous lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards.

IOM: Medical Disaster Planning 'Rudimentary at Best'     Top Story 
Mar 26, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that years after lessons gleaned from the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the Joplin tornado, and California wildfires, health systems and government agencies throughout the country are ill-prepared to grapple with major medical catastrophes according to a recent report from the Institute of Medicine.

Number of Homeless Students Higher in Some Rural Districts
Mar 26, 2012 -- Bloomington Pantagraph, (IN) article gives statistics showing how rural school districts in DeWitt, Livingston and McLean counties have the highest percentage of homeless students.

On a 'Shoestring,' Rural Colleges Serve Growing Local Needs
Mar 26, 2012 -- Community College Times article reports that when it comes to stretching funds and leveraging partnerships, rural community colleges such as New River Community and Technical College (NRCTC) in West Virginia offer some of the best examples of maximizing resources to train local residents for available jobs.

Rural Doctors Up Against Size, Cost Disadvantage     Top Story 
Mar 26, 2012 -- Denton Record Chronicle, (TX) article profiles Dr. Adrian Billings and discusses how health care reform legislation began to increase funding toward federal programs that recruit and retain primary care physicians in rural areas while decreasing reimbursements to private practices.

Structural Cavities in Rural Dental Health     Top Story 
Mar 26, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how on the whole, the nation's oral health has improved dramatically, but a shortage of dentists, lack of fluoridation, and poverty have put rural citizens at a dental disadvantage.

Study: Western Pennsylvania Region Spends More on Health Care
Mar 26, 2012 -- Pittsburgh Tribune - Review article reports that the Pittsburgh region uses "substantially" more health care services than comparable cities, costing the region an extra $187 million a year, according to a report released today.

Announcement of Requirements and Registration for Beat Down Blood Pressure Challenge     Federal Register 
Mar 23, 2012 -- The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), in partnership with Million Hearts, an HHS initiative to prevent a million heart attacks and strokes in five years, announces the launch of the Beat Down Blood Pressure Video Challenge.

Child Nutrition Programs - Income Eligibility Guidelines     Federal Register 
Mar 23, 2012 -- This notice from the Food and Nutrition Service announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk for the period from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

Enforcement of 5010 Standards Delayed Until July 1     Top Story 
Mar 23, 2012 -- American Medical News article reports that federal officials have extended by an additional 90 days the enforcement deadline for physicians, health plans and claims processors to comply with the 5010 electronic transaction standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Health Insurance Rate Hikes in Nine States Deemed Excessive by HHS     Top Story 
Mar 23, 2012 -- Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that health insurance premium increases in nine states have been deemed “unreasonable” under the rate review authority granted by the Affordable Care Act.

House Votes to Repeal Medicare's IPAB     Top Story 
Mar 23, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News brings together a variety of articles discussing how the House on Thursday afternoon approved legislation that would repeal a government board tasked with finding Medicare savings, and institute medical tort reform across the country.

Match Day 2012 Includes Largest Class of Rural Medicine Students
Mar 23, 2012 -- School of Medicine and Public Health, (WI) article reports that about 160 graduates of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health - including the school's largest-to-date group of rural-medicine students - learned where they will begin their careers as doctors during Match Day, which was held March 16 at the Health Sciences Learning Center.

Medicaid Program; Eligibility Changes Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010; Final Rule; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Mar 23, 2012 -- Comments are being requested on this final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that codifies policy and procedural changes to the Medicaid and CHIP programs related to eligibility, enrollment, renewals, public availability of program information and coordination across insurance affordability programs.

Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Approval of the Application by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities for Deeming Authority for Rural Health Clinics     Top Story      Federal Register 
Mar 23, 2012 -- This final notice announces the decision of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to approve the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF) for recognition as a national accreditation program for rural health clinics (RHCs) seeking to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs.

Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Approval of the Community Health Accreditation Program for Continued CMS-Approval of its Home Health Agency Accreditation Program     Federal Register 
Mar 23, 2012 -- This notice announces the decision of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to approve the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) for recognition as a national accreditation program for home health agencies (HHAs) seeking to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs.

Notice of Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless     Federal Register 
Mar 23, 2012 -- This notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for use to assist the homeless.
Learn more about: Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless

Ryan Budget Floor Vote Foreshadows Fiscal Showdown     Top Story 
Mar 23, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News brings together a variety of articles discussing how the House Budget Committee approved the deficit-slashing GOP budget plan in a late vote Wednesday. Meanwhile, because it "fractures" the spending agreement reached last summer between the White House and congressional Republicans, both sides may be fixing for a fight as the election gets closer.

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Income Eligibility Guidelines     Federal Register 
Mar 23, 2012 -- The Food and Nutrition Service announces adjusted income eligibility guidelines to be used by State agencies in determining the income eligibility of persons applying to participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC).

VA Offering Training for Rural Clergy     Top Story 
Mar 23, 2012 -- Members of the clergy in rural areas can sign up for free, one-day workshops offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to educate these community leaders about the concerns of Veterans and the services offered by VA in their communities. Workshops will run through June in rural parts of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Administration Honors Champions of Health Care
Mar 22, 2012 -- NRHA Rural Health Voices blog reports that the National Rural Health Care Association was invited by the White House yesterday to mark the two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to honor Champions of Change dedicated to health care reform.

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Highlights Benefits of the Affordable Care Act to Rural Americans     Top Story 
Mar 22, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today discussed how the Affordable Care Act is building a stronger health system in rural communities and providing better care for farm families and the agricultural community.

How a Small Town Can Compete     Top Story 
Mar 22, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article tells how the small town of Columbus, Nebraska, has been very successful in building a manufacturing economy, but the town is trying to understand how it can continue to prosper.

Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Graduate Nurse Education Demonstration Program     Federal Register 
Mar 22, 2012 -- This notice informs interested parties of an opportunity to apply to participate in the Medicare Graduate Nurse Education (GNE) Demonstration. The primary goal of the GNE Demonstration is to increase the number of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in order to meet the health care needs of the growing Medicare population.

More Men Trading Overalls for Nursing Scrubs     Top Story 
Mar 22, 2012 -- New York Times article tells how a wide range of people are switching to health careers, including former manufacturing workers, and the percentage of people certified in nursing in some way who are men has risen to 9.6 percent since 2000 from 6.2 percent before.

Nearly All States Have Taken Action on Affordable Care Act's Patients' Bill of Rights and Other Early Health Insurance Market Reforms     Top Story 
Mar 22, 2012 -- As the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act approaches, a new Commonwealth Fund report finds that 49 states and the District of Columbia have already taken action supporting the law’s implementation, such as passing legislation, issuing regulations or other guidance, or actively reviewing insurer filings.

New Health Care Law Helps Young Adults Get and Keep Affordable Health Coverage     Top Story 
Mar 22, 2012 -- Prior to passage of the Affordable Care Act, young adults were much more likely to be uninsured and about twice as likely as older adults to lose private insurance coverage, according to a new report released by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today.

Nursing Shortage in U.S. Temporarily Over     Top Story 
Mar 22, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that a nursing shortage in the U.S. that led to a decade-long push for new hires and graduates in the field is over, at least until 2020 when a glut of retirees will leave a new gap to fill, researchers said.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Launches Initiative to Support Academic Progression in Nursing
Mar 22, 2012 -- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation article reports that the Tri-Council for Nursing, will lead a $4.3 million, Phase I two-year initiative, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to advance state and regional strategies to create a more highly educated nursing workforce.

Senate Committee Tackles Rural Child Welfare
Mar 22, 2012 -- MyHighPlains, (TX) article tells of a Senate hearing with the Department of Family and Protective Services on improving the caseworker retention and turnover rates in rural communities.

Senator Grassley, Senator Johnson Propose Reform Payment Limits for Federal Farm Programs - Center for Rural Affairs Applauds Effort to Close Loopholes and Cap Payments
Mar 22, 2012 -- Center for Rural Affairs article reports that yesterday, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Tim Johnson(D-SD) introduced legislation designed to tighten payment limits on federal farm commodity programs and close loopholes mega-farms use to evade limits, while ensuring small and mid-size family farmers have the kind of support farm programs were designed to deliver.

To Cut Costs, Postal Service Turns to Rural Stores     Top Story 
Mar 22, 2012 -- New York Times article reports that the postal Service, which has proposed closing 3,700 offices, is setting up services inside small grocery stores as it tries to maintain service while trimming billions of dollars in costs.

CMS Announces New Initiative to Bolster Primary Care Workforce     Top Story 
Mar 21, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced a call for applications for a new Affordable Care Act initiative designed to strengthen primary care in the United States. Under the Graduate Nurse Education Demonstration, CMS will provide hospitals working with nursing schools to train advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with payments of up to $200 million over four years to cover the costs of APRNs’ clinical training.

Cuts to Community Health Centers Hit Rural Americans Hardest     Top Story 
Mar 21, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that the federal government's decision to withhold about $600 million in funding for primary care community health centers will have a disproportionately hard effect on rural Americans.

First Native American Tribe Approved to Operate Guardianship, Foster Care and Adoption Program
Mar 21, 2012 -- For the first time in U.S. child welfare history, a tribe will have control over the process for evaluating child abuse and neglect allegations, determining whether children need to be placed in foster care, and finding permanent homes for children – safely back with their parents, in the homes of caring relatives, or with adoptive families.

Growing the Next Farm and Ranch Generation -- National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Releases its 2012 Farm Bill Platform
Mar 21, 2012 -- The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has released its comprehensive 2012 Farm Bill policy platform, Farming for the Future: A Sustainable Agriculture Agenda for the 2012 Food and Farm Bill, a platform that includes a comprehensive set of farm bill proposals that will strengthen family farming and ranching systems, especially beginning farmers and ranchers.

Health Reform Provides More than 45 Million Women Access to Preventive Health Care Services     Top Story 
Mar 21, 2012 -- Under the Affordable Care Act, 45.1 million women – including 20.4 million women with private health insurance and 24.7 million women with Medicare – can receive recommended preventive services with no cost-sharing, according to new data released today by Department of Health and Human Services.

HHS Sponsors Contest for Web App to Identify Local Health Trends     Top Story 
Mar 21, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today issued a challenge to web developers to design Web-based applications that use Twitter to track health trends in real time.

Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) Inviting Applications for the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) for Fiscal Year 2011 and Fiscal Year 2012     Federal Register 
Mar 21, 2012 -- This notice from the Rural Housing Service, USDA, announces the availability of RCDI grants to qualified intermediary organizations that will provide financial and technical assistance to recipients to develop their capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development.
Learn more about: Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI)

Obesity Costly in More Ways Than One
Mar 21, 2012 -- Chattanoogan.com, (GA) article reports that Georgia is facing economic pressure from chronic illness with the cost of obesity expanding like the waistbands of adults and children statewide; nearly one in three of the state’s adults is obese, and childhood obesity rates are second only to Mississippi.

Strategic Physician Recruiting Calls for Forecasting, Profiling
Mar 21, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article tells how a reactive recruiting cycle can result in ill-fated hiring choices, but creating a comprehensive recruitment strategy can help identify and keep Dr. Right and sidestep Dr. Right Now.

Students Enroll in Rural Health Opportunities Program
Mar 21, 2012 -- McCook Daily Gazette, (NE) article reports that thirty - four Nebraska high school students have been selected to enroll in the Rural Health Opportunities Program at Chadron State College beginning this fall.

USDA Seeks Applications to Spur Job Creation, Economic Growth in Rural Areas     Top Story 
Mar 21, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA Rural Development plans to award up to $8.6 million through the Rural Community Development Initiative program to help rural businesses create jobs and spur economic development.

Utah May Start Health Insurance Co-op
Mar 21, 2012 -- Salt Lake Tribune, (UT) article reports that Utah is exploring the idea of starting a health insurance co-op based on the Affordable Care Act law provision for health insurance cooperatives.

Wise Towns Will Spur Young Entrepreneurs     Top Story 
Mar 21, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how the future of small towns will require helping entrepreneurial young people learn the skills and find the resources they'll need to succeed with local businesses.

4 Tech Success Strategies for Hospitals     Top Story 
Mar 20, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that changes wrought by technology are making an indelible mark in service lines for health systems big and small.

A Tale of Two Health Insurance Extremes
Mar 20, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News reports that at 25 percent, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the nation. Massachusetts, where a 2006 law made coverage mandatory, has the lowest rate — less than 2 percent of people are uninsured. Here's a look at two Americans who are living the reality of that difference.

County Middle School Students Explored Career Options in Rural Health at Lander Hospital
Mar 20, 2012 -- County 10 News, (WY) article reports that thirty-three middle school students from Lander, Wind River and Dubois spent most of the day Friday at Lander Regional Hospital in the first program of its kind in Wyoming to give students an opportunity to explore and experience various healthcare career options.

Lights! Camera! Tobacco Use?
Mar 20, 2012 -- American Dental Association article reports that the U.S. surgeon general and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention invite original video productions up to two minutes long from U.S. middle and high school students aged 14-18 and young adults aged 18-24 on key health messages in the 2012 surgeon general’s report, “Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults.”

Media Advisory: Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and Rural Health Care Provider to Hold Media Conference Call on 2nd Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act     Top Story 
Mar 20, 2012 -- Tomorrow, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will host a media conference call on the 2nd anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. He will be joined by Carolyn Sheridan, a rural health care provider from Spencer, Iowa, who also serves as the Clinical Director of AgriSafe, a non-profit organization representing health professionals who provide health care services to farm families.

Rural Gateway Peer - to - Peer Conference Call     Top Story 
Mar 20, 2012 -- The Office of Rural Housing and Economic Development (ORHED) invites you to take part in their next Peer - to - Peer conference call scheduled for March 27, 2012. This call will offer participants the opportunity to learn about the current issues related to health care and economic development activities throughout Rural America.

VA Launches “Project REACH” Contest With HUD and Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation to Help Homeless Find Vital Services     Top Story 
Mar 20, 2012 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs launched a new contest today to help the people who help the homeless. It challenges the developer community to create easy, mobile access to resources that the homeless need, when they need it and where they can get it.

Doctor Plans to Develop Rural Care Campus Here
Mar 19, 2012 -- Times and Democrat, (SC) article reports that Dr. Monnie Singleton of Singleton Health Center says he will address patients’ clinical, wellness and prevention needs by developing a rural health care campus in Orangeburg.

Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Mar 19, 2012 -- This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of the Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to be held March 27, 2012, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public.

Health Reform Helps More Than 5.1 Million People With Medicare Save Over $3.2 billion
Mar 19, 2012 -- New data shows that more than 5.1 million seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare saved over $3.2 billion on prescription drugs because of the new health care law, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced today.

March 18th-24th is National Poison Prevention Week     Top Story 
Mar 19, 2012 -- It is the 50th Anniversary of National Poison Prevention Week, which is dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of poisoning. Poisoning is the leading cause of injury death in the United States—surpassing motor vehicle crashes.

The ABCs of Health Literacy     Top Story 
Mar 19, 2012 -- American Medical News article reports that many patients struggle to understand written health materials, as well as their physicians’ spoken instructions.

Community Colleges Play Vital Part in Rural Areas’ Economic Development, Professor Says     Top Story 
Mar 18, 2012 -- Tuscaloosa News reports that during a recent trip to Washington, D.C., University of Alabama education professor Steven Katsinas stressed the importance of community colleges in the economic development of rural areas while making the case that Pell Grants are vital in making these institutions more accessible.

Rural Hospital Hooks Up with Centers for Big-City Treatment     Top Story 
Mar 18, 2012 -- The Denver Post article describes one family's experience in a rural Colorado hospital that uses a remote monitoring system, allowing doctors and nurses at the hospital to talk through a video feed to counterparts in command centers in Mesa, Ariz.; Greeley, Southern California; and even Tel Aviv, Israel.

Administration Releases Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Preventive Services Policy
Mar 16, 2012 -- Officials at the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury released the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which outlines draft proposals to implement the policy announced by President Barack Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Feb. 10, 2012. This policy will provide women with access to recommended preventive services including contraceptives without cost sharing, while ensuring that non-profit religious organizations are not forced to pay for, provide, or facilitate the provision of any contraceptive service they object to on religious grounds.

Affordable Care Act Will Ensure Health Coverage for Millions of Americans     Top Story 
Mar 16, 2012 -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced final policies that will ensure that millions of uninsured Americans will have a simple, seamless path to affordable health insurance coverage.

Application for New Awards; Alaska Native Education Program     Federal Register 
Mar 16, 2012 -- The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education is requesting applications for this program to support innovative projects that enhance the educational services provided to Alaska Native children and adults.
Learn more about: Alaska Native Education Program

Bill Would Change Funding Process for Rural Projects
Mar 16, 2012 -- Daily American, (PA) article reports that a bill that changes the way entities apply for Rural Community Assistance Program funding and that lowers the state's debt is on its way to the Pennsylvania Senate.

CDC Ad Campaign Reveals Harsh Reality of Smoking - Related Diseases     Top Story 
Mar 16, 2012 -- A hard-hitting national ad campaign that depicts the harsh reality of illness and damage suffered as a result of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke was launched today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Expansion of 911 Access Loans and Loan Guarantees; Final Rule     Federal Register 
Mar 16, 2012 -- The Rural Utilities Service is adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule to implement the Expansion of 911. The interim rule codified the Secretary's authority to make loans in five areas of eligibility to expand or improve 911 access and integrated emergency communications systems in rural areas for the Telecommunications Loan Program.

Extension of Enforcement Discretion Period for Updated HIPAA Transaction Standards through June 30, 2012
Mar 16, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Thursday that it will not initiate enforcement action for an additional three months, through June 30, 2012, against any covered entity that is required to comply with the updated transactions standards adopted under the Health Insurance Portability and

Health Information Technology Policy Advisory Committee     Federal Register 
Mar 16, 2012 -- This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public advisory committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The meeting will be held on April 4, 2012, in Washington, D.C. and will be open to the public.

Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee     Federal Register 
Mar 16, 2012 -- This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public advisory committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The meeting will be held on April 18, 2012 in Washington, D.C. and will be open to the public.

Leaders Talk Rural Florida
Mar 16, 2012 -- WCTV News, (FL) article reports that Gadsden County hosted local politicians, community leaders and businessmen and women talking about ways that rural Florida won't be left behind when it comes to an economic turnaround.

Medicare Payment Advisory Commission Releases Report on Medicare Payment Policy     Top Story 
Mar 16, 2012 -- Yesterday, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its March 2012 Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy. The report includes the Commission’s analyses of payment adequacy in fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Part D, as well as the Commission’s assessment of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) system for physician payment.

New Opportunity for Better Care for Nursing Facility Residents Through Enhanced Coordination Efforts     Top Story 
Mar 16, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the Initiative to Reduce Avoidable Hospitalizations among Nursing Facility Residents, a new effort designed to improve care for people living in nursing facilities who are enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid.

Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Indian and Native American Employment and Training Programs; Solicitation for Grant Applications and Announcement of Competition Waivers for Program Years 2012 and 2013     Federal Register 
Mar 16, 2012 -- The Employment and Training Administration, announces the availability of competitive grant funds to provide employment and training services to Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians.
Learn more about: Indian and Native American Employment and Training Programs; Solicitation for Grant Applications and Announcement of Competition Waivers for Program Years 2012 and 2013

Notice of Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless     Federal Register 
Mar 16, 2012 -- This notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for use to assist the homeless.
Learn more about: Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless

SAMHSA Provides New Online Tools for Consumers and Providers of Mental Health Services to Make Informed Treatment Decisions
Mar 16, 2012 -- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is making available new online shared decision-making (SDM) tools that provide a valuable interactive, collaborative connection between individuals and their health care providers.

Student Interest in Family Medicine Improves But Slows After Two Years of Increases     Top Story 
Mar 16, 2012 -- Interest in family medicine held steady among graduating medical students this year, according to the 2012 National Residency Matching Program results released today.

US Labor Department Announces Availability of Nearly $60 Million in Grants to Provide Employment Services to Indian and Native American Communities     Top Story 
Mar 16, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of nearly $60 million in grants for employment and training services through the Workforce Investment Act's Section 166 — Indian and Native Programs. The purposes of the grants are to develop the academic, occupational and literacy skills of the individuals served, making them more competitive in the workforce, as well as to promote the economic and social development of Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities in accordance with their own goals and values.

Capitol Hill Briefing on Unmet Primary Health Care Needs of Millions of Americans     Top Story 
Mar 15, 2012 -- The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) will release a new report about the unmet primary health care needs of millions of Americans at a Capitol Hill briefing on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 10:30 a.m.

CMS Continues to Improve Quality of Care for People with Medicare
Mar 15, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced 23 additional participants in the Community-based Care Transitions Program whose participants will join seven other community-based organizations already working with local hospitals and other health care and social service providers to support Medicare patients who are at high-risk of being readmitted to the hospital while transitioning from hospital stays to their homes, a nursing home, or other care setting.

Local Nurse Practitioner Battling Doctor Shortage     Top Story 
Mar 15, 2012 -- Eyewitness News 9, (NC) article tells how a nurse practitioner in the rural town of Richlands is battling the doctor shortage by opening the first nurse practitioner owned and operated clinic in North Carolina.

Medicare Program; Meeting of the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee-May 16, 2012     Federal Register 
Mar 15, 2012 -- This notice announces that a public meeting of the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee will be held May 16, 2012. The Committee generally provides advice and recommendations concerning the adequacy of scientific evidence needed to determine whether certain medical items and services can be covered under the Medicare statute.

Medicare, Medicaid Payment Boost Sought for Rural Hospitals     Top Story 
Mar 15, 2012 -- Spokesman Review, (WA) reports that rural hospitals in Washington state and around the country would receive more federal money for Medicare and Medicaid patients through legislation introduced recently by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

Mississippi Builds Insurance Exchange, Even as it Fights Health Law
Mar 15, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article tells how Mississippi, a deeply red Southern state that is part of the Supreme Court case against the health law, is moving full speed ahead with one of the key provisions of that law: an online health insurance exchange.

Nearly 800,000 Deaths Prevented Due to Declines in Smoking     Top Story 
Mar 15, 2012 -- Twentieth-century tobacco control programs and policies were responsible for preventing more than 795,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States from 1975 through 2000, according to an analysis funded by the National Cancer Institute.

New Bill Could Help Ease Physician Shortage
Mar 15, 2012 -- Stamford Advocate, (CN) article reports that a bill is heading to a public hearing today that would allow up to 10 communities in Connecticut to be designated as "targeted health areas" if they have a medically underserved population or a population with a high rate of chronic disease. Physicians and physician offices in these communities would be eligible for loans, hiring incentive funds and matching grants for physician recruitment and other needs.

New Research Cites Effectiveness of Meth Ads
Mar 15, 2012 -- Beartooth NBC article tells of a recent study by Arizona State University about the effectiveness of advertisements that analyzed the effectiveness of the Meth Project campaign.

State Median Income Estimates for a Four-Person Household: Notice of the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2013 State Median Income Estimates for Use Under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)     Federal Register 
Mar 15, 2012 -- This notice from the Children and Families Administration announces to grantees of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) the estimated median income of four-person households in each State and the District of Columbia for FFY 2013 (October 1, 2012, to September 30, 2013).

Affordable Care Act Demonstration to Expand Access to Emergency Psychiatric Care     Top Story 
Mar 14, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced that 11 States and the District of Columbia will participate in the Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Demonstration, established under the Affordable Care Act to test whether Medicaid beneficiaries who are experiencing a psychiatric emergency get more immediate, appropriate care when institutions for mental diseases receive Medicaid reimbursement.

Connecticut Weighs Its 'Nurses Only' Medication Policy for Homebound Seniors
Mar 14, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article discusses how Connecticut officials say the state spends far too much money for nurses to give prescription drugs to Medicaid patients living at home, but now is thinking of changing its approach and letting non-nurses administer drugs.

Final Rule; Medicare Program; Revisions to the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Supplier Safeguards     Federal Register 
Mar 14, 2012 -- This final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services removes the definition of “direct solicitation” and allows DMEPOS suppliers, including DMEPOS competitive bidding program contract suppliers, to contract with licensed agents to provide DMEPOS supplies, unless prohibited by State law. It also removes the requirement for compliance with local zoning laws and modifies certain State licensure requirement exceptions.

HHS Settles HIPAA Case with BCBST for $1.5 Million
Mar 14, 2012 -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee (BCBST) has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) $1,500,000 to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules, Leon Rodriguez, Director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced today.

HUD Awards $201 Million for New Local Homeless Programs     Top Story 
Mar 14, 2012 -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded nearly $201 million to support 731 new local homeless programs across the country. HUD grants include $15.7 million to support 103 new housing and service programs located in rural communities.

Presidential Memorandum of February 21, 2012; Driving Innovation and Creating Jobs in Rural America Through Biobased and Sustainable Product Procurement     Federal Register 
Mar 14, 2012 -- The goal of this memorandum is to ensure that executive departments and agencies effectively execute Federal procurement requirements for biobased products. Increased Federal procurement of biobased products will promote rural economic development, create new jobs, and provide new markets for farm commodities.

CDC Campaign Aims to Increase HIV Testing among African - American Women
Mar 13, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week launched a campaign to increase HIV testing and awareness among African-American women.

Nitrate in Drinking Water Poses Health Risks for Rural Californians     Top Story 
Mar 13, 2012 -- Environmental Protection article reports that one in 10 people living in California's most productive agricultural areas is at risk for harmful levels of nitrate contamination in their drinking water, according to a report released today by the University of California, Davis.

Policies Give States More Flexibility to Establish Affordable Insurance Exchanges     Top Story 
Mar 13, 2012 -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced policies to assist states in building Affordable Insurance Exchanges. The Affordable Care Act requires states to establish exchanges to facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans in the individual and small group markets beginning in 2014.

Dental Hygienist Makes Business from House Calls
Mar 12, 2012 -- Corvallis Gazette - Times, (OR) article discusses the role of an expanded-practice dental hygienist, who serves limited-access populations such as the elderly and people who have disabilities. The hygienist makes house calls providing cleanings, exams and screenings, treatments and dentist referrals.

Healthcare Job Growth Accelerating     Top Story 
Mar 12, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that job growth in the healthcare sector has been strong in the first two months of 2012, accounting for one in five new jobs in the overall economy, and even surpassing the robust pace of job growth throughout most of 2011, new federal data shows.

Mental Health in Crisis in Rural Minnesota
Mar 12, 2012 -- MinnPost article discusses how rural Minnesota is facing a critical shortage of mental health providers.

Metro-Agrarians Seek Their Day in the Sun     Top Story 
Mar 12, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how Cleveland and other urban areas are expanding local gardening efforts, meanwhile changing the urban/rural dynamic.

Mobile Medical Van to Provide Rural Healthcare
Mar 12, 2012 -- Examiner.com article reports that a new 32' mobile medical van will serve South Kona communities on the Hawai`i Island that have had limited access to health care.

Preschoolers in Surgery for a Mouthful of Cavities     Top Story 
Mar 12, 2012 -- New York Times article tells how dentists nationwide say they are seeing more preschoolers at all income levels with 6 to 10 cavities or more, and many have a level of decay so severe that they often recommend using general anesthesia because young children are unlikely to sit through such extensive procedures while they are awake.

Progress 2012: Open Door Goes Mobile with Health Care
Mar 12, 2012 -- Mankato Free Press, (MN) article tells how Mankato’s Open Door Clinic, which provides medical and dental care regardless of ability to pay, recently began operating a pair of mobile clinics in towns around southern Minnesota.

White House Names HHS's Todd Park CTO
Mar 12, 2012 -- Politico article reports that Todd Park, the chief technology officer at Health and Human Services, has been tapped by President Barack Obama to replace Aneesh Chopra as the White House’s new tech guru to help the federal government modernize its technology and better use tech tools to address the nation’s challenges.

Wyo. Vets Can Get Benefit Information Via Computer
Mar 12, 2012 -- NECN.com article tells how rural veterans in the Gillette, Powell, Worland, Evanston, Afton, Riverton, Casper and Rock Springs areas will be able to speak face-to-face with a veterans benefits counselor in Sheridan without driving long distances.

Youth Renewing the Countryside     Top Story 
Mar 12, 2012 -- Rural Futures Lab blog tells how the Renewing the Countryside project has been working with the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service to help bring out aspiring young farmers through their joint efforts.

Comment Sought on Funding Pilot Program Participants Transitioning Out of the Rural Health Care Pilot Program in Funding Year 2012; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Mar 9, 2012 -- In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on whether to fund Rural Health Care Pilot Program participants who will exhaust funding allocated to them before or during funding year 2012 (July 1, 2012-June 30, 2013).

Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System Offers Recommendations to Strengthen Safety Net Hospitals Under Health Reform     Top Story 
Mar 9, 2012 -- A new report released yesterday by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System offers a series of recommendations to help shore up safety net hospitals and make sure under health reform that they can continue to provide high-quality care to low-income, vulnerable patients.

Connect America Fund; A National Broadband Plan for Our Future; Establishing Just and Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers; High-Cost Universal Service Support     Federal Register 
Mar 9, 2012 -- In this document, the Federal Communications Commission clarifies certain rules in regard to the Connect America Fund. The document also modifies certain initial filing deadlines required to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act requirements, and deletes certain rules that are now obsolete.

Dismantling the Rural Health Workforce Pipeline     Top Story 
Mar 9, 2012 -- OK Policy Blog article discusses the end of the Oklahoma Area Health Education Center Program due to lack of state funding and the proven programs for workforce development that they will be loosing.

Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Domestic Violence Shelters/Grants to Native American Tribes (Including Alaska Native Villages) and Tribal Organizations     Federal Register 
Mar 9, 2012 -- The purpose of these grants is to assist Tribes in establishing, maintaining, and expanding programs and projects to prevent family violence and to provide immediate shelter and related assistance for victims of family violence and their dependents.
Learn more about: Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Domestic Violence Shelters/Grants to Native American Tribes (Including Alaska Native Villages) and Tribal Organizations

Farzad Mostashari is a Man on a Digital Mission     Top Story 
Mar 9, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article profiles Farzad Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology within the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and his current mission: moving doctors from the Age of Gutenberg into the 21st century.

Notice of Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless     Federal Register 
Mar 9, 2012 -- This notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for use to assist the homeless.
Learn more about: Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless

Obama Administration Announces $15 Million Multi-Agency Challenge to Foster Job Creation and Business Innovation in Rural Communities Nationwide     Top Story 
Mar 9, 2012 -- The Obama Administration yesterday announced a $15 million multi-agency Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator challenge to spur job creation and economic growth in distressed rural communities.

On Food, Subsidies, Crime and Fat     Top Story 
Mar 9, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article tells of research on how crop subsidies aren't making us fat and other fun findings about food, eating and overweight Americans.

Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program; Tribal Transit Program     Top Story      Federal Register 
Mar 9, 2012 -- This notice announces the availability of approximately $15 million in funding provided by the Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program (Tribal Transit Program (TTP) to support planning, capital, and operating assistance for Tribal public transit services.
Learn more about: Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program; Tribal Transit Program

Surgeon General Releases New Report on Youth Smoking     Top Story 
Mar 9, 2012 -- The fight against youth tobacco use was accelerated today by Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, with the release of the Surgeon General’s Report, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults that tells how after years of steady progress, declines in tobacco use by youth and young adults have slowed for cigarette smoking and stalled for smokeless tobacco.

30 Percent of States Actively Changed Assisted Living Regulations in 2011
Mar 8, 2012 -- The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) today released the 2012 edition of “Assisted Living State Regulatory Review” finding that 16 states made changes to assisted living regulations, statutes, and policies during 2011.

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding to Improve Rural Electric Infrastructure and Make the 'Grid' More Reliable and Efficient
Mar 8, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that rural electric cooperative utilities in eight states will receive funding to install smart grid technologies and make improvements to generation and transmission facilities.

Coming Soon to Massachusetts' Dental Offices — Maybe     Top Story 
Mar 8, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that legislation has been introduced in Kansas, Ohio, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington to allow dental therapists to begin practicing there, but the president of the Massachusetts Dental Society says dental therapists are not the answer for patients who can't get care.

Federal Spending in Rural Lags Cities     Top Story 
Mar 8, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how per capita federal spending in metro counties has been higher than spending in rural counties for five out of the last seven years, according to the ERS, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Health Care Reform Law Helps 1.3 Million Minority Young Adults Obtain Health Insurance     Top Story 
Mar 8, 2012 -- New data released today by Health and Human Services shows that the Affordable Care Act has extended health insurance to a substantial number of racial and ethnic minorities nationwide.

Medicare Redesigns Claims and Benefits Statement Empowers Seniors with Clear Information on Health Care Services Used     Top Story 
Mar 8, 2012 -- As part of National Consumer Protection Week, the Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Marilyn Tavenner, announced the redesign of the statement that informs Medicare beneficiaries about their claims for Medicare services and benefits.

Needed: Health Professionals to Treat the Aging     Top Story 
Mar 8, 2012 -- New York Times article discusses the need for geriatric specialists in all health care professions including dentistry and mental health, and looks at some of the programs that are currently working to increase the training and education in geriatrics.

Notice of Funding Opportunity and Solicitation for Grant Applications for YouthBuild Grants     Federal Register 
Mar 8, 2012 -- The Employment and Training Administration announces the availability of funding for YouthBuild Grants that provide disadvantaged youth with education and employment skills, and opportunities for meaningful work and service to their communities.
Learn more about: YouthBuild Grants

Promoting Your Hospital's HIT Capabilities, Creatively     Top Story 
Mar 8, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article tells how Texas Health used a microsite and creative social media campaign to communicate directly to patients to educate them about the benefits of health information technology (HIT).

Report: Hospitals Boost Kansas Economy
Mar 8, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that Kansas hospitals employ 73,890 people and support another 57,330 jobs throughout the state, according to a new report released by the Kansas Hospital Association.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Announces New Program to Help Primary Care Practices Use Their Workforce More Effectively
Mar 8, 2012 -- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation article tells of the LEAP Project that will identify primary care practices that use health professionals and other staff in ways that maximize access to their services, so these workforce models can be replicated and adopted more widely.

Rural Health Open Door Forum     Top Story 
Mar 8, 2012 -- The next Rural Health Open Door forum has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 13, 2012 from 2:00pm – 3:00PM Eastern time.

Simon Outlines Challenges, Opportunities at Rural Affairs Conference
Mar 8, 2012 -- Journal Star, (IL) article reports on comments made by Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon at the 23rd annual rural affairs conference.

US Department of Labor Announces Availability of $75 Million through YouthBuild Grants Program to Help Young People Develop Job Skills     Top Story 
Mar 8, 2012 -- Secretary of Labor announced today announced the availability of approximately $75 million in YouthBuild grant funds to develop programs that will help out-of-school youth complete high school or General Educational Development programs, as well as learn critical occupational skills in construction, health care, information technology and other fields.
Learn more about: YouthBuild Grants

Campaign for Action Names 12 New State Action Coalitions to Help Ensure High-quality, Patient-centered Health Care for All
Mar 7, 2012 -- Center to Champion Nursing in America article reports that this week 12 new states will join 36 already working as Action Coalitions, convened to ensure that Americans will have a health care workforce that is prepared to deliver high quality patient-centered care.

CMS to Host March 12 Call on Stage 2 'Meaningful Use' Requirements     Top Story 
Mar 7, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host a March 12 conference call on its proposed requirements for Stage 2 "meaningful use" of electronic health records.

Don’t Blame Food Deserts for Obesity
Mar 7, 2012 -- Washington Post, (DC) article tells of a new paper that is challenging the notion that “food deserts” — rural and urban areas where nutritious food is difficult to obtain — are to blame for the rise in obesity.

Electronic Intensive Care Unit Expands in Alaska
Mar 7, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article tells how an Anchorage hospital is using an Electronic Intensive Care Unit patient monitoring system that uses 21st century telemedicine to help care for critically ill patients in multiple hospitals from a single location.

Health Information Technology: Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology, 2014 Edition; Revisions to the Permanent Certification Program for Health Information Technology     Top Story      Federal Register 
Mar 7, 2012 -- This proposed new and revised certification criteria from Health and Human Services would establish the technical capabilities and specify the related standards and implementation specifications that Certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) Technology would need to include to, at a minimum, support the achievement of meaningful use by eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs beginning with the EHR reporting periods in fiscal year and calendar year 2014.

House Committee Votes to Repeal IPAB     Top Story 
Mar 7, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that the House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday approved by voice vote legislation that would repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a presidentially appointed board created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to set Medicare reimbursement rates if spending exceeds certain targets.

Labor Certification Process for the Temporary Employment of Aliens in Agriculture in the United States: 2012 Allowable Charges for Agricultural Workers' Meals and Travel Subsistence Reimbursement, Including Lodging     Federal Register 
Mar 7, 2012 -- The Employment and Training Administration is issuing this notice to announce the allowable charges for 2012 that employers seeking H-2A workers may charge their workers when the employer provides three meals a day, and the maximum meal reimbursement which a worker with receipts may claim. The Department is also providing clarification on the issue of overnight lodging costs as part of required subsistence, where necessary.

Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program-Stage 2; Comment Request     Top Story      Federal Register 
Mar 7, 2012 -- Comments are being requested on this proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that would specify the Stage 2 criteria that eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must meet in order to qualify for Medicare and/or Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments. In addition, it would specify payment adjustments under Medicare for covered professional services and hospital services provided by EPs, eligible hospitals, and CAHs failing to demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology and other program participation requirements. This proposed rule would also revise certain Stage 1 criteria, as well as criteria that apply regardless of Stage, as finalized in the final rule titled Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program published on July 28, 2010 in the Federal Register.

Medicare Unveils New Form to Enlist Seniors in Fight Against Fraud     Top Story 
Mar 7, 2012 -- Washington Post, (DC) article reports that in the latest effort to enlist seniors in the fight against Medicare fraud, federal officials have overhauled Medicare billing statements to make it easier to find bogus charges without a magnifying glass.

N.Y. Gov. Proposes $25M for Rural Broadband
Mar 7, 2012 -- Communications, Engineering & Design Magazine article reports that Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to devote $25 million of a job creation fund to expand broadband Internet access to rural upstate and underserved urban areas of New York that could create jobs and potentially provide far more cellular telephone coverage to the Adirondacks.

State calls Flagler Hospital 'Rural' So it Will Get $3 Million     Top Story 
Mar 7, 2012 -- Florida Times - Union article reports that despite not meeting state requirements, Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine will net more than $3 million from the state budget because it has been reclassified a “rural hospital.”

Telemedicine Revolution Needed in Rural Health Care
Mar 7, 2012 -- Payson Roundup, (AZ) article tells how the Mogollon Health Alliance is hoping for a federal grant to create a telemedicine hub that would connect local doctors, nurses and therapists with teams of specialists in far-flung centers and would serve a wide expanse of northern Arizona.

Child Poverty Rises in 2000s     Top Story 
Mar 6, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article tells how the number of children living in poverty in rural communities increased by 200,000 between 2000 and 2010, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures.

Curbing Nurse Obesity Can Shrink Hospital Costs
Mar 6, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article discusses how healthier nurses mean reduced absenteeism and turnover, and they provide better care and make fewer errors, all of which save lives and money.

Exempting In - Home Video Telehealth from Copayments; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Mar 6, 2012 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is requesting comments on taking final action to amend its regulation that governs VA services that are not subject to copayment requirements for inpatient hospital care or outpatient medical care. Specifically, the regulation is amended to exempt in - home video telehealth care from having any required copayment.

HUD Kicks Off Series of Consultations with Native American Leaders
Mar 6, 2012 -- Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) kicked off a series of consultations with tribal leaders in preparation for HUD's forthcoming study on the chronic housing needs in Indian Country, "Assessment of Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs."

Nebraska's Rural Medicine Program Going Strong     Top Story 
Mar 6, 2012 -- Omaha World-Herald, (NE), article tells of Nebraska's Rural Training Tracks program that trains med school graduates to work in rural family medicine, a specialty that's especially important in primarily rural states such as Nebraska.

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber Signs Health Care 'Transformation' Bill
Mar 6, 2012 -- Oregonian article reports that Senate Bill 1580, now officially signed into law, establishes new provider groups serving Oregon Health Plan clients. The groups, called coordinated care organizations or ccos, would be designed to emphasize prevention and integrate medical, dental and mental health care.

Statement by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on National Consumer Protection Week     Top Story 
Mar 6, 2012 -- Secretary Kathleen Sebelius states that National Consumer Protection Week is an excellent time for consumers to learn more about their new health insurance rights and the resources offered by the Affordable Care Act.

Strengthening Rural Health in South Dakota
Mar 6, 2012 -- South Dakota State News article by Gov. Dennis Daugaard tells how the Legislature has passed several bills that will strengthen rural health care in South Dakota and specifies what the South Dakota WINS (Workforce Initiatives) program will do to help.

Study Finds Consumers Choose High - Value Health Care Providers When Given Good Cost and Quality Information
Mar 6, 2012 -- When asked to choose a health care provider based only on cost, consumers choose the more expensive option, according to a new study funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) that appears in the March issue of Health Affairs.

USDA Seeks Applications for Economic Development Funding to Create Jobs in Rural Areas     Top Story 
Mar 6, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is seeking applications for loans and grants to help rural businesses create jobs and spur economic development. The funding is being provided under the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program.

Veterans' Rural Health Advisory Committee, Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Mar 6, 2012 -- The Veterans' Rural Health Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on March 29-30, 2012, in Uvalde, Texas. The purpose of the Committee is to advise the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on health care issues affecting enrolled Veterans residing in rural areas.

2nd Annual RTT - TAP Conclave Assembles in Omaha     Top Story 
Mar 5, 2012 -- NRHA Rural Health Voices blog reports that building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, Rural Training Track (RTT) program directors, rural residency site directors, individuals involved in developing RTTs and current NIPDD-R fellows, convened at University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for the second annual Rural Training Track Conclave.

First Look at the Next Stage of Meaningful Use     Top Story 
Mar 5, 2012 -- American Medical News article reports that earning bonuses and avoiding payment cuts during stage 2 of the multibillion-dollar federal electronic medical record incentive program would require using technology that meets tougher quality objectives and that helps coordinate patient care, according to a proposed rule released on Feb. 23.

Health Reform Law Ends Lifetime Limits for 105 Million Americans     Top Story 
Mar 5, 2012 -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a new report today on how the health reform law has eliminated lifetime limits on coverage for more than 105 million Americans.

Louisiana Hospitals, March of Dimes Partner on Healthy Baby Initiatives
Mar 5, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that the Louisiana Hospital Association is partnering with the March of Dimes on a patient education campaign to prevent elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks, and a workplace program to promote good health for expectant mothers and their babies.

New Hampshire First to Get New Health Care Law Funds     Top Story 
Mar 5, 2012 -- New Hampshire will be the first State in the country to receive new Medicaid grant dollars— $26.5 million over three years— provided by the Affordable Care Act to keep people out of institutions and living productive lives in their communities.

USDA and Rural Community College Alliance, Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Strengthen the Rural Economy     Top Story 
Mar 5, 2012 -- Officials from USDA Rural Development today signed an Memorandum of Understanding with rural community colleges to strengthen the rural economy by increasing rural residents' access to skills training and higher education, an outcome of the White House Rural Council to better coordinate federal resources to promote economic prosperity in rural communities.

$1.3 Billion to Improve the Health and Independence of America’s Older Adults     Top Story 
Mar 2, 2012 -- Grants of more than $1.3 billion to every state, the District of Columbia, and five territories to continue implementing programs that help older adults live healthy, safely and independently in their communities were awarded today by Kathy Greenlee, assistant secretary for aging in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

2012 Conference Outstanding Rural Health Awards
Mar 2, 2012 -- The Center for Rural Health is reminding you that the deadline is approaching to submit your nominations for the Outstanding Rural Health Awards. The deadline is March 13, 2012.

Appointment/Reappointment to the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC)     Top Story      Federal Register 
Mar 2, 2012 -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is soliciting applications for appointment or reappointment to the Department of Transportation's National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC). The purpose of NEMSAC is to serve as a nationally recognized council of emergency medical services (EMS) representatives and consumers to provide advice and recommendations regarding EMS to DOT and its modal administration, NHTSA, and through NHTSA to the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS).

Gov. Quinn Lifts Moratorium on State Review of Hospital Property Taxes
Mar 2, 2012 -- Chicago Tribune, (IL) article reports that Gov. Pat Quinn on Thursday drew a hard line on negotiations with the state's hospitals over how much free care they must provide to qualify for tax breaks, lifting a moratorium on the Department of Revenue's review of hospitals seeking charity-care exemptions on their property taxes.

Help Wanted: Family Physicians     Top Story 
Mar 2, 2012 -- Quad - City Times, (IA) article reports that primary care physicians are the focus of great attention in the health-care field these days. Some say 25,000 or more people must be educated and hired to handle the increased number of patients who are expected when the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented.

HUD Makes $5 Million Available to Help Communities Begin "Grassroots" Plan for Housing, Community Revitalization
Mar 2, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced $5 million is being made available in Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants to help communities begin the comprehensive neighborhood planning process to transform, rehabilitate and preserve public housing and privately-owned HUD-assisted housing. Read HUD’s FY 2011 Choice Neighborhoods Notice of Funding Availability.

Inviting Applications for the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2012     Top Story      Federal Register 
Mar 2, 2012 -- This notice by the Rural Business-Cooperative Service is to invite applications for loans and grants under the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program, to promote rural economic development and job creation projects.
Learn more about: Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program (REDLG)

Legislation Would Allow Doctors to Apologize
Mar 2, 2012 -- Brown Daily Herald, (RI) article tells of a proposed bill in Rhode Island that would allow doctors to apologize to their patients without legal repercussions

Medicaid and Rural America     Top Story 
Mar 2, 2012 -- Syracuse Journal-Democrat, (NE) article tells of a report by the Center for Rural Affairs that analyzes benefits of Medicaid in rural areas.

Some U.S. Women Live Far from Maternity Care     Top Story 
Mar 2, 2012 -- Chicago Tribune, (IL) article reports that some U.S. women, especially in the rural West, live more than an hour's drive from a hospital with maternity care, a new study finds.

The Cause and Cure of Oklahoma’s Rural Doctor Deficiency Might be Money
Mar 2, 2012 -- StateImpact Oklahoma article discusses how rural Oklahoma suffers from a doctor deficiency, and medical officials say the cause and treatment are the same: money.

USDA MyPlate Partners Announce "What's on My Plate?" Day     Top Story 
Mar 2, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that nearly 6,000 USDA partners are teaming to deem March 8, 2012 as "What's on My Plate?" day to heighten public awareness of the importance of choosing nutritious foods for a healthy meal.

Vermont Adjusts Path Toward Universal Coverage
Mar 2, 2012 -- American Medical News article reports that Vermont is making significant progress toward implementing its own health insurance exchange, but transforming that marketplace into a truly universal health care program could prove to be very difficult, judging by recent compromises on the issue by Gov. Peter Shumlin.

Announcement of Funding Availability Under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program     Federal Register 
Mar 1, 2012 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing the availability of funds for applications for assistance under the Per Diem Only component of VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program.
Learn more about: VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program

Diabetes Coordination Program a Lesson in Rural Innovation     Top Story 
Mar 1, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article tells of an innovative diabetes coordination program begun by Choptank Community Health System's six federally qualified health centers in Maryland that is using a $400,000 two-year grant to develop an intensive intervention program for noncompliant Type 2 diabetes patients.

Family Medicine Message Resonates With Rural Oregon During Student Bike Tour     Top Story 
Mar 1, 2012 -- AAFP News Now tells how the Oregon AFP sponsored and coordinated a five-week, rural bicycle tour that captivated the attention of the state's population while delivering an unmistakable message about the importance of building a strong primary care workforce in rural areas.

FPs Are at Front Lines of Combating Post-traumatic Health Issues in Vets
Mar 1, 2012 -- AAFP News Now discusses how too many soldiers home from deployment bear the emotional scars of combat silently, leaving it to their doctors to uncover and treat hard-to-identify wounds that can tear lives apart long after a tour of duty ends. Fortunately, family physicians are uniquely qualified to ensure these returning veterans get the medical care they deserve.

Key Nutrition Information for Most Popular Meat and Poultry Products Coming to a Store Near You
Mar 1, 2012 -- Beginning today, consumers will have convenient access to important nutritional information about the raw meat and poultry products they most frequently purchase, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.

Senate Hearing Focuses on Access to Care
Mar 1, 2012 -- American Dental Association article reports that the U.S. Senate took testimony Feb. 29 on proposals to increase access to dental care, including a dental therapist's appeal to Congress to "do whatever you can to make it easier to improve access to care through the exploration and utilization of new types of dental providers."

U.S. Military Focuses on Patient Care by Implementing PCMH Model
Mar 1, 2012 -- American Medical News article tells of a growing patient-centered medical home (PCMH) movement that is sweeping through the military and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It is transforming thousands of practices and bringing millions of patients into the medical home model.

Unemployed? South Dakota has a Job for You     Top Story 
Mar 1, 2012 -- CBS News article tells of a job recruitment effort that is part of a broader program called South Dakota WINS. The goal of the 20-point plan, introduced at the governor's State of the State speech, is to better educate and train students for jobs, promote rural health occupations and attract new workers to the state.

USDA Unveils the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass     Top Story 
Mar 1, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan unveiled the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF) Compass, an interactive web-based document and map highlighting USDA support for local and regional food projects and successful producer, business and community case studies.

VA Dental Insurance Program: Proposed Rule; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Mar 1, 2012 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is requesting comments on a proposed rule to amend its regulations to establish a pilot program to offer premium-based dental insurance to enrolled veterans and certain survivors and dependents of veterans.

VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program; Proposed Rule; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Mar 1, 2012 -- Comments are being requested by the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) on a proposal to revise and reorganize regulations which contain the VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program.

Dallas Doctor Arrested for Alleged Role in Nearly $375 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme     Top Story 
Feb 29, 2012 -- A physician and the office manager of his medical practice, along with five owners of home health agencies, were arrested today on charges related to their alleged participation in a nearly $375 million health care fraud scheme involving fraudulent claims for home health services.

Funding Opportunity for Health Information Technology Workforce Training through the Department of Labor     Top Story 
Feb 29, 2012 -- Last week, the Department of Labor announced the availability of $500 million in funding to support Health Information Technology (HIT) workforce training at the community college level, and applicant organizations can use this funding to potentially develop programs focusing on health information technology workforce development.  The full Funding Opportunity Announcement can be found at: http://www.doleta.gov/grants/pdf/taaccct_sga_dfa_py_11_08.pdf

Health Insurance Pricing Transparency Could Save $36B Annually     Top Story 
Feb 29, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article reports that about $36 billion could be shaved off the nation's healthcare tab each year if the cost for 300 common procedures covered under employer-based insurance plans were reduced to their median prices, according to research from Thomson Reuters Healthcare.

HHS Secretary Sebelius Announces Environmental Justice Strategy     Top Story 
Feb 29, 2012 -- Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, along with other federal agencies, today released the Department’s 2012 Environmental Justice Strategy and Implementation Plan, outlining steps that will be taken to protect communities facing greater health and environmental risks.

Obama Administration and Text4Baby Join Forces to Connect Pregnant Women and Children to Health Coverage and Information     Top Story 
Feb 29, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicaid & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that it will partner with Text4Baby, a free national health texting service, to promote enrollment in both Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and provide pregnant women and new mothers free text messages on important health care issues.

Transformation Bill Passes the House
Feb 29, 2012 -- Lund Report article tells how the bill allowing for the overhaul of the Oregon Health Plan’s delivery system passed the House with an overwhelmingly bipartisan 53-7 vote, after being stalled for days because it became a part of end-of-session political negotiating and bargaining.

USDA to Tap Veterans and Transitioning Service Members for Careers in Agriculture     Top Story 
Feb 29, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and The American Legion National Commander Fang Wong today signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will help our Nation's veterans and transitioning military service members find positions that promote agriculture, animal and plant health, food safety, nutrition, conservation and rural communities.

Al Smith: 'No Bigger Job'     Top Story 
Feb 28, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article reviews Al Smith’s memoir, Wordsmith: My Life in Journalism, telling how there was "no bigger job" than editing a rural newspaper. Smith was named a “Rural Hero” at the first National Rural Assembly in 2007.

Alexander City Facility Targeted for Federal Grant
Feb 28, 2012 -- To ensure the Alabama Veterans home in Alexander City remains a comfortable and safe residence for Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs is awarding nearly $350,000 for improvements to the kitchen at the state-run facility.

Hiring Veterans Can Give Physician Practices Tax Advantages     Top Story 
Feb 28, 2012 -- American Medical News article tells of a little known $9,600 tax credit that is available from the Internal Revenue Service to medical practices who hire unemployed veterans.

Kansas Tobacco Prevention Funds Diverted to Other Uses
Feb 28, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that Kansas falls far short of the federally recommended level of spending for anti-tobacco programs. In fact, the state earns an F for prevention spending in the American Lung Association’s 2012 State of Tobacco Control report.

More Americans Seeking Dental Treatment at the ER
Feb 28, 2012 -- USA Today article tells how more Americans are turning to the emergency room for routine dental problems — a choice that often costs 10 times more than preventive care and offers far fewer treatment options than a dentist's office, according to an analysis of government data and dental research.

NHSC Provides $9 Million for Medical Students to go Into Primary Care     Top Story 
Feb 28, 2012 -- American Medical News article reports that seventy-seven fourth-year medical students will receive $9.1 million in loan repayments for participating in a new National Health Service Corps program aimed at encouraging more young people to go into primary care.

U.S. Labor Department to Host Spanish - Language Health Benefits Webinar Feb. 29     Top Story 
Feb 28, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration will host its first Spanish-language health benefits webinar on Wednesday, Feb. 29, from 1-2:30 p.m. EST. The free event will be co-sponsored by Families USA. Participants can register at http://s.dol.gov/NN.

USDA Takes Next Step to Modernize Department as Part of Blueprint for Stronger Service     Top Story 
Feb 28, 2012 -- As part of a continuing effort to build a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that meets the evolving needs of a 21st century agricultural economy, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today informed Congress that in 90 days he plans to approve consolidation of 131 Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices with other USDA service centers, consistent with provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill.

Beacon Grants Boost HIT, Patient-Centered Care     Top Story 
Feb 27, 2012 -- HealthLeaders Media article tells how millions of dollars continue to flow from Washington, DC, to communities across the country in the form of grants to so-called Beacon Communities, intended to serve as pilots and role models for how health information technology can be used to improve quality and care coordination.

Center for Rural Affairs Supports Health Insurance Exchange Bill
Feb 27, 2012 -- Syracuse Journal-Democrat, (NE) reports that the Center for Rural Affairs has provided supportive testimony at a hearing before the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee of the Nebraska Unicameral regarding LB 835, also known as the Nebraska Health Benefit Exchange Act.

CMS Takes Steps to Reduce Improper Payments and Save Money for Medicare     Top Story 
Feb 27, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that it is moving forward with a new initiative to reduce errors, and save money for Medicare. New audits of Medicare Advantage contracts will reduce the payment error rate for the Medicare Advantage program and will recover an estimated $370 million in overpayments for the first audit year.

Medicaid Program; Review and Approval Process for Section 1115 Demonstrations     Federal Register 
Feb 27, 2012 -- This final rule from CMS will implement provisions of section 10201(i) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 that set forth transparency and public notice procedures for experimental, pilot, and demonstration projects approved under section 1115 of the Social Security Act relating to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps; Request for Nominations     Top Story      Federal Register 
Feb 27, 2012 -- The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is requesting nominations to fill five vacancies on the National Advisory Council (NAC) on the National Health Service Corps (NHSC).

NEW Community-Based Participatory Research: a Tool for Law Enforcement Webinar (April 5, 2012)
Feb 27, 2012 -- Methepedia.org announces a free webinar to be held April 5th that will provide a brief introduction into what Community Based Participatory Research is, and focus on how this tool can support law enforcement.

Post Office Closings May Increase Rural Isolation, Economic Disparity     Top Story 
Feb 27, 2012 -- Washington Post, (DC) article discusses how some of the nation’s poorest communities, many of them with spotty broadband Internet coverage, stand to suffer most if the struggling agency moves ahead with plans to shutter thousands of post offices this year.

Secretary Sebelius Announces Next Stage for Providers Adopting Electronic Health Records     Top Story 
Feb 27, 2012 -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced the next steps for providers who are using electronic health record (EHR) technology and receiving incentive payments from Medicare and Medicaid.

Applications for New Awards; Native Hawaiian Education Program     Federal Register 
Feb 25, 2012 -- The purpose of the Native Hawaiian Education program is to support innovative projects that enhance the educational services provided to Native Hawaiian children and adults.
Learn more about: Native Hawaiian Education Program

CMS Proposes Definition of Stage 2 Meaningful Use of Certified Electronic Health Records (EHR) Technology     Top Story 
Feb 25, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a proposed rule for Stage 2 requirements for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs.

Different Takes: Maryland Advances an 'Enterprising' Plan to Eliminate Health Disparities
Feb 25, 2012 -- Kaiser Health News article offers a discussion of how health enterprise zones might improve the health of the state's minority populations.

Forum Finds Rural Arizona Hurting for Health Care
Feb 25, 2012 -- Public News Service article reports that obtaining health care is increasingly difficult in rural Arizona, and state budget cuts are making the situation worse. That was the conclusion at a community health forum in Marana.

Health Reform Law Provides Coverage for Nearly 50,000 Americans with Pre - Existing Conditions     Top Story 
Feb 25, 2012 -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced that the new health care law’s Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) program is providing insurance to nearly 50,000 people with high-risk pre-existing conditions nationwide.

HHS Selects Challenge Winners for Facebook App     Top Story 
Feb 25, 2012 -- Three Facebook applications designed to help people prepare for emergencies and get support from friends and family in an emergency – from personal medical emergencies or car accidents to natural or man-made disasters – are winners of a Facebook application challenge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

Kansas Initiative Encourages ‘Dental Desert’ Practice
Feb 25, 2012 -- American Dental Association article announces that the Kansas Initiative for New Dentists (KIND) will award its first grants in June to dentists who agree to start practices in communities designated as “dental deserts” for lack of a dentist within 20 miles.

Medicaid Program; Announcement of Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) Contingency Fee Update     Federal Register 
Feb 25, 2012 -- This notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will inform States that Medicare has increased the maximum contingency fee paid to Recovery Auditors by 5 percent for the recovery of overpayments only for durable medical equipment claims (DME).

Medicare Program; Public Meetings in Calendar Year 2012 for All New Public Requests for Revisions to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Coding and Payment Determinations     Federal Register 
Feb 25, 2012 -- This notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announces the dates, time, and location of the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) public meetings to be held in calendar year 2012 to discuss their preliminary coding and payment determinations for all new public requests for revisions to the HCPCS.

We Can't Wait: Secretary Vilsack Announces Outreach to Help Rural USDA - Financed Homeowners Refinance Mortgages, Reduce Payments     Top Story 
Feb 25, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack met with lenders, public officials, and community leaders in central Florida to encourage eligible homeowners to take advantage of historically low home mortgage rates being offered in Florida and 18 other states through a USDA pilot loan refinancing program.

Americans Facing a Shortage of Primary Care Doctors     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2012 -- KFVS, (AR) article discusses how as Americans age and with reforms in health care coming, we face a huge shortage of Family Medicine trained physicians, but the AHEC program located at St. Bernards clinics is trying to help by training family care physicians for rural locations.

CMS, ONC Provide Preview of Stage 2 Meaningful Use Rules     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2012 -- AHA News Now article reports that as expected, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will delay Stage 2 of meaningful use of electronic health records one year until Oct. 1, 2013, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Farzad Mostashari announced yesterday at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference in Las Vegas.

HHS Announces New Assistance to States: More Resources, Transparency, and Flexibility     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2012 -- Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced more assistance to states as it implements three new provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

House OKs Bills Luring Health Workers to Rural SD     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2012 -- WFAA, (TX) article reports that South Dakota's House has passed two bills in an effort to help end the shortage of medical professionals in rural counties.

HUD and the National Fair Housing Alliance Launch Media Campaign to Fight Housing Discrimination     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Fair Housing Alliance have announced the launch of a new series of radio and print public service advertisements designed to teach individuals and families how to recognize and report discrimination in housing because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status and disability, including discrimination in mortgage lending because of issues related to pregnancy and/or parental leave.

Rural Incomes Decline — But Catch Up     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2012 -- Daily Yonder discusses how everybody lost income in the first decade of the 2000s — rural, urban and small cities, but the average median household in rural counties fell less than in the cities, and so the gap between urban counties and those in the countryside narrowed.

The Crisis in Rural Alaska
Feb 23, 2012 -- Juneau Empire, (AK) article discusses how at the beginning of the 21st century, Alaska’s Native people, who have survived and prospered for thousands of years, are threatened by a growing crisis — alcoholism, suicide, and other physical and mental health disorders.

VA Launches Personalized Health Benefits Handbook
Feb 23, 2012 -- Veterans enrolled in the health care system of the Department of Veterans Affairs have begun to receive personalized booklets that explain their health care benefits and contain other useful information.

WWAMI Celebrates 40 Years of Rural Medical Education     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2012 -- AAMC Reporter article tells how WWAMI was started at the University of Washington as a unique partnership of clinicians, legislators, educators, and medical students during the 1971-72 academic term, and is the only large-scale, publicly funded regional rural medical education program in the nation.

Agency Information Collection Request; 30-Day Public Comment Request; Generic Clearance for Communications Testing for Comprehensive Communication Campaign for HITECH Ac t— Revision     Top Story      Federal Register 
Feb 22, 2012 -- As part of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) of 2009, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is proposing to conduct a nationwide communication campaign to meet the Congressional mandate to educate the public about privacy and security of electronically exchanged personal health information.

Ambulance Closure Leaves Gap in Coverage
Feb 22, 2012 -- Sand Springs Leader, (OK) article reports that leaders with the Green Country Volunteer Fire Department were informed last week the Emergency Medical Services Authority will not take over the coverage gap created by the closure Green Country's ambulance service.

Are Meaningful Use Bonuses Enough to Drive EMR Adoption?     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2012 -- American Medical News article tells of a report by the Bipartisan Policy Center that found that although meaningful use and the technological gains made because of it are a strong foundation to a reformed health care system, changes are needed in the way physicians and patients view information sharing and exchange -- and in the way the government and payers align incentives.

Health Reform Expands the Insurance Market, Supports Consumer - Governed Nonprofit Health Plans     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced that seven Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs) will receive repayable loans to help them establish private non-profit, consumer-governed health insurance companies. Created by the Affordable Care Act, CO-OP plans will give consumers and small businesses more health insurance choices.

Rural Development: Three Views     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article gives excerpts from the testimonies of three rural development practitioners who spoke before the Senate Agriculture Committee about what federal rural development programs have meant for their communities.

Rural Health: S.D. Volunteer Group Fights Mental Illness Stigmas     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2012 -- Tri-State Neighbor, (SD) article tells of a program in South Dakota where volunteers, using their own experiences with mental health stigmas, work to help those suffering from brain disorders in rural communities.

Clinics Use New Tool to Reach Rural Okla. Clients
Feb 21, 2012 -- Journal Record, (OK) article reports that the Variety Care group of family health clinics is expanding mental health care to rural areas well beyond the nonprofit's physical presence by using a telepsychology network.

CMS Proposes 2013 Payment and Policy Updates for Medicare Drug and Health Plans to Ensure Choice and Improve Quality     Top Story 
Feb 21, 2012 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last Friday announced proposed payment and policy guidance for Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Medicare prescription drug (Part D) plans for 2013 that will help continue the trend of lower premiums and stable or improved benefits that beneficiaries in these programs have experienced over the last two years.

Forest Service Distributes Secure Rural Schools Payments     Top Story 
Feb 21, 2012 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that more than $307 million is being distributed to 41 states and Puerto Rico for public schools and roads and specific county programs.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Announces Major Progress in Doctors, Hospital Use of Health Information Technology     Top Story 
Feb 21, 2012 -- Last week U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the number of hospitals using health information technology (IT) has more than doubled in the last two years.

More Black Doctors Needed... Stat
Feb 21, 2012 -- Virginia Pilot article tells how the Tour for Diversity in Medicine is taking doctors, dentists and medical school students to five historically black colleges and universities to provide minority students with information and encouragement to apply medical and dental school.

N.C. Telehealth Network Successfully Connects First Non-profit Hospital
Feb 21, 2012 -- PR Newswire article reports that the North Carolina Telehealth Network in cooperation with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services, Cabarrus Health Alliance and MCNC, today announced that Vidant Medical Center in Greenville is the first not-for-profit hospital to be connected to the North Carolina Research and Education Network.

Questions to Ask Medical School Deans     Top Story 
Feb 21, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article by Wayne Myers, former director of the federal Office of Rural Health Policy, discusses how the real issue in American medical education is geographic distribution and specialty distribution, and how it doesn't matter how many doctors you have if they are of the wrong kinds and are in the wrong places.

The Future for Timber Counties
Feb 21, 2012 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how Oregon senators are trying to win approval of another extension of the Secure Rural Schools Act., which supplements county and school budgets in counties with reduced payments from federal timber lands.

Washington State to Restrict Emergency Medicaid Payments
Feb 21, 2012 -- American Medical News article reports that initially blocked in court, the state Medicaid agency will deny payment for more than 500 conditions if treated in emergency departments instead of physician offices.

We Can't Wait: Obama Administration Announces Steps to Boost the Rural Economy, Promote Job Creation     Top Story 
Feb 21, 2012 -- As part of the Obama Administration's "We Can't Wait" efforts to strengthen the economy, create jobs and support business growth, Administration officials announced three significant actions to expand the government's purchase of biobased products, promote regional rural job creation efforts, and develop a rural healthcare workforce, all of which build on the historic investments the Administration has made in rural America over the past three years.