News Archive

News from the past 15-90 days.

Americans Remain Split on Stalled Health Care Legislation, but Some Provisions Popular Among Majorities of Democrats, Independents and Republicans     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2010 -- The latest Kaiser Tracking Poll finds the public still split on health care reform legislation, with 43 percent in favor and 43 percent opposed, however, the poll also finds that majorities of Americans of all political leanings support several provisions in the health reform proposals in Congress and most attribute delays in passing the legislation to political gamesmanship rather than policy disagreements.

IOM Report Declares High Blood Pressure a Neglected Disease, Calls for Strategies to Change Americans' Lifestyles and Diets to Curb Hypertension     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2010 -- Public health officials and health care providers need to step up their efforts to reduce Americans' increasing rates of high blood pressure and better treat those with the condition, which triggers more than one-third of heart attacks and almost half of heart failures in the United States each year, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

Most States Not Making the Grade in Children's Dental Care     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2010 -- eMaxHealth article reports that according to a new report issued Tuesday by the Pew Center on the States, at least one in five US children go without annual dental care and 44 out of 50 states fail to meet at least six key benchmarks or policies to ensure access to preventive care.

New Study Shows Sepsis and Pneumonia Caused by Hospital-Acquired Infections Kill 48,000 Patients; Cost $8.1 Billion to Treat     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2010 -- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that two common conditions caused by hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) killed 48,000 people and ramped up health care costs by $8.1 billion in 2006 alone, according to a study released today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; HIT Policy Committee's Workgroup Meetings; Notice of Meetings     Federal Register 
Feb 23, 2010 -- This notice announces forthcoming public subcommittee meetings of the Health Information Technology (HIT) Policy Committee's Workgroup, of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), to be held in March of 2010.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; HIT Standards Committee's Workgroup Meetings; Notice of Meetings     Federal Register 
Feb 23, 2010 -- This notice announces forthcoming public subcommittee meetings of the Health Information Technology (HIT) Standards Committee's Workgroup, of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, to be held in March of 2010.

Texas Hospitals Cut Trail for Rural RHIOs     Top Story 
Feb 23, 2010 -- Government HealthIT article reports that four small, rural, government-run Texas hospitals have banded together to create a unique rural regional health information network (RHIO) they say will enable clinicians to share patient information as well as the financial burden of an electronic health record (EHR).

64% of Americans Now Have Broadband, Digital Divide Remains     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2010 -- BBP Wires article reports that sixty-four percent of U.S. households have broadband access, up from 51 percent in 2007, according to new data from a U.S. Census Bureau survey.

Announcement of Meeting of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2020     Federal Register 
Feb 22, 2010 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the next public Federal advisory committee meeting regarding the national health promotion and disease prevention objectives for 2020, to be held April 1, 2010 via WebEx software.

Butte Valley Fire Protection District in Macdoel, CA
Feb 22, 2010 -- Associated Content article tells how local residents of Macdoel, CA, located in Siskiyou County near the California and Oregon border, determined a need for fire protection in the 1960's and formed the Butte Valley Fire Protection District (BVFPD) in 1965.

CMS to Host Teleconference on Meaningful Use and EHR Incentive Programs     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2010 -- Medicare Update reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that it will host a teleconference on the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive programs on February 23, 2010.

Doctor Shortage Fuels Nurses’ Push for Expanded Role     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News article discusses how nursing leaders say large numbers of nurse practitioners will be needed to fill gaps in primary care left by an increasing shortage of doctors, a problem that would intensify if Congress extends health insurance to millions more Americans.

H1N1 Vaccine, Once Coveted, Now Ignored as Public's Fears Fade     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2010 -- American Medical News article reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging doctors to continue vaccinating patients to prevent a third wave of flu, but physicians say few patients are interested.

ICDC College Homeland Security Program
Feb 22, 2010 -- Associated Content article reports that ICDC College, a private, accredited college is offering both online, and traditional courses in Homeland Security.

NRHA Fights to Renew Rural Medicare Programs     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2010 -- National Rural Health Association (NRHA) article reports that they are continuing the fight to reinstate several crucial Medicare programs that expired at the end of 2009. 

Obama Administration Details Healthy Food Financing Initiative     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2010 -- The Obama Administration today released details of an over $400 million Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which will bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved urban and rural communities across America.

Obama Unveils Revamped Healthcare Overhaul     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2010 -- Los Angeles Times, (CA) article reports that four days before his planned health summit with congressional leaders, President Obama on Monday morning unveiled his proposal to overhaul the nation's healthcare system, building on the gargantuan legislation developed by Senate Democrats last year.

USDA Offers $100M for Libraries     Top Story 
Feb 22, 2010 -- Center for Rural Affairs article tells how if your community needs a library or has one that needs improvements, now might be the right time to talk with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Announcement of Public Briefings on the Changes to the Labor Certification Process for the Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Aliens in the United States     Federal Register 
Feb 19, 2010 -- The Department is issuing this notice to announce that it has scheduled three public briefings to educate stakeholders, program users, and other interested members of the public on changes to the H- 2A program made by the Final Rule and on applying for H-2A temporary labor certifications under the new regulations using the ETA Form 9142.

CDC to Monitor Reactions and Errors Associated with Blood Transfusions
Feb 19, 2010 -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched the first national surveillance system to monitor adverse events in patients who receive blood transfusions.

Community Health Centers Providing Return on Investment     Top Story 
Feb 19, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that a hefty infusion of cash for community health centers in last year's federal stimulus package may be paying off.

Federal Panel Expresses Support for Easing Proposed Meaningful Use Rule     Top Story 
Feb 19, 2010 -- AHA News reports that a federal workgroup yesterday expressed support for giving hospitals and physicians greater flexibility in meeting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' proposed rule on meaningful use.

HIT Policy Committee Recommendation One Small (CPOE) Step From Flexibility     Top Story 
Feb 19, 2010 -- Rural Health Voices article by Louis Wenzlow, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, discusses the 3-1-1-1-0 Recommendation by the HIT Policy Committee.

Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010     Federal Register 
Feb 19, 2010 -- The purpose of this program is to improve student reading skills and academic achievement by providing students with increased access to up- to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and well-trained, professionally certified school library media specialists.
Learn more about: Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program

Latest Report on Nation’s Health Shows Growing Medical Technology Use     Top Story 
Feb 19, 2010 -- CDC article reports that the use of medical technology in the United States increased dramatically between 1996 and 2006, according to “Health, United States, 2009,” the federal government’s 33rd annual report to the President and Congress on the health of all Americans.

Petzel Sworn in to Head Veterans Health Care System
Feb 19, 2010 -- Dr. Robert A. Petzel has taken the oath of office as the Under Secretary for Health within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), stepping up to lead the nation's largest integrated health care system.

Plans Take Shape for Bismarck Center for Family Medicine
Feb 19, 2010 -- The University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences has announced they are moving ahead on the construction of a new facility for its Bismarck Center for Family Medicine and Southwest Campus offices.

Rural Telemedicine Program Funds 16 More Broadband Telehealth Networks     Top Story 
Feb 19, 2010 -- The Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Health Care Pilot Program has funded the build-out of an additional 16 broadband telehealth networks that will link hundreds of hospitals regionally in Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Sebelius Unveils New Report on Requested Premium Increases in States Across the Country     Top Story 
Feb 19, 2010 -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today unveiled a new report that highlights health insurance premium increases in states across the country and comes shortly after Anthem Blue Cross announced plans to raise rates on its California customers by as much as 39 percent, even after its parent company took in a profit of $2.7 billion in the previous quarter.

Shinseki Asks VA Employees to Submit Creative Ideas     Top Story 
Feb 19, 2010 -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki launched the “Veterans Health IT Innovation Initiative,” an employee-based Health Information Technology (HIT) competition to spur VA’s transformation into a 21st Century organization that is Veteran-centric, results-oriented, and forward-looking.

Bare Trees Tell on the Free Market     Top Story 
Feb 18, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how even in the best of times, rural life in a global economy isn’t all that easy, but curiously – and contrary to the general wisdom – some indicators from the current deep recession, such as unemployment rates, suggest that many rural areas in the United States aren’t doing too badly compared with some urbanized areas.

CDC and IHS Urge American Indian and Alaska Native Parents to Protect Preteens with Recommended Vaccines
Feb 18, 2010 -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is partnering with the Indian Health Service to launch a campaign informing American Indian and Alaska Native parents and other caregivers about the importance of a preteen medical check-up and preteen vaccines.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to Reportedly Undergo Structural Reorganization
Feb 18, 2010 -- Medicare Update reports that the Hill's Blog Briefing Room is reporting that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may undergo a structural reorganization within the next 60 days.

Individual Insurance Rates Soar in 4 States     Top Story 
Feb 18, 2010 -- Associated Press article via Seattle Times, (WA) reports that people who buy their own health insurance are seeing their premiums increases by 15 percent or more in four states, and those in others could be faced with the same.

Kaiser Analysis Finds Record Medicaid Enrollment Growth in 2009     Top Story 
Feb 18, 2010 -- With the country mired in a deep recession, nearly 3.3 million more people were enrolled in state Medicaid programs in June 2009 compared to the previous June, according to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.

Lack of Black Doctors Traced Primarily to Pre-College Factors
Feb 18, 2010 -- Newswise article discusses a study showing how African-Americans have long been underrepresented among health care professionals, and that overall gap can be traced to social and economic problems that generate substantial group differences that become entrenched before the college years.

NIFA Announces Grants to Help Train and Educate the Next Generation of Farmers and Ranchers     Top Story 
Feb 18, 2010 -- USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced the availability of more than $18 million in grants to help train, educate and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).

Payment for Inpatient and Outpatient Health Care Professional Services at Non-Departmental Facilities and Other Medical Charges Associated With Non-VA Outpatient Care; Proposed Rule; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Feb 18, 2010 -- Comments are being requested on a proposed rule to update the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical regulations concerning the payment methodology used to calculate VA payments for inpatient and outpatient health care professional services and other medical services associated with non-VA outpatient care.

Proposed 'Bed Tax' Could Kill Rural Hospitals
Feb 18, 2010 -- Chattanooga Times Free Press, (TN) article reports that Georgia's rural hospital industry would collapse under proposed 1.6 percent "bed tax," legislators were told Wednesday.

PTSD Treatment Still Lacking for Veterans
Feb 18, 2010 -- Medline Plus article reports on research that shows that young, male and rural veterans are most likely to face obstacles as they seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Rural CEOs Concerned about Doc Recruitment, Controlling Costs Not So Much     Top Story 
Feb 18, 2010 -- HealthLeaders Media article discusses the 2010 HealthLeaders Media Industry Survey finding that there was surprisingly little disagreement between CEOs at non-rural hospitals compared with CEOs at rural and community hospitals about most issues, except physician recruitment and retention.

USDA Highlights Impact of Recovery Act on Rural America     Top Story 
Feb 18, 2010 -- In this document the U.S. Department of Agriculture has highlighted the successes of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on rural America.

WA. Gov Asks for About $600M in Taxes for Deficit
Feb 18, 2010 -- Seattle Times, (WA) article reports that Gov. Chris Gregoire wants a total of $605 million in higher taxes to help fill the state's budget deficit, including larger levies on oil products, bottled water, pop, candy and cigarettes.

A Plan to Help Places Hurting for Doctors
Feb 17, 2010 -- Freep.com article tells how Michigan has launched a program that offers grants to primary care doctors who work in shortage areas, and help to repay medical school loans.

Corporation for Supportive Housing Announces its Fourth Supportive Housing Institute in Illinois
Feb 17, 2010 -- The Corporation for Supportive Housing is excited to announce its fourth Supportive Housing Institute in Illinois: Opening New Doors, a comprehensive project development and capacity building initiative for supportive housing providers and service providers contemplating housing development in Illinois.

FCC Plans for 100M Bps to 100 Million Households     Top Story 
Feb 17, 2010 -- U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski on Tuesday laid out some details, including an ambitious "100 Squared" initiative, that will be part of the agency's National Broadband Plan that it will send to Congress in March.

How Healthy is Your County?     Top Story 
Feb 17, 2010 -- The County Health Rankings—the first set of reports to rank the overall health of every county in all 50 states—were released today by the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at a briefing in Washington, D.C. and on www.countyhealthrankings.org.

In Rural Regions, Health Facilities Fight to Survive     Top Story 
Feb 17, 2010 -- California Farm Bureau Federation article reports that as the debate over national health care plays out in Washington, D.C., many smaller, cash-strapped medical facilities in rural communities say they face a series of challenges that could force some to close.

Key Health Alliance Selected as Regional Extension Center for Health Information Technology for Minnesota and North Dakota
Feb 17, 2010 -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that Key Health Alliance (KHA), a Minnesota based partnership of Stratis Health, the Rural Health Resource Center, and The College of St. Scholastica, has been awarded a $19 million grant to serve as the new federally designated Regional Extension Assistance Centers for Health Information Technology (REACH) for Minnesota and North Dakota.

Nominations Sought for National Rural Youth Assembly     Top Story 
Feb 17, 2010 -- Indian Country Today article reports that the National Rural Assembly is seeking 50 young adults from rural communities across the country to attend a National Rural Youth Assembly in Santa Fe, N.M., at the Institute for American Indian Arts.
Learn more about: National Rural Youth Assembly

OACAA Releases State of Poverty Report
Feb 17, 2010 -- The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA) announced the release of The State of Poverty in Ohio, a report that includes the latest available official measures of poverty in the state.

OHIP Receives More than $50 M for Statewide HIE & REC Projects
Feb 17, 2010 -- The Ohio Health Information Partnership (OHIP), the state designated entity for health information exchange development, is pleased to announce more than $50 million in funding to help make electronic health records more widely available in Ohio.

Region’s Largest Conferences on Rural Health Care
Feb 17, 2010 -- WSU Today, (WA) article reports that two of the region’s largest gatherings of rural health care professionals will take place March 23 – 25 in Spokane, where participants will discuss how to weather economic challenges.

Anthem Blue Cross Postpones California Rate Hike     Top Story 
Feb 16, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News reports that Anthem Blue Cross is agreeing to postpone until May a planned 39 percent rate hike for insurance policies that would have taken effect March 1.

Dangerous Caregivers Not on List     Top Story 
Feb 16, 2010 -- Los Angeles Times, (CA) article reports that a national federal database allowing hospitals to check for disciplinary actions taken anywhere in the country against nurses, pharmacists, psychologists and other licensed health professionals, and fully available to hospitals March 1, is missing disciplinary records from states.

Dentists Stay Busy in Rural N.D.
Feb 16, 2010 -- Associated Press article via Bismarck Tribune, (ND) reports that a shortage of dentists in rural North Dakota is a problem of distribution and not numbers, according to Jim McDonald, president of the North Dakota Dental Association.

Expecting a Surge in U.S. Medical Schools     Top Story 
Feb 16, 2010 -- New York Times article reports that medical schools are seeking to address an imbalance in American medicine that has been growing for a quarter-century with nearly two dozen medical schools that recently opened or might open across the country, the most at any time since the 1960s and '70s.

Free Dental Care Services Offered
Feb 16, 2010 -- Rapid City Journal, (SD) reports that The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, which provides free dental care for underserved children ages 0-21 in rural areas, is traveling to communities in western South Dakota February 16-19.

Group Advocates Incentives to Lure Health Care Workers
Feb 16, 2010 -- Anchorage Daily News article reports that armed with reports of continued shortages of doctors and other health care workers in Alaska, a group of health care organizations is pushing for the state to begin offering doctors, dentists, nurses and others money to come practice in Alaska.

Health Information Technology Regional Center Announced In Utah
Feb 16, 2010 -- Yahoo News reports that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of the National Coordinator have announced that HealthInsight, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the healthcare systems of Nevada and Utah will serve as the health information technology Regional Extension Center for Utah.

Most Fast Food Per Person and Other Food Facts     Top Story 
Feb 16, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article shows a map where you can find the fifty rural counties with the most fast food places per person along with other food and exercise related maps.

Obama Administration Launches $130 Million Building Energy Efficiency Effort     Top Story 
Feb 16, 2010 -- U.S. Department of Energy reports that even federal agencies today issued a combined Funding Opportunity Announcement of up to $129.7 million over five years to create a regional research center that will develop new building efficiency technologies and work with local partners to implement the technologies in area buildings.

Regional Extension Centers to Help Primary Care Practices Meet 'Meaningful Use' Requirements     Top Story 
Feb 16, 2010 -- AAFP News reports that the federal government plans to establish a nationwide network of regional extension centers to help primary care physicians and other health care providers benefit from government programs that aim to promote the adoption and "meaningful use" of health information technology.

Sebelius, Solis Announce Nearly $1 Billion Recovery Act Investment in Advancing Use of Health IT, Training Workers for Health Jobs of the Future     Top Story 
Feb 16, 2010 -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis on Friday announced a total of nearly $1 billion in Recovery Act awards to help health care providers advance the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology (IT) and train workers for the health care jobs of the future.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis Announces Final Rule for H-2A Program
Feb 16, 2010 -- The Labor Department has published in the Feb. 12 edition of the Federal Register, a final rule governing the labor certification process and enforcement mechanisms for the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program.

Study Reveals Patient-Doctor Disconnect on Healthy Living
Feb 16, 2010 -- Yahoo Finance article reports that when it comes to daily health activities such as diet and exercise, Americans and their doctors may not always see eye to eye.

White House to Release Health Insurance Reform Package Prior to Summit     Top Story 
Feb 16, 2010 -- Medicare Update article reports that in a recent post, The White House Blog includes a letter from Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius outlining the agenda for the upcoming February 25, 2010 health care summit.

Google Dangles 100 Times Faster Internet Speeds in Fiber Plan     Top Story 
Feb 12, 2010 -- BusinessWeek article reports that Google Inc.’s effort to offer Internet access at speeds 100 times faster than those available today raises the bar for U.S. cable and phone companies as the government readies a national broadband plan.

Hospital Mass Layoffs Hit New High in 2009
Feb 12, 2010 -- American Medical News article reports that hospitals in 2009 experienced the greatest number of mass layoffs since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking those numbers in 1996.

Indian Health Service Director Roubideaux: 'We Have A Lot to Teach the Country     Top Story 
Feb 12, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News article interviews Indian Health Service director Yvette Roubideaux, who says her agency has "a lot to teach the rest of the country," whether in the form of the models provided by community-based programs for diabetes or its electronic medical records system.

Notice of Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless     Federal Register 
Feb 12, 2010 -- This Notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for possible use to assist the homeless.
Learn more about: Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless

Senate Finance Leaders Post Draft Jobs Bill     Top Story 
Feb 12, 2010 -- AHA News reports that Senate Finance Committee Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA) today posted online the Senate's draft jobs-creation bill, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act. The draft bill contains several health care proposals, described in the committee's bill summary.

Community and Rural: Recruiting, Retention, and RACs Top Concerns     Top Story 
Feb 11, 2010 -- Workforce issues, especially the acute shortage of physicians in low-population areas, are the top concern for chief executive officers in hospitals serving rural and community hospitals, according to the HealthLeaders Media Industry Survey 2010.

Culver Signs State Worker Retirement Incentives
Feb 11, 2010 -- Associated Press article via KCEN-TV, (TX) reports that more than 1,000 state workers are expected to retire early under a package of incentives signed Wednesday by Gov. Chet Culver.

Journal Retracts Controversial Study Linking MMR Vaccine, Autism
Feb 11, 2010 -- AAFP News Now article reports that The Lancet has fully retracted the 1998 study that linked autism to the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine after an independent panel recently concluded that the study was flawed and its lead author's conduct was "dishonest, irresponsible and misleading."

New Report: Cigarette Tax Increases Would Raise Billions for Cash-Strapped States, While Reducing Smoking and Winning Voter Approval     Top Story 
Feb 11, 2010 -- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation article reports that by increasing cigarette taxes by $1 per pack, the states could raise more than $9 billion in new annual revenue to help close severe budget shortfalls, while also reducing smoking and saving lives, according to a new report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.

Nursing School Admissions Stall with Recession     Top Story 
Feb 11, 2010 -- AHA News reports that admissions to pre-licensure nursing programs fell by 2% in 2008, the first decline in at least six years, according to the latest annual survey by the National League for Nursing.

Obama Budget Freezes Physicians' Medicare Pay for 10 Years     Top Story 
Feb 11, 2010 -- American Medical News article reports that Obama's budget proposal sets aside $371 billion over a decade to pay for the cost of preventing Medicare pay cuts under the sustainable growth rate formula, but the funding would only be enough to turn annual reductions into rate freezes, not to fund pay raises.

Partner with Care for Broadband Projects
Feb 11, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how towns considering partnerships as they go after federal broadband funding need to reckon with real differences between public and private interests.

President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Announcement of Meeting     Federal Register 
Feb 11, 2010 -- The President's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships announces a public meeting to be held February 25 - 26, via conference call.

S.D. Gets $5.6M Grant to Help Train Rural EMTs
Feb 11, 2010 -- Aberdeen American News, (SD) reports that emergency medical workers in some rural parts of the state will soon get to practice their lifesaving techniques on high-tech mannequins thanks to a $5.6 million grant from the trust of the late real estate baroness Leona Helmsley.

Scottsburg (Or) Fire District Receives $171,000 Equipment Grant
Feb 11, 2010 -- NewsFlavor article reports that the Scottsburg Rural Fire District has been awarded a $171,000 2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grant to purchase much needed fire and safety equipment, and obtain valuable certification training for their firefighters.

Senate Jobs Bill Includes AHA-backed HIT Provision     Top Story 
Feb 11, 2010 -- AHA News article reports that a jobs bill being drafted by Senate negotiators would clarify the definition of hospital-based physician under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's HITECH provisions to allow physicians who practice in hospital-owned outpatient centers and clinics to qualify for federal payment incentives for health information technology.

Anthem Blue Cross 39 Percent Rate Hike Draws Ire of Federal, Calif. Regulators     Top Story 
Feb 10, 2010 -- Los Angeles Times, (CA) article reports that California insurance regulators asked Anthem Blue Cross to delay controversial rate increases of as much as 39% for individual policies, hikes that have triggered widespread criticism from subscribers and brokers -- and now from the federal government.

First Lady Michelle Obama Launches Let's Move: America's Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids     Top Story 
Feb 10, 2010 -- White House article reports that First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday announced an ambitious national goal of solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight and unveiled a nationwide campaign – Let’s Move – to help achieve it.

Getting Help to Rural Vets
Feb 10, 2010 -- Minnesota Public Radio article tells how mental health providers are frustrated by a shift in strategy for the Veterans Administration, where rather than contracting with private providers, the VA wants to offer mental health counseling itself, even if it means a longer drive for veterans.

Scope of Practice Battle Overlooks Reality; Rural Areas Lack Doctors     Top Story 
Feb 10, 2010 -- HealthLeaders Media article discusses why the lawsuit filed by 40,000 California doctors last week to halt nurse anesthetists' newly obtained ability to administer anesthesia without physician supervision opened the floodgates of fury, and what the ruling could mean to rural medicine.

Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program; Advance Notice and Request for Comments     Federal Register 
Feb 10, 2010 -- This notice from the Department of Housing and Urban Development invites comments on the proposed award of funding for the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program.

The President's Budget FY 2011: What's in it for Rural America?     Top Story 
Feb 10, 2010 -- Rural Policy Research Institute, (RUPRI) article by Brian Dabson tells how Americans will be impacted by the President's FY 2011 budget proposals wherever they may live, but there are several that have been specifically targeted at rural people and places.

Why Health Care Reform Cannot Wait     Top Story 
Feb 10, 2010 -- The Center for Rural Affairs' policy report entitled, Why Health Care Reform Can't Wait: The Benefits of Health Reform for Rural America (http://www.cfra.org/10/cant-wait) lays out a compelling argument why Congress must move health care reform forward.

"Speed Dating" Matches Physicians, Patients     Top Story 
Feb 9, 2010 -- American Medical News article tells of a Texas hospital that uses the matchmaking model as an informal way for both parties to check out compatibility before entering a doctor-patient relationship.

Florida Keys Physician is Country Doctor of the Year     Top Story 
Feb 9, 2010 -- Miami Herald, (FL) article reports that in this age of specialized medicine, Steven J. Smith of the Keys is a rare do-it-all doctor who performs general surgery and treats patients at his family practice for everything from the common cold to cancer.

Health Care Plan for Poor Adults on Fast Track in Minnesota Senate
Feb 9, 2010 -- Pioneer Press, (MN) reports that a bill to rescue a state-run health care program for the poor took its first hesitant step Monday toward becoming law.

Obama Invites Republicans to Share Ideas at Televised Health Reform Summit     Top Story 
Feb 9, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that President Obama has scheduled a half-day bipartisan summit on health care on February 25, 2010, to be televised live this month, a high-profile gambit that will allow Americans to watch as Democrats and Republicans try to break their political impasse.

Rural Housing Service; Community Facility Loans; Community Programs Guaranteed Loans; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Feb 9, 2010 -- Comments are being requested by the Rural Housing Service who will collect information to determine applicant/borrower eligibility, project feasibility, and to ensure borrowers operate on a sound basis and use loan and grant funds for authorized purposes.

Unemployment Continues Rising in Central California
Feb 9, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article tells how the inland counties of California are the source for much of the nation's food, but it's also the area with the country's highest rates of unemployment.

USDA Projects Top $1 Billion in Rural Missouri
Feb 9, 2010 -- St. Joseph News-Press, (MO) article reports that the amount of money the U.S. Department of Agriculture poured into rural Missouri last year set a record, as it topped the $1 billion mark.

"I'm Sorry": Why is that so Hard for Doctors to Say?     Top Story 
Feb 8, 2010 -- American Medical News article discusses how concerns about medical liability, insurance coverage and a lack of training for doctors mean an apology after medical errors is the exception.

CMS Proposed Rule Excludes Most Provider-Based Clinics     Top Story 
Feb 8, 2010 -- Rural Health Voices article by Louis Wenzlow, originally published in early January, has been revised to clearly indicate that Rural Health Clinics are eligible for Medicaid incentives, whether or not they are provider-based.

More Than $119 Million Awarded to States and Territories     Top Story 
Feb 8, 2010 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today awarded more than $119 million to states and U.S. territories to support public health efforts to reduce obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease smoking-the four most important actions for combating chronic diseases and promoting health.

Student Embraces Rural Setting for Medical Training     Top Story 
Feb 8, 2010 -- Western News, (MT) article profiles Samantha Michelena who is part of the WWAMI (an acronym for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) Rural Integrated Training Experience, or WRITE program, which sends third-year medical students to hospitals and doctor’s offices in rural communities throughout the northwest states.

The ‘Medical Home’ Experiment     Top Story 
Feb 8, 2010 -- Buffalo News, (NY) article tells of a radical experiment has begun at hundreds of medical practices that could transform medicine, improving quality, controlling costs and leaving patients more satisfied.

Center for Rural Health Partners with the National Institute of Mental Health
Feb 5, 2010 -- The Center for Rural Health at The University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine and Health Sciences has been selected as the National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) Outreach Partner for the state of North Dakota.

CMS Releases National Health Expenditure Projections     Top Story 
Feb 5, 2010 -- Medicare Update reports that The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has prepared an analysis of projected national health care expenditures through 2019, which has been published on-line by the journal Health Affairs.

Healthy Baby Campaign Uses Texts to Reach Mothers
Feb 5, 2010 -- WGGB.com, (MA) article tells how expectant mothers are getting a new tool to help keep themselves and their babies healthy: pregnancy tips sent directly to their cell phones.

HUD Secretary Donovan Announces New Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities     Top Story 
Feb 5, 2010 -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan has announced the launch of HUD’s new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC), designed to help build stronger, more sustainable communities by connecting housing to jobs, fostering local innovation and building a clean energy economy.

Illinois Supreme Court Strikes Down Medical Malpractice Law     Top Story 
Feb 5, 2010 -- Chicago Tribune, (IL) article reports that the Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a medical malpractice law enacted in 2005 that limited monetary damages to $1 million from hospitals and $500,000 from doctors for pain and suffering, saying limits on damages awarded to victims of medical negligence are unconstitutional.

Medicare Pays Almost Half of Rural Hospital Stays     Top Story 
Feb 5, 2010 -- Newswise article reports that Medicare patients accounted for almost half of all stays (45 percent) at rural hospitals in 2007, while the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries who were admitted to urban hospitals was considerably lower (35 percent), according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

More than 30 Percent of Seniors Are Not Immunized Against Pneumonia in 36 States; New Report Finds Low Adult Vaccination Rates in U.S.     Top Story 
Feb 5, 2010 -- A new report, Adult Immunization: Shots to Save Lives, released today by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) found that more than 30 percent of adults ages 65 and older had not been immunized against pneumonia in 36 states as of 2008.

New National Study Highlights Substance Use Disorder Treatment Need Among Full-Time Workers Without Health Insurance
Feb 5, 2010 -- An estimated 3 million full-time workers in America without health insurance (16.3 percent of all full-time workers without health care insurance) needed substance use treatment in the past year according to a national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Rural Radio Diversity — Take a Listen     Top Story 
Feb 5, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article tells how small towns across the Midwest—from Iowa to Indiana—and throughout the rest of nation are tenaciously clawing themselves out of the corporate cage by creating, maintaining, or enhancing local, independent radio.

Sebelius, Vilsack Celebrate One Year Anniversary of Children’s Health Insurance Law, Highlight Campaign to Cover Kids     Top Story 
Feb 5, 2010 -- Exactly one year after President Obama signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 2.6 million more children were served by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) at some point over the past year.

Healthy Teachers: A Lesson for Schools     Top Story 
Feb 4, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article tells of a school district in Kirksville, Missouri, that has managed to maintain the same health care premiums for the past five years by deciding to make primary health care of employees a priority.

HRSA Opens 2010 Nursing Student Loan Repayment Program     Top Story 
Feb 4, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the Health Resources and Services Administration is accepting applications through March 4 for its 2010 Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program.
Learn more about: Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program (NELRP)

Initiative, Offered by Idaho State University and Others, Aimed at Reducing Turnover     Top Story 
Feb 4, 2010 -- Minnesota Hospital Association article tells of an a new, free online rural nurse residency program, aimed at improving nurses' competence and satisfaction and preventing turnover.

Once Again to Reduce Ag Subsidies
Feb 4, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how U.S. Department of Agriculture spending would rise 2.3% under President Obama's proposed 2011 budget, but ag subsidies would fall 11 percent, according to Bloomberg, as "the administration tries to limit payments to wealthy farmers."

Rural Nurse Training Goes High Tech, Mobile     Top Story 
Feb 4, 2010 -- Gant Daily, (PA) article tells how Pennsylvania is tackling their rural nursing shortage with new high-tech labs, one mobile, to enhance learning for student nurses and health care professionals.

VA Hospital Upgrades Care for Female Vets
Feb 4, 2010 -- NPR article tells how VA hospitals across the nation are taking a number of steps to treat the whole female veteran.

American Association of Public Health Dentistry Establishes Panel for Dental Therapist Curriculum     Top Story 
Feb 3, 2010 -- The American Association of Public Health Dentistry has announced the creation of a panel comprised of Dental Deans and Dental Faculty to develop post-secondary training for a mid-level dental provider model that is relatively new in the U.S.

MedWheels + ACHC = More Free Health Care
Feb 3, 2010 -- Washington County News, (FL) article tells of the “MedWheels-on-the-Move” program, which provides free in-community health screening and education to Jackson County’s most rural residents,

Obama's Proposed Budget is a Mixed Bag for Rural Health     Top Story 
Feb 3, 2010 -- HealthLeaders Media article discusses the positives and negatives of President Obama's rural health budget and how it will affect rural healthcare projects.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; HIT Policy Committee Advisory Meeting; Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Feb 3, 2010 -- This notice announces a forthcoming public meeting of the HIT Policy Advisory Committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), to be held February 17, 2010, in Washington, DC.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information; HIT Standards Committee Advisory Meeting; Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Feb 3, 2010 -- This notice announces a forthcoming public meeting of the HIT Standards Advisory Committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), to be held February 24, 2010, in Washington, DC.

Proposal Would Make Hospitals Eligible for Build America Bonds
Feb 3, 2010 -- AHA News reports that a provision in the president's fiscal year 2011 federal budget proposal would make non-profit hospitals eligible for Build America Bonds, a borrowing tool created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

States Cutting Back Special Programs for Uninsured     Top Story 
Feb 3, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News article tells how the recession is forcing states such as Washington to pare back health insurance programs for low-income people, even as growing joblessness boosts demand for help.

The National Plan for Action Open for Comment Until February 12     Top Story 
Feb 3, 2010 -- The National Plan for Action is open for public comments until February 12, 2010. Don’t wait! With your help, this plan will be a road map for the elimination of the health disparities that burden our nation.

USPSTF Updates Screening Recs for Childhood, Adolescent Obesity
Feb 3, 2010 -- AAFP News reports that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, (USPSTF), has updated its screening recommendations for obesity in children and adolescents.

First in Nation Survey of Nurses Reveals New Jersey's 'Best Physicians'
Feb 2, 2010 -- San Jose Business Journal, (CA) article reports that nurses in New Jersey have selected who they think are the best physicians in their state.

Herkes Focusing on Rural Health
Feb 2, 2010 -- West Hawaii Today article reports that a mobile medical van could be serving South Kona and Ka'u residents within months, following 10 years of effort by state Rep. Bob Herkes.

HHS Activates Additional Components of National Disaster Medical System to Help U.S. Hospitals Treat Survivors of Earthquake in Haiti
Feb 2, 2010 -- As part of the ongoing medical response to the Haiti earthquake, USAID, the agency coordinating the US Government response, announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has activated additional components of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) to help U.S. hospitals provide care to critically ill survivors.

HHS Budget Makes Smart Investments, Protects the Health and Safety of America’s Families     Top Story 
Feb 2, 2010 -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today highlighted critical investments in President Obama’s 2011 HHS budget that she says will protect the health and safety of America’s families.

How the CMS Proposed Rule Will Raise the Cost of Rural Healthcare     Top Story 
Feb 2, 2010 -- Rural Health Voices editorial by Louis Wenzlow, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, discusses how CMS’ claims regarding the financial benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) for providers are not supported by their source reference material; and the benefits CMS predicts are not likely to materialize, especially for small rural providers.

HUD FY2011 Budget Focuses on Fiscal Discipline, Investing in People and Places     Top Story 
Feb 2, 2010 -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today unveiled the Department’s fiscal year 2011 budget proposal, focusing on fiscal discipline, creating jobs and building on the administration’s first year accomplishments by proposing reform in HUD’s housing and community development programs to make them more streamlined, efficient, and accountable.

Interim Final Rules Under the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008; Request for Comments     Top Story      Federal Register 
Feb 2, 2010 -- Comments are being requested on this document containing interim final rules implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which requires parity between mental health or substance use disorder benefits and medical/surgical benefits with respect to financial requirements and treatment limitations under group health plans and health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan.

Keel Names Urgent Tribal Priorities
Feb 2, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article reports that Jefferson Keel, President of the National Congress of American Indians, delivered the 8th annual State of Indian Affairs address January 29 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

More EMRs are in Physician Offices, but Use Still Lags
Feb 2, 2010 -- American Medical News article reports that physicians increasingly are adopting electronic medical records systems, even before government economic incentives for doing so have kicked in, but a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also found those doctors weren't yet doing a whole lot with the technology.

Notice of Intent to Hold Public Forums to Solicit Feedback From the Public Regarding the Section 523 Mutual Self-Help Housing Program     Federal Register 
Feb 2, 2010 -- The Rural Housing Service intends to hold public forums to solicit feedback from the public on whether the current method of delivering the self-help program is the most efficient and cost effective in terms of cost and program delivery.

NRHA Strengthens Focus on Community Health Status     Top Story 
Feb 2, 2010 -- On Jan. 23, the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Board of Directors unanimously voted to enhance the organization’s focus on health status and public health by establishing a constituency group dedicated to community health status.

President's Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Feb 2, 2010 -- The public meeting of the President's Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships scheduled for February 9th, 2010, in Washington, DC has been canceled. A new notice will be published when the meeting has been rescheduled.

Scott M. Street Receives AHA's Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award     Top Story 
Feb 2, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the AHA has presented its 2009 Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award to Scott Street, president and CEO of Duncan (OK) Regional Hospital. The annual award recognizes small or rural hospital leaders who have improved health care delivery in their communities through innovative and progressive efforts.

Sioux Reservation Struggling After Winter Storms
Feb 2, 2010 -- Associated Press article via KING 5 News, (WA) reports that parts of a sprawling South Dakota reservation still were without water and electricity Monday, nearly two weeks after winter storms toppled thousands of power lines, caused water pipes to freeze and burst, and forced more than a dozen residents on kidney dialysis to seek treatment at another reservation.

Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Grant Conference Call to be Held February 11, 2010     Top Story 
Feb 2, 2010 -- The Office of Rural Health policy will host a conference call for applicants interested in applying for the Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Grant, on Thursday, February 11th at 2:00 PM Eastern time.

Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010     Federal Register 
Feb 2, 2010 -- This funding notice from the Department of Education is to: (1) Improve results for children with disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology; (2) support educational media services activities designed to be of educational value in the classroom setting to children with disabilities; and (3) provide support for captioning and video description that are appropriate for use in the classroom setting.
Learn more about: Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities; Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Students with Disabilities

Vilsack: Rural America is in Need of Renewal     Top Story 
Feb 2, 2010 -- U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote a long op-ed for the Des Moines (Iowa) Register where he outlined "six approaches" for improving rural economies.

White House Seeks $125 Billion for Veterans in 2011     Top Story 
Feb 2, 2010 -- To expand health care to a record-number of Veterans, reduce the number of homeless Veterans and process a dramatically increased number of new disability compensation claims, the White House has announced a proposed $125 billion budget next year for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Caregiving Strains Families of Veterans with Severe Injuries     Top Story 
Feb 1, 2010 -- USA Today article discusses how unpaid caregivers helping war veterans — parents, spouses, siblings and war buddies — are a vulnerable group, often under-recognized, and in need of help to navigate the military's medical system.

Churches' Donation Helps Free Rural Clinic Remain Open
Feb 1, 2010 -- WVLT News, (TN) article tells how group of churches decided to pool their resources in order to keep the rural Briceville Free Medical Clinic up and running.

Internet Access Limited for Rural Poor
Feb 1, 2010 -- Clarion-Ledger, (MS) article tells of a conference held at Jackson State University where speakers explained the affect on rural and poor community's medical care and education if they have limited broadband access.

Obama Administration Issues Rules Requiring Parity in Treatment of Mental, Substance Use Disorders     Top Story 
Feb 1, 2010 -- The departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury has issued an interim final rule providing parity for consumers enrolled in group health plans who need treatment for mental health or substance use disorders.

California Prepares to Implement Timely Physician Access Regulations for Managed Care Plans
Jan 29, 2010 -- AAFP News Now article reports that California physicians are preparing for the effects of new regulations from the California Department of Managed Health Care, or DMHC, that will require physicians in managed care organizations to meet a series of timelines for providing care and services to patients seeking treatment.

CMS Approves Three National Organizations to Accredit Suppliers of Advances Imaging Services
Jan 29, 2010 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is designating three national accreditation organizations – the American College of Radiology (ACR), the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), and The Joint Commission (TJC) - to accredit suppliers furnishing the technical component (TC) of advanced diagnostic imaging procedures.

Federal Housing Administration (FHA); Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program--Refinancing Hospital Loans; Proposed Rule; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Jan 29, 2010 -- Comments are being requested on this rule from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that proposes to revise the regulations governing FHA's Section 242 Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program for the purpose of codifying, in regulation, FHA's implementation of its authority that allows hospitals to refinance existing loans, without requiring such refinancing to take place only in conjunction with the expenditure of funds for construction or renovation.

Food Stamp Program: Eligibility and Certification Provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002; Final Rule     Federal Register 
Jan 29, 2010 -- This final rule from the Food and Nutrition Service implements 11 provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (FSRIA) that establish new eligibility and certification requirements for the receipt of food stamps.

Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Attorney General Eric Holder Convene National Summit on Health Care Fraud, Unveil Historic Commitment to Fighting Fraud in President’s FY 2011 Budget     Top Story 
Jan 29, 2010 -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder today joined private sector leaders, law enforcement personnel and health care experts for a landmark National Summit on Health Care Fraud.

HHS Secretary and Surgeon General Join First Lady to Announce Plans to Combat Overweight and Obesity and Support Healthy Choices     Top Story 
Jan 29, 2010 -- First Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin announced plans today to help Americans lead healthier lives through better nutrition, regular physical activity, and by encouraging communities to support healthy choices.

In Mo., Physicians in Short Supply in Rural Areas
Jan 29, 2010 -- Daily Journal, (MO) article reports that eighty percent of Missouri’s counties don’t have enough physicians, and many of those counties are rural.

ISU Pleads Case for Residency Program
Jan 29, 2010 -- Journal Net, (ID) article reports that in the face of likely budget cuts to education, Idaho State University is asking lawmakers to spare the ax on a program that provides physicians for a state that has one of the lowest ratios of doctors per capita.

Nevada's Suicide Crisis: Mental Health Services Struggle to Meet Demand
Jan 29, 2010 -- Nevada Appeal article discusses how during the 2009 Legislature, Gov. Jim Gibbons originally proposed closing down 11 of the 21 rural clinics that provide mental health services, but that would leave rural Nevada, where those with mental health issues are most isolated and vulnerable, without access to counseling and other services.

Novel Health Care Approaches: The 'Medical Home' and 'Medicine at Work'     Top Story 
Jan 29, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News article tells of two novel approaches to health care: the medical home and patient-doctor interactions via video.

Report: Too Few Minority Doctors After Decades of Discrimination     Top Story 
Jan 29, 2010 -- Medical News Today article reports that although the number of minorities in the medical profession has risen in recent years, decades of discrimination still leaves them drastically underrepresented in the field, as chronicled in new report appearing in the February issue of the journal Academic Medicine.

Rural Areas Win More Than $309 Million in Broadband Stimulus Grants     Top Story 
Jan 29, 2010 -- Government Technology article reports that broadband stimulus grants and loans equaling more than $309 million were recently awarded for private-sector networks in rural areas by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), one of two federal agencies distributing $7.2 billion set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for broadband projects.

Advocacy Training Can Give Students, Residents Skills to Improve Community Health     Top Story 
Jan 28, 2010 -- AAFP News Now article reports that incorporating advocacy training into family medicine residencies could rekindle residents' idealism and give them the skills they need to be catalysts for change, particularly in medically underserved populations, says one family medicine educator.

Analysis: Poor Ratings Persist for 1 in 5 U.S. Nursing Homes     Top Story 
Jan 28, 2010 -- Courier-Post, (NJ) article reports that one in five of the nation's 15,700 nursing homes have consistently received poor ratings for overall quality, a USA TODAY analysis of new government data finds.

CMS Releases Revised Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Fact Sheet     Top Story 
Jan 28, 2010 -- The Medicare & Medicaid Services recently released a revised Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Fact Sheet (January 2010), which provides general information about the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) including payment rates and MPFS payment rates formula.

Critical Access Hospitals Could Benefit from Drug Discounts     Top Story 
Jan 28, 2010 -- HealthLeaders Media article discusses how Critical Access Hospitals could benefit from drug discounts through the 340B program.

FDA Announces Class I Recall of Certain Infusion Set Needles     Top Story 
Jan 28, 2010 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced a Class I recall of Exel/Exelint Huber needles, Exel/Exelint Huber Infusion Sets and Exel/Exelint “Securetouch+” Safety Huber Infusion Sets, manufactured by Nipro Medical Corporation for Exelint International Corporation.

Full Transcript: Text of President Obama's 2010 State of the Union Address; With Video     Top Story 
Jan 28, 2010 -- New York Daily News offers the text and video of President Obama's 2010 State of the Union Address.

Health IT Helps Practices Grow, Improve Patient Care     Top Story 
Jan 28, 2010 -- AAF News Now recently talked to four family physicians who said their practices and their patients are reaping the rewards of EHR technology.

MedPAC Calls for 1 Percent Overall Payment Increase in 2011     Top Story 
Jan 28, 2010 -- American Academy of Family Physicians article reports that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC, will ask Congress to approve a 1 percent increase in the Medicare physician payment rate for 2011 and to provide a budget-neutral payment increase next year for physicians whose practices are focused on primary care services.

National Practitioner Data Bank for Adverse Information on Physicians and Other Health Care Practitioners: Reporting on Adverse and Negative Actions Final Rule     Federal Register 
Jan 28, 2010 -- This final rule from the Health Resources and Services Administration revises existing regulations of the Health Care Quality Improvement Act of 1986, governing the National Practitioner Data Bank for Adverse Information on Physicians and Other Health Care Practitioners.

New Medicare Quality Demonstrations in North Carolina, Indiana to Address Quality Improvement Efforts
Jan 28, 2010 -- Two demonstrations comprised of a community-wide health information exchange in Indiana and a consortium of several community care physician networks in North Carolina are being implemented to encourage the delivery of improved quality care to an estimated 130,000 beneficiaries in those states, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Obama Administration's Rural Tour Stops in Western Alaska
Jan 28, 2010 -- U.S. Department of Energy article reports that Four Cabinet Secretaries brought the Obama Administration’s Rural Tour to rural Alaska today, with stops in Bethel and Hooper Bay, representing the largest Cabinet-level delegation to visit the state.

Obama On Health Care: What A Difference A Year Makes     Top Story 
Jan 28, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News reports that in his first State of the Union speech, President Obama called on Congress to get health reform "done," and while he acknowledged obstacles, his call for health reform was just as impassioned as his first address to a joint session of Congress 11 months ago.

Webcast on 2010 AHA Environmental Scan Available
Jan 28, 2010 -- AHA News reports that AHA members and others can access a free Webcast on the association's 2010 Environmental Scan, which provides insight and information about critical issues, key trends and market forces that have a high probability of affecting the health care field.

CBO Projects Medicare Spending at $1,038 Billion in 2020     Top Story 
Jan 27, 2010 -- Medicare Update article reports that according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), gross spending on the Medicare program is expected to total $528 billion in 2010, $735 billion in 2015, and $1,038 billion in 2020.

Commerce and USDA Hosted Public Workshop for Broadband Grant and Loan Applicants in Portland Today     Top Story 
Jan 27, 2010 -- Designed to help prospective awardees apply for broadband grants and loans under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) held the first of 10 public broadband workshops today.

HHS Launches Web Site for Medical Volunteers in Haiti     Top Story 
Jan 27, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the Department of Health and Human Services has launched a Web site for medical workers who wish to volunteer their services to the earthquake relief effort in Haiti.

HHS Preparing to Award $50M for Health IT Research Center     Top Story 
Jan 27, 2010 -- Federal Computer Week article reports that the Health and Human Services Department is preparing to award a series of task orders totaling about $50 million to establish a national Health Information Technology Research Center (HITRC) to support promotion of electronic health records.

NRHA to Honor Congressional Rural Health Champions     Top Story 
Jan 27, 2010 -- The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) has announced the winners of the 2010 NRHA Legislative Awards, which recognize outstanding leadership in rural health issues by both U.S. Congressional Members and Congressional staff.

Doctors Develop Life-Saving, Low-Cost Ventilators for Emergency, Rural and Military Use     Top Story 
Jan 26, 2010 -- Science Daily article reports that a group of UK anesthetists have designed and tested three prototype low-cost ventilators that could provide vital support during major healthcare emergencies involving large numbers of patients or casualties and could also be used for a wide range of applications, such as rural healthcare and armed conflicts.

Health Care Leader Action Guide to Reduce Readmissions     Top Story 
Jan 26, 2010 -- The Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) has developed a free, downloadable guide for health care leaders to help start the conversation about how to address avoidable hospital readmissions.

Innovative Alaska Health Plan Outperforms Many Others in Lower 48     Top Story 
Jan 26, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News tells of the Southcentral Foundation, owned, led by and run by Alaska Natives, that uses an innovative, integrated-care approach to health care: viewing physical, mental, social and spiritual wellness as interconnected.

Ready, Set for Broadband Race Round 2     Top Story 
Jan 26, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how the rules have been simplified for the second round of federal broadband applications, but there are now two sets of rules to consider.

Rural Communities Find Difficulties Attracting Therapists to Region
Jan 26, 2010 -- Press Republican, (NY) article reports that regional health-care providers are concerned about the sometimes difficult process rural rehabilitation centers face when recruiting for new therapists.

Announcement of Funding Availability for the Capital Grant Component of VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program     Federal Register 
Jan 25, 2010 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing the availability of funds for applications for assistance under the Capital Grant component of VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program.
Learn more about: Capital Grant Component of VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program

Announcement of Funding Availability Under the VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program     Federal Register 
Jan 25, 2010 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs 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

Congressional Leaders Urged to Extend FMAP Assistance     Top Story 
Jan 25, 2010 -- AHA News reports that hundreds of organizations, including the AHA, last week urged congressional leaders to extend through June 2011 or later the temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage provided to states by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Doctors Accepting Medicare Patients Decline in Rural Arizona     Top Story 
Jan 25, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that news outlets report on rural health issues including the decline in the number of doctors accepting Medicare patients in Arizona and the search for low-cost health solutions in Mississippi.

Medicare Issues Hospital Wage Index Survey
Jan 25, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released the Medicare hospital wage index occupational mix survey for 2010.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; HIT Policy Committee's Workgroup Meetings; Notice of Meetings     Federal Register 
Jan 25, 2010 -- This notice announces a series of forthcoming public HIT Policy Committee's Workgroup subcommittee meetings to be held during February 2010 public via dial-in access only.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; HIT Standards Committee's Workgroup Meetings; Notice of Meetings     Federal Register 
Jan 25, 2010 -- This notice announces a series of forthcoming public HIT Standards Committee's Workgroup subcommittee meetings to be held during February 2010 via dial-in access only.

USDA Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program; 2010 Industry Forums--Open Teleconference and/or Web Conference Meetings     Federal Register 
Jan 25, 2010 -- This notice from the Rural Housing Service announces a series of teleconference and/or Web conference meetings regarding the USDA Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program, which are scheduled to occur during the months of January, April, July and October in 2010.

2009 HHS Poverty Guidelines Extended Until March 1, 2010     Top Story      Federal Register 
Jan 22, 2010 -- This notice from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), advises that (HHS) poverty guidelines will remain in effect until updated 2010 poverty guidelines are published, which shall not take place before March 1, 2010.

National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services; Notice of Meeting     Top Story      Federal Register 
Jan 22, 2010 -- This notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration announces a public meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services to be held on February 17-19, 2010, in Washington, D.C.

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA); Broadband Technology Opportunities Program; Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) and Solicitation of Applications     Top Story      Federal Register 
Jan 22, 2010 -- In this notice, NTIA announces general policy and grant application procedures for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) that provides grants for deploying broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas of the United States.
Learn more about: Recovery Act - Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) (Round 2)

Notice of Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless     Federal Register 
Jan 22, 2010 -- This Notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for possible use to assist the homeless.
Learn more about: Federal Property Suitable as Facilities to Assist the Homeless

ONDCP and SAMHSA Accepting Applications for $18.75 Million to Harness the Power of Drug Free Community Coalitions     Top Story 
Jan 22, 2010 -- The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has announced the availability of new Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program funding.
Learn more about: Drug Free Communities Support Program

Rural Hospital CEO Raymond Montgomery Joins AHA Board
Jan 22, 2010 -- AHA News reports that Raymond Montgomery II, president and CEO of White County Medical Center in Searcy, AR, joined the AHA's board on Jan. 1.

Rural Utilities Service; Broadband Initiatives Program; Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) and Solicitation of Applications     Top Story      Federal Register 
Jan 22, 2010 -- The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces its general policy and application procedures for the second round of funding for the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) which provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas.
Learn more about: Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) (Round 2)

Rural Utilities Service; Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households Program; Proposed Rule; Comment Request     Federal Register 
Jan 22, 2010 -- Comments are being requested by the Rural Utilities Service on a proposed rule issuing a regulation to establish the Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (SEARCH) Program.

Temporary Assistance for Families Funds Available for Families Needing Short Term Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Services
Jan 22, 2010 -- In the face of growing need for mental health and substance abuse treatment, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are notifying states about how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds can be used to help families in their communities in need of short term mental health or substance use treatment services.

Commerce Awards Recovery Act Broadband Expansion Grants Totaling $63 Million
Jan 21, 2010 -- Benton Spirit, (MI) article reports that the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced grants totaling $63 million to expand broadband access and adoption in Massachusetts, Michigan and North Carolina.

Commission Updating EHR Certification Programs     Top Story 
Jan 21, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology plans to update its electronic health record technology certification programs to conform to the Department of Health and Human Services' recent interim final rule on EHR standards.

HHS Releases $490 Million in Emergency Funding to States for Energy Assistance for Low-Income Families     Top Story 
Jan 21, 2010 -- In response to the growing demands on states and families for much needed relief, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today the release of $490 million in contingency funding to help eligible low-income homeowners and renters meet home energy costs.

Rural Areas Taking Steps to Address Shortage of Mental Health Professionals
Jan 21, 2010 -- Minnesota Public Radio article discusses how a few years ago the state Legislature tried to ease the shortage of mental health professionals with an effort to get more counselors in high-need areas, and now that effort is paying off.

SAMHSA Releases Data from the Latest National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services
Jan 21, 2010 -- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released findings from the 2008 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS).

Survey: Nurses Should Have More Influence on Health Reform     Top Story 
Jan 21, 2010 -- AHA News reports that nurses are a trusted source of health information and should have more influence on efforts to reduce medical errors, increase the quality of care, promote wellness and reduce health care costs, according to a recent Gallup survey of opinion leaders.

Why Public Support for Health Care Faltered
Jan 21, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News article discusses some of the policy choices that experts say have hurt the bill's chances.

Iowa Farm Bureau Introduces Bold Initiative to Improve Health Care for Rural Iowans     Top Story 
Jan 20, 2010 -- Red Orbit article reports that U.S. Preventive Medicine, Inc. will partner with the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium to help a group of Iowa Farm Bureau members not yet eligible for Medicare reduce health risks and live longer, healthier lives.

Republican Brown Wins Massachusetts Senate Seat     Top Story 
Jan 20, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News reports that Republican Scott Brown has defeated Democrat Martha Coakley to become the state's next United States senator and potentially derailing President Obama's hopes for a health care overhaul.

UNMC Partners with UNK to Produce Rural Physicians
Jan 20, 2010 -- Grand Island Independent, (NE) article reports that the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and the University of Nebraska (UNK) at Kearney are launching a new program to prepare undergraduate and medical students to become physicians in Nebraska’s rural areas.

VA Wins National Award for Safe Medication Practices     Top Story 
Jan 20, 2010 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has won top national honors from the independent Institute for Safe Medication Practices for its excellence in preventing medication errors.

CME Outfitters Announces New NeuroscienceCME Webcast: 'Improving the Care of People with Mental Illness in Rural Areas'     Top Story 
Jan 19, 2010 -- PRNewsnow.com article reports that a live and interactive CE webcast/teleconference premieres Friday, February 5, 2010, from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. ET, that will address barriers to care faced by rural populations and provide awareness to practicing clinicians of opportunities for collaboration and improvement of access and patient outcomes, which are fostered by emerging technology.

Commerce Department's NTIA and USDA'S RUS Announce Availability of $4.8 Billion in Recovery Act Funding to Bring Broadband to More Americans     Top Story 
Jan 19, 2010 -- The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) today announced the second funding round for the agencies' programs and loans to expand broadband access and adoption in America.

H&HN Launches 2010 Most Wired Survey
Jan 19, 2010 -- AHA's Hospitals & Health Networks magazine today released its 2010 Most Wired Survey for hospitals to complete online through March 15. The survey measures information technology adoption, implementation and use, and includes new and revised questions based on the meaningful use definition recommended by the federal Health IT Policy Committee.

Here's Something to Smile About
Jan 19, 2010 -- Seacoastonline.com, (NH) article reports that New Hampshire elementary school parents and children got some good news at the end of last year when the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced the release of the "Healthy Smiles-Healthy Growth" survey, which showed a marked improvement in dental health for third-graders from five years ago.

HRSA Issues New FQHC Look-Alike Policy & Guidances     Top Story 
Jan 19, 2010 -- National Association of Community Health Centers reports that HRSA will conduct two national conference calls to review PIN 2009-06 and respond to organizations' questions.

Mail-Order or Pharmacy?
Jan 19, 2010 -- KQCD-TV, (ND) article reports that mail-order meds are becoming increasing popular among patients, and insurance companies, and now a new study shows that people who order their medications online, or through the mail, also follow doctors orders more closely.

McNeil Recalling Hundreds of Lots of Contaminated OTC Medications     Top Story 
Jan 19, 2010 -- American Academy of Family Physicians reports that McNeil Consumer Healthcare has recalled more than 500 lots of its over the counter (OTC) products -- including Benadryl, Rolaids, multiple variations of both Motrin and Children's Motrin and numerous variations of Tylenol and Children's Tylenol -- because of chemical contamination.

New Program to Provide Transportation for Veterans to Any VA Medical Center
Jan 19, 2010 -- Gaylord Times, (MI) article reports that the Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center in Saginaw is implementing a new transportation program this month that will provide round-trip veteran transportation from the Gaylord Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) located at 800 S. Otsego Ave., Gaylord, to the VA medical centers in Saginaw, Ann Arbor, Battle Creek and Detroit.

Reinventing Restaurants (and Rural Communities)
Jan 19, 2010 -- Center for Rural Affairs article discusses how good restaurants are important to rural communities.

Secretary Shinseki Announces $53 Million for Cape Coral, Fla., Facility
Jan 19, 2010 -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the award of a $53 million contract to a Florida firm to construct a new clinic in Cape Coral.

Web Expands Psychiatry to Vets
Jan 19, 2010 -- Battleboro Reformer, (VT) article reports that a Veterans Administration medical center is using telecommunications technology to expand its psychiatry practice to a community health clinic near the U.S.-Canadian border, allowing for one-on-one consults between doctor and patient 128 miles apart.

What CMS Says (And Doesn’t Say) About Small and Rural Providers     Top Story 
Jan 19, 2010 -- Rural Health Voices article by Louis Wenzlow, Rural Wisconsin Health Network, discusses the proposed Health Information Technology Incentive Rule, and what the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) says and doesn’t say about small and rural providers.

Free Emergency Preparedness Guide Helps Public Health Professionals Provide Aid to Migrant Farm Workers
Jan 15, 2010 -- Yahoo! News reports that the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) released a unique free guide today that outlines steps for aiding migrant and seasonal farm workers before, during, and after a natural or man-made disaster.

Joint Commission Annual Report Shows Gains in Patient Care Quality     Top Story 
Jan 15, 2010 -- Accredited hospitals in America have steadily improved the quality of patient care over a seven-year period, saving lives and improving the health of thousands of patients, according to The Joint Commission’s latest annual report.

MedPAC Issues Post-acute Payment Recommendations     Top Story 
Jan 15, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission today recommended that Congress provide no payment update in fiscal year 2011 for inpatient rehabilitation facilities, long-term care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities or home health providers.

MedPAC Recommends Payment Reduction for Coding Changes in 2011     Top Story 
Jan 15, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission today recommended that Congress give hospitals a fiscal year 2011 payment update equal to the rate of change in the market basket index, currently projected at 2.4%, concurrent with implementation of a pay-for-performance program.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Statement Regarding Release of Estimates of Obesity Prevalence Among U.S. Children and Teens     Top Story 
Jan 15, 2010 -- New data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) shows a striking decline in obesity rates among young children., but boys ages 6 to 19 are lagging, and racial and ethnic disparities persist across age groups.

Teenagers in Rural Areas More Likely to Play 'Choking Game'     Top Story 
Jan 15, 2010 -- Associated Press article via Statesman Journal, (OR) tells of a new report that suggests a large number of eighth-graders in Oregon have taken part in the "choking game," the dangerous practice of choking each other to get a feeling of euphoria.

UC Davis Research Confirms Benefits of Calcium and Vitamin D in Preventing Fractures
Jan 15, 2010 -- Genetic Engineering News article reports that taking both calcium and vitamin D supplements on a daily basis reduces the risk of bone fractures, regardless of whether a person is young or old, male or female, or has had fractures in the past, a large study of nearly 70,000 patients from throughout the United States and Europe has found.

V.A. Opens Rural Telehealth Clinic in Salida     Top Story 
Jan 15, 2010 -- KUNC News, (CO) article reports that telehealth conferencing is a technique that rural clinics have used for years to connect patients with specialists and doctors, and now the Department of Veteran's Affairs is adopting the technology to help veterans in Colorado and four other states.

Boomers Returning to Small-town Roots     Top Story 
Jan 14, 2010 -- Iowa Farmer Today article reports that a geographer with USDA’s Economic Research Service in Washington, D.C., says recent data indicates baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) are returning to their rural roots.

Center Issues Guide to Good Governance for Hospital Boards
Jan 14, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the AHA’s Center for Healthcare Governance has released “The Guide to Good Governance for Hospital Boards,” a resource for U.S. hospital boards and leaders.

Closing the Health Care Workforce Gap     Top Story 
Jan 14, 2010 -- Center for American Progress article discusses how as our nation grapples with reforming the U.S. health care system to cover the uninsured, improve the quality of health care, and cut overall costs in the long term, we must consider provisions to assure an adequate health care workforce.

Comment Request: Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers, Employer Practices Related to Employment Outcomes Among Individuals With Disabilities     Federal Register 
Jan 14, 2010 -- This notice from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research proposes a priority and request for comments for Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers on Employer Practices Related to Employment Outcomes Among Individuals with Disabilities.

Fellowship Seeks Patient Safety Leaders     Top Story 
Jan 14, 2010 -- AHA News reports that they are accepting applications through Feb. 15, 2010, for the 2010-2011 AHA-NPSF Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship, a yearlong learning experience for up and coming leaders dedicated to improving quality and patient safety.
Learn more about: 2010-2011 Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship

Four New Medical Schools Welcome Charter Classes     Top Story 
Jan 14, 2010 -- American Academy of Family Physicians article reports that answering the calls to expand the U.S. physician workforce, four new allopathic medical schools have seated their first classes last fall, introducing students to family medicine and primary care.

HHS Accelerates Head Start Quality Improvements and Submits Impact Study on 2002-2003 Head Start Programs
Jan 14, 2010 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced plans to strengthen the Head Start and Early Head Start programs as part of an Administration-wide effort to close achievement gaps and promote early learning through the first eight years of life for the nation’s most vulnerable children.

National Survey Indicates One in Four Girls Aged 12-17 Were Involved in Serious Fights or Attacks in the Past Year
Jan 14, 2010 -- A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that, in the past year, one quarter (26.7 percent) of adolescent girls participated in a serious fight at school or work, group-against-group fight, or an attack on others with the intent to inflict serious harm.

Surgeon General Benjamin as 'America's Family Doctor'     Top Story 
Jan 14, 2010 -- USA Today article reports that Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, was sworn-in by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Jan. 11. Those who have met her, often refer to the Alabama family physician as "warm," "kind" and "humble" — words not often associated with the typical Washington insider.

Broadband Funding: Yes, in Your Backyard     Top Story 
Jan 13, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how rural communities intent on providing broadband networks can't wait for help; they have to look inward.

CMS Proposes Rule to Rein in Medicare Advantage Plans
Jan 13, 2010 -- American Academy of Family Physicians reports that physicians concerned about time-consuming policies and directives dispensed by Medicare Advantage organizations -- health plan options for beneficiaries that are included in the Medicare program -- should be aware of a CMS proposed rule that aims to provide some relief.

Health Information Technology: Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology; Interim Final Rule; Comment Request     Top Story      Federal Register 
Jan 13, 2010 -- The Department of Health and Human Services is issuing this interim final rule with a request for comments to adopt an initial set of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria to adopting standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria to enhance the interoperability, functionality, utility, and security of health information technology and to support its meaningful use.

HHS Provides an Additional $1.2 Billion to States to Help Low-Income Households with Energy Costs     Top Story 
Jan 13, 2010 -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the release of $1.2 billion to states to help low income citizens in the coming weeks with their heating bills.

Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program; Proposed Rule     Top Story      Federal Register 
Jan 13, 2010 -- This proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would implement the provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) that provide incentive payments to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs that adopt and meaningfully use certified electronic health record technology.

Obama Retains Subsidy Loophole for Mega-Farms
Jan 13, 2010 -- Center for Rural Affairs reports that on January 6, USDA announced their decision to retain a massive loophole in farm payment limit rules that will continue to allow annual taxpayer-funded checks of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars to inure to single farming operations - subsidy checks the nation's largest farms use to drive their smaller neighbors out of business.

Roundup: A Medicare Payroll Tax, the Employer Mandate, Abortion, and Other Up-In-The-Air Health Bill Issues
Jan 13, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News reports that as House and Senate lawmakers seek compromise on their health overhaul legislation, much of the focus has been on the issues such as whether a tax on wealthy Americans or high-value insurance plans will finance much of the program or whether the states or federal government would run the insurance marketplaces, but a handful of other issues also continues to draw attention.

American Indians Found at High Risk from Swine Flu     Top Story 
Jan 12, 2010 -- Modesto Bee, (CA) article reports that American Indians and Alaska Natives are four times more likely to die from H1N1 than all other ethnic groups combined, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that looked at the indigenous population in 12 states, representing half of America's total.

Cuts to Maine Social Services Fund Worry Lawmakers
Jan 12, 2010 -- Associated Press article via San Francisco Chronicle, (CA) reports that lawmakers expressed horror over proposed cuts in the state program that helps some of the most desperate Maine residents on Monday as they began reviewing potential social service cuts recommended by Gov. John Baldacci's administration.

Free Webinars Explore the Melding of Medicine, Health IT     Top Story 
Jan 12, 2010 -- American Academy of Family Physicians article reports that in an effort to give physicians the tools they need to transition to the use of health information technology, or health IT, in their practices, TransforMED, in partnership with the AMA, is launching a series of free weekly webinars.

GAO: Some Meds Had 'Extraordinary' Price Hikes Over Past Eight Years     Top Story 
Jan 12, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News article tells of a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued Monday finds that "[p]rices on a growing number of prescription medications have ballooned in recent years as consolidation in the drug industry leaves fewer companies manufacturing niche medications," The Associated Press reports.

New Housing Increases Fastest in the Exurbs
Jan 12, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article reports that the number of houses in rural America increased between 2000 and 2008, but at slower rates than in either urban or exurban communities.

Report: Poverty's a Problem for Rural Michigan
Jan 12, 2010 -- Associated Press article via WLAJ.com, (MI) tells of a new report that says some of Michigan's relatively rural northern counties have a higher percentage of children living in poverty than the state's big urban counties.

CDC: Four in 10 Office-based Physicians Use EHRs
Jan 11, 2010 -- AHA News reports that nearly 44% of office-based physicians used electronic health records in 2009, according to preliminary estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Choice is More Than Just Green Beans
Jan 11, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article reports that consumers want choices, however, this can be real problem in the rural areas that have fewer services available and may be forced to accept what is easily accessible, especially if they are unable to travel to larger urban markets.

CMS Excludes “Provider-Based” Clinics from All EHR Incentives
Jan 11, 2010 -- Rural Health Voices article by Louis Wenzlow, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, discusses which physicians will qualify for the Medicare and Medicaid eligible professional incentives under the proposed rule from CMS for the ARRA electronic health record incentive program.

Commerce Department's NTIA and USDA'S Announce Online Tool for Prospective Broadband Stimulus Applicants     Top Story 
Jan 11, 2010 -- The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) today announced the launch of BroadbandMatch, a new online tool to facilitate partnerships among prospective applicants to the agencies' broadband grant and loan programs.

Frontier Provision Riding on ND Officials     Top Story 
Jan 11, 2010 -- Rapid City Journal, (SD) article reports that North Dakota's congressional delegation says a provision in the health care reform bill that boosts Medicare reimbursement rates for some rural states is a tough sell.

FY 2010 Special Diabetes Program for Indians Community-Directed Grant Program; Notice of Funding Opportunity     Federal Register 
Jan 11, 2010 -- The Indian Health Service (IHS) is accepting grant applications for the FY 2010 Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) Community- Directed grant program, open to all existing SDPI grantees that have an active grant in place and are in compliance with the previous terms and conditions of the grant.

How Do They Compare? New and Updated Resources on the Senate and House Health Reform Bills
Jan 11, 2010 -- As key details of the health system overhaul are negotiated in Congress, The Commonwealth Fund is offering a new report comparing the health insurance provisions of the separate bills passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as new updates of two earlier Fund reports examining the proposals and their potential impact.

Indian Health Professions Preparatory, Indian Health Professions Pregraduate and Indian Health Professions Scholarship Programs; Notice of Availability of Funding     Top Story      Federal Register 
Jan 11, 2010 -- 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 2010.
Learn more about: Indian Health Professions Scholarship Program

National Advisory Council on Migrant Health; Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Jan 11, 2010 -- This notice announces a public meeting of the National Advisory Council on Migrant Health, to be held February 10-11, 2010, in Seattle, Washington.

National Influenza Vaccination Week to Focus on H1N1 Efforts     Top Story 
Jan 11, 2010 -- The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that the prevalence of novel influenza A (H1N1) has dictated some new twists for National Influenza Vaccination Week.

Robin Lake to Chair Association's Small or Rural Hospitals Governing Council     Top Story 
Jan 11, 2010 -- Robin Lake, president and CEO of North Arkansas Regional Medical Center in Harrison, Ark., will lead the American Hospital Association's (AHA) Section for Small or Rural Hospitals in 2010.

HHS Delivers the Nation’s First Health Security Strategy     Top Story 
Jan 8, 2010 -- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released The National Health Security Strategy, the nation’s first comprehensive strategy focused on protecting people’s health during a large-scale emergency.

Increasing Substance Abuse Levels among Older Adults Likely to Create Sharp Rise in Need for Treatment Services in Next Decade     Top Story 
Jan 8, 2010 -- A new study done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that the aging of the baby boom generation is resulting in a dramatic increase in levels of illicit drug use among adults 50 and older.

National Farmers Union Lists What Rural Americans Need in Healthcare Reform Bill     Top Story 
Jan 8, 2010 -- Agra-Pulse article reports that National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson submitted a letter Wednesday to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi outlining four provisions for the health care bill which NFU believes require immediate attention.

National Farmers Union Lists What ural Americans need in healthcare reform bill
Jan 8, 2010 --

Physicians in Short Supply in Rural Missouri Areas
Jan 8, 2010 -- Missourian article reports that eighty percent of Missouri's counties don't have enough physicians, and many of those counties are rural, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

CMS Meaningful Use Definition Impact on Rural Providers     Top Story 
Jan 7, 2010 -- Rural Health Voices article by Louis Wenzlow, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, discusses how the proposed CMS meaningful use requirements may impact rural providers.

Democrats Closing in on Health Bill Agreement     Top Story 
Jan 7, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday congressional Democrats were close to agreement on merging their healthcare bills but still faced challenges in blending the two approaches.

Guide Seeks to Help Employers Implement Parity Law
Jan 7, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health has issued a guide to help employers implement the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 Section 1013: Request for Nominations--The Effective Health Care Stakeholder Group     Federal Register 
Jan 7, 2010 -- The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) invites nominations from interested organizations and knowledgeable individuals for members of the Stakeholder Group to support the work of the Effective Health Care Program, to develop evidence on the effectiveness and comparative effectiveness of different treatments and health care interventions of importance to the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Child Health Insurance programs.

No Country for Health Care, Part 4: Rural Recruitment     Top Story 
Jan 7, 2010 -- Texas Tribune article tells how across Texas’ rural counties, recruiting doctors is the single biggest health care challenge.

SAMHSA is Accepting Applications for $382 Million in Grants for the Access to Recovery Program     Top Story 
Jan 7, 2010 -- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2010 for Access to Recovery (ATR) grants that provides people seeking drug and alcohol treatment with vouchers to pay for a range of appropriate community-based services.
Learn more about: SAMHSA Access to Recovery (ATR) Grants

Veterans Affairs and Kaiser Permanente Share Electronic Health Information to Improve Care for Veterans
Jan 7, 2010 -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Kaiser Permanente recently launched a pilot medical data exchange program in San Diego using the Nationwide Health Information Network.

CMS Issues Annual Report on National Health Spending     Top Story 
Jan 6, 2010 -- Nominal health spending in the United States grew 4.4 percent in 2008, to $2.3 trillion or $7,681 per person, the slowest rate of growth since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services started officially tracking expenditures in 1960.

CMS Launches Fifth Annual Medicare Health Care Provider Satisfaction Survey     Top Story 
Jan 6, 2010 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the fifth annual health care provider satisfaction survey of the Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) contractors that process and pay more than $370 billion in Medicare claims each year.

Dorgan Shocks with Retirement
Jan 6, 2010 -- Indian Country Today article reports that Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., One of the top advocates of Native American issues in Congress, rocked Washington Jan. 5, announcing he will not run for re-election.

Family Can Keep Young Graduates Closer to Home     Top Story 
Jan 6, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how young college graduates are more likely to move to a new state if they made good grades or attended top ranked colleges, but those who stay enjoy their spare time and want to live near family.

Last Chance to Submit Nominations for the Outstanding Rural Health Awards
Jan 6, 2010 -- University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health reports that applications must be received by noon on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, for the Outstanding Rural Health Awards to be presented in April at the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health.

No Country for Health Care, Part 3: The Shrinking Rural Ranks     Top Story 
Jan 6, 2010 -- Texas Tribune article discusses how rural health care advocates are finding it more and more difficult to teach an increasingly urban Legislature about the crisis in rural health care.

Report: Mo. Clinics Face Insurance Payment Delays     Top Story 
Jan 6, 2010 -- Associated Press article via Bay News 9, (FL) reports that many Missouri hospitals face delays in getting health insurers to pay for treatments despite a state law intended to ensure prompt processing of claims, the state insurance department concluded in a report released Tuesday.

Rural Health Clinic Reaches Veterans in Kingwood
Jan 6, 2010 -- WBOY 12 News, (WV) article reports that the winter weather didn't stop the rural health care program for veterans Tuesday, it's state-of-the art mobile health clinic still made its scheduled stop at the Veterans of Foreign War post in Kingwood.

Rural Health Information Technology Workforce Challenges and Recommendations     Top Story 
Jan 6, 2010 -- Rural Health Resource Center reports that the National Rural HIT Workforce Summit participants identified rural HIT workforce shortage issues, gained an understanding of the gaps in rural HIT workforce, and defined what needs to be done to reduce or eliminate those gaps.

SAMHSA Accepting Applications to Provide up to $8.9 Million in Grants That Will Promote Consumer Involvement in Restructuring Mental Health Systems
Jan 6, 2010 -- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2010 for up to $8.9 million, over 5 years, to fund five consumer and consumer-supporter technical assistance centers (TA centers) that will strengthen and enhance consumer and directed approaches for adults with serious mental illness.

'Critical Access Hospitals' Facing Possible 10 Percent Cut in Medicaid Payments     Top Story 
Jan 5, 2010 -- Lakeland Times, (WI) article reports that Wisconsin's 59 smallest rural hospitals, known as "Critical Access Hospitals," are bracing for the planned Jan. 1, 2010, implementation of 10 percent cuts in Medicaid reimbursements.

Ag Focus Helps Rural School     Top Story 
Jan 5, 2010 -- News OK, (OK) article tells of the Walton Rural Life Center that revitalized their school by completely incorporating agriculture into its classrooms.

Big Plans for Small Wind
Jan 5, 2010 -- Bismarck Tribune, (ND) article tells how individuals can pull a couple of kilowatts from the air on a smaller scale with “small wind,” a niche power source that grew by 78 percent in the United States last year.

CAH “EHR Eligible Expense” Definition Still Lacks Clarity     Top Story 
Jan 5, 2010 -- Rural Health Voices article tells how many ambiguities remain regarding a detailed definition of what qualifies as an eligible expense in order to make strategic electronic health record (EHR) implementation decisions for a Critical Access Hospital (CAH).

Health Resources and Services Administration; Statement of Organization, Functions and Delegations of Authority     Top Story      Federal Register 
Jan 5, 2010 -- This notice amends Part R of the Statement of Organization, Functions and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) (60 FR 56605, as amended November 6, 1995; as last amended at 74 FR 48089-48090 dated September 21, 2009).

How to Fix the Doctor Shortage     Top Story 
Jan 5, 2010 -- Wall Street Journal article by Darrell Kirch, CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges, discusses the shortage of physicians, particularly primary care physicians, and how Congress should address the problem.

New Life in Rural Areas?
Jan 5, 2010 -- Omaha World-Record, (NE) article tells how the state has passed laws in recent years to encourage wind development, but Nebraska still ranks as a major underachiever in wind energy.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; HIT Policy Committee's Workgroup Meetings; Notice of Meetings     Federal Register 
Jan 5, 2010 -- This notice announces forthcoming public subcommittee meetings, available via webcast, of a federal advisory committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; HIT Standards Committee's Workgroup Meetings; Notice of Meetings     Federal Register 
Jan 5, 2010 -- This notice announces forthcoming subcommittee meetings of a federal advisory committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) that will be open to the public via dial-in access only.

Oregon Among National Leaders in Number of Assisted Living Facilities
Jan 5, 2010 -- Oregonian article reports that Oregon ranks third-highest of the 50 states in its supply of assisted living care, according to a new study by Harvard Medical School faculty.

17,000 Alabama Students Received Free Health Screenings Through KidCheck
Jan 4, 2010 -- Alabama Rural Action Commission reports that 17,000 children received free health care screenings during the last school year under an initiative launched by Governor Bob Riley that is designed to increase access to health care in rural areas of the state.

86% of Physicians Use Internet to Access Health Information     Top Story 
Jan 4, 2010 -- American Medical News reports on a survey, released in November 2009, that found that 86% of U.S. physicians use the Internet to gather health, medical or prescription drug information.

As Swine Flu Pandemic Wanes, Response Praise     Top Story 
Jan 4, 2010 -- New York Times article via Press Democrat, (CA) reports that although it is too early to write the obituary for swine flu, medical experts, already assessing how the first pandemic in 40 years has been handled, have found that while luck played a part, a series of rapid but conservative decisions by federal officials worked out better than many had dared hope.

CMS Issues Instructions on Home Health Agency Ownership Changes     Top Story 
Jan 4, 2010 -- In the Final Rule updating the Medicare home health prospective payment system for calendar year 2010, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) modified the regulations regarding ownership changes.

Finding Doctors Getting Harder     Top Story 
Jan 4, 2010 -- Post-Journal, (NY) article discusses how physician recruitment is becoming the biggest challenge for hospitals because of physicians retiring at a rate that far outpaces recruitment.

Lessons of a Weekend of Free Health Care     Top Story 
Jan 4, 2010 -- Associated Press article via WXOW 19, (WI) tells how for 17 years, Stan Brock has piloted a nonprofit called Remote Area Medical, offering free health care to the uninsured, the underinsured and the desperate.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; HIT Policy Committee Advisory Meeting; Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Jan 4, 2010 -- This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public advisory committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), to be held January 13, 2010, in Washington, D.C.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; HIT Standards Committee Advisory Meeting; Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Jan 4, 2010 -- This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public advisory committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), to be held January 20, 2010, in Washington, D.C.

School Lunch Goes Local
Jan 4, 2010 -- Iowa Farmer Today article tells how the Independence School District is one of nine Iowa chapters in the Farm to School Program that buys produce from area farms during the growing season and prepares them on site.

Will Latest Jobs Bill Really Produce Jobs?     Top Story 
Jan 4, 2010 -- Associated Press article via WTOC 11 News, (GA) discusses how when the Senate takes up a jobs bill later this month or early in February, the debate will center on whether it really will create jobs and be worth plunging the government tens of billions of dollars further into debt.

CMS and ONC Issue Regulations Proposing a Definition of Meaningful Use and Setting Standards for Electronic Health Records     Top Story 
Dec 31, 2009 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourage public comment on two regulations issued that lay a foundation for improving quality, efficiency and safety through meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.

Help Wanted: Skilled Health IT Workforce to Modernize Health Care     Top Story 
Dec 31, 2009 -- Rural Health Voices article discusses how as healthcare providers and hospitals across the nation incorporate electronic health records into routine patient care, the demand for highly skilled health IT professionals will rapidly grow.

Medicare Program: Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates; Changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates; Final Rule     Federal Register 
Dec 31, 2009 -- This document from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services corrects technical errors that appeared in the final rule with comment period found in the Federal Register (FR) on November 20, 2009, entitled "Medicare Program: Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates; Changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates."

North Carolina Goes Smoke-Free     Top Story 
Dec 31, 2009 -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that restaurants and bars in North Carolina will go smoke-free on Saturday January 2, 2010, making this state the first southeastern state to completely prohibit smoking in restaurants and bars.

Preventative Health Care Help Among New Laws
Dec 31, 2009 -- Associated Press article via KRDO TV, (CO) reports that a new state law going into effect New Year's Day will provide comprehensive preventive health care to people in rural Colorado.

Rural Surgery Featured in the Latest Issue of Surgical Clinics of North America     Top Story 
Dec 31, 2009 -- The latest issue of the journal of Surgical Clinics of North America features the topic of rural surgery that covers workforce issues, rural training models, quality of care, and general surgery’s contribution to the financial health or rural healthcare facilities.

USDA Loans Go Unused
Dec 31, 2009 -- Salt Lake City Tribune, (UT) article reports that there's a pile of money in the federal stimulus package for rural loans and food assistance, but relatively little of it has been used in rural Utah.

ACC Sues HHS over Medicare Rate Cuts     Top Story 
Dec 30, 2009 -- The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has filed suit against U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius charging that the 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule was adopted unlawfully.

CMS Reminds Providers of Expiring Medicare Payment Provisions
Dec 30, 2009 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a special MLN Matters article serving to notify affected providers that a number of Medicare payment provisions will no longer be in effect when the provisions sunset as of December 31, 2009.

Gap Exists Between Vision for Electronic Medical Records to Improve Care Coordination and Clinicians' Experiences     Top Story 
Dec 30, 2009 -- Commonwealth Fund article reports that a gap exists between policy makers' expectations that current commercial electronic medical records (EMRs) can improve coordination of patient care and clinicians' real-world experiences with EMRs, according to a study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) published online in The Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Prescription Medication Kiosks Just What the Doctor Ordered     Top Story 
Dec 30, 2009 -- SelfserviceWorld.com article reports that kiosks designed to remotely dispense prescription medication are clearing the final hurdles to implementation, and may soon be rolling out in the United States and in Canada’s most populous province.

Traveling Clinic to Bring Dental Care to California
Dec 30, 2009 -- DentalPlans.com article reports that in an effort to bring dental care to under-served areas, a large van equipped with all the amenities of a dental clinic will begin traveling to northern California neighborhoods in January.

CMS Releases Corrections to 2010 Final Rule for Hospital Outpatient Departments and Ambulatory Surgical Centers     Top Story 
Dec 29, 2009 -- Medicare Update reports that on December 28, 2009, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a display copy of the corrections to the Final Rule that updates the Medicare payment policies and rates for both hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers (ASC) for calendar year (CY) 2010.

Colorado Invests $1 Million for Rural Health Care Services
Dec 29, 2009 -- Gov. Monitor article reports that Governor Bill Ritter today announced that $1 million in grant funding is now available through the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Council for projects that support Colorado’s rural health care infrastructure.

Department of Health & Human Services; Solicitation of New Safe Harbors and Special Fraud Alerts; Notice of Intent to Develop Regulations     Federal Register 
Dec 29, 2009 -- In accordance with section 205 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, this annual notice solicits proposals and recommendations for developing new and modifying existing safe harbor provisions under the Federal anti-kickback statute (section 1128B(b) of the Social Security Act), as well as developing new OIG Special Fraud Alerts.

Medicaid and CHIP Programs; Initial Core Set of Children's Healthcare Quality Measures for Voluntary Use by Medicaid and CHIP Programs; Notice With Comment Period     Federal Register 
Dec 29, 2009 -- This notice identifies and solicits public comments on the initial, recommended core set of children's health care quality measures for voluntary use by State programs administered under titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act, health insurance issuers and managed care entities that enter into contracts with Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs, and providers of items and services under these programs.

Metro Areas Get Chunk of Rural Stimulus Aid     Top Story 
Dec 29, 2009 -- USA Today article reports that more than $2.7 billion of stimulus aid for struggling parts of rural America has gone to the nation's biggest metropolitan areas.

Pressure Rises to Stop Antibiotics in Agriculture     Top Story 
Dec 29, 2009 -- Associated Press article via Cape Cod Today, (MA) reports that more and more Americans are at risk from the widespread practice of feeding livestock antibiotics, and the issue is now gaining attention because of interest from a new White House administration and a flurry of new research tying antibiotic use in animals to drug resistance in people.

Proposed Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) for Social Innovation Fund Awards; Request for Feedback     Federal Register 
Dec 29, 2009 -- This draft Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) from the Corporation for National and Community Service announces the availability of funding and requests feedback for the newly created Social Innovation Fund (SIF), authorized by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009.

Rural America Severely Hurt by Lack of Broadband     Top Story 
Dec 29, 2009 -- Newsvine article tells how in many rural areas, the “information superhighway” is really more like a one-lane dirt road, and that lack of service can leave rural residents and businesses at a real disadvantage.

Sustaining Rural Care: Reimbursements Key to Survival of Small Hospitals     Top Story 
Dec 29, 2009 -- Hutchinson News, (KS) article tells of the Anthony hospital that mirrors many across Kansas, a 25-bed hospital that is a lifeline for the Harper County town of Anthony, population 2,300.

USDA Listening for Rural Development Ideas
Dec 29, 2009 -- Center for Rural Affairs article reports that USDA Rural Development will host a video conference from 10:00 a.m. to noon (CST) on January 8th at eight sites across Nebraska to encourage Nebraskans to share their ideas for creating rural jobs and fostering rural development.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority     Federal Register 
Dec 28, 2009 -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Department of Health and Human Services announces in this notice the organizational units that are deleted in their entirety.

CMS Issues Instructions on New Medicare Home Health Outlier Policy
Dec 28, 2009 -- Medicare Update reports that in the Final Rule updating the Medicare home health prospective payment system (HH-PPS) for calendar year (CY) 2010, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made a significant home health outlier policy change.

Ethnic, Rural Health Disparities the Focus of Online Program     Top Story 
Dec 28, 2009 -- Daily Reflector, (NC) article reports that East Carolina University is offering a new online program focusing on ethnic and rural health disparities.

Iowa Agencies Receive $7.4 Million for Homeless Assistance
Dec 28, 2009 -- Iowa Independent article reports that local homeless assistance programs in Iowa got an unexpected boost Friday when the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced renewed grant funds in excess of $7.4 million.

Notice of Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Minority Health     Federal Register 
Dec 28, 2009 -- The Advisory Committee on Minority Health will hold a public meeting January 5-6, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel in Washington, DC.

Notice; Department of Veterans Affairs; Reasonable Charges for Medical Care or Services; 2010 Calendar Year Update     Federal Register 
Dec 28, 2009 -- This Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) notice informs the public of updated data for calculating the "reasonable charges" collected or recovered by VA for medical care or services provided or furnished by VA to a veteran.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology HIT Policy Committee's NHIN Workgroup Meeting; Notice of Meeting     Federal Register 
Dec 28, 2009 -- This notice announces a forthcoming public subcommittee meeting of a federal advisory committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to be held via webcast January 7, 2010.

Say Ah: Minn. Preps 1st Class of Dental Therapists     Top Story 
Dec 28, 2009 -- Associated Press article via WCCO, (MN) tells of Minnesota's program to train dental therapists, launched this year, and how it should improve access to dental care by lowering the cost of providing it.

GAO Announces Appointments to New Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
Dec 24, 2009 -- Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), today announced the appointment of 17 members to the new Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC).

HHS Announces New Health IT Workforce Grants     Top Story 
Dec 24, 2009 -- The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today the availability of two additional grant programs to support the training and development of the skilled workforce required to support broad adoption and use of health information technology (health IT).

Senate Passes Health Care Overhaul Bill     Top Story 
Dec 24, 2009 -- The New York Times reports that the Senate voted early Thursday morning to reinvent the nation's health care system, passing a bill to guarantee access to health insurance for tens of millions of Americans and to rein in health costs as proposed by President Obama.

Trouble in the Heartland: Young People Leaving America’s Small Towns     Top Story 
Dec 24, 2009 -- Rutgers article tells how the migration of young people from America’s small towns and cities has continued almost unabated for the last century, but Patrick Carr and Maria Kefalas hope their new book will launch a long overdue conversation about the rural brain drain.

Veterans Find Peace Working on San Diego-area Farm
Dec 24, 2009 -- Associated Press article via Daily Journal, (CA) tells how about 20 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs centers have gardening programs where vets benefit from the distraction provided by steady, regimented labor.

Wyoming Doctor Licensing Sets Record In 2009
Dec 24, 2009 -- Black Hills Fox article reports that a record number of physicians were licensed to practice in Wyoming this year, but many of these doctors take care of Wyoming's patients only on a part-time basis.

CMS: 97% of Hospitals to Receive Full Medicare Outpatient Payment Update
Dec 23, 2009 -- AHA News reports that ninety-seven percent of hospitals eligible to participate in the hospital outpatient quality data reporting program have qualified to receive a full Medicare payment update for calendar year 2010, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced yesterday.

FCC Considering Slow High-Speed Internet     Top Story 
Dec 23, 2009 -- Daily Yonder article reports that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is preparing to set a minimum Internet speed for unserved Americans (most of whom live in rural areas.)

Health Resources and Services Administration; Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP); Data Collection Tool for State Offices of Rural Health Grant Program     Federal Register 
Dec 23, 2009 -- The Health Resources and Services Administration proposes to revise the State Offices of Rural Health Grant Program--Guidance and Forms for the Application. ORHP seeks to expand the information gathered from grantees on their efforts to provide technical assistance to clients within their State.

Notice of Deadline for Submitting Completed Applications to Begin Participation in the Tribal Self-Governance Program in Fiscal Year 2011 or Calendar Year 2011     Federal Register 
Dec 23, 2009 -- In this notice, the Office of Self-Governance (OSG) establishes a March 1, 2010, deadline for Indian tribes/consortia to submit completed applications to begin participation in the tribal self-governance program in fiscal year 2011 or calendar year 2011.

Requests for Extension of the June 30, 2010 Deadline for Funding Commitments Under the Universal Service Rural Health Care Pilot Program     Top Story 
Dec 23, 2009 -- The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has announced a one year extension of the June 30, 2010 deadline for funding commitment requests for all participants in the universal service Rural Health Care Pilot Program.

Senator Harkin Sees Heathcare Bill Benefiting Rural America     Top Story 
Dec 23, 2009 -- Agri-Plus article reports that Democratic Senators and the President-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA) said in a press conference Monday that the health reform legislation likely to win Senate approval this week is good news for rural America and other “underserved areas.”

AMA Announces Support for Passage of Senate Health Reform Bill
Dec 22, 2009 -- The American Medical Association (AMA) yesterday announced its support for passage of the amended Senate health reform bill (H.R. 3590).

Health Care Bill Includes Additional Medicare Reimbursements for North Dakota
Dec 22, 2009 -- Inforum, (ND) article reports that if the Senate’s health care reform bill is approved, five rural states, including North Dakota, will receive additional funding through Medicare reimbursements because of the inclusion of a “frontier states” amendment drafted by Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan.

HUD Approves $25.9 Million Financing Deal to Replace Aging Hospital in Edgerton, Wisconsin
Dec 22, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced a commitment to insure a mortgage loan to Edgerton Hospital and Health Services in Edgerton, Wisconsin.

Minnesota Legislation Would Help Rural Areas Facing Shortage of Emergency Paramedics     Top Story 
Dec 22, 2009 -- Firefighting & Rescue Social/Professional Network article reports that Minnesota U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar filed an amendment to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that helps reduce the shortage of emergency medical personnel in rural communities while simultaneously increasing job opportunities for returning veterans.

Obama Signs Cobra Subsidy Extension for Laid-Off Workers     Top Story 
Dec 22, 2009 -- Kaiser Health News reports that President Obama on Monday signed a measure to extend a federal COBRA subsidy an additional six months for continued health-insurance coverage for involuntarily terminated workers under employer group plans.

Senate Passes Bill Delaying Physician Payment Cut     Top Story 
Dec 22, 2009 -- AHA News reports that the Senate voted 88-10 Saturday to approve a fiscal 2010 defense appropriations bill that includes a provision delaying Medicare physician payment cuts until March 2010.

Senators Keep Health Bill's Christmas Eve Timeline on Track     Top Story 
Dec 22, 2009 -- Kaiser Health News reports that Senators cast the second of three procedural votes Tuesday morning to end debate on the Senate's health care reform bill, keeping alive their timeline of passing the reform on Christmas Eve Thursday.

Udall’s Rural Health Amendments Pass with Senate Bill     Top Story 
Dec 22, 2009 -- Colorado Independent article reports that six of Senator Udall's amendments made it into the health care bill that passed its first vote in the Senate last night—including two aimed at improving health care for rural residents.

New Commonwealth Fund Survey of Young Adults Finds Wide Majority Support Health Reform     Top Story 
Dec 21, 2009 -- An overwhelming majority—88 percent—of young adults across the political spectrum think it is important for Congress and the President to pass health reform legislation that would assure affordable health insurance for all and improve health care, according to a Commonwealth Fund survey released today.

Sebelius Releases New Report: Protecting Families and Putting More Money in Your Pocket: How Health Insurance Reform Will Lower Costs and Increase Choices     Top Story 
Dec 21, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new report, Protecting Families and Putting More Money in Your Pocket: How Health Insurance Reform Will Lower Costs and Increase Choices, that highlights how health insurance reform will benefit families across the country.

Senate Health Care Bill Clears Key Hurdle     Top Story 
Dec 21, 2009 -- CNN Politics article reports that Democrats won a major victory in their push for health care reform early Monday morning as the Senate voted to end debate on a package of controversial revisions to a sweeping $871 billion bill.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicaid Program and Children's Health Insurance Program; Model of Interstate Coordinated Enrollment and Coverage Process for Low-Income Children; Notice with Comment     Federal Register 
Dec 18, 2009 -- This notice requests comments to assist in the development of a model process for the coordination of enrollment, retention, and coverage for low-income Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program eligible children as required under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances--July Through September 2009; Notice     Federal Register 
Dec 18, 2009 -- This notice lists CMS manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were published from July 2009 through September 2009, relating to the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); Medicare Program; Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI): Listening Session     Federal Register 
Dec 18, 2009 -- This notice announces a listening session to discuss the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). This meeting is open to the public.

Department of Veterans Affairs; Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation; Proposed Rule     Federal Register 
Dec 18, 2009 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend its adjudication regulations regarding specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grants.

HHS Announces Health IT Research Grants     Top Story 
Dec 18, 2009 -- The Department of Health and Human Services is accepting applications through Jan. 25 for $60 million in HITECH Act research grants to address barriers to the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology.

Indian Education--Professional Development Grants; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008     Federal Register 
Dec 18, 2009 -- The purpose of this program is to (1) increase the number of qualified Indian individuals in professions that serve Indians; (2) provide training to qualified Indian individuals to become teachers, administrators, teacher aides, social workers, and ancillary educational personnel; and (3) improve the skills of qualified Indian individuals who serve in the education field.
Learn more about: Professional Development Program: Office of Indian Education

Indian Health Service Contract Health Services Report; Proposed Information Collection     Federal Register 
Dec 18, 2009 -- The IHS Contract Health Services Program needs this information to certify that the health care services requested and authorized by the IHS have been performed by the Contract Health Services provider(s); to have providers validate services provided; to process payments for health care services performed by such providers; and to serve as a legal document for health and medical care authorized by IHS and rendered by health care providers under contract with the IHS.

Legislation Would Help Rural Areas Facing Shortage of Emergency Paramedics     Top Story 
Dec 18, 2009 -- Alexandria Echo Press tells of an amendment to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, filed by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, that could help reduce the shortage of emergency medical personnel in rural communities while simultaneously increasing job opportunities for returning veterans.

Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Emergency Comment Request; HUD Core Activities Reporting Related to the Recovery Act     Federal Register 
Dec 18, 2009 -- Comments are being requested by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on a proposed information collection regarding HUD Core Activities Reporting related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Adolescents Perceive Greater Risk to Using Tobacco Products Than Illicit Drugs or Binge Drinking
Dec 17, 2009 -- Adolescents across all age groups perceive a greater risk to smoking cigarettes than the use of alcohol and other substances including cocaine and LSD, according to a new report based on a national survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Broadband Lessons Beyond Our Borders     Top Story 
Dec 17, 2009 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how the United States has a less than middling ranking among industrialized countries in broadband penetration, especially in bringing broadband in rural areas.

Broadband Stimulus Rush Begins with $182 Million Dispensed Today in Dawsonville, Ga.; Less Than 3 Percent of Total Funds     Top Story 
Dec 17, 2009 -- BroadbandBreakfast.com article reports that the White House announced that $182 million in federal funding for broadband stimulus funding will be dispensed Thursday by Vice President Joe Biden at Impulse Manufacturing in the rural town of Dawsonville, Ga.

HHS Announces $27 Million from Recovery Act to Help Older Americans Fight Chronic Disease     Top Story 
Dec 17, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced the availability of $27 million to help older individuals with chronic conditions to improve their health and reduce their use of costly medical care.

House Approves Jobs Bill with Health Coverage, Workforce Provisions     Top Story 
Dec 17, 2009 -- AHA News Now reports that the House voted last night to approve the Jobs for Main Street Act (H.R. 2847), which includes $23.5 billion to increase federal funding for state Medicaid programs through June 2011.

House OKs Measure Delaying Medicare Doc Pay Cuts     Top Story 
Dec 17, 2009 -- Modern Healthcare article reports that the House voted 395-34 to approve a fiscal 2010 defense appropriations bill that includes a measure to stave off Medicare physician payment cuts until March 2010.

Noted: More Army Suicides
Dec 17, 2009 -- Colorado Springs Independent reports that through November, the Army reported a record 147 suicides for the year, up from 140 all of last year.

Opportunities to Address Health Care Disparities in Health Care Reform     Top Story 
Dec 17, 2009 -- Center for American Progress article reports that the current efforts to reform the health care system provide a unique opportunity for Congress to address the disparities in access to services and quality of services that many racial and ethnic minorities in the United States experience—particularly African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Hispanics, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Recovery Act Audits Begin for New Community Health Center Grantees
Dec 17, 2009 -- The National Association of Community Health Centers article reports that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has initiated an audit of a new grantee that received Recovery Act funds for the establishment of a new Community Health Center access point.

States Get Bonuses for Boosting Enrollment in Children's Health Coverage     Top Story 
Dec 17, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the award of more than $72 million to nine states for making significant progress in enrolling children in health coverage through Medicaid and improving access to children’s coverage through Medicaid and the state children’s health insurance program.

Vice President Biden Kicks Off $7.2 Billion Recovery Act Broadband Program     Top Story 
Dec 17, 2009 -- USDA release tells that Vice President Biden today kicked off $7.2 billion in Recovery Act broadband grant and loan programs, of which $2 billion will be made available on a rolling basis over the next 75 days to bring high-speed Internet to communities that currently have little or no access to the technology.

Doctor Shortage in U.S. Won’t be Aided by More Medical Students     Top Story 
Dec 16, 2009 -- Bloomberg article reports that to combat a nationwide shortage of doctors, medical schools in the U.S. plan to add 3,000 first- year students by 2018, but many fear it won’t be enough.

East Carolina University Program Targets Rural Dentist Shortage, Plans Learning Clinic in Sylva
Dec 16, 2009 -- Ashville Citizen-Times, (NC) article reports that a clinic planned for Jackson County is part of a new strategy for addressing a shortage of dentists in North Carolina's most rural areas.

Medicare Announces Solicitation of Fiscal Year 2010 State Health Insurance Assistance Program Grants     Top Story 
Dec 16, 2009 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced it is making $45 million in direct grants and support contracts available for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP).

New Report Details Training of New Types of Dental Professionals to Improve Access to Oral Health Care     Top Story 
Dec 16, 2009 -- Searching for ways to ensure dental care for millions living in dentist-shortage areas, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation today released a wide-ranging assessment of international and U.S. experiences training and deploying new types of dental health care providers who could be used to help fill gaps in care.

Sanofi Recalls Certain Lots of H1N1 Pediatric Vaccine     Top Story 
Dec 16, 2009 -- AHA News reports that Sanofi Pasteur has recalled four lots of pediatric H1N1 flu vaccine in prefilled syringes after finding that doses in these lots no longer meet potency specifications, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today.

USDA to Host Roundtables on Jobs, Economic Growth     Top Story 
Dec 16, 2009 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA will begin a series of roundtables and community forums on job creation and economic growth in states throughout the country.

Department of Education; College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP); Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010     Federal Register 
Dec 15, 2009 -- The purpose of CAMP is to provide academic and financial support to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their children complete their first year of college.
Learn more about: College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)

Health at Risk: Wheels of Mercy Brings Screening Help to Urban, Rural Areas     Top Story 
Dec 15, 2009 -- Muskegon News, (MI) article tells of the newly launched Wheels of Mercy program that provides basic health screenings to those without access to the health care system.

HUD Spending Bill Clears Congress     Top Story 
Dec 15, 2009 -- Housing Assistance Council article reports that the House of Representatives on December 10 and the Senate on December 13 passed an omnibus bill for FY 2010 appropriations for HUD and several other federal agencies.

Klobuchar Offers Health-care Amendment for Medical Training     Top Story 
Dec 15, 2009 -- Minnesota Post article reports that Sen. Amy Klobuchar today introduced an amendment to the Senate health-care bill that would provide incentives and training programs for medical students who want to practice medicine in rural communities.

MedPAC May Recommend No Payment Update for Post-acute Care Providers     Top Story 
Dec 15, 2009 -- AHA News reports that inpatient rehabilitation facilities, long-term care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and home health providers would receive no Medicare payment update in 2011 under draft recommendations considered by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission last week.

Non-surgical Method for Diagnosing Breast Cancer Safe, Nearly as Effective as Surgical Biopsy, New Report Finds
Dec 15, 2009 -- Some methods of minimally invasive biopsy for breast cancer are nearly as accurate as surgical biopsy but have much less risk of harms, according to a new report funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; High School Equivalency Program (HEP); Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010     Federal Register 
Dec 15, 2009 -- The purpose of HEP is to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and members of their immediate family obtain a general education diploma (GED) that meets the guidelines for high school equivalency established by the State in which the HEP project is conducted, and to gain employment or be placed in an institution of higher education (IHE) or other postsecondary education or training.
Learn more about: High School Equivalency Program (HEP)

Report Shows H1N1 Revealed Gaps in Nation's Emergency Health Preparedness Efforts     Top Story 
Dec 15, 2009 -- The seventh annual Ready or Not? Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism report, released today by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found that the H1N1 flu outbreak has exposed serious underlying gaps in the nation’s ability to respond to public health emergencies and that the economic crisis is straining an already fragile public health system.

Volunteer Fire Departments Keep Rural America Safe with Fewer Numbers
Dec 15, 2009 -- Market to Market article reports that in most rural areas, volunteers make up the vast majority of firefighters.

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan Announces Over 84,000 Rural Families Have Achieved Homeownership Through Recovery Act Funding     Top Story 
Dec 14, 2009 -- Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced that 84,021 rural families from throughout the country have become homeowners so far as a result of USDA funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Alabama is Bleeding Rural Jobs     Top Story 
Dec 14, 2009 -- Daily Yonder article reports that the worst job declines in the nation during this recession have been in rural Alabama, which has 13.1% fewer jobs than when the recession began, but other parts of rural America have seen job gains.

Doctor Shortage Will Worsen
Dec 14, 2009 -- Wyoming Tribune Eagle article reports that physicians on the brink of retirement are adding pressure to the nationwide shortage of medical providers, a fact that could hit even harder in rural states like Wyoming.

GAO Reports on Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program
Dec 14, 2009 -- Medicare Update article reports that the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report on various problems with the Round 1 bidding process of the Durable Medical Equipment Competitive Bidding Program, including poor communication by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and an inadequate bid submission system.

H1N1 Death Rate Higher for Indians, Alaska Natives
Dec 14, 2009 -- AHA News reports that American Indians and Alaska Natives have died from the H1N1 flu at a rate four times greater than other Americans, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

Health Care Reform Takes on Extra Complexity for American Indians     Top Story 
Dec 14, 2009 -- San Bernardino Sun, (CA) article discusses how Native Americans are fighting for certain Indian-specific language in the overall health care reform package.

In Rural Areas, More Women Falling Into Health Care Gap     Top Story 
Dec 14, 2009 -- Kansas City InfoZine, (MO) article reports that women ages 50-65 living in rural areas are at-risk for inadequate health care coverage and limited access to health information according to according to a public health researcher at the University of Missouri.

Mental Health Facility Closure Report Due this Week
Dec 14, 2009 -- Quad-City Times, (IA) article reports that as officials look to slash the state budget, a highly anticipated report recommending the closure of one of the state’s four mental health institutions is expected this week.

Senate Passes $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill     Top Story 
Dec 14, 2009 -- Associated Press article via MSNBC reports that the Senate on Sunday passed a $1.1 trillion spending bill with increased budgets for vast areas of the federal government including health, education, law enforcement and veterans' programs.

Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program: Technical Assistance Call     Top Story 
Dec 11, 2009 -- The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology will hold a Technical Assistance Call for the Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program on Monday, December 14, 2009, from 12 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Call for Nominations for the “Rural Community of the Year”
Dec 11, 2009 -- USDA Rural Development is announcing a call for nominations for the "Rural Community of the Year" award to recognize community accomplishment between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.

Community Health Center Leaders from the Front Lines Weigh in on Health Care Reform
Dec 11, 2009 -- USA Today article reports that the men and women at the front lines of the national health care debate — who run hospitals, nursing homes, community health care centers and private practices — say they are hopeful, but wary, about the changes that might follow if Congress passes legislation to overhaul the health care system.

For Elderly in Rural Areas, Times are Distinctly Harder     Top Story 
Dec 11, 2009 -- New York Times article reports that growing old has never been easy, but in isolated, rural spots, it is harder still, especially as the battering ram of recession and budget cuts to programs for the elderly sweep through many local and state governments.

Health Care Debate: Hope and Skepticism on the Front Lines
Dec 11, 2009 -- USA Today article reports that the men and women at the front lines of the national health care debate — who run hospitals, nursing homes, community health care centers and private practices — say they are hopeful, but wary, about the changes that might follow if Congress passes legislation to overhaul the health care system.

How to Create New Jobs: The CCC Reimagined
Dec 11, 2009 -- Friend of the Farmer article discusses the idea of reviving the Civilian Conservation Corp, with recent college graduates, to help small farmers harness the power of the Internet by getting their business online.

HRSA Issues Updated Health Center Quarterly Report Manual for ARRA Reporting     Top Story 
Dec 11, 2009 -- Last week, HRSA issued an updated Health Center Quarterly Report (HCQR) Reporting Manual in connection with the submission of ARRA-related reports for the quarter ending December 31, 2009 (reports are due to HRSA on January 10, 2010).

MedPAC Considers Full Market Basket Update for Hospitals in FY 2011     Top Story 
Dec 11, 2009 -- AHA News reports that at today’s meeting in Washington, DC, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission considered a draft recommendation to Congress that would provide a full “market basket” update for fiscal year 2011 outpatient and inpatient hospital payments.

Nelson Readies GME Amendment to Reform Bill     Top Story 
Dec 11, 2009 -- AHA News reports that to help avert a physician shortage in the U.S., Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) has filed an amendment to the Senate’s health reform bill that would expand the number of Medicare-supported residency slots.

Ritter Unveils Job Training Measures
Dec 11, 2009 -- Denver Business Journal, (CO) article reports that Gov. Bill Ritter rolled out his first economic-development proposals designed to increase worker re-training and incentivize more people to become nurses and rural health-care workers, in advance of the 2010 legislative session Thursday.

Seasonal Flu Vaccination Rates Still Too Low     Top Story 
Dec 11, 2009 -- MedicineNet.com article reports that although the H1N1 pandemic flu has raised public awareness of the flu in general, there has been only a slight increase in the number of people choosing to get a seasonal flu shot, a new report shows.

Secretary Shinseki Releases Hospital Report Card
Dec 11, 2009 -- For the second consecutive year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released a “hospital report card” as part of VA’s effort to provide the public with a transparent accounting of the quality and safety of its care.

Udall Pitches Boost for Rural Health Care     Top Story 
Dec 11, 2009 -- Greeley Tribune, (CO) article reports that Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., said Thursday he hopes to include two measures aimed at improving rural health care in the broader health care reform bill the Senate is debating.

Congressional Conferees Reach Agreement on Omnibus Spending Package     Top Story 
Dec 10, 2009 -- AHA News reports that the House and Senate negotiators late last night reached agreement on a fiscal year 2010 omnibus spending package, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, H.R. 3288, which combines six unfinished appropriations bills and includes funding for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

HHS Highlights Innovative New Open Government Initiatives     Top Story 
Dec 10, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today three innovative HHS ideas that have been developed as a result of a more open and accessible federal decision making process in collaboration between the public, private sector and the federal government.

How Patients Can Make the Most of a Visit to the Doctor     Top Story 
Dec 10, 2009 -- A visit to the doctor is a time to talk and learn, and patients play a critical role in their health care, just like doctors, nurses and other caregivers, according to The Joint Commission’s “Tips for Your Doctor’s Visit” Speak Up™ educational campaign.

Medicare Program; Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2010; Final Rule; Corrections     Federal Register 
Dec 10, 2009 -- This document from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services corrects several technical and typographical errors in the final rule with comment period that appeared in the November 25, 2009, Federal Register entitled "Medicare Program; Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2010".

President Obama Announces Recovery Act Awards to Build, Renovate Community Health Centers in More Than 30 States     Top Story 
Dec 10, 2009 -- Today President Obama announced nearly $600 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) awards to support major construction and renovation projects at 85 community health centers nationwide and help networks of health centers adopt Electronic Health Records (EHR) and other Health Information Technology (HIT) systems.

State Regulations for Child-Care Centers Fall Short in Preventing Childhood Obesity
Dec 10, 2009 -- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports on a study that finds most states could easily improve regulations aimed at promoting healthy eating and physical activity in young children.

Wash. Gov: Tax Hikes Needed to Save Programs
Dec 10, 2009 -- Associated Press article via Seattle Times reports that making her case for tax increases, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday presented a bleak plan to balance the state budget by wiping out spending for health care, welfare, and education programs that reach every corner of Washington.

Who'll Define 'Universal Service'?     Top Story 
Dec 10, 2009 -- Daily Yonder article reports that a term from the early days of the telephone may bring communications monopolies or widespread rural broadband service -- or both. Two scholars look at how competing interests have wrangled over "universal service."