RHIhub This Week - April 10, 2024

New in the Rural Monitor More from the Rural Monitor Facing Disproportionate Danger, Rural Communities Take a Grassroots Approach to Road Safety by Gretel Kauffman While an estimated 20% of Americans live in rural areas, 40% of traffic deaths occur on rural roads.

RHIhub Webinars Obstetric Readiness in Rural Facilities Without Birth Units Join us Tuesday, April 23rd at 2:00 p.m. Central for the next RHIhub webinar to hear speakers discuss how rural facilities without birthing units can prepare to meet their patients' needs. Register today! In case you missed it, a recording of our recent webinar Hospital Price Transparency: What Hospitals Need to Know is now available to view!

Recent News See More Recent News Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise Apr 10, 2024 -- Discusses population trends for Amish communities based on the need for land and healthcare. Notes that some rare genetic diseases are present in Amish populations and discusses healthcare access challenges related to insurance status and transportation. Highlights an Ohio clinic primarily treating Amish patients. Source: The Daily Yonder Sunsets, Wildlife and Limited Care: Challenges of Aging in Place in Rural America Apr 9, 2024 -- Describes the needs of older adults in rural communities, discussing access to support services, healthcare, and social engagement. Source: The Daily Yonder City-Country Mortality Gap Widens amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access Apr 8, 2024 -- Discusses the mortality rate disparity between rural and urban residents following recent research showing the gap has widened to 43% in 2019 from 6% in 1999 for adults between 25 and 54. Offers analysis by experts on causes of this disparity including social vulnerability factors, community vitality, and insurance rates. Discusses the potential impact of COVID-19 on current mortality rates. Source: CBS News, KFF Health News Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Support the Primary Care Workforce Apr 4, 2024 -- Announces an increase in loan repayment amounts available through the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program. Notes the program aims to reduce primary care provider shortages in rural and other areas. Also highlights previous work to support the primary care workforce. Source: Health Resources & Services Administration Over 3,000 Homes on the Navajo Nation Receive Accurate Addresses for the First Time Apr 4, 2024 -- Highlights a project to give remote homes on a Navajo Nation reservation in Utah accurate addresses. Discusses the benefits of accurate addressing for emergency response teams and for receiving in-home medical care in addition to other benefits. Source: The Daily Yonder With Higher Cancer Death Rates in Rural Areas, U.Va. Seeks to Improve Prevention, Access to Clinical Trials Apr 3, 2024 -- Highlights a Virginia initiative to increase access to clinical trials, cancer screenings, and specialty cancer care for rural residents. Discusses current access challenges such as distance, transportation, and socioeconomic barriers. Source: WTOP News Federal Register FEMA: National Advisory Council Apr 8, 2024 -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is accepting applications for the FEMA National Advisory Council (NAC), which advises the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management, incorporating input from and ensuring coordination with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and the non-governmental and private sectors. Applications are due by May 12, 2024. Source: Federal Register

Funding & Opportunities See More Funding Native Farm to School Training and Technical Assistance Training and technical assistance to assist native communities that are looking to create or expand farm to school programs, enhance education curriculum, and/or engage new supply chain partners in youth-centered food sovereignty projects. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Apr 30, 2024 Sponsor: First Nations Development Institute Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Program Funding to support states and tribes with implementing suicide prevention and early intervention strategies for youth up to age 24 in schools, institutions of higher education, juvenile justice systems, substance use and mental health programs, foster care systems, and other child and youth-serving organizations. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories Application Deadline: Jun 3, 2024 Sponsors: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services State-Tribal Partnerships to Implement Best Practices in Indian Child Welfare Grants for jointly developed projects by state and tribal governments and, where applicable, nongovernmental partners, to develop and operate a plan to effectively implement best practices in Indian child welfare services. The program's overall goals are to preserve families of federally recognized American Indian and Alaska native tribes; protect children; and ensure that children remain connected to their families, communities, and culture. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Letter of Intent (Optional): May 7, 2024 Application Deadline: Jun 7, 2024 Sponsors: Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Broadband Planning Assistance Technical assistance for communities with actionable broadband projects. Assistance will include targeted data and recommendations to produce investment-ready broadband plans. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Applications accepted on an ongoing basis Sponsor: Rural LISC

New Resources See More Resources 2023 National CAH Quality Inventory & Assessment National Report Presents a high-level summary of key data points from the October-December 2023 National Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Quality Inventory and Assessment. Includes data on CAH system affiliation; median average daily census and emergency department volume; hospital inpatient, behavioral health and specialty care, and outpatient and other service lines; and CAH quality payment model participation. Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team Date: 04/2024 Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Rural Hospitals Explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural hospital financial performance. Presents data on profitability and patient care margin trends from 2017 to 2022. Describes characteristics of rural hospitals in three categories of patient care margins: those that always had negative margins, always had positive margins, and those with mixed margins. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 relief funding on total hospital margins. Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Department of Health Administration at the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions Date: 04/2024 Evaluation of the Maryland Total Cost of Care Model: Progress Report Provides an overview of the Maryland Total Cost of Care Model and evaluates the first four years of the program, 2019-2022. Explores the effects of the model on Medicare spending; service use, including preventable hospital use; and healthcare quality measures. Estimates the potential impact of switching Maryland to the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) on Medicare spending and service use, including implications for rural and safety net hospitals. Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance, Transformation Spotlight Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica Date: 04/2024 Experiences with and Outcomes of Oral Health Care - Perspectives from Nationally Representative Data Report discusses the outcomes and experiences with oral healthcare from patients across the United States surveyed in January - February 2023. Details patients experience with access to care, attitudes about co-location of oral healthcare and other types of care, value-based care, telehealth usage, and discrimination in healthcare, among other topics. Breaks down demographic data of survey participants by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and urbanicity, among other measures. Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health Date: 03/2024 Healthy Places NC: 10 Years That Changed the Way We Work Reports on 10 years of activities by Healthy Places NC, an initiative focused on health improvement in North Carolina's rural and underserved communities. Discusses planning and implementation, challenges, lessons, case studies, network development and collaboration, and more. Describes the importance of addressing racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities and achieving health equity. Additional links: Executive Summary, Video: 10 Years of Healthy Places NC Sponsoring organization: Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust Date: 2024 Indian Health Service: Opportunities Exist to Improve Clinician Screening Adherence and Oversight Examines the Indian Health Service's (IHS) oversight of the credentialing and privileging process that reviews and verifies the professional qualifications of IHS physicians. Describes administrative tasks performed by IHS clinicians at federally operated facilities and the amount of time spent on these tasks. Offers recommendations to IHS, including the development of a single, authoritative source outlining procedures to meet credentialing and privileging requirements. Additional links: Full Report Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office Date: 04/2024 A Lack of Behavioral Health Providers in Medicare and Medicaid Impedes Enrollees' Access to Care Examines the availability of behavioral health providers who actively serve Medicare or Medicaid enrollees in 20 counties, 10 urban and 10 rural, across 10 states in 2021. Explores the extent to which traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid enrollees received behavioral health services and whether they used telehealth or in-person services. Offers recommendations to encourage more behavioral health providers to serve these enrollees and expand coverage to additional behavioral health provider types. Includes rural and urban comparisons throughout. Additional links: Report Highlights Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS) Date: 03/2024 Locations and Characteristics of Pharmacy Deserts in the United States: A Geospatial Study Classifies census tracts as pharmacy deserts or non-pharmacy deserts. Compares pharmacy desert and non-pharmacy desert areas by various social determinants of health and pharmacy characteristics including rurality. See the supplemental materials for state-by-state and rural/urban comparisons. Author(s): Rachel Wittenauer, Parth D. Shah, Jennifer L. Bacci, Andy Stergachis Location: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(4) Date: 04/2024 Medicare Payment for Rural or Geographically Isolated Hospitals Displays data on Medicare payment adjustments for Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare-Dependent Hospitals, Low-Volume Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals. Includes information on the number of qualifying hospitals by state and eligibility criteria. Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service Date: 04/2024 Non-Congregate Summer Meals Provides an overview of the interim final rule allowing non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. Includes information on rural definitions, meal types and distribution, associated research on non-congregate meal offerings, implementation and outreach strategies, and additional resources and webinars. Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry Pre-COVID-19 Hospital Quality and Hospital Response to Covid-19: Examining Associations Between Risk-adjusted Mortality for Patients Hospitalised with COVID-19 and Pre-COVID-19 Hospital Quality Examines whether pre-pandemic hospital quality was associated with in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates among Medicare patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from April 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021. Explores the relationship between COVID-19 outcomes and hospital COVID-19 burden. Compares pre-pandemic hospital quality and COVID-19 outcomes by hospital characteristics, including urban/rural location and Critical Access Hospital status. Author(s): Doris Peter, Shu-Xia Li, Yongfei Wang, et al. Location: BMJ Open, 14(3), e077394 Date: 03/2024 Protecting, Connecting and Thriving: Rural Public Health and Healthcare Webinar recording of a panel discussing rural public health topics including rural health disparities, mortality, COVID-19, Medicaid coverage, primary care, graduate medical education, and services for veterans. Transcript is available in the video description. Sponsoring organizations: The RURAL Study, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Date: 04/2024 The Relationship Between Felt Stigma and Non-Fatal Overdose among Rural People Who Use Drugs Analyzes associations between felt stigma and recent non-fatal overdose among 2,608 rural people who use opioids from January 2018 to March 2020. Discusses factors influencing stigma in rural areas and describes interventions which reduce stigma-related barriers to treatment and overdose prevention. Author(s): Adams L. Sibley, Emma Klein, Hannah L.F. Cooper, et al. Location: Harm Reduction Journal, 21, 77 Date: 04/2024 San Luis Valley Hospital Delivers When Families Need Obstetric Care Podcast episode describing challenges with offering obstetric care in rural Colorado. Discusses services offered, cross-training, behavioral health and substance use, and social determinants of health. Offers strategies for other hospitals offering maternal healthcare. Transcript is below the audio player. Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association Date: 04/2024 Sherman Lecture: Are We Aiming at the Correct Targets to Reduce Disparities in Stroke Mortality? Celebration, Reflection, and Redirection Discusses disparities in stroke deaths and opportunities for cardiovascular health improvement. Provides data on racial and ethnic, regional, and rural stroke disparities, and identifies approaches to stroke risk reduction in Black and rural populations. Author(s): George Howard Location: Journal of the American Heart Association, 13(7), e031309 Date: 03/2024 A Strategy To Support Perinatal Mental Health By Collaborating With Tribal Communities In Montana Describes a community-based participatory approach with Montana tribal communities to create an online guide of mental health resources for prenatal to age three populations. Discusses the outcomes of collaboration, the Two-Eyed Seeing approach for health promotion, and opportunities for including cultural knowledge and values in future health promotion work. Author(s): Amy Stiffarm, Stephanie Morton, Dawn Gunderson, et al. Location: Health Affairs, 43(4) Date: 04/2024 Swimming Upstream on the Path to Thriving Explores challenges and opportunities for equitable economic development in rural, disadvantaged communities. Discusses the impact of persistent poverty, local entrepreneurship supports, community development strategies and policies, and investment models. Highlights the relationship between community health and prosperity, including discussion of the value of local hospitals and medical centers. Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation Date: 03/2024 Telehealth and Delivery of Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment in the Veterans Health Administration Evaluated 138,619 Veterans Health Administration patients receiving alcohol use disorder treatment between March 2020 and February 2021 to determine characteristics associated with telehealth use during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights rurality as one characteristics impacting telehealth modality and access in addition to other characteristics. Author(s): Ponni V. Perumalswami, Megan A. Adams, Madeline C. Frost, et al. Location: Alcohol Clinical & Experimental Research, 2024 Date: 2024 Text And Telephone Screening And Referral Improved Detection And Treatment Of Maternal Mental Health Conditions Evaluates a text and telephone screening program against in-person screening practices to determine effectiveness in improving screening rates, identification of a disorder, and treatment rates for perinatal mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and intimate partner violence. Includes analysis of rurality. Author(s): Constance Guille, Courtney King, Kathryn King, et al. Location: Health Affairs, 43(4) Date: 04/2024 Utilizing Public Transportation to End Food Insecurity in Rural and Small Urban Areas by Providing Better Access: A Case Study of Rural Counties in North Dakota Analyzes the impact of public transportation in addressing food insecurity in rural and urban areas of North Dakota. Provides county and ZIP-code level sociodemographic data on population changes, food insecurity, poverty, and more. Includes discussion about causes of food insecurity in rural areas. Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute Date: 03/2024 Vital Signs: Mammography Use and Association with Social Determinants of Health and Health-Related Social Needs Among Women — United States, 2022 Reports on the prevalence of mammography use within the previous 2 years among women age 40-49 and 50-74. Includes data for metropolitan and nonmetro areas. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Location: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 73, Early Release Date: 04/2024 What Does It Mean to Be a Rural Emergency Hospital? Hear This Kansas CEO's Journey to An REH Recording of a February 8, 2024, webinar discussing the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) program. Provides an overview of the REH designation, policy and regulatory requirements, REH Technical Assistance Center (TAC) services, and REH conversion timeline. Features a discussion with Jeff Bowman, Chief Executive Officer of South Central Kansas Medical Center, regarding the facility's conversion to REH status. Additional links: Presentation Slides Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center Date: 02/2024

Open Calls for Contributions See More Open Calls Call for Programs: ARC 2024 Annual Conference Deadline: Apr 30, 2024 Appalachian Regional Commission Event Dates: Sep 4 - 5, 2024 Chattanooga, TN Conference Website Call for Speakers: 2024 Transforming Community and Rural Healthcare Symposium Deadline: Jul 1, 2024 Mayo Clinic Health System Event Dates: Oct 21 - 22, 2024 Rochester, MN Conference Website Call for Abstracts: 2024 3rd Annual Texas Rural Health Conference Deadline: Jul 31, 2024 University of Texas at Arlington Center for Rural Health and Nursing Event Dates: Oct 23 - 24, 2024 Arlington, TX Conference Website

Upcoming Events See More Events Apr-Dec 10-4 Rural HPV Vaccination Learning Community Virtual Apr 10 - Dec 4, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern American Cancer Society (ACS), HPV Vaccination Roundtable (HPVRT) Apr 16 Gathering Grounds: Restoring Indigenous Ways of Caring for Pregnancy Virtual Apr 16, 12:00 p.m. Central Seven Directions - A Center for Indigenous Public Health Apr 23 Rural Maternal Health Series: Obstetric Readiness in Rural Facilities Without Birth Units Virtual Apr 23, 2:00 p.m. Central Rural Health Information Hub Apr 23-24 2024 Annual Tribal Public Health Conference In-Person Apr 23 - 24 7th Generation, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board Catoosa, OK Apr 24 Staying Up to Date on Routine Immunizations Virtual Apr 24, 4:00 p.m. Eastern National Indian Health Board May 2 When Pregnancy, Substance Use Disorder, and Mental Health Conditions Collide Virtual May 2, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Central Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) May 13-14 2024 Indiana University Rural Conference In-Person May 13 - 14 Indiana Center for Rural Engagement French Lick, IN May 14 2024 Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) Economic Summit In-Person May 14 Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network Champaign, IL May 16-17 2024 11th Annual Mississippi Rural Health Association Rural Health Clinic Conference Virtual May 16 - 17 Mississippi Rural Health Association May 30 2024 NALBOH Spring Symposium Virtual May 30 National Association of Local Boards of Health Jun 1-7 2024 NCAI Mid Year Convention In-Person Jun 1 - 7 National Congress of American Indians Cherokee, NC Jun 4-5 2024 50th Annual Arizona Rural Health Conference In-Person Jun 4 - 5 Arizona Center for Rural Health Flagstaff, AZ Jun 4-6 2024 Annual Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health In-Person Jun 4 - 6 University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health Grand Forks, ND Jun 4-6 2024 GIH Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy In-Person Jun 4 - 6 Grantmakers in Health Portland, OR Jun 4-6 2024 Region D SORH Regional Partnership Meeting In-Person Jun 4 - 6 National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health Sacramento, CA Jun 5 AgriStress Response Network - Mental Health Innovations Exchange Virtual Jun 5, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Central AgriSafe Network Jun 6-7 2024 19th Annual Texas Conference on Health Disparities In-Person Jun 6 - 7 University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth, TX