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May 30, 2024
What's New
HRSA Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program – June 27. HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce provides up to $250,000 in loan repayment for behavioral health clinicians, support workers, and clinical support staff trained in substance use disorders. According to data from the Rural Health Research Gateway, “as of March 31, 2023, there were 4,040 Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas in rural areas, with 2,141 practitioners needed to remove the designations.”
CDC: Detection of Avian Influenza in Farm Workers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that two farm workers exposed to dairy cattle or raw cow’s milk have been infected with avian influenza A(H5N1). This edition of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describes ongoing surveillance, medical countermeasures, and challenges reaching workers. The nonprofit UnidosUS will hold a webinar TODAY at 2:00 pm Eastern to discuss preventive strategies and resources.
Using Mobile Health to Reduce Disparities in Black Maternal Health: Perspectives from Black Rural Postpartum Mothers. In a study funded by the Morehouse School of Medicine, researchers interviewed Black mothers, their support persons, and health care providers in rural Georgia to learn about their post-birth experiences. Major discussion themes included: accessibility to health care and resources due to rurality, issues around race and perceived racism, mental health and emotional well-being in the postpartum period.
A Look at the Latest Alcohol Death Data and Change Over the Last Decade. The health policy nonprofit, KFF, used data from CDC WONDER to examine trends in death caused by alcohol from 2012-2022. The report finds that deaths were highest among people aged 45 to 64, males, people living in rural areas, and American Indian/Alaska native people. Rural areas experienced faster growth in alcohol deaths, driven by sharp rises during the pandemic.
CMS-Driven Partnership for Quality Management (PQM) Seeks Rural Health Experts for Multiple Committees – Nominate by June 7. The PQM seeks expertise for 1) Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR), and 2) Endorsement & Maintenance (E&M) as part of a consensus-based process to regulatory affairs for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Each of the committees requires different expertise – for example, clinicians and hospitals for PRMR; advanced illness and primary prevention for E&M. Rural health experts are sought for all PQM committees (on the nomination form, one can check a box as a “rural health expert” under “Primary Interested Party” or “Secondary Interested Party”). Learn more about the Partnership for Quality Measurement and submit nominations by June 7.
Take the HRSA Grantee Satisfaction Survey. Each program director of active HRSA grants has received an invitation to take our new and improved Grantee Satisfaction Survey. With the highest possible response rate through June 10, we can pinpoint crucial areas for action. For general questions about the survey, contact HRSAGranteeSurvey@hrsa.gov
Ongoing: Requirements for Buprenorphine Prescribing. As announced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in January 2023, clinicians no longer need a federal waiver to prescribe buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder. Clinicians are still required to register with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to prescribe controlled medications. On June 27, 2023, the DEA began to require that registration applicants – both new and renewing – affirm they have completed a new, one-time, eight-hour training. Exceptions for the new training requirement are practitioners who are board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry, and those who graduated from a medical, dental, physician assistant, or advanced practice nursing school in the U.S. within five years of June 27, 2023. Watch this 11-minute video that explains the changes. Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) still have the opportunity to apply for a $3,000 payment on behalf of each provider who trained between January 1, 2019 and December 29, 2022 (when Congress eliminated the waiver requirement). Approximately $889,000 in program funding remains available for RHCs and will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. Send questions to DATA2000WaiverPayments@hrsa.gov.
COVID-19 Resources
Learn About Long COVID & Fatiguing Illness – Thursday, June 13 at 3:00 pm Eastern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds this monthly webinar-style ECHO learning session to rapidly disseminate findings about Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). The series offers presentations by subject matter experts, examples of emerging best practices and models of care, and a facilitated Q&A. This program is intended primarily for providers who care for patients with PCC and ME/CFS but is open to all healthcare professionals and all Long COVID and ME/CFS patient-lived experience experts interested in learning more about the treatment of Long COVID and ME/CFS.
Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth. ProviderBridge.org was created through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act by the Federation of State Medical Boards and HRSA’s Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing by state as well as a provider portal to connect volunteer health care professionals to state agencies and health care entities.
Online Resource for Licensure of Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Psychologists, and Social Workers. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing in each state.
Funding and Opportunities
Rocky Mountain Power Foundation Grants – June 15. Grants for organizations in the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation service area - Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, central/southeastern Washington, and northern California – with a focus on community enhancement, safety/wellness, environment, arts/culture, and education.
IHS Addressing Dementia in Indian Country: Enhancing Sustainable Models of Care – July 16. The Indian Health Service (IHS) provides funding to support the expansion of culturally relevant dementia care and services for American Indian and Alaska Native people living with dementia, their caregivers, and their communities.
Call for Rural Health Papers - CDC's Preventing Chronic Disease Journal – July 19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seek submission of papers on social determinants of health, environmental influences, policy interventions, and community-based initiatives contributing to chronic disease prevention in rural areas.
DHS 2024 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grants – July 25. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides funding to close known capability gaps, encourage innovative regional solutions to issues related to catastrophic incidents, and build on existing regional preparedness efforts.
SAMHSA/FEMA Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program – Ongoing. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide grants and technical assistance to help individuals and communities recover from natural and human-caused disasters through community outreach and access to mental health services.
Policy Updates
Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov.
CMS Releases New Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) Complaint Module. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that individuals now have the option to file an Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) complaint directly with CMS if they believe their EMTALA rights have been violated by a hospital emergency department. CMS’ new process is in addition to the traditional process of contacting state survey agencies. EMTALA is a federal law that helps prevent any hospital emergency department that receives Medicare funds from refusing to treat patients. The new form is the latest in a series of new resources from CMS to help educate the public about EMTALA.
CMS Seeks Public Comment On Shared Claims Matching Program with Department of Veterans Affairs – Comment by June 24. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeks comments on the reestablishment of a matching program between CMS and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) titled "Identification and Recovery of Duplicate Payments for Medical Claims." According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Rural Health (ORH), there are 4.4 million veterans living in rural America, with 2.7 million enrolled in the VA health care system. The matching program will assist CMS and VHA in identifying claims where VHA and CMS made duplicate payments for the same healthcare services. The program will be effective 30 days after the publication of the final rule and will begin with an initial term of 18 months (from approximately June 24, 2024 to December 23, 2025).
DoD announces Removal of Certain Temporary Regulation Changes Made in Response to COVID-19 for TRICARE – Comment by July 23. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) issued a direct final rule removing temporary TRICARE regulations established in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. TRICARE is the health insurance program for active-duty service members and their families. Examples of expiring flexibilities include the removal of the temporary waiver requirement for a three-day prior hospital stay before admission to a skilled nursing facility, the removal of the temporary reimbursement of all long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) at the LTCH prospective payment system standard Federal rate and the removal of the temporary waiver of cost-shares and copayments associated with telehealth services. A disproportionate share of veterans live in rural America. According to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Rural Health (ORH), of the nearly 20 million veterans in the United States, 4.4 million live in rural America. 2.7 million, or 61%, of these rural veterans are enrolled in the Veteran Affairs (VA) healthcare system, with 54% of rural enrolled veterans 65 years and older, and 60% affected by a service-related condition.
New Data on Medicaid and CHIP and Maternal Health. This infographic from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provides a snapshot of demographics, health outcomes, risk factors, access and utilization, and disparities among Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries seeking pregnancy-related care and those with a recent live birth. It shows the states with the highest percentage of Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries ages 15-49 living in rural areas as well as the number of general obstetrics and gynecology physicians and advanced practice midwives per 100,000 women ages 15–49. This data analysis informed the Medicaid and CHIP Maternal and Infant Health Initiative Summer 2024 Webinar Series, occurring every Tuesday at 2:00 pm Eastern, and the CMS Affinity Groups scheduled for this fall on maternal mental health and substance use and maternal hypertension and cardiovascular health.
Assistance for Rural Emergency Hospital Conversion – Thursday, June 6 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The FORHP-funded Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center (the Rural Health Redesign Center) will be sharing information about a new federal designation, the Rural Emergency Hospital, a provider type designed to address concerns that some rural hospitals would not be able to sustain operations and could be at risk of exposure. Experts will explain eligibility, considerations for converting, and conditions of participation. This session will include a Fireside Chat where attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from two CEOs that worked with the Technical Assistance Center and decided to convert and one CEO who went through the process and decided against converting.
Learning Events and Technical Assistance
Health Workforce Resource Showcase: The Rural Telementoring Training Center – Thursday, May 30 at 2:00 pm Eastern. HRSA’s Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs hosts this event highlighting the work of the FORHP-funded Rural Telementoring Training Center, which provides free training, tools, and technical assistance to support the implementation and evaluation of telementoring programs for rural and remote health care workers.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Webinar Series on Maternal Health Disparities – Friday, May 31 at 12:00 pm Eastern. In this series running through the end of June, the nongovernmental institution established by Congress more than 160 years ago is sharing current findings on disparities in maternal health. In 2018, the Government Accountability Office found that more than half of all rural counties did not have obstetric services; more recent research shows the problem continues to worsen.
Question and Answer Session for NHSC New Site Program – Wednesday, June 5 at 1:00 pm Eastern. HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) answers questions for health care providers in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas wishing to become new sites for the National Health Service Corps. Use BHW’s Health Workforce Data Dashboard to find out if your facility is located in one of the more than 13,000 rural HPSAs and apply by June 25. See Resources of the Week below for more on this topic.
National EMS Quality Alliance Training on Prehospital Airway Management – Thursday, June 6 at 11:00 am Eastern . The national nonprofit will form a learning collaborative for emergency medical services (EMS) personnel that will begin in September. Participants will attend up four virtual learning sessions and receive one-on-one coaching from experts, among other benefits. Get more details at this information session.
Tools and Resources for Developing Rural Residencies – Tuesday, June 11 at 12:00 pm Eastern. This webinar is open to anyone with an interest in learning more about developing programs for Rural Graduate Medical Education (RuralGME) and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME). It is hosted by RuralGME.org, a FORHP-funded technical assistance center created to assist grantees of FORHP’s Rural Residency Planning and Development Program.
Resources of the Week
Benefits of Becoming a National Health Service Corps Approved Site. In this five-minute video, a clinician working at a Rural Health Clinic talks about her experience at an NHSC-approved site in Wisconsin.
FORHP’s Rural Health Network Development Planning Program: 2023 Grantee Directory. This resource provides detailed descriptions of 36 projects funded in fiscal year 2023, listing grantees by organization type and focus area, and describing their network structures, geographic areas served, network partners, and contacts for each network.
Senate Hearing: Examining Public Safety and Justice Resources in Native Communities. Captions are included in a video recording of 2.5 hour meeting of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs that took place on May 22. The link includes transcript of testimony from Bryan Newland from the Department of the Interior, Patrice Kunesh from the Department of Health and Human Services, and Allison Randall from the Department of Justice. Each witness discussed and answered questions from the committee on drug-related crime, human trafficking, and violence and abuse.
Grantmakers in Health: a New Philanthropic Approach to Supporting Rural Health. A paper from the national nonprofit, Grantmakers in Health, discusses the Imperial Vally Wellness Foundation’s efforts to support community development and health equity through its implementation of the Rural Development Hub model.
Approaching Deadlines
Appalachian Community Fund General Fund – May 31
Association of Clinical Research Organizations Diversity and Inclusion Site Resource Grants – May 31
Dept of Ed Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grants –May 31
Administration for Children and Families – Next Generation Child Support Employment Services Demonstration – June 3
CMS Minority Research Grant Program – June 3
FTA Seeking Comments on Updates to Rural Areas Formula Grant Programs – Comment by June 3
Interact for Health Rural Changemaker Program – June 3
CISA Seeking Comments on New Covered Cyber Incidents for Covered Entities such as Critical Access Hospitals – Comment by June 4
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Funding: Addressing Substance Use – Letters of Intent Required by June 4
First Nations Development Institute - Native Youth and Culture Fund – June 5
HRSA Cervical Cancer Learning Series for Safety-Net Settings in US-Affiliated Pacific Islands – June 7
National Aging and Disability Transportation Center: Rural Transportation Planning Grants – June 7
Proposed Updates to Medicare Hospital Payment for Fiscal Year 2025 – Comment by June 10
NIH Innovations for Healthy Living – Improving Minority Health/Eliminating Health Disparities – June 10
SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program – June 10
ACL Alzheimer’s Disease Programs Initiative – Grants to States and Communities – June 11
CMS Updates to the Low-Income Beneficiaries through Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition Program – Comment by June 11
IHS Tribal Self-Governance Program Planning Cooperative Agreement – June 12
IHS Tribal Self-Governance Program Negotiation Cooperative Agreement – June 12
Alaska Community Foundation Suicide Prevention Grant – June 14
DOJ Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program – June 14
Rocky Mountain Power Foundation Grants – June 15
CMS Medicare Shared Savings Program, Phase 1 – June 17
ACL Elder Justice Innovation Grants – June 18
Department of Labor Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) for Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border Regions – June 20
CMS Seeks Public Comment On Shared Claims Matching Program with Department of Veterans Affairs – Comment by June 24
HRSA Delta Health Systems Implementation Program – June 24
Become a New Site for the National Health Service Corp – June 25
HRSA Rural Northern Boarder Region Outreach Program – June 25
HRSA Faculty Loan Repayment Program – June 27
HRSA Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program – June 27
CDC: A Cultural Approach to Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country – June 28
NIH Researching Barriers to Care and Risk of HIV-Associated Comorbidities Among Vulnerable Population Groups – June 28
Native Americans in Philanthropy/Common Counsel Foundation – Native Voices Rising Grants – June 28
DOJ Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program – July 1
USDA Improving WIC Workforce – Implementation Projects – July 1
USDA WIC State Agency General Infrastructure Grants – July 5
HRSA Center for Maternal and Child Health Medicaid Partnerships – July 10
HRSA Maternal and Child Health Policy Innovation Program – July 10
CMS Increasing Organ Transplant Model – Comment by July 16
IHS Addressing Dementia in Indian Country: Enhancing Sustainable Models of Care – July 16
ACF Community Economic Development Project – July 17
Telehealth Resource Centers: Telehealth Implementation Bootcamp – July 18
Call for Rural Health Papers - CDC's Preventing Chronic Disease Journal – July 19
DoD announces Removal of Certain Temporary Regulation Changes Made in Response to COVID-19 for TRICARE – Comment by July 23
DHS 2024 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grants – July 25
NIH Advancing HIV Service Delivery Through Pharmacies and Pharmacists – August 13
HRSA Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project – August 15
NIH Health Care Models for Persons with Multiple Chronic Conditions from Populations that Experience Health Disparities: Advancing Health Care towards Health Equity – September 7
NIH Notice of Special Interest: Telehealth Strategies for Individuals with HIV and Substance Use Disorders – September 7
EPA Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants – November 21
Ongoing Opportunities
HRSA Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications
Medicaid and CHIP Renewal and Transition Resources for Partners
Extended Public Comment Period for FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program
National Indian Health Board Vaccination Event Funding – Ongoing while funds last
SAMHSA 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Volunteer and Job Opportunities
USDA Disaster Repair Grants for Rural Communities
USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants
ACF Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
ACF Rural Community Development Program for Rural Water Systems
Addiction Policy Forum: Sites for Anti-Stigma Pilot
AgriSafe Mental Health Training for Agricultural Producers & Families
American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) Foundation - Accreditation Grants
American Heart Association Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator
American Indian Public Health Resource Center Technical Assistance
AmeriCorps American Connection Corps for Broadband in Rural Areas
Appalachian Community Fund Technical Assistance Grants
Appalachian Regional Commission J-1 Visa Waivers for Doctors
Association of American Indian Physicians Tribal Grant Writing Training
ASA Rural Access to Anesthesia Care Scholarship
CDC Direct Assistance to State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Health Agencies
CDC Training Pediatric Medical Providers to Recognize ACEs
CORH Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program
Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program
Delta Regional Authority Community Infrastructure Fund
Delta Doctors J-1 Visa Waiver Program
Department of Commerce: Economic Development Assistance Programs
DRA Technical Assistance for Delta Region Community Health Systems Development
EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
EPA Water Infrastructure and Innovation Act Program
FEMA/SAMHSA Post-Disaster Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program
GSA Federal Surplus Property Available for Public Use
GPHC & RWJF: Rapid Cycle Research and Evaluation Grants for Cross-Sector Alignment
HRSA/SAMHSA Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Training and Mentoring
HRSA Seeking Nominations for Migrant Health Advisory
HRSA Technical Assistance for Look-Alike Initial Designation for the Health Center Program
Housing Assistance Council: Housing Loans for Low-Income Rural Communities
HUD Distressed Cities and Persistent Poverty Technical Assistance Program
HUD Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program
IHS Tribal Forensic Healthcare Training
IHS/DOD Medical Supplies and Equipment for Tribes (Project TRANSAM)
NARHC Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional Course
National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence Technical Assistance
National Indian Health Board Tribal Environmental Justice Technical Assistance Center
National Indian Health Board Tribal Environmental Impact Network Call for Technical Assistance Providers
National Indian Health Board Vaccination Event Funding
National Indigenous Women's Resource Center Technical Assistance for Domestic Violence Programs
Native Americans into Medicine
Host Sites for National Environmental Public Health Internship
NIH Research to Improve Native American Health – October 2024
NIH Researching Mental Health Practices in Low-Resource Settings – September 2024
NIH Researching Social, Behavioral, and Economic Impact of COVID-19 in Underserved/Vulnerable Populations – September 2024
NIH Researching the Role of Work in Health Disparities – Various dates until September 2024
NIH Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination – Various dates until October 2025
NIH Researching Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention – February 2026
NIH Research to Address Vaccine Hesitancy in Health Disparity Populations – June 2026
NIH Planning Grants for Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) – various dates until July 2026
NIH Research to Understand Disparities in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality – Various dates until October 2026
NIH Data Informed, Place-Based Community-Engaged Research to Advance Health Equity – January 2027
NIH/UVA Seeking Rural Individuals to Participate in Weight Loss Study (iREACH) – until 2027
NIH Project Talk Initiative Host Site Applications
NOSORH Rural Primary Care Institute
Nominations for Federal Advisory Commission on HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
NRHA Chief Nursing Officer Certification Program for Rural Hospitals
Opportunity Finance Network/Partners for the Common Good – Economic Justice Partnership Fund
Oweesta Native CDFI Loan Funds and Technical Assistance
Primary Care Development Corporation Community Investment Loans
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Community Facility Loans for Western States and Pacific Islands
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Environmental Infrastructure Loans for Western States
Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development
Rural Grocery Transition Specialist Program
RTT Collaborative: Rural Training Track Directors University
RWJF Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health
RWJF Pioneering Ideas Brief Proposals
SAMHSA Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program for Communities Post-Disaster
SAMHSA Training to Provide Medication Assisted Treatment
SBA Guaranteed Loans for Small Business
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Loans
Treasury Department Opportunity Zone Economic Development Program
United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc Tribal Health Program Support
USDA Circuit Rider Program – Technical Assistance for Rural Water Systems
USDA Community Facilities Program
USDA Community Food Projects Technical Assistance
USDA Drinking Water and Waste Disposal for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages
USDA Economic Impact Initiative Grants
USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants
USDA Healthy Food Financing Initiative Technical Assistance
USDA Intermediary Relending Program
USDA Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees
USDA National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program
USDA/NRHA Rural Hospital Technical Assistance
USDA Rural Business Development Grants
USDA Rural Business Investment Program
USDA Rural Energy Savings Program
USDA SEARCH – Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (for Water/Waste Projects)
USDA Summer Food Program
USDA Technical Assistance for Healthy Food Financing Initiative
USDA Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees
USDA Funding for Rural Water and Waste Disposal Projects
USDA Water and Waste Disposal Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands and Colonias
USDOT Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S)
Veterans Affairs Health Professional Scholarship Program
Veterans Affairs Virtual Living Room - Using Technology to Address the Critical Healthcare Needs of Veterans in Rural Areas
Western Region Public Health Training Center – Future Leaders Program
WWAMI Area Health Education Center Scholars Program
3RNET Recruitment and Retention Assistance
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