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June 20, 2024
What's New
HRSA Will Select One Technical Assistance Provider for Rural Hospital Stabilization Pilot Program – Apply by July 26. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy expects to make one award, up to $4,000,000, to an entity that will provide in-depth technical assistance to rural hospitals. The assistance is meant to keep health care services available at the local level and help participating hospitals enhance or expand their service lines. The technical assistance provider that receives this funding will work through a cooperative agreement with FORHP to select participating hospitals. Applications for this single award will be accepted through July 26. Interested applicants may attend a live, 90-minute webinar on Friday, June 28 at 2:00 pm Eastern. Submit questions ahead of time at RuralHospitals@hrsa.gov.
Bridging the Gap between Rural Homelessness and Health Care – Wednesday, June 26 at 3:00 pm Eastern. The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health joins with FORHP to offer this special webinar linking awardees of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuums of Care program with key stakeholders and health providers at the local level in rural communities. Hear from current awardees on the front line and learn how to get involved with meaningful work to improve rural housing. Speakers include leaders from HUD and HUD’s Continuum of Care coordinators, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
HRSA Nurse, Education, Practice, Quality and Retention – Workforce Expansion Program – Apply by July 26. HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce aims to increase the supply of nurses in rural and underserved areas, specifically in acute and long-term care settings. Eligible applicants are public and private institutions of higher education and federally recognized Native American tribal governments.
New Toolkit from RHIhub: Chronic Disease Management. This toolkit compiles evidence-based and promising models and resources to support chronic disease management programs in rural communities across the United States. It covers several common chronic conditions including diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, arthritis, chronic kidney disease, cancer, obesity, and chronic pain. Developed in collaboration with the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, it’s part of a growing collection of resources available at the Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub).
Take the HRSA Grantee Satisfaction Survey – Deadline Extended. 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 24, 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, July 11 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.
Funding and Opportunities
Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors/Rural Medical Training Collaborative – National Institute for Program Director Development Rural Scholarship – July 8. The two organizations collaborate to provide scholarship for a training program for directors, site directors, and faculty of currently accredited or developing rural residency programs. The Institute, which meets in three sessions, is designed to enhance knowledge, attitudes, and skills to help participants become more effective residency program directors.
First Nation’s Development Institute – Native Agriculture and Food Systems College Scholarship Program – July 11. The national nonprofit awards scholarships to encourage Native American college students to enter careers in agriculture and agriculture-related fields, with the ultimate goal of increasing food production, improving health and nutrition, and eliminating food insecurity in rural and reservation-based communities while also promoting entrepreneurship and economic development.
Rural Health Research
Research in this section is provided by the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Sign up to receive alerts when new publications become available.
Understanding the Rise of Ransomware Attacks on Rural Hospitals. Among the key findings in this brief from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center:
- Rural hospitals experienced an increasing number of ransomware attacks from 2016 to 2021.
- From 2016 to 2021, 43 rural hospitals across 22 states experienced a ransomware attack.
- Ransomware attacks afflicted all types of rural hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals (N=9), Sole Community Hospitals (N=13), Rural Referral Centers (N=3), and hospitals paid under Medicare's Inpatient Prospective Payment System (N=18).
- Eighty-four percent of ransomware attacks on rural hospitals resulted in operational disruptions. Common disruptions included electronic system downtime (81%), delays or cancellations in scheduled care (42%), and ambulance diversion (33%). Operational disruptions were similar in rural and urban hospital settings.
Policy Updates
Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov.
New Information on Federal Financing of Medicaid IT for Behavioral Health. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an informational bulletin, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The guidance describes opportunities for state Medicaid agencies to receive enhanced federal matching rates for certain health Information Technology aimed at increasing access to behavioral health treatment and improving coordination of care for co-occurring physical health conditions, such as telehealth and electronic connections to Health Information Exchanges. It also reminds state Medicaid agencies how to apply for enhanced Medicaid matching rates for these types of expenditures. Medicaid is an important source of insurance in rural areas, and leveraging federal dollars can help rural communities expand their capacity to deliver behavioral health services.
CMS Releases Final Rule on Prescription Drug Benefit and ONC Health Information Technology Regulations. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) addressed the remaining proposed policies from the November 15, 2025 Contract Year 2025 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program proposed rule. In this recent final rule, CMS revised the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) and regulations to implement changes related to required standards for electronic prescribing and adoption of health information technology (IT) standards for Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) use. CMS will require Part D sponsors, prescribers, and dispensers of covered Part D drugs for eligible individuals to comply with standards CMS has either adopted directly or is requiring by cross-referencing ONC standards for electronically transmitting prescriptions and prescription-related information. These regulations are effective June 17, 2024.
CMS Seeks Feedback on Two Agency Information Collection Activities – Comment by July 11. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeks comments from the public on the following information collections: 1) Identification of Extension Units of Medicare Approved Outpatient Physical Therapy/Outpatient Speech Pathology (OPT/OSP) Providers and Supporting Regulations and 2) Conditions for Certification for Rural Health Clinics and Conditions for Coverage for Federally Qualified Health Centers in 42 CFR 491.
Informational Bulletin: Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care Monitoring and Oversight Tools. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the informational bulletin Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care Monitoring and Oversight Tools, including States' Responsibility to Comply with Medicaid Managed Care and Separate CHIP Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Requirements. The bulletin will help states to improve the monitoring and oversight of managed care in Medicaid and CHIP by providing additional tools for the States. Additionally, this bulletin reminds States of Medicaid managed care and separate CHIP mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements. This is the fourth in a series of bulletins on increasing states' monitoring and oversight of managed care.
Understanding CMS’ Consensus-Based Process for Rulemaking – Wednesday, June 26 at 2:00 pm Eastern. With so many forms of consensus-based entity (CBE) measure reviews—Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR), Measure Set Review (MSR), and Endorsement and Maintenance (E&M) review—what is the point of each? The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) invites you to attend the Measures Management System’s Information Session, Get a Clue About CBE Measure Reviews: PRMR, MSR, & E&M, to learn about the goals and evaluation criteria for these different types of measure review.
HHS Finalizes Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Rule – Impacts for RHCs – Monday, July 15 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) will host the free, FORHP-supported webinar, with information on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid final rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities and the RHC impacts, including:
- Requirement to post a notice of nondiscrimination.
- Requirements to post notice of availability of translation and auxiliary aid services in top 15 foreign languages.
- Requirement to establish and train employees on policies and procedures related to nondiscrimination.
Additional time for Q&A will be provided. Advanced registration is required.
Learning Events and Technical Assistance
TODAY: HRSA Q&A for the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program (STAR LRP) – Thursday, June 20 at 1:00 pm Eastern. HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce will hold a four-hour session to answer questions from behavioral health clinicians, support workers, and clinical support staff seeking to apply for loan repayment through the STAR LRP. A third and final session will take place on Wednesday, June 26, just before the June 27 deadline.
Center for Rural Affairs: Federal Grant Resources for Rural Communities – Wednesday, June 26 at 12:00 pm Eastern. The national nonprofit holds a 90-minute session to review federal grant resources for infrastructure, energy, and conservation projects.
Register for the National Telehealth Conference – Tuesday, July 16 at 9:30 am Eastern. Join HRSA’s Office for the Advancement of Telehealth for an online conference featuring health care professionals, policymakers, and industry stakeholders from around the country. Among topics for sessions during the all-day event: licensing across state lines for behavioral health professionals, and ensuring access to telehealth for low-income individuals. If you would like to receive announcements from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, you can sign up here.
Resource of the Week
Communicating Public Health to Rural Communities During a Crisis. The Georgia Department of Community Health offers a toolkit with links to comprehensive, accessible, and ready-to-use materials to provide local health department staff with information to improve communication efforts. The material places emphasis on challenges encountered in rural settings and targeted for use among county health department nurse managers, supervisors, and other public health staff.
Approaching Deadlines
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
Become an Approved Site for 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
CMS Funds for States Using Federally Facilitated Exchanges – July 8
Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors/Rural Medical Training Collaborative – National Institute for Program Director Development Rural Scholarship – July 8
HRSA Center for Maternal and Child Health Medicaid Partnerships – July 10
HRSA Maternal and Child Health Policy Innovation Program – July 10
USDA Rural Housing Service Community Development Initiative – July 10
First Nation’s Development Institute – Native Agriculture and Food Systems College Scholarship Program – July 11
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
HUD Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program – July 18
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
HRSA Nurse, Education, Practice, Quality and Retention – Workforce Expansion Program – July 26
HRSA Rural Hospital Stabilization Pilot Program – July 26
DOJ Meeting the Basic Needs of Underserved Crime Victims – July 29
Medicare ACO Primary Care Flex Model Request for Applications – August 1
NIH Advancing HIV Service Delivery Through Pharmacies and Pharmacists – August 13
HRSA New Access Points for Health Center Program – August 15
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)
Licensure Portability: the Multi-Discipline Licensure Resource Project
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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