Update by Andrew Coats, NOSORH Legislative Liaison

Appropriations Update: Congress returned to session following the elections to finish up business for the 118th Congress. Congress currently has a December 20 deadline to fund the federal government for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The incoming Trump Administration is calculating whether to have Congress enact an FY 25 package in December or extend current FY 24 funding through March or September of 2025. It appears the incoming administration favors a three-month extension, which would make an omnibus spending package the first major legislative priority for the Trump Administration.     

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) ceased operation earlier this year when Congress failed to authorize its extension. The ACP provided subsidies to lower-income households to increase access to broadband services. Eligible households received a discount of up to $30 monthly for internet service. Eligible households on qualifying Tribal lands received up to $75 per month. Eligible households could also receive a one-time subsidy of up to $100 for purchasing a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contributed between $10-$50 toward the purchase price.

At Rural Health Research Gateway, we provide easy and timely access to research and findings of the FORHP-funded Rural Health Research Centers, 1997-present. Our goal is to help move new research findings of the Rural Health Research Centers to various end users as quickly and efficiently as possible. This site can be used to find:

• Completed rural health research publications
• Information about the research centers
• Information about individual researchers
• Current research center projects

For those who participated in the 2024 Academy, there’s more to get from it!

• Make sure you get your certificate of completion, simply by filing out this quick survey: https://academy.3rnet.org/feedback
• Academy participation can be used for AAPPR and SHRM continuing education credits
  • Use the practical tools and reference any sessions you want to refresh on or may have missed on the Academy website: https://academy.3rnet.org/ under the “Session Materials” tab. Password (all caps) = ACADEMY-3RNET

• If you’re looking for more practical tools to help your recruitment efforts, give 3RNET Plus Tools a try. It adds a customizable tracking feature and the ability for you to save candidates to your 3RNET profile. You get one month free! Learn more here: https://www.3rnet.org/plustools start your free trial on your 3RNET dashboard: https://dashboard.3rnet.org/

VAP3 Partner Resource Sessions, a unique series of webinars that serve as a platform for community leaders to connect to available resources and establish new partnerships to support efforts to educate and promote wellness in places of worship and communities in which we live, work, play and serve.

Office of Health Equity, Health Workforce

Incentive Programs

The Commonwealth of Virginia offers several incentive programs to attract health professionals to Virginia’s underserved areas. These programs not only assist with paying down outstanding medical education debt but also afford individuals an opportunity to become part of a community and provide care to deserving populations.

New Funding: HRSA Rural Health Network Development Planning Program–

Apply by February 19, 2025. 

HRSA expects to make 35 awards, each up to $100,000, to support the development and planning of rural integrated health care networks. Over the one-year performance period, networks will conduct planning activities to achieve greater collective capacity to overcome local challenges, expand access and improve the quality of care in the rural communities these organizations serve.

The Urgent Need to Combat

Physical Inactivity

Physical inactivity has created a public health crisis with far-reaching implications for physical and mental health, including national security. Being more physically active is imperative to creating a more resilient future for generations to come.

An unrecognized crisis is stealthily impacting our health and well-being, and even our national security. Sedentary lifestyle, or physical inactivity and its consequences are significant for individuals and our nation as a whole. Our inactive lifestyles are not just a personal choice but a public health crisis with far-reaching implications