Celebrating the success of our local Critical Access Hospitals! 

Congratulations to the 11 states recognized at the 2025 Flex Program Reverse Site Visit with a Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Award! Brandon Rivenbark, VA-SORH Flex Program Manager, attended the reverse site visit to accept the award on behalf of the hospitals.

The MBQIP recognizes states based on the highest reporting rates and the most significant improvements in Critical Access Hospital's quality. Your hard work, leadership, and dedication are impacting rural healthcare and helping strengthen communities across Virginia and beyond.

Stuart Community Hospital renovation clears key hurdle

Braden Health, an organization dedicated to revitalizing rural hospitals, has announced a significant update on the ongoing renovation of Stuart Community Hospital. After a thorough review with the state of Virginia, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has confirmed that the facility is now prepared for its first round of life safety inspections. This achievement highlights the project’s steady progress toward reopening and restoring vital medical services to Patrick County residents.

CMS Proposes Updates to Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Payments for Calendar Year 2026 – Comment by September 12. This proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), issued on July 16, 2025, seeks public comment on payment updates and policy changes to Medicare’s physician fee schedule payments and includes other proposals affecting Medicare beneficiaries. 

CMS Proposes New Mandatory Alternative Payment Model, the Ambulatory Specialty Model (ASM) – Comment by September 12.  As part of the proposed Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has proposed a new mandatory payment model for physicians who treat low back pain and heart failure.  The proposed model has a 5-year period of performance running from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2031. Participation will be mandatory for all physicians treating low back pain or heart failure located in selected metropolitan divisions or Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs), which can include areas designated by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy as rural.

Medicare Hospital OPPS: CMS Proposes to Expand Outpatient Services Paid at Physician-Equivalent Rates – Comment by September 15. In 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adopted a method to control unnecessary increases in the volume of the clinic visit services furnished in excepted off-campus provider-based departments (PBDs), defined as a hospital outpatient department, that is farther than 250 yards from the main campus and billed under the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) prior to November 2, 2015, by paying them a physician-equivalent rate, which is lower than the OPPS rate.  This method is intended to prevent Medicare and beneficiaries from paying significantly more in the excepted off-campus PBD setting than in the physician office setting. 

Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov

What Resources are Available

The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) is a comprehensive online resource designed to support healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community leaders working to improve rural health.

Users can explore topics by health issue, state, or population group; access toolkits, funding opportunities, and program models; and stay informed with news, events, and research updates. Simply use the search bar or browse the menu to find resources tailored to your rural health needs. Start here to build stronger, healthier communities.

How to Use this Resource

The Rural Health Research Gateway is an easy-to-navigate website that connects users with the latest research and findings from federally funded Rural Health Research Centers.

To use the site, browse by topic, organization, researcher to find timely reports, policy briefs, and journal articles focused on rural health issues. You can also sign up for email alerts, view upcoming webinars, and explore data-driven insights to support decision-making and improve health outcomes in rural communities. Start exploring today!

Virginia Primary Care Office

The Virginia Primary Care Office (PCO) is housed in the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Health Equity supports the primary care workforce in the state through shortage designations, recruitment and retention activities, and administration of scholarship and loan repayment programs.

Visit the Virginia HPSA dashboard for Virginia Mental Health, Virginia Dental Care and Virginia Primary Care.

NOSORH Annual Meeting

The NOSORH Annual Meeting is scheduled for September 9 -11, 2025, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This in-person event offers two and a half days of leadership development, education, partnerships, recognition, and networking.

The deadline to register as a partner/exhibitor is August 5, 2025.

Food is Medicine VA-SORH Flex Project Event Dates in Lee and Dickenson Counties

August 1, 2025, 3 PM – 7 PM: Dickenson County Back to School Bash at Ridgeview High School, hosted by the Dickenson County Extension Office.

August 18, 2025, 12 PM – 1 PM: Dickenson County - Produce Prescription Nutrition Education Program at Dickenson Community Center. Hosted by Dickenson County Extension Office.

August 18, 2025, 4 PM – 5 PM: Lee County - Produce Prescription Nutrition Education Program at Pennington Gap Community Center. Hosted by Lee County Extension Office.

August 28, 2025, 5:30 PM – 6:45 PM: Dickenson County - Culinary Medicine Education Program at Coalfield Agricultural Center. Hosted by Dickenson County Extension Office.

August 29, 2025, 12 PM – 1:15 PM: Lee County - Culinary Medicine Education Program at Pennington Gap Community Center. Hosted by Lee County Extension Office.

Webinar for 340B Participants

The Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) will be hosting a vital 340B Recertification Webinar

Wednesday, August 6, 2025, 1:00–2:00 PM EST, Dial-In (Toll-Free): 833-568-8864, Participant Code: 31201543

This session is critical for Authorizing Officials (AOs) and Primary Contacts (PCs) preparing for recertification. Please remember:

• AOs and PCs must set up their own user accounts in the 340B OPAIS system
• Shared accounts are not permitted
• All active 340B IDs must be updated

Failure to set up user accounts will result in the inability to view accounts or conduct recertification, thus termination from the 340B Program.

Don’t miss this opportunity to ensure compliance and keep your 340B eligibility!

NOSORH Grant Writing Institute- Beyond the Basics, On-Demand

Governor Glenn Youngkin Commemorates World Day Against Trafficking in Persons as Virginia Advances Comprehensive Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts

In recognition of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Governor Glenn Youngkin highlighted Virginia’s progress in combating human trafficking since establishing the Commission on Human Trafficking Prevention and Survivor Support through Executive Order 7 on his first day in office. The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons aims to raise awareness and promote the protection of trafficking victims’ rights. 

To report concerns to the Virginia State Police human trafficking hotline, text “VSP” followed by the tip to 847411 or visit https://vsp.virginia.gov/human-trafficking/ and submit your tip there.  

Alcohol Use Disorder Harms the Brain's Immune System Earlier in Women

With support from a Specialized Centers of Research Excellence (SCORE) grant from ORWH and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a Yale study using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging revealed critical sex-based differences in brain immune function among individuals with mild to moderate alcohol use disorder (AUD). Healthy women had higher baseline levels of microglia, immune cells that protect and maintain brain health, compared to healthy men. However, women with AUD showed a marked decline in microglial density, a pattern not observed in men.