RTTC 2022 Annual Meeting
Video courtesy of Rural PREP, a grant-funded affiliate of the RTT Collaborative.
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June 2022 Newsletter Now Available
Happy summer!! We have a busy newsletter for you this season, but make sure you check out our annual meeting page for post-meeting information and details on next year! Thank you to everyone who was able to attend this year, it was lovely seeing everyone after so long.
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Latest News
News stories via the Rural Health Information Hub News stories of interest to rural health, with information provided via the Rural Health Information Hub
- How Telehealth Can Help Bridge Pediatric Mental Healthcare Gapson July 1, 2022 at 5:00 am
Discusses telehealth responses to the increasing mental health crisis among children, adolescents, and young adults, including strategies to address workforce and access issues by connecting rural mental health clinics and schools with child psychiatrists. Highlights state-level initiatives in Texas, and notes additional issues related to broadband access, internet connectivity, and telehealth policy flexibilities.
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Expand Access to Emergency Care Services in Rural Communitieson June 30, 2022 at 5:00 am
Announces a new proposed rule establishing the Conditions of Participation (CoPs) by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), a new healthcare provider designation that aims to reduce healthcare disparities and support access to services in rural areas. Discusses the background of the REH designation and the process for submitting formal comments.
- HHS Announces Programs to Join President Biden's Justice40 Initiativeon June 24, 2022 at 5:00 am
Discusses U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) programs that will participate in the federal Justice40 initiative to address environmental justice issues, climate change, and relief for underserved populations. Offers an overview of 13 programs that will participate in the project, including rural and tribal programs.
- Biden Administration Announces First-Ever Funding Opportunity for Coordinated Approaches to Address Unsheltered Homelessness, Including...on June 22, 2022 at 5:00 am
Announces the release of a $365 million resource package to support community capacity to address unsheltered homelessness through housing, healthcare, and support services. Describes the need in rural areas, for veterans, and other underserved groups, noting a $54.5 million set-aside for rural communities.
- HHS Announces Availability of $10 Million for Rural Communities to Expand Treatment in Response to Surging Fentanyl and Other Opioid...on June 17, 2022 at 5:00 am
Announces $10 million in funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Communities Opioid Response Program to support medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. Notes the sharp increase in fentanyl and other opioid overdoses in rural and urban areas, and offers an overview of federal responses to the issue.
- PCORI to Develop up to $113 Million in New Funding Opportunities to Reduce Maternal Health Inequities and Improve Management of Multiple...on June 14, 2022 at 5:00 am
Announces the approval of new research funding opportunities, including $63 million for studies on reducing maternal health inequities and $50 million to study the management of multiple chronic conditions through telehealth, by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Board of Governors. Describes the scope of each funding area and the need for research into maternal health inequities and chronic condition management.
- HRSA Makes Awards for the Rural Health Network Development Planning Programon June 9, 2022 at 5:00 am
Announcement from the Health Resources and Services Administration of over $1.9 million awarded to grantees of the Rural Health Network Development Planning Program. The program is designed to assist communities in the development of integrated health networks among participants who have no history of formal collaboration.
- HHS Invests Nearly $15 Million to Prevent and Treat Stimulant Use in Rural Communitieson June 8, 2022 at 5:00 am
Announces nearly $15 million in funding for rural communities to address psychostimulant misuse and related overdose deaths. Describes the aims of the program and the need for reducing the morbidity and mortality of substance use, including opioid use, in high risk rural communities.
- Doctors Across State Borders: Telehealth Study Could Inform Policyon June 6, 2022 at 5:00 am
Describes results of a study published in the June issue of Health Affairs, suggesting that people in rural areas of some states will be more affected than others by restrictions on interstate telehealth. Uses data from older adults covered by traditional Medicare, both before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Sen. Cramer Introduces Bill to Increase Transparency of Travel Nursing Agencieson June 6, 2022 at 5:00 am
Senator Kevin Cramer has introduced the Travel Nursing Agency Transparency Study Act. This legislation would require the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study and report to Congress on the business practices and the effects of nurse staffing agencies across the healthcare industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Helpful Resources
Rural resources via the Rural Health Information Hub Resources, reports, and other documents on rural health topics from a variety of sources, with information provided via the Rural Health Information Hub
- Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center - Eventson July 6, 2022 at 6:01 pm
Calendar of events covering telehealth in Hawaii and surrounding territories, rural initiatives, telehealth conferences, and more from the Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center and partner organizations. -- Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center
- MiCare Champion Cast: How 340B Benefits Rural Michiganon July 6, 2022 at 3:24 pm
Podcast that explains the 340B drug pricing program and its impact on rural Michigan. Presents a discussion with stakeholders from the Mackinac Straits Health System which includes a Critical Access Hospital, Rural Health Clinic, and other healthcare facilities. -- Michigan Health & Hospital Association
- Contraception and Healthcare Utilization by Reproductive-Age Women Who Use Drugs in Rural Communities: a Cross-Sectional Surveyon July 6, 2022 at 2:43 pm
Study examining contraceptive use by women aged 18-49 in rural areas, comparing overall rates of contraceptive use to those of women who use opioid and/or non-opioid injection drugs. Analyzes data from the Rural Opioids Initiative (ROI) and the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Discusses the study's implications for access to services, targeted interventions, and testing for infectious diseases.
- Self-Rated Health Among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Adults: Rural/Urban Differenceson July 6, 2022 at 2:18 pm
Policy brief examining differences in self-rated health by sexual orientation and rural or urban location. Includes statistics from the National Health Interview Survey, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and the Health Information National Trends Survey. -- University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
- The Evolution of Telehealth during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multiyear Retrospective of FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Trackeron July 6, 2022 at 1:27 pm
Brief presenting data from the FAIR Health Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker on changes in telehealth utilization, diagnoses, and procedure codes at the national and regional level between January 2020 and March 2022. Notes shifts in telehealth utilization during specific seasons and connects those shifts to changes in COVID-19 infection rates. -- FAIR Health
- Self-Employed Workers Are Less Likely To Have Health Insurance Than Those Employed by Private Firms, Governmentson July 6, 2022 at 1:17 pm
Examines nonmetropolitan health insurance coverage in 2018 among working age adults (26-64 years old) who are self-employed, otherwise employed, unemployed, and those not in the labor force. Includes a bar chart showing metro compared to nonmetro coverage by employment status for the following types of health insurance: none, employer-based, direct-purchase, and public. -- USDA Economic Research Service
- Risk of Closure Among Independent and Multihospital-Affiliated Rural Hospitalson July 5, 2022 at 6:56 pm
Study examining the risk of rural hospital closure for independent hospitals and hospitals affiliated with other facilities or a health system. Analyzes 2007-2019 data from the American Hospital Association, Irving Levin Associates, and the University of North Carolina Sheps Center representing a national cohort of rural hospitals. Notes financial stability for affiliated and independent hospitals as well as policy interventions to support hospitals at risk of closure.
- Co-located Critical Access & Behavioral Health Hospital: Charles A. Cannon Jr. Memorial Hospital and Appalachian Regional Behavioral...on July 5, 2022 at 6:10 pm
Profiles Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), and Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) in western North Carolina. Describes how ARHS secured an exemption from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to build Appalachian Regional Behavioral Health (ARBH) Hospital nearby without losing CAH status. Discusses the impact of the CMS exemption on financial sustainability and emergency department wait times. -- American Hospital Association
- County Economic Status in Appalachia, FY 2023on July 5, 2022 at 6:05 pm
Map showing levels of economic distress in Appalachian counties based on unemployment rates, income, and poverty levels. Includes interactive map, downloadable maps and data files, and data report. -- Appalachian Regional Commission
- The Impact of Adverse and Positive Childhood Experiences on Rural Children, with Elizabeth Crouchon July 5, 2022 at 4:46 pm
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Dr. Elizabeth Crouch, director of the Rural and Minority Health Research Center, discussing insights on rural adverse and positive childhood experiences based on her research. -- Rural Health Information Hub