Call for Experts! Standing Committee on Primary Care
A call from the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for approximately 15 experts to serve on the Standing Committee on Primary Care. The deadline to apply is June 16, 2023. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 31, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

The Golden Hour: Medical Trauma in Rural Areas
New guidelines are being developed to aid the rural emergency medical service workforce with deciding between ground transport to a local hospital versus a trauma center by helicopter. Research shows that the most severely injured have better outcomes when going directly to a trauma center. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 30, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

FORHP Staff Finalists for Service to America Medals
Highlights Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) nominees for the annual Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal (the Sammies), an award given for outstanding service by federal employees. Includes information on voting for thePeople's Choice award, which is open through June 19th when the top 6 will be named. Final voting will close on June 30th. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 30, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

Miles-Long Trains Are Blocking First Responders When Every Minute Counts
Describes the impact of train blockages in rural communities with special focus on health impacts. Cost saving measures by railway corporations have led to longer trains, increasing the amount of time small communities with few roads are cut off. Discusses the implications for emergency medical services, disasters, and resident health outcomes. Subscription may be required to access article. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 25, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

OSU Launches First-of-its-kind Athletic Training - Sports Medicine ECHO
Highlights a Project ECHO line focusing on athletic training access at schools in Oklahoma. The goal is to reduce injury and improve health outcomes, particularly in rural regions. More than half of Oklahoma counties have no athletic trainer or sports medicine professional. Meeting twice a month, anyone providing care to student-athletes is invited to participate. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 25, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

Arizona AHEC: Filling a Need for Health Care Professionals
Describes the Arizona Area Health Education Center (AzHEC) Program and the 6 Regional Centers, a program working to recruit, retain, and train healthcare professionals in rural and medically underserved communities. The AzHEC Program focuses on interprofessional, community based experiential training and providing culturally appropriate care for the federal tribes in Arizona. Highlights AzHEC outcomes from fiscal year 2021-2022. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 25, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

Rural Hospitals Struggle With Staffing Shortage, and Not Just Doctors
Executives from Dartmouth Heath, MaineHealth, and The University of Vermont Health Network participated in a panel discussion about rural hospitals and their difficult headwinds. Challenges include workforce shortages, hospital closures, housing costs, and the need for creative scheduling. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 23, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

HHS Announces Over $65 Million to Address the Maternal Health Crisis and Invest in New Approaches to Care
The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded over $65 million in funds to implement innovative approaches to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce disparities for patients at highest risk. This will help ensure healthier pregnancy and postpartum outcomes and address health disparities among women of color and women in rural and medically underserved areas. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 19, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

Collins, Cortez-Masto Lead Bipartisan Bill Protecting Rural Ambulance Services
Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada introduced legislation to ensure all communities, regardless of population, have access to adequate emergency medical services. The Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act allows ambulance providers to be properly reimbursed by Medicare for the costs of providing emergency services, while also ensuring that existing EMT services, particularly in rural locations, remain operational, with sufficient staff and supplies. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 19, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

8 Questions About Proposed Changes to Rural Floor Wage Index
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing a policy change for the rural floor wage index in 2024 that could have profound financial effects on urban and rural hospitals. Under this proposal CMS would treat hospitals with rural classifications the same as geographically rural hospitals when calculating the wage index. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 19, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

Baldwin, Ernst Lead Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Mental Health Resources for Farmers, Rural Communities
U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Joni Ernst of Iowa led a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing the Farmers First Act of 2023, legislation to address the mental health epidemic in rural America and expand access to critical mental health support and resources for agricultural communities. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 18, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

Sen. Marshall Fights for Broadband Access in Rural Communities
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas and Sen. Welch of Vermont introduced the ReConnect Rural America Act, legislation that helps to promote rural communities' access to high-speed broadband. Lack of accessibility to internet service leaves community members with less access to good-paying jobs, isolation from markets, and lack of healthcare provider technologies. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 17, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

Manchin, Ernst, Shaheen, Moran Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Make Rural, Underserved Telehealth Flexibilities Permanent
U.S. Senators Joe Manchin, Joni Ernst, Jeanne Shaheen, and Jerry Moran reintroduced the Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act. This legislation would ensure rural and underserved community healthcare providers can permanently offer telehealth services, including audio-only telehealth appointments, that are set to expire in December 2024. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 17, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news

Rural Health Clinics with 'Head-to-Toe and Womb-to-Tomb' Care
Primary Care Centers of Eastern Kentucky (PCCEK) is a Rural Health Clinic whose services include temporary housing for women confronting substance use disorder. PCCEK offers a wide variety of health services, including dentistry, a diabetes center, a women's health center, radiology and imaging, behavioral health services, a pharmacy, and a hospice care center. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center - May 17, 2023 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news