According to news briefs from the Rural Assistance Center (www.raconline.org) web site posted Jan 15th, 2008, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is requesting comments from the public on its plan to institute a permanent deviation from a policy in two of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Grants Policy Directives. The first Grants Policy Directive (GPD) 3.01 governs indirect cost recovery for its State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) Grant Program. The second Grants Policy Directive (GPD) 3.01 governs indirect cost recovery for its Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant program (SHIP). Please access the Federal Register announcements about each Grants Policy Directive at the links provided.

Click here for GDP about State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) Grant Program.

Click here for GDP about Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant program (SHIP).

2. Rural Residents Get Fewer Organ Transplants: Study

According to the HealthDay online news story published on January 8th, 2008, a new study found that Americans living in small towns and rural areas are less likely to get organ transplants or be placed on waiting lists for transplants. In fact, the report suggested two possible explainations for the findings: different patterns of illness in rural areas, or the difficulty of getting on a transplant list. The study examined almost 175,000 potential transplant recipients and showed that those living outside of metropolitan centers were “8 percent to 15 percent less likely to be wait-listed and 10 percent to 20 percent less likely to undergo heart, liver, and kidney transplantation than patients in urban environments.” By stating that “You can’t just get listed easily,” Dr. Pang-Yen Fan, director of kidney transplantation at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, confirmed one of the components outlined in the study’s findings. Dr. Fan added,“It requires both medical and surgical evaluation, lots of testing, visits to a transplant center. Many of the patients we see live in a 30- to 50-mile radius of Worcester. For them, coming into Worcester is a big deal. So I don't think the results of the study are surprising."

Click here for full news story.

3. Five Million Lives Campaign

According to a press release dated December 12, 2007, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) announced its 5 Million Lives Campaign, a national effort aimed at dramatically reducing incidents of medical harm in U.S. hospitals. Over the course of 24 months, ending December 9, 2008, the 5 Million Lives Campaign will ask hospitals to improve more than ever before, the care they provide to patients. The overall goal is to protect patients from five million incidents of medical harm during the 24 months. The new campaign is principally sponsored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans of America, building upon the initial success of the previous 100,000 Lives Campaign. The 5 Million Lives Campaign aims to enroll even more hospitals than participated in the 100,000 Lives Campaign. Furthermore, the new campaign promotes the adoption of 12 improvements in care that can save lives and reduce patient injuries. The IHI estimates that “15 million incidents of medical harm occur in U.S. hospitals each year. This estimate of overall national harm is based on IHI’s extensive experience in studying injury rates in hospitals, which reveals that between 40 and 50 incidents of harm occur for every 100 hospital admissions. With 37 million admissions in the United States each year (according to the AHA’s National Hospital Survey for 2005), this equates to approximately 15 million harm events annually - or 40,000 incidents of harm in U.S. hospitals every day.”

Click here for the full announcement.

4. Rural Affinity Group’s Teleconference Series for Small and Rural Hospitals

According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) website, the Rural Affinity Group has organized a teleconference series for small and rural hospitals. The Rural Affinity Group is the “node devoted to supporting small and rural hospitals” component of the greater 5 Million Lives Campaign. Being called “Rural Hospital Primaries for 2008” the hour-long conference calls will “feature hospitals and content experts who will help small and rural hospitals with implementation of three 5 Million Lives Campaign interventions.” The dates, times and topics for the two remaining Rural Hospital Primaries are:

Bringing Your Hospital Board On-Board

Thursday, January 31, 2008

3:00pm -4:00pm Eastern Time

Dial: (866) 450–8367

PIN Entry Number: 4544685

Participants: Jim Conway, IHI and New London Hospital, New London, New Hampshire (a 25 bed CAH)

Preventing and Eliminating Pressure Ulcers

Thursday, February 21, 2008

3:00pm -4:00pm Eastern Time

Dial: (866) 450–8367

PIN Entry Number: 4544685

Participants: Kathy Duncan, IHI

Purpose of the Rural Hospital Primaries:

The purpose is to share with rural hospital improvement teams, specific ideas, concepts, change packages, and success stories for three of the newest 5 Million Lives Campaign interventions having the greatest potential to improve care and reduce harm for rural hospital patients.

Intended Audience for the Teleconferences:

Rural hospitals should be encouraged to participate in the teleconferences with their: executive leadership; performance improvement professionals and managers; medical staff champions and leaders; and the specific implementation teams responsible for the 5 Million Lives Campaign interventions. In addition, for the Boards-on-Board teleconference, rural hospital CEOs, trustees, and medical staff leadership should be invited to participate.

Click here for a link to the website page containing more information.

5. 2008 Rural Health Awards Nominations

According to its website, each year the National Rural Health Association honors outstanding individuals and organizations in the field of rural health at its Annual Conference. That said, nominations are now being accepted for your favorite rural health professional(s) in recognition of their dedication, time, and talent to the improvement of health and the well-being of others. Nominations can be submit online and the deadline is February 1, 2008. Please contact Meaghan McCamman at McCamman@NRHArural.org or (202) 639-0550 if you have any questions.

Click here for more information and to submit a nomination.

6. NRHA Government Affairs Offices Have Moved

The National Rural Health Association has moved its Government Affairs Offices. Please make note of the change by visiting its website link provided below for updated contact information.

Click here for more information.

Across Arizona

1. RHITA Community Workshops

The Rural Healthcare Information Technology Adoption (RHITA) Grant Program as administered by the Government Information Technology Agency (GITA), will be offering seven community workshops around Arizona the last two weeks of January. The goal of these workshops is to “provide information about the formation of Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs) and their integral relationship to the Arizona Health-e Connection Roadmap.” This is an important program for GITA as well as the citizens of Arizona and its rural healthcare providers, being that it offers a unique opportunity to help shape the region’s future in secure electronic health information exchange. To participate in the workshops, please contact Emilie Sundie via e-mail at esundie@azgita.gov or by calling (602) 364-4857.

Click here for more information.

2. Gov. Napolitano Focuses on Health Care in State of the State Address

According to a news story written by Matthew Benson for The Arizona Republic and published online January 14th, 2008, Gov. Janet Napolitano called for continued investment in Arizona’s schools and health care, budget defecit or not! Governor Napolitano’s State of the State address proposed the creation of a new healthcare program called KidsShare, which would “allow uninsured families to buy into the state insurance program, providing coverage for their children at the parents' cost.” In addition, intends to direct the state to “find ways under the state health insurance plan to allow all young adults, up to age 25, to continue coverage under their parents’ insurance.” For a link to the governor’s complete State of the State address, click here.

Click here for full news story.

3. AZ Study- New Technique Triples Cardiac Arrest Survival Rates

An Arizona Department of Health Services press release dated January 10, 2008 informed the public about “a new life saving technique gaining national recognition as an easier and more effective alternative to traditional CPR. Cardiocerebral Resuscitation or “CCR” is a cutting edge alternative to CPR that emphasizes chest compressions and eliminates mouth-to-mouth breathing.” In Arizona, about 5,000 cases of sudden cardiac arrest occur each year, and immediate assistance is required to keep the victims alive. As a result, when Dr. Ben Bobrow, Medical Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of EMS & Trauma System, led a team that produced results showing a “threefold increase in survival rates for Arizona fire departments using CCR compared to those using traditional CPR,” it got attention. In fact, the abstract titled “Statewide Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survival Improves After Widespread Implementation of Cardiocerebral Resuscitation” was recognized in 2007 by the American Heart Association.

Click here for full announcement.

4. State Health Facts Resource

Are you in need of state health data for a project, paper, or presentation? If so, then you may want to check out the link to the statehealthfacts.org website, a project of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. The site has been designed to “provide free, up-to-date, and easy-to-use health data on all 50 states and it provides data on more than 500 health topics.” In fact, the site also provides information from the National Association of Community Health Centers on the number of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), total patients served by FQHCs, and total FQHC visits for 2006 for all states and the nation at this link.

Click here to view the main website.

Grants and Opportunities

Note: Technical assistance is available for the development of grant proposals and other funding applications from the professional staff of the Rural Health Office and the State Office of Rural Health Program. Please contact Jennifer Peters.

1. Seva Foundation: Native American Grants Program
Application deadline: January 25, 2008

The Seva Foundation “provides grants to Native American led organizations working to devise solutions to the challenges that face their communities. Special emphasis is placed on providing grants to small, grassroots organizations and projects often overlooked by other foundations.” The available grants range from $2,000 to $5,000. The foundation places its focus on supporting projects in six key areas including: Spiritual and Cultural Renewal; Indigenous Youth; Economic Development; Health and Wellness; Educational Development; and Protecting Mother Earth.

Click here for further details and an application.

2. Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems
Application deadline: January 30, 2008

The Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems (CFDDA 84.215M) will provide funds to increase student access to high-quality mental health care by developing innovative approaches that link school systems with the local mental health system. is designed to assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to undertake education to enter a health profession. The grant is supported by the U.S. Department of Education. Eligibility: State educational agencies, local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law, and Indian tribes. Additional eligibility requirements are listed elsewhere in the notice inviting applications under section I. The full announcement is available here.

Click here for Grants.gov link to instructions and application.

3. Arizona Diabetes Program Community Grants

Application deadline: January 30, 2008

The University of Arizona Canyon Ranch Center for Prevention and Health Promotion located within the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College Public Health, and on behalf of the Arizona Department of Health Services Diabetes Program, announce the availability of two community grants to fund the implementation and evaluation of programs that address type 2 diabetes education with communities across the state of Arizona. Applications are due January 30, 2008. Successful applications will be notified of awards by February 15, 2008. Two awards for up to forty thousand dollars ($40,000) will be given to applicants that meet the intention of the grant guidance. Projects must be completed within 6 to 12 months of award, or no later than February 14, 2009.

Obtain Applications From:

Griselda Martinez
Program Coordinator, Health Disparities Training
1295 N. Martin Ave.
Campus POB: 245163
Tucson, AZ 85724
(520) 626-9672
grm1@coph.arizona.edu

4. Health Careers Opportunity Program
Application deadline: February 22, 2008

The Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) is designed to assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to undertake education to enter a health profession. The HCOP program works to build diversity in the health fields by providing students from disadvantaged backgrounds an opportunity to develop the skills needed to successfully compete, enter and graduate from health professions schools. The project is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development. The brief announcement is available here.

Click here for Grants.gov link to instructions and application.

5. The Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program
Application deadline: Ongoing

The Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program is designed to provide loans for funding, on a technology neutral basis, the costs of construction, improvement and acquisition of facilities and equipment to provide broadband services to eligible rural communities. The Programs’ goal is to ensure that rural consumers enjoy the same quality and range of telecommunications services that are available in urban and suburban communities. The project is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development. The brief announcement is available here.

Click here for full announcement details.

6. Rural Emergency Responders Initiative
Application deadline: Accepted Ongoing

The Rural Development, through its community facilities program, provides funding for the Rural Emergency Responders Initiative to specifically strengthen the ability of rural communities to respond to local emergencies. The community facilities program funds are used to support rural emergency responder efforts by financing needed equipment and services. The project is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development. The brief announcement is available here.

Click here for additional details.

Contact Your Representatives

a. Arizona Congressional Delegation: Links to Arizona members of the U.S. House of Representatives are available at: U.S. Representatives. Links to Arizona members of the U.S. Senate are available at: U.S. Senate

b. Arizona State Legislators: Available through the Arizona Legislative Information System (ALIS): Call 1-800-352-8404 or follow links at Arizona Legislature.

Important Links

Editor's Note: This online newsletter is a joint project of the Rural Health Office housed at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health, and the Arizona Rural Health Association, Inc. The mission of the Rural Health Office is to promote the health of rural and medically underserved individuals, families, and communities through service, education and research. The Arizona Rural Health Association, Inc. advocates on behalf of the health needs of rural Arizonans at national, state and local levels. Its multidisciplinary membership provides a respected and highly effective group of rural health practitioners and rural community residents. For example, the AzRHA, Inc. has actively and successfully advocated with the state legislature for funding for tele-medicine and mobile clinics in all fifteen counties of the state.

Your questions (or answers) are always welcome. Please send them as well as address changes to Taya Waltke, Administrative Associate, Rural Health Office.

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