Rural Health Briefing
Volume XVIII May 14, 2008
Rural Health Office
UA Zuckerman College of Public Health
in conjunction with the Arizona Rural Health Association, Inc.
National News
- National Women's Health Week: May 11-17, 2008
- MedlinePlus Now with Multilingual Enhancement
- "National Silence" on Sexual Behavior, Race, Poverty Contributes to High Rates of HIV and Other STD's.
- New Evidence Provides Clinicians with Better Tools to Help Smokers Quit.
- National Institutes of Health Establishes a New Genomics and Health Disparities Center
- CDC Study Indicates That Foreign-Born, Minorities Most Likely To Be Infected by Tuberculosis (TB) and U.S. TB Rates at Lowest Ever
- New York Times Reported Gap in Life Expectancy Widens for Richer and Poorer Americans
- Diabetes-related Amputations Rise For Hispanics in the United States
- Scholar Discussed That Decades of Work To Reduce Disparities in Health Care Produce Limited Success
- Five Basic Facts on Immigrants and Their Health Care
Across Arizona
- LaPaz Regional Hospital on Arizona Hospitals Top 100 List.
- NEW Contact Information for the Arizona Rural Health Association (AZRHA)
- HRSA Outreach Seeks to Raise Cancer Awareness Among People Who Lived Near Nuclear Sites or Mined Uranium
- Department of Veterans Affairs' new Travel Nurse Corps Hit the Road
- Arizona Cancer Coalition Health Disparities Sub-Committee Request
- The NPI will be required on all HIPAA Standard Transactions by May 23, 2008
Upcoming Conference Calls
- Rural Open Door Forum Rescheduled for May 21, 2008.
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement-Protecting 5 Million Lives from Harm Upcoming Campaign LIVE! Calls
Grants and Opportunities
- Arizona Governor's Office, Office for Children, Youth and Families: The Governor's Tribal Capacity Project to Prevent Underage Drinking and Other Illicit Drugs Grant Program, SP-DSG-08-9212-00.
- Rural Health & Safety Education Competitive Grants Program Deadline: June 2, 2008
- Rural Youth Development Grants Deadline: June 20, 2008
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UPDATE: Health Information Exchange Planning Grant-Deadline June 9, 2008
- Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Demonstration Program, HRSA-08-130. Letter of Intent Due: May 22, 2008. Application Date: June 13, 2008.
- The Native Diabetes Wellness Program (NDWP): Using Traditional Foods and Sustainable Ecological Approaches for Health Promotion and Diabetes Prevention in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Communities – Letter of Intent Due: May 22, 2008 Deadline: June 6, 2008
-
The Arizona Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program: 2008 Research and Project Small Grant Program – Deadline: June 11, 2008
-
The Arizona Area Health Education Centers(AHEC) Program: 2008 Request for Application for Innovative Health Professions Educational Program – Deadline: June 11, 2008
Items of Interest
- NEW Book! Rural Health Resources Center- TASC Book Club
- Participants Needed For National Conference of State Flex Programs
Calendar of Upcoming Events
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May 21-22 |
2008 American Indian Health Policy Symposium: California, Temecula, CA. A forum and event that will expand knowledge and understanding of key healthcare and health policy issues affecting the health of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Information shared can be used by Tribes, Indian Health Service, Policy Researchers, Academicians and other key stakeholders to improve systems of care for the under served American Indian/Alaska Native population. Over 200 tribal leaders, government officials, policymakers, students, private healthcare service providers, and American Indian business owners are expected to attend.
Click here for forum agenda.
Click here for online registration. |
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May 21-24 |
SOPHE Midyear Scientific Conference, Harnessing the Winds of Change, Chicago, IL. This year's theme is to build on lessons learned in the past with innovative new approaches, technologies and skills to address age-old problems as well as "hot" issues. Click here for registration and program details |
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May 21 |
Diversity in the Workplace: Building the Team, Phoenix, AZ. Sponsored by The Worthy Institute, LLC, provides workshops that address health disparities among at-risk and undeserved populations. Click here for registration and program details. |
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June 4-6 |
Western Regional FLEX Conference 2008, Albuquerque, NM. Come share information and best practices with peers in the western region of the United States. Click here for conference registration. |
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June 26-27 |
Coming Together 2008: A National Forum on Cancer Care in the United States., Baltimore, MD. The purpose of the conference is to raise awareness of the proposed health care legislation and regulatory initiatives that will affect cancer patient care and to educate and strengthen the participation of the cancer care community in these activities. Join national leaders and advocacy experts in the discussion of the issues that will affect the future of cancer patient care, contribute to the dialogue and influence the outcome of major policy issues.
Click here for information and registration. |
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July 1-2 |
National Conference of State Flex Programs, Kansas City, MS. More details will be shared as the conference approaches. |
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Aug 4-5 |
35th Annual Arizona Rural Health Conference "Building Stronger and Healthier Rural Communities," Flagstaff, AZ. The longest running rural health conference in the nation, the Annual Arizona Rural Health Conference provides an environment for networking and disseminating information among professionals and community members for rural Arizona and the southwest . Primary sponsors of the conference are the Rural Health Office at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the Arizona Rural Health Association, Inc.
For more information click here. |
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Oct 23-25 |
VIII Border Health Conference: Information for
Action-Promoting Healthy Lifestyles in Border Communities, Hermosillo, Sonora, MX
Click here for information and registration.
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NATIONAL NEWS
1. National Women's Health Week: May 11-17, 2008.
The 9th annual National Women's Health Week will start on May 11, 2008 Mother's Day and will be celebrated until May 17, 2008. On Monday, May 12, 2008 will be National Women's Check-Up Day which encourages women to take the time to schedule at least one of the preventative health screenings recommended by healthcare professionals within the next 90 days. (To take the National Women's Check-Up Day Pledge click the link below) The primary focus of National Women's Health week is to empower women across the nation to get healthy by taking action. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health (OWH) coordinates this initiative encouraging women to make their health a top priority by taking simple steps for a longer, healthier and happier life.
Click here for a link to National Women's Check-Up Day Pledge.
Click here for a link to Events and Proclamations.
Click here for a link to to Get Health Information.
2. MedlinePlus Now with Multilingual Enhancement
On May 7, 2008, MedlinePlus® released a multilingual feature, providing access to high quality health information in languages other than English and Spanish. The new service will benefit people who prefer to read consumer health information in their native language. It also helps the information professionals and health care providers who serve them. Over the years, many of you have requested this enhancement. Your suggestions helped the MedlinePlus team to develop this important service. The new collection contains over 2,500 links to information in more than 40 languages and covers nearly 250 Health Topics. Continuous growth is expected.
Click here for information about Medline Plus Health Information in Multiple Languages.
3. "National Silence" on Sexual Behavior, Race, Poverty Contributes to High Rates of HIV and Other STI's.
The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com/ )recently published its opinion pieces by Robert Fullilove, Adaora Adimora and Peter Leone and pointed out that "national silence" on issues such as sexual behavior, race and poverty has contributed to the high rate of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among teenagers in the United States. According to the authors, a CDC study released earlier this month that found that about 25% of U.S. girls and young women ages 14 to 19 have at least one of four common STD's is "already old" news for people who work in public health. They add that public health workers "fear this latest study will have its 15 minutes in the spotlight and also fade from view," just like a similar study released 10 years ago by the Institute of Medicine did. The "taboo" of talking about sexual behavior, poverty and race is one "obvious reason" that rates of STD's remain high, the authors write, adding, another is "that the incidence of [STD's], particularly HIV, is concentrated in poor, segregated neighborhoods that are characterized by high rates of incarceration." The "shift" in marriage and courtship patterns that results from men being incarcerated, as well as an increase in the number of "multiple concurrent sexual partnerships," also are contributing to the problem, according to the authors. The authors concluded that “simply put, we will never rid the United States of HIV and other STD's if our only weapon is medical treatment. And if we are unable to engage in a national dialogue about the sexual health of our youths and the social dynamics that drive STD's, this epidemic will go largely ignored, and many more lives will be lost.”
Click here for more information.
4. New Evidence Provides Clinicians with Better Tools to Help Smokers Quit.
On May, 7, 2008 the U.S. Public Health Service released an updated clinical practice guideline identifying new counseling and medication treatments found effective for helping people quit smoking. In the May 7 issue of JAMA a commentary was included that urges clinicians to use the updated guideline to accelerate progress in reducing the use of tobacco.
The Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update was developed by a 24-member, private-sector panel of leading national tobacco treatment experts who reviewed more than 8,700 research articles published between 1975 and 2007. The review found that there are now seven medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration as smoking cessation treatments that dramatically increase the success of quitting. The medications are: bupropion SR, nicotine gum, nicotine inhaler, nicotine lozenge, nicotine nasal spray, nicotine patch, and varenicline. The 2008 PHS guideline update found evidence that counseling by itself or in conjunction with medication can greatly improve a person's success in quitting. Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, MD, MPH, Acting Surgeon General stated, "Decades after the hazards of smoking first gained national attention, tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of illness and death in our society." "The good news is that we now have some of the best evidence-based treatments available for tobacco cessation."
Other recommendations issued in the 2008 PHS guideline update include the following:
- Clinicians, in their offices and in the hospital, should ask their patients if they smoke and offer counseling and other treatments to help them quit. According to AHRQ's 2007 National Healthcare Quality Report, the percentage of hospitalized heart attack patients who were counseled to quit smoking has increased from 42.7 percent in 2000-2001 to 90.9 percent in 2005. Moreover, 48 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia all performed above 80 percent on this measure in 2005.
- If tobacco users are unwilling to make an attempt to quit, clinicians should use the motivational treatments that have been shown effective in promoting future attempts to quit.
- Individual, group and telephone counseling are effective, and their effectiveness increases with treatment intensity. Counseling should include two components: practical counseling and social support.
- Tobacco cessation treatments also are highly cost-effective relative to other clinical interventions. Providing coverage for these treatments increases quit rates. Insurers and purchasers should ensure that all insurance plans include the counseling and medication treatments that have been found to be effective in the 2008 PHS guideline update.
- Counseling treatments have been shown to be effective for adolescent smokers and are now recommended. Additional effective interventions and options for use with children, adolescents, and young adults need to be determined.
Click here for the 2008 PHS guideline update and its companion products, which include a consumer guide and a pocket guide for clinicians. Copies of the 2008 PHS guideline update products are also availably by calling 1-800-358-9295.
5. National Institutes of Health Establishes a New Genomics and Health Disparities Center
The New York Times (www.nytimes.com) reports that National Institutes of Health will launch a new Center for Genomics and Health Disparities to study the "many mysteries involving the interaction between health and race.” The new research center, which will operate within the National Human Genome Center at Howard University, will study the dynamics of genetics, the economy and other social factors that result in different disease rates and medical responses among racial groups. Recent studies have found that scientists can use clusters of genes to define broad racial categories, such as white, black, Hispanic or East Asian (Harris, New York Times, 3/18).
Click here for more information.
6. CDC Study Indicates That Foreign-Born, Minorities Most Likely To Be Infected by
Tuberculosis (TB) and U.S. TB Rates at Lowest Ever.
Reuters reports that the U.S. TB rate is at its lowest point ever, with foreign-born residents accounting for most of the cases, according to a CDC report released recently. There were 13,293 TB cases reported in the U.S. in 2007, declining by 4.2% from the previous year to 4.4 cases per 100,000 individuals. Of the total TB cases reported in 2007, 60% were among residents born in other nations. More than 50% percent of cases among foreign-born residents were in individuals born in Mexico, the Philippines, India or Vietnam. Overall, the TB rate among foreign-born residents was 9.7 times higher than among those born in the U.S. The report also found that among U.S.-born residents, minorities were more likely than whites to be infected. According to the report, Asian-Americans were 23 times more likely than whites to have TB, Hispanics were seven times more likely, and blacks were eight times more likely (Dunham, Reuters, 3/20).
Click here for more information.
7. New York Times Reported Gap in Life Expectancy Widens for Richer and Poorer
Americans
The New York Times (www.nytimes.com) reported that new government research has found “large and growing” disparities in life expectancy for richer and poorer Americans, paralleling the growth of income inequality in the last two decades. Life expectancy for the nation as a whole has increased, the researchers said, but affluent people have experienced greater gains, and this, in turn, has caused a widening gap. The gaps have been increasing despite efforts by the federal government to reduce them. According to the researchers, “the growing inequalities in life expectancy” mirrored trends in infant mortality and in death from heart disease and certain cancers. The researchers suggested that many reasons cause the widening gap. One reason for the growing disparities might be “a very significant gap in health literacy” — what people know about diet, exercise and healthy lifestyles. Middle-class and upper-income people have greater access to the huge amounts of health information on the Internet, according to Robert E. Moffit, director of the Center for Health Policy Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation.
Click here for more information.
Click here for the Food Guide Pyramid
Click here for more information on Physical Activity
8. Diabetes-related Amputations Rise For Hispanics in the United States
Hospitalizations of adult Hispanics for diabetes-related foot or leg amputations rose sharply between 2001 and 2004 in the United States, according to the AHRQ News and Numbers summary. About 86,000 Americans underwent diabetes-related amputations in 2004. Diabetes is the leading cause of foot or leg amputations, those complications and others can be minimized or avoided completely, through proper care by medical providers and patients. The hospitalization rate for diabetes-related amputations among Hispanics' increased from 63 admissions per 100,000 people in 2001 to nearly 80 admissions per 100,000 people in 2004. During the same period, the rate for whites remained steady at roughly 28 to 31 admissions per 100,000 people. The diabetes-related amputation rate among blacks decreased slightly from 113 per 100,000 people to about 104 admissions per 100,000 people. That rate remains more than three times the rate for whites. In 2004, only 38 percent of adult Hispanics age 40 and over with diabetes received three recommended annual screenings - foot exams, eye exams and blood sugar level checks (hemoglobin A1c test).
Click here for the National Healthcare Disparities Report.
9. Scholar Discussed That Decades of Work To Reduce Disparities in Health Care Produce
Limited Success
In the recent issue of JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association), Rebecca Voelker discusses how several recent studies show that "despite decades of efforts" to reduce racial and ethnic health care disparities, there has been limited progress in some key treatment areas, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and many other conditions, largely because health disparities reflect larger socioeconomic issues and efforts to improve overall quality of care do not specifically target disparity reduction. Voelker writes that although there are many studies that document disparities, there are few findings about how to reduce them.
Click here to view complete article.
10. Five Basic Facts on Immigrants and Their Health Care
Kaiser Commission on Key Facts recently published its report entitled Five Basic Facts on Immigrants and Their Health Care. The five basic facts are as follows:
- The primary reason most immigrants come to the U.S. is employment, not health care.
- Non-citizens are much more likely to be uninsured that citizens, but they are not the primary factor driving the nation’s uninsured problem.
- Federal law generally bars undocumented immigrants and recent legal immigrants from receiving Medicaid and SCHIP coverage.
- Non-citizens receive significantly less health care than citizens.
- No-citizens are significantly less likely to use the emergency room than citizens.
Click here for more information
ACROSS ARIZONA
1. Arizona Hospitals on Top 100 List.
This year's list of the "100 Top Hospitals" National Benchmarks for Success" include 28 newcomers to the 15th annual roster of some of the nation's best facilities. Three Arizona hospitals were mentioned in the top 100 list these included; University Medical Center, Tucson, made it in major teaching hospitals, Northwest Medical Center, Tucson, made it in large community hospitals (250 or more acute-care beds), and La Paz Regional Hospital, Parker, made it in the category of hospitals with over 25 and under 99 beds. The list was prepared by Thomson Healthcare which appeared in the March 17 issue of Modern Healthcare's (www.modernhealthcare.com) website.
Click here for the full 100 Top Hospitals-2007
2. NEW Contact Information for the Arizona Rural Health Association (AZRHA)
New contact information for the Arizona Rural Health Association is as follows:
Arizona Rural Health Association, Inc.
2066 W. Apache Trail, Suite 116
Apache Junction, AZ 85220
Phone Number (New): 1-800-390-8004
President for 2007-2008 is Rick Swanson
Email is: info@azrha.org
Board President for 2007-2008: Rick Swanson (rick@northcountrychc.org)
3. HRSA Outreach Seeks to Raise Cancer Awareness Among People Who Lived Near
Nuclear Sites or Mined Uranium
On May 8, 2008 HRSA 's Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program (RESEP) launched a nationwide outreach effort to raise awareness about the need for cancer screening among people who lived near nuclear weapons testing facilities in the mid-20th century.
Individuals who could have been affected by radiation from above-ground nuclear blasts are known as “downwinders.” Most downwinders lived or worked for at least two years near the Nevada Test Site (NTS) during parts of 1951-58 and 1962. NTS is about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas; 100 atmospheric nuclear explosions took place there. Other eligible RESEP participants include nuclear test site employees who worked at the Trinity (N.M.), Pacific, or South Atlantic test sites between 1945 and 1962. The effort also targets former test site employees and workers in the uranium mining industry. Miners, millers and transporters of uranium may also be eligible to receive RESEP services and compensation from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) if they worked in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington or Wyoming between 1942 and 1971.
Individuals who believe they have been exposed to radiation, as described by the program, or ho have family members that have been exposed are encouraged to visit the RESEP Web pages and download an informational brochure, also available through the HRSA Information Center (1-888-ASK- HRSA).
RESEP currently funds seven health and medical centers in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada. The clinics:
- provide public education and information about radiation exposure;
- offer free or low-cost screenings for radiation-related (radiogenic) cancer and chronic illnesses; make treatment referrals: and
- help individuals diagnosed with radiogenic cancer or illness prepare documentation and file compensation claims with DOJ.
Click here for information regarding Radiation Exposure Screening & Education.
4. Department of Veterans Affairs' New Travel Nurse Corps Hits the Road.
On May 2, 2008 the announced the creation of the Travel Nurse Corps to enable VA nurses to travel and work throughout the department's medical system. As stated by, Dr. James B . Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, "VA is committed to putting healthcare facilities closer to veterans. "The Travel Nurse Corp will make it easier to bring our world-class healthcare professionals closer to veterans, too. And it will make it easier for us to shift personnel during times of crisis." The Travel Nurse Corps, headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, is beginning as a three-year pilot program. To learn more about the VA Travel Nurse Corps, send email to TravelNurse@va.gov.
Click here for more information and employment opportunities as a VA Travel Nurse.
5. Arizona Cancer Coalition Health Disparities Sub-Committee Request
The Arizona Cancer Coalition Health Disparities Sub-Committee generation is collecting contact information for "active community" groups in Arizona. Given the information collected, a list will be generated "for the coalition to use" in cancer screening and prevention planning "with Arizona community groups." Your assistance and time is most appreciated and we encourage you and other to complete the form. (*See link below)
Form Completion:
- The form can be completed by a member of the community group/organization.
- With the use of software programs, any duplicates we receive will be filtered.
- Email: Jana L. Granillo @ granilj@azdhs.gov, or
- FAX to: 602-542- 2011 ; Office Phone: 602-542-1219.
Click here for form.
6. The NPI will be required on all HIPAA Standard Transactions by May 23, 2008
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (www.cms.hhs.gov) encourages all health care providers to ensure they understand the readiness of other health plans with which they interact, especially if those health plans may be primary or secondary to Medicare. Medicare will only accept/send NPI-only transactions beginning May 23, 2008 and providers need to understand from these other plans what will happen if they are unable to send/receive NPI-only transactions.
Click here for more information.
UPCOMING CONFERENCE CALLS
1. Rural Open Door Forum Rescheduled for May 21, 2008.
The Rural Health Open Door Forum originally scheduled for May 8, 2008 has been rescheduled to May 21, 2008 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time (Please dial in at least 15 minutes before call start time.)
Conference Leader(s): Terry Kay, John Hammerlund, Natalie Highsmith
To participate by phone:
Dial: 1-800-837-1935 & Reference Conference ID: 41862024
Persons participating by phone do not need to RSVP.
Note: TTY Communications Relay Services are available for the Hearing Impaired. For TTY services dial 7-1-1 or 1-800-855-2880. For Internet Relay services click here: http://www.consumer.att.com/relay/which/index.html. A Relay Communications Assistant will help.
2. Institute for Healthcare Improvement-Protecting 5 Million Lives from Harm Upcoming
Campaign LIVE! Calls
The 5 Million Lives Campaign is a national initiative that aims to protect patients from five million incidents of medical harm in US hospitals between December 2006 and December 2008. Every month Campaign LIVE! Calls offers "office hour" calls which feature brief presentations at the beginning of the call and reserves a majority of the hour for answering questions and offering advice on the call topic. The "office hour" calls are free and do not require registration. The current call topic is recorded and posted at the bottom of the 5 Million Lives Schedule website for your listening pleasure.
- Upcoming Campaign Calls for May 2008
May 22, 2008 - 1-2PM (EST) - Getting Boards on Board
May 27, 2008 - 1-2PM (SET) - Preventing Adverse Drug Events (Medication
Reconciliation)
May 29, 2008 - 1-2PM (EST) - Preventing Pressure Ulcers
- Call-in Information:
Dial: 866-450-8367 (toll free) or 412-317-6701
Elite Entry PIN Code: 6135805
If you experience difficulty accessing this call, please use the following number to contact customer service: 800-967-4633. International callers can dial the following toll number: 412-858-4600.
Click here for Protecting 5 Million LIves from Harm Campaign LIVE! Calls
GRANT 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. Arizona Governor's Office, Office for Children, Youth and Families: The Governor's Tribal Capacity Project to Prevent Underage Drinking and Other Illicit Drugs Grant Program, SP-DSG-08-9212-00. Deadline: June 1, 2008
This Grant Application is soliciting eligible entities from tribes throughout the state to apply for funding to implement steps one (1) through three (3) of the Strategic Prevention Framework Grant to conduct a community needs assessment, build capacity to address needs, and develop a plan to address substance abuse problems in the community. Emphasis should be placed on steps one (1) and two (2), to conduct a needs assessment and to build capacity to address needs. There are minimal expectations for step three (3), to develop a plan to address substance abuse problems in the community.
Click here for full announcement details.
Click here for Grant Application
2. Rural Health & Safety Education Competitive Grants Program-Deadline: June 2, 2008
The Rural Heath and Safety Education Program is under Section 502(i of Title V of the Rural Development Act of 1972, as amended (7 U.S.C.2662) and addresses the Individual and Family Health Education component of this grant authorization. The Rural Health and Safety Education Program focuses on issues related to aging in one or more of three areas: 1) population aging in rural areas; 2) eldercare or care giving and its impact on rural and farm families; and/or 3) related issues of rural health care to provide older individuals and families with: (1) Information as to the value of good health in an era of population aging; (2) Information to increase the older adult individual or family’s motivation take more responsibility for their own health; (3) Access by older adults to health promotion and educational activities; (4) Trained health and allied health professionals or paraprofessionals committed to rural health and care of aging population; and (5) Training for volunteers and health services providers concerning health promotion and health care services for rural older adult populations, in cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services. The award ceiling is $350,000.
The brief announcement is available here.
Click here for full announcement details.
3. Rural Youth Development Grants-Deadline: June 20, 2008
Rural youth encounter economic and physical barriers that prevent them from receiving adequate care, services, or resources necessary for healthily development. The Rural Youth Development Grants Program is intended to breakdown barriers to participation, especially for rural youth; enhance opportunities for youth involvement in policy and decision-making; create safe and inviting environments for youth activities; and improve access to information and technology. The overall goal of the program is to provide opportunities for rural youth to improve their own lives and the communities in which they live. Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-CSREES-F4HN-001465. Award Ceiling: $549,000.
The brief announcement is available here.
Click here for full announcement details.
4. UPDATE: Health Information Exchange Planning Grant Planned-Deadline: June 9, 2008
The Rural Health Information Technology Adoption (RHITA) has announced its release of the Health Information Exchange Planning Grant. The grant will be funded though RHITA which was established to support Governor Napolitano's Executive Order 2005-25 calling for Arizona to achieve statewide electronic health data exchange.
The Grant will assist Arizona rural healthcare providers as they shape their region’s future in secure health information exchange. Through collaboration, it will support:
- convening stakeholders,
- garnering long-term leadership support,
- formulating a viable business foundation,
- crafting an approach to governance, and
- identifying ways to provide a private, secure platform for patient health information exchange.
The Government Information Technology Agency (GITA) will utilize the Arizona State Procurement Office’s SPIRIT eProcurement System to issue “Letters of Intent to Issue a Solicitation” for this Request for Grant. It is the sole responsibility of all potential applicants to register on SPIRIT and select Commodity Code 0952-0130 for Human Services Planning to receive notification of this Grant. If your organization has already registered on SPIRIT, please verify that you have selected Code 0952-0130 for Human Services Planning.
To access SPIRIT go too: http://www.azspo.az.gov/spirittoc.htm.
For additional information contact: John Eric Thomas, Project Manager, Rural Health Grant Program, Government Information Technology Agency, State of Arizona, 100 North 15th Avenue, Suite 440. Phoenix, Arizona 85007. 602-364-4858.
Email: ethomas@azgita.gov .
Click here for the official Solicitation Amendment #1.
5. Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Demonstration Program, HRSA-08-130. Letter of Intent Due: May 22, 2008. Application Date: June 13, 2008.
The purpose of the Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention (PN) Demonstration Program is to promote model “patient navigator” programs to improve health care outcomes for individuals with cancer and/or other chronic diseases, with a specific emphasis on health disparity populations. This program is authorized under the Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2005, P. L. 109-18, Section 340A of the Public Health Service Act. The PN program is a quality improvement initiative focused on chronic disease management. Approximately $2,000.000 us expected to be available annually to fund 4-8 grantees.
Click here to download application and instructions.
6. The Native Diabetes Wellness Program (NDWP): Using Traditional Foods and Sustainable Ecological Approaches for Health Promotion and Diabetes Prevention in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Communities –Letter of Intent Due: May 22, 2008 Deadline: June 6, 2008
The purpose of the program is to 1) support community use of traditional foods and sustainable ecological approaches for diabetes prevention and health promotion in American Indian and Alaska Native communities; and 2) engage communities in identifying and sharing the stories of healthy traditional ways of eating, being active, and communicating health information and support for diabetes prevention and wellness. This program will not constitute research. The program exemplifies public health practice. The project indicators do not involve gathering data on individual behaviors or outcomes and do not require human subject approvals.
Number of grants: At least 8 AI/AN community programs
Amount: $75K-$100K per year for five (5) years.
Contact: Lemyra DeBruyn at ldd5@cdc.gov or 505-232-9906. Letters of intent are requested.
Click here for more information. Funding Announcement Number: CDC-RFA-DP08-819
7. The Arizona Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program: 2008 Research and Project Small Grant Program – Deadline: June 11, 2008
The Arizona Area Health Education Centers Program (AZ AHEC) is a non-profit organization that promotes community and educational partnerships to enhance access to quality health care with an emphasis on the needs of rural and urban under served communities and populations. The AZ AHEC program provides educational programs in partnership with academic institutions, communities, health care agencies, and other organizations that promote the health of Arizona residents. The AZ AHEC program includes five regional AHEC centers that are integral to meeting the mission of the AZ AHEC program. These regional centers contribute to improving the recruitment, education, and retention of the State's health workforce, improving diversity and cultural competence of Arizona’s healthcare workforce, and identifying and addressing the health needs of Arizona’s communities and residents.
The purpose of the grant is to; (1) To provide graduate health sciences students, medical interns, and residents with an opportunity to gain experience in rural and urban medically under served Arizona communities through research and/or scholarly projects; (2) To interest Arizona Health Sciences students in rural and urban medically under served practice and other areas of unmet need; (3) To address community needs through health promotion and disease prevention research and relevant projects
Number of Grants: A maximum of five (5) projects will be funded
Funds Available: Up to $5,000 per project
Click here for more information.
8. The Arizona Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program: 2008 Request for Application for Innovative Health Professions Educational Program – Deadline: June 11, 2008
The Arizona Area Health Education Centers Program (AZ AHEC) is a non-profit organization that promotes community and educational partnerships to enhance access to quality health care with an emphasis on the needs of rural and urban under served communities and populations. The Arizona AHEC program is an integral contributor to improving the recruitment, education, and retention of the State's health workforce.
Requests for application focuses on innovative educational experiences for health professions students including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, allied health, dentistry and osteopathic medicine through partnership with the five Arizona Regional AHEC Centers. Examples of possible innovative educational projects include, but are not limited to: Development and implementation of new or expansion of current community-based discipline-specific training sites in each regional AHEC; In partnership with the regional AHEC centers, development and implementation of rural and urban under served rotations for health profession students; and In partnership with the regional AHEC centers, development and implementation of interprofessional community-based educational opportunities.
Funds Available: The maximum funding that can be requested is $25,000.
Click here for more information.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
1. NEW Book! Rural Health Resources Center- TASC Book Club
The newest book available through the Rural Health Resources Center TASC Book Club is “Exceptional Leadership, 16 Critical Competencies for Healthcare Executives,” by Carson F. Dye and Andrew N. Garman. Regarding this book, Thomas E. Beerman, CHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lancaster General states, “This superb book outlines the areas that leaders need to improve on if they aspire to be exceptional leaders. At a time when leadership is often mistaken for power, it is great to have a book that focuses on developing character, which is and must be the fundamental element of leadership.”
The Rural Health Resources Center TASC Book Club is open to all State Offices of Rural Health and Flex Program staff. If you would like a copy of the latest Book Club book, please contact Melissa Grindahal at 218-727-9390 ext. 227 or via email: mgrndahl@ruralcenter.org Please note that there is a limit one book per state.
2. Participants Needed For National Conference of State Flex Programs
As noted in the Rural Health Resource Centers newsletter the “Rural Route” the National Conference of State Flex Programs will take place July 1-2, 2008 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The center is currently working on the agenda and a draft to submit travel requests will be sent out shortly. The number of attendees remains the same – five per state. Two attendees must be covered under your State Flex or State Office of Rural Health grant, while the remaining three attendees/"sub-grantees" will be covered by the Office of Rural Health Policy. As outlined in the newsletter state attendees may be comprised of individuals who are; CAH administrators, EMS, individuals from Hospital Associations, and individuals from Rural Health Associations. The Logistics Contractor, Quality Support, will mail invitations to the individuals chosen to register. The center reminds organizations who have not submitted participants to please do so as soon as possible.
Substitutions of sub-grantees after the airfare has been booked will not be allowed unless the individual’s state picks up the travel costs. This is due to airfare being tied to an individual and the inability to recover cancellation costs. This will allow for maximum participation by all states in future years.
Please contact Jere-lyn Fern, Administrative Assistant at jlfern@ruralcenter.org for a copy of the spreadsheet or to return completed spreadsheet. Feel free to direct any questions or concerns to Tami Lichtenberg, Program Director at tlichten@ruralcenter.org or 218-727-9390 ext. 230.
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 undeserved 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 telemedicine 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 Sharon Van Skiver, the new RHO Administrative Associate.
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