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Rural Health Briefing, Vol. 3, No. 4 August 20, 2002
Update: Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
a. National Action
- JCAHO Deeming Authority
- Indian Health Service
- NRHA Critical Access Hospital Conference
b. State Action
- Status of Arizona CAH Designations
- Medicaid Enhanced Reimbursement for CAHs
Arizona News
a. Arizona Rural Health Association 2002-03 Board
b. State Legislative Rural Physician Study Committee
b. Resolutions of 2002 AZ Rural Health Conference
c. Northern Arizona Rural Health Forum
d. Southern Arizona Rural Health Forum
e. Arizona Graduate Program in Public Health
f. State Housing Fund
g. Fire Disaster Assistance
h. Reminder: Community Health Workers Conf.
i. Reminder: Border Health Information Conf.
j. AZ-Mexico Commission Andy Nichols Award
National News
a. HHS Rural Health Initiative
b. HRSA Primary Care Service Areas
c. Wage Index-Medicare Reimbursement
d. CMS Changes to Hospital OPPS - 2003
e. CMS News Updates
f. Interim Director of Indian Health Service
g. JCAHO Solutions to Nursing Shortages
h. Rural Physician Shortages Study
i. Hospital Software Tool to Improve Clinical Care
j. Contextual Community Health Profile
k. USDA Food and Nutrition Website
l. Website to Check Government Benefits
4. How to Contact Your Representatives
Congressional Delegation
b. State Legislators
Grant Opportunities
f. Last Chance Reminder - Rural Outreach/Network Grants
g. Other Selected Grant Opportunities
6. Conferences Relevant to Rural Health
Other
a. Rural Health News: Rural OB Service
b. National Advisory Committee on Rural Health
Arizona Meeting on Border Health Issues
c. NACRH Report on Rural Health Care Safety Net
1. Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
a. National Action:
(1) JCAHO Deeming Authority: At the 2002 Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility Program Conference held August 1-2 in Phoenix, Kurt Patton, Executive Director of Accreditation Services for the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations announced that JCAHO has submitted its application for deeming authority to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It is expected that JCAHO will be granted deeming authority by the end of August. This authority will enable JCAHO to perform Medicare site surveys for Indian Health Service hospitals seeking critical access hospital designation.
JCAHO’s recently published "Accreditation Manual for Critical Access Hospitals," as well as a downloadable brochure that can be reproduced for patients, "The Joint Commission: Assessing Quality of Care in Critical Access Hospitals," are now available on the JCAHO web page for accredited organizations – hospitals: http://www.jcaho.org
(2) Indian Health Service: At the 2002 Arizona Flex conference, representatives of CMS, the Indian Health Service, JCAHO, and Arizona Flex program staff met to discuss proposed procedures for processing Indian hospital applications for critical access designation. The Arizona Flex program has submitted proposed procedures to staff at the national IHS headquarters for approval. The proposed procedures were developed for the purpose of processing applications for critical access hospital designation for Arizona’s Indian Health Service hospitals; however, it is anticipated that Arizona’s experience with IHS applications will provide a model for applications from other IHS facilities around the country.
(3) NRHA Critical Access Hospital Conference: The National Rural Health Association will hold a critical access hospital conference, "Surviving Adversity," October 9-11, 2002 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Featured sessions will include panel sessions and small group discussions on recruitment and retention issues, finance issues, and benchmarking for success. To register online go to: http://www.NRHArural.org/pagefile/CAH.html
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b. State Action
(1) Status of Arizona Critical Access Hospital Designations: Three Indian Health Services hospitals have submitted applications for critical access hospital designation: Hopi Health Care Center; Whiteriver IHS; and Parker Indian Medical Center (Colorado River Service Unit, IHS). The Hopi application is now pending with CMS. The Whiteriver and Parker applications are pending approval of Arizona’s Designation Review Group before submission to CMS. It is anticipated that JCAHO site surveys will be scheduled for these facilities within the next month.
Additional facilities that are currently in the process of preparing applications for critical access hospital designation include Sage Memorial Hospital, Ganado, San Carlos IHS Hospital, Ft. Yuma IHS Hospital, and Hu Hu Kam Memorial Hospital, Sacaton.
(2) Medicaid Enhanced Reimbursement for Critical Access Hospitals: At the 2002 Flex conference, a representative of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System reported that the $1.7 million appropriation for enhanced Medicaid reimbursement to critical access hospitals is not expected to be reduced, although continued state budget problems make the situtation less than certain. The pooled funds will be distributed to designated critical access facilities on a quarterly basis in FY 2003 based on a formula that calculates the number of hospitals eligible per month and their proportionate share based on Medicaid utilization in each month. AHCCCS is currently studying the issue of how reimbursement for Indian health facilities will be calculated. Because continuing state budget problems could jeopardize the special funding pool for these hospitals, those concerned about the financial stability and viability of the state’s rural hospitals should continue to address their concerns to state policymakers.
2. Arizona News
a. Arizona Rural Health Association Officer and Board Members: At its annual meeting, held in conjunction with the 2002 Arizona Rural Health Conference, members of the Arizona Rural Health Association elected new board members and officers.
The current AzRHA Board Officers are:
President: Jack Beveridge, CEO, Pinal Gila Behavioral Health Association; jbeveridge@pgbha.org
President-Elect: Edie Faust, HMA, edithf@imxinc.com
Vice President: Roni Kerns, Central Arizona AHEC Board Member, ronikerns@hotmail.com
Treasurer: Bob Ohlfest, Southern Arizona Manager, Arizona Department of Health Services, rohlfest@hs.state.az.us
Secretary: Mary Riordan, University of Arizona Health Sciences Library, mriordan@ahsl.arizona.edu
Additional Board members include:
Cruz Begay, North Country Community Health Center
Joel Brill, MD
Chris Cronberg, CEO, Northern Cochise Community Hospital
Warren "Bud" Day
James (Jim) Dickson, CEO, Copper Queen Community Hospital
Angela Donelson, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
Neil Erickson
Carol Field, Department Administrator, University Physicians, Inc., Family and Community Medicine
Alison Hughes, Director, UA-COPH Rural Health Office
Gordon Jensen, Project Officer, Office of Health Systems Development, Arizona Department of Health Services
Rhonda Johnson, College of Health Professions, Northern Arizona University
Saundra Johnson, The Flinn Foundation
Tom McWilliams, Midwestern University
Ken Poocha, Director, Native American Programs, Arizona Association of Community Health Centers
Ginger Ryan, Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc.
Pam Thompson, Gila River Healthcare Corporation, Hu Hu Kam Memorial Hospital
Teresa Wall, Executive Director, Gila River Indian Community Department of Public Health
b. Rural Physicians Study Committee: The Rural Physicians Study Committee appointments have been made, and the committee’s first meeting is scheduled to take place in one of the Senate hearing rooms at the State Capitol in Phoenix on September 18 from 10-12. The meetings are open to the public.
Committee members are: Senator Marcia Arzberger and Repreentative Ed Poelstra (Co-Chairs, Senator Edward Cirillo, and Representative Mark Clark.
Public members on the committee are: Jim Carland, Chris Cronberg, Brian Grogan, and Alison Hughes.
The Committee’s purpose is to:
(1) examine federal and state policies that hinder or prevent physicians from practicing in the rural areas of this state;
(2) examine factors that cause physicians to cease practicing in rural areas of this state;
(3) examine the effect of the cost and availability of malpractice insurance as a factor in causing physicians to not practice or to cease practicing in rural areas of this state.
For further information, contact Pete Wertheim, Majority Research Analyst, Arizona House of Representatives, at pwerthei@azleg.state.az.us.
b. Resolutions of the 2002 Rural Health Conference: Sorry, folks, these were not yet ready for distribution – they will be sent as soon as available.
c. Northern Arizona Rural Health Forum: The Second Annual Northern Arizona Rural Health Breakfast Forum that will be held in Flagstaff from 7:30 am - 11:00 am, Wednesday, September 11, 2002 at the Radisson Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona. The forum agenda will include: Legislative Update -- Senator John Verkamp, Representative Tom O’Halleran; and Representative James Sedillo; Tobacco Tax Update – Ann Roggenbuck; Native American Health -- Tribal 638 Update, Myra Parker-AIRCH, Edeborah Tewa (Rural Summit Report); Christy Nations, ITEP, and Enei Begaye, BMWC. The forum will also feature Q and A sessions with panel participants. Sponsors of the forum include the Arizona Rural Health Association, the Arizona Public Health Association, the Northern Arizona Area Health Education Center; the Northern Arizona University College of Health Professions, and the University of Arizona, College of Public Health, Rural Health Office.
For further information, or to RSVP by August 30 for a free hot breakfast, contact Rhonda Johnson at Rhonda.Johnson@nau.edu or 928-523-4020.
d. Southern Arizona Rural Health Forum: The Arizona Rural
Health Association, the Southeast Arizona Area Health Education Center, and the UA College of Public Health’s Rural Health Office are currently organizing a planning group for the Second Annual Southern Arizona Rural Health Forum. If you would like to participate on the planning group, please contact:
Alison Hughes at ahughes@u.arizona.edu; or
Karen Halverson at ahalvers@ahsc.arizona.edu; or
Mary Riordan at mriordan@ahsl.arizona.edu.
e. Arizona Graduate Program in Public Health: The Arizona
College of Public Health offers a Master Degree in Public Health through a tri-university campus program at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona State University in Phoenix, and the University of Arizona in Tucson. Students enrolling in the program can choose from among the following concentrations of study: (1) Biostatistics; (2) Community Health Practice; (3) Environmental and Occupational Health; (4) Epidemiology; (5) Family and Child Health; (6) Health Administration and Policy; or (7) Health Education and Behavioral Sciences.
Rural Arizonans interested in rural health care issues are encouraged to consider entering the MPH program. For further information, including the application package for enrollment, see the program website at: http://www.publichealth.arizona.edu/
f. State Housing Fund: The Arizona Governor’s Office of
Housing Development recently released a notice of funding availability for projects and programs to benefit low-income households, including loans for development of housing for first-time homebuyers, rental units, and emergency selters and temporary housing, as well as grants for owner-occupied housing rehabilitation programs and owner-occupied housing emergency repair programs. Applications are due beginning August 30, 2002. Geographic funding objectives include commitment of at least 55% of the total funding committed from the State Housing Trust Funds to non-urban areas (those outside Maricopa and Pima Counties. Federal HOME geographic funding objectives also allocate specific funds by counties. Special needs funding objectives commit at least 25% of the total funds committed to serve special needs populations. For further information, http://www.housingaz.gov The office is sponsoring a workshop on "Beaking Down the Barriers to Affordable Housing," September 13, 2002 at the Little America Resort in Flagstaff. See website above for further information.
g. Fire Disaster Assistance: The Governor’s Office of
Housing Development is offering assistance for victims of the recent wildfire in Navajo County (see above website), as is the Arizona Department of Commerce.
See, http://www.azcommerce.com/News/Recovery%20Links.htm
h. Reminder – 5th National Community Health Workers/
Promotores Conference: The 5th National Community Health Workers/Promotores Conference, "Community Health Workers: An Emerging Workforce," will be August 28-30, 2002 in San Antonio, Texas. The annual conference originated with the Western Arizona Area Health Education Center (WAHEC) in Yuma, which continues to cosponsor the conference. For more information contact: National Community Health Workers/Promotores Network. Phone: (877) 743-1500; Email: chwnetwork@wahec.com.
i. Reminder -- Border Health Information Conference: The fourth annual Border Health: Information for Action Conference is scheduled to be held at the Rio Rico Resort September 26-27, 2002. For further information, contact Mary Contreras, College of Public Health, (520) 318-7270, Ext. 10 or ContrerM@u.arizona.edu.
j. Arizona-Mexico Commission’s Andy Nichols Award: In 2001, the Arizona-Mexico Commission created, and Governor Hull established, an award to celebrate the contributions of Andy Nichols to the quality of life in the Arizona-Mexico border region. The award is given to recipients who have emulated the efforts made by Andy Nichols to promote the general well being for all who live at the border. The first recipient was Puentes de Amistad; in 2002, the award was given to Hands Across the Border, both organizations that Andy Nichols knew well.
3. National News
a. HHS Rural Health Initiative: In July 2001, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, launched a new initiative on rural health. As part of the initiative, he created a department-wide rural task force "to determine the barriers rural communities face in trying to gain access to health and social service programs and to make recommendations on how we, as one department, can do a better job."
In July 2002, the Secretary’s Rural Task Force Report, "One Department Serving Rural America," was made public in conjunction with a Rural Health Summit about the new initiative held in Denver.
The report lists three important findings:
(1) Definition of Rural: HHS lacks a common definition of "rural" or set of definitions that are used by all agencies and staff offices and that accounts for the gradient between metropolitan and rural areas. As a result, it is difficult to target grants, evaluate services, develop policy, and quantify HHS’ investment in rural and frontier communities.
(2) Multiple Programs/Lack of Coordination: More than 225 HHS programs currently serve rural communities. Despite the breadth of support, rural communities struggle to access resources because individual programs have unique application, implementation and evaluation requirements. This lack of coordination in HHS is amplified at the State and local levels.
(3) Policy Development Process: The HHS policy development process does not consistently consider rural concerns. As a result, HHS policy decisions may have negative consequences for rural areas or fail to capitalize on opportunities to improve rural health and social services.
The report also lists five task force goals to improve key areas of the provision of health care and human services in rural areas. Each agency and staff office was asked to develop a plan addressing these five goals, and five goal workgroups used these as a basis for developing an HHS0wide plan and making recommendations to the Secretary.
Goal 1: Improving rural communities’ access to quality health and human services.
Goal 2: Strengthening rural families.
Goal 3: Strengthening rural communities and supporting economic development.
Goal 4: Partnering with State, local, and Tribal governments to support rural communities.
Goal 5: Supporting rural policy and decision-making and ensuring a rural voice in the consultative process.
The Rural Task Force made several recommendations to improve rural health and social services coordination:
(1) Create a formal structure within HHS with responsibility for coordinating rural policy initiatives among HHS agencies and staff divisions, as well as with external partners.
(2) Based on the work of this Rural Task Force, create an interagency workgroup that follows up on the proposed strategies.This workgroup would meet quarterly with the Secretary, or the Deputy Secretary, and report on HHS’ progress towards achieving the goals proposed by the Task Force. It would update this plan periodically.
(3) Ensure that the annual HHS budget development, legislative, and Government Performance and Results Act processes include a specific focus or crosscutting discussion about serving rural America.
(4) Develop a common methodology for determining HHS’ investment in specific communities and populations.
In conjunction with the public release of the Rural Task Force Report and the Rural Health Summit, the Secretary announced $46 million in funding, from three separate grants, to improve the services HHS provides to rural communities: $23 million through the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant Program; $15 million in new grants to improve the quality of care in over 1,000 small rural and frontier hospitals across the country; and $8 million going directly to the 40 state Offices of Rural Health to help rural and frontier communities with technical assistance, to coordinate statewide rural health activities, and to recruit and retain health care providers.
As a result of some of the task force’s findings, Secretary Thompson announced that he has directed the department’s ten regional representatives to work out a plan, tailor-made to their region, to make HHS easier to understand and more accessible to small organizations. He is also creating a single point of entry at HHS to give rural communities one focal point to receive information and technical assistance to HHS grants, which have been offered through about 225 different programs in the past.
Secretary Thompson also directed budget officers at HHS to ensure that the department’s annual budget process includes a specific focus on serving rural America.
Secretary Thompson noted the report’s finding that in many communities in America, health care and social services account for as much as 25 percent of that community’s economy. The need "to focus our efforts on issues that link the two areas" resulted in his decision to increase the number of people on the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and to amend its charter to focus on both health and social service issues.
The Secretary also reported that the department will "develop a new approach to better determine HHS’s investments in specific communities and populations including using geographic information systems to identify communities with unmet needs." As "President Bush has made expanding community health centers a key element of his pan to increase medical access for the nation’s most medically underserved individuals," funding for such centers in the FY 2003 budget provides a $114 million increase to $1.5 billion for health centers.
The Secretary has directed the Rural Task Force "to permanently continue their effort and follow up on the steps I’ve outlined today."
The Rural Health Task Force Report is available online at: http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/initiative.htm
b. HRSA Primary Care Service Areas (PCSAs): The Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the development of a new website for its project to develop a system of zipcode-based Primary Care Service Areas (PCSAs) covering the whole country. One goal of this effort was to develop a database of variables, evaluated at the PCSA level, that could be used for analysis of the distribution of health professionals and health care services, particularly those related to primary care, at the state, regional and national levels. For further information, see the project website at: http://pcsa.hrsa.gov
c. Wage Index and Geographic Variation in Physician Reim-bursement: The House Ways and Means Committee’s Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on July 23 on Medicare’s Geographic Cost Adjustments. The American Hospital Association testified before the subcommittee in support of H.R. 1609, the Area Wage Index and Base Payment Improvement Act, introduced by Representatives Phill English (R-PA) and John Tanner (D-TN), a bill that would set a floor on the area wage index used to adjust Medicare hospital inpatient and outpatient prospective payments, bringing Medicare payments in areas with the lowest wage index up to just below the national average. Another provision of the bill would raise inpatient PPS base payment amounts for rural and small urban hospitals to match the "large urban" rate, which was included in the recently passed H.R. 4954, the Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act.
The AHA’s testimony explained the issue of wage discrepancies for health care personnel in rural versus urban areas.
"As rural hospitals must now compete in a national labor market for the same health care workers as urban hospitals, today’s Medicare reimbursement policies hamper the ability of rural hospitals to close the expanding wage gap. As a result, many rural hospitals are paid too little to compete for personnel in an increasingly tight labor markert.
These facilities and the men and women who work in them are an integral part of their communities, not only providing access to health care services but also serving as a hub for public health, wellness and social services. Because many are smaller facilities, these hospitals have difficulty absorbing changes in reimbursement and coverage policies, as well as government regulatins. They are more severely affected by shifts in local demographics, health status, practice patterns and the loss of health care professionals. And, because there often are few or no reasonable alternatives to care, small or rural hospitals are usually the sole source of essential health care for their communities.
As rural hospitals struggle with continued Medicare and Medicaid payment reductions, mounting regulatory requirements and rising technology and blood expenses – all of which impose significant financial burdens on small rural hospitals – they must also confront a growing shortage of health care professionals. Because rural health care workers may earn less than their urban counterparts as a result of Medicare payment policies, these health care professionals may commute long distances or relocate to earn higher wages in urbanized areas. As a result, small or rural hospitals feel the financial pressure to compete with their urban neighbors for a dwindling pool of health care professionals.
America’s 2,200 rural hospitals provide essential inpatient, outpatient, and post-acute care, including skilled nursing, home health and rehabilitation services, to nearly 9 million Medicare beneficiaries. Rural hospitals rely heavily on Medicare payments, which can be 70 percent or more of their revenue, yet are less able to manage within prospective payment system (PPS) because of low financial reserves, thinner margins, and significant fluctuations in patient volume. These challenges, combined with their sparse populations and high levels of poverty, have significantly affected the ability of many rural hospitals to remain financially viable under Medicare prospective payment policies."
d. CMS Changes to Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Calendar Year 2003 Payment Rates; Changes to Payment Suspension for Unfiled Cost Reports: CMS published proposed new rules governing hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment (OPPS) in the August 9, 2002 issue of the Federal Register. CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rules until October 7, 2002. An August 6 press release states that hospitals would receive an increase of 3.5 percent in payment rates for outpatient services in 2003 under the proposed rule. Payments to rural hospitals would increase by 7.6 percent. The proposed rule will also allow the Secretary of Health to suspend Medicare payments "in whole or in part" if a provider fails to file a timely and acceptable cost report. To access the proposed rule, go to the CMS website: http://cms.hhs.gov/regulations/hopps/cms1206p.asp
e. CMS News Updates: In additional to the "CMS Quarterly Provider Update," reported in the last issue of Rural Health Briefing, CMS is now publishing a monthly "Open Door Forum Newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, contact Teresa Mundell (Tmundell@cms.hhs.gov) The quarterly newsletter is available online at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/providerupdate/default.asp
f. Interim Director of Indian Health Service: On August 1, 2002, President Bush announced his intention to appoint Charles W. Grim to be Interim Director of the Indian Health Service of the Public Health Service. Dr. Grim served as the Area Director of the Oklahoma City Area Indian Health Service since 1999 and was previously the Director of the Office of Health Programs for the Phoenix Area Indian Health Service. From 1992 to 1998, he served in several capacities with the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Service. Dr. Grim is a native of Oklahoma and a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.
g. JCAHO Solutions to Nursing Shortages: The Jt. Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations recently published a white paper, "Health Care at the Crossroads: Strategies for Addressing the Evolving Nursing Crisis. The solutions proposed by a special Joint Commission Expert Roundtable focus on transforming the nursing workplace; creating a clinical foundation for nursing educational preparation and advancement; and providing financial incentives for health care organizations to invest in high quality nursing care. For a copy of the white paper, go to:
http://www.jcaho.org/News+Room/Press+Kits/Nursing+Shortage+Press+Kit.htm
h. Rural Physician Shortages: A new research brief describes an experimental mode created at the University of Washington to understand how many physicians a rural community can actually support – understanding needed before instituting any policies to remedy shortages. See ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/RRF-RHHA.pdf
i. Hospital Software Tool to Improve Clinical Care: The Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ) recently release free software to provide the nation’s hospitals with a quick and relatively easy-to-use quaity check on their inpatient care. AHRQ’s Inpatient Quality Indicators (IQI) software can be downloaded from the agency’s web site at www.ahrq.gov/data/hcup/inpatqi.htm
j. Contextual Community Health Profile: The National Rural Health Association has developed a Contextual Community Health Profile that is intended to address the unique needs of ethnic groups that are often overlooked in planning processes that address the general health care needs of a community. The model is intended to be a tool to guide health planners toward culturally competent health programming, in accordance with the national goals of eliminating health disparities by the year 2010. The process has specific steps that are designed to help the health planner reach a more informed decision or set of decisions regarding appropriate health interventions. The model also directs health planners to additional resources that should help with the data collection and needs assessment process, and provides some options regarding interventions.
See http://www.nrharural.org/Model625/index.htm
k. USDA Food and Nutrition Website: The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a new website on August 15 with provides a breakdown of dozens of fatty acides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber and calories for more than 6,000 foods. The database lists 117 nutrient categories for each food that are not typically included on food package labels. Consumers can look up their favorite foods to see the details. The website is at:
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/SR15/sr15.html.
l. Website to Check Government Benefits: To find out if you are eligible for any of 85 or more government programs go to:
www.govbenefits.gov
4. How to Contact Your Representatives
a. Arizona Congressional Delegation: Links to Representatives are available at http://www.house.gov. Links to Senators are available at http://www.senate.gov.
b. Arizona State Legislators: Available through the Arizona Legislative Information System (ALIS): Call 1-800-352-8404
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/
5. Grant Opportunities
a. Last Chance Reminder – Rural Health Outreach/Network Grants
If you haven’t already done so, contact the HRSA Grant Application Center (HRSA GAC) at 1-877-477-2123, FAX 1-877-477-2234 or E-mail HRSAGAC @hrsa.gov to be put on the list to receive Rural Health Outreach or Network Development official application kits as soon as they are available. For the OUTREACH GRANT cite the reference number 93.912A For the NETWORK DEVELOPMENT GRANT cite the reference number 93.912B. Although most of the application materials are posted on the web, you must still call HRSA GAC at 1-877-477-2123 to receive the official application packet. For additional information contact Lilly Smetana at lsmetana@hrsa.gov or by calling 301-443-6884.
b. Selected Grant Opportunities: Information about grant opportunities are available through the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy’s Rural Information Center Health Service. Grants Relevant to Rural Health webpage is:
http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/richs/grants.htm
Some grant opportunities of interest for rural health issues include the following:
(1) Broadband Pilot Grant Program: The Rural Utilities Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a pilot grant program for the provision of broadband transmission service in rural America. For fiscal year 2002, $20 million in grants will be made available through a national competition to applicants proposing to provide broadband transmission service on a "community-oriented connectivity" basis. The "community-oriented connectivity approach will target rural, economically-challenged communities and offer a means for the deployment of broadband transmission services to rural schools, libraries, education centers, health care providers, law enforcement agencies, public safety organizations and businesses.
Deadline: Applications for grants will be accepted through November 5, 2002. For further information, contact Roberta D. Purcell, Assistant Administrator, Telecommunications Program, Rural Utilities Service, STOP 1590, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington DC 20250-1590. Telephone (202) 720-9554. Fax (202) 720-0810.
(2) TITLE:American Indian/Alaskan Native and Rural Community Planning Program (Federal Register, July 23, 2002)
AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SCOPE: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announces funding for grants to support community-based planning resulting in the development of a local substance abuse treatment system plan for American Indian and Alaskan Native and rural communities.
DEADLINE: September 10
CONTACT: For questions concerning program issues: Maria E. Burns, Division of Practice and Systems Development, CSAT/SAMHSA, Rockwall II, Suite 740, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. (301) 443-7641. mburns@samhsa.gov. For questions regarding grants management issues: Steve Hudak, Division of Grants Management, OPS/SAMHSA, Rockwall II, 6th Floor, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. (301) 443-9666,
shudak@samhsa.gov.
(3) TITLE: Substance Abuse Targeted Capacity Program (Federal Register, June 24, 2002)
AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SCOPE: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announces funding for grants to expand or enhance substance abuse treatment capacity in local communities
DEADLINE: September 10
CONTACT: For questions concerning program issues: James M. Herrell, Ph.D., Division of Practice and Systems Development, CSAT/SAMHSA, Rockwall II, Suite 740, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. (301) 443-2376. jherrell@samhsa.gov. For questions regarding grants management issues: Steve Hudak, Division of Grants Management, OPS/SAMHSA, Rockwall II, 6th Floor, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. (301)
443-9666, shudak@samhsa.gov.
(4) TITLE: H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant Program (Federal Register, April 13, 2001)
AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor
SCOPE: Local Workforce Investment Boards are eligible to apply for this skills training program that provides a long term solution to domestic skill shortages in high skill and high technology occupations. Funds may be used for technical skills training for employed and unemployed American workers. Training must focus on occupations that are experiencing skills shortages in the domestic job market. [Special note: This program has been used to address nursing workforce needs.]
DEADLINE: ongoing.
CONTACT: Programmatic Information: Fax questions to Le Phan, (202) 693-2879 (notice ID # SGA/DFA 01-105). Additional information: http://www.doleta.gov/h-1b.
(5) MultiPlan Rural Health Initiative
SCOPE: Multiplan, in partnership with the National Rural Health Association, has launched a program to help rural hospitals in obtaining accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
Contact: Alissa Foglia, (800) 677-1098. Email: rural@multiplan.com. Internet: http://www.multiplan.com
6. Conferences Relevant to Rural Health
a. National Association for Rural Mental Health's 28th
Annual Conference: "Riding the Winds of Change: Alternatives for the Journey," August 26-29; Santa Fe, NM For more information, contact: NARMH, 3700 W. Division Street, Suite 105, St. Cloud, MN (320) 202-1820
b. NOSORH Annual Conference: The National Organization
of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) will hold its annual meeting September 11-14, 2002 in Charlotte, North Carolina. See
http://www.ruralcenter.org/nosorh/events.html
c. National Association of Community Health Centers,Inc.
(NACHC): 2002 Annual Convention & Community Health Institute: September 14-17, New Orleans, LA. For more information, contact: Jennifer B. Shehan, Director of Conventions, Education & Training NACHC, 1330 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 122, Washington, DC 20036. Phone: (202) 659-8008; Fax: (202) 659-8519; email: jshehan@nachc.com
Website: http://www.nachc.com
d. 2002 National Rural Women's Health Conference:
September 19-21, Penn State University, Washington, DC. For more information, contact: Katie Earley, Conference Planner, Penn State University, 225 The Penn State Conference Center Hotel, University Park, PA 16802-7005. Phone: (814) 863-3100
Email: ConferenceInfo1@outreach.psu.edu
e. Rural Minority Health Conference: The 8th Annual Rural Minority Health Conference, "Race, Culture, Technology: Impact on Rural Minority Health," will be held December 5-6, 2002 in San Diego, CA. Contact Rosemary McKenzie for more information at (816) 756-3140 or rmckenzie@NRHArural.org.
f. Third International Congress of Rural Nurses: "Charting the Course for Rural Health in the 21st Century," October 3-5, Binghamton, NY, For more information, contact: Roberta Brundege, Decker School of Nursing, Binghamton University, Box 6000, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000
Phone: (607) 777-4954; Email: rbrundeg@binghamton.edu
Website: http://dson.binghamton.edu/
g. 130th APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition American
Public Health Association: "Putting the Public Back Into Public Health," November 9 - 13, Philadelphia PA. For more information, contact: American Public Health Association, 800 I. Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3710.
Phone: (202) 777-APHA (2742); Fax: (202) 777-2532.
Website: http://www.apha.org/meetings
h. Fourteenth Annual Rural Health Policy Institute: National Rural Health Association, March 3-5, 2003, Washington, DC. For more information, contact: NRHA, One West Armour Blvd. — Suite 203, Kansas City, MO 64111-2087. Phone: (816) 756-3140; Fax: (816) 756-3144 (fax);
Email: mail@NRHArural.org;
Website: www.nrharural.org
7. Other
a. Rural Health News: The Rural Information Center Health Service (RICHS) publishes a quarterly newsletter in hard copy and online form. For a report on "High Insurance Premiums Jeopardize Rural Obs," which includes the impact of medical malpractice insurance rate increases in Arizona, see the Spring-Summer 2002 issue at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/richs/rhnlinks.htm
b. National Advisory Committee on Rural Health: The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health (NACRH) is composed of citizen representatives of rural health constituencies throughout the country who are appointed to provide rural health policy recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NACRH met in Tucson and Bisbee June 9-11, 2002, to hear testimony on border health issues. The meeting was hosted by Alison Hughes, Arizona’s representative on the committee. Minutes of the June 9-11 Arizona meeting are available at:
http://www.ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/policy/nac.html
Also available on the website of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy is a recent NACRH publication, "A Targeted Look at the Rural Health Care Safety Net."
See, ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/NACReportbb.pdf
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