News stories via the Rural Assistance Center
Sun Apr 24 04:42:33 EDT 2011
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Inequality Rising in Rural and Urban America - Daily Yonder article discusses how income inequality is increasing between counties in both rural and urban America, and there is growing evidence that inequality has a number of ill effects on society.

CCNA Photo Contest: Nursings Impact on Health Care in Rural America - The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) blog reports that the Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA) is sponsoring a photo contest to highlight the amazing work that rural nurses are doing.

Secretaries Duncan and Sebelius Launch Outreach Effort to Help Make Graduating Students Aware of the New Health Coverage Options Under the Affordable Care Act - Education (ED) Secretary Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius have launched a new initiative to help educate graduating college and university seniors about their new health insurance options under the Affordable Care Act.

FDA Strategic Priorities 2011 2015 Now Available - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released the final version of a strategic priorities document outlining the goals that will guide the agency and its 12,000 employees through 2015.

CDC Reports Target Time-Strapped Health Leaders - HealthLeaders Media reports that the CDC's Healthy Communities Program has released "Research to Practice: Building Our Understanding," a series of reports that focus on health communication practices. Community and rural hospital executives are among the intended audiences for the reports.

New Study Examines the Impact of the ACO Rule on Medically Underserved Populations - Newswise reports that a new policy research brief from the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative examines the impact on medically underserved Medicare beneficiaries of CMS proposed rule implementing the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Broadband Investments To Spur Job Creation and Economic Opportunity in Rural America - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced support for telecommunications projects in seven states to improve broadband service to rural residents and businesses.

USDA Report Outlines Renewable Power Opportunities for Rural Communities - USDA today issued a report that identifies and discusses the wide array of renewable power opportunities available to producers in rural America. The report, titled Renewable Power Opportunities for Rural Communities, is intended to serve as a summary and guide to assist rural utilities that may be considering investing in a renewable electricity generation project and for policymakers who may be considering how to encourage such investments.

CMS to Release First CAH PEPPERs This Month - AHA News reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will release the first annual Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Reports for Critical Access Hospitals around April 25.

Medicaid Program; Federal Funding for Medicaid Eligibility Determination and Enrollment Activities; Final Rule - This final rule will revise Medicaid regulations for Mechanized Claims Processing and Information Retrieval Systems.

State Groups Battle Over Dental Therapist Legislation - DrBicuspid.com article reports on the efforts of five U.S. states to develop midlevel dental provider programs in five U.S. states. Advocates insist that the dental auxiliary model would answer a need for oral health services for millions of Americans living in poor, isolated, and rural communities where dentists are in short supply.

TIA Supports FCCs Concrete Steps Toward Creation of Connect America Fund - The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) today filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) supporting its efforts to restructure the Universal Service Fund (USF) and Intercarrier Compensation (ICC) programs to support broadband deployment.

Proposed Medicare Hospital Rules Would Help Improve Care Quality - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued a proposed rule that would update Medicare payment policies and rates for hospitals in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012. Proposals included in the rule would help support the Obama Administrations efforts to reform our health care delivery system by improving care quality and patient outcomes, addressing long-term health care cost growth, and supporting the goals of the recently announced Partnership for Patients.

Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division; Proposed Statement of Antitrust Enforcement Policy Regarding Accountable Care Organizations Participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program - The FTC and DOJ are proposing an enforcement policy regarding the application of the antitrust laws to health care collaborations among otherwise independent providers and provider groups, formed after March 23, 2010 that seek to participate, or have otherwise been approved to participate, as accountable care organizations (ACOs) under the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

NEI Names 2011 Healthy Vision Community Awards Recipients - Working in Appalachia and Harlem, serving toddlers and seniors, the 2011 Healthy Vision Community Awards (HVCA) winners are committed to making eye health and vision priorities in their communities. HVCA, sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, is a unique program that provides awards up to $10,000 to make a difference in communities across the Nation by supporting grassroots eye health education.

A Perspective on Accountable Care Organizations - CancerNetwork.com article describes Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), how they are organized and the funding structure as proposed by CMS.

AHA Report Examines ACA Challenges for Rural Hospitals - AHA News Now highlights a new report that examines the challenges facing rural hospitals as they implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Estimated State Median Income for a Four-Person Family, by State, for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2012, for Use in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); Notice - This notice announces to LIHEAP grantees the estimated median income of four-person families in each State and the District of Columbia for FFY 2012 (October 1, 2011, to September 30, 2012).

SAMHSA is Accepting Applications for $14 Million for Planning Grants to Expand Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2011 for planning grants to expand Comprehensive Community Mental Health services for children and their families (System of Care Expansion Planning Grants). The purpose of these grants is to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for improving and expanding services provided by systems of care (SOC) for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families.

USDA Rural Development Invites Applications for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today invited agricultural producers and rural small businesses to apply for loans and grants to implement renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements.

New Flexibility for States to Improve Medicaid and Implement Innovative Practices - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced four initiatives to give states more flexibility to adopt innovative new practices and provide better, more coordinated care for people with Medicaid and Medicare while helping reduce costs for states and families.

CMS Seeks Hospitals to Participate in Care Transitions Program - AHA News Now article reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is accepting applications from hospitals and community-based organizations eligible to participate in the Community-based Care Transitions Program that will provide $500 million over five years for care transition services for Medicare patients at high-risk for readmission.

15 States Win Contracts to Develop New Ways to Coordinate Care for People with Medicare and Medicaid - Fifteen states across the country have been selected to design new ways to meet the often complex and costly medical needs of the nations lowest-income and chronically ill citizens, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced.

Capitol Hill Hearing on ACA Implementation - The National Rural Health Association, (NRHA) article reports that on Friday, April 15 at 10 A.M. the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of House Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on the current status of implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

SAMHSA is Accepting Applications for $19.8 million in Cooperative Agreement Grants to Develop and Strengthen Behavioral Health Services for Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting grants for programs designed to help persons who experience chronic homelessness to help them achieve sustainable permanent housing and other important services.

Obama Offers Framework to Cut Federal Budget Deficit - Kaiser Health News offers a variety of articles discussing President Obama's budget plan, which the administration says would cut federal budget deficits by $4 trillion over 12 years.

Unemployment Rises in the West - Daily Yonder article reports that three quarters of the counties in rural America have lower unemployment rates now than a year ago, but the counties that have experienced rising unemployment are clustered west of the Mississippi River.

Additional Legislation of Interest - The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) blog reports on current legislation that is of interest to rural organizations and providers.

New Joint Commission Educational Tool Helps Hospitals Create a Smoke-Free Campus - Joint Commission article reports that they have issued a how-to guide that offers hospitals and other health care organizations useful strategies for implementing and enforcing a successful smoke-free or tobacco-free policy.

Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Health and Human Services announces that a public meeting of the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas will be held May 18-20, 2011, in Rockville, Maryland.