Rural Health and Primary Care

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Field Guide to Rural Health in Maine

The Maine Office of Rural Health and the New England Rural Health Association are partnering to create a first-ever Rural Health ‘Field Guide’ for Maine. The aim of the Field Guide will be to create an easily accessed web-based compendium of interesting and promising rural health programs, practices, and strategies underway throughout Maine. To ensure the Field Guide effectively serves your needs, we are surveying potential users like you to learn more about your use of information on rural health topics. The brief survey will take 10 minutes to complete. Please respond by November 24th!

Please Access the Survey Here

If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact Andy Coburn at coburn@maine.edu.

The Rural Health and Primary Care Program is excited to share the announcement of the launch of the New England Rural Data Analysis Dashboard, a collaborative effort supported by the six State Offices of Rural Health in New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

The New England Rural Health Association announces the new Rural Data Analysis Dashboard. Join us to learn about this dynamic mapping tool that enables rural health professionals, students, advocates, researchers and others to explore rural health disparities across New England at the state, multi-state, or regional levels.

Wednesday, November 20th, 12-1 PM EST - [Register Here]

The Rural Data Analysis Dashboard enables users to view data for almost 200 rural health data elements in categories including demographics, care utilization, insurance status, maternity services, social determinants, and more. Disparities can be mapped for all rural vs. urban or by small rural, large rural, small non-rural, and core metro. Users can download data and produce PDF copies for use in reports, research, advocacy efforts, and more.

The six State Offices of Rural Health made the Rural Data Analysis Dashboard possible by funding this joint project.

As we celebrate National Rural Health Day this month, join us in honoring the “Power of Rural” and the remarkable people and programs dedicated to advancing rural healthcare in Maine and across the country. From new funding opportunities to engaging webinars, this month is packed with events and resources aimed at supporting and strengthening rural communities. Below, you’ll find details on upcoming events, webinars, funding opportunities, and more. Let’s continue to make a meaningful impact in rural health together! 

National Rural Health Day

NOSORH is thrilled to celebrate the “Power of Rural” this month! Whether you’re part of a rural health team or just want to show some love to the people keeping rural communities healthy and thriving, National Rural Health Day is for all of us!

Visit PowerOfRural.org to find ways to engage, from sharing on social media to joining events. On November 21, we'll proudly announce this year’s lineup of incredible Community Stars—we can't wait for you to meet them!

Questions? Reach us at info@powerofrural.org

NRHD Main Event- RCORP Success Stories & Strategies

November 21 at 2:00 pm ET - Register Here 

Join the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) for an engaging live webinar celebrating National Rural Health Day! This year’s event spotlights the transformative impact of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), featuring powerful success stories and innovative strategies from grantees and key partners. Discover how these community-driven approaches can be adapted to drive lasting change in your own community.

Speakers:

Megan Meacham, MPH

Director, Rural Strategic Initiatives, HRSA Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Tedra L. Cobb, M.S.Ed

President, Tedra L. Cobb & Associates

Kim Shuler, LCSW

Chief Executive Officer, Arkansas Behavioral Health Integration Network, Inc.

Webinar: How Federal Funds are Being Used to Support Rural Communities

November 19 at 3:00 pm ET - Register Here

In celebration of National Rural Health Day, NOSORH invites you to join a dynamic panel discussion featuring leaders from the Utah State Office of Rural Health, Uintah Basin Medical Center, and Blue Mountain Hospital. This webinar will explore real-world success stories of how these Utah-based organizations leveraged combined federal funding to enhance financial performance and improve quality data outcomes in rural healthcare settings.

FREE Rural Health Clinical Congress - November 23

The RME Collaborative invites you to attend the Rural Health Clinical Congress Fall 2024 on Saturday, November 23! This free, multi-topic, interactive CME/CE conference is designed for clinicians serving patients from rural and underserved areas! The live broadcast starts at 9:00 am ET and offers a unique opportunity to earn FREE CME/CE credits, including pharmacology credits for nurses. 

Visit rhcc2024.com to register and view accreditation information. For questions, please contact RME Collaborative at cme@ruralhealthcme.com or 800-913-9370. 

Rural Health Policy Update

Update provided by Andrew Coats, NOSORH Legislative Liaison

Congress was out of session for the entire month of October. The House and Senate are scheduled to return on November 12 to begin a five-week "lame duck" session to close out the 118th Congress.

On November 13, NOSORH will host members of Congress, congressional staff, and rural health partner organizations in the Senate Dirksen Building at 8:30 a.m. ET for the 2nd annual National Rural Health Day Celebration on the Hill! House and Senate resolutions recognizing National Rural Health Day and the importance of rural health care will also be introduced in both chambers.

In late September, the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Authorization Act was introduced. The strong bipartisan bill (H.R. 9842) was introduced by Reps. Miller (R-WV), Sewell (D-AL), Carter (R-GA), Kuster (D-NH). Here is the bill text. NOSORH plans to get a companion bill introduced in the Senate by November. The end goal is to get the RCORP authorization bill through Congress by the end of 2024. Read More

Annual Rural Health Organization Survey Now Open

Are you looking for industry benchmarks or want to know how your rural health organization is doing compared to others nationwide? Wipfli, LLP, a healthcare consulting and advisory firm, invites NOSORH members and rural healthcare organizations from across the county to participate in its 3rd annual Rural Health Survey. The survey takes less than 8 minutes to complete and covers key business issues like workforce development, patient experience, financial performance and digital transformation. As a thank you for participating, you will receive a complimentary downloadable report with all the results, including current trends, growth projections and top business strategies in rural health care. All responses are confidential and will be reported in aggregate only. Organizations will not be contacted for any solicitation of services. The survey deadline is November 15.

Get Help Implementing AHRQ Resources for Diagnostic Excellence in the Rural Setting

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently developed several resources to improve diagnostic safety: Calibrate Dx, Measure Dx, and the Toolkit for Engaging Patients in Diagnostic Safety. The AHRQ-funded Implementing Diagnostic Excellence Across Systems (IDEAS) project is recruiting healthcare organizations to use and evaluate these resources. There is particular interest in the inclusion and participation of rural health hospitals and rural health clinics in the project. Participating rural organizations will receive support and training to implement sustainable improvement. Continuing education credits and American Board of Medical Specialties Maintenance of Certification points are available.  

Learn more by visiting the IDEAS website, emailing IDEASproject@rand.org, or attending a webinar hosted by Convergence Health: 

November 6, 12:00-12:30 pm ET– register here

November 12, 1:30 –2:00 pm ET – register here 

These webinars are designed for individuals who work in quality, risk management, patient safety, peer review, informatics, and practice management, as well as physician and executive leaders in rural hospitals and clinics. Recordings will be available. 

New Funding Opportunity: HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aimed at improving access to behavioral health services.

The BHWET Program for Professionals seeks to increase the supply and equitable distribution of behavioral health professionals, focusing on services for children, adolescents, and young adults.

Key Details:

  • Total Funding: $59.6 million across 101 grantees over four years
  • Eligible Applicants: Public and private institutions, hospitals, rural health clinics, governments, nonprofits, and more

For full eligibility and details, visit the Grants.gov page.
Application Deadline: January 21, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. ET

This opportunity aims to strengthen the behavioral health workforce and increase access to care where it's needed most.

The Rural Health and Primary Care Program is pleased to announce applications will be accepted for the Loan Repayment Program for Behavioral Health Providers beginning promptly on October 16th, at 9:00 AM at https://submit.link/11j. Please note, the application portal will not allow you to enter any information until October 16th, at 9:00 AM. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.

Eligible behavioral health providers are encouraged to read the announcement (PDF) closely and have all relevant documents ready before the application opens. Please also review the Verification of Educational Debt Form (Word) and a Data Form (PDF).

Applicants should complete as many Verifications of Education Debt Forms as needed to describe all relevant educational debt. The data form's purpose is to make applicants aware of the types of questions that they will be asked during the application. Therefore, this form does not need to be uploaded during the application.

Maine CDC’s Office of Rural Health and Primary Care Wins National Innovation Award

We are excited to announce that the Maine CDC Office of Rural Health & Primary Care Program has been awarded the prestigious Innovation Award by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. This honor recognizes our program's exceptional contributions to rural health, as well as our dedication to improving the health and well-being of Maine’s rural communities.

The award celebrates our ongoing efforts in advocacy, educational outreach, and our commitment to addressing the unique health needs of rural populations across the state.

We are pleased to share that the FY2025 season for J-1 Conrad 30 Waivers will soon begin! The preselection form will open at 9:00 AM on October 1st. To access the form, please click this link: J-1 Preselection Form. Please note that the form will not be available until the specified time.

For more information on the program, you can access the J-1 Guide for the 2025 Fiscal Year and the PDF of the recent presentation on the 2025 J-1 program cycle by clicking the links below:

Recently, the Rural Health and Primary Care Program hosted a webinar called “Immigration Pathways for your Recruitment Needs”. The webinar discussed the different pathways that facilities can use to recruit foreign trained physicians. You can review a copy of the slides here. If you would like access to the recording of this webinar, please reach out to Erica Dyer. There were a couple of resources mentioned in this presentation, you can find those here:

The 2024 3RNET Academy is coming right up again starting on Tuesday October 8th, 2024 and running biweekly until Tuesday December 17th, 2024. Again, our office has sponsored your attendance to the Academy so you can register and attend these sessions at no cost to you. For more information on the academy and to get the registration link and the code for your free registration (RecruitMaine2024), please visit the Academy website. This year’s sessions include Recruitment Processes to Set the Stage for Retention, Retention Strategies and Tools to Strengthen your Workforce, and Mission and DEIB Initiatives to Support Engagement and Retention.

Our office encourages all health care executives and human resources professionals serving Maine’s rural and underserved populations to participate!

The Northern Border Regional Commission J-1 Program will start accepting applications for Specialist Physicians on April 1, 2024. Our office has updated our NBRC Guide to include the specialty care requirements. In general, the requirements are the same but there are a few additions for specialty applicants. You can read the press release here.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) is leading a program over the next couple of months to assist safety net healthcare organizations take advantage of tax credits and grant programs created by the Inflation Reduction Act. They are offering a series of webinars and break out sessions to help hospitals, health centers and other providers learn how to successfully access and take advantage of these programs. Please go to Catalytic Program on Utilizing the IRA | HHS.gov to learn more about this program and to sign up for the webinars if this is of interest to your hospital.

Recently, the Rural Health and Primary Care Program hosted a webinar on the new Northern Border Regional Commission J-1 Waiver Program. You can view the slides (PDF) or watch a recording of the webinar (Passcode: b!u^2evs).

Also, our office has developed a guide to assist you in developing an application for the NBRC J-1 Waiver Program. View a copy of this guide (PDF).

As of December 5, the Northern Border Regional Commission’s (NBRC) J-1 Waiver Program is live and ready to accept applications. The Maine Rural Health and Primary Care Program will be responsible for reviewing all applications. The process is going to be very similar to the Conrad 30 J-1 Waiver Program in Maine. The NBRC will only be accepting applications from physicians practicing primary and mental healthcare during the first phase of the rollout. The employing facilities can be located in a HPSA of any score or an MUA. There is no deadline to accept these applications. However, each individual facility can only apply for 5 of these waivers per year.

For more information on the NBRC’s Visa Waiver program, please visit the Northern Border Regional Commission website. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our office.

Matthew Webster held a webinar hosted by the Rural Health and Primary Care office on October 17th , 2023. The presentation, Immigration Pathways for Recruitment, described the different immigration pathways that a facility can take to recruit a foreign trained physician. If you were unable to attend the webinar, or if you would like to watch it again, you can find the recording (Passcode: ZE6q+E%7) or view a copy of the slides.

The J-1 Guide for the 2023 cycle has been released. You can find the guide here. A link to the Smartsheet will be available in the coming weeks. Please feel free to reach out to our office with any questions.

Recently, Kristen Ogden, RN, from the Compliance Team gave a presentation to Maine’s Rural Health Clinics on the Patient Centered Medical Home. View the slides from the presentation (PDF). The recording can be found here, Passcode: M=8AW@kw.

Recently, Kate Hill, RN, from the Compliance Team gave a presentation to Maine’s Rural Health Clinics on Regulatory Updates.

The slides from this presentation can be found here: (Maine RHC June 2023 (PDF)
You can find the recording of the presentation here.
Passcode: Crp0ZH.$

The 2023 Kids Count Data Book has recently been released. This year’s book focuses on key indicators like Child Poverty, Child Welfare, and Teen Mental Health to name a few. You can find the data book on the Maine Children’s Alliance website (PDF).

Thanks to all who attended the Listening Session on the Statewide Rational Service Areas. For those who were unable to attend or would like to rewatch, the session was recorded and can be found here: Watch the Recording (passcode cv0zZv$4). You can also look at the handouts that were discussed in the presentation (PDF) and you can download the slides from the presentation here.

Please reach out to our office with any questions.

3RNET has recently launched their 3RNET PLUS TOOLS. Please follow this link (PDF) for a one pager with information on the 3RNET PLUS TOOLS including a video.