NRHA's Rural Health Voices blog offers informed commentary on the latest news in rural health care from NRHA staff and editorials from selected contributors.
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Author:
Brock Slabach
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Individuals in rural communities often face barriers to health stemming from economic factors, environmental differences, and feelings of isolation. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a generational challenge and exacerbated these concerns, revealing a critical need for rapid response efforts. With the support of a generous grant of $200,000 from CoBank, NRHA is helping rural health care providers overcome barriers they face through the creation...
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Author:
Alex T. Olson
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NRHA stands in solidarity with communities of color as we fight against the systematic, individually mediated, and internalized racism deeply embedded within our country and its institutions. Structural racism is a public health crisis, and its effects are detrimental to the physical and mental health of all individuals and communities. It is an underlying condition contributing to health inequities and the disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality borne by racial minorities.
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Author:
Laura Hudson
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Research shows rural populations have lower dental care utilization, higher rates of dental caries, lower rates of insurance, higher rates of poverty, less water fluoridation, fewer dentists per population, and greater travel distances to access care compared to urban populations. Improving the oral health of rural populations requires innovative practices and flexible approaches to expand and better distribute the rural oral health workforce, including approaches tailored to remote areas...
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Author:
Tommy Barnhart
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A significant amount of discussion on NRHA Connect and in other organizations has focused on
accounting and cost report treatment of various funding streams from COVID-19-related
legislation. This paper outlines some issues involved and suggests positions providers may
consider or discussions they should have with their financial and reimbursement advisers. The
positions of NRHA are not authoritative and should not be solely relied upon for financial or
reimbursement reporting. In...
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Author:
Mike Milligan
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With months of nothing but COVID-19 in the news, the promise of better days seems to be that much closer. Many states have started dialogues with residents about what reopening will look like and when it may begin. In Wisconsin, criteria for reopening includes “95 percent of hospitals being in a position to treat all patients without crisis care and test all direct-care staff with symptoms for COVID-19.” When will hospitals reach 95 percent? No one knows exactly – which...
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Author:
Mason Zeagler
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The National Rural Health Association and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have partnered to present a series of regional webinars to highlight Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding available to support America's rural healthcare providers, titled "Rural Providers and the Paycheck Protection Program."
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Author:
Author Name
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The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is proud to announce its 2020 Rural Health Award recipients. The Rural Health Awards are given each year to individuals and organizations in the field of rural health who have dedicated their time and talents to improving the health and well-being of others. “We’re extremely proud of this year’s winners,” says Alan Morgan, NRHA CEO. “They have each made tremendous strides to advance rural health care, and we’re...
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Author:
Donna Douglas
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The 20 highest-ranked critical access hospitals in the country, as determined by the Chartis Center for Rural Health, were recently announced by NRHA. The determining factors for the Top 20 CAHs were based on the results of the Hospital Strength Index and its eight indices of performance: inpatient market share, outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and financial efficiency. An awards ceremony will be held during NRHA’s Critical Access Hospital...
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Author:
Max Isaacoff
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NRHA has received guidance from the United States Treasury and Small Business Administration (SBA) on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The newly released guidance has clarified that governmental owned facilities are eligible for PPP loans, if they meet the conditions below. Working with our rural champions in Congress and the Trump Administration, NRHA and NRHA members advocacy has led to this important clarification. GET YOUR APPLICATIONS IN NOW!
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Author:
Mason Zeagler
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The Department of Health and Human Services has released the terms and conditions of the funds that are being awarded through the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, or the “Provider Relief Fund”. This funding will be crucial to rural providers, who are slated to recieve a $10 billion carve-out of the funds, and NRHA has highlighted important details below to ensure that rural providers are not unaware of the conditions of these funds.
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