With less than six months until November 16th, it’s time to start thinking about how you will celebrate. Visit the Ways to Celebrate page for some ideas. Stay tuned for additional tools to help you celebrate the Power of Rural!

3RNET, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to healthcare recruitment in rural and underserved communities, is excited to introduce its latest product, 3RNET PLUS TOOLS. This platform is specifically designed to assist recruiters, HR professionals, hiring managers, and CEOs at safety net facilities, including Critical Access Hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and Rural Health Clinics, in streamlining their recruitment tasks. The platform offers a range of features that simplify the recruitment process and ensure that safety net facilities can attract the best healthcare professionals to serve their communities.

Click here for more information about Plus Tools’ features and how to sign up for the free 30-day trial. Register here for 3RNET's live platform demonstration webinar on June 6 at 2:00 PM ET.

Senate Holds Rural Health Hearing: For the first time since 2018, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on rural health. On the afternoon of May 17, the Senate Finance Health Care Subcommittee met to focus on the challenges hospitals, physicians, and rural communities face. The hearing touched on provider shortages, infrastructure decline, telehealth access, value-based care models, and other topics. Witnesses from rural hospitals in Montana and Minnesota testified before the Committee and others. The Committee holding a hearing on a topic is generally a way to build the record toward introducing a rural health legislative package later this year or next. Here is Ranking Member Daines’ opening statement at the hearing. The action by the Finance Committee potentially sets the stage for the reauthorization of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility program, a major NOSORH-led initiative that NOSORH has been lobbying Congress on this year. Read More

To find your state's conference information or register, visit Stroudwater's registration page.

Join Wintergreen, The Compliance Team, and Lilypad for the 2nd annual RHC Summit on June 21-22, 2023. This free, virtual educational event features industry experts from across the rural health landscape. Learn innovations and best practices to improve quality, performance, management, and outcomes in rural health clinics. Knowledgeable speakers will present their latest thinking on post-pandemic, forward-looking opportunities as they reflect on lessons learned and recent developments. Hear about changes regarding telehealth and staff recruitment; financial management and revenue potential; rural health advocacy, and legislative impacts. This highly successful annual meeting is open to providers, management, and all stakeholders involved in rural healthcare, at no cost. Review the agenda and register for this event today!

The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy is pleased to announce that the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program (RMOMS) is open on grants.gov (announcement number: HRSA-23-049) and accepting applications through July 7, 2023. A total of $2 million is anticipated to fund up to two health networks in this cooperative agreement program. The purpose of the RMOMS program is to preserve access to and continuity of maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities that address the following RMOMS Focus Areas: 1) Rural Hospital Obstetric Service Aggregation; 2) Approaches to Risk Appropriate Care; and 3) Financial Sustainability. RMOMS is prioritizing funding for areas with the highest maternity care health professional target areas (MCTAs) scores. 

A technical assistance webinar was held on May 31st. The webinar recording will be made available on the RMOMS webpage. Please contact RMOMS@hrsa.gov for more information.