The Branch
A monthly update for NOSORH members and partners
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National Rural EMS & Care Conference: Register by April 8 |
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Enrolling Now: 2022 Rural Health Data Institute! |
Are you a busy rural health professional that would like to learn more about using data in your everyday work? NOSORH’s Rural Health Data Institute (RHDI) will help participants find, analyze, and communicate data to inform program planning and decision-making.
The RHDI is a set of eight 90-minute web-based sessions designed to create a basic skill set for working with rural health data. Whether working with the community health needs assessment (CHNA) data or implementing a quality improvement initiative, RHDI will provide the foundational skills needed to critically analyze, interpret, and communicate using data.
Course sessions will occur on Tuesday afternoons from May 3 – June 21, 2022, including a brief survey of participation and occasional quizzes. All sessions are recorded to watch at your convenience.
Registration is now open until April 22, 2022. Spots in the RHDI are limited, so be sure to register today!
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Join the NOSORH Team! New Education Coordinator Position Available |
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) is seeking an Education Coordinator who will support NOSORH’s efforts to provide innovative, high-quality, and engaging educational resources for State Offices of Rural Health and other rural stakeholders. NOSORH is powered by a State Offices of Rural Health Board of Directors and is dedicated to improving rural health. Competitive salary, flexible work schedule, and flexible benefits available.
Keys to a successful applicant: you are a solution-focused, independent thinker who enjoys exploring new models of delivering educational offerings. You enjoy working on a variety of projects and learning about new topics that impact rural health. You excel at explaining a wide variety of issues, verbally and in writing, and uncovering existing resources for rural stakeholders.
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New and Improved “Policy & Advocacy” Section on NOSORH Website |
The former “Policy” section of the NOSORH website recently underwent some major updates! The relabeled “Policy & Advocacy” section can be found on the homepage navigation menu and focuses on five main sub-menus: About Policy & Advocacy, Policy Committee, PARC/ Regulatory, Advocacy Outreach, and Regulatory Comments.
NOSORH regularly monitors proposed changes in Federal regulations and program guidance that could affect rural health. The Regulatory Comments page lists recent comments submitted by NOSORH, providing perspective on the likely impact of the proposals. The comments are organized by topic area and hyperlinked for easy access. The Advocacy Outreach page outlines the advocacy priorities of NOSORH and features several helpful resources. The other pages feature updated information about NOSORH committees, legislative liaison staff, and resources. |
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Expanding Access to COVID-19 Testing Supplies |
The HRSA COVID-19 Testing Supply Program provides free, at-home self-tests and a limited quantity of point-of-care testing supplies to health centers and Medicare-certified rural health clinics (RHCs). The program is intended to ensure COVID-19 tests are made available to populations and settings in need of testing, especially populations at greatest risk from adverse outcomes related to COVID-19.
This is a voluntary program. Only health centers and RHCs that register with HRSA and place orders through the online ordering system will receive the self-tests, point-of-care analyzers and test strips, or any other testing supplies that may become available.
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Rural Health Policy Update |
Congress Passes FY22 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
On March 9, Congress passed and the President signed into law, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022. The bill funds the federal government through September 30, 2022. Included in the bill was the establishment of a Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance program, a significant increase in funding for the Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant program, and continued funding for the State Offices of Rural Health Program. Read More
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New "Introduction to RHCs" Course Launched by NARHC |
The National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) recently launched the “Introduction to RHCs” course - an orientation tool that offers new employees of RHCs the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of RHCs as well as a brief history of the RHC program.
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St. Mary’s County Health Department
Leonardtown, Maryland
During the early stages of the pandemic, St. Mary’s County Health Department was busy mobilizing partners and assessing areas of health that may be impacted – including access to water. They teamed up with the St. Mary’s County Metropolitan Commission and county government to ensure that residents would not have their clean water supply shut off while unable to work during quarantine.
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Supporting Rural Health Coalitions: Opportunities with your SORH
New NOSORH fact sheet helps rural community-based health coalitions understand how a State Office of Rural Health can support their efforts. Developed by NOSORH, with support from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, this fact sheet is intended for rural health stakeholders that are part of, or interested in forming, a community-based health coalition to address local challenges.
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NOSORH Annual Meeting
Harrisonburg, VA
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