The Branch
A monthly update for NOSORH members and partners
November 2021
The 11th Annual National Rural Health Day is November 18!
It’s not too late to get involved with National Rural Health Day (NRHD) and plan your celebration! Below you’ll find a snapshot of some of the 2021 activities...with more to come!
 
NRHD Live Event - Telling the Rural Star Stories
Nov 18 at 2 pm ET
NOSORH is proud to host this live webinar featuring State Offices of Rural Health and Community Star stories on Resolve, Resiliency, Relationships and Readiness. Hear about Power of Rural stories, lessons learned and resources that make a big difference in the health of rural communities. Register today!

NRHD Twitter Chat- Digital Equity and the Health of Rural Americans
Nov 17 at 1 pm ET
NOSORH is co-hosting a digital equity Twitter Chat with the RHIhub. Search #RuralHealthChat to join the discussion

Rural Health Clinical Congress
Nov 20 at 9 am ET
NOSORH is partnering with RME Collaborative for the 3rd Annual Rural Health Clinical Congress, a FREE virtual CME/CE conference held in conjunction with NRHD! This multi-topic event will be broadcast live on Saturday, November 20, starting at 9:00 am ET. Learn more about this unique continuing education event and help us spread the word!

Download & Share Free Tools
Check out the Promotional Toolkit at PowerofRural.org for various free downloads, including posters, coloring books, graphics, idea guides and more!

Shop for NRHD Swag
Shirts, face masks, hand sanitizer, pet bandanas & more can be purchased at the NRHD store! Be sure to order no later than November 1 to allow for shipping delays.

Join the #PowerofRural Movement on Social Media
Watch the #PowerofRural span the country on Nov.18! Use the official NRHD hashtag in your tweets, posts, and photos at 11:18 am (in your time zone) on 11/18! Follow @NOSORH on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram for the latest NRHD events!

Do you have an NRHD event planned that you want to spread the word about? Tell us about it here and NOSORH will share your event on @NOSORH social media accounts.

2021 Community Stars 
Stay tuned for the release of the 2021 Community Stars eBook on November 18, featuring an inspiring Power of Rural story from ALL 50 states!
 
Visit PowerofRural.org to learn more and join in on the celebration!
Technical Assistance Coordinator Joins NOSORH Team
The NOSORH Technical Assistance (TA) Team welcomes Tonne McCoy, formerly of the Idaho Bureau of Rural Health and Primary Care, as the new Technical Assistance Coordinator (TAC).

During her tenure with the Idaho SORH, Tonne managed the SORH grant, served as a subject matter expert for CMS-certified Rural Health Clinics, and served as the Quality Liaison on a division-wide committee. Her list of credentials is long, most notably including Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional and LEAN Six-Sigma Green Belt Certification. She has been publicly recognized for customer service skills, peer mentorship and her positive can-do attitude.

A native of rural Idaho, Tonne has been engaged in NOSORH work for many years, serving on the Primary Care Committee, participating in several Education Exchange projects, and leaning into connections to enhance her ever-growing knowledge of working with rural healthcare practices and providers. She can be reached at tonnem@nosorh.org.
Rural Health Policy Update
On October 18, the Senate released their Fiscal year 2022 (FY 22) omnibus spending package. Included in the Labor-HHS package was $12.5 million for the State Office of Rural Health grant program for FY 22. In July, the House included $13 million for the SORH grant program, an increase of $500,000 over FY 2021. The House and Senate appropriations committee will work out the differences and settle on a final number. The Senate bill included $57,509,000 for the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program. Read More
Dec. 8 Webinar: Economic Development for Healthcare Leaders, Part One
NOSORH and the Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health (CEARH) invite you to join the first of two economic development webinars for rural health care leaders on Wednesday, December 8th at 3:00 pm EST. In this webinar, CEARH Director Alison Davis will cover the basics of economic development: what it is, why communities “do” economic development, and the primary stakeholders involved in economic development efforts. 

Economic development usually takes three forms in communities: business attraction, business creation (entrepreneurial development), and business retention and expansion. All three forms aim to create new primary jobs that pay more than the prevailing wage, increase the amount of income coming into the community from outside its market area, and create greater capital investment in the community. It’s vital for health care leaders to be aware of economic development efforts locally, and ideal if leadership can play an active role in economic development efforts. The webinar will explore success stories where health care leaders have played an active role in local or regional economic development initiatives that affect the local health care sector.

For more information, check the flyer and be sure to register here!
Register Now- Critical Access Hospital Webinar Series
Registration is open for Eide Bailly's Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Webinar Series. The six-session series is designed specifically for CAH professionals, addressing key topics with actionable information to help plan now for the future, including:

-340B Programming Trends
-Navigating Price Transparency
-RHC Updates
-Physician Compensation Strategies
-Cybersecurity Trends in Healthcare
-Navigating Financial Markets

Register now for one or all six sessions! The first session is on November 5, 2021.
Featured Community Star
Each month, NOSORH features the work of an innovative SORH or community leader who inspires collaboration, communication, education and/or innovation. The model efforts provided in these stories may be helpful to your rural community.
Virginia Berry White
South Carolina Office of Rural Health Family Solutions

For 23 years, Virginia has worked closely with perinatal providers to identify solutions to disparities in access, care, and outcomes. Her efforts in forging strong partnerships have contributed to the state's efforts to reduce infant mortality rates. Under her leadership, the Family Solutions Healthy Start initiative reduced the infant mortality rate by 65% through client-centered interventions and strong collaborations with community and healthcare providers.

November
18
National Rural Health Day
Visit powerofrural.org to learn more about this year’s #PowerofRural celebration
November
20
Rural Health Clinical Congress
Mark your calendar for this free multi-topic CME/CE event held in conjunction with National Rural Health Day!
April
19-20
Rural EMS & Care Conference
Save the Date for the 2022 conference in Columbus, OH
New Toolkit: Rural Medication for Opioid Use Disorder
The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) and NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis released a NEW evidence-based toolkit on Rural Medication for Opioid Use Disorder. This toolkit highlights different models and programs to address Opioid Use Disorder in rural communities. Four categories for rural MOUD programs are featured in this toolkit; patient initiation, system of care, psychosocial services, and improving access. Organizations may combine several models to meet their community’s needs. http://ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/moud
Rural Healthy People 2030 Survey - Rural Health Stakeholder Input Needed!
The Southwest Rural Health Research Center at Texas A&M University, with funding support from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, is conducting a survey as part of Rural Healthy People 2030 – a project designed to understand the most important health priorities for rural Americans. They are asking rural health stakeholders – individuals who work in roles aimed at improving the lives and health of rural Americans – to participate by completing the survey at the link below. The study should take about 20 minutes to complete. If you have any questions about this study, please reach out to Timothy Callaghan at callaghan@tamu.edu.


Texas A&M IRB #IRB2021-0455; IRB approval date: 6/2/21
#PowerofRural