• TennCare Redetermination: A Call to Collaborate During this presentation, Tennessee Justice Center will be providing a general overview of the renewal process as well as TennCare’s redetermination plan as presented to CMS. It will describe the potential pitfalls that you need to know as well as provide strategies to consider when developing specific plans for helping constituents. This webinar is March 1st at 11:00am CST. Find out more and register here.

• Initial Hepatitis C Evaluation for Adults and Postpartum Persons Join Tennessee's Department of Health Hepatitis C Virus Project Echo for this webinar on March 1st at 12:00pm CST. Register and find out more here.

• Disability Day on the Hill Tennessee Disability Coalition and the disability community will be heading back to the Hill in person this year on March 8th, but they have a virtual Webinar with Legislators on March 2nd at 1:00pm leading up to their visit to the capitol. Find our more here.

• Preparing Students with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities for Inclusive Higher Ed: Resources and TN-Funding Options featuring Think College and the TN Alliance for Inclusive Higher Education This webcast will be 2-fold. The webcast's first part will focus on finding college options for students with intellectual disabilities. It will include a review of resources to help students and families to find the right fit, prepare for college, and pay for college. The webcast's second part will focus on the Tennessee Alliance for Inclusive Higher Education and Tennessee resources to help students and families pay for college. The first webinar will be March 3rd at 3:00pm CST. Register here.

• Wide Open Spaces: Improving HPV Cancer Prevention with Rural Communities The St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program is hosting a series of four virtual seminars leading up to International HPV Awareness Day on March 4, 2023. Register for this March 3rd at 11:00am CST webinar here.

• Federal Telehealth Policy Update Webinar The Southeastern Telehealth Resource Center will be hosting a webinar with Mei Kwong from the Center for Connected Health Policy to provide an update on federal telehealth policy. This webinar will bring timely information regarding the status of telehealth waivers and regulation post PHE. Webinar is on March 7th at 12:00pm CST. Register here.

• RHCs & the Medicare Shared Savings Program- What You Need to Know Webinar Rural Health Clinic participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) has grown significantly in recent years. Join the National Association of RHCs for an upcoming webinar on March 7th at 2:00pm CST where Dr. Doug Jacobs from the Center for Medicare at CMS and Dr. Clint MacKinney from Rural Health Value will provide an overview of MSSP and address RHC specific considerations for participation. Register here.

• Child Advocacy Days 2023 Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth's Child Advocacy Days 2023 will be an in-person event held at Ray Stevens Musical Showroom in Nashville on March 7-8. Find the agenda and register for this event here.

• TN Day of Hope Join TDMHSAS and United Way of West Tennessee for their Day of Hope Prayer Breakfast to recognize nonprofit agencies and programs, followed by their conference and resource fair on March 10th from 8:30am-2:00pm at Jackson State Community College. Find our more and register here.



Resources

• Rural Health Training Program East Tennessee State University's College of Public Health has partnered with the Association of Schools and Programs to develop a 10 module series "Rural Health Training Program." These self-paced modules are completely free and can be accessed here. Learn more about the modules here.

• Rural Hospitals: Community Cornerstones Facing Perilous Threats to Care View this infographic presenting data regarding the importance of rural hospitals to their communities. It includes information on workforce and financial challenges experienced by rural hospitals, as well as the impact of hospital closures on access to care and provides recommendations on actions to support rural hospitals and communities. View the information here.

• COVID-19 Pandemic Associated with Worse Mental Health and Accelerated Brain Development in Adolescents A study supported by the National Institute of Mental Health suggests that adolescents living through the COVID-19 pandemic may be experiencing more anxiety and depression symptoms and accelerated brain aging. Find the study here.

• General Preventive Medicine and Public Health Residency Program The Public Health and General Preventive Medicine Residency Program (GPM) at Meharry Medical College is looking for individuals who want to pursue a career in Preventive Medicine with a special interest in Maternal and Child Health, with emphasis on the health of underserved and rural communities. Board certification in a Primary care specialty will be enhanced by additional education and experiences in public health and prevention. GPM residents interested in working in FQHCs and RHCs will receive training in public health, health administration, clinical preventive medicine as well as additional training in maternal & child health. The training offered by this program will benefit providers who work with patients with multiple chronic diseases and other health concerns. This program will support physicians who have completed training in a primary care specialty. The intent of the program is to impact health disparities and address health equity across the social determinants of health factors in the state of Tennessee and the United States. Learn more here.

• New Telehealth Website Updates on Medicaid.gov CMS launched a new virtual home for telehealth content on Medicaid.gov. The redesigned pages make it easier for users to find information about how telehealth can be utilized under Medicaid. Visitors will find resources for states and territories as they consider telehealth for the delivery of Medicaid-covered services. Find the information here.

• Certified Men's Health Educator Training: The Certified Men’s Health Educator (CMHE) training course is aimed at healthcare professionals and others who are passionate about helping boys, men, and their families achieve true health and wellness—and re-imagining the healthcare system in a welcoming, guy-friendly way. To learn more and register, click here.

• Remote Implementation of a School-Based Health Promotion and Health Coaching Program in Low-Income Urban and Rural Sites: Program Impact during the COVID-19 Pandemic This study examines the school-based health promotion and coaching skills program, Stanford Youth Diabetes Coaches Program (SYDCP), which was adapted for remote implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses results of remote implementation in urban and rural sites and includes comparative data of results related to health knowledge and behaviors, personal growth/youth assets, and more. Find the study here.

• The Health of US Primary Care: A Baseline Scorecard Tracking Support for High-Quality Primary Care This study examines the support for implementing high-quality primary care in the United States across measures in five categories: financing, workforce, access, training, and research. It presents data on primary care financing trends from 2010 to 2020, the number of primary care physicians per capita in medically-underserved areas (MUAs) and non-MUAs by state, trends in financing primary care research, and more. View the study here.

• Hyde-Smith, Merkley Announce Establishment of CDC Office of Rural Health The FY2023 funding bill signed into law by President Biden in December included language establishing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Rural Health. The creation of this office will coordinate rural health efforts across CDC programs and develop a strategic plan for rural health at the agency.

• Rural Health Information Hub The RHIhub is a great first stop when looking for information, opportunities, and resources on rural health. Access the RHIhub here.

Funding Opportunities

The below grants have been hand picked to offer new funding opportunities to our members.

• A Strategic Approach to Advancing Health Equity for Priority Populations with or at Risk for Diabetes- Deadline March 7
• CDC Advancing Health Equity for Priority Populations with or at Risk for Diabetes – Deadline March 7th
• Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome- Deadline March 8th
• Supporting the Management of Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care and other Ambulatory Settings- Letter of Intent due Marth 14th
• Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals (GBHI)-Deadline March 20
• Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children's Health Grant Program- Deadline March 20
• SAMHSA Services Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women- Deadline March 27th
• Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) Program- Deadline April 7th
• Advancing Equity in Adolescent Health through Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs and Services- Deadline April 18th
• Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) Program- Deadline April 28th