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Partnerships - Education - Advocacy - Resources
"Time Out for Men's Health" Webinar
Join us as The Rural Health Association of Tennessee hosts a webinar titled, "Time Out for Men's Health" on June 2 from 10am-11am CST. Our guest speaker is Mike Leventhal, Executive Director with the Men's Health Network- Tennessee.

Learn more about:
  • Who is Men's Health Network, and why is men's health important?
  • "The Silent Crisis" that is men's health.
  • Ways and means for public health professionals to get involved and become part of the men's health movement.

Find the agenda and register for this event here. We look forward to seeing you there!
ArchPro 2-Day RHC & FQHC Bootcamp

ArchPro 2-day Documentation, Coding, and Billing Bootcamp will be held at The Residence Inn in Franklin, TN on June 23rd and 24th. This training focuses on clinical documentation, coding, and billing for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers/Community Health Centers (FQHCs) and allows attendees to optionally earn the RHC/FQHC-specific coding and billing credentials.

The cost of this event is $50 per attendee

Find the agenda and register for this event here. We look forward to seeing you there!

The 8th Annual Student, Resident, and Faculty Virtual Poster Competition is now open! This virtual research poster competition is a low-cost way for students, residents, and faculty to share their research without the costs of producing a “hard-copy” poster. Division winners and the overall winner will receive a gift certificate or modest cash award (check).

Submission Deadline: Monday, October 17, 2022 (No late entrants will be accepted). 

Announcements of the winners will be Thursday, November 17, 2022 at the Annual Conference luncheon (winners do not have to be present to win)

Find out more information here.
Member Spotlight
The Tennessee Breast and Cervical Program's mission is to prevent unnecessary disease, disability, and premature death due to cancer of the breast and/or cervix. They do this by providing direct services through local health departments and over 400 contract vendors. Those vendors include FQHCs, private physicians, breast centers, surgeons, GYNs, imaging centers etc.
The basic eligibility requirements for our program are:
               At or below 250% of the federal poverty level based on family size
               Tennessee resident
               Uninsured/underinsured
You can access their program website here Tennessee Breast & Cervical Screening Program (tn.gov).
Events
  • Men's Health Network Join us on June 2nd at 10am CST for our webinar "Time Out for Men's Health" featuring Mike Leventhal, executive director of the Men's Health Network in Tennessee. Register for the event here.

  • Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Enrollment Unwinding Call Join the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the first of a monthly partner education series on Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Enrollment Unwinding. Over the COVID-19 public health emergency, the federal government eased rules in order to prevent people with Medicaid and CHIP from losing their health coverage during the pandemic. However, at some point soon states will be required to restart Medicaid and CHIP eligibility reviews meaning that millions of people could lose their health coverage due to procedural reasons. HHS and CMS are working to ensure that people are connected to the best coverage they are eligible for and would like to partner with you. Register here for this May 25th call.

  • Pressure Injury Treatment Considerations and Management This session will enable the attendee to move beyond their understanding of basic wound care for pressure injury (PI) management and learn more about the management of pressure injuries with biophysical and surgical options while managing pressure injury pain. This session will also discuss strategies for implementing education and quality improvement from the 2019 International Pressure Injury Prevention and Treatment Guidelines and how to incorporate PI prevalence and incidence studies as a component of your plan. This online event is Thursday, May 26, 1:00 - 2:00 pm CST. Register here.

  • Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network Training TSPN will host two IN-PERSON Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) in the Mid-Cumberland Region. This is an internationally acclaimed, evidence-based workshop developed by LivingWorks. Click here to learn more about the Clarksville class, and click here to learn more about the Dover class. 

  • Optimizing and Sustaining Telehealth Operations in Rural Communities On June 2, join HRSA Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs - Region 10 to learn from experts from federal, state, regional, and healthcare organizations who will provide practical information and tools on sustaining telehealth operations in rural communities. Register for the webinar here.

  • Suicide Prevention In-Person Event Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital, alongside The Jason Foundation, is hosting a free educational event for suicide prevention. Registration is required for attendance. This event is for anyone working alongside kids/teens who need resources about suicide prevention and intervention. Free dinner and resources will be provided at The Westin on June 9th. Register for the event here.

  • Building Rural Recovery Ecosystems Summit – June 8-10. Registration is now open for the upcoming Summit that will take place over two days in Memphis, TN. The event will bring together rural recovery housing operators, owners, and other rural recovery champions to learn about the latest innovations and best practices that will expand the capacity and effectiveness of recovery housing in rural America. Register for this event here.

  • AIMHITN Join AIMHITN for the 3rd Annual "Our Way of Being: The Power of Belonging" Conference; where professionals across the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) workforce in Tennessee can gather to hear our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Keisha Siriboe, while learning more about how our way of being impacts our work with the infant/young child and their families. Whether you are a parent, caregiver, or other professionals in the field, one thing is for sure: a child's first and early relationships are important. Join virtually on June 14-15. Register here.

Resources
  • Comments Sought for Bridge Barrier Designs The National Park Service seeks the public’s input on an environmental assessment to install a permanent safety barrier to deter suicide at the Double Arch bridge on Natchez Trace Parkway in Williamson County. The comment period will be open from May 16 to June 17, 2022. Comment online at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/DoubleArch 

  • Community Health Workers Help Reduce Unnecessary Hospital Visits This study highlights the work of Texas A&M University's Advancing Cancer Training, Information, Outreach and Navigation (ACTION) project, which provides cancer-related training to Community Health Workers (CHW) as part of its National Community Health Worker Training Center. It discusses the impacts of CHWs on increasing cancer screening rates and referrals for rural populations, which can help reduce hospital visits. View the study here.


  • One Answer to the Comprehensive Healthcare Conundrum of Rural Settings Highlights Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) as a key source of comprehensive healthcare in rural and underserved areas, noting that there are currently 1,358 FQHCs and over 14,000 when combined with counts of FQHC Service Sites and Look-Alikes. It describes the potential for collaboration between FQHCs and existing rural healthcare organizations as way to fill service gaps and solve financial problems. Find the article here.



  • HRSA Launches Crisis Hotline for Expecting and New Mothers Professional counselors are staffing the line around the clock, offering mental health support in English or Spanish. Research from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention shows that about 1 in 8 women experience symptoms of postpartum depression that may be missed or misunderstood by family. Find that information here.

  • CMS launched a new Behavioral Health Strategy It strives to support a person's emotional and mental well-being and promotes person-centered behavioral healthcare. The strategy focuses on: Accessing prevention and treatment services for substance use disorders, mental health services, crisis intervention, and pain care; Enabling care that is well-coordinated and integrated; Removing barriers to care and services; Using data to evaluate our behavioral health programs and policies. Review that here.

  • The CMS Office of Minority Health has released a new report, Advancing Rural Maternal Health Equity. This report provides a high-level summary of the activities that CMS OMH implemented as part of its Rural Maternal Health Initiative between June 2019 and November 2021. We want to raise awareness of these efforts, identify collaborative opportunities, and further advance rural maternal health care equity across the country. Find that report here.

  • Tennessee is celebrating a huge disability policy win: The legislature just passed a state budget that includes $1 million dollars for adult-size changing tables. The money will fund grants for tables in 200 businesses and community locations. Click here to read the full story

  • Summer Meals Outreach Toolkit No Kid Hungry has created a summer meals outreach toolkit to help get the word out to families. A range of ready-made promotional materials are available to help publicize summer meals in your community. Use these resources to maximize the impact of outreach efforts in schools, faith communities, community organizations and online. Find information about that program here.


  • Study Shows REACH VET Program Effective for Veterans at High Risk for Suicide A recent NIMH co-authored study shows that a Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention program was associated with fewer inpatient mental health admissions and emergency department visits, and a 5 percent reduction in documented suicide attempts. Review the study here.

  • DOT Previews the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also provides up to $1 billion over the next five years for transportation infrastructure that facilitates mobility, access, and economic development. Rural areas face considerable challenges with transportation which creates ongoing barriers getting to and from needed health care services. Find that information here.

  • CAH Financial Indicators Report: Summary of Indicator Medians by State Presents state and national median values of 23 financial indicators included in the Critical Access Hospital Measurement and Performance Assessment System. Provides an overview of each measurement, and reports mean values by state. Indicators represent six areas of financial performance: profitability, liquidity, capital structure, revenue, cost, and utilization. Find the report here.

  • Dentist Perceptions About the Value of Teledentistry Highlights a study on dentist's perceptions on teledentistry as a means of expanding access to oral healthcare across the country. This study discusses the role teledentistry plays in rural and underserved areas, and it explores perceived barriers to adopting teledentistry. Find the study here.

  • COVID-19 and Hospital Financial Viability in the US Results of a study comparing operating and profit margins from 2016-2019 at 2,163 hospitals across the country to margins during the first year of the pandemic. This study features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas. Find the study here.
  • CDC estimates 58% of Americans have been infected with COVID-19 Most people in the United States have now been infected with the coronavirus, according to a new CDC report. So many people caught Omicron over the winter that almost 60 percent of everyone in the U.S. now have antibodies to the virus in their blood, and almost 75 percent of children 11 and younger have antibodies to the virus. To protect against future variants and waning immunity, vaccination is still essential, with effective communication and consistency. NRHA has developed the Rural Vaccine Confidence Initiative to help rural health stakeholders communicate COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and safety in their own words at the local level. Find the CDC report here.
 
  • Job Board New jobs have been added to the RHA of TN job board. Those can be found here.

  • Call for Proposals We are accepting conference presentation proposals. Proposals should highlight replicable programs, research, and/or collaborative efforts aimed at improving health and access to care in rural TN. Deadline is June 30th. Find out more here.

  • Award Nominations Each year, RHA of TN presents awards to influential programs and people who are improving rural health in Tennessee. Find the award categories here. If there is someone you would like to nominate, please find the nomination form here. Send completed form to info@tnruralhealth.org. Deadline for submissions are August 15th.
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Funding Opportunities
The below grants have been hand picked to offer new funding opportunities to our members.
Welcome to our New and Returning Members!
The below organizations have recently joined or renewed their memberships. Members can search our member directory to connect with other members when logging into the RHA of TN's website. While you're searching, update your profile!

Thank you to our Platinum Sponsors
for making this communication and our annual conference possible.
Mailing Address:
PO Box 656,
Decaturville, TN 38329