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Leading the way for a healthy tomorrow
throughout rural Tennessee.
Partnerships - Education - Advocacy - Resources
This Friday
RHC Network Updates

Join RHA on March 24th for a Rural Health Clinic Network Orientation Webinar. This will be an opportunity to learn about the RHC Network Development work that has been occurring, provide feedback, discuss upcoming Advisory Committee elections, member events, and important updates about the PHE unwinding.
This meeting will be at 10:30am CST.



HRSA Payment Program for RHC Buprenorphine-Trained Providers

Clinicians no longer need DATA 2000 Waiver training to prescribe buprenorphine; however, the payment program to defray earlier training costs is still active. Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) still have the opportunity to apply for a $3,000 payment on behalf of each provider who previously trained to obtain the waiver necessary after January 1, 2019. Approximately $900,000 in program funding remains available for RHCs and will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. RHA has professional development and training scholarships reserved for RHCs who would like to know more about prescribing buprenorphine.

Questions on funding contact [email protected].

Questions on medications contact Jacy Warrell at [email protected] for more information.
RHA 2022 Annual Report

RHA is delighted to share a summary of our member events and programs for 2022. Thank you to our members, staff, funders, and many community partners for your support the past year!

View here:
Resources
Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal

The PRF Reporting Portal is open from January 1, 2023 to March 31, 2023 for Reporting Period 4 (RP4). Providers who received one or more PRF (General or Targeted) and/or American Rescue Plan Rural payments exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate, from July 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, must report on their use of funds during RP4. Resources are available to assist providers with completing their reports. For a quick glance at all PRF reporting-related resources, visit the PRF Reporting Resources Page.
Guidelines for Pregnant People with HIV

This week, a federal panel of experts issued new guidelines for people with HIV who are pregnant, have recently given birth, or are trying to conceive. Thanks to antiretroviral medications and other viral suppression strategies, parent-to-child transmission of HIV is less than 1 percent in the United States. The updated recommendations include new information about the use of antiretroviral drugs before and during pregnancy, guidance for pregnant people who have not achieved viral suppression, and infant feeding options. The Panel on Antiretroviral Therapy and Medical Management of Children Living with HIV also co-authored sections published in the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection. Updates to these guidelines are anticipated in April 2023.

For more information click here:
TennCare Update
TennCare has updated their FQHC/RHC webpage which previously focused on the prior moratorium on new clinics. It remains on the front page of TennCare’s site with a new link: https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/reimbursement-information-for-rhc-and-fqhc-providers.html. Within that page, you will also find the first version of our reimbursement manual: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tenncare/documents/PPSSettlementManualForFQHCAndRHCProviders.pdf.
TennCare (Medicaid) enrollment is open year-round. You do not have to wait for an open enrollment period. TennCare has not redetermined anyone’s eligibility since COVID. But they are now sending out letters to confirm addresses are correct. 
 
If you or your kids are currently on TennCare (CoverKids), and you have not received a letter, please contact us to address this issue. You might be taken off TennCare this year if they send a redetermination letter to the wrong address because you failed to update your contact information.
 
CONTACT US TODAY (866) 675-7092
Funding and Opportunities
New Public Health Scholarship Program Focuses on Next Generation of Rural Health Leaders Apply by August 13. The Rural Health Innovation Program at Berkley Public Health will offer 100 fully-paid scholarships to eligible online students seeking a Master’s in Public Health to support leadership development for rural public health leaders. The program, with backing from the Barr-Campbell Foundation, was announced at the recent National Rural Health Association Policy Institute and will also cover other expenses such as books, fees, and travel expenses. Within that cohort, the program will also support 10 scholars with an interest in activating change to focus on rural policy efforts.

Learn more here:
HRSA Advanced Nursing Education Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Program Apply by April 11. HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce will make 43 awards to accredited schools of nursing and other approved entities such as Rural Health Clinics and Critical Access Hospitals to establish or enhance community-based residency training for Nurse Practitioners (NPs). Several studies have identified training in rural areas as one factor influencing recruitment and retention of NPs to rural areas. Learn more about current research on educating a rural nursing workforce

Learn more here:
COVID-19 Resources
Updated Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccines In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines for children down to 6 months of age. This expands earlier guidance announced in October. Current recommendation is that people aged 6 months and older receive one updated (bivalent) dose if it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose, whether that was:
  • Their final primary series dose, or
  • An original monovalent dose
People who have gotten more than one original (monovalent) dose are also recommended to get an updated (bivalent) dose. In September, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced that people with public, private, or no insurance coverage can get COVID-19 vaccines at no cost, for as long as the federal government continues purchasing and distributing them. To find nearby locations for vaccines, masks, testing, and treatment, visit COVID.gov.
Mailing Address:
PO Box 656,
Decaturville, TN 38329
This service was supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, under GR-21-73441.The contents of this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of or endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.