Invitation to Kansas City Regional Office 2017 CMS National Training Program Workshops

June 11, 2017

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Kansas City Regional Office invites you to attend the 2017 Medicare National Training Program (NTP) Workshops.

This year we are pleased to offer the Workshop in 4 different locations.  The same agenda and information will be provided at all Workshops.

When and Where

Kansas City, MO

Wednesday, August 9, 2017 12:30PM – 5:00PM
Thursday, August 10, 2017 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/medicare-national-training-program-ntp-workshop-kansas-city-tickets-35821672587

 

St. Louis, MO Area

Monday, August 14, 2017 12:30PM – 5:00PM
Tuesday, August 15, 2017 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/medicare-national-training-program-ntp-workshop-st-louis-area-registration-35433070267

 

Lincoln, NE

Thursday, August 24, 2017 12:30PM – 5:00PM
Friday, August 25, 2017 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Register:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/medicare-national-training-program-ntp-workshop-lincoln-tickets-35823187117

 

Des Moines, IA

Tuesday, August 29, 2017 12:30PM – 5:00PM
Wednesday, August 30, 2017 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/medicare-national-training-program-ntp-workshop-des-moines-tickets-35823465951

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SORH Announcements for Network Planning and Network Development Awards

July 11, 2017

Rural Health Network Development Planning Program – July 1. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) will award approximately $2.3 million to 23 awardees for the 2017 Rural Health Network Development Planning Program (Network Planning). This is a one-year, community-driven program designed to assist in the planning and development of an integrated health care network at the local level. By emphasizing the role of networks, the program creates a platform for medical care providers, social service providers, and community organizations to coalesce key elements of a rural health care delivery system for the purpose of improving local capacity and coordination of care.

The Network Planning program will aid providers as they move from focusing on the volume of services to focusing on the value of services. For grantees, the award (of up to $100,000) provides an opportunity to implement new and innovative approaches towards a dynamic health care environment that may in turn serve as a model for other rural communities. The incoming cohort of Network Planning grantees have projects that focus on behavioral health, care coordination, infrastructure, health information technology, and health education. Additionally, four projects are proposing to address the loss of local health and/or social services as a result of a recent rural hospital closure or conversion and/or loss of ambulatory services.

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Announcements from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

July 7, 2017

Cancer Incidence and Deaths in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Counties

In the latest edition of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Rural Health Series, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined reported data in the United States to compare rates of incidence and death from cancer in rural and metropolitan areas.  The findings show that nonmetropolitan rural areas had lower incidence of cancer but higher rates of death than metropolitan areas.

But not all cancers are the same and geography can play a role in their incidence.  Overall, nonmetropolitan counties had higher incidence and death rates for cancers related to smoking, e.g., lung and laryngeal cancers, and those that can be prevented by screening, such as colorectal and cervical cancers.

The CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System collects data about health-related risk behaviors across the United States and the data there indicates that some risk factors such as tobacco use, excessive body weight, and exposure to cancer-causing agents more commonly reported by rural residents could account for some of the disparities between rural and metropolitan cancer death rates.

Evidence-based interventions – that is, addressing the problem in ways that have been proven effective – can be used to reduce risk factors at both the individual level and the population level. The report points to some of these interventions in The Guide to Community Preventive Services.  For rural-specific guidance, our office recommends resources available at the Rural Health Information Hub.

Researchers indicate that some disparities may be attributed to lack of cancer screening in rural areas, whether testing and follow-up care are unavailable in medically underserved areas or only accessible through health insurance.  The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends cancer screening as an important aspect of cancer prevention and control because it can detect cancer at treatable stages.

Read the CDC’s Press Release on this report.

Invitation to 2017 CMS National Training Program Workshops

July 6, 2017

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Kansas City Regional Office invites you to attend the 2017 Medicare National Training Program (NTP) Workshops.

This year we are pleased to offer the Workshop in 4 different locations.  The same agenda and information will be provided at all Workshops.

When and Where

Kansas City, MO

Wednesday, August 9, 2017 12:30PM – 5:00PM
Thursday, August 10, 2017 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/medicare-national-training-program-ntp-workshop-kansas-city-tickets-35821672587

 

St. Louis, MO Area

Monday, August 14, 2017 12:30PM – 5:00PM
Tuesday, August 15, 2017 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/medicare-national-training-program-ntp-workshop-st-louis-area-registration-35433070267

 

Lincoln, NE

Thursday, August 24, 2017 12:30PM – 5:00PM
Friday, August 25, 2017 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Register:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/medicare-national-training-program-ntp-workshop-lincoln-tickets-35823187117

 

Des Moines, IA

Tuesday, August 29, 2017 12:30PM – 5:00PM
Wednesday, August 30, 2017 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/medicare-national-training-program-ntp-workshop-des-moines-tickets-35823465951

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Announcements from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

July 6, 2017

Funding Opportunities

Look Beneath the Surface (LBS) Anti-Trafficking Program – July 19.  The Administration for Children and Families will make nine awards of up to $200,000 each for regional programs that identify and refer victims of severe forms of human trafficking as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Victim identification activities under the LBS Program include direct outreach to victims, anti-trafficking training and outreach to local professionals and organizations or entities that may encounter victims of trafficking.  The National Human Trafficking Hotline says it reported 7,752 cases of human trafficking in 2016.  Isolation makes rural areas targeted locations for both sex and labor trafficking due to limited resources for monitoring and enforcement.

Community Economic Development Projects – July 24.  Private and non-profit Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are eligible to apply for this funding from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to develop innovative projects that enhance job creation and business development for low-income individuals.  An expected 22 awards of up to $800,000 each will be made for programs that actively recruit individuals with low incomes to fill positions created by ACF’s Community Economic Development activities, to help those individuals successfully hold those jobs and to ensure that the businesses and jobs created remain viable for at least one year after the end of the grant period.  The USDA’s Economic Research Service tracks rural employment and economic trends and shows a consistent lag behind metropolitan areas.

Developing Future Victim Specialists for Indian Country – August 9.  The Department of Justice will form cooperative agreements funded with $450,000 each for institutions of higher education and/or organizations serving tribal governments to begin building a pipeline of victim service professionals that will serve American Indian /Alaska Native victims in locations that are often remote and where positions are often hard to fill.  This program will work to identify students in relevant disciplines (e.g., sociology, social work, psychology, etc.) to serve in victim service positions either at the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs or in tribally-based victim service programs. Eligible applicants will include tribal colleges and universities (individually or as a consortium), non-tribal colleges and universities that are located close to American Indian/Alaska Native communities, or any other organization with connections to both tribes and educational institutions that educate students pursuing degrees in fields relevant to victim services.

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