Critical Access Hospital Update

Submitted by msrural1
on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 16:28

At a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the President's budget currently underway, several Senators expressed concern over proposed cuts to Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).  The president budget proposes to alter the CAH program in two ways.  First, facilities designated by their states as "necessary providers" that are located less than ten miles from another facility would lose their status, regardless of community need, the type of facility less than ten miles from them,  or the reason the state's governor designated them as necessary providers.

MRHA Hosts RHC Workshop in Vicksburg, MS

Submitted by msrural1
on Fri, 04/19/2013 - 18:41

The Mississippi Rural Health Association hosted a Rural Health Clinic Workshop in Vicksburg, MS on Friday, April 19, 2013.  More than 35 rural health professional attended this workshop in order to obtain valuable legislative updates, bill and coding tips, and other rural health tools.  This workshop awarded 4 CEUs to the professionals attending, and was led by Mrs. Joanie Perkins of North Sunflower Medical Center in Ruleville, MS.

Nurse Practitioner Home-Based Program for the Rural Homebound Elderly and Disabled Population

Submitted by msrural1
on Mon, 04/15/2013 - 22:46

By Mary Atkinson Smith, DNP, FNP-BC

Nurse Practitioner Home-Based Program for the Rural Homebound Elderly and Disabled Population Healthy People 2020 includes goals of achieving health equality, eliminating health

disparities, and improving health in all groups.1With the elderly population growing quickly, and a shortage of primary health care providers nationwide, meeting the goals of Healthy People 2020 among the elderly population will be particularly challenging in the rural areas.2The 2010 census showed the highest number of individuals who are age 65 and older, when compared to

Federal Budget Update - CAHs and more

Submitted by msrural1
on Wed, 04/10/2013 - 19:09

On Wednesday, April 10, President Obama released his budget outline for Fiscal Year (FY) 2014.  As is in years past, the President included cuts to Critical Access Hospitals.  Specifically, the budget calls for decreasing payments to CAHs from 101% of reasonable costs to 100% of reasonable costs. Furthermore, the President proposes to eliminate CAH status for facilities 10 miles or less from another facility.  NRHA will continue to fight this proposal and fight to protect all Critical Access Hospitals throughout rural America.

Physician Compliance Change for RHCs, CAHs, and FQHCs

Submitted by msrural1
on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 19:50

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a proposed rulethe first week of Feburary that would eliminate the requirement that a physician be physically present at least once in a two-week period at critical access hospitals (CAHs), rural health clinics (RHCs), and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs).

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-02-07/pdf/2013-02421.pdf

If you would like to comment on this proposed rule the expiration date is April 8, 2013.

This  proposed regulatory change to promote program efficiency, transparency and burden reduction for rural health

Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure Files New APRN Rules

Submitted by msrural1
on Mon, 03/04/2013 - 17:27

The Board of Medical Licensure filed notice with the Secretary of State on February 15, 2013 that it has created new regulations regarding physician requirements for entering into collaborative agreements with Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.  As with the rules that were proposed over the late summer, these recently proposed rules change the regulatory oversight of nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses and the current relationship with physicians.  The Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure has scheduled a hearing on the proposed rules on at 3 p.m.

Improve Heart Health - Know Your Treatment Options

Submitted by msrural1
on Thu, 01/31/2013 - 16:31

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women. Deciding on treatments for conditions that affect cardiovascular health—such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol—can be difficult. Understanding the benefits and risks of each treatment option is important when determining which one is best for you.

 

To help you work with your health care team to explore treatment options, the Mississippi Rural Health Association is partnering with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program is dedicated to providing unbiased information