OMHHE Weekly Newsletter  
January 18 - 24, 2015  

In This Issue
Upcoming Events
Webinar: Frontier and Remote Areas methodology
January 27, 2015
Register here!

Hampton Roads Getting It Right Workshop
(Emergency Preparedness Training)
February 24-25, 2014
More information available here!

Webinar: Impact of a Small Rural Hospital or Critical Access Hospital
February 26, 2015
Registration Details Coming Soon!

Webinar: Impact of a Rural Health Network
March 26, 2015
Registration Details Coming Soon!

Effective Strategies to Improve Health Care for Hispanics in our Local Communities
March 27 - 29, 2015
Washington D.C. 
Click here to register!

Webinar: Impact of a Community Health Center (FQHC) or Rural Health Clinic
April 30, 2015
Registration Details Coming Soon!

National Rural EMS Conference: Building Collaboration and Leadership for the Future
May 5-6, 2015
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Funding Opportunities
Appalachia Culture of Health Research
RAC

Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program (Tribal SASP)
RAC

BUILD Health Challenge - Community Health Collaborations
Multiple Funders

Supporting Community Health Resources - Building Capacity, Expanding Access, and Improving Population Health Grant Program
DHMH/MCHRC

Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy
National Institutes of Health

Innovations for Healthy Living - Improving Minority Health and Eliminating Health Disparities
RAC

Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program
HRSA

Healthy, Active Native Communities Capacity Building Funding Opportunity
RAC
Join Our Mailing List
Find us on social media!
Like us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter

Join VA 100 Congregations for Million Hearts!
Faith-based congregations can now join Virginia's 100 Congregations for Million Hearts, an initiative focused on raising awareness and preventing cardiovascular disease. The #MillionHeartsChallenge is in full swing with a goal to sign up 100 Virginia congregations during 2015. 14 Virginia congregations have already committed to the initiative; invite your faith-based organization on board today! All denominations and geographical locations welcome!
General Information
Health Insurance Marketplace: Open Enrollment through February 15! Learn more here!
Health Equity 
New Americans struggle with health inequities
Star Tribune, January 17, 2015

When Dr. Kathie Culhane-Pera started caring for Vietnamese immigrants in the 1990s, she found built-in trust from patients - who called her "Bac si" and followed her guidance on diet, exercise and medication for chronic diseases such as diabetes. 

That wasn't the case as Hmong refugees arrived in Minnesota, despite the fact that she can speak one Hmong dialect and understands the history of the mountain-dwelling people who were persecuted after the Vietnam War for supporting the Americans. 

Latino enrollment in ACA low, experts say
Courier-Post, January 18, 2015

The number of uninsured Americans has dropped by 10 million adults since the Affordable Care Act rolled out last year. 

But only 8 percent of those who applied for health insurance last year were Latino, though they make up about 17 percent of the population. 

"All the other ethnicities did really well," said Aida Rivera, health organizer for N.J. Citizen Action. "The lowest numbers were among Latinos. We don't really have a concise answer as to why that is. 

Feeling the pain: Law enforcers train to understand mental health issues
The Montana Standard, January 19, 2015

Actively working to improve their empathy radar, Butte-Silver Bow police officers role-played intense scenarios to hone their on-the-spot skills when dealing with mental health cases. 

The recent interaction culminated in a week-long crisis intervention training for several departments at the Butte Civic Center. 

Demand for mental health services drives cost for counties
FDL Reporter, January 16, 2015

A shortage of mental health professionals has driven up both the demand and cost of services for counties throughout Wisconsin. 

According to a Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team survey, the highest-paid county employees in both Fond du Lac and Dodge counties were psychiatrists. Of the 25 county employees across the state earning more than $200,000 in base salary, 18 work in the behavioral health sector, including 14 psychiatrists. 

Report highlights income disparity between metro, rural Minnesotans
Prairie Biz Mag, January 16, 2015

Rural Minnesota has some striking differences with Minneapolis and St. Paul, but also some surprising similarities. 

For instance, north-central Minnesota's population is poorer than most of the state, with lower income and more school students on government-subsidized free lunch than much of the state. A few other deep rural areas joined the north-central area on those marks. 

Minority Women Benefit Most From Healthy Diet
Endocrinology Advisor, January 16, 2015

A healthy diet appeared to lower risk for type 2 diabetes among women in all racial and ethnic groups, but Asian, Hispanic and black women appeared to reap the most benefit, new data published in Diabetes Care suggest. 

Diabetes is a serious health concern for all people, although the disease is more prevalent in black, Latino, Native American and Asian American people. While previous research demonstrates an association between risk for type 2 diabetes and diet, most study populations were primarily composed of white people. 
Rural Health
Health Premiums Most Expensive in Rural Areas
Kaiser Health News, January 20, 2015

In health insurance prices, as in the weather, Alaska and the Sun Belt are extremes. This year Alaska is the most expensive health insurance market for people who do not get coverage through their employers, while Phoenix, Albuquerque, N.M., and Tucson, Ariz., are among the very cheapest. 

Trends and surprises in Georgia health care outlook 
Albany Herald, January 19, 2015

There are no dull, uneventful years in health care. 

It's too big an issue for consumers, state government and businesses, and has a huge effect on the economy of a state. 

This year could see considerable action on a variety of health care fronts. 

Let's start with the Affordable Care Act. 

Telehealth progress requires beefed up network infrastructure
Federal Times, January 19, 2015

Federal agencies have applied telehealth technology in innovative ways to expand health care beyond the walls of veterans' hospitals and other care facilities. Current efforts allow caregivers to reach patients in their daily lives while clinicians and specialists can share and archive medical information. 

Editorial: It's time to rethink rural health in Iowa
The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, January 19, 2015

Today, the Gazette's news team begins a series of articles examining health care issues in rural Iowa. It is a worthy topic. 

When it comes to accessing care, Iowa's rural residents face challenges that would surprise their more urban neighbors. 

Rural health care is a patchwork of small hospitals and rural clinics. Specialized care often involves significant travel and expense. Psychologists, cardiologists, gynecologists and even dentists can be scarce. Some patients must travel to another county for even basic hospital care. 

Matching mothers with mentors: Supporting Hands Nurse-Family Partnership grows in rural Minnesota
West Central Tribune, January 18, 2015

Alexis Buehler was 18 years old and pregnant when she was put in contact with a nurse who not only answered her pre-natal concerns but has helped guide the young mother on a positive path of parenting her now 13 month old daughter, Carmen. 

It's a relation ship that will last until Carmen is 2 years old. 

Rural hospitals plead for Medicaid Expansion 
News Observer, January 18, 2015

Kansas hospital officials are pleading for the state to expand the Medicaid program for low-income people as allowed under the new federal health care law. 

Without a change, the hospital officials told a legislative committee during the first week of the session that they face tremendous economic challenges, the Lawrence Journal-World reported. 
Cultural Health
Why Cultural Competency Matters in Hospitals
Health Leaders Media, January 19, 2015

As the nation's population grows more diverse and hospital reimbursements are increasingly tied to patient satisfaction scores, clinicians must become more culturally aware. 

Many Americans have experienced watching a foreign film and feeling like they missed something, whether it be the British political jokes in The Life of Brian or the nuanced treatment of the Spanish civil war in Pan's Labryinth, something has been lost in translation. 
Tools and Resources
A webinar recording is now available for the 2014 Update of the Rural-Urban Chartbook from Rural Health Research & Policy Centers. The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services recently released the CLAS Academy Training Catalog

Copyright © 20XX. All Rights Reserved.