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This newsletter is brought to you by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) and the Community Health Systems Development Team at the Georgia Health Policy Center.
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT
The Edgecombe County Rural Health Network has a track record of multiagency collaboration to reduce barriers to care and improve residents’ health by exchanging data, increasing efficiencies, and sharing resources. The network’s newest project aims to reduce sepsis mortality by improving the knowledge of sepsis warning signs and reducing the time to treatment. 

The Georgia Health Policy Center recently spoke to Meredith Capps, project manager for the Edgecombe County Rural Health Network, and Kya Tyson, the project director for the Edgecombe Early Sepsis Initiative. 

PROGRAM-SPECIFIC UPDATES
Upcoming Deliverables:
Annual Federal Financial Report (FFR): October 30, 2021
All grantees are required to submit annually a Federal Financial Report (FFR) for their grant project in the Payment Management System. The FFR should cover Budget Year 1 (07/01/2020 – 06/30/2021).
 
Extended Deadlines:
Carryover Request: Due November 30, 2021
Unobligated federal funds remaining at the end of any budget period that, with approval of the Grants Management Officer, may be carried forward to another budget period to cover allowable costs of that budget period (called a ‘carryover’). When the Federal Financial Report (FFR) contains an unobligated balance of federal funds, the grantee may request to carry forward these funds to the next budget period. This request should be submitted within 30 days of the FFR submission. The guidance to request a carryover was sent out in July 2021. If you have not received it, please contact your Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) project officer.
 
Marketing Plan: December 13, 2021
The template will be provided on the September 1 webinar and will be available on the Rural Health Link website. More information is to come.
SCHEDULE OF QUARTERLY TA-RELATED ACTIVITIES
Technical Assistance (TA) Calls 
Monthly TA calls will continue this quarter and will be customized to the needs of each grantee. A Performance Improvement Measurement System (PIMS) report discussion will occur in October or November. A discussion of progress and needs related to the marketing plan deliverable will also take place on calls throughout the quarter. 
 
Virtual Site Visits 
Virtual site visit opportunities will continue and may be arranged with your TA provider on a topic of your choosing, including topics previously shared as well as in support of the marketing plan deliverable and/or to facilitate a business model discussion with your members.   

Marketing- and Business-Related Resources 
The slide deck and recording of the September 1, 2021, RHND Marketing Planning Webinar will be uploaded soon to the grantee website. You can access them here on the Rural Health Network Development webpage. The companion RHND Marketing Planning Template document will be available there as well. The optional Discussion Guide for Assessing Your Business Model and Office Hours with Business Planner Heather Gowdy recording will also be on the page. If you are interested in the book Heather co-authored, The Nonprofit Business Plan, here is an overview. 

RHND Landscape Analysis on Rural Networks Coming Soon!
Twice a year, GHPC does a landscape analysis on topics of interest to rural health networks and a report, along with an on-demand webinar with highlights of the report. Topics in the past have included behavioral health, telehealth, and rural population health. The newest analysis on an overview of rural health networks is coming soon. Previous landscape analyses can be found here.  
OPPORTUNITIES
The Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Distribution Program will distribute COVID-19 vaccine directly to Medicare-certified Rural Health Clinics to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in rural communities. The program aims to improve COVID-19 access and vaccination rates to medically underserved rural communities. Click here for more information.  

The Congressional Social Determinant of Health Caucus is exploring opportunities to improve the impact of services delivered to address social determinants with the support of federal funding. The caucus is seeking feedback on challenges and opportunities related to social determinants of health. Submissions are due by September 21, 2021. Click here to access the form.  

Funded through the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Texas A&M University is conducting a study to better understand what rural stakeholders think the most important Healthy People 2030 priorities for rural America are. Which could help guide future research and funding related to rural health. Click here to participate in the survey.   

Created in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program assists families and households with affording internet service. The program provides a discount of up to $50 per month toward broadband service and associated equipment rentals for eligible households and $75 per month for households on tribal lands. Additionally, there is a one-time discount of up to $100 for laptops, tablets, or desk computers. To qualify for the program, a member of the household must meet at least one of the eligibility criteria:  

  • Income at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines or participates in specific assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, or Lifeline 
  • Receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school breakfast or lunch programs 
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year 
  • Experienced a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since Feb. 29, 2020, and a total household income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers 
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program

Click here to apply to the program. 
ARTICLES
Although approximately 165 million Americans have been fully vaccinated, hesitancy still exist in many communities across the nation, including rural communities. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s latest blog features a public health nurse who shares five lessons learned from vaccinating a diverse community, that can assist with increasing vaccination rates in hard-to-reach communities. Click here to access the blog.  
RESOURCES, NEWS AND UPDATES
As a Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Rural Health Network Development grantee, you will be charged with delivering a marketing plan. As you are developing your marketing plan, you may find this essential guide to marketing strategy helpful. Specifically, you may find the following sections useful:

  • Marketing Strategy: Definition & Importance 
  • Target Audience  
  • Analyzing your Marketing Strategy Performance 

Click here to access the guide.

COVID-19 Related Resources:
Customizable COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Toolkit for Rural Communities: The Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program with support from the Delta Regional Authority and the Health Resources Services Administration's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, created a toolkit to support rural health organizations with developing internal and external communication materials. Click here to access the toolkit. 

COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Toolkit: The National Rural Health Resource Center developed a toolkit to build confidence around the COVID-19 vaccine. The toolkit includes posters, print ads, brochures, social media posts, and a tool kit user guide. Click here to access the toolkit.  

COVID-19 Communication Vaccine Communications Resource: The American Hospital Association compiled a list of resources to assist and support health care and public health professionals with COVID-19 vaccination efforts. The resource includes a rural resource toolkit, communication materials by audience, and more. Click here to access the resources.  

Addressing Burnout :
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many health care, public health, and community-based organizations had to fulfill many roles simultaneously. In turn, resulting in burnout. Amelia Roeschlein DSW, MA, LMFT from the National Council for Behavioral Health recently presented on innovative approaches for fostering resilience for organizations. 
Click here to access the slide deck. Click here to access the recording.  
UPCOMING EVENTS 
September 23-24, 2021 
Manchester, New Hampshire  

Please join the Northeast Telehealth Resource Center as they host their 7th annual Northeast Regional Telehealth Conference. During this two-day conference, attendees will have the opportunity to learn telehealth best practices and innovations, network, and identify opportunities to advance telehealth. 
October 14-15, 2021 
Please join the National Center for School Mental Health as they host their annual conference on Advancing School Based Mental Health. This conference brings together school-based mental health leaders, practitioners, researchers, and other stakeholders to share the latest research and best practices.  
Please join Storytelling Data as they host a series of 60-minute introductionary webinars for individuals interested in improving how they communicate with data. Each session will focus on a single key lesson, share practical tips and strategies, and illustrate concepts through real-world examples.