Rural Reporter

  • How Much Is the Opioid Crisis Costing Governments? (02/08/2018)
    Anyone who's familiar with addiction knows that it's insidious: It sneakily takes hold until the addict suddenly doesn't recognize his life anymore. Paying for addiction is like that, too. (Source: Governing; Photo by OverHook, Pixabay)  More »
  • Suicide Rate Highest in Decades But Worst in Rural America (02/08/2018)
    Suicide is a perennial problem throughout the nation. The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows the 2016 national age-adjusted suicide rate reached the highest level seen in decades. A review of the federal data, however, shows that it's rural America that is sustaining the largest increases. The suicide rate is highest in the Western U.S. (Source: Governing; Photo by Marys_fotos, Pixabay)  More »
  • CMS proposes a 7-day limit on initial opioid prescriptions (02/08/2018)
    In a move that is sure to be controversial among doctors, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is proposing that physicians limit initial prescriptions for opioid painkillers to just seven days. The proposal, which would take effect in 2019, was made to help reverse the country’s opioid epidemic, which has been blamed in part on physicians overprescribing painkillers. (Source: FierceHealthcare; Photo by coltsfan, Pixabay)  More »
  • Today’s Rural News in 3 Words: Broadband, Broadband, and Broadband (02/08/2018)
    Something is cooking in the rural broadband kitchen this week. Rural connectivity is having a moment in the U.S. media spotlight. Is it just current events, or is something else going on? (Source: Daily Yonder; Photo by 3844328, Pixabay)  More »
  • Nutrition Labeling of Restaurant Menu and Vending Machine Items (02/08/2018)
    This report discusses the role of nutrition labeling in obesity management and prevention; the research on the effectiveness of restaurant menu calorie labeling; FDA's authority to regulate nutrition labeling; and the FDA's final rules on restaurant menu and vending machine labeling. The report also identifies issues for Congress and flags stakeholders' concerns regarding FDA's final menu labeling rule. (Source: EveryCRSReport; Photo by mojzagrebinfo, Pixabay)  More »
  • Wisconsin: Veterans Bill Passes Joint Finance (02/08/2018)
    2017 Assembly Bill 732 would extend and expand the Veteran’s Outreach and Recovery Program (VORP), which recently lost its federal funding. Previously, VORP had been implemented in 49 of the state’s 72 counties, with a focus in northern and central Wisconsin. This bill would ensure that veterans in every corner of the state can find the necessary resources they require. (Source: WI Legislature; Photo by 422737, Pixabay)  More »
  • Wisconsin: Direct Primary Care Passes Assembly Committee (02/08/2018)
    2017 Assembly Bill 798 passed the Assembly Committee on Small Business Development with a vote of 9-4. The Bill allows healthcare providers and individual patients to enter into a direct primary care agreement. A direct primary care agreement, which is not health insurance, is a contract in which a healthcare provider agrees to offer routine health services for a specified fee over a stated time period. (Source: State Representative Joe Sanfelippo; Photo by TukTukDesign, Pixabay)  More »
  • Wisconsin: Rural Areas Face Barriers for Mental Health Care (02/08/2018)
    Besides long wait times to see a mental health prescriber, other challenges people in rural communities face in accessing health care is lack of transportation, ability to afford prescriptions and a general lack of information about available services. There is a national psychiatric prescriber crisis, and in Wisconsin, 50 percent of psychiatrists are nearing retirement. (Source: Madison.com; Photo by Maialisa, Pixabay)  More »
  • How Innovative Data Sources and Advanced Analytics Can Help Address the Opioid Epidemic (02/08/2018)
    More than 2 million Americans struggle with prescription opioid addiction, and families are losing loved ones at an alarming rate as a result. An estimated 46 people die each day from opioid overdoses, taking a toll on families and communities across the country. With the pressing need for action, many public health and safety officials are searching for effective solutions to this complex challenge. Although the nature of the problem and the toll it takes on families, workplaces, and communities across the country are well known, much less is known about how policymakers, service providers, and the health community can respond. (Source: Mathematica Policy Research; Photo by ColiN00B, Pixabay)  More »
  • House Funding Bill Includes Telehealth, MU Provisions (02/08/2018)
    The House version of the Continuing Resolution specifically includes: telehealth provisions of S. 870, the “Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act of 2017;” H.R. 3120, legislation to ease the “meaningful use burden on providers and reduce the volume of future electronic health record-related significant hardship requests; H.R. 1148, the “Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine Act of 2017,” which would provide nationwide access to stroke telemedicine treatment in Medicare—currently only available to the most rural, underserved populations; H.R. 3727, the “Increasing Telehealth Access in Medicare Act,” which would allow Medicare Advantage plans to include delivery of telehealth services in a plan’s basic benefits; and H.R. 3164, which would improve access to telehealth-enabled home dialysis therapy among Medicare beneficiaries. (Source: Healthcare Informatics; Photo by Free-Photos, Pixabay)  More »
  • 2018 Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals and Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals (02/08/2018)
    The Chartis Center for Rural Health announced the 2018 Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals and Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals. Amidst uncertainty, transition and strain, these top performers are excelling in managing risk, achieving higher quality, securing better outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, and operating at a lower cost than their peers. These groups serve as a benchmark for other rural facilities as they strive to achieve similar results and provide a blueprint for successfully navigating the uncertainty of the new healthcare. Wisconsin has hospitals listed in both categories of top performers.  (Source: Digital Journal; Photo by Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Pixabay)  More »
  • CHIME Calls for FCC to Double Funding for Rural Health Care (02/08/2018)
    In comments submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on a proposed telehealth rule, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) urged the agency to consider doubling funding for rural health care and to use funding to focus on areas impacted by the opioid crisis. In its recent proposed rule, Promoting Telehealth in Rural America, the FCC noted that by improving rural healthcare provider access to modern communications services, the RHC Program can help in overcoming some of the obstacles to healthcare delivery faced in isolated communities. (Source: Healthcare Informatics; Photo by mcmurryjulie, Pixabay)  More »
  • Bill creates Rural Health Liaison at USDA (02/08/2018)
    The Rural Health Liaison would promote the awareness and availability of USDA resources, and provide guidance and technical assistance to USDA field offices and staff on how to best serve their communities. (Source: Farm Futures; Photo by geralt, Pixabay)  More »
  • Choose Kindness and Sportsmanship, Not Bullying (02/08/2018)
    Participating in sports can be a great way to develop strength and skill, learn teamwork, and build strong friendships. Bullying has no place in sports. It is much cooler to be kind, and that’s something we should make happen in every school and for every team. (Source: StopBullying; Photo by Pexels, Pixabay)  More »
  • Dermatology ECHO – an innovative solution to address limited access to dermatology expertise (02/08/2018)
    Given challenges in access to specialty care in rural and remote regions, it is critical to examine team-based and telemedicine approaches for treatment of dermatological conditions. This case study examines the Dermatology ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) approach in treatment and management of complex and common skin diseases. (Source: Rural and Remote Health; Photo by Kjerstin_Michaela, Pixabay)  More »
  • Rare Diseases and the Role of Telemedicine (02/08/2018)
    February is a month that’s often dominated by red and pink hearts. But for some 30 million Americans, February is when their plight comes to the forefront. February 28 is Rare Disease Day. Any illness can be a financial burden, but for those with rare diseases, especially those who live in rural areas, that economic burden can be prohibitive. Telemedicine can be equally beneficial once treatment begins. (Source: SW Telehealth Resource Center Blog; Photo by StartupStockPhotos, Pixabay)  More »
  • Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women With Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants|SAMHSA (02/08/2018)
    This Clinical Guide provides comprehensive, national guidance for optimal management of pregnant and parenting women with opioid use disorder and their infants. The Clinical Guide helps healthcare professionals and patients determine the most clinically appropriate action for a particular situation and informs individualized treatment decisions. (Source: SAMHSA; Photo by piepie, Pixabay)  More »
  • Fix broken health care politics with fresh bipartisan thinking (02/08/2018)
    Opinion by Andy Slavitt. There are few issues that weigh on the minds of Americans as much as making sure they and their families can get health care. And there are few areas where our politics serve us so poorly. …[N]o Americans want to live in fear that a job change, a prior illness, the cost of their medication, the generosity of their insurance company or who wins next election will determine whether they have their access to affordable health care. (Source: USA Today; Photo by qimono, Pixabay)  More »
  • Quicker Generic Drug Approvals Should Mean Lower Drug Prices (02/07/2018)
    The FDA set a record last year for the number of approvals for new generic drugs. Experts say that should begin to reduce the price of prescription drugs. (Source: Healthline; Photo by stevepb, Pixabay)  More »
  • Wisconsin: ORegon CHild Absenteeism due to Respiratory Disease Study (ORCHARDS) (02/07/2018)
    Is your child part of the Oregon School District and coming down with a cold or flu? They may be eligible to participate in the ORCHARDS public health study! The study involves cold and flu monitoring in students, from grades kindergarten through high school (4K-12, ages 4 – 19.5 years). They will identify the viruses causing illness, including influenza, in the schools and determine how these illnesses affect school absences. (Source: UW Family Medicine; Photo by OpenClipart-Vectors, Pixabay) 
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