Rural Reporter

  • Infection Control and Prevention in CAHs (06/20/2018)
    Some critical access hospitals (CAHs) face significant challenges in their infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, according to new research that indicates key challenges for CAHs across the country are a lack of competency-based training programs and a failure to perform audits and feedback. As a result of the research, a new website was developed for frequently needed resources on infection control and prevention. (Source: Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology; Image: Infection Control Assessment and Promotion Program)  More »
  • Staying Safe With Private Well Water During a Flood (06/19/2018)
    Heavy rains have pelted northwestern Wisconsin in the past couple of days, and Governor Walker has declared a state of emergency for Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, and Iron Counties. The Department of Natural Resources has recommendations for handling several issues related to flooding, particularly with respect to the flooding of private wells, which can occur even without any obvious signs. Bacteria, chemicals and other contaminants contained in floodwaters can enter the top of your well, seep down its casing, or migrate underground to your well via a neighbor’s flooded out well. (Source and Photo: Department of Natural Resources)  More »
  • Community Health Centers See Surge in Patients (06/19/2018)
    Community health centers have seen a significant boost in patient visits over the past several years, according to a new analysis from George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health. A new report shows that over a recent six-year period, Wisconsin experienced a fourteen percent increase in the percentage of health center patients, compared to the national average of a thirty-three percent increase. (Source and Image: Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative)  More »
  • Medicare To Disincentivize "Boomerang" of Nursing Home Patients (06/18/2018)
    As some nursing homes are deluged with patients, they can fail to properly manage post-hospital instructions or complications. Often, this can result in a rehospitalization for patients, with one in five Medicare patients being "boomeranged" from the hospital to a nursing home and back to a hospital within 30 days. In an effort to disincentivize this phenomenon, the government will begin giving nursing homes bonuses or penalties based on their Medicare rehospitalization rates, starting in October. (Source: Kaiser Health News;  Image: Free-Photos on Pixabay)  More »
  • 71 of 72 Wisconsin Counties Suing Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors (06/15/2018)
    The Wisconsin Counties Association says 71 of 72 counties in Wisconsin have filed or have authorized the filing of lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and/or distributors over the role they played in developing the opioid crisis. The counties allege that the the addictive qualities of opioids were misrepresented by pharmaceutical companies, leading to the conditions that created a high rate of opioid abuse, which has taken an economic toll on county governments. Milwaukee County and Dane County are filing their cases individually. (Source: Wisconsin Public Radio; Photo: Jamie on flickr) More »
  • New Interactive Map of Opioid Epidemic Resources (06/14/2018)
    Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett has unveiled a new interactive map where visitors can learn about, access or replicate the actions rural leaders are taking in small towns in twelve states to address the opioid epidemic through prevention, treatment and recovery opportunities. The data on opioid misuse was collected through roundtables and a "What's working in your town?" form on the USDA webpage. (Source and Photo: USDA)  More »
  • Examining Oxygen Use in End-of-Life Care (06/13/2018)
    A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire looked at attitudes and beliefs about the use of oxygen therapy for the management of breathlessness in end-of-life care. Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported that they do not believe the use of oxygen impacts the timeline of the dying process, while forty-three percent of respondents believe oxygen prolongs the process. The authors find that families were particularly influential in determining whether oxygen was used at the end of life, and that a common reason for palliative oxygen prescribed by clinicians was by family request. (Source: Wisconsin Medical Journal; Photo: ICUnurses) More »
  • What Does the Data Say About Medicaid Work Requirements? (06/13/2018)
    In January 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued new guidance for state waiver proposals that would impose work requirements on Medicaid as a condition of eligibility. Wisconsin's waiver proposal has been approved and is currently pending. This analysis from Kaiser Family Foundation builds a picture of a typical Medicare enrollee, and finds that most Medicaid enrollees who can work are already working, and of those who are working, most enrollees are working full-time for the full year. (Source: Kaiser Family Foundation; Fabian Blank on Unsplash)  More »
  • Beaver Dam and Marshfield Clinic Health System Plan Affiliation (06/13/2018)
    Beaver Dam Community Hospitals and Marshfield Clinic Health System announced Tuesday that they have taken steps to become affiliated. The agreement continues Marshfield Clinic’s push to add hospitals to its network of clinics, ambulatory surgical centers and other services throughout north-central and northern Wisconsin. The two organizations are not releasing the specific terms of the affiliation. (Source and Photo: Marshfield Clinic Health System) More »
  • Senate Farm Bill Would Restore Rural Development Programs and Preserve SNAP (06/12/2018)
    The Senate version of a farm bill moves to committee review this Wednesday. Certain provisions would restore the status of Department of Agriculture’s rural development programs and preserve funding for nutrition programs. Unlike the House bill, which died in a floor vote last month, the Senate legislation does not increase work requirements for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). (Source: Daily Yonder; Photo: 12019 on Pixabay)  More »
  • Preventing Unsafe Sleeping Conditions for Infants (06/12/2018)
    Despite decades of an educational campaign to educate physicians and caregivers about safe sleep environments and the safe sleep position, sleep-related infant deaths still occur each year in the United States at a fairly steady rate. According to the authors, United States is the only 'developed' country with a high rate of sudden unexpected infant deaths, or SUIDs, which include cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or accidental suffocation during sleep. The rate of SUIDs in the United States has plateaued since the 1990s, when there was a sharp drop due to the "Safe to Sleep"  educational campaign from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development. (Source: JAMA; Photo: Picsea on Unsplash)  More »
  • Wisconsin Counties Receive State Broadband Grants (06/11/2018)
    New grants for high-speed internet services were awarded to Wisconsin counties on Monday as part of the state's Broadband Expansion Grant Program. The $7.69 million in funding, which comes from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, will help facilitate businesses, education, and healthcare in the area. Applications for Broadband Expansion Grants for Fiscal Year 2019 are due on July 16th, 2018. More information here. (Source: Governor Walker's Press Release; Image: Wisconsin Public Service Commission) More »
  • Older Adults Overlooked in Opioid Abuse Epidemic (06/11/2018)
    One in six opioid overdose deaths in Wisconsin in 2016 were among people age 55 or older, said Paul Krupski, director of opioid initiatives for the state Department of Health Services, at a presentation for the Wisconsin Healthy Aging Summit last Friday. Older adults face a unique set of challenges that complicate combating opioid abuse among that population - challenges such as social isolation, and symptoms of addiction that mimic dementia.  And, opioids can have a stronger impact on older adults due to their metabolism. (Source: Wisconsin State Journal; Image: Jonathan Perez on Unsplash) More »
  • FCC Chairman Pai Proposes Raising Rural Healthcare Budget (06/09/2018)
    A program run by the Federal Communications Commission that provides telecommunications and Internet support to rural health care providers may soon have its funding cap raised. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who has previously announced his support for raising the funding cap, announced this week that he has circulated a draft order to increase funding for the Universal Service Fund's Rural Health Care Program to $571 million. For the second consecutive fiscal year, the program has exceeded its cap of $400 million, which was set in 1997 and not indexed for inflation. (Source: Healthcare IT News;  Photo: Wesley Fryer on flickr) More »
  • Volunteer Fire And EMS Struggle To Recruit Help In Northern Wisconsin (06/09/2018)
    Emergency services have been struggling to recruit volunteers in rural northern Wisconsin. On Saturday, fire and ambulance services sought to recruit more volunteers for their forces in an annual event in Brule. (Source: Danielle Kaeding / Wisconsin Public Radio; Photo: Town of Brule's webpage)  More »
  • Preexisting Condition Provision of ACA Challenged (06/08/2018)
    The Department of Justice will not defend key provisions of the Affordable Care Act that protect patients with preexisting conditions, according to a lawsuit. Under the current Affordable Care Act, consumers cannot face denial of coverage or higher premiums from their health insurers, but that may soon change if a lawsuit, Texas v. Azar , is successful. The lawsuit, which is led by the state of Texas and joined by Wisconsin and eighteen other states, argues that after Congress eliminated the penalty for the individual mandate last year, the individual mandate became unconstitutional. If the judge agrees, 52 million Americans with preexisting conditions could face denial of coverage or higher premiums. (Source: CNN; Photo: Patient Care Technician)  More »
  • CDC: Suicide Rates On the Rise, Including in Wisconsin (06/08/2018)
    Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that suicide rates are on the rise for nearly every state in the nation since 1999. Wisconsin fits with the national trend: the statewide suicide rate has increased by nearly 26 percent over the past two decades. According to the statistics, suicides often seem to happen without warning and without a previously known mental health issue. Among the many factors that contribute to the decision to commit suicide are relationship, substance use, health, job or financial problems. (Source: National Public Radio; Image: Percent change in annual suicide rate by state from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) To reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). A directory of county-level coalitions and crisis lines within Wisconsin is available here.  More »
  • More On the Rural Dentist Shortage (06/07/2018)
    Many rural areas across the country are feeling a shortage of dentists, and about forty-three percent of rural Americans lack access to any kind of dental care. Some solutions, such as loan assistance programs and changes to state law to increase flexibility for dental therapists to practice, are working to bring dental care to rural areas. But these solutions often don't address the difficulties  rural Americans face in affording oral health care in the first place. (Source: The Washington Post; Photo: Yingpis Kalayom on Unsplash)  And for more on Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas in Wisconsin, see our map.  More »
  • Contest/Grant Program to Fund Programs for Local Communities (06/06/2018)
    A new multi-million dollar philanthropic initiative is now taking applications to award $1 million each to ten organizations dedicated to improving local economies and expanding economic opportunity for low-income and financially insecure people. The initiative, called the Communities Thrive Challenge, was purposely designed more like a contest than a regular grant in order to attract new kinds of potential grantees, including underfunded rural organizations. Applicants must register by next Tuesday, June 12th, 8 pm Central Time.  Applications are then due the following week, on Tuesday, June 19th, at 8 pm Central Time. Applications will then be considered over a six-month period and will be considered on factors of scale, impact, community-drivenness, and leadership. (Source: Daily Yonder; Image: Community Thrive Challenge)  More »
  • Visualizing Medication-Assisted Treatment in Wisconsin (06/06/2018)
    The Uniform Data System (UDS) Mapper is an interactive tool to visualize service area information for Health Center Program (HCP) grantees and look-alikes, and compares that information with community/population data. The recently-updated tool now is able to identify areas of high need and existing services for Medication-Assisted Treatment, and users are able to visualize trends in drug poisoning mortality, the opioid dispensing rate, and the number of DEA waiver programs for medication-assisted treatment (MAT). There are several upcoming webinars to learn how to use the UDS Mapper; times and dates are listed here.  More »
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