Rural Reporter
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CMS Proposes Changes To Hospital Requirements
(04/25/2018)
On Tuesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed changes with the stated goal of requiring hospitals to post prices online, improving patients’ access to their electronic health records, grappling with sky-high drug prices, and reducing the paperwork burden on hospitals. The changes would reduce the number of measures hospitals are required to report, and would ease documentation requirements. The proposed rule changes will begin implementing parts of the MyHealthEData initiative, and CMS will be renaming a part of the Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs from the "Meaningful Use" program" to the "Promoting Interoperability" program. (Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Photo: Damian Gadal on flickr)
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American Academy of Nursing Warns Against Long Hours; Fatigue
(04/25/2018)
The American Academy of Nursing is urging health care providers to make systemic changes to prevent a tired workforce of nurses. A position paper co-authored by the Dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Nursing, Linda Scott, who is also part of the American Academy of Nursing, says that nurse fatigue is a real threat. Fatigue among nurses, the paper claims, is a danger to patients because of increased risk of error; the health and safety of nurses themselves; and the risk of car accidents when commuting. The paper, published in Nursing Outlook, says that nursing is one of a growing number of fields recognizing the broad health and safety risks that are linked to shift work, long work hours, and worker fatigue. Read the full paper here. (Source: Shamane Mills, Wisconsin Public Radio; Image: rawpixel on Unsplash)
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UW System Receives $4 Million In Broadband Funding
(04/24/2018)
In partnership with the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative Information Technology Network, the UW System will receive $4 million to support health care education delivery through broadband and telecommunications services on all of its campuses. The funding will facilitate virtual classes in health care education delivery, particularly in rural areas. (Source: UW System; Photo: Markus Spiske on Unsplash)
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Looking At Two New Initiatives For Health Data
(04/24/2018)
In March, HHS Administrator Seema Verma announced two new initiatives, MyHealthEData and Blue Button 2.0, that would implement changes in order to make it easier for consumers and providers to use electronic health records. However, the timeline and specifics for the rollout of these changes remain unclear, argues health care lawyer David Harlow. (Source: Healthcare IT News; Photo: Adapted from rawpixel on flickr)
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Proposed Bipartisan Legislation Would Address Farmer Suicide
(04/23/2018)
New bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) would provide farmers with critical support and mental health resources. The FARMERS FIRST Act would provide funding for local resources, provide suicide prevention training for farm advocates, create support groups and reestablish the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN). (Source: Wisconsin State Farmer; Photo: Jenny Hill on Unsplash)
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Fond du Lac Folks Working to "Stop the Bleed"
(04/23/2018)
In an initiative by the local hospital, police department, fire/rescue and fire/EMS departments, citizens in Fond du Lac are learning to "stop the bleed." The program trains participants to render aid to those suffering from severe bleeding in an emergency, which can help to keep a person alive before responders are able to arrive. (Source: The Fond du Lac Reporter; Image: HeungSoon on Pixabay)
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Trump Administration May Change Tribal Medicaid Policies
(04/23/2018)
According to current health care law, American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and other people eligible for services through the Indian Health Service and tribal programs are exempt from the fee for not having health insurance coverage. New work requirements for those receiving Medicaid in Arkansas, Kentucky and Indiana will end the work requirement exemption for American Indians in those states. Contending that native tribes are a race rather than separate governments, the Trump administration says exemptions from Medicaid work rules would constitute preferential treatment, which is illegal. (Source: Politico; Image: bootbearwdc on flickr)
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New Study Finds Unnecessary Clinical Tests Are Common
(04/23/2018)
A new study published in The American Journal of Medicine found that most patients experience unnecessary testing on the first day of an inpatient hospital stay, and about one-third of all tests were unnecessary by physician chart review. Researchers conducted a retrospective review of electronic medical records from 2017, from a convenience sample of 177 patients admitted to medicine services at two hospitals. The researchers say the study indicates that the most frequent types of unnecessary tests were laboratory tests, and that beyond tests that were unnecessary by clinical guidelines, many appropriate tests did not change clinical care. (Source: The American Journal of Medicine; Image: A chart from the study, that shows the "proportion of patients with at least one unnecessary test based on chart review, frequency with which testing led to a change in patient management and the overall outcome of testing on patients.")
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The Nation's Highest Rate of Farm Bankruptcies is in Western Wisconsin
(04/19/2018)
As Wisconsin's dairy farmers struggle with low milk prices, a sense of despair settles over the industry, and more and more dairy farmers take their lives, recent data shows western Wisconsin had the nation's highest rate of farm bankruptcies in 2017. Federal bankruptcy court data shows that out of 501 chapter 12 bankruptcies last year — a special category of bankruptcies for family farmers and family fishing operations — 45 were in Wisconsin, with 28 of in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court's Western District for the state. (Source: WisContext; Waldo93 on Pixabay)
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New State Law Aims To Steer Medicaid Patients From Emergency Department to Primary Care
(04/18/2018)
A bill signed into law this week will reimburse hospitals and health care systems for developing intensive care coordination services provided to Medicaid recipients. The act is part of an effort to reduce the strain on emergency departments and help patients find a better setting for their care. In 2016, more than 10,000 Medicaid recipients in Wisconsin visited emergency departments seven or more times. Often, those high utilizers use the emergency room as their main or only source of care. (Source: Biztimes, Milwaukee Business News; Photo: Engin_Akyurt on Pixabay)
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HHS Official Advocates Use of Medication-Assisted Treatment
(04/18/2018)
Elinore McCance-Katz, a physician and assistant secretary of mental health and substance abuse for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, says the use of medication-assisted treatment is "evidence-based" and ought to be on the table for recovery. Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone are all drugs used in medication-assisted treatment, but access to them for those wanting to recover from opioid addiction is tough, since they are tightly controlled substances themselves. One possible solution that could open access to medication-assisted treatment is the “hub-and-spoke” model, which may soon come to Wisconsin. (Source: Wisconsin State Journal; Photo: West Ward Pharmaceuticals)
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The Disparity in the Rates of Death from Heart Disease
(04/17/2018)
While heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, a new report finds that heart disease death rates decreased for the total population from 1968 to 2015. However, the report also finds that there are marked disparities in the rate of decrease by race and state, and decreases in heart disease death rates were slower among blacks than whites. The disparity was found to be wider in Wisconsin. Particular factors contributing to a decrease in heart disease mortality seem to be equally attributable to prevention and advances in treatment. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Photo: Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body (1918))
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Using Medicaid Managed Care to Serve Children with Special Care Needs
(04/17/2018)
The National Academy for State Health Policy studied how six states designed their managed care systems to serve children and youth with special health care needs, and found particular practices and strategies that improved their care delivery systems to this population. Officials from these six states particularly emphasized the need to design all aspects of the system, include stakeholders in planning, be open and transparent in the planning process, have strong data and analytical systems, and develop champions on the administrative, legislative, and community levels. More specific advice is found in the report. (Source: National Academy for State Health Policy; Photo: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash)
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State Supreme Court To Hear Case on Medical Malpractice Caps
(04/17/2018)
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will consider this week whether a woman who lost all four limbs because of an incorrect medical diagnosis is entitled to millions of dollars in non-economic damages. Though Wisconsin's current state cap for non-economic damages is $750,000, the state Supreme Court will examine the question of whether she ought to receive $16.3 million awarded for pain and suffering and loss of companionship, which are the particular non-economic damages at issue in this case. Others say that the caps, and the strength of the state Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund, are a reason that high-quality physicians stay in Wisconsin. (Source: Wisconsin State Journal; Photo: pina messina on Unsplash)
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Wisconsin Roundup: More Than Ninety Bills Signed Into Law
(04/16/2018)
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USDA Changes Eligible Areas for Rural Housing
(04/16/2018)
The rural eligibility designation for housing has changed for areas in the counties of Chippewa, Dane, Dodge, Douglas, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Ozaukee, Portage, Racine, Rock, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Waukesha, Washington, Winnebago, and Wood. The changes will become effective on June 4, 2018. Areas that are no longer considered rural and will not be eligible for the USDA Rural Housing Programs can be viewed at here by clicking on either "Single Family Housing Guaranteed", "Single Family Housing Direct" or Multi-Family Housing" and then selecting the "Proposed Ineligible Areas" tab. (Source and Photo: USDA Wisconsin Rural Development)
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Farm Bill Draft Gives Ag Secretary Power to Declare Rural Health Emergency
(04/16/2018)
The House version of a new farm bill released last week would allow the Secretary of Agriculture to declare a rural health emergency, making it easier to award grants and loans to community health facilities and telehealth programs. The Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 would also cut food stamps and require more participants in the nutrition program to look for work, training, or employed to remain eligible for benefits. (Source: Daily Yonder; Photo: Wisconsin Department of Health Services)
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Watch: Webcasts From the DHS Opioid Forum in Milwaukee
(04/12/2018)
The DHS-sponsored #HopeActLiveWI Opioid Forum took place in Milwaukee this week. The conference focused on strategies and considerations in dealing with the opioid crisis, and breakout sessions explored a diverse set of topics, such as how to effectively communicate the dangers of the misuse and abuse of opioids to diverse cultural groups and communities of color, how to apply the evidence-based fetal, infant, and child death review model to review opiate deaths, and the impact of the crisis on Wisconsin families.
Watch the videos below:
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Hospitals Are Leaving Rural America, To the Dismay of Rural Americans
(04/12/2018)
Rural residents face many, many barriers to receiving medical care. They're more likely to have multiple chronic conditions and face barriers in accessing transportation to care, and navigating the complicated web of medical paperwork can also block access. These barriers are compounded by the closure of hospitals and clinics, which has led to the formation of "medical deserts" across the nation. (Source: Talk Poverty, Photo: •tlc•photography• on flickr)
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Toll of Opioids Approaches That of Meth's in Western Wisconsin
(04/11/2018)
While meth remains the biggest drug of concern in the Chippewa Valley and elsewhere across northwestern Wisconsin, heroin and other opioids are a growing worry. Opioids such as hydrocodone, fentanyl, oxycodone, heroin and others have become more commonplace in the Eau Claire region, according to law enforcement and public health officials. (Source: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram; Photo: Drug Enforcement Administration)
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