Rural Reporter

  • CMS Proposal Could Disproportionately Affect Rural Hospitals (05/25/2018)
    A proposal from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to cut Medicaid rates without oversight could trigger soaring costs of uncompensated-care and facility closures at hospitals and medical practices. The change could especially hurt rural hospitals that serve a high percentage of Medicaid patients, which cannot afford to exit the managed-care networks and have no leverage to negotiate rates that would cover the cost of providing care to Medicaid patients. (Source: Modern Healthcare; Photo: Erich Ferdinand on flickr) More »
  • Prescription Errors in Wisconsin (05/24/2018)
    The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services is the Wisconsin agency responsible for monitoring pharmacies. In the years 2015, 2016, and 2017 combined, it received 450 complaints about dispensing errors. Not all of those were substantiated, but pharmacies must file state and federal reports for all cases of unaccounted-for controlled substances. (Source: TMJ4; Photo: Joshua Coleman on Unsplash)  More »
  • Celebrating EMS Week (05/24/2018)
    It's National EMS Week, so it is an excellent opportunity to thank emergency medical personnel for their service. We are marking the occasion by beginning a 6-part series of Rural EMS Town Halls across the state, with the first held this Tuesday in Arcadia.  Our thanks to Gunderson Tri-County Hospital for inviting us! Stay tuned for details on upcoming events, and consider attending one near you.  And check out the national conversation online as the week progresses! More »
  • Using Opioid Litigation Proceeds: A Test Case from Tobacco Settlements (05/23/2018)
    Most counties in Wisconsin are now suing the distributors and/or manufacturers of prescription opioid painkillers for fraudulent marketing that has caused a public health crisis and saddled counties with the costs of the crisis: social services, courts, law enforcement, health services, and emergency care. As the litigation makes its way through the courts, another question is raised: what programs should those potential settlements be used to fund? The settlement funds from tobacco litigation in the 1990s may prove a cautionary precedent. (Source: Health Affairs Blog; Photo: White House Opioid Memorial Visit from the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development on flickr)  More »
  • Food Insecurity Higher in Rural Counties (05/23/2018)
    A 2018 report from Feeding America, a hunger relief organization, looks at the status of food insecurity in the United States. It finds that 1 in 8 individuals, and 1 in 6 children, live in households without consistent access to adequate food. According to the report, rural counties make up 63% of all U.S. Counties but 79% of counties with the highest rates of food insecurity, particularly in the rural South. The report also breaks down the food insecurity numbers by Wisconsin counties. (Source and Image: Feeding America)  More »
  • Looking at Family Planning Trends In Rural Community Health Centers (05/23/2018)
    A study from the Kaiser Family Foundation looked at the roles of community health centers in providing access to contraception and family planning services in rural and underserved areas. According to the study, few health centers report that they are able to absorb a significant number of new patients given staffing and space constraints, and that Title X-funded sites and centers in Medicaid expansion states are less likely to experience certain barriers to providing care. (Source and Image: Kaiser Family Foundation) More »
  • Healthy Wisconsin Leadership Institute Community Teams Program (05/23/2018)
    The Healthy Wisconsin Leadership Institute (HWLI) is recruiting in the Southeastern region of the state for its 2018-2019 Community Teams Program, which supports coalitions and collaboratives working on community health improvement efforts. This year-long cohort program focuses on building sustainable community partnerships through the development of collaborative leadership and public health skills. Program activities include three workshops, three capacity-building site visits, and ongoing technical assistance from staff and consultants. In addition, teams participate in cross-community networking visits to advance community health improvement. The application deadline is July 13, 2018. HWLI will be hosting three virtual informational sessions about the Community Teams Program on the following dates:   Thursday, May 31, from 12:00PM - 1:00PM;  Tuesday, June 12, from 2:00PM - 3:00PM;  Friday, June 22, from 10:00AM - 11:00AM.  More »
  • FCC Chairman Supports Increase in Funding to Rural Health Care Program (05/23/2018)
    For the second consecutive fiscal year, a program that provides funding for telecommunications and broadband services in rural communities has exceeded its annual cap. The Rural Health Care Program is administered by the Federal Communications Commission, and has exceeded its funding cap of $400 million for this fiscal year. Testifying before a Senate appropriations committee, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai indicated his support for an increase in funding for the program. (Source: Health Data Management; Photo: Wesley Fryer on flickr) More »
  • Hospitals See Growing Numbers Of Adolescents At Risk For Suicide (05/22/2018)
    A new study finds that the number of adolescents struggling with suicidal thoughts or attempts is rising, with the greatest increase for older adolescents. The research, which looked at administrative billing data from hospitals from 2008 to 2015, finds that the annual percentage of all visits for suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts has almost doubled. The study also points at the role of race in the adolescent suicide risk. (Source: Pediatrics;  Photo: Ryan Tauss on Unsplash)  More »
  • Celebrating A Successful Wisconsin Stroke Conference (05/21/2018)
    Last week the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health partnered with the American Heart Association-Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Coverdell Stroke Program to present the 2018 Wisconsin Stroke Conference: A Look at Rural and Urban Settings and Everything in Between. We want to thank the more than the 150 medical professionals who attended the conference to learn more about stroke care. Missed attending? Watch the conference in full at this link, or watch Part One below.  (Source and Photo: American Heart Association - Wisconsin) More »
  • Trauma Experts See Need for Healing Spaces (05/18/2018)
    Many veterans suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, but finding healing spaces can be difficult, since places that are meant to be healing spaces can actually trigger symptoms. Now, veterans and trauma experts are calling for therapeutic places that are conducive to healing and recovery. According to federal data, a greater overall share of the American population with PTSD are located in rural regions, rather than in urban centers. (Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Photo: Johannes Plenio on Unsplash)  More »
  • Fall Rate Increasing Among Seniors In Wisconsin (05/18/2018)
    A new report on the health of seniors in rural areas finds that the suicide rate of seniors has increased 12 percent in the past four years. The report also finds that the rate of falls has risen in Wisconsin to 28%, up from 14.5% in 2014. Falls among seniors are more common in rural areas, compared with the suburban and urban rate. (Source and Image: America's Health Rankings)   More »
  • Preventing Intimate Partner Violence (05/18/2018)
    At least one in four women, and one in seven men, have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner. Learn how health centers can build a comprehensive and sustainable response to intimate partner violence. (Source and Photo: Futures Without Violence)  More »
  • Sauk County Students Learn Rural Safety Measures (05/16/2018)
    This week, the Sauk County Health Department hosted the 25th annual Rural Safety Days Camp to teach kids how to stay safe in the country, particularly when playing in rural areas. The event featured safety demonstrations and interactive lessons on chemicals, animals, ATVs, electricity, farm equipment, the internet, fire, water and firearms. (Source: WiscNews; Photo: Jonathan Mast on Unsplash) More »
  • CMS Launches Rural Health Strategy with Telehealth Aims (05/16/2018)
    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a new rural health strategy, targeting Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries located in rural America. CMS plans to reduce telehealth barriers to stakeholders, such as reimbursement, cross-state licensure issues, and the administrative and financial burden to implement telemedicine. (Source: Home Health Care News; Photo: Laurent Peignault on Unsplash) More »
  • Healthcare Leaders Offer Practical Solutions to Workforce Challenges in Rural Areas (05/16/2018)
    As Wisconsin and the nation face shortages in health care personnel, finding ways to improve provider handoffs and transitions and maintain consistent quality can be difficult. One transitional care model implemented in the Mayo Clinic's tertiary hospitals took steps to promote a positive, team-based work environment, and it resulted in a reduced rate of turnover among nurse assistants. (Source: RHIhub; Photo: Marcelo Leal on Unsplash) More »
  • Wisconsin Ranks Eighth In Nation For Performance of Its State Health System (05/16/2018)
    A new report from the Commonwealth Fund finds that Wisconsin ranks as one of the top state health systems in the Midwest, and ranks eighth overall in the nation. Other key findings from the report find that deaths from suicide, alcohol, and drug use ("deaths of despair") are at an all-time high, that gaps in mental health care are pervasive, and that nursing home health care has improved substantially. (Source and Image: The Commonwealth Fund) More »
  • It's National Women's Health Week (05/15/2018)
    National Women’s Health Week begins on Mother’s Day each year. The Office on Women's Health has a number of tools and guides specifically for women to help them with screenings and preventative care, learn about exercise and healthy eating, prioritize mental health, and practice healthy behaviors.   More »
  • As Healthcare Workers Burn Out, Elderly Patients Can Suffer (05/15/2018)
    According to a report released this month from the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association, the health care workers who attend to older citizens in Wisconsin's residential and long-term care facilities are facing increasing levels of stress and fatigue. The industry as a whole faces a shortage as employees suffer from the increasing twin risks of overwork and burnout. (Source: WisContext; Photo: jossuetrejo_oficial on Pixabay) More »
  • When Raised Among Substance Abuse, What Makes Teens 'Resilient'? (05/15/2018)
    Young people with a family history of substance abuse are more vulnerable to developing similar habits. But a researcher at the University of Michigan Addiction Center finds that some young people raised in such circumstances are 'resilient' to substance abuse. What makes them unique? One study indicates that the differences in behavior are associated with activity in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain. (Source: Michigan Health Lab; Photo: jesse orrico on Unsplash) More »
RSS Feed