Rural Reporter

  • Telehealth Could Facilitate Sexual Assault Evidence Collection

    Nurses that are trained to provide expert care to sexual assault victims are a highly valuable resource—they have specialized training in forensic examination and understand best practices in evidence collection. Yet in communities with no access to such nurses, it falls either to the emergency room to examine sexual assault patients or to the patient themselves to travel to a hospital with a trained examiner on staff. 

     

    But Pennsylvania State University has found success addressing this shortage and improving care for sexual assault victims with the help of a technological solution: telehealth. It's among a growing number of states and hospitals that have found success using telehealth to connect rural and remote healthcare providers with examiners who are trained to collect evidence and provide expert testimony in court proceedings, reports Fierce HealthCare. (Photo by EME on PixaBay)

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  • States Are Allowing Dental Therapy. Is Wisconsin Next?

    Dental therapists work under the supervision of a dentist, providing preventive and routine restorative care, such as filling cavities or placing temporary crowns. They have midlevel roles similar to that of physician assistants or nurse practitioners who operate under the supervision of a doctor. Advocates say dental therapists can help to increase broaden access to oral health care.
     

    In the past year, six states have passed laws authorizing dental therapists to practice. Now, lawmakers in Wisconsin are trying to do the same. Fifty organizations across the political spectrum back dental therapy in Wisconsin, and a study from the McIver Institute hints at the potential economic benefit of allowing them to practice. 
     

    Senate Bill 89, currently in the state legislature, would provide for the licensure of dental therapists. The Senate plans to hold a public hearing on the bill next week Wednesday morning. The hearing, which also has other items on the schedule, will begin at 10am on Wednesday, August 21, 2019, in Room 411 South in the State Capitol Building. (Photo by Moses Vega on Unsplash)

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  • State Lawmakers Outline Mental Health Bills

    Republican state lawmakers outlined four bills aimed at supporting mental health services in a news conference on Tuesday. 
     

    One proposed bill, LRB 3881, is aimed at quelling the shortage of psychiatrists in Wisconsin, particularly in rural and underserved parts of the state. State Senator Kathleen Bernier pointed to the high price of employing locum tenens psychiatrists—temporary psychiatrists that work in short-staffed facilities—as evidence the bill would "pay for itself a number of times over" in underserved areas. The bill would give a $200,000 tax incentive to psychiatrists practicing in underserved areas, and a $100,000 tax incentive to psychiatrists who locate in other areas of the state. 
     

    Other proposed bills mentioned at the press conference would match mental health funding for clubhouses up to $50,000; update standards used by the Wisconsin Psychology Examining Board, and provide funding to nonprofits for trauma-informed care services. The bills were prompted by a 2013 task force on mental health. Watch the press conference here. (Photo of Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas from the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health)

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  • State Assembly to Recognize First Responders

    The Wisconsin State Assembly has announced a new recognition program for first responders. Winners in each district will be recognized during an October Assembly floor session as part of First Responders Appreciation Month. 
     

    Any Wisconsinite, especially local leaders, can submit nominations. The nomination can be based on a variety of factors, including a heroic action, significant professional achievement, community work, and/or length of service. The person nominated can be a police officer, sheriff's deputy, a firefighter, or any level of EMS provider. 
     

    Submit nominations to your state representative before early September. Find your Assembly representative here. (Photo from the Wisconsin State Assembly website)

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  • Task Force Looks At Suicide Prevention Among Law Enforcement, First Responders, Veterans

    A bipartisan state task force on suicide prevention met again on Monday. This time, they met in Eau Claire to look at the suicide rates among law enforcement, first responders, and veterans.
     

    “They do have higher rates of suicide than the general population and that’s why we focused on those three areas,” said Representative Joan Ballweg, chair of the task force.
     

    But the current approaches to helping people talk about suicide are changing, and a technique called QPR—question, persuade, and refer—encourages individuals to talk directly about suicidal thoughts. The task force will meet next in September in Milwaukee, where they'll learn more about the QPR approach and review an updated report about suicide in Wisconsin. WQOW reports. 

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  • Make a Difference Day Grants (Deadline: 09/30/2019)
    The third Saturday in October is "Make A Difference Day," a national day of helping others - a celebration of neighbor helping neighbor. The Volunteer Center Special Projects Fund can help students throughout Marathon County participate in volunteerism by providing grants of $50 - 250 to teachers willing to implement a "Make A Difference" project involving their students. The grant can be used to provide transportation, or to purchase necessary supplies or equipment for your project.  Applications are accepted on an annual basis. Funding »
  • Beyond Pencils & Crayons Grants - Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin (Deadline: 09/30/2019)
    Grants are available to K-12 teachers throughout Marathon County to initiate innovative and creative projects and programs that enhance their curriculum. Through a competitive review process, our selection committee looks for proposals that fill a specific need, are cost-effective, provide educational value, and demonstrate a sense of community.  Applications are available on an annual basis. Funding »
  • Clyde F. Schlueter Foundation Grants (Deadline: 05/04/2020)
    Proposals for projects and programs that will allow nonprofit organizations, located in the Wausau area, to provide for growth in character and service of area youth and for civic improvements.  Applications accepted annually, two times per year. Funding »
  • Clyde F. Schlueter Foundation Grants (Deadline: 08/03/2020)
    Proposals for projects and programs that will allow nonprofit organizations, located in the Wausau area, to provide for growth in character and service of area youth and for civic improvements.  Applications accepted annually, two times per year. Funding »
  • Murco Foundation Grants (Deadline: 09/01/2019)
    The Murco Foundation board of director’s reviews grant applications on an annual basis. Applications are considered from nonprofit organizations serving the greater Wausau area and Marathon County. The focus of their funding is for the advancement of education and the arts in their community.   Funding »
  • Mid Wisconsin Foundation Legacy Grants (Deadline: 10/15/2019)
    Proposals are accepted online for specifically identified projects and programs that will benefit nonprofit organizations located in communities formerly served by Mid Wisconsin Bank. Grants generally do not exceed $1,000.  Applications accepted on a yearly basis. Funding »
  • Domestic Violence Shelter Grant Program - Mary Kay Foundation (Deadline: 04/30/2020)
    Funding is awarded to deserving women’s domestic violence shelters across the United States. Each year, the Foundation awards a grant to at least one domestic violence shelter in every state that applies.  Applications accepted on a yearly basis. Check website for exact application details.  Funding »
  • Reducing Health Disparities Among Minority and Underserved Children (R01) – HHS, National Institutes of Health (Deadline: 05/07/2020)
    This initiative encourages research that targets the reduction of health disparities among children. Investing in early childhood development is essential. Specific targeted areas of research include bio-behavioral studies that incorporate multiple factors that influence child health disparities such as biological (e.g., genetics, cellular, organ systems), lifestyle factors, environmental (e.g., physical and family environments) social (e.g., peers), economic, institutional, and cultural and family influences; studies that target the specific health promotion needs of children with a known health condition and/or disability; and studies that test, evaluate, translate, and disseminate health promotion prevention and interventions conducted in traditional and non -traditional settings. Funding »
  • National Giving Program – Walmart Foundation (Deadline: 12/31/2020)
    The underlying focus in all of their work is on empowering low-income people to help them live better. The National Giving Program allows the Foundation to work strategically with organizations working across one or more states to address social issues strongly aligned with our focus areas. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.  Funding »
  • Utilizing Health Information Technology to Scale and Spread Successful Practice Models Using Patient-reported Outcomes (R18) - AHRQ (Deadline: 01/26/2020)
    Awardees will conduct research that demonstrates how health information technology (IT) can improve patient-centered health outcomes and quality of care in primary care and other ambulatory settings.  Applications should focus on the scale and spread of health IT-enabled practice models that use patient-reported outcome measures. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis with "Standard" deadline dates.  Funding »
  • Young Advisors Council - AgriSafe (Deadline: 12/31/2020)
    Volunteers Needed - Rural leaders ages 16-23 who are interested in representing perspectives of youth in agriculture are welcome to volunteer as a member of the AgriSafe Young Advisors Council (AYAC). The AYAC is a unique opportunity for youth in agriculture to impact the health and safety of their peers.  The council will be comprised of 6-10 rural leaders from around the country.  Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Funding »
  • Wisconsin Conrad 30 Waiver Program – Wisconsin Dept Health Services (Deadline: 12/31/2020)
    Graduates of foreign medical schools can obtain a J-1 visa (education exchange visa) to attend a medical residency or fellowship training program in the U.S. This J-1 visa requires that upon completion of the training program, the foreign physician returns to his or her home country for at least two years, before applying for immigrant status to the U.S. The foreign physician can have this J-1 visa "home-residence" requirement waived, in return for providing primary care or general mental health care in federally designated rural and urban communities that have shortages of primary care physicians or psychiatrists. Funding »
  • Annie's School Garden Grants (Deadline: 11/01/2019)
    Funding is for US-based K-12 school gardens that connect children directly to real food. These funds can be used to buy gardening tools, raised beds, seeds or other needed supplies for your edible school garden. The project must be an edible garden (growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, or grains) in the United States to which children have regular access. Eligible applicants include: public schools, including charter schools; private schools with 501(c)(3) nonprofit status; nonprofit organizations supporting a garden at a public or a nonprofit private school; school districts supporting a garden at a public or a nonprofit private school. Funding »
  • Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project Technical Assistance - National Rural Health Resource Center (Deadline: 12/31/2020)
    Project supports small rural hospitals nationally in transitioning to value-based systems by providing technical assistance (TA) through educational trainings and comprehensive onsite consultations. Eight hospitals are selected each year to receive on-site consultation projects. SRHT selected hospitals may choose to participate in either a financial operational assessment (FOA) or a quality improvement (QI) and transition of care project. The onsite consultations are designed to assist hospitals with: Improving financial and quality performance; Preparing for new payment and care delivery models; Preparing to transition to a system based on value.  Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
  • School Garden Grant – Safer Brand (Deadline: 12/01/2019)
    School gardens can have an amazing impact on students. School gardens can help get kids outside and moving. Students with gardens tend to perform better on tests. Gardens can even get students more engaged in learning about the environment and nutrition. It also encourages kids to eat more veggies and fruits. Funding will provide a chance for a healthier future. Applications accepted on a yearly basis.  Funding »
  • Aspirus Scholars Program (Deadline: 09/30/2019)
    The Program helps to address the health needs of patients in north central Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and ensure access to high-quality medical providers, today and for future generations. The Aspirus Scholars Program will provide scholarships to select medical student and advanced practice provider students in exchange for a service commitment.  Applications are accepted on an annual basis. Check website for exact deadline. Funding »
  • Oral Health 2020 – DentaQuest Foundation (Deadline: 12/31/2020)
    Oral Health 2020 investments are structured around the realization of a vision for improved oral health: Oral health is essential to lifelong health and well-being. The Foundation is engaging grantees and partners around a set of bold, shared goals with specific targets to be achieved by 2020. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.  Funding »
  • President’s Fund - DentaQuest Foundation (Deadline: 12/31/2020)
    The funding support convenings, events and activities that promote oral health. Fund investments currently focus on reducing oral health disparities and advancing health equity. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
  • Community Response Fund – DentaQuest Foundation (Deadline: 12/31/2020)
    The Fund supports small, one-time grants that address access to oral health care. The focus is to support programs, activities and events that: respond to an urgent issue that impacts access to clinical care; provide short term access to needed care for the underserved; and sustain organizations through short term challenges. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
  • Rural Rotation Grants - Wisconsin Rural Physician Residency Assistance Program (WRPRAP) (Deadline: 12/31/2020)
    The residency position(s) will be in a hospital that is located in a rural area or in a clinic staffed by physicians who admit patients to a hospital located in a rural area. Rural rotations must consist of at least 8 weeks of continuous or cumulative training experience in a rural hospital or clinic and involve a minimum of 60% of the resident’s time in a rural setting. The program under development is in one or more of the following specialties: Family Medicine, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Psychiatry. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.  Funding »
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