Rural Reporter
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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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Rural Development Leadership Network (Deadline: 12/31/2020)In the RDLN program, participants implement practical projects in their own communities. They may also work toward an RDLN certificate, bachelor's degree or master's degree through related mentored independent study. RDLN is forming a cohort of rural development practitioners to work toward a Ph.D. degree. Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
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Native Telehealth Outreach and Technical Assistance Program (NTOTAP) - Center for Native American Telehealth and Tele-education (Deadline: 12/31/2020)The 12- to 18-month program is designed to impart technological skills to Native community members. Community members gain these skills while developing multimedia projects to address health issues in their communities. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis with a spring deadline. Funding »
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National Health Service Corps Recruitment and Retention Assistance (Deadline: 12/31/2020)Assistance for qualifying practice sites in recruiting and retaining community-responsive, culturally competent primary care clinicians. Sites must meet several criteria and be approved. Federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, and other sites that care for low-income and uninsured people can become NHSC-approved sites where dentists, dental hygienists, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, physician assistants, and mental health professionals who are eligible for loan repayment funding or have received scholarships can fulfill their service obligation. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
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Cooperative Leadership Fund – Ralph K. Morris Foundation (Deadline: 12/31/2020)The Fund provides financial support to help cover costs associated with training, professional development and educational programs for young leaders interested in the future of cooperatives and rural communities. Applications preference will be given to those applications received at least 30 days prior to conference date. Funding »
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Elroy Webster Cooperative Studies Fund – Ralph K. Morris Foundation (Deadline: 09/30/2019)This Fund provides financial support to graduate students or law school students enrolled in an agricultural cooperative program or that can demonstrate how their field of study would relate to or benefit the agricultural cooperative industry. Applications are accepted from January – September 30 of each year. Funding »
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Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program – USDA (Deadline: 12/31/2020)The Program will provide direct loans, technical assistance grants, and technical assistance-only grants to microdevelopment organizations to support the development and ongoing success of rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises. Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis with quarterly deadlines. Funding »
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National Mentoring Program in Public Health - American Public Health Association (Deadline: 12/31/2020)Matches mentors and mentees continuously throughout the year to help increase the relevance of the academic training public health students receive, increase students professional success and productivity, and strengthen the field of public health. Application is for an ongoing basis. Funding »
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Income Based Repayment Plan – US Dept of Education (Deadline: 12/31/2020)Income-Based Repayment (IBR) is a new payment option for federal student loans. It can help borrowers keep their loan payments affordable with payment caps based on their income and family size. For most eligible borrowers, IBR loan payments will be less than 10 percent of their income - and even smaller for borrowers with low earnings. IBR will also forgive remaining debt, if any, after 25 years of qualifying payments. Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
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Sight for Students for Low-income, Uninsured Children - Vision Service Plan (Deadline: 12/31/2020)The program provides free vision exams and glasses to low-income, uninsured children. Funding »
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Community Grants - Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation (Deadline: 12/31/2020)From helping to build a new children’s hospital in New Jersey to enhancing mental health services for people living in remote, rural counties of Alabama, funding helps give hope where and when it’s needed most. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
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RGK Foundation Grant Program (Deadline: 12/31/2020)The Foundation's current interests in the broad areas of Education, Community, and Health/Medicine. Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
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Developing Healthy Places - Kresge Foundation (Deadline: 12/31/2020)Healthy Environments aims to improve the health and well being of vulnerable children from low-income families by making the places they live, learn and play safe and supportive of overall good health. Funding priorities are clean air, safe and healthy housing and schools, and safe, accessible, and inviting outdoor play spaces – all advanced with community engagement, citizen leadership and cross-sector alliances. Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
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Milton & Phyllis Berg Respite Care Grant - Alzheimer's Foundation of America (Deadline: 12/01/2019)Funding helps alleviate the cost of respite care for families caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Funds may be used for in-home care, adult day programs or other types of respite. In addition, a select number of the grants—the Phyllis and Milton Berg Family Respite Care Grant—are awarded in memory of the deceased parents of Barry E. Berg. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis, Spring and Fall deadlines. Funding »
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National School Lunch/After School Snack Program – USDA Food and Nutrition Service (Deadline: 12/31/2020)This is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
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Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program (REDLG) - USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service (Deadline: 12/31/2020)The primary objective of the program is to promote rural economic development and job creation projects. Assistance provided to rural areas, as defined, under this program may include business startup costs, business expansion, business incubators, technical assistance feasibility studies, advanced telecommunications services and computer networks for medical, educational, and job training services and community facilities projects for economic development. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
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Loan Guarantee Program for Facility Projects – HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care (Deadline: 12/31/2020)The overall goal of this Federal Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) is to assist Health Centers in accessing lower cost capital for medical facility improvements.These guarantees are made available: "for loans made by non-Federal lenders for the construction, renovation, and modernization of medical facilities owned and operated by health centers...". This program will be limited to providing loan guarantees of no more than 80 percent of the loan principal amount. Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis. Funding »
