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Rural Health
News by Topic: Racial and ethnic groups

Dec 2, 2024 - The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will hold a public meeting of the Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality (ACIMM) on January 7-8, 2025. Agenda items are being finalized but may include committee discussions of draft recommendations on achieving optimal maternal health and overall birth outcomes for underserved populations, including Black/African-American families, and a vote on whether to send the draft recommendations forward. The webinar link and log-in information will be available at the ACIMM website before the meeting. Requests for public comment should be sent via email to SACIM@hrsa.gov.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 2, 2024 - Describes the findings of a recent report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the use of nirsevimab to treat RSV among infants in rural Alaska. Notes that the drug helped to reduce the severity of illness among babies and young children in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region, which has the highest rate of RSV-related infant hospitalization in the nation. Discusses how inadequate water and wastewater services and overcrowded housing in rural Alaska contribute to disease spread.
Source: Alaska Beacon
Nov 27, 2024 - Notice of final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2025. This rule also updates the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Program, Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program, and Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program and finalizes updates to the Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for obstetrical services. Among other things, this rule summarizes comments received in response to an information request on potential modifications to the Safety of Care measure group in the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating methodology. This rule also finalizes exceptions to the Medicaid clinic services benefit four walls requirement for Indian Health Service and Tribal clinics, and, at state option, for behavioral health clinics and clinics located in rural areas. The provisions of this rule are effective January 1, 2025. Comments are due by December 31, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 22, 2024 - Notice from the Indian Health Service (IHS) announcing the decision to expand the geographic boundaries of the Purchased/Referred Care Delivery Area (PRCDA) for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan and Indiana (Pokagon Band) to include the counties of Kalamazoo, Kent, and Ottawa in Michigan. The expanded boundaries will include the current PRCDA for the Pokagon Band, which includes Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, Kent, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties in Michigan, and Elkhart, Kosciusko, La Porte, Marshall, St. Joseph, and Starke counties in Indiana. This expansion is effective November 22, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 20, 2024 - Discusses disparities in cancer mortality between White and Hispanic residents of Arizona. Highlights efforts to increase cancer screenings in rural and border communities. Discusses barriers to healthcare including cultural disconnect, stigma, lack of trust in the healthcare system, and being uninsured.
Source: Cronkite News
Nov 18, 2024 - Notice from the U.S. Census Bureau seeking feedback on the proposed race/ethnicity code list that will be used when the combined race/ethnicity question is implemented in the American Community Survey (ACS) and the 2030 Census. This feedback will enable the Census Bureau to more accurately collect, process, and tabulate detailed racial, ethnic, and tribal responses reported in the race/ethnicity question. Comments are due by February 18, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 18, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families amending the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) regulations to allow all Indian tribes and tribal organizations operating CCDF program to establish eligibility criteria regardless of family income. This rule is effective November 18, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 12, 2024 - The Census Bureau will hold two virtual tribal consultations on December 11, 2024, and January 15, 2025. The two webinars will offer a forum for tribes to learn about its Race/Ethnicity Coding Improvement Project, which allows tribes to provide feedback on how detailed race and/or ethnicity and American Indian or Alaska Native populations will be coded in the American Community Survey (ACS) and the 2030 Census, and to provide feedback. Questions and topic suggestions for the consultation meetings must be submitted by December 2, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 6, 2024 - Discusses challenges with clinical trial participation for various racial and ethnic minority groups as well as rural populations. Notes rural health disparities that could be addressed through better clinical trial representation. Offers overview of identified goals to increase clinical trial participation for underrepresented groups.
Source: Health Affairs Forefront
Oct 31, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) making access and parity improvements in USDA's food distribution programs to support access for eligible populations and streamline requirements for program operators. Among other things, changes are aimed at increasing access to food distribution programs so eligible individuals can more easily receive the nutrition resources they need, increasing parity between FDPIR and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), modernizing program operations by updating some outdated terminology and processes, and incorporating lessons learned from implementing these critical programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This rule is effective December 30, 2024.
Source: Federal Register