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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Telemedicine for Health Equity Toolkit
Toolkit providing information and guidance for safety-net healthcare systems on telemedicine program development and implementation. Includes sections with information for leadership, providers and teams, and considerations for reaching rural and underserved populations to address health disparities. Toolkit will be regularly updated to reflect regulatory changes and insights from healthcare administrators.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Care Innovations, Commonwealth Fund, UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations
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Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model
Provides information on a CMS model that permits ambulance care teams to use alternate models of emergency healthcare, such as telehealth treatment and transport to alternative destinations, to improve quality and lower costs of care. Rural Medicare-enrolled suppliers or hospital-based ambulance providers without current medical dispatch and/or telehealth are eligible to participate.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Pennsylvania Rural Health Model
Provides information on a joint CMS and the Pennsylvania Department of Health model designed to improve the financial viability of rural Pennsylvania hospitals and reduce the growth of hospital expenditures across payers, including Medicare. Includes information on participating hospitals and details about the performance period and model targets.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model
Provides information on a rural-focused CMS initiative that will test whether upfront investments, predictable capitated payments, and operational and regulatory flexibilities will enable rural healthcare providers to improve access to high-quality care and reduce costs.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Indian Health Service: Sexual Abuse Prevention
Features news, policies, and trainings regarding the prevention of sexual abuse in Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities. Details policies to oversee patient safety in healthcare settings.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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Nurse Practitioner State Practice Environment
Interactive map providing an overview of nurse practitioner (NP) licensure for all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories. Shows states and territories in which NPs are permitted full, reduced, or restricted practice, and provides definitions of these terms.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: American Association of Nurse Practitioners
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CMS Coronavirus Waivers & Flexibilities
Lists Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) waivers and flexibilities available to healthcare providers to ensure healthcare access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes blanket waivers and fact sheets for specific types of providers, as well as approved states' other coronavirus 1135 waivers.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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CMS Open Door Forum Podcast and Transcripts
Provides audio recordings and transcripts of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Door Forum calls since January 2020, including the Rural Health Open Door Forums.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Telehealth.HHS.gov
Features information about U.S. government efforts to support and promote telehealth services, including information on how to start a telehealth program, billing and reimbursement, and policy. Includes links to toolkits and resources on behavioral health, maternal health, training and workforce development, and more.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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The EMS Compact
Information on the agreement enabling emergency medical service (EMS) personnel licensed in Compact member states to cross state borders to practice and work in other Compact states without getting an EMS license in the remote state. Describes ways in which this agreement may enhance communities' responses to COVID-19 when local resources are reduced. Includes a map showing locations of EMS Compact states and contact information for each member state's Compact Commissioner.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice
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