April is Autism Awareness Month. The RHA of TN would like to share a pre-recorded webinar featuring Lauren Pearcy the Executive Director with the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities in a webinar titled, "Disability Resources for Healthcare Providers and Patients". 

We are continually focused on caring for the well-being of individuals with developmental disabilities. Through advanced research, we will get the help they need by providing resources that will support the health and safety of all the individuals. 

  Click here to view recording 

Engooden Health becomes Rural Health Clinic
Sustaining Member!

Engooden Health, a company redefining chronic disease management, today announced a partnership with the Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHA of TN), granting members access to technology-enhanced chronic care management (CCM) services between provider visits. Engooden will provide association members with the ability to scale personalized interventions for patients living with chronic diseases to help improve their quality of life and health outcomes.

Health disparities within rural communities occur due to social determinants, including geographic isolation, socioeconomic status, and reliable food sources. These factors place larger populations of people at risk for having chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Engooden’s proprietary technology, in partnership with RHA of TN, will help bring more ongoing and equitable care to Tennesseans by providing its members with outsourced services to rising risk patients in between office visits. 

Thanks to the advocacy efforts of RHA of TN members and other organizations, dental coverage is now available for pregnant and postpartum women. Starting April 1st, pregnant women on TennCare will have dental coverage.  

An excerpt of the Notice of Change can be found below.

The please see the following update from the Tennessee Department of Health:

The following information as released from HRSA regarding the Uninsured Program and the Coverage Assistance Fund. Please direct additional concerns to https://www.hrsa.gov/CovidUninsuredClaim or contact the HRSA Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522. 

RHA of TN hosts, ArchProCoding Virtual Training for RHCs on April 20, 2022: 9am-2pm CST Curriculum specifics include:

•  The “Key Components” associated with E&M code selection
• The differences between the CPT and CMS E&M documentation guidelines
• Discuss the use of utilization benchmarks to target potential risk areas
• Explain the differences between the 1995 and 1997 examination guidelines
• Determining the complexity of medical decision making (MDM)
• The importance to ‘link’ ICD-10-CM codes to E&M services
• Risks associated with certain EHRs solutions (e.g, “wizards”)
• Distinguishing “problem-oriented” from “preventive” E&M services
• What to look for when modifiers are reported with E&M services (e.g., -25)
• How to use a well-constructed audit template to conduct reviews
• Key steps to present audit findings to providers successfully and non-confrontationally

Attendees must be a certified Rural Health Clinic in the state of Tennessee.

Rural Health Association of Tennessee members met with several of Tennessee’s legislators and staffs on Wednesday, March 9^th.

Topics of conversation ranged from discussing the Access to Naloxone Act, telehealth, health equity, and the importance of coordinated school health.

Sabrina Blue is the Founder and CEO of Helping Hands of Middle and West Tennessee (HHT). The mission of HHT is to build stronger communities and help improve health outcomes for West Tennessee families. HHT provides dental, medical, and medical insurance assistance to families earning no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Blue is an Associate Pastor with the Historic First Baptist Church in Jackson, Tennessee. Her mission is to look at the deficit of the resources in rural Tennessee and figure out how to deliver holistic healthcare to the residents of rural West Tennessee.

Listen on Rural Health Leadership Radio 

In honor of Heart Health Month, The Rural Health Association hosted a webinar in collaboration with the American Heart Association- Tennessee this morning, "Building Community Networks to Improve Heart Health in Rural Communities" .

Our guest speakers, Brenda Miller and Kacie Kennedy, offered a vast knowledge on ways you can partner with your local communities to help with heart health in your own neighborhood and recognizing the importance of heart health. 

Rural Health Association of TN's members A Step Ahead Chattanooga has a commitment to removing barriers to contraception through education, outreach, and access to free birth control.

A Step Ahead Chattanooga serves 18 counties across Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, and Northeast Alabama (Bledsoe, Bradley, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, Meigs, McMinn, Polk, Rhea, Sequatchie, Catoosa, Dade, Murray, Walker, Whitfield, DeKalb, and Jackson counties).

The Tennessee Department of Health's Division of Health Disparities Elimination is proudly recognizing extraordinary individuals in the health and medicine industries with ties to Tennessee during Black History Month, including RHA of TN's own Dorshonda Evans. 

"Dorshonda Evans, BSHA, LPN is Rural Health Association of Tennessee’s (RHA of TN) Member Engagement Director. As a nurse and mother, Mrs. Evans understands the challenges healthcare workers face in balancing family, work, and personal care.

The Rural health Association hosts a webinar in collaboration with the American Heart Association titled: Building Community Networks to Improve Heart Health in Rural Communities on February 23, 2022 at 10:00am-11:00am CST. Our guest speakers are Brenda Miller and Kacie Kennedy and they are both with the American Heart Association.                                    

Learning Objectives:                                                                                                                                                                  1. Recognize the components that define heart health and strategies that help improve heart health.                                    2. Identify patient and community resources to promote heart health.                                                                        3. Increase knowledge of growing networks within the rural community to grow impact to improve heart health.  

Rural Health Association of Tennessee members met with several of Tennessee’s federal Congressmen, Congresswomen, and staffs on Wednesday, February 9^th.

Topics of conversation ranged from discussing the 340B drug program, Rural Health Clinic Modernization Act, and the importance of programs such as the National Health Service Corp and the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (R-CORP)

The Rural Health Association of Tennessee is excited to announce our webinar on "Health Equity, Poverty, and Rural Resilience" by Michael Meit, who serves as Director of Research and Programs for the East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health Research.

This session will highlight what is known about rural health inequities and how they vary by rural geographic region, describe health inequities in Tennessee, present measures of rural prosperity that can help us to understand factors of risk and resilience in our rural communities, and highlight rural strengths and assets that can be leveraged to improve rural community health and well-being. Join us on March 11, 2022 at 10:00am.

Radon and Lung Cancer in Tennessee 

If you missed our webinar on "Radon and Lung Cancer in Tennessee" with Lexi Brown and Bruce Snead, don't worry! A recording of the webinar is available, along with resources shared. 

The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine and The University of Kentucky Healthcare CE Central are hosting a conference titled "Healthcare in Appalachia: Practical Approaches to Addressing the Unique Needs of our Region" in Pigeon Forge on April 28-30, 2022.

Approximately 25.7 million people live in the Appalachian region of the United States (U.S.) Forty-two percent of the region’s population lives in rural areas, compared with only 20% of the nation. This region has historically been plagued with unique healthcare needs and poor health outcomes.

The National Rural Health Association's 33rd Annual Policy Institute has moved to a virtual platform! 

Join us on February 8-10 for the NRHA's Policy Institute to learn more about policy and have a chance to advocate for the issues you care about. Prices have dropped as the event has moved to a virtual platform. This is a great opportunity if you haven't been able to make it to D.C. in the past. Join other staff and members of Rural Health Association of Tennessee to advocate for the policies that effect you! A tentative schedule can be found here.

Find out more information and register 

CDC releases "Rural Considerations for Vaccine Confidence and Uptake Strategies"

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released another COVID-related rural resource that may be of interest. A “Rural Considerations” addendum was recently added to its field guide for conducting a Rapid Community Assessment (RCA). An RCA is a process for quickly collecting community insights about a public health issue in order to inform program design. The assessment involves reviewing existing data and conducting community-based interviews, listening sessions, observations, social listening, and surveys. In addition to the rural considerations addendum, the

Rural Medical Centers has clinics located in mountains where there is no internet or cell service, and in the middle of a tomato field. As you might imagine, they have a few challenges providing healthcare services. You can listen to a very interesting conversation with Jessica Zimmerman and Alexis Andino who are both with Rural Medical Services in East Tennessee.

 Listen on Rural Health Leadership Radio

The following is from the National Association of Rural Health Clinics
Significantly Increased NHSC Funding Offers Major Provider Recruiting Opportunity for RHCs in Current HPSAs

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) has received significantly increased funding this cycle which creates increased opportunity for rural health clinics (RHCs) to qualify for NHSC programs. The expectation for the current cycle of NHSC funding is that sites even in very low HPSAs may be able to qualify for NHSC programs. This is an excellent opportunity to recruit and retain providers in your community that you do not want to miss.