News Update
August 24, 2010

Secretary Sebelius Announces $32 Million to Support Rural Health Priorities

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today, Aug. 24, more than $32 million in FY 2010 funds to increase access to health care for Americans living in rural areas. The funds reach across seven programs administered by the Office of Rural Health Policy in HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

“These funds reflect the priorities spelled out by President Obama in providing the best health care possible to rural Americans,” said Sebelius. “The ultimate goal is to build healthier rural populations and communities.”

“The grants will strengthen partnerships among rural health providers,” said HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield. “Funds will be used to recruit and retain rural health care professionals and modernize the health care infrastructure in rural areas.”

Funding for the seven programs includes:

• More than $22 million for the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, which supports improvements in health care quality in communities served by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), efforts to improve the hospitals’ financial and operating performance, and the development of collaborative regional and local delivery systems. The program has helped more than 1,300 hospitals convert to Critical Access status since its inception in 1998.
• More than $3 million for the Rural Health Workforce Development Program, a new one-time pilot program. The program supports the development of rural health networks that seek to improve the recruitment and retention of emerging health professionals (primary and allied health care students and residents) in rural communities. It will promote a range of approaches to community-based training and can include a singular or collective focus on professions such as medicine, oral health, mental/behavioral health, nursing, pharmacy and other allied health professions.
• More than $2 million for the Telehealth Network Grant Program, which helps communities build capacity to develop sustainable telehealth programs and networks. Telehealth allows patients in underserved and remote areas to receive health care without traveling great distances; it also is used frequently for distance education and health care administration. The services provided via telemedicine range from primary care to highly specialized care found in leading academic medical centers.
• More than $1 million for the Telehealth Resources Center Grant Program, which provides technical assistance to help health care organizations, networks and providers implement cost-effective telehealth programs serving rural and medically underserved areas and populations. The program is designed for entities with a successful track record in helping to develop sustainable telehealth programs.
• Close to $1 million for the Flex Rural Veterans Health Access Program, a new program that will help eligible entities coordinate innovative approaches, collaborative networks and virtual linkages to provide rural veterans and other rural residents access to mental health and other health care services. The grants aim to improve mental health services through the use of health information exchange and telehealth in states where veterans make up a high percentage of the total population.
• $770,000 for the Frontier Community Health Integration Demonstration Program, whose purpose is to develop and test new models for the delivery of health care services in frontier areas by improving access to care and the integration of care delivery to Medicare beneficiaries.
• Almost $500,000 to the Rural Training Track Technical Assistance Demonstration Program, which will analyze the challenges and barriers facing Rural Training Track (RTT) residency program sites and then provide technical assistance to increase the number of family medicine physicians that choose to take part in these rural residencies. RTT sites have a successful record of placing graduates in rural locations, with 75% of their graduates remaining to practice in rural settings.

Lists of awards from HRSA’s 2010 appropriation are available at: www.hrsa.gov/about/news/2010tables/rural.html.

—Release by HHS.

Anthrax Cases Reported in Pembina County, North Dakota

Confirmation of anthrax as the cause of death of two Pembina County beef cattle last week has prompted state animal health officials to renew their call for livestock producers to have their animals vaccinated against the disease.

“The two animals — one bull and one cow — came from a single pasture,” Susan Keller, the state veterinarian, said Monday. “Two more cows in the same pasture died later in the week, likely from anthrax.”

The animals’ owner found two cattle dead in the pasture and called a local veterinarian, Ben Stegman, Cavalier, who suspected anthrax and took samples for testing. The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at North Dakota State University confirmed the diagnosis.

The remaining cattle in the pasture have been vaccinated, treated with antibiotics and quarantined. After a booster vaccination, and, if no further deaths occur, they will be released from quarantine in 30 days.

Keller said an effective anthrax vaccine is readily available, but takes about a week to establish immunity and must be followed with annual boosters. She said conditions are ideal for anthrax in many parts of the state.

An anthrax factsheet and maps are available on the North Dakota Department of Agriculture website, www.agdepartment.com. Click on “Anthrax Information.”

— Release by North Dakota Department of Agriculture.

Purdue Workshop to Focus on Rural Energy Efficiency

Rural residents hoping to cut their energy costs or invest in wind energy systems can find out how at a free workshop sponsored by the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service.

The Farm and Rural Energy Efficiency Improvement Workshop takes place from 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Grant County 4-H Fairgrounds, 1403 E. Indiana 18, Marion.

Workshop speakers include Chad Martin, Purdue Extension renewable energy specialist, and Curt Johnson, area specialist with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development.

Martin will discuss rural small-scale wind energy and grain dryer energy audits. He will talk about what it takes to decide if a small-scale wind turbine is appropriate for rural farms and residents. Then discussion will shift to how to make the farm more energy efficient, starting with grain drying.

“Energy efficiency is a high priority for us to promote with our energy programs because green energy is a terrible thing to waste,” Martin said.

Johnson will address Rural Energy for America, a USDA program that offers grants or guaranteed loans to help rural residents improve their energy efficiency or implement renewable energy systems.

Registration is not required for the workshop, but those interested in attending are encouraged to contact John Woodmansee of the Grant County office of Purdue Extension in order for organizers to gauge participation. Woodmansee can be reached at 765-651-2413, ext. 117, or by e-mail at grantces@purdue.edu.

— Release by Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service.

Hotel, Early-Bird Registration Deadlines Near For Zoonoses Symposium

The Sept. 1 early-bird registration deadline is rapidly approaching for the Sept. 23-24 symposium, “Zoonoses: Understanding the Animal Agriculture and Human Health Connection.” The deadline to make hotel rooms in the symposium room block is tomorrow. 

Early-bird registration is $300. After Sept. 1, registration will be $350. A special student registration rate of $175 is also available if paid by Sept.1, after which it will be $200. The conference program, as well as online registration, is available at the Farm Foundation website, www.farmfoundation.org.

The symposium will be at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, 1000 H Street N.W., Washington, D.C. A block of sleeping rooms has been set aside at the rate of $209 per night, single or double occupancy. The rate is only available for reservations made by Wednesday, Aug. 25. Make your hotel reservations by calling 202-582-1234 or 1-800-233-1234.

The symposium is targeted to the broad cross-section of disciplines affected by zoonotic diseases, including public health officials, epidemiologists, virologists, veterinarians, agriculture producer groups, public policy makers and media representatives. The program is designed to build understanding of the relationships between zoonoses, animal production systems and human health, and to strengthen the role of each profession in the prevention and management of zoonotic diseases.

For more information contact Sheldon R. Jones, sheldon@farmfoundation.org, Farm Foundation, 630-571-9393; H.L. Goodwin, hlg@teamsolutionsllc.com, symposium coordinator, 479-445-4141; or Mary Thompson, mary@farmfoundation.org, Farm Foundation, 630-571-9393.

— Release by the Farm Foundation.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.