Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced the availability of funding for the construction and renovation of school-based health centers. These new investments, totaling up to $75 million, are part of the School-Based Health Center Capital (SBHCC) Program, which was created by the Affordable Care Act.

School-based health centers are an important component of the nation’s health care safety net. The centers enable children with acute or chronic illnesses to attend school as well as help to improve the overall health and wellness of children and adolescents through health screenings, health promotion and disease prevention activities.

Read more: http://1.usa.gov/J4kEbV  [HHS Press Release, May 9, 2012]

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is accepting applications through the Community Connect Broadband program for grants to provide broadband service to residents of remote, rural communities.

“Ensuring that all Americans have access to reliable broadband is a key part of the Obama Administration’s effort to help create jobs and expand economic opportunities in rural areas,” Vilsack said. “These grants not only are critical for businesses and residents, they also help first responders, educators and health care professionals by providing them with access to broadband service.”

Information on available funding and application requirements are published on page 26241 of the May 3, 2012 Federal Register. More information on Community Connect Grants, including the application guide, can be viewed from the USDA Rural Development website. Applications must be received by June 18, 2012.

Free webinar sponsored by the Toledo-Lucas County Advanced Practice Center: Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. CT. This webinar will provide information on the role of Risk Communication Toolkits for emergency preparedness, particularly in rural counties. The presentation will provide a better understanding of how pre-crafted messages can be utilized through non-traditional means of communication during an emergency.

For more information and to register: http://bit.ly/KeOEQP

Introducing the Digital Rural Advocacy Grant Program

The Institute for Emerging Issues will host a webinar to launch a new grant opportunity for rural advocacy organizations to apply digital tools.   With resources from the Kellogg Foundation, the Institute for Emerging Issues is partnering with the Center for Rural Strategies, MDC, and Network Impact, to create the Digital Rural Advocacy Grant Program.

The program will award a total of $100,000 in grants through a competitive mini-grant process in amounts up to $10,000, which must be used to enhance the work of rural policy networks in the United States.

For questions, please contact Adam Brueggemann at atbruegg@ncsu.edu

When: Friday, May 4, 2012 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST

For more information and to register go to http://bit.ly/Kt32Sb

Take Action Webinar Series: Work Together

County Health Rankings:  Communities vary widely, and as a result, community health improvement efforts also vary. In the midst of all this variety is one constant: people working together. With a shared vision and commitment to improved health, working together can yield better results than working alone. Learn about guidance, tools and resources for building and maintaining a diverse, multi-sector team of partners (including business, healthcare, education, government, public health, funders, community leaders/advocates).

When: Tuesday, May 8, 2012 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST

For more information and to register go to http://bit.ly/Ju3z5r

Engaging the Safety Net in Health Care Reform

National Academy for State Health Policy  – This webinar will summarize the deliberations and results of NASHP’s National Workgroup on Integrating a Safety Net into Health Care Reform Implementation. Over the course of nearly a year, this group of state and federal officials, national experts and associations, and safety net systems worked to identify issues and develop policy options, focusing on integrated delivery systems, workforce, and financing.

Join NASHP Executive Director, Alan Weil along with the following speakers:

• Catherine Hess, Managing Director for Coverage and Access, NASHP
• Charles Alfero, Executive Director, Hidalgo Medical Services Center for Health Innovation
• Christine Collins, Deputy Director, North Carolina Office of Rural Health and Community Care

When: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 from 2:00 PM- 3:00 PM CST

For more information and to register go to http://bit.ly/IpmEb7

Rural Health Training and Education Initiative

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Funding that will allow VA facilities to expand health professions (Associated Health, Dentist, Nursing, and Physician) training to additional rural or highly rural VA locations.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: June 29, 2012

More information available at  http://bit.ly/JWioDO

Get Ur Good On Grants

Youth Service America - Grants in support of a youth-led community service projects. Projects must address a demonstrated community need or issue, and must take place during June, July, and/or August 2012. Applicants must have a project mentor to help throughout the project.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: May 27, 2012

More information available at http://bit.ly/JgWIOT

Social and Economic Development Strategies Tribal Governance- SEDS TG

Administration for Native Americans - Funding to expand the governance priority to emphasize projects that strengthen the internal capacity and infrastructure of tribal governments to increase services provided to children and families.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: June 18, 2012

More information available at http://bit.ly/JFqyip

U.S. Department of Education 2012 National Rural Education Technology Summit 2.0 Apr 30, 2012. 11:00am-5:00pm Central

For more information go here: http://1.usa.gov/I8ajqk

Indiana Rural Health Association Lunch and Learn – Dr. Duong – Rural Doctors Program May 1, 2012 11:00am-Noon Central

For more information go here: http://bit.ly/Iih8vt

Rural Assistance Center: The Role of Leadership in the EHR Project: What Rural Leaders Need to Know. May 8, 2012 at 2:00pm Central

For more information and to register go here: http://bit.ly/IruwaY

“Continuity and Resiliency for Health IT Systems: Preparing for Unforeseen Events” – Friday, April 27, 2012 – 2pm Eastern

This webinar provides expert advice on how health information technology (IT) can help primary care and rural inpatient providers prepare for and overcome an unforeseen event.  When these events – such as a flood, data loss, power outage, snowstorm, or a public health crisis like an influenza outbreak – occurs, health IT systems can be a valuable tool to ensure continuity of patient care.  This is just one reason why it is critical to ensure that health IT systems are resilient and that staff can continue providing care under such circumstances.

Speakers will present case studies and lessons learned based on their own experiences of how their health IT systems helped them prepare for and overcome these events.  They will also focus on how safety net providers can build a resilient health IT infrastructure and system, as well as work with local and state government entities to prepare for an unforeseen event.  Presenters include:

• Staff from George C. Grape Community Hospital, Hamburg, Iowa
• Timothy Roark, Chief Information Officer, Georgia Primary Care Association
• Matthew J. Ziemer, Director, Emergency Management Program, Community Health Care Association of New York State

Click here to register:  http://bit.ly/JWBGEl

Questions for presenters are welcome ahead of the event and may be emailed to: healthit@hrsa.gov

County Health Rankings and Roadmaps

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Help counties throughout the U.S. mobilize and take action to create healthier places to live, work, and play. Includes a checklist of various tools to help groups work together.

The County Health Rankings illustrate what we know when it comes to what’s making people sick or healthy, but understanding your county’s rankings is only one component of improving your community’s health. It shows what we can do to create healthier places to live, learn, work, and play.

The Roadmaps to Health Acton Center provides tools to help groups working together to create healthier places to live, learn and work.

Check out the website at http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/roadmaps

Community Commons

Advancing the Movement - An interactive mapping, networking, and learning utility for the broad-based healthy, sustainable, and livable communities movement. Users have access to all kinds of tools and information.  One highlight is the searchable profiles of hundreds of place-based community initiatives (multi-sector collaboratives) working towards healthy/sustainable/livable/equitable communities – funded by government and private philanthropy – complete with text & video narratives on “what’s working.”

Check out the website at http://www.communitycommons.org/

Rural, Tribal, and Small Town Sustainability

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Part of HUD’s Sustainable Communities Resource Center, this topic area describes strategies that communities are developing to improve their environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Offers publications and reports, tools and toolkits, plus sample programs and initiatives for rural, tribal and small town sustainability.

Rural communities across America are working to strengthen their economies, provide better quality of life and build on assets such as traditional main streets, agricultural and working lands, and natural resources. Smaller communities, tribal governments and rural regions are developing new models of sustainability.

Check out the website at http://bit.ly/J7RYd2

Public and Indian Housing Family Self-Sufficiency Program under the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Program (PH FSS)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:  Funding to helping HUD-assisted renters make progress toward housing self-sufficiency.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: May 30, 2012

For more details go to http://bit.ly/HA6n6h

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – Childhood Obesity Prevention

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture: Grants are designed to achieve the long-term outcome of reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents 2-19 years.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: June 5, 2012

For more information go to http://bit.ly/IBPXZn

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation Grants

U.S. Department of Agriculture : Grant funding may be used to support projects that develop and implement simple food stamp application and eligibility determination systems, or measures to improve access to food stamp benefits.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: June 20, 2012

For more information go to http://bit.ly/IgmHtJ

Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program

U.S. Department of Agriculture : Rural Health and Safety Education for 2012 focuses on individual and family nutrition, farm safety education, and rural health leadership development.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: May 15, 2012

For more information go to http://bit.ly/IZ0CtJ