Trainings and Resources

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health released the CMS Framework for Health Equity. Using five priority areas, CMS will use this framework to design, implement, and operationalize policies and programs to support health for all people served by its programs including rural populations.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention show that on January 10, 2022, the overall vaccination rate in nonmetropolitan counties was lower than in metropolitan counties—48 percent in nonmetro areas versus 61 percent in metro areas. The Economic Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture compiled the data from the CDC and state health departments and reports substantial regional variations. Nonmetro counties in the Northeast, the northern Midwest, and the West have vaccination rates that are above national nonmetro average; meanwhile, a large proportion of counties in the South and southern Midwest have vaccination rates below the national nonmetro average.

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) report outbreaks of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in counties with low vaccination coverage.  To reduce the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus, the CDC updated guidance to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas with high levels of community transmission.

CDC created this communication toolkit to help public health professionals, health departments, community organizations, and healthcare systems and providers reach populations who may need COVID-19 prevention messaging in their native languages.

The new legislation promises billions of dollars for high-speed internet, improvements to roads and bridges, clean drinking water, and modernized wastewater systems. The playbook is intended to help communities understand the available funding set aside for rural areas and how to apply for these federal dollars.

The sweeping, nationwide plan to recover from the pandemic will invest more than $6 billion in underserved and rural areas through Community Health Centers (CHCs). More than 91 percent of health center patients are individuals or families living at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and more than 60 percent are racial or ethnic minorities.

We discussed the importance of engaging community influencers in your efforts to improve prevention, treatment, and recovery systems and services. We talked about how to identify and engage these key community stakeholders and why this strategic activity is vital to your consortium’s sustainability.

This webinar will highlight the unique challenges faced by tribal communities in securing safe and secure housing and SUD. The presenters will also discuss how AI/AN communities experience homelessness in relation to the rest of the country

Cohort-Specific Sessions/Activities and Day 2 Wrap-Up

These presentations highlighted the efforts of two MAT Expansion grantees to collaborate with partners, including local community corrections entities.