Telehealth in Maine: Reimbursement & Sustainment Webinar Series

What's New and Featured Resources

		Free Webinar for Rural Hospital and Health Care Personnel
		Creating a People-Centric Culture to Attract and Retain Top Talent (PDF) Thursday, July 12, 2018 Through the session, attendees will learn the following: Utilize employee interviews for retention Develop engaging surveys on culture, best practices, and leadership Formulate tips for hiring and onboarding the right person

Evidence-based Toolkits for Rural Community Health

These step-by-step guides on subjects including care coordination, health promotion and community health workers, provide resources and examples drawn from evidence-based and promising programs for rural communities. The toolkits glean information from HRSA/FORHP-funded grant programs to showcase what works and why and are made available by NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis and the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center in collaboration with the Rural Health Information Hub.

Other announcements from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy: Week of June 28, 2018

Congratulations to Maine's Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals!

Redington-Fairview General Hospital (Skowhegan) and Millinocket Regional Hospital were recently named as two of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. The hospitals are measured across eight pillars of hospital strength: Inpatient Share Ranking, Outpatient Share Ranking, Cost, Charge, Quality, Outcomes, Patient Perspective and Financial Stability.

For more information:

• Redington-Fairview General Hospital website
• Millinocket Regional Hospital website

Congratulations also go to Northerm Maine Medical Center, a Top 20 Rural and Community Hospital, an honor they have earned for two consecutive years.

• More about the award
• Northern Maine Medical Center website




Application Assistance for Rural Opioid Response Funding

The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy will hold a technical assistance webinar for applicants to the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program on Thursday, June 28th at 1:00 p.m. A recording will be made available for those who cannot attend.

For more information:

• contact: ruralopioidresponse@hrsa.gov
• Notice of Funding Opportunity

Other announcements from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy: Week of June 21, 2018



NHSC Site Applications are being accepted now through August 14, 2018.

The 2018 NHSC New Site Application is now open and will close on August 14, 2018 at 11:59 PM ET. Eligible sites include health care facilities that generally provide outpatient, ambulatory, and primary health care services (medical, dental, and behavioral) to populations residing in high-need urban and rural areas.

New This Year!

NHSC recently received $105 million for future NHSC Loan Repayment Program awards that expand and improve access to quality opioid and substance use disorder treatment in rural and underserved areas. Outpatient substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities are also now eligible to apply if you provide any of these services:

• General Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment
• Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
• Opioid Treatment Program (OTP)

For more information:

• 2018 NHSC Site Reference Guide
• SUD New Site Documentation



Applications are being accepted for the 2018 Faculty Loan Repayment Program now through June 28, 2018.

The Faculty Loan Repayment Program provides individuals who have an interest in eligible health profession careers with the opportunity to receive loan repayment while serving as faculty members at accredited and eligible health professions schools.

Participants will receive up to $40,000 for two (2) years of service to repay the outstanding principal and interest of qualifying educational loans. Applicants must obtain all qualifying educational loans prior to the application deadline of June 28, 2018. For more information:

• 1-800-221-9393 (TTY: 1-877-897-9910)
• Faculty Loan Repayment website



J-1 Visa Waiver Program

The J-1 Visa Waiver Program, also known as the Conrad State 30 Program, helps address shortages of qualified doctors in rural areas. In exchange for a waiver of certain visa restrictions, including the two-year foreign residency requirement, international medical graduates agree to complete their medical training in the United States and practice primary care for at least three years at an eligible site.

Please be advised that the Maine Rural Health and Primary Care Program has received 30 J-1 applications for the 2017-2018 year filling all available slots. We will not accept any further applications until October 1, 2018 when the new cycle will begin. All applications sent prior to October 1, 2018 will be returned.

Related resources:

• J-1 Visa Waiver Review and Recommendation Process for the State of Maine (Conrad State 30) (PDF)
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services
• US State Department




Certification Program for Primary Care Tax Credit

The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the tax credit certification to eligible primary care professionals for tax year 2017. Certificates were awarded in accordance with 10-144 Chapter 298 – Rules Governing the Certification Program for Primary Care Tax Credit (effective date: May 19, 2016).

This serves as notice to unsuccessful applicants. No other notice will be sent. Unsuccessful applicants may reapply in a subsequent tax year.

The time limited submission period for tax year 2018 is between the dates of January 15, 2019 and February 15, 2019. Only applications postmarked during this time-limited submission period will be considered by the department for the applicable tax year. Applications will be made available on this website no later than Tuesday, January 9, 2019.

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Adopted Rule took effect May 19, 2016

"Rules Governing the Certification Program for Primary Care Tax Credit"

This adopted rule implements a certification program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services in coordination with Maine Revenue Services. Up to 5 eligible primary care professionals will be certified annually by DHHS to receive an income tax credit while the program is in effect. Eligible primary care professionals must have outstanding student loans and make a commitment to practice full time for 5 years in an underserved area of Maine. The statute and rule include definitions, eligibility requirements, the application and selection process, as well as department monitoring, self-reporting and compliance requirements. The statutory language is not repeated in the rule. Refer to the statute for compliance requirements and to these rules that supplement the statute. The intent of the state income tax credit certification program is to provide an incentive to recruit and retain primary care professionals to practice in areas of Maine with an identified shortage of primary health care professionals. The income tax credit program is funded for 5 years.




		The 2017 Rural Health Report Card compiled by Rural Health Quarterly is Out Did you know?
		40.8 percent of Mainers live in one of Maine's 11 rural counties. Maine ranks 2nd in the United States for the number of primary care physicians practicing in rural counties (99.5 per 100,000). Cancer, heart disease and chronic lower respiratory disease are the first, second and third leading causes of death in Maine.
		Read the full report card (pages 52-53) (PDF) Link to the Rural Health Quarterly

Cybersecurity Toolkit for Rural Hospitals and Clinics

Ransomware and cybercrime are growing threats for all healthcare facilities – big or small. Protecting a facility for cyber threats can be a daunting task. However, failure to protect a facility for cyber attacks can result in fees, fines, litigation, media stories, mistrust and decreased market capture. The toolkit is organized into four steps to guide rural hospitals and clinics in developing and fostering a well-rounded cybersecurity program, including awareness, assessment, implementation & remediation, and education. This toolkit includes a survey of available resources from various governmental and non-profit organizations. It includes checklists and tools that are appropriate for all audiences, including hospitals and clinics in rural settings.

Downloads and Links:

• Cybersecurity Toolkit for Rural Hospitals and Clinics (PDF)
• National Rural Health Resource Center




Are you an employer in a rural area looking for a health care provider? Are you a health care professional looking for an opportunity in Maine?

3Rnet is a national network that matches health care professionals with employers in rural areas. Register today! It is a free resource for both health care professionals and health care facilities located in rural Maine.