AHA's Rural Webinars

Getting Funding for Broadband to Improve Local Access to Care in Rural States
December 21, 2022
FCC is awarding $70 million for the Affordable Connectivity Program. This application is due January 9. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is working to allocate $42B in broadband funds to states with the greatest need. The FCC just released a detailed map of all unserved locations and is seeking public input to insure the map is accurate. The deadline to file map challenges is January 13.

Miriam Yohannes Montgomery, Grants Management Policy Advisor, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, Federal Communications Commission and Bill England, PhD, Senior Advisor, Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration explain how hospitals can engage local leaders and residents to secure funding for their states and communities.

View the slide deck here. Listen to the webinar below.

Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Access and Rural Hospitals
July 14, 2022
Cybercriminals are targeting critical access and rural hospitals just as much as they are targeting bigger organizations. But the smaller organizations have fewer resources and tighter budgets. On July 14, speakers shared what they do in-house versus what they outsource to maximize security capabilities so they can prepare for an attack, detect security events 24/7, and respond rapidly. Sponsored by Critical Insights. Learn more here.

Strategies for Rural Health Leaders’ Success in a Post-COVID-19 World
April 28, 2022
This webinar, hosted by the American Hospital Association, will feature a conversation among rural hospital executives and board leaders to explore key topics their organizations face in caring for patients during the pandemic. Panelists will discuss how boards can work with all levels within their communities to build vaccine confidence and build trust in the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine for their families and communities. Watch the webinar recording. Watch the webinar recording on YouTube.

Key Considerations for Rural Telehealth & RPM Expansion
May 18, 2021
When the pandemic hit, Avera Health quickly pivoted to launch a virtual Care Transitions program to include COVID-19 monitoring and triaging. Avera Health quickly scaled its program to support more than 5,000 patients across 82 counties in South Dakota. Today, Avera Health continues its COVID-19 program, and is now looking beyond the pandemic to support new patient populations like those with gestational diabetes. You can watch a replay of this May 18 webinar here.

AHA and Black Coalition against COVID Town all
April 21, 2021
The AHA and Black Coalition against COVID conducted a town hall meeting on April 21. Speakers from the White House and Congress joined health care executives discuss opportunities for rural health care providers, public health organizations and rural health advocates as they advance COVID-19 prevention guidance, vaccine acceptance and vaccine administration. The event was co-hosted by AHA Board Chair Rod Hochman, M.D., CEO of Providence in Renton, Wash., and he was joined by Dr. Francine Witt, DNP, president and CEO of Effingham Health System, Springfield, Ga. The video may be viewed on Facebook or YouTube. Read the AHA blog here.

How Community and Rural Hospitals Solve Their CDI Business Challenges
March 9, 2021
In this webinar, Nuance Healthcare will highlight how community and rural hospitals can do more with fewer resources by focusing their clinical documentation improvement (CDI) efforts on quality and care management to improve provider engagement. Participants also will learn about the business challenges wrought by COVID-19 and the CDI results some rural hospitals have achieved as a result. 

AHA Advocacy Alliance for Rural Hospitals Federal Update - Member Only
May 1, 2020
A panel of 4 experts discussed federal policy emerging from Congress and the Administration under COVID-19 focusing on rural health priorities and took questions from the audience. They reviewed emergency funding, Medicare and Medicaid payment improvements, telehealth, regulatory relief, 340B drug pricing, access to PPE and steps toward recovery. Read more.