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Greetings!
This edition of Rural Route includes the State Profile for Wyoming and information on health information technology funding opportunities from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
On December 9th, I encourage you to tune in to a highly recommended educational opportunity on Community Benefit by dynamic speaker, Jim Krile, titled "Your Hospital and Your Community: Vital Allies in Health Care".
And finally, make sure to review the application information to attend the 2010 Rural Voices Leadership and Policy Workshop from ORHP - a great opportunity!
Sincerely,
Tracy Morton
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Farewell and Welcome!
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TASC and the Rural Health Resource Center bid farewell and best wishes to the following Flex Program personnel:- Chris Tilden, Director of the Kansas Office of Local and Rural Health will be leaving his current position in June 2010 to become the Executive Director of the Mountain States Group, Inc. Mountain
States Group, Inc. is a diverse non-profit organization working in
health and human services, including efforts on rural health, mental health, public health, healthy children, refugee resettlement, and healthy aging.
We wish you all the best in your future endeavours! TASC and the Rural Health Resource Center also extend a very warm welcome the following personnel to the Flex Program: - Samantha Williams with the federal Office of Rural Health Policy Hospital-State Division. Samantha is the new project officer for Region B including the states of Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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New Staff or Contact Info Changes?
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Do you have new staff in your State Flex Program or changes to your contact information?
If so, please click here to email TASC! |
State Profiles
In order for the State Flex programs to network together and avoid reinventing the wheel, TASC is currently contacting the Flex programs and the State Offices of Rural Health to collect information on their staff members, major program areas, and successful activities. The information will be used to facilitate communication among other State Flex programs with similar interests and will be highlighted in TASC's electronic newsletter, Rural Route. The state profiles will also be uploaded onto the TASC Web site.
Wyoming State Profile
Flex Program Staff
State Office Director
Ron Pearson, MHA, CFAAMA
(307) 777-6970
Specialty Areas / Background Leadership/mentorship. Ron was a
Colonel in the United States Air Force and was most recently the
Commander of the 90th Medical Group at FE Warren Air Force Base in
Cheyenne, WY.
State Office Director since July 2007
Flex Coordinator
Specialty Areas / Background Recruitment and Retention; Team
Building; Event Planning. Sharla has split her 25 year career between
working in rural health and reproductive health in both state
government and non-profit organizations.
Flex Coordinator since July 2007
Vice President, Wyoming Hospital Association
Steve Bahmer (307) 632-9344 [email protected]Specialty Areas / BackgroundHealthcare Technology; Government
Affairs; Professional background and personal interests in
communications. Steve has launched a private venture with a partner to
utilize that communications background to help professional and student
organizations think differently about major strategic issues like
leadership, change, and communication. Vice President since January 2008 Administrative Assistant
Keri Wagner
(307) 777-6512
Specialty Areas / Background
Rules; Contracts; QHI State Administrator
Administrative Assistant since February 2008
Most Significant Flex Program Achievement for Wyoming:
Wyoming is the ninth largest state
geographically, yet the least populated. The Flex program has provided
a need and a means to bring the CAHs together in an organized manner
through the development of the Wyoming Critical Access Hospital
Network. Leadership at the WCAHN level (CAH CEOs), the Wyoming Hospital
Association (which provides day to day leadership to the WCAHN), and the
Wyoming Office of Rural Health has made it difficult for the WCAHN to
grow. There has been stability within these three organizations for
about a year and a half, and the WCAHN is now in a position to pursue
meaningful initiatives that provide benefit to its members. Top Three Flex Activities in 2009 for Wyoming:
1. Education
Nurse
Leadership training - Flex dollars support a video conference, 8-module
certificate course for nurses who are new to leadership positions. The
training is provided through the Laramie County Community College.
Enthusiasm for the course is high, and carryover funds supported
another round of trainings in the summer of 2009. In the 2009 - 2010 grant, the
courses will be available to new leaders in departments outside of
nursing also.
2. Quality/Performance Improvement
Six
of Wyoming's 15 CAHs are participating in the CAH Multi-State Quality and
Performance Improvement Project during the 2008 - 2009 Flex grant year.
All 15 will participate in the 2009 - 2010 grant year.
3. Networking
The
Wyoming Critical Access Hospital Network (WCAHN) has gained momentum
and is actively participating in the planning the Flex grant
application. WCAHN is also pursuing co-op purchasing for several items
and services. Flex dollars are also funding a new state-of-the-art web
site for WCAHN. WCAHN is in the early stages of designing professional
peer networks for CFOs and HR staff in CAHs, based on the best
practices program in Idaho.
Wyoming Flex Program Success Story "Maximizing Opportunities in CAHs",
a training presented by Mike Bell, CPA and revenue/reimbursement expert was very successful in Wyoming. As a
result of this training, two Wyoming CAHs have sent their CFO to Mike's
on-site "Boot Camp" for CAH finance and reimbursement.
Wyoming Flex Program Details
Location: Wyoming Department of Health, Rural and Frontier Health Division, Office of Rural Health
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HITECH Funding Opportunities
The following includes recently announced funding opportunities available to state governments, 501(c)3 organizations, institutes of higher education, community colleges, and consortia from the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (or HITECH Act) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Beacon Community Cooperative AgreementThis program will provide $235 million to communities to build and
strengthen their health information technology (HIT)
infrastructure and exchange capabilities to demonstrate the vision of
meaningful HIT. Cooperative agreement awards will go to approximately fifteen entities representing geographic care communities. Applicants must fall into one of the five below categories: - State,
local, tribal, or territorial government entity with a public health focus
- Integrated
delivery network or health system with broad community partnerships
- Independent
physician association or consortium of medical groups
- Public/private
partnership aimed at health system improvement and/or community health
improvement
- ONC-funded
regional extension center with the capacity to expand its services
Curriculum Development CentersThis program will provide $10 million in grants to institutions of higher education
(or consortia thereof) to support HIT
curriculum development. The Office of the National Coordinator for HIT plans to make up to five grant awards that
will support curriculum development to enhance programs of workforce
training primarily at the community college level. The materials
developed under this program will be used by the member colleges of the five regional consortia as well as be available to institutions of
higher education across the country. Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center Program (cycle 2)The regional extension centers will offer technical assistance, guidance, and
information on best practices to support and accelerate health care
providers' efforts to become meaningful users of Electronic Health
Records (EHRs). The extension program will establish an estimated 70
(or more) regional centers, each serving a defined geographic area. The
regional centers will support at least 100,000 primary care providers,
through participating non-profit organizations, in achieving meaningful
use of EHRs and enabling nationwide health information exchange. The estimated range of award values for the initial two-year budget
period is approximately $1 million to $30 million per Regional Center,
with an estimated average of around $8.5 million. Funding has now been reduced to awards in two cycles, versus the originally proposed three, with all awards issued by March 31, 2010. Community College Consortia to Educate Health Information Technology Professionals The Community College Consortia to Educate Health Information
Technology Professionals in Health Care program will provide $70 million to rapidly create
HIT academic programs at Community Colleges (as defined by the 1965
Higher Education Act) or expand program that educate on HIT. Each student with
appropriate prerequisite training and experience will be able to
complete intensive training in one of six roles within six months or
less. Roles include: Practice workflow and information management
redesign specialists; Clinician/practitioner consultants;
Implementation support specialists; Implementation managers;
Technical/software support staff; and, Trainers. Academic programs may
be offered through traditional on-campus instruction or distance
learning modalities, or combinations thereof. Eligible applicants may be institutions of
higher education. Any university that
applies must also be engaged in providing training in HIT. The lead awardee will also need to provide a list of the Community
Colleges in the consortia that will receive funding through the project as sub-awardees. |
Upcoming Educational Opportunities
December 9, 2009
Your Hospital and Your Community: Vital Allies in Health Care
Sponsor: Rural Health Innovations
Format: Webinar
Sponsor Description: The relationship between a rural
hospital and its community is an important one, and one that can bring a
multitude of mutual benefits if handled and nurtured appropriately.
Additionally, documenting community benefits will soon be mandatory for
hospitals, making it even more important for hospitals to identify how they can
work with their communities and, subsequently, document the benefits (including
economic impact).
Cost:
$99 per line
For
additional information, please visit the Rural Health Innovations Web site or
contact Sally Trnka.
December 15, 2009
Sponsor: QHR Learning Institute
Format: Online Course
Sponsor Description: Coding in a CAH is widely misunderstood, with opinions running to extremes. Attend this session presented by Linda Coe, QHR Senior Consultant, and learn what's really different about inpatient and outpatient coding in a CAH, how coding effects compliance, and your final settlement. The means may have changed, but the goal is still the same.....the right payment for what you really did. Bust the myths with this on-line program for department managers and coders alike.
Cost: QHR-affiliated organizations: $175 per program connection. Non-QHR-affiliated organizations: $239 per program connection.
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2010 Rural Voices Leadership and Policy Workshop
On November 25th, an email was sent from Steve Hirsch to all Flex Coordinators announcing the 2010 Rural Voices Leadership and Policy Workshop. The federal Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) plans to continue the Rural Voices Leadership and Policy Workshop exclusively for ORHP grantees. The primary intent of this workshop is to provide a tailored leadership development program for potential rural health leaders and to ensure a greater diversity of leadership for rural communities.
Applicants for the program must be a current grantee and not
have any previous national leadership experience or training. There are four slots
allocated for Outreach, Network Development, Delta and two slots allocated for
Network Planning, Quality, Black Lung Clinic Program, RESEP, State Office and
Flex grant programs. All travel, food and hotel accommodations will be paid by
the ORHP.
The meeting will be held on March 29 - 31, 2010
in Washington, DC and will be a two � day meeting over the
course of three days. The first day will
cover health policy issues at the national level which will help grantees
understand how these issues affect them at the local level, the second day will
be the leadership skills workshop and the third day will be lessons learned. This last day will focus on the information,
skills and strategies you have learned and ways you will utilize them in your
community.
Application Guidelines:
The guidelines for
the application process are listed below.
Before applying for the 2010 Rural Voices Leadership and Policy Program
Meeting, please read through each section thoroughly to determine eligibility.
Eligible applicants must meet the
following criteria:
- Applicant must be a current Outreach,
Network Planning, Delta, Network Development, Black Lung, RESEP, Quality,
FLEX, State Office Grantee;
- Applicant has not had previous national leadership experience or training;
- Applicant cannot have had previous
experience advocating at a national level;
- Applicant must be willing to commit sufficient time to the program;
- Applicant must have the ability to
travel and be available on meeting dates and listen in on the
conference call prior (date TBD) to the meeting date;
- Applicants under State travel
restrictions should not apply;
- Applicants from all rural areas of the
country are encouraged to apply as the program seeks geographic balance.
Items to Submit with Application:-
Cover
Letter including the name of the ORHP grant program for which the applicant is
a grantee.
- Essay
answering the following question: (one page or less)
- State
your interest in attending the program.
- How does the program fit into the growth and development of your
career?
- How will you use the program to
benefit your community?
- Brief
resume including work telephone number and e-mail address.
- One letter
of recommendation
Dates to Remember:
Application Due Date: Applications should be emailed no later than
December 22, 2009. Selections: Final selections for the 2010 Rural Voices
Leadership and Policy Program Meeting will be announced in February 2010.
Please do not mail applications. Applications
will only be accepted electronically. Please email applications to: Subject Line: Rural Voices Leadership Program
Application
Attn: Shelia Tibbs,
Public Health Analyst
Email: [email protected]
Phone : 301-443-4304
For additional questions on the 2010 Rural Voices Leadership and Policy Workshop, please contact Steve Hirsch.
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New Rural Research on HPSAs and Rural Health Care Access
Persistent Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Health Care Access in Rural America (Policy Brief)
From the Rural Health Research Center at the University of Washington, "this study examined the
degree to which persistence of primary care health professional shortage areas (HPSA) designation in rural counties
was associated with lower population socioeconomic status and deficiencies in
access to health care services. It used a 5-level classification of rural
counties and their partial-vs. whole-county persistence of primary care HPSA
designation to stratify rural populations by socioeconomic status,
race/ethnicity, primary care supply, health insurance uptake and access to
needed health care services. Those U.S. rural counties that were persistently
designated as whole-county HPSAs were found to have much lower socioeconomic
status, and adults residing in these counties reported substantial financial obstacles
to obtaining needed health care services. Rural counties that were persistently
designated as whole-county HPSAs also faced severe provider shortages, and
adults residing in these locations were less likely to have a regular primary
care provider. The ability to identify persistence and extent of HPSA
designation may be a valuable tool in selecting counties with higher levels of
need." For more information or to view additional rural research, please click here to visit the Rural Health Research Gateway.
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TASC Book Club Books
TASC offers multiple new Book Club books each quarter. We ask that you please choose one selection during the quarter. The TASC Book Club is open to all State Offices of Rural Health and Flex Program Staff (limit one book per state per quarter). Please contact Jere-lyn Fern if you have any questions on this new method for the TASC Book Club or would like to order a book from the selections below.
Emergency Medical Services: At the Crossroads (Future of Emergency Care)
Authored by the Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System, Emergency Medical Services: At the Crossroads (Future of Emergency Care) "examines the operational structure of EMS by presenting an in-depth
analysis of the current organization, delivery, and financing of these
types of services and systems. By addressing its strengths, limitations,
and future challenges this book draws upon a range of concerns: the
evolving role of EMS as an integral component of the overall health
care system; EMS system planning, preparedness, and coordination at the
federal, state, and local levels; EMS funding and infrastructure
investments; EMS workforce trends and professional education; and EMS
research priorities and funding."
Leading your Healthcare Organization to Excellence
Leading Your Healthcare Organization to Excellence "uses the
well-known Baldrige Criteria as a road map for increasing care quality
at your organization. Rather than an ill-defined management fad, the
Baldrige Criteria provide an efficient outline for quality improvement
that has delivered proven results across many industries, including
healthcare. The criteria can help you pinpoint trouble spots and
prioritize improvement activities. Use the book's many helpful tools,
including key points, self-assessments, and reflections, to adapt the
Baldrige model to the specific needs of your organization. Positive
changes in the attitudes, services, processes, measurement, planning,
leadership, and patient satisfaction at your organization can all be
inspired by the Baldrige Criteria." Request Your Copy of one Book Club Book Today! |
Save the Dates Below please find a list of upcoming events in the next four months. If you have an event that you would like posted, please contact Tracy Morton.
The 21st Annual Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care will be December 6-9, 2009 at the World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida. December 9-11, 2009 NRHA Minority and Multicultural Health Conference The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Minority and Multicultural Health Conference will be December 9-11, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee at The Peabody Memphis. This year's theme is "Blueprints for Success: Ideas for Change". January 19, 2010 Indiana Rural Health Public Policy ForumThe 8th Annual Indiana Rural Health Public Policy Forum will be held at the Hyatt Regency Downtown in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 19, 2010. January 25-27, 2010 NRHA Rural Health Policy InstituteThe National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Rural Health Policy Institute will be January 25-27, 2010 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.
The 23rd Annual American Hospital Association (AHA) Rural Health Care Leadership Conference will be February 7-10, 2010 in Pheonix, Arizona at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort.
The 14th Annual South Carolina Rural Health Conference will be held at the Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms, South Caroline from March 17-18, 2010.
The Northwest Regional Critical Access Hospital Conference will be March 23, 2010 at the Red Lion Hotel at the Park in Spokane, Washington. This conference is produced and supported by state offices of rural health for Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
The Northwest Regional Rural Health Conference will be March 24-25, 2010 at the Red Lion Hotel at the Park in Spokane, Washington. This conference is produced and supported by state offices of rural health for Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. This year's conference is titled "Weathering the Perfect Storm: Challenges & Changes". March 24-26, 2010 NARHC Spring InstituteThe National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) Spring Institute conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio from March 24-26, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. | |
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