The National Rural Health Information Technology (HIT) Workforce Summit held September 22, 2009 in Washington, DC in conjunction with National HIT Week gathered key stake holders including educators, state offices of rural health, health and information technology (IT) organizations, rural providers, and federal agencies to provide input and guidance on rural HIT workforce challenges.

Many national health care leaders have speculated that a new workforce crisis is emerging. This crisis will impact the Presidential mandate to employ needed health information technologies (HIT) in health care delivery systems across this country.  As the U.S. health care industry begins to convert antiquated paper record systems to modern information technology systems, it lacks a comprehensive plan to educate an HIT workforce that will support this transformation. As a result, the ability to hire HIT professionals may become a serious limiting factor in the adoption and implementation of electronic health records (EHR) and other HIT especially in rural America.

The National Rural HIT Workforce Summit participants identified rural HIT workforce shortage issues, gained an understanding of the gaps in rural HIT workforce, and defined what needs to be done to reduce or eliminate those gaps.  The meeting resulted in recommendations for policy makers to support HIT workforce development efforts and funding; provide input on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other federal/state opportunities to support HIT workforce development; define resources needed for successful rural HIT implementation; and recommend methods for tracking national HIT workforce data.

Rural HIT Workforce strategies defined at the Summit included:

Data Development

• Determine the backgrounds, job roles, and career pathways for those who work in health IT.
•  Conduct a comprehensive, national workforce study to inform HIT workforce needs based on the demand for HIT workforce.

Policy

• Determine potential funding streams from across federal agencies and identify gaps in current federal HIT program eligibility.
• Build awareness of the issue among federal HIT leaders.
• Ensure flexibility and create policy so it cuts across all federal lines.
• Work with federal incentives and require collaboration for an integrated network.
• Encourage compatibility among state requirements with programs aligned between different states.

Workforce Resources

• Examine and document what HIT education programs currently exist.
• Assess new skill sets needed to prepare IT workforce for current and future job responsibilities. 
• Identify current workforce re-training opportunities.
• Create 'stackable' certificates within the community colleges and advanced degree programs that can meet rural needs.
• Promote interdisciplinary education.
• Consider hospital HIT education (in-house with credit).
• Ensure attention to multi-cultural, multi-lingual needs in patient-centered EHRs.

Summit participants heard from a number of federal and national organizations that offer HIT resources. The participants discussed how to capture resources and advocate for rural solutions to recruit and retain IT staff to rural areas and build sustainability for workforce after the American Recover and Reinvestment Act grants end.

 

Through group discussion, the following solutions for HIT workforce were identified: 

• Community Engagement
• Cross Training
• Funding
• Networks
• Partnerships
• Innovative Recruitment and Training Models

For more information or to obtain a complete copy of the Summit Outcomes and Recommendations, please visit the Rural Health Resource Center Web site at: http://www.ruralcenter.org/?id=hit_coalition.

The Summit was coordinated by the Rural Health Resource Center for the National Rural HIT Coalition.* Sponsors of the Summit included:  National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, Rural Health Resource Center, Stratis Health, and the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals.

(*The National Rural HIT Coalition is a network of rural and health information technology leaders from regional, state, national and federal organizations, working together to advance the implementation of HIT across rural America.)

On October 22, 2009, TASC offered a webinar for Flex personnel titled "HIT 101: An Introduction to Health Information Technology."  The recording from this webinar is now available on the TASC Web site  under the "What's New" Section on the main page. 

Information included in the basic HIT webinar includes the definition of HIT terms, benefits and challenges of implementing an electronic health record, legislation that affects HIT - with specific attention on new programs that have been funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - including 'meaningful use', the HIT regional extension centers, broadband, and the state health information exchange cooperative agreement program, how to use your Flex funds for HIT support, as well as resources and tools.

Please feel free to send the link to this resource on to your hospital and clinic contacts.

Availability, Characteristics, and Role of Detoxification Services in Rural Areas (Full Report)

Few and Far Away: Detoxification Services in Rural Areas (Policy Brief)

From the Maine Rural Health Research Center,"few detox providers (n=235) serve rural America; 82% of rural residents live in a county without a detox provider. More than half of all rural detox providers serve patients across a 100 mile radius, making travel distances a barrier for outpatient care. Referral options to substance abuse treatment are limited, especially in isolated rural areas. Analyses are based on a 2008 survey of rural detox facilities conducted by the Maine Rural Health Research Center."

For more information or to view additional rural research, please click here to visit the Rural Health Research Gateway.

January 15, 2010
HIMSS Takin' HIT to the Streets - The ARRA Era
Sponsor: Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
Format: Conference
Sponsor Description: The focus is soon shifting from ARRA funding qualification...to researching the best possible technology solutions...with the best possible return on that investment. That's why HIMSS has developed a one-day conference where you can explore product and service solutions - while sharing relevant experiences with your peers - and gain invaluable knowledge in anticipation of this growing need. So whether you're looking for a solution...or providing one - The ARRA Era is the place to get informed and connected!

January 27, 2010
Lean Technology in Rural Hospitals - A Practical Approach to Implementation
Sponsor: Rural Health Innovations
Format: Webinar
Sponsor Description: Lean training in healthcare, a continuous improvement and problem-solving tool, focuses on identifying and eliminating waste, reducing expenses, and improving customer satisfaction through continuous and incremental improvements that remove unnecessary activities and variation. Although many have heard of the concept, it can be a seemingly daunting project to undertake, especially in rural facilities. Please join Geoff Kaufmann, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross, and Tracy Hanson, Performance Improvement Director at Lakewood Health Systems, a critical access hospital in Minnesota, as they discuss the fundamental principles of Lean, as well as provide real-life, hands-on experience about integrating Lean into your facility and using its technology to produce excellence in health care.
Cost: $99 per connection

February 3, 2010
Grant Writing Study-At-Home 8-Week Certificate Course
Sponsor: Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas
Format: Online Course
Sponsor Description: Fort Hays State University offers a two-month grant proposal writing course that involves no travel. Students 1) study a 100 page training manual, 2) watch a video of the teacher discussing the most important points in the manual, 3) answer study questions, 4) prepare parts of fictitious proposals, 5) interact with other students through the computer, 6) receive messages from the teacher through the computer, 7) ask the teacher questions by phone before taking a certification test, and 8) take the certification test through the computer. This course will be completed in students' homes and/or offices. The grant proposal writing training program is housed within the Department of Sociology and Social Work, where grant writing courses have been taught since 1986.
Cost: $175 per person

January 19, 2010 Indiana Rural Health Public Policy Forum
The 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 Institute
The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Rural Health Policy Institute will be January 25-27, 2010 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.

February 1-5, 2010 The Big National Conference for Leaders of Little and Medium EMS Agencies

A unique gathering specifically designed to develop managers and leaders in small and medium sized EMS agencies, the Big National Conference for Leaders of Little and Medium EMS Agencies will be held February 1-5, 2010 at the Casino Queen in East S. Louis, Illinois. National and international faculty will present four outstanding programs:

• EMS Performance Improvement Academy (5 days - Feb. 1-5)
• Field Training Officer Boot Camp (3 days - Feb. 1-3)
• Supervisor Boot Camp (3 days - Feb. 2-4)
• Administrator Boot Camp (3 days - Feb. 3-5)

  

Each program is designed to provide the EMS professional with limited or no experience a powerful introduction to a specific area of EMS management and leadership. The EMS Performance Improvement Academy and each of the boot camps is limited to the first 20 participants.

February 7-10, 2010 AHA Annual Rural Health Care Leadership Conference
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.

March 17-18, 2010 South Carolina Annual Rural Health Conference
The 14th Annual South Carolina Rural Health Conference will be held at the Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina from March 17-18, 2010.

March 23, 2010 Northwest Regional Critical Access Hospital Conference