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Greetings!
The FY2010 Flex Grant Guidance is now available. See below for information on a recorded technical assistance call on the grant guidance. Grant reviewers are needed for the Flex grant, again see below for more information.
This edition of Rural Route also includes the Flex State Profile for Hawaii and links to the new summary report of the most significant achievements and success stories from the Flex State Profile surveys.
A reminder that the period for public comment on the notice of public rule making for the proposed CMS definition of Meaningful Use for health information technology, as well as the interim final regulation from ONC standards, implementation, and certification criteria ends on March 15, 2010.
A very timely webinar is coming up at the end of February regarding rural health information technology challenges and strategies. Lastly, don't forget the TASC 90 Conference Call is February 10th!
Sincerely,
Tracy Morton
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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?
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FY2010 Flex Grant Guidance TA Call
The FY2020 Flex Grant Guidance is now available. On February 2, 2010, Steve Hirsch with the Office of
Rural Health Policy (ORHP) held a very informative one hour technical
assistance call discussing the new Flex grant guidance. The call was recorded for playback. If you missed the call, we highly recommend that you listen to the playback recording.
The playback recording can be accessed until March 4, 2010 at: Playback phone number: 1-888-203-1112 Replay passcode: 60894473 For more information on the call playback, please contact Nicole Clement. If you have questions regarding the grant guidance, please contact your ORHP Regional Liaison:
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ORHP Regional Liaisons
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Region A
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Jeanene
Meyers
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(301)
443-2482
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[email protected]
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Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont
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Jennifer
Chang
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(301)
443-0736
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[email protected]
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Maine
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Region B
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Samantha
Williams
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(301)
443-7306
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[email protected]
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Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
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Bridget
Ware
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(301)
443-3822
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[email protected]
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Alabama,
Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina
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Region C
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Megan
Alavi
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(301)
443-8349
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[email protected]
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Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska
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Michael
McNeely
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(301)
443-5812
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[email protected]
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Kansas,
Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin
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Region D
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Steve
Hirsch
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(301)
443-7322
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[email protected]
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Hawaii,
Nevada, Oklahoma
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Michelle
Goodman
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(301)
443-7440
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[email protected]
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Arizona,
California, New Mexico, Texas
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Region E
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Nancy Egbert
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(301)
443-0614
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[email protected]
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Idaho,
Montana, North Dakota, Washington, Wyoming
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Keith
Midberry
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(301)
443-2669
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[email protected]
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Alaska,
Colorado, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah
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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.
Hawaii State Profile
Flex Program Staff
Flex
Coordinator
Specialty
Areas / Background
Health Information Technology, Public Policy, Performance Management
Flex
Coordinator since September 2005
Office Assistant Terri Hayashi (808) 775-8883 [email protected]
Specialty
Areas / Background
Office Administration
Office Assistant since June 2009
Most Significant Flex Program Achievement for Hawaii:
Establishment of the Hawaii
Performance Improvement Collaborative, a performance improvement
network that meets regularly to identify and address needs of the
Critical Access Hospitals.
Top Three Flex Activities in 2009 for Hawaii: Establishing emergency department performance measures around chest pain, AMI, and transfer communications. Electronic
health records implementation in three CAH facilities and associated
clinics as a demonstration project for open source electronic health records. Quality and performance improvement activities.
Hawaii Flex Program Success Story
The Hawaii Flex Program works with the
University of Hawaii on the development and implementation of an open
source electronic health record (EHR) for use by small rural hospitals and
clinics. As the project develops, more CAHs show interest in the
project and are asking for demonstrations and to be included in future
expansions. Another interesting aspect of the project is the inclusion
of public health nurses so that the EHR will meet their needs also.
Hawaii Flex Program Details
Location: Hawaii Department of Health
Number
of CAHs: 9
Web site: http://hawaii.gov/health/family-child-health/rural-health/index.html
State Rural Health Plan - Hawaii
Rural Assistance Center State Profile - Hawaii |
Flex Significant Achievements and Success Stories Report
A new summary report is now available on the TASC Web site that describes the most significant achievements and success stories from various State Flex Programs. These self-reported achievements and success stories were collected by TASC over the past year through the Flex State Profile surveys. The report has also been shared with HRSA's Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) to showcase the excellent and meaningful work that is done in the Flex Program. Within the summary report the achievements and success stories are categoriezed by topic (i.e. EMS, quality improvement, etc.). TASC continues to collect state surveys to complete the FY 2009 profiles and will also begin to re-survey states that have already completed their survey once the FY2010 Flex grant applications are submitted. The Flex State Profiles collected to date can be viewed by clicking here. If you would like more information about the State Flex Profiles or would like to complete the survey for your state, please contact Kate Stenehjem.
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TASC 90 Call - February 10th!
Please mark your calendar for the next TASC 90 Conference Call on February 10, 2010 from 2:00-3:00pm Central Time (3:00pm Eastern, 1:00pm Mountain, 12:00pm Pacific). The topic for the call will be trauma designation and will include a presentation on why rural trauma care is important, as well as lessons learned from various Flex states as they worked on trauma designation with their CAHs. The call will include an update from ORHP and the Flex Monitoring Team, discussion on CAH regulatory changes, and information on ARRA loan repayments. The call will be recorded for playback and call in information will be sent out shortly via email. Flex Coordinators, State Office Directors, and other Flex personnel are invited to participate in quarterly TASC 90 Conference Calls, which focus on specific technical assistance topics related to State Flex Program implementation. For more information, please contact Nicole Clement.
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Successful HIT Coalition Meeting
In conjunction  with the National Rural Health Association's Policy Institute, the National Rural Health Information Technology (HIT) Coalition held a very successful face-to-face meeting on January 27, 2010 in Washington, DC. The meeting, facilitated by Terry Hill, TASC, and Neal Neuberger, HIMSS e-Health Policy Institute and Health Tech Strategies, gathered together national leaders and HIT representatives from around the country for an update and discussion on rural HIT activities. The majority of the discussion focused on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed definition for Meaningful Use and rural challenges for HIT adoption. Click here to view the meeting minutes. Thank you to all who participated and shared their great insight and information! If you have any questions regarding the National Rural HIT Coalition, please contact Kate Stenehjem.
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Proposed 'Meaningful Use' Definition and Standards for EHRs
On December 30, 2009, the
Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) and the Office of the
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) issued two regulations that lay a foundation for improving
quality, efficiency, and safety through meaningful use of certified electronic
health record (EHR) technology. The regulations will help implement the EHR
incentive programs enacted under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 (ARRA). The public is encouraged to provide comment on the new regulations. Comments are due by March 15, 2010.
A
notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) issued by CMS outlines proposed provisions governing the EHR
incentive programs, including defining the central concept of "meaningful use"
of EHR technology. An interim final regulation (IFR) issued by ONC sets initial
standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR
technology. Both regulations are open to public comment.
To view the CMS proposed rule on the EHR incentives, please click here.
To view the ONC interim final regulation on standards, specifications, and certification criteria, please click here.
To view the full news release, please click here.
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Upcoming Educational Opportunities
February 24, 1010Rural HIT Challenges and StrategiesSponsor: Rural Health Innovations Format: Webinar Sponsor Description: Louis Wenzlow, Director of Health Information Technology at the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, will be discussing the recently released CMS proposed
requirements for the meaningful use of electronic health records, with
a focus on what applications will likely need to be implemented for
providers to meet the requirements. Sue Severson, Director of Health Information Technology Services at Stratis Health, will
discuss the importance of taking a standardized and structured approach
to assess a hospital's readiness for HIT adoption. Sue will focus on
how HIT Readiness Assessments can provide a launching pad for hospitals
to gain clarity about their unique HIT challenges and build upon their
strengths. Cost: $99 per connection |
Prices Don't Drive Regional Medicare Spending
A new article in Health Affairs indicates that utilization, not prices, are driving Medicare regional payment variations. The authors indicate that "per capita Medicare spending is more than twice as high in New York City and Miami than in places like Salem, Oregon. How much of these differences can be explained by Medicare's paying more to compensate for the higher cost of goods and services in such areas?" To read the full article, click here.
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Grant Reviewers Needed!
Do you know someone that is familiar with the Flex Program who you think would be a good reviewer? If so,
don't hesitate to ask them to sign up with HRSA to be a Flex Grant Reviewer! Reviewers can sign up at: https://grants.hrsa.gov/webReview/
If you have
any questions about reviewing, please contact Steve Hirsch.
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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.
Lean T hinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation
"In the revised and updated edition of Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation,
authors James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones provide a thoughtful
expansion upon their value-based business system based on the Toyota
model. Along the way they update their action plan in light of new
research and the increasing globalization of manufacturing, and they
revisit some of their key case studies (most of which still derive,
however, from the automotive, aerospace, and other manufacturing
industries). The core of the lean model remains the same in the
new edition. All businesses must define the "value" that they produce
as the product that best suits customer needs. The leaders must then
identify and clarify the "value stream," the nexus of actions to bring
the product through problems solving, information management, and
physical transformation tasks. Next, "lean enterprise" lines up
suppliers with this value stream. "Flow" traces the product across
departments. "Pull" then activates the flow as the business re-orients
towards the pull of the customer's needs. Finally, with the company
reengineered towards its core value in a flow process, the business
re-orients towards "perfection," rooting out all the remaining muda (Japanese for "waste") in the system."
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
Good to Great : Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't by Jim Collins is a classic and may just be the most quoted book on management ever written. The author asked the question, "Can a good company become a great company and if so, how?" "In Good to Great Collins, concludes that it is possible, but finds there are no silver bullets.
Collins and his team of researchers began their quest by sorting
through a list of 1,435 companies, looking for those that made
substantial improvements in their performance over time. Making the transition from
good to great doesn't require a high-profile CEO, the latest
technology, innovative change management, or even a fine-tuned business
strategy. At the heart of those rare and truly great companies was a
corporate culture that rigorously found and promoted disciplined people
to think and act in a disciplined manner. Peppered with dozens of
stories and examples from the great and not so great, the book offers a
well-reasoned road map to excellence that any organization would do
well to consider. Good to Great is one of those books that managers and CEOs will be reading and rereading for years to come."
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.
February 7-10, 2010 AHA Annual Rural Health Care Leadership ConferenceThe 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. February 9, 2010 ARRA Broadband Workshop Outreach EventThe American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Broadband Workshop Outreach Event is targeted for the general public to help prospective applicants better understand the mission, scope, process, and requirements of the Broadband Initiatives Program and the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. The Workshop on February 9, 2010 will be held at the Inn at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. February 11, 2010 ARRA Broadband Workshop Outreach Event
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Broadband Workshop
Outreach Event is targeted for the general public to help prospective
applicants better understand the mission, scope, process, and
requirements of the Broadband Initiatives Program and the Broadband
Technology Opportunities Program. The Workshop on February 11, 2010
will be held at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux in Fayetteville, North Carolina. February 11-12, 2010 ARRA Broadband Workshop Outreach Event
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Broadband Workshop
Outreach Event is targeted for the general public to help prospective
applicants better understand the mission, scope, process, and
requirements of the Broadband Initiatives Program and the Broadband
Technology Opportunities Program. A Pre-Workshop Event will be held on February 1, 2010 is open to the general public but targets vulnerable populations including minority groups and tribal entities. The Pre-Workshop Event and Workshop on February 11-12, 2010
will be held at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia. February 16-19, 2010 Public Health Preparedness Summit 2010The Public Health Preparedness Summit 2010 will be held at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia from February 16-19, 2010. The Summit includes multiple sessions on engaging and working with rural communities. February 26, 2010 North Central Rural Health SummitThe North Central Rural Health Summit will be February 26, 2010 at the Sheraton Sioux Falls and Convention Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Summit is co-sponsored by the Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota Rural Health Associations, the Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, and the Wyoming Office of Rural Health. March 16-18, 2010 Virginia Rural Health SummitThe 2010 Virginia Rural Health Summit will be March 16-18, 2010 at the Institute Conference Center in Danville, Virginia. This event includes a pre-summit on March 16 on rural workforce and a telehealth summit on March 18, 2010. March 17-18, 2010 South Carolina Annual Rural Health ConferenceThe 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
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 24-25, 2010 Alabama Rural Health Conference
The Alabama Rural Health Conference will be March 24-25, 2010 at the Marriott Legends at Capitol Hill in Prattville, Alabama.
March 24-26, 2010 NARHC Spring Institute
The 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.
April 13-15, 2010 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health
The 2010 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health will be held April 13-15, 2010 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. This year's conference theme is "Health Care in Transition: Creative Strategies".
April 19-21, 2010 Colorado Rural Health Clinics Forum
The Colorado Rural Health Clinics Forum will be held April 19-21, 2010 at the Red Lion Hotel Denver Southeast in Denver, Colorado.
April 27-29, 2010 Illinois Rural Health Association Annual Conference
The 21st Illinois Rural Health Association Annual Conference will be held in Effingham, Illinois at the Hilton Garden Inn from April 27-29, 2010.
April 28-30, 2010 Alaska Rural Health Conference
The Alaska Rural Health Conference 2010 will be held April 28-30, 2010 at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska. This year's conference theme is "Sustaining Our Systems of Care: Planning for the Decade Ahead".
May 5-6, 2010 National Meeting on Improving Health Care for Rural Veterans
The 2010 National Meeting on Improving Health Care for Rural Veterans, sponsored by the Veterans Health Administration Office of Rural Health, will be May 5-6, 2010 at the Embassy Suites in Portland, Maine.
May 5-7, 2010 Small Rural Hospital Summit
The 2010 Small Rural Hospital Summit will be held May 5-7, 2010 at the Salem Conference Center in Salem, Oregon.
May 6-7, 2010 Michigan Rural Health Conference
The 2010 Michigan Rural Health Conference will be held at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort on May 6-7, 2010 in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.
May 18, 2010 NRHA Rural Medical Educators Conference
The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Rural Medical Educators Conference 2010 will be May 18, 2010 at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia.
May 18-21, 2010 NRHA Annual Rural Health Conference
The 33rd National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Annual Rural Health Conference will be May 18-21, 2010 at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia.
May 24-26, 2010 KHA Annual Convention
The Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) 81st Annual Convention will be May 24-26, 2010 at the Lexington Center/Hyatt Regency in Lexington, Kentucky.
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