GEORGIA RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL MEETING & CONFERENCE

GRHA- KEEPIN' IT RURAL: 30 YEARS & COUNTING

Call for Abstracts -

Students Poster Session  

Speaker Sessions  

Deadline Extended

Georgia Rural Health Association 2011 Awards of Excellence

Please visit our website for award descriptions and a Nomination Form. Completed nominations must be received by August 15, 2011.

Links are on our Homepage under Save the Date or

Call the GRHA home office- 478-552-3620 and request a form

June 1982

The Georgia Rural Health Associaton is celebrating 30 years!

We will be looking back in time and bringing you some of GRHA's past.  This week we are looking back at the very first newsletter-Volume 1, No.1. Page 1 , Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Southwest Georgia AHEC

July 3rd marks an important deadline for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs).

The last day that eligible hospitals and CAHs can begin their 90-day reporting period in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program is July 3, 2011. For hospitals, this means that they must begin their consecutive 90-day reporting period by July 3rd if they still want to successfully demonstrate meaningful use and receive an incentive payment for FY 2011.

Resources to Help
CMS has developed some tools to help providers attest. Eligible hospitals and CAHs who have completed their reporting period can use the CMS Eligible Hospital and CAH Attestation Worksheet to log their meaningful use measures to use as a reference when attesting for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program in the CMS system.

Additionally, the Meaningful Use Attestation Calculator allows eligible hospitals and CAHs to test whether or not they will successfully demonstrate meaningful use for the EHR Incentive Programs and the Attestation User Guide for Eligible Hospitals will walk eligible hospitals and CAHs through the attestation system, helping them to successfully attest to meeting meaningful use.

Looking Ahead
September 30, 2011 is the last day of the federal fiscal year, marking the end of the reporting year for eligible hospitals and CAHs. See what other important dates are coming in 2011 by going to our CMS Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Milestone Timeline, or reviewing the "Important Dates" section of the EHR Incentive Programs' Overview page.

Want more information about the EHR Incentive Programs?
 Make sure to visit the CMS EHR Incentive Programs website for the latest news and updates on the EHR Incentive Programs.  

Obama: Health Tech, Broadband Key to Rural Development

Administration's new council focuses on technology to spur economic growth for the 16% of Americans who live in rural areas.
 

By:Neil Versel

InformationWeek

An Obama administration effort to coordinate federal programs for rural America is counting on healthcare technology and broadband Internet to help improve access to care and support economic development for people in rural areas.

Among the 10 "key factors for growth" that the new White House Rural Council will consider are the growth of health IT systems to expand access to quality healthcare, and the promotion of President Barack Obama's plan to "increase broadband opportunities" in rural communities, according to a White House press release. Obama created the council Thursday by executive order.

WABE.Newscast

Click here to Listen to a story on rural to urban rural health disparities on the rise. The story starts at 2:36. 

Free Community Health Fair

June 23, 2011

4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Archbold's Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center

For more  information contact Archbold Marketing & Public Relations at 229-227-5140

GGH Health Talk: daVinci Robotic Surgery

Location: Grady General Hospital Conference Room

Date: June 30, 2011

Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Pre-register for this Free Lecture by calling 229-227-5140 or email rsvp@archbold.org.

Lunch will be served.

What's Up Doc?  What You Need to Know About Med School

LIVE Webinar for Those Interested in Applying to a Georgia Medical School

July 21, 2011 2:00PM Info & Registration: http://healthtecdl.org/events/details/Whats-up-Doc.cfm

NRHA Quality and Clinical Conference

July 20-22, 2011Rapid City, S.D

Registration Information

Fifth Annual National Conference on Health Communications, Marketing, and Media

August 9 - 11, 2011

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Atlanta, GA

Information

Georgia Rural Health Association Annual Conference

September 19-21,2011

Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA