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Montana Rural Health Initiative Newsletter
VOLUME XV: February 2013
In This Issue
RHI News
Program Spotlight
RHI Webinars
Upcoming Events
Quick Links
Our Sponsors
RHI Sponsors

Contact Us
MT Rural Health Initiative
PO Box 170520
Bozeman, MT 59717 

Phone: 406.994.5310


Thank you for being part of our network and encouraging health and wellness. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance.

 

Sincerely,
RHI Staff 
RHI News
INBRE Public Health Intern Researches Worksite Wellness Programs at RHI 
 
This year RHI has been working with Audrey Schadt, a senior majoring in Cell Biology & Neuroscience at MSU, through the Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Public Health Research Internship program. Audrey is developing a pilot worksite wellness plan to potentially be implemented in Critical Access Hospitals. The goal of her project is to provide hospitals with a variety of easy-to-implement wellness programs accompanied by an evidence-base for each program to show why and how it is effective. The ultimate goal is to have Montana hospitals adopt some of the wellness practices in order to improve the overall health of their employees.   
Program Spotlight

AHRQ Launches Regional Partnership Development Initiative to Promote

Comparative Effectiveness Research

 
  
    

The Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently launched efforts to promote comparative effectiveness research (CER), a type of patient-centered outcomes research, in patient and professional communities in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territories. AHRQ has established five Regional Partnership Development Offices that are cultivating sustainable partnerships with hospitals and health systems, patient advocacy organizations, businesses, and other groups that serve clinicians, consumers, and policy makers.  

 

Comparative effectiveness research provides information that helps clinicians and patients work together to treat an illness or condition. CER compares drugs, medical devices, tests, surgeries, or ways to deliver health care. The research findings don't tell clinicians how to practice medicine or which treatment is best, but they provide evidence-based information on the effectiveness and risks of various treatments. Clinicians and patients can use this information to support their treatment decisions based on each individual's circumstances.  

 

AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program works with researchers, research centers, and academic organizations to conduct the research and focuses on 14 priority health conditions, including: cardiovascular and related diseases, diabetes, arthritis, mental health disorders, and pregnancy. The full research reports are made available, and findings are translated into practical patient and clinician materials.

 

To learn more about CER, please visit:
RHI Webinars
Grants Technical Assistance Workshop and Webinar Part 3 
March 13, 2013 @ 11am
Presented by Nadia Ibrahim and Ann Ferrero, Public Health Analysts from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy 
 
Register here:
 
The School Breakfast Program: Tips and Strategies to Increase Participation
April 30, 2013 @ 1pm 
Presented by Leah Ettman and Tania Young, AmeriCorps VISTAs with the Montana Food Bank Network and the Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger

Register here:
Recordings and slides of past webinars
are available
here

  

Funding Opportunities
USDA Farm to School Grants 

Agency: USDA Farm to School

Deadline: April 24, 2013

 

More information:
   

Rural Health Information Technology (HIT) Workforce Program 

Agency: Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
Deadline: April 15, 2013

More information:

 

Upcoming Events
March 14-15, Helena
Bike Walk Summit
The summit will bring  Montana's bicycling, walking, and transportation communities together in an effort to collaborate with each other and to learn from local and national experts.

To register please visit:


DPHHS, NAPA, and Alta
April 16-18, Missoula 
Family & Community Health
Conference

This year's conference will highlight  Karen Ray, president of Karen Ray Associates in Minnesota.  Karen will present "Partnerships that Get Results." The conference will be held in Missoula at the Holiday Inn Downtown at the Park.

If you have questions, please contact Gail at [email protected]
 

May 1, Bozeman
Montana Worksite Health Promotion Coalition Workshop 

Worksite health promotion does not need to be complicated: Keep it simple and effective! The featured speaker for this year's workshop is Steven Aldana. This year's Worksite Health Promotion Workshop will take place at the Best Western Gran Tree Inn in Bozeman, Montana.

 

Stay informed about the Worksite Health Promotion Coalition by visiting: http://montanaworksitewellness.org

 

For more details on this year's workshop, visit: www.umt.edu/ce/cps/worksitehealth

The content of this newsletter is offered only for general informational and educational purposes. Although it is our intention to keep this information current, we cannot promise or guarantee that information is correct, complete or up-to date.  Links to other sites are informational only, and we are not responsible for the information on other websites.