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FY 2013 GRHA Board of Directors
President
Denise Kornegay
Immediate Past President
Sallie Barker
President Elect
Ann Addison
Vice- President
Shelly Spires
Treasurer
Sheila Freeman
Secretary
Laura Bland Gillman
Board Members
Carla Belcher
Tim Trottier
Mary Mathis
Sue Nieman
Charles Owens
Chris Parker
Carie Summers
Paula Guy
Monty M. Veazey
Joseph Barrow
Robert J. Briscione
Matt Caseman
Meet our Board of Directors
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Annual Rural Health Conference
May 7-10
Louisville, Ky.
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Medicaid and the Uninsured
Getting into Gear for 2014:
Findings from a 50-State Survey of Eligibility, Enrollment, Renewal, and
Cost-Sharing Policies in Medicaid and CHIP, 2012-2013
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For those who want to stay up to date through social networks, please like the Georgia Rural Health Association Facebook page and follow us on Twitter!   By joining our social media sites, you have the ability to stay updated on the latest rural health information in Georgia. Please help us spread the word! Thank you for your support and feel free to contact us with any questions. |
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GRHA circulates state and national news as an information service only. Inclusion of information is not intended as an endorsement.
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Legislature gives final approval to hospital fee transfer
By Andy Miller
February 1, 2013
The state House overwhelmingly passed legislation Friday that would ease renewal of the hospital provider fee, almost certainly preventing a net budget hole in Medicaid of close to $500 million.
Now the bill, which hurtled through the General Assembly, goes to Gov. Nathan Deal for his signature. That could happen very quickly as well.
The GOP-backed legislation, which passed on a 147-18 vote, would transfer decisions on the assessment from the Legislature to the state's Medicaid agency, the Department of Community Health. The current assessment is due to expire at the end of June.
Passage of Senate Bill 24 allowed for renewal of the fee without requiring Republican legislators to vote directly to renew it. The fee is unpopular with anti-tax activists, who normally have close ties to the GOP, which controls both houses of the General Assembly.
Rep. Brian Thomas (D-Lilburn) cited what he called legislative sidestepping in the 45-minute floor discussion Friday on the bill, saying, "I'm concerned we're doing some ducking and dodging.''
Nevertheless, Thomas said he would vote for the bill.
Supporters such as Majority Leader Larry O'Neal (R-Bonaire) noted that Community Health already has authority over another provider fee, one for nursing homes.
Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta), who chairs the House Health and Human Services Committee, said after the vote that legislators ''had no choice'' but to pass the legislation.
If legislators had not allowed the fee to be preserved, she told GHN, either Medicaid providers would have taken drastic pay cuts, or the General Assembly would have been forced to remove hundreds of millions of dollars from education, public safety and other programs.
Read more
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Save the Date
Please Join Us!
S.M.A.R.T. 2013 GRHA Legislative Agenda
Rural Health Day at the Capitol
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
State Capitol
South Wing
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Sponsorship Form
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Important Medicare Information regarding TeleHealth Reimbursement
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New GME model strives to keep doctors in underserved areas
A new model of federal funding for graduate medical education is training more residents in community-based health centers with the goal of reducing primary care physician shortages in medically underserved areas.
The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program was established as part of the Affordable Care Act and provides $230 million in funding over five years. It represents a significant shift from the traditional GME model.
Instead of funneling federal funds through large academic medical centers by Medicare, the program provides funding directly to ambulatory, community-based centers through the Health Resources and Services Administration.
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Filling the primary care gap in rural, low income clinics
Brian Furlow
December 21, 2012
Rural medicine "can be one of the most rewarding things any health care professional can do," says Ann Davis, PA-C, Director of State Government Affairs at the American Academy of Physician Assistants. But it is important for clinicians to carefully weigh the upsides, like incentives, against the challenges.
Clinicians must realize that working in a rural clinic essentially means less pay, longer hours, and seeing more Medicaid patients.
"Yet, there's something special about your patients being your neighbors," Davis said. "There's nothing like it. But I think you need to make sure if you're planning a career in rural medicine that you have your eyes wide open to all of the realities."
Read more
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Funding Opportunity
Health Center Program New Access Point Grants
New Access Points Grants will be awarded to organizations that can provide primary health care services to underserved and vulnerable populations under the Health Center Program.
Applicants must demonstrate a high level of need in their community/population, demonstrate collaborative and coordinated delivery systems for the provision of health care to the underserved, and show that they are ready to rapidly initiate the proposal.
Applicants must propose a new access point that:
- Provides culturally competent, comprehensive primary medical care as its primary purpose
- Provides services, either directly onsite or through established arrangements, without regard to ability to pay
- Ensures access to services for all individuals in the targeted service area/population
- Provides services at one or more permanent service delivery sites
Learn more
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Funding Opportunity
AstraZeneca Healthcare Foundation: Connections for Cardiovascular Health
The mission of the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation's program, Connections for Cardiovascular Health, is to improve cardiovascular health within the United States. Through the program, grants of $150,000 and more are awarded to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations for initiatives that address patient cardiovascular health issues, work to address unmet needs related to cardiovascular health in the community, respond to the urgency around cardiovascular health issues, and improve the lives of patients and non-professional caregivers in connection with the services provided. In addition, initiatives should be focused on measurable results and the recipient organizations must be able to demonstrate sustainability of their programs after the Foundation grant funds are expended. Applications will be accepted from February 1 through February 28, 2013.
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Mark Your Calendar
Rural Health Day at the Capitol
Georgia Rural Health Association
February 20, 2013
Georgia State Capitol
Sponsorship form
Cover Georgia Day
Georgians for a Healthy Future and Cover Georgia Coalition
Tuesday, February 19th
Central Presbyterian Church and State Capitol
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
More Information
Georgia Organics
A Prescription for Better Health
16th Annual Georgia Organics Conference
February 22-23, 2013
Georgia International Convention Center
Atlanta, Georgia
Register
Georgia Partnership for Telehealth
2013 Annual Spring Conference
March 18-20, 2013
Hyatt Regency, Savannah, Georgia
Register
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