Announcing the New Special Delivery e-Newsletter!

CRHC has been sending you quarterly newsletters for many years, but with new technology available, we're upgrading!  Now, all newsletter content is available on our Special Delivery page, where it is organized, archived, and regularly updated!

Two important notes about the new format of Special Delivery:
  1. All posts have labels assigned to them that help categorize the information. If you are only interested in seeing posts on a specific topic, just click on the one you're interested in from the right hand side of the Special Delivery page.
  2. You are currently subscribed to receive a Special Delivery email on the 15th of every month. However, if you would like to change your subscription to receive updates more often, simply click "unsubscribe" at the bottom of any of your Special Delivery emails, and then re-subscribe on the Special Delivery site at whatever frequency (Daily, Weekly, Monthly) you prefer. We understand that your time is valuable, and don't want to clog your inbox!
If you have any questions about the new Special Delivery format, please email us at info@coruralhealth.org.

A Letter from the CEO

by Lou Ann Wilroy, CEO

The topic that seems all-consuming in our organization currently is health information technology (HIT). We are working diligently to assist our healthcare facilities in meeting the federal meaningful use criteria for electronic health records (EHR) through THE Consortium, our HIT program. Even internally at CRHC we are continuously upgrading and enhancing our use of technology. We are now on Twitter and publish several different Blogs. Our provider recruitment program (CPR) is posting job opportunities for health professionals on Facebook, and our quarterly newsletter, Special Delivery, has evolved into a completely different format, allowing us to update content daily and archive past articles for our readers.

In the midst of these technological advancements, we often stop and take a moment at CRHC to consider the overall impact on rural communities. An urban-based physician shared with us recently that he has utilized EHR in his office for several years and that the technology has significantly improved access to internal information about his patients. However, retrieving information about his patients from other entities outside of his practice is not yet effective, even with the large urban hospital located right next door. The successful exchange of information between facilities (health information exchange or HIE) will be necessary in order for rural communities to truly experience a positive impact on the quality and delivery of patient care. CRHC’s talented and resourceful team is committed to working toward this goal in collaboration with many other organizations, such as CoRHIO, by addressing barriers one rural facility at a time, one laptop at a time, one broadband connection at a time, one software implementation at time.

In the meantime, we continue to focus on the personal relationships with the communities and people we serve. We still, first and foremost, value the face-to-face experience with our members and constituents. We will host several hundred participants from rural and urban safety net facilities at The Forum next week and at our annual conference in June. Rural hospitals, clinics, and other entities can expect an in-person visit from our staff during the year to gather information, provide assistance and simply have a conversation. To quote Tim Size, Director of the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, “We know our job is to preserve what we have, while continuing to improve and celebrate the hard work and success that defines rural health.”

Free webinar on handling school-based violence and emergency preparedness

April 27, 2010; 12pm-2pm MST
The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) is pleased to offer FREE web-based training for rural communities on the coordinated response between local first responders and school systems to a crisis in the K-12 environment. Close coordination between first responders and school administrators, staff, and teachers is essential for an effective and efficient response to a crisis situation at a school. This is particularly important for rural communities where resources are limited, response times can be delayed, and personnel may serve in multiple roles. This is not tactical response training, but an examination of the actions that could take place among all entities involved.  For more information and to register, click here.

RGK Foundation Funding Opportunity--up to $150,000!

The RGK Foundation opens its next round of funding opportunities which support a range of programs in such areas as education, community and health.  The medicine/health grant program will support programs that promote the health and well-being of children, access to health services and foundation-initiated programs.

Grants range from several thousand to $150,000; the average foundation grant is $25,000. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations such as hospitals, educational institutions and governmental institutions with 501(c)(3) status. All applicants first must submit a letter of inquiry completed online.

Insider Tip: Please note the Grants Committee meeting dates for 2010: June 4, Sept. 17 and Dec. 3.  For more information, click here.

Scholarship available for National Association for Rural Mental Health Annual Conference!

The Colorado Rural Health Center is a proud sponsor of the National Association for Rural Mental Health’s (NARMH) Annual Conference, scheduled for June 2-5, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. CRHC is offering one scholarship--a stipend of $500 to cover registration plus a portion of other associated costs--for a rural CRHC member to attend this year’s conference. To apply, please send a one paragraph email to Cherith Flowerday (cfl@coruralhealth.org) describing why you believe you should get this scholarship and how this year’s conference could benefit mental health services in your community. Potential topics include:
  • Rural Behavioral Health Policy and Research
  • Recovery Focused Rural Behavioral Healthcare
  • Consumer and Family Voice
  • Diversity and Culture
  • Telehealth and Advanced Technology
  • Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Development
  • Innovative Practices and Programs for Adults, Children, and Families

For conference details, please visit the NARMH website.

New ClinicNET Job Postings

ClinicNET is a Colorado non-profit corporation committed to strengthening Colorado’s safety net by empowering organizations that provide health care to vulnerable populations.  They have two part-time contractor positions available. Please download the RFPs and submit your application to Sharon Adams at sharon.adams@clinicnet.org by April 26, 2010.

Congratulations to rural Coloradan Marguerite Salazar, the newest HHS Regional Director!

Congratulations to Marguerite Salazar, president and CEO of Valley-Wide Health Systems, Inc., for her appointment as U.S. Health and Human services (HHS) Regional Director!

CRHC is thrilled to learn that a rural Coloradan will be taking this position and continuing to advocate for underserved populations.  Marguerite is known for her her tireless energy and her dedication to providing quality, comprehensive healthcare to all communities, small and large.  Her leadership and experience in the San Luis Valley will be of great value as she takes on the new challenges of serving a much larger population as the HHS Regional Director.  We thank her for all she has done for Colorado already, and look forward to much more great work to come!

For more information, read Governor Ritter's press release about Marguerite's appointment.

Register Now for the 2010 Annual Rural Mental Health Conference!

June 2-5, 2010; Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center
Join the National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH) is its annual gathering of people who care for the country. Each day in rural and remote places across the vast landscape of America, NARMH members and their colleagues work to support recovery and resilience. The NARMH Conference has been a celebration of the innovation that is the cornerstone of success in supporting recovery for persons challenged by mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Our meeting is a place where persons in recovery, healthcare providers, family members, researchers, advocates, and policymakers join together to learn about effective programs and practices, explore new discoveries, and dialogue about rural behavioral health policy. You are invited to join us in Denver, the mile-high city, a place where high plains meet the majestic Rocky Mountains. The West is the place to dream big, to brag, share, and learn what works for the country!

Exhibiting at the National Association for Rural Mental Health’s 2010 Conference

Reach clinicians, administrators, physicians, consumers, family members, program/service providers, researchers, policy and decision makers with your marketing message by exhibiting at the NARMH conference.  This year’s conference is expected to draw 250 participants from all over the world.

You can find more information and also register online on the conference website at http://www.narmh.org/.

International Roundtable on Community Paramedicine

August 9-10, 2010; Vail, CO
Mark your calendars to attend the 6th Annual International Roundtable on Community Paramedicine and Rural Health Care Delivery at the Manor Vail Lodge in Colorado.  The IRCP promotes the international exchange of information and experience related to the provision of flexible and reliable health care services to residents of rural and remote areas using novel health care delivery models and to be a resource to public policy makers, systems managers, and others. For more information, click here.

CHA Rural Hospital Conference

Join us at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, May 5-7. CRHC and CHA have collaborated to put together this year’s agenda of topics and speakers which includes: IT Security and Privacy, TrailBlazer and AHA updates, Workforce, Succession Planning , Sustainable Leadership, and more. For more information and to register, click here.

Centura Health Trauma System Video



The Centura Health Trauma System can support you, your family and your employees with an integrated trauma network that reaches into more communities across Colorado than any other health care provider. In addition, they hope to provide injury prevention and education programs so that they can keep people safe and prevent traumatic injuries from ever occurring.  Please watch this three-minute video which provides valuable insight to the trauma resources available to you as a parent, an employer, a spouse and a neighbor.

HHS Funding for Evidence Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention

The Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) released guidance to apply for funding from the new teen pregnancy prevention initiative. Under this announcement, a total of $75 million is available on a competitive basis for the purpose of “replicating evidence-based programs that have been proven through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risks underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors.” The guidance includes a list of programs eligible for replication with this funding. The announcement may be viewed here.

The OAH plans to release a separate announcement about the $25 million available for promising programs and innovative strategies at a later date. In addition, the recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes a mandatory appropriation of $75 million in FY 2010 for state grants for a the new Title V Section 513 Personal Responsibility Education Grant program run through the Administration for Children and Families, as well as the continuation of $50 million in Title V Section 510 Abstinence Education funding. A link to the legislative requirements for these programs is here (beginning on page 229). If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Alletto, Senior Manager for Government Affairs at malletto@amchp.org or 202.775.0436.

Free Kaiser Permanente Healthy Living Webinars

Live healthy by attending one of Kaiser Permanente's free online classes. View the class through your Web
browser and listen through your phone.  A variety of classes are offered, including ones covering cholesterol, diabetes, acupuncture, smoking cessation, weight management, and more!  To learn more and register, click here.

HRSA Nursing Scholarship Program – Now Accepting Applications

Applications accepted April 1, 2010 through May 6, 2010

The Nursing Scholarship Program pays for tuition and education related expenses including books, clinical supplies and laboratory fees. In exchange, scholarship winners agree to at least 2 years of service at a health facility with a critical shortage of nurses. Preference is given to qualified applicants with the greatest financial need who are enrolled full-time in an undergraduate nursing program. It is expected that 500 awards will be made for the 2010-2011 school year. For more information, click here or call the HRSA Call Center at 800.221.9393.

CPEP Celebrates 20 Years if Improving Patient Care

The Center for Personalized Education for Physicians, the “Gold Standard” in physician competence assessment, is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. Founded in 1990, CPEP has provided competence assessments and education to over 2,000 healthcare professionals in all 50 states and Canada.

CPEP continues to expand its vision by developing services targeting specific educational needs of physicians and other healthcare professionals. CPEP’s Clinical Practice Reentry Program provides a means for professionals to identify educational needs, demonstrate competence, and receive educational support as they return to practice. CPEP offers intensive seminars in documentation and communication to help physicians and other healthcare providers meet ever more rigorous recordkeeping requirements and improve their interactions with colleagues and patients. CPEP also offers the ProBE (Professional/Problem-based Ethics) Program, a rigorous, focused educational workshop that expands healthcare professionals’ understanding of their obligations to patients and society.

For additional information or if you have any questions, visit our website at http://www.cpepdoc.org/ or please contact Stephanie McGee at 303.577.3232, ext. 18, or smcgee@cpepdoc.org.