Safety Net Clinic Week is August 22-26

In efforts to raise awareness of Colorado's healthcare safety net providers and clinics, ClinicNET and the Colorado Rural Health Center are sponsoring the second annual Safety Net Clinic Week on August 22-26, 2011. The week will be devoted to educating the public and policy makers about often overlooked providers, Community Funded Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs) and federally certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), that care for uninsured and underinsured Coloradans.


There are currently 33 identified CSNCs in Colorado. These clinics tend to be non-profit, rural & urban, and privately funded and they provide primary care services to uninsured and underinsured individuals. Colorado has 52 federally certified RHCs that provide primary care services in some of the most rural and remote areas of Colorado.

We will be posting more information on Safety Net Clinic Week, including ideas and resources to assist clinics that would like to participate. If you work at a CSNC or RHC and are interested in hosting a site visit with policy makers, we are here to help and will have more information coming soon.

Healthy People 2020 Community Innovations Funding Available

The Healthy People 2020 Community Innovations Project, administered by John Snow, Inc. (JSI) as part of a contract it has with the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), will fund non-profit, community-based organizations with budgets less than $750,000 to implement projects that address Healthy People 2020 overarching goals, topic areas and objectives and integrate at least one of the following Healthy People 2020 Community Innovation Project priorities: environmental justice, health equity, and healthy behaviors across all life stages. As many as 170 projects will be given between $5,000 to $10,000 to conduct projects between December 1, 2011 and May 31, 2012.

The deadline for submitting an application in response to this Request for Proposal (RFP) is Friday, August 5, 2011. More details are included in the Healthy People 2020 RFP, which is available online at www.healthypeople.gov. For more information contact Laurie Konsella at 303-844-7854.

If you need assistance with writing, preparing or reviewing your RFP, CRHC can help! Visit our Grants, Research, Opportunities and Writing (GROW) webpage or contact Erica Petramala at ep@coruralhealth.org for more information.

Accepting Nominations for Rural Health Excellence Award

CRHC is now accepting nominations for the 2011 Rural Health Excellence Award. This prestigious award is given annually by Colorado Rural Health Center to honor those who have made a notable contribution to health, healthcare, or a healthcare delivery system in rural Colorado. For 2011, the award will be presented during the 20th Annual Colorado Rural Health Conference August 11-12th, at the Denver Tech Center Hyatt Regency.

To be eligible for the award, a candidate must have made a significant contribution to the health, healthcare, or a healthcare delivery system in a rural Colorado community, area, or region. Healthcare providers, board members, administrators, volunteers and others are eligible for nomination. Despite their enormous contributions, CRHC Board Members are not eligible for nomination while serving on the Board.

To nominate someone, simply complete the entry form. The 2011 deadline for entries is July 15, 2011.

Questions? Contact Nadine Gressett.

Kinship Care Brochure

The Colorado Department of Human Services has released a Kinship Care brochure outlining the resources available. Kinship caregivers include but are not limited to grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and persons not related to the child/youth, but have a family-like relationship and provide care to them in a safe environment when their parents are unable to. The brochure describes the types of kinship care, basic requirements for families caring for a child/youth placed by a county department of human/social services, and services that may be available to the family.

If you would like copies of this brochure sent to your facility, please contact Jeannie Berzinskas, MSW, Non-Certified Kinship Care Program Administrator at 303.866.4617 or jeannie.berzinskas@state.co.us.

Health IT Workforce Development Opportunity

College of Nursing, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

The U.S. Department of Labor has identified Health IT as a high growth and emerging industry sector. A recent study from the University of California San Diego Extension listed Health IT as the number one career opportunity in 2010. As the nation moves toward a more technologically advanced health care system, providers are going to need highly skilled health IT experts to support them in the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records. Health IT professionals are in demand, and there is estimated to be a shortage of as many as 200,000 Health IT workers by 2015.

This shortage is critical because it may impact organizations’ ability to demonstrate meaningful use of electronic health records and obtain the financial incentives promised. The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) is trying to address this shortage by funding Health IT Workforce Development programs for both Community Colleges and Universities. These programs are graduating high-caliber health information technology professionals interested in supporting the growing and evolving health IT industry.

One of the most important workforce shortage needs to address is providing Health IT education to rural and medically underserved communities. The University of Colorado Denver has received a grant from the ONC to provide graduate-level Health IT education to 132 healthcare professionals. This grant covers the tuition and fees up to $10,000, which covers most of the costs for the student.

Rural and medically underserved communities are given first priority for this funding. This brochure and website provide more information about the program. Applications are being accepted until July 10, 2011, for fall admission. Please forward this information to anyone in your organization that might be interested in this opportunity. These funds will only be available until the positions are filled, which is anticipated to occur within the next 6 months. If you have questions about the program, please contact Donna DuLong, Colorado HITEC Program, at 303.724.5515 or send an email to HITEC@ucdenver.edu.

Letter from the COO

It is a pleasure to introduce myself to the Colorado Rural Health Center Community. My name is David Lack and I recently joined the CRHC staff as the new Chief Operating Officer. In one capacity or another, I have been involved in healthcare access and affordability for the medically underserved for 25 years. My first experience in this arena was with a coalition of rural health stake-holders in Iowa during the farm crisis of the 1980s. I have also spent time in health care advocacy throughout the country and in Washington as the CEO of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance. Previous to joining the CRHC staff, I was the Executive Director of a nonprofit health clinic in Denver serving uninsured families in the seven-county metro area. I believe healthcare is the arena in which I belong.

When I applied for this job, I was anxious to work with Lou Ann Wilroy, whom I have known for years and have come to respect a great deal. However, she had other plans and has moved on to pursue consulting work. To fill her void, CRHC is conducting a widespread search for a new CEO. I am assisting the Board of Directors in gathering candidate information and working toward the interview process. We have a slate of excellent candidates and hope to proceed to the interview round within the next two weeks. The goal is to have a new CEO in place in time for the CRHC Annual Conference. We are all looking forward to discovering who that person might be and working together to carry out the outstanding mission and exceptional programs of the CRHC.

Speaking of the annual conference, please mark your calendars for August 11-12, and plan now to attend. The 20th Annual Rural Health Conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency in the Denver Tech Center. The conference planning committee is working on a schedule of tremendous speakers and presentations, and I am looking forward to attending. Complete information and registration is available online. I hope to meet you at the conference, so register today!

Several CRHC staff members have been working hard to create the 2010 Annual Report of the Colorado Rural Health Center, and it is now available. I enjoyed reading it a few days ago, and I know that you will as well. It is also available on the CRHC website - just look under “What’s New” and while you’re there, check out the press release on the $2 million in grants awarded by CRHC!

Again, it is a privilege to be a part of the CRHC community, where we work together to ensure that rural communities have access to adequate healthcare.

2010 Annual Report Released

Colorado Rural Health Center's 2010 Annual Report has been released. Read about the status of our programs, funding, events, grants and loans, and policy during 2010 and what we hope to achieve in the future as we celebrate our 20 year anniversary in 2011. As Board President Bob Omer states, "never have the expectations for our organization been higher, and never have we been better positioned to reach great heights in accomplishing our goals and objectives." View our annual report online.

2011 Annual Conference Registration Opens

The Annual Colorado Rural Health Conference is the premier rural health event for Colorado and the region. This year’s conference, held August 11-12, will provide participants with a wide range of educational topics including healthcare reform nationally and locally, innovative solutions to access to care, networking and resource opportunities and much more. CRHC is celebrating it’s 20th Anniversary as the State Office of Rural Health at this year’s event and a special reception will be held the evening of August 11th to commemorate this milestone!

Opportunities to sponsor or exhibit are now available - contact Nadine Gresset for more information. For event details and agenda, visit our website. Register early online and recieve $50 off your registration fee (available through July 10)!

Announcing Spring 2011 CROP Awardees!

Congratulations to the following Providers:

• Carey E. Levin, Castle Valley Children’s Clinic [Garfield County]


• Chad J. Knaus, Roaring Fork Family Physicians PC [Garfield Count]


• Donald Pete Romero, San Luis Valley Mental Health Center [Alamosa County]


• Elizabeth Moran, Pagosa Pregnancy Support Center [Archuleta County]


• Erin Johnson, Yuma Family Dental [Yuma County]


• Katja Austin, Mountain Valley Medical Clinic [Grand County]


• Laura Spencer-Wagner, Community Health Clinic [Dolores County]


• Michelle Nadon, Colorado Plains Medical Center [Morgan County]


• Veronica Bartlett, CT Archuleta MD LLC [Otero County]

Colorado Rural Outreach Program (CROP) awards can be used to recruit new or retain current healthcare professional by repaying portions of the professional’s outstanding educational loans, or by giving a retention bonus if all educational loans are paid in full. All CROP grants require a monetary “match” equal to the proposed award amount. The match requirement aims to encourage organizations, communities, and clinics to work collaboratively at solving their workforce shortage issues. We hope communities will be introduced to the idea that retaining healthcare professionals can be greatly enhanced when it’s a community effort.

CROP grants are unique from other loan repayment programs because the majority of healthcare professionals are eligible (including but not limited to physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, providers of mental health services, providers of dental health services, allied health professionals, physical therapists and pharmacists).

CROP will begin its next grant cycle in Fall 2011. Please check our website in the fall for the newest guidelines and cycle information.

White House Creates Rural Council

Source: Rural Health Voices Blog

President Obama signed an executive order this week creating the first White House Rural Council. On a media call, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack called the Council an “unprecedented commitment to rural America”. The Council will coordinate programs across government to encourage public-private partnerships to promote further economic prosperity and quality of life in rural communities nationwide. Healthcare is identified as one of the key factors for promoting growth that the Council will be discussing. Read more.

CRHC Grant Council 2011 Award Announcement

The Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Council is excited to annouce that it has awarded $2.035 million in its fourth round of grant funding to strengthen health care delivery in rural communities! The Council awarded 54 grants ranging from $8,000 to $50,000 to physical, mental and oral health care providers in 42 counties. Click here to view a list of recipients.

To find out more about the CRHC Grant Council visit us online or contact Shelly Collins.

More than 150,000 New Adults to Qualify for Medicaid in 2012 - Are You Prepared?

By Aubrey Hill, CCMU

In 2012, Colorado will be offering Medicaid for adults without dependent children, who have been categorically ineligible for the program in the past. According to the Colorado Health Institute, 157,805 Colorado adults without dependent children with incomes up to 100% of the federal poverty level are currently uninsured and are likely to be eligible for this program.

Thanks to great foresight on the part of our legislature, an historic expansion will occur in the state’s Medicaid program to provide coverage for this population with funding from a hospital provider fee and federal matching dollars. When it is fully implemented, it will cover uninsured adults without dependents between 19 and 65 years of age with incomes of up to $900 a month (for a single adult).

In the interest of ensuring this expansion’s success, the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved has established the Connect to Coverage, Connect to Care Campaign. The Connect Campaign is a group of stakeholder organizations working together to support the expansion as the state works to develop and implement it, and the Colorado Rural Health Center has been playing an active role in this group.

Read more about how the Connect Campaign is following the state’s progress to ensure effective decision-making.

Rural Colorado Leader Chosen to Shape NOSORH Leadership Program

Source: Lake City Silver World Newspaper

Being raised rural prepared Kristie Borchers for her numerous leadership roles in Lake City, Colorado. Now, Borchers is being recognized nationally, having been chosen as one of six rural leaders who will shape the Denny Berens Rural Health Project, a new rural leadership training program through the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH).

The program aims to make a difference in rural communities by supporting leaders who can champion ideas and initiative for community-appropriate health solutions and strengthening their collective voice on healthcare policy concerns nationally. Clint Cresawn, Colorado STRIDES Program Manager, nominated Borchers for this honor, saying that she "exemplifies a collaborative leadership style, working to encourage and support others, while nurturing relationships and partnership."

Read the press release and full article here.

Should Mobile Health Apps Be Regulated By FDA?

Source: InformationWeek

With the growing popularity of tablets and smartphones--and the explosion of E-health record products for clinicians and patients--we're seeing lots of useful, innovative mobile health tools hit the market. Until fairly recently, most mobile health apps have been geared to consumers, including those who want handy access to information online about a health topic of interest--or to track details about their own health and wellness. But a growing number of mobile health apps are also aimed at patients with chronic conditions, measuring parameters like blood glucose, blood pressure, and the like.

As these apps become increasingly more sophisticated--some can send data to patients' health records or help clinicians make diagnoses or treatment decisions--experts worry that some devices and applications may do more harm than good, especially if they don't meet basic standards of reliability, safety, and security.

These considerations have prompted the Food and Drug Administration to take a closer look at mobile health devices and applications. To date, the FDA hasn't gotten too deep into making rules or enforcing regulations as they relate to mobile health app development. But that's likely to change soon. Continue reading...

Panel recommends giving hospitals more time to go from paper to electronic records

Source: Denver Business Journal

A federal advisory panel is recommending that the government give hospitals and doctors offices an additional two years to get their electronic medical record systems in order. The Health Information Technology Committee, which advises the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, voted 12-5 Wednesday June 8 to recommend that the department push its deadline for stage 2 “meaningful use” requirements from next year to 2014.

“Meaningful use” refers to a wide range of guidelines aimed at making sure health care providers are properly using electronic health records in their day-to-day operations, which supporters claim will reduce medical errors, improve overall patient care and save money. Failure to meet meaningful-use standards could lead to cuts in Medicare reimbursement, starting in 2014. Continue reading...

Colorado AHEC Workshop June 23 - 24

Proactive Transitions: Thriving with EMR by Managing Change and Process Redesign

With fundamental changes taking place in healthcare, few workers or managers understand how to manage or implement change in a way that does not sacrifice efficiency, effectiveness or patient safety. Building on 30 years of application in healthcare and HIT contexts and a vast body of academic research into change effectiveness, this course teaches participants an eminently practical set of Lean Six Sigma Healthcare tools and the keys to implementing effective and long-lasting change within healthcare organizations.

In this course, participants will learn:

• The Role of EMRs in Chronic Disease Management and Quality Improvement


• How to Lead Healthcare Quality Improvement and Practice Redesign Efforts


• Application of Core Lean Six Sigma Principles to Reducing Costs and Increasing Quality


• Using Lean Six Sigma to Guide a Healthcare Facility in Attesting to Meaningful Use

Course Format: 4 hours online pre-work, 2 Days Classroom Instruction

Location: Anschutz Medical Campus, Education 2 North, Room P28-2303, Aurora, CO

Tuition: $185 (Includes Instruction, Materials, Breakfast & Lunch, and a Networking Dinner)

Register online.