Letter From the CEO

Ok, everyone take a deep breath. Feels good, right? Okay, let’s take another one. Good. (Repeat this as necessary.)

We are entering the legislative season here in Colorado, and I know anxiety is running high. Hey, I’ll admit to a bit myself!

And it’s not just paranoia. We are without question in the cross hairs of federal budget cutters and tax reformers. Of course, the same could be said for at least the last few legislative sessions. As before, I can promise you that our legislative folks will be closely monitoring what happens at the Capitol, and will be keeping you informed. Of course, we will also continue to alert you if we think you need to speak up on a specific issue.

Before we get into all the legislative craziness, I want to recognize three facilities for reaching an important milestone. Heart of the Rockies Medical Center in Salida and Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center in Walsenburg are the first two critical access hospitals in Colorado to attest for Stage 1 Meaningful Use of their electronic health records. MidValley Family Practice in Basalt is one of the first rural clinics to attest to meaningful use in our state. This attestation means all three facilities are now eligible for Medicare EHR incentive funds.

In addition to congratulating these facilities, I want to thank CRHC’s Technology for Healthcare Excellence (THE) Consortium team for providing the support the staff at these facilities needed to obtain Meaningful Use. As the Regional Extension Center for 33 rural hospitals and over 300 rural and Community-funded Safety Net Clinic providers, we are actively working with many CRHC and ClinicNET constituents so that they too can reach this important milestone.

Before I sign off I want to thank everyone for the warm welcome I’ve received since taking the helm here in October. I’ve appreciated your thoughtfulness and sage counsel and look forward to many more discussions on how CRHC can best support its members. For those I haven’t yet connected with, please call me at 303.832.7493 or write to me at ceo@coruralhealth.org.

CRHC’s 2012 Membership Drive Is Underway!

Over the past 20 years, CRHC has become our state’s most trusted resource for rural healthcare. In the current economic landscape, it is more important than ever that we continue to support and advocate on behalf of rural healthcare and the safety net community. We remain loyally committed to ensuring our members have the resources and support they need to keep their communities healthy and vibrant. CRHC is well positioned to provide 20+ more years of support to ensure access to healthcare for all Coloradans, and we recognize that our work would be impossible without the dedication of our loyal members.

CRHC has three levels of membership to suit your organizational/individual needs:

• Investing Member
• Classic Sponsor
• Partner

Joining is easy. Click here to join today!

At the Classic Sponsor and Partner level memberships, your organization is given additional opportunities to support and reach out to rural healthcare providers. Please visit our website for more information on the benefits of each level. Feel free to contact Cari Fouts, Director of Communication & Development (cf@coruralhealth.org, or 303-565-5847) if you have questions about your membership or visit our website for more information.

With your support, we can continue to ensure all Coloradans have access to high quality healthcare services in 2012 and beyond.

Celebrate the Power of Rural with National Rural Health Day - November 17

November 17 is the first annual National Rural Health Day, a day to “Celebrate the Power of Rural “and the community-minded, creative spirit that makes our country thrive. One in five Americans call a rural community home. Here in Colorado, 20 percent of our population lives in rural or frontier counties and these counties make up nearly 80 percent of the landmass.

Rural communities are wonderful places to live and work. They are also some of the best places to start a business and test one’s “entrepreneurial spirit.” These communities provide the country with a wealth of services and commodities. Rural doesn’t necessarily mean “remote” – diverse economic, cultural, and recreational opportunities abound in rural Colorado. With a strong agricultural and ranching foundation, Colorado’s rural economies include small businesses and larger industries.

Rural communities face unique healthcare needs. We must address accessibility issues, healthcare provider shortages, the needs of an aging population experiencing a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of un- and underinsured residents. Rural hospitals and clinics are essential resources to meet the healthcare needs. Colorado’s 29 Critical Access Hospitals serve as healthcare anchors for their communities, offering an array of services to meet the local needs. Our 52 Rural Health Clinics, rural Community Health Centers, Community-funded Safety Net Clinics, and private practitioners reach beyond geographical boundaries to deliver essential quality care in remote areas. These healthcare facilities provide a solid economic base for their communities, employing local residents and generating $2.30 in additional business revenue with every dollar spent.

Being a rural healthcare provider offers tremendous opportunities to develop close relationships with patients and the community. Due to their limited numbers, rural providers frequently take a holistic, patient-centered approach and provide comprehensive care to patients with diverse needs. From implementing electronic health records to becoming recognized patient-centered medical homes, Colorado’s rural providers are making extraordinary transformations to meet the healthcare needs of their communities, with limited capital and human resources.

As the State Office of Rural Health, Colorado Rural Health Center is proud to support Colorado’s rural communities and health providers and has showcased some exceptional efforts for National Rural Health Day. While we face great challenges in addressing the healthcare needs in rural Colorado, National Rural Health Day reminds us to celebrate the spirit and ingenuity that epitomizes rural health.

Apply Now for Loan Repayment and Locum Tenens Funds

Do you have a healthcare provider at your facility who is interested in loan repayment? Let them know that the Colorado Health Service Corps (CHSC) Loan Repayment Program fall 2011 application cycle will open November 1st, 2011. The application cycle is open for one month, closing on November 30th, 2011.

Up to $105,000 for a 3-year commitment is available to your primary care healthcare providers!

CHSC provides loan repayment to fully trained primary care providers in exchange for either a two or three-year full-time service obligation in an underserved community. After completing their initial years of service, loan repayors may apply for additional years of support! Eligible providers include primary care Family Physicians, Internists, OB/GYNs, Pediatricians, Dentists, Psychiatrists, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives, Dental Hygienists and licensed mental health professionals.

Many types of healthcare facilities are CHSC eligible sites including Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Community Health Centers, and safety-net clinics.

To find out more about the CHSC Loan Repayment Program, please visit us online. Would you like to speak with someone to find out if your facility is eligible for loan repayment? Contact Colorado Provider Recruitment (CPR) at cpr@coruralhealth.org or 303.832.1668.

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Locum Tenens Scholarship Available

The Colorado Rural Health Center is offering Physicians, PA’s, Nurse Practitioners, and Dentists with an opportunity to get scholarship money for locum tenens pay, and/or travel costs associated with attending local, statewide, or national conferences or additional trainings. Funding cannot be used to pay for the cost of attending the conference, or registering for the program.

Criteria & Eligibility

• Applicants must be located in a rural, or non-metropolitan county in Colorado.



• The applicant organization can be a public or private entity, including FQHC’s.



• All awards are paid to the organization, and not the scholarship recipient.



• You can apply for Locum Tenens costs (no limit, but within reason), travel (up to $1,500 dollars) or both.



• Available to Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, & Dentists.



• Applications may be submitted for retro expenses dating back to March 2011 to the present.

Applications will be accepted throughout the year, but reviewed and awarded on a quarterly basis. The next cycle due date is December 15th, 2011. Applications can be downloaded online.

Questions? Contact Erica at ep@coruralhealth.org, by phone at 303.996.9698 or fax 303.832.7496.

Governor Hickenlooper Appoints New Colo. Rural Health Care Grant Council Members

Governor John Hickenlooper recently appointed Susan Hall of Grand Junction and Janette Kochis of Matheson as new members of the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Council. Both will serve terms through December 31, 2013. The Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Council oversees the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to fund projects that support Colorado’s rural health infrastructure and strengthen the capacity of rural entities to provide primary care services.

The Grant Program is funded by UnitedHealth Group. Grant information for the fifth and final round of this program will be available in early December. For more information, please contact Shelly Collings at sc@coruralhealth.org.

We Can't Wait: Health Care Innovation Challenge

We Can't Wait: Health Care Innovation Challenge will improve care, save money, focus on health care jobs

New funding available for next generation of health care innovations

WASHINGTON, DC-- Up to $1 billion dollars will be awarded to innovative projects across the country that test creative ways to deliver high quality medical care and save money. Launched today by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Health Care Innovation Challenge will also give preference to projects that rapidly hire, train and deploy health care workers.

“We’ve taken incredible steps to reduce health care costs and improve care, but we can’t wait to do more,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Both public and private community organizations around the country are finding innovative solutions to improve our health care system and the Health Care Innovation Challenge will help jump start these efforts.”

Funded by the Affordable Care Act, the Health Care Innovation Challenge will award grants in March to applicants who will implement the most compelling new ideas to deliver better health, improved care and lower costs to people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, particularly those with the highest health care needs. The Challenge will support projects that can begin within six months. Additionally, projects that focus on rapid workforce development will be given priority when grants are awarded.

Read the full release here.

For more information, including a fact sheet and the Funding Opportunity Announcement, please see the Health Care Innovation Challenge initiative web site at www.innovation.cms.gov.

Webinar: “Place Matters”: A Conversation about Rural America and Social Determinants

This webinar will introduce four broad types of rural places, and explore their relationship to social determinants of health, as a way to present useful and practical information that can be beneficial to rural communities working to promote behavioral health equity for children and their families. Presenters will explore how this information can help communities achieve their desired outcomes. Participants will be engaged in discussion about the challenges and opportunities ahead for leaders and their partners across systems who are working to reduce disparities in rural communities.

Date: November 16, 2011

Time: 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. MST

Presenters:

• Jessica Ulrich, Research Assistant, Carsey Institute, University of New Hampshire
• Lynn C. Todman, Ph.D., Executive Director, Institute on Social Exclusion, The Adler School
• Alison Scott, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Community Health and Program Director, Jiann Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University
• Joyce Sebian, Senior Policy Associate, National TA Center for Children's Mental Health Georgetown Center for Child and Human Development

Event Registration: To register for this event, please click here. You will need to register to receive information on how to attend the event. Please note that registration for this event will close Tuesday, November 15, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. All participants will need to download the software to ensure that they have the latest version installed.

If you have any questions about the Live Meeting technology or these Webinars, please contact Yorkmit Mendieta by email at ymendieta@air.org or by phone at 202.403.5366.

Colorado Hospitals Have $18.8 Billion Impact on State Economy

Colorado hospitals contributed $18.8 billion in economic output in 2010 — including $9.8 billion in direct jobs and spending — according to a study released Wednesday that is designed to help buffer hospitals against potential cuts in federal and state health care funding.

The study, commissioned by the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) and conducted by Colorado State University, is the first examination of the economic impacts of the state’s hospitals since the beginning of the recent recession.

It shows that Colorado’s 108 hospitals added 4,900 jobs between 2007 and 2010, a time frame in which the overall state economy lost more than 123,000 jobs.

Those facilities directly employed 71,700 people last year with average salary-plus-benefit compensation figures of $69,900, according to the report, titled “Examining the Impacts of Hospitals on the Colorado Economy.”

Read the full article here or download the study.

Rural Health Care Leadership Conference

For 25 years, Health Forum and the American Hospital Association’s Rural Health Care Leadership Conference has both informed and inspired rural health care leaders and this coming year is no exception. The 2012 conference brings a unique focus on innovative ideas, thoughtful insights, and proven strategies for improving rural hospitals and developing rural health care leaders.

The Rural Health Care Leadership Conference will be held February 5–8, 2012 in Phoenix, AZ. For more information visit www.healthforum.com/rural or click here to download the conference brochure.

Healthy Living Initiatives: Tool Kits for Health Promotion

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing has identified four priority areas for health promotion and disease prevention. These are the Healthy Living Initiatives, which include oral health; behavioral health (with a focus on depression); nutrition and fitness (with a focus on obesity); and tobacco cessation.

The Department has released tool kits that provide guidance on how to effectively document and address health promotion for Medicaid/ CHP+ clients in the primary care setting. The tool kits provide information on coding and reimbursement for screening, diagnosis, treatment and referral in the following areas:

• Preventive oral health for children at well-child visits
• Addressing depression in the primary care setting
• Focusing on issues of overweight and obesity
• Reducing tobacco use

The tool kits are located on the Department’s Healthy Living web page.

Contact Lisa Waugh with any questions at Lisa.Waugh@state.co.us or 303-866-2029.

Centura Health Connects to the CORHIO Health Information Exchange Network

All Centura facilities went live on CORHIO on October 24, 2011. By connecting its current electronic health record with CORHIO’s secure network, Centura's physicians and other medical care providers from across the state are linked to important real-time health information about their patients.

Centura Health Uses Industry-Leading Technology to Improve Care Coordination For Residents in Metro Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Summit County and Cañon City.

To read Centura Health's press release, click here.

To read CORHIO's press release, clickhere.