Update From the Interim CEO

Michelle Mills, Interim CEO

I am honored to have been named Interim CEO of the Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC). For those of you who are unfamiliar, I have been part of the leadership team at CRHC for the last several years. Prior to that, I worked with CRHC for almost ten years before joining the team. Under my leadership, CRHC started a quality improvement project called Improving Communications and Readmissions (iCARE) and brought a structured approach to measurement, evaluation, and outcomes to both our hospital and clinic work. Through our innovation in these areas, CRHC is seen as a leader in helping synergize efforts at both local and national levels. Yet, we still have much work to do, especially in facing the uncertainties of the current healthcare environment. It is truly my privilege to carry on the mission and vision of CRHC as we face the challenges ahead.

April was a busy month for Rural Health in Colorado. CRHC and ClinicNET hosted the 13th Annual Forum. This year, we set a record for attendance, with 134 attendees representing 35 of the 52 rural health clinics. We gathered in support of our mission to provide quality healthcare throughout rural Colorado. The primary focus of the Forum remains on finding ways to improve basic business operations such as billing, coding, cost reporting, emergency preparedness and quality improvement. This year, however, we looked toward the future by addressing subjects such as payment reform, data collection and how rural communities can most effectively connect within the current environment.

Colorado was also the host site of the NRHA Conference. NRHA continues to focus on prospective federal spending cuts and the disproportionate impact on rural healthcare. The rural healthcare safety net is facing a potential loss of hundreds of millions of dollars, programs, and access to care. It is more important than ever to engage in the conversation and to make your voice heard. You can do this by showcasing your efforts to improve rural healthcare in your community.

A great way to do that is by sharing information about your own patient safety and quality improvement efforts. Currently 93% of CAHs are signed up to voluntarily submit data to Hospital Compare, and 50% have signed up for the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). MBQIP allows the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Office of Rural Health Policy to access aggregate data submitted by CAHs to Hospital Compare. This proactive and visionary program is perfectly aligned with CRHC’s Improving Communication and Readmissions Project (iCARE). By sharing this valuable information, you demonstrate the quality work you provide to your community and help establish benchmarks for comparison with other CAHs. Programs such as these, with a community focus, demonstrate how working together helps solve our healthcare challenges. If you haven’t had the opportunity to get involved in this program, contact me at mm@coruralhealth.org and I’ll get you started.

As we head into these uncertain times, CRHC remains a strong advocate for rural healthcare. We are dedicated to serving rural Colorado by providing a unified voice and by helping you demonstrate your great work. Rural communities band together when times are tough and in Colorado you do that better than anyone else.

It is my honor to serve you as Interim CEO of the Colorado Rural Health Center.

Exciting Passage of Workforce Data Collection Bill HB1052

The Colorado Rural Health Center is eagerly awaiting the Governor’s signature on a very important bill. Recently, the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 12-1052, the Health Care Workforce Data Collection bill. The bill requests certain healthcare professionals such as practical and professional nurses, addiction counselors, marriage and family therapists, pharmacists, physicians, and physician assistants, to provide information regarding their practice location, specialty, education and training when they apply for or renew their professional license. The Division of Registrations collects the licensure information, and it will be available by request from the Primary Care Office in a format that protects the identity of the provider.

Colorado faces a shortage of healthcare providers and rural areas are especially hard hit. There are counties in our state that do not have a primary care physician, a dentist or dental hygienist and increasingly pharmacies and pharmacists are disappearing. Efforts to address Colorado’s healthcare workforce shortages are limited by a lack of reliable and available data on our existing workforce. Currently we don’t know when a physician holds a license, but no longer practices. We don’t know which Advanced Practice Nurses have prescriptive authority or training in delivering babies. And we don’t know whether a dentist is practicing in a private practice or in a safety net setting. This system will present an accurate picture of Colorado’s healthcare workforce.

The data collected through HB1052 will help us better understand our supply of providers, as well as identify our gaps. By understanding the practice environment, we can focus our healthcare workforce development efforts on areas with the greatest current and projected need. The passage of this bill is a huge win for Colorado, and particularly rural Colorado, as it gives communities the opportunity to identify gaps in advance and plan for them.

Read more about on our Policy and Advocacy page about current issues, subscribe to The Rural Voice to receive regular updates, or contact Alicia Haywood at ah@coruralhealth.org for more information.

Introducing a New Classic Sponsor | Jet Marketing

We are very excited to be joining the Colorado Rural Health Center as a Classic Sponsor. Healthcare marketing is a niche for us and we hope we can be of service to more hospitals in Colorado.

Most people understand the value of marketing their services in a clear and consistent way; but often, because of the perceived costs or other obstacles, clients try to do things on their own. In a hospital or clinic setting, you also end up with very well–intentioned nurses or staff creating their own department logos and brochures. This can lead to marketing that is off-brand and inconsistent – hindering the impression of your organization in your community.

The good news is that Jet Marketing not only specializes in healthcare marketing, but we really enjoy making an impact in smaller communities. Print collateral, advertising, annual reports, websites, etc. are all part of what we can provide to help give your organization a professional and consistent look. We can help with your ongoing marketing needs, or just on a project–by–project basis.

Marketing Audit

As a member of CRHC, we’d like to offer you a site visit and audit of your marketing plan and materials (at no cost). If we mutually feel like we could form an effective partnership, we’ll continue the conversation. For an audit, contact Jet Marketing Owner Jackie O’Hara at 970.218.4797, or visit our website at www.JetMarketing.net.

We already work with a few of CRHC’s members and they would be happy to share their experience with the Jet team. If not before, we hope meet you at the Annual Rural Health Conference in October.

Keep up the great work!

CRHC is Hiring!

Colorado Rural Health Center is hiring for the position of Director of Outreach. The Director of Outreach is responsible for activities that lead to increased public awareness needs and recognition; fundraising; grants; public relations; and communications. The Director must be results oriented in order to reach the goals established for revenue development. Success will be measured in gift revenue, grant volume, and the development of strong relationships with key funding partners.

Click here to read the full position description. Email cover letter and resume to hr@coruralhealth.org, attention Chief Executive Officer.

Additional position openings can be found on our employment page.

CMS Innovation Center Announces First Round of Health Care Innovation Awards

The CMS Innovation Center has announced the first batch of preliminary awardees for the Health Care Innovation Awards. These organizations will implement projects in communities across the nation that aim to deliver better health, improved care and lower costs to people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), particularly those with the highest health care needs. Projects are funded for three years. The list will be updated as additional projects are selected. The next batch of preliminary awardees will be announced in early June 2012. See the list of current awardees here.

Congratulations to Upper San Juan Health Service District in Pagosa Springs, CO for their award of $1.7 million!

The Upper San Juan Health Service District is receiving an award to expand access to specialists and improve the quality of acute care in rural and remote areas of southwestern Colorado. Their care delivery model will offer cardiovascular early detection and wellness programs, implement a telemedicine acute stroke care program, use telemedicine and remote diagnostics for cardiologist consultations, and upgrade and retrain its Emergency Medical Services Division (EMS) to manage urgent care transports and in-home follow-up patient care for over 3400 patients in medically underserved areas in Southwest Colorado.

The program will provide access to cardiologists and neurologists and is expected to reduce cardiovascular risk, improve patient outcomes, create healthier communities, and reduce health care costs with estimated savings of approximately $8.1 million. Over the three-year period, the Upper San Juan Health Service District’s program will train an estimated 25 paramedics and telehealth clinicians and create 13 new jobs. These workers will provide a new type of clinical team that will improve care outcomes for rural cardiovascular patients.

Community Connect Grant Program Webinars

On May 14th and May 24th the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) will host webinars focused on the Community-Oriented Connectivity Broadband Grant Program (Community Connect Grant Program). These webinars will inform participants about the major eligibility and regulatory requirements of the program and will provide detailed guidance on how to submit a successful grant application. There will also be time for participants to ask the speakers specific questions about putting together an application.

Due to the limited amount of room available for each session, interested parties must preregister with the RUS Broadband Division. Seats for each session will be reserved in the order in which requests are received by the RUS. To preregister, please contact Nicole Payne or Carla Johnson by phone at 202.720.2281 or 202.720.0667 or by email at Carla.Johnson2@wdc.usda.gov or Nicole.Payne@wdc.usda.gov.

Questions? See the flyer for more details or contact the RUS at community.connect@wdc.usda.gov with any questions about these events.

Community Facilities Loan Program

RCAC’s Community Facilities Loan Program helps create and improve essential community facilities in the rural West. This program offers short-term loans to meet early acquisition and pre-development needs, interim construction costs and long-term permanent financing. Applicable facilities include public and nonprofit office buildings, treatment centers, emergency and transitional housing, assisted living, human services, pub­lic safety, child care, education and cultural facilities. Many other types of projects are eligible.

RCAC gives priority to loan applications for projects that incorporate significant green methods and materials. Please see the community facilities loan application or check out the brochure for more information.

Contact Information:
Joshua Griff, RDS Loan Officer
501 S. Cherry Street, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80246
720/898-9463 - Phone
303/455-7916 - Fax
720/951-2163 - Cell
jgriff@rcac.org

State Policy Levers for Addressing Preventive Dental Care Disparities for Rural Children

The South Carolina Rural Health Research Center at the Arnold School of Public Health, the University of South Carolina is pleased to announce the release of a new final report. The report, entitled “State Policy Levers for Addressing Preventive Dental Care Disparities for Rural Children: Medicaid Reimbursement to Non-Dental Clinicians for Fluoride Varnish and Dental Hygiene Supervision in Primary Care Safety Net Settings”, is authored by Amy Brock Martin, DrPH, Jessica Bellinger, PhD, Jeff Hatala, PhD, Jordan Mitchell, MBA, Janice Probst PhD, with consultation from Burton Edelstein, DMD, MPH.

Previous work has found that rural children are less likely to receive preventive dental services or any dental services at all, during the year than are urban children. The children’s oral health care safety net can be characterized in terms of the settings in which care is offered, the clinicians who offer it, and the sources of payment. In this report we examine two questions:

1. To what degree have states expanded access to and reimbursement of fluoride varnish applications by allowing non-dental clinicians to provide this service?
2. To what extent can dental hygienists provide select preventive dental services in primary care safety net settings without supervision or under general, indirect, or public health supervision?

Read the executive summary and full report for more information on the findings.

Improving the Oral Health of Colorado's Children Brief

Governor John Hickenlooper recently made children’s oral health one of Colorado's 10 winnable battles over the next five years. This is an important goal because oral disease can negatively impact a child’s performance in school, speech development, nutrition, self-esteem and sleep.

To help inform this winnable battle, three foundations – The Colorado Trust, Caring for Colorado Foundation and the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation – jointly issued a new brief, Improving the Oral Health of Colorado's Children. Written by Diane Brunson, RDH, MPH, Director of Public Health, University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, the brief details:

• the causes of oral disease,
• multiple prevention strategies,
• significant challenges in access to oral health care, and
• strategies for improving the oral health of Colorado children.

In addition to the brief, a two-page Executive Summary provides a high-level overview for policymakers.

2012 Health Professions Scholarship Program

Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 Colorado Health Professions Scholarship Program, funded by The Colorado Health Foundation. Target groups for this scholarship include enrolled nurse practitioners(NP), Physican Assistants (PA), and Behovioral Health Students, and other types of medical degrees. 75% of the scholarships will go to NP's, PA's and Behavior health. 25% percent of the scholarships will go to other areas. Certificate programs do not qualify.

The award is a maximum of $30,000 over two years and eligibility includes:

• Be enrolled/accepted either at least half-time or full-time in a graduate level health professional program (Master's or Doctorate degree)
• Agree to practice in a rural and/or under served community upon completion of training for a minimum of 2-years.
• Be enrolled in an accredited Colorado institution of higher education. Online programs may be acceptable as long as the home institution is accredited in the State of Colorado

Deadline to apply is May 31st. The program is administered by the Central Colorado AHEC, visit their website to learn more.