Update from the Interim CEO: Do You Regularly Promote Your Value?

In this day and age of being continually challenged to do more with less and have a lean organization, do you advocate your worth to your partners? Your communities? Yourselves? If not, there is no time like the present. On June 15, 2012, the rural report on serving Medicare Beneficiaries for Congress was released by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). This document was mandated to evaluate Medicare payments to rural providers, access to care, and the quality of care in rural areas. The report states rural health care provider challenges are minimal around the issues related to poor access to care and financial status. We of course know this simply is not true!

Access to Care

Rural communities continue to face workforce challenges. If current trends continue there will be a statewide shortage of nearly 2,220 primary providers by the year 2025. There are more than 13,000 physicians in Colorado, BUT 16 counties, all rural, have three or fewer practicing physicians and two counties have no practicing physicians. Additionally, there are 14 rural counties in Colorado with NO hospital or Emergency Room. Difficulty for recruiting providers to our communities will continue. Therefore, we must show off our best assets like fresh food, fresh air, friendship and community partnerships. These all play into what you do every day!

Financial

Many rural communities face financial issues. With the hospitals being one of the largest employers, we can’t afford to have these hospitals close. Data from the Sano Capital Group shows that “due to the weak economy and lack of necessary capital investment, an ever-increasing number of rural hospitals operate at a loss. This figure escalated to over 33% in 2009 and continues to grow. These facilities operating in the red employ approximately 139,000 jobs.” Working together to preserve our community’s current access to healthcare benefits both physical and financial health. Join CRHC as we attend the National Rural Health Association, March for Rural Hospitals on July 30-31 in Washington DC.

Quality

Currently 27 of the 29 critical access hospitals (CAHs) are signed up to voluntarily submit data to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) system Hospital Compare. Data from CAHs submitted to Hospital Compare and reported by iVantage shows that CAHs are holding their own compared to urban counter parts in heart failure and pneumonia. Aggregate CAH data from Q3 2010 shows the average for all heart failure measures is 70% and Q4 2011 has increased to an average of 74%. The Q3 2010 average for all pneumonia measures is 82% and has shown an increased to an average of 86% in Q4 2011. This increase shows commitment on the part of Colorado CAHs to report quality improvement data, despite the limitations of Hospital Compare in reporting this data.

According to data reported from iVantage, “Rural Hospitals saw a 37% surge in ED utilization in the three-year period between 2007-2009 compared with all US Hospitals, which have seen ED volumes increase 24% in the decade between 1998-2008.” In Colorado, we are seeing similar trends, which is why CRHC started the Improving Communication and Readmissions (iCARE) program two years ago. Of our 29 CAHs, 14 are currently participating. In its first year, iCARE participating CAHs reduced readmissions from 4.9% to 1.3%. Year three is set to kick-off in September 2012 and will focus on inclusion of clinics within the community to enhance communication between hospital and clinic staff. Clinics will track their diabetic population through disease registries and focus on system and process improvement. All communities will be offered technical assistance as well as the opportunity to receive patient advocacy training with a focus on improving provider-to-provider and patient-to-provider communications. Be on the lookout for further information.

Promote your great qualities on your terms and be an active participant. Rural Communities lead the efforts in care coordination from innovative ideas like Community Paramedics to working in true collaboration with hospitals, rural health clinics, public health, community funded safety net clinics, federally qualified health centers, mental health, oral health, businesses, schools, and most importantly the people in your community.

The economic viability of our communities is critical to our nation’s food supply and the very essence that America was built upon. I challenge you to tell your story and ask yourself, “How can I promote my community and the great work we do each day?” Although these are daunting times, remember you are not alone. CRHC staff are some of the most highly committed and dedicated people in the industry. We are here to assist you in your efforts to face these challenges, overcome the barriers, and celebrate your successes.

I leave you with a great You Tube Video by a few Kansas State University Students, “I’m Farming and I Grow It”.

Rural Relevance Under Healthcare Reform

iVantage Health Analytics released a quarterly update to their ongoing tracking study monitoring the rerformance of rural healthcare under the Affordable Care Act. Summary findings from research conducted by iVantage shed new, multi-dimensional light on the rural healthcare delivery system using: the latest Medicare Shared Savings data files; the first nationwide hospital rating system to evaluate community and rural hospitals including all 1,326 Critical Access Hospitals; and the industry’s largest proprietary rural Emergency Department database.

The misunderstanding that rural hospitals are more costly, inefficient and have lower quality and satisfaction is empirically challenged. More importantly as providers and developers seek to address the New Healthcare using innovative delivery models, the rural setting must be better understood and included in any strategy for patient-centered care. Read more and download the full study here.

Colorado Legacy Foundation Announces Recipients of $222,500 in School Health and Wellness Grants

The Colorado Legacy Foundation (CLF) awarded nearly a quarter-million dollars to thirteen school districts and one charter school throughout Colorado as part of CLF’s School Health and Wellness Initiative. They are: East Grand School District (Granby), West Grand School District (Kremmling), Durango School District (Durango), Archuleta School District (Pagosa Springs), Center Consolidated Schools (Center), La Veta School District (La Veta), Adams 12 Five Star Schools (Thornton), San Juan School District (Silverton), Scholars to Leaders Academy (Colorado Springs), Boulder Valley School District (Boulder), Mountain Valley School District (Saguache), Ridgway School District (Ridgway), Ouray School District (Ouray), and Woodland Park School District (Woodland Park).

“The Colorado Legacy Foundation recognizes the direct correlation between healthy students, healthy schools, education policies, and academic achievement,” said Dr. Helayne Jones, President and CEO of the Colorado Legacy Foundation. “We are thrilled to provide resources to districts that will help prepare students for healthy, successful lives both in and out of the classroom.”

The two-year grants, provided by an investment from the Colorado Health Foundation, will help school districts create and implement school health and wellness strategies and share the results of their work statewide. Participating districts will promote various health and wellness efforts including increased consumption of fruits and vegetables at school, providing healthy snack alternatives, implementing staff wellness programs, and increased physical activity.

“The Colorado Health Foundation believes that, together, we will make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation,” said Kelly Dunkin, vice president of philanthropy for the Colorado Health Foundation. “The Colorado Legacy Foundation, in partnership with school districts across the state, has done phenomenal work at incorporating health and wellness as a fundamental strategy to improve student achievement, and we are excited to invest in the expansion of their efforts.”

The new grantees were chosen through a competitive grant application process with selection based on their willingness and ability to implement innovative and collaborative systems as well as policy and environmental changes within their school health programs. Collectively, the districts serve more than 83,000 students.

Hiring: Director of Workforce Programs

CRHC is hiring for the following positions:

Director of Workforce Programs
The Director of Workforce Programs reports to the Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the management, oversight and success of the CRHC Workforce programs including the Colorado Provider Recruitment program and Colorado Sustainable Towns: Rural Innovation, Development, Expansion, and Success (STRIDES). This position is responsible for the workforce program’s success to achieve health needs assessment and community engagement objectives; recruitment and retention objectives; develop and implement innovative recruitment and retention programs and activities; provide strategic direction to the workforce team to expand and develop services to meet the needs in rural Colorado to strengthen the healthcare workforce.

Submit a resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to hr@coruralhealth.org, with the position title in the subject line

Welcome CRHC's New Director of Outreach!

Trevor Hall is CRHC’s new Director of Outreach. He is responsible for implementing communication and development efforts focused on increasing the organization’s visibility. He also works to expand partnerships with new and existing members, organizations, businesses and foundations to help further the mission of CRHC.

Trevor holds a BA in Broadcasting and a MA in Journalism and Mass Communication, both from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. His professional credentials involve work with documentary television, including History Channel, National geographic and Discovery Channel. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, skiing and fly fishing.

Contact him about opportunities to sponsor and exhibit at our upcoming Annual Rural Health Conference October 24-25!

Safety Net Clinic Week: Aug. 20-24, 2012

In an effort to raise awareness of Colorado's health care safety net providers, we encourage your clinic to participate in the second annual Safety Net Clinic Week, August 20-24, 2012. Sponsored by ClinicNET and the Colorado Rural Health Center, the week is devoted to educating the public and policy makers about these vitally important health care clinics - Community-Funded Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs) and federally certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).

We have created a “toolkit” to help clinics participate in Safety Net Clinic Week 2012 - check it out online here!

For more information, contact:

Charlotte Kaye
Project Coordinator, Safety Net Clinic Week 2012
720.863.7805
charlotte.kaye@clinicnet.org

Community Transformation Grants - Small Communities Programs

Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the overarching purpose of this program is to prevent heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes and other leading chronic disease causes of death or disability through implementation of a variety of evidence based programs, policies, and infrastructure improvements to promote healthy lifestyles in small communities that improve health and health behaviors among an intervention population. The program aims to achieve this goal by supporting governmental and nongovernmental agencies and organizations, from multiple sectors, to implement evidence based strategies that align with their mission and to partner with agencies and organizations in other sectors to improve community health.

Deadline to apply is July 31, 2012. A total amount of $70,000,000 is being made available to 50 awardees. Visit their website for the application and more information.

Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Council Award Recipients Announced

The Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Council has awarded $1.18 million in its fifth and final round of grant funding to strengthen health care delivery in rural communities. The Council awarded 36 grants ranging from $2,000 to $50,000 to physical, mental and oral health care providers in 26 counties.

Grantees include Certified Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, public health departments, public and private health clinics, oral health clinics and mental health clinics. The grants will support health information technology, construction and remodeling projects, equipment, and staff training. See the full list of recipients here. Read more about the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program here.

Rural Locum Tenens and CME Travel Scholarship

The Colorado Rural Health Center is offering Physicians, Physician Assistants, 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, travel, or both (up to $1,500 dollars total)
  • The maximum per diem rates are established using the GSA Federal rates at www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100120
  • Available to Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, & Dentists
  • Applications may be submitted for consideration only after the training/expense has occurred
  • Award prioritization will be given to new applications from providers who have not been funded in the previous six months
  • Sites may be awarded up to two awards within a 12 month period

Application Process Download the application and coversheet. Please fill out, and save, in Microsoft Word. You may submit your application via email or fax. If submitting via email, please make the narrative and all attachments ONE inclusive document. The coversheet may be separate. Please send your application to rp@coruralhealth.org or fax to 303.832.7496.

March for Rural Hospitals: July 30-31

Join National Rural Health Association's March for Rural Hospitals on July 30-31 in Washington, D.C. and fight to protect the Medicare Dependent Hospital designation and the Low-Volume Hospital Adjuster. These vital programs will expire on Oct. 1 if congressional action is not taken.

A recent study shows that these payment formulas do not, in fact, cost the Medicare program more. Furthermore, rural hospitals have better or equal quality metrics. For a full copy of this report, click here. To see NRHA's press release about the report, click here.

NRHA encourages you to write to and visit your members of Congress in their district offices or at town hall meetings. To find information on district and state offices as well as town hall times and locations, click here.

NRHA has developed these tools to help you fight for the rural health care delivery system. To register for this free advocacy event click here.

June Special Delivery Correction

In the previous issue of the Special Delivery in article, HPSA scores: What does it mean to me and my clinic?, it is stated “This score is a federal designation assigned to a geographic area, population group (such as low-income), correctional facility, state or county mental health hospital, or private, public or nonprofit facility that can demonstrate a shortage of health professionals in the service area.”

A mistake was found in this statement as private clinics are not eligible for a HPSA score unless they are designated as a non-profit. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.

Request for Applications: Improving Research Through Community-Academic Partnerships

The Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) Community Engagement Core and the Partnership of Academicians and Communities in Translation (PACT) are currently accepting applications for funding. This RFA is intended to support community-academic partnerships to perform pilot studies that will strengthen relationships and produce preliminary data for future competitive grant applications. Funded projects may encompass partnership development, project planning, capacity building (i.e., data collection and management, recruitment and outreach, etc.) as well as implementation of research projects within specified areas of emphasis (cardiovascular disease, childhood chronic conditions, social emotional health).

Download the Request for Applications here.

Important Dates/Deadlines:

  • Applicants’ Webinar/Conference Call (optional) - Wednesday, July 18, 2012
  • Mandatory Letter of Intent - Monday, August 13, 2012
  • Application Submission - Monday, September 17, 2012

For additional information, contact:
Dee Smyth
dee.smyth@ucdenver.edu
303-724-5731