CEO Update: Get ready for Safety Net Clinic Week!


July brings a realization that half of the year is gone, but also allows us to highlight one of CRHC’s most important events – Safety Net Clinic Week. We’ll be celebrating the uniqueness and undeniable necessity of Rural Health Clinics (RHC), while also highlighting the challenges that require attention.

Throughout the weeks coming up to the event, you’ll be seeing lots of correspondence with stories, data, and supporting evidence of why RHCs are an important part of the Safety Net and gain a greater understanding of their focus on the health of the underserved. This year marks the fifth year of celebrating Safety Net Clinic Week and the Governor of Colorado will be giving his endorsement through a Proclamation. With all of the information to come, first we want everyone to be prepared knowing a clear definition of a safety net clinic.

The term is broad and used among many groups. We define a safety net clinic as a healthcare facility that serves a population who would otherwise go without care. Clinics exist to provide primary care, chronic illness therapies, prevention, wellness, and education. Safety net clinics are ingrained in their communities and are sometimes the sole trusted source for healthcare. Speaking of rural communities, the providers are not only the area’s healthcare expert, but also their neighbor.

In rural areas across Colorado, 51 RHCs are an important part of the safety net and exist to provide care in communities. It must be noted that an RHC is a unique classification within the safety net. Many believe they are synonymous with any clinic located in a rural area, a community health center or federally qualified health center, or a private practice. Although many of the same services are provided, there are distinct differences.

Unlike other classifications of clinics, an RHC is specially certified by the federal government. This, however, does not mean that they receive additional funding. On the contrary, RHCs struggle to maintain financial sustainability. Although the Affordable Care Act put in many funding mechanisms to help other types of safety net facilities, RHCs were omitted. And since they often act as the community’s only primary care provider, advocacy for their continued existence is imperative. The populations they serve are often publicly insured or without coverage, meaning that their reimbursement is lower making it more and more difficult to meet the challenges of new regulation and healthcare trends.

Through all the challenges and adversity created by funding variables, RHCs still thrive and provide quality care to their patients and fellow residents. Our advocacy through Safety Net Clinic Week will not solely be focused on the hardships RHCs face, but instead, we’ll be highlighting the positive impact they make and the dedication of the individuals that comprise the RHC system. Keep up your awareness for our coming correspondence through our members-only emails, news releases, Twitter and Facebook feeds. Together, our voices can create a lasting future for Colorado’s healthcare safety net.

Please join us in the Safety Net Clinic Week events on August 18th through August 22nd

Hospital Pricing Transparency Comes to Colorado


Across the country, calls for hospital pricing transparency are increasing and can now be heard right here in Colorado. National media stories have generated a great deal of attention and they come at a time when many consumers have high deductible plans and are increasingly motivated to comparison-shop for best pricing. There couldn’t be a better time for Colorado healthcare leaders to prepare for consumer-driven pricing strategies.

However, making pricing information more transparent is easier said than done. Any hospital or practice administrator knows why— charges rarely reflect what patients and their insurers actually pay. Instead, charges are the direct result of complicated negotiations with insurers.

The good news is that the Colorado Rural Health Center now offers rural hospitals access to expertise and tools which provide a clear and complete picture of how a hospital’s payments compare to other hospitals in Colorado, across service lines and payors. With the right set of metrics, payments from major commercial plans can be analyzed to determine if you are below market to aid in negotiations with payors…or above market, exposing you to negative public perception in this era of transparency.


The CRHC has teamed up with iVantage Health Analytics to offer INCONTROL Contract Optimizer™, a unique tool which enables hospitals to leverage market and peer-related metrics about hospital pricing to improve managed care contract negotiations. Many hospitals from across the country have seen increased revenue and improve market position as a result of using the INCONTROL solution.

For more information contact bo@coruralhealth.org or call 303.832.7493 and stay tuned for upcoming webinars.



2014-2015 Rural Health Clinics Emergency Preparedness Funding


Due to funding limitations there are only 30 spots available for RHCs to participate and receive reimbursement for Emergency Preparedness activities. In order to be eligible to receive funding, you will need to email Greg Jones (greg.jones@state.co.us) with your clinic’s intention to participate before Tuesday, August 5, 2014 close of business. The spots for funding will be allocated according to the date and time of the email indicating your clinic’s intent to participate. The sooner you get your email to Greg, the better your chance of having funds set aside for your facility. Send your email to greg.jones.cdphe@gmail.com and cc Ron Seedorf at rs@coruralhealth.org

If you have any questions, contact Greg Jones at 303-692-2787 or Ron Seedorf at 970-302-9021