|
Rural Health Briefing November 1 2005
Page One
Health Information Technology for Rural Arizona
On Monday, November 14 a forum, Information Technology in Rural Arizona: A Tool to Improve Healthcare Workforce Recruitment and Retention Quality & Education will address the current conditions and recommend future directions in these related areas: information infrastructure, electronic health records, distance education, workforce and quality improvement.
Among confirmed speakers are Anthony Rodgers, AHCCCS, Elizabeth McNamee, St. Luke’s Health Initiatives, Galen Updike, Governor’s Information Technology Agency, Scott Endsley, HSAG, Dr. Patty Moore, NAU, and Tommy Mullins, Boone Memorial Hospital. Mullins has successfully deployed an electronic health records system at a critical access hospital.
The meeting will run from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. in the Arizona State Capitol, Governor’s Reception Room, 1700 W. Washington in Phoenix. Refreshment breaks and a sandwich lunch are included for the registration cost of $20.00. It is sponsored by the Arizona Rural Health Association in collaboration with the Rural Health Office of the UA Zuckerman College of Public of Public Health.
Click here now for registration details or contact Rebecca Ruiz, Rural Health Office, 520-626-7946, ext. 254 or email aruiz@rho.arizona.edu.
National News
1. New Rural Hospital Facilities Improve Health Care
2. Loan Issued Under New Necessary Provider Regulations
3. NRHA’s 2005 Legislative and Regulatory Agenda
4. Factline: Tracking Health in Underserved Communities
5. Medicare Guide to Rural Health Services Information
6. NRHA’s Rural Health Career Center
7. Rural Telecommunication Funding Conference Call
8. More Telemedicine Reimbursement in California
9. Contracts Could Speed Health IT Adoption
10. Home Telehealth Pilot Projects Proposed
Across Arizona
1. More Roads to Hospital Quality Improvement
2. Two December Meetings for Arizona Public Health Leaders
3. Diabetes Terminology Training in Navajo
EMS (new section)
1. New Rules Proposed for Air Ambulance Services
2. New Trauma Center Designation Rules Approved
Grants and Opportunities
1. Underage Drinking: Building Health Care System Responses
2. Fellowships for Social Innovation
3. Promoting Healthy Weight in Women
4. Community-Based Care for Treatment of Drug
5. Overseas Fellowships in Global Health and Clinical Research
6. Community Action Grants from AAUW
7. Health Education & Health Promotion Internships
Calendar
November 3-4, 2005 Annual Leadership Conference, Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, Scottsdale November 5-9, National Rural Education Association Conference, Tucson
November 10, ASA Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D) Training, Tucson
November 13-15, National Cooperative of Health Networks Fall Conference, Tampa, Florida
November 14, Information Technology in Rural Arizona: A Tool to Improve Healthcare Workforce Recruitment and Retention, Quality and Education, Phoenix.
November 14-16, Stopping the Diabetes Epidemic in Indian Country, 2nd Annual Arizona American Indian Health Conference, Mesa
November 16, Health in a New Key: A Conference on Community Resilience, Tempe
November 17-18, Government Health IT Conference, Washington, D.C.
November 18-20, 11th Annual Orme Dam Victory Days, Fort McDowell Yavapai Community, Arizona
December 7-9, 21st Annual Indian Child and Family Conference, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Fountain Hills, Arizona
December 10-14, American Public Health Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 12-14, National Conference on Mobile Health and Electronic Order Entry, San Diego, California
December 13-14, Public Health Collaborative Leadership Train-the-Trainer Workshop, Phoenix
December 15, 2nd Annual Arizona Public Health Leadership Forum, Phoenix
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
January 9-11, 2006, National Leadership Summit on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health, Washington, D.C.
March 14-16, 2005, Annual Conference of the Association for Community Health Improvement, Phoenix
March 28-31, 2006, Fourth Annual Western Region Flex Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada
National News
1. New Rural Hospital Facilities Improve Health Care
Rural communities that build new Critical Access Hospitals see not only increased local usage of services, but also report enhanced clinical performance, quality performance efforts, and workforce recruitment. These are the findings of new research presented recently at the National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA) annual Critical Access Hospital Conference.
According to the new data, rural communities that replaced their aging hospital facilities with a new hospital saw a positive impact on patient admissions and outpatient visits. A qualitative analysis also noted improvements in staff recruitment, clinical performance and quality improvement efforts.
The study, conducted by Stroudwater Associates, reviewed historical financial and utilization data for 20 Critical Access Hospitals and the impact that new facility construction had on these facilities.
Additional information on this study can be provided by contacting Eric Shell, 207-756-6090. The full study can be obtained from the Red Capital Group by clicking here.
2. NRHA’s 2005 Legislative and Regulatory Agenda
The National Rural Health Association is seeking comments on its 2005 Legislative and Regulatory Agenda. The eight-page document ranges comprehensively from Access to Veterans. Several sections have extensive recommendations. These include the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, Mental/Behavioral Health Services, Public Health Infrastructure, Rural Emergency Preparedness, Rural Graduate Medical Education, Telehealth, and Rural Health Clinics/Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Click here for the entire document.
3. Loan Issued Under New Necessary Provider Regulations
The first FHA Section 242 Mortgage Insurance Commitment has been issued by HUD for a necessary provider Critical Access Hospital (CAH) since CMS published final regulations concerning the relocation of CAH’s in August 2005. The financing is for North Valley Hospital in Whitefish, Montana for a $29.3 million replacement facility. This financing will take the form of a Ginnie Mae collateralized direct loan structure. InnoVative Capital of Springfield, Pennsylvania, let the team that carried out the financing plan.
4. Factline: Tracking Health in Underserved Communities
This website, sponsored by the National Library of Medicine and Meharry Medical College, highlights health disparities in underserved communities and uses the framework of Healthy People 2010. Factline presents information about health disparities faced by women, members of minority groups, the elderly and others.
The focus of the website is two-fold: presenting significant findings from scholarly research in public health on the subject of health disparities and providing bibliographic references to the literature in which these findings are established. Click here to go to Factline.
5. Medicare Guide to Rural Health Services Information
The Division of Provider Information Planning & Development at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently developed the "Medicare Guide to Rural Health Services Information for Providers, Suppliers and Physicians" which offers rural health information and resources in a single source.
The guide is available in electronic downloadable format at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/MedRuralGuide.pdf on the CMS website.
6. NRHA’s Rural Health Career Center
The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) has launched a Rural Health Career Center, which lists positions in rural health care and offers access to candidates primarily interested in working in a rural setting. NRHA members may post anonymous resumes for free on the site, which are viewed by prospective employers, who then signal their interest by contacting the candidate through a blind contact process. The candidate only releases their personal contact information to the employer if they have an interest in pursuing the job with this employer.
Resumes and job postings are exchanged with other member organizations for maximum exposure. NRHA members, at the Individual level and above, may post unlimited job openings on the site at the discounted price of $75/ad for a 30-day posting and $100/ad for a 60-day posting. Non-members, affiliate and advocate members pay $250/ad for a 30-day posting and $300/ad for a 60-day posting. Click here to enter the Career Center.
7. Rural Telecommunication Funding Conference Call
The Rural Health Care Division (RHCD) of the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) hosts a monthly outreach conference call for applicants and service providers on the second Thursday of each month. These calls are a forum in which applicants and service providers can raise issues and concerns or seek clarification of program rules or requirements. The RHCD provides an agenda for the calls, followed by a general question and answer period.
Through USAC, the FCC established a program that will fund up to $400 million annually so that rural health care providers pay no more than their urban counterparts pay for telecommunication services.
The next outreach Conference Call for applicants and service providers will be held on November 10, 2005 at 2 p.m. (ET). Phone Number: 1-800-240-9939. Pass code: 6772932 (be sure to press the pound key after entering the numbers). Click here for further details.
8. More Telemedicine Reimbursement in California
California recently adopted legislation to allow reimbursement for store-and-forward telemedicine applications. These methods enable communications between the primary care provider and a specialist to take place without needing everyone available at precisely at the same time, while still providing access to critically needed health services. Two common applications - teledermatology and teleophthalmology -are included in the new legislation. This expansion enables providers to capture and transmit audio clips, still images, or other relevant data that can then be transmitted to a specialist in a non-rural location. (Adapted from the California Rural Health Association release.)
9. Contracts Could Speed Health Information Technology Adoption
HHS recently awarded three contracts totaling $17.5 million to accelerate the adoption of health information technology. Contracts were awarded to:
* The American National Standards Institute for $3.3 million to convene the Health Information Technology Standards to develop, prototype, and evaluate a harmonization process to achieve a useful set of standards to support interoperability.
* The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) for $2.7 million to develop criteria and evaluation process for certifying electronic health records and the infrastructure.
* The Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC), a new partnership consisting of a multi-disciplinary team of experts and the National Governor’s Association, received $11.5 million. The HISPC will work with 40 states or territorial governments to assess and develop plans to address variations in organization-level business policies and state laws that affect privacy and security practices.
Another smaller contract was awarded to researchers at George Washington University and Massachusetts General Hospital at the Harvard Institute for Health Policy to assess how effective the adoption of health information technology has been in the U.S.
10. Home Telehealth Pilot Projects Proposed
Medicare Home Health Telehealth Access Act of 2005, HR 3588, has been introduced to the US House of Representatives by Rep. James Ramstad (R-MN).
If enacted, it would authorize pilot projects under HHS that provide incentives to home health agencies to utilize home monitoring and communications technologies that will (1) enhance health outcomes for individuals enrolled under parts A and B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act; and (2) reduce part A and B program expenditures for institutional and other providers, practitioners, and suppliers of health care items and services. It would also pay each home health agency participating in a pilot project an amount equal to at least 50 percent of the reduction in expenditures.
It has been forwarded to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Click here to follow this bill.
Across Arizona
1. More Roads to Hospital Quality Improvement
A daylong meeting of the Arizona Acute Care Quality Coalition began with a discussion of business reasons for pursuing quality of care and continued through national trends in the employment of hospitalists.
While poor quality may cost hospitals in terms of errors and malpractice, good quality may increase patient satisfaction and Medicare performance-based reimbursement.
Of particular interest to Critical Access and rural hospitals is the Rural Organizational Safety Culture Change (ROSC). ROSC starts with surveys on patient safety, moving through improvement changes, and concluding with re-surveying of safety. This is a section of the CMS Quality Improvement Roadmap and its implementation is supported by Arizona’s QIO, Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG).
When successful, the value of hospitalists – physicians whose primary focus is the general medical care of hospitalized patients – has been guided by good working lines of communication with referring physicians. In some cases hospitalists lead quality and safety efforts because they are in hospitals day after day, often have a view of system-level operations and can recommend associated improvements.
The applicability of hospitalists in small, rural hospitals is not well understood compared with larger institutions.
The meeting, Hospital Medicine: A New Way to Deliver Healthcare, was a collaborative effort of HSAG and the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association.
Click here for the agenda and presentations.
2. Two December Meetings for Arizona Public Health Leaders
Collaboration is key to developing and sustaining a statewide public health system. In support of this aim, two events are planned for next month.
Public Health Collaborative Leadership Train-the-Trainer Workshop
December 13 and 14, 2005
Pointe South Mountain Resort, Phoenix.
This workshop encourages regional teams of public health professionals and community leaders to attend and then work together. The workshop is free of charge. Register by November 10. It is sponsored by the Southwest Public Health Leadership Institute at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health.
2nd Annual Arizona Public Health Leadership Forum
December 15, 2005
Pointe South Mountain Resort, Phoenix
The forum will bring together public health leaders and champions for may areas of Arizona’s public health system with the goal of identifying common concerns and strengthening partnerships. It is free of charge but pre-registration is requested.
The event is coordinated by the Southwest Public Health Leadership Forum and sponsored by the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health, the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Local Health Officers’ Association.
For more information contact Rebecca Ruiz, Rural Health Office, 520-626-7946, ext. 254 or email aruiz@rho.arizona.edu.
3. Diabetes Terminology Training in Navajo
A 20 hour training is being offered by the Navajo Special Diabetes Project, Navajo Division of Health for all health care workers, on and off the Navajo Nation, who are responsible for translating, interpreting, and explaining diabetes medical terminology to Navajo patients and their family members. The training is free and will be offered primarily in Navajo language.
Participants will learn to describe the human anatomy and diabetes-related medical terms in clear, understandable Navajo language.
Trainings will take place in the following dates and locations:
-- November 28-30, Kayenta Town Hall, Kayenta;
-- December 7-9, BIA Conference Room, Chinle; and,
-- December 13-15, Navajo Nation Museum, Window Rock.
To register, please contact Little Spruce Training at littlespruce22@hotmail.com or telephone/fax: 505-890-8984 and give your name, email, fax, phone, your job title and employer, and the training location you will attend.
EMS
1. New Rules Proposed for Air Ambulance Services
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) has proposed rules for Air Ambulance Service Licensing and Air Ambulance Registration (proposed rules). They were published in the Arizona Administrative Register (AAR) on September 30, 2005. ADHS has also filed a proposed rulemaking to repeal the rules for ambulance service licensure, ambulance registration, and miscellaneous that are now found in 9 A.A.C. 13, Articles 10-12.
The public comment period for the proposed rules and repeal rulemaking ends on November 18, 2005. ADHS will accept written comments during the public comment period. It will also hold a session to accept oral comments and allow for an adequate discussion of the proposed rules and repeal rulemaking at 10:00 a.m. on November 16, 2005 in room 540A, ADHS, 150 N. 18th Ave., Phoenix.
Links to the proposed rules and repeal rulemaking are available on the ADHS website at http://www.azdhs.gov/diro/admin_rules/proposed.htm.
For further information, contact Kathleen Phillips, ADHS, Office of Administrative Rules, 1740 W. Adams St., Suite 202, Phoenix, AZ 85007; phone: 602-542-1264; fax: 602-364-1150; email: phillik@azdhs.gov.
2. New Trauma Cente r Designation Rules Approved
The Governor’s Regulatory Review Council (GRRC) has unanimously approved the ADHS trauma center designation rules. The rules provide for the designation of Level I, II, III, and IV trauma centers, and require health care institutions to submit an application to the Bureau for the desired designation Level. The application process for Level I, II, and III requires successful verification by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
This marks a major milestone in Arizona’s EMS and trauma system development by specifying services that must be offered to achieve a certain level of trauma care. Copies of the rules and the separate applications for trauma center designation (initial) and for provisional trauma center designation can be downloaded directly from the BEMS website at http://www.azdhs.gov/bems/trauma.htm.
Copies of the rules and the applications can also be requested via email from Donna Meyer at meyerd@azdhs.gov or (602) 364-3158.
Grants and Opportunities
Note: Technical assistance is readily available for the development of grant proposals and other funding applications from the experienced staff of the Rural Health Office and the State Office of Rural Health Program. Please contact Jennifer Peashock.
1. Underage Drinking: Building Health Care System Responses
RFA-AA-06-003
Letter of Intent: November 19, 2005
Application deadline: December 19, 2005
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is offering an RFA to address underage drinking. This is Phase I of a two-part RFA. It solicits applications for cooperative agreements (U01s) to enable rural and small urban health care systems to become platforms for research programs on underage drinking.
More specifically NIAAA seeks to fund such systems: (1) to assess the extent of underage drinking the areas they serve (Phase 1) and (2) develop capacity for intervening with this problem. Phase 2 will fund systems that have successfully completed Phase 1 to implement and evaluate interventions designed to address underage alcohol consumption. Three to five awards of $250,000 to $400,000 are anticipated. Click here for full details.
2. Fellowships for Social Innovation
Application deadline: December 1, 2005
Social innovators, Come forth! Echoing Green will be awarding two- year fellowships to emerging social innovators. These fellowships (to individuals or partnerships of two) are given to people with innovative ideas for creating new models for tackling seemingly unsolvable social challenges. The fellowships offer an opportunity to develop and test the innovations.
It is not a scholarship program. During the award period, fellows work in the community where they launch, manage and grow organizations that implement and continually expand ideas for creating lasting social change.
During the two-year fellowship, Echoing Green provides both financial and technical support. Click here for details.
3. Promoting Healthy Weight in Women
Application Deadline: December 2, 2005
The Innovative Approaches to Promoting a Healthy Weight in Women (IPHWW) grant will fund projects to develop creative, innovative approaches that are effective in reducing the prevalence of overweight/obesity in women by increasing the number of women who adopt positive health lifestyles. The interventions must be substantive in nature and positively impact the women’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. These approaches should target women in communities who have limited access to preventive health services. It is sponsored by HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Click here for details.
4. Community-Based Care for Prevention and Treatment of Drug Abuse or
Co-occurring Drug Abuse and Mental Disorders
RFA-DA-06-001
Application deadline: December 19, 2005
This HHS request for applications intends to enhance the capacity of community-based providers of drug abuse prevention/treatment services, including services for individuals with co-occurring mental disorders, to conduct practice improvement research. Such research may entail the examination of therapeutic and/or business practices currently in use but lacking scientific evidence of effectiveness. Or it may entail examination of the adoption, implementation, and sustained use of science-based therapeutic and/or business innovations.
Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Any community-based direct provider of treatment with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research is invited to work with their institution to develop an application for support. Community-based providers without adequate research capacity are required to partner with researchers from organizations having adequate capacity, such as universities and research institutes. Agencies that distribute funds for the provision of treatment are not eligible to apply, unless they are also direct providers of treatment.
An applicant may request a project period of up to 3 years. Direct costs may not exceed $150,000 per year. Preliminary studies are not required.
Click here for application details.
5. Overseas Fellowships in Global Health and Clinical Research
Application deadline: December 30, 2005
The Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health, in partnership with the Ellison Medical Foundation and other agencies, is offering a one-year clinical research training experience for graduate-level students in the health professions. This is an opportunity to experience mentored research training at top-ranked NIH-funded research centers in developing countries.
The program is for students with advanced standing in a U.S. medical or osteopathic school, or who are enrolled in a doctoral-level program at a U.S. school of public health, nursing, or dentistry. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents.
Accepted trainees will be provided a stipend of roughly $18,000 to $20,000 per year, with an additional $6,000 per year for travel, insurance, and educational materials. Click here for the RFP.
6. Community Action Grants from AAUW
Application deadline: January 15, 2006
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) offers Community Action Grants to provide seed money to individual women as well as local community-based nonprofit organizations for innovative programs or nondegree research projects that promote education and equity for women and girls.
One-year grants ($2,000-$7,000) provide seed money for new projects. Topic areas are unrestricted, but should include a clearly defined activity that promotes education and equity for women and girls.
Two-year grants ($5,000-$10,000) provide start-up funds for longer-term programs that address the particular needs of the community and develop girls' sense of efficacy through leadership or advocacy opportunities.
AAUW also offers professional development and international fellowship grants.
Click here for details.
7. Health Education & Health Promotion Internships
Application deadlines:
March 1, 2005 for May – August Internship
July 1, 2005 for September – December Internship
The Society for Public Health Education is seeking applicants for internships in their Washington, D.C. office. Qualified applicants should be pursuing a bachelor's or a graduate degree in public health, health education, community health, health promotion, preventive medicine, or a related discipline, and have completed two or more years of coursework.
Preferred areas of interest are tobacco prevention and control; physical activity; women's health; environmental health and environmental justice; diabetes; obesity and nutrition; heart disease and stroke; cancer; school health; tobacco; and eliminating health disparities. Internships include a stipend of up to $1,500.
Submit resume, cover letter addressing your experience in health education and health promotion, a personal statement (including why you are interested in an internship experience with SOPHE and your personal objectives for such an experience), and names of 3 references to: SOPHE, 750 First Street, NE, Suite 910, Washington, DC 20002. Fax: 202/408-9804. Or e-mail bpomietto@sophe.org.
Contact Your Representatives
- Arizona Congressional Delegation: Links to Arizona members of the U.S. House of Representatives are available at: U.S. Representatives. Links to Arizona members of the U.S. Senate are available at: U.S. Senate
- Arizona State Legislators: Available through the Arizona Legislative Information System (ALIS): Call 1-800-352-8404 or follow links at Arizona Legislature.
Important Links
Editor's Note: This online newsletter is a project of the Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, housed in the Rural Health Office at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health, and supported through a grant from HRSA (Office of Rural Health Policy). The Rural Hospital Flexibility Program was created by Congress to improve the financial viability and stability of health care in rural areas, including creation of a new designation for rural hospitals as Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Designated CAHs are eligible for cost-based reimbursement for services provided to Medicare patients. In some states, including Arizona, additional reimbursement is also available for CAH services provided to Medicaid patients.
Your astute comments, precious suggestions, and inspired questions are always welcome. Please send them as well as address changes to Jim Laukes, Editor, Rural Health Briefing.
|
