Rural Spotlight

NRHA Webinar – The Untapped Fiscal Potential of Chronic Wound Care, Thursday, October 12, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CST

September 25, 2023

NRHA Webinar – The Untapped Fiscal Potential of Chronic Wound Care, Thursday, October 12, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CST

In this webinar, Sarah Hull FNP, WCC, DWC will present valuable insights and practical strategies aimed at optimizing wound care management in Critical Access hospitals.

Participants will explore innovative approaches to chronic wound care, emphasizing the advantages of localized and cost-effective treatments. Sarah Hull will shed light on the benefits of incorporating advanced wound care therapies to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

The webinar will cover essential topics, including the significance of local wound care services, the effectiveness of advanced wound care therapies, and actionable steps for transforming your wound care center into a financial success. Attendees can expect to gain practical tips and best practices from Sarah Hull to maximize the fiscal potential of their wound care services.

  • Join us for this informative session to enhance your wound care practices and contribute to better healthcare outcomes while optimizing financial sustainability.

When: Thursday, October 12, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CST

Register Here

NRHA Webinar – First-ever Rural Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation Survey, Wednesday, October 11, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. CST

September 25, 2023

NRHA Webinar – First-ever Rural Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation Survey, Wednesday, October 11, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. CST

In the “First-Ever Rural Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation Survey” webinar, we will delve into groundbreaking survey results which boasted 4x the number of rural respondents compared to the largest current survey on the topic. This pivotal discussion will be led by Opal Greenway, Principal at Stroudwater Associates. As a seasoned healthcare and finance expert with a rich background in physician compensation, strategic healthcare needs, and regulatory compliance, Opal brings unparalleled insight to the table.

During this webinar, participants will:

  • Discover the findings of this inaugural rural-focused compensation survey.
  • Understand how affiliation with a health system influences compensation.
  • Gain insights into how compensation competitiveness varies across state practice environments, guided by Opal’s extensive experience in analyzing physician compensation structures and advising healthcare entities on market trends and regulations.

When: Wednesday, October 11, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. CST

Register Here

Funding Opportunity – Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program Applications – HRSA-24-051 – Due by October 10

September 22, 2023

Funding Opportunity – Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program Applications – HRSA-24-051 – Due by October 10

The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program HRSA-24-051 is an opportunity to apply for continuation awards to support maintenance of filled resident Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions that are funded by HRSA under announcement HRSA-20-011 for an additional four years.

The purpose of the THCGME opportunity is to provide funding to support the training of residents in primary care residency training programs in community-based ambulatory patient care centers.

Funding through this opportunity will support maintenance of approved HRSA-funded resident positions for existing HRSATHCGME Program payment recipients only.

Applications seeking support for an expanded number of resident FTE positions and/or establishment of new resident FTE positions will not be considered under this notice.

Awards mad through this notice may be used to support the costs associated with resident FTE training only.

An eligible entity is a current THCGME Program payment recipient that was awarded funding under HRSA-20-011.

Applications are due by October 10, 2023.

Contact HRSA: Kristin Gordon, kgordon@hrsa.gov, (301) 443-0337

Learn More

Apply Here

NOTICE: IQR-Eligible Hospitals to Submit 2Q 2023 Survey Data by October 4, 2023

September 19, 2023

NOTICE: IQR-Eligible Hospitals to Submit 2Q 2023 Survey Data by October 4, 2023

The submission deadline for the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient perspectives on care survey data for second quarter (2Q) 2023 discharges (April 1-June 30, 2023) is October 4, 2023. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) strongly encourages all hospitals, whether they self-administer the HCAHPS Survey* or use a survey vendor, to submit data well before the deadline to allow time to address any submission issues.

  • Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) hospitals participating in the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program must collect and submit HCAHPS data to qualify to receive their full Annual Payment Update. Please see the Q2 2023 Hospital IQR Checklist for further information.
  • Non-IPPS hospitals must meet the same submission deadline for their data to be published on public reporting website.

Review and Correction Period 

  • The Review and Correction Period is October 5-11, 2023.
    • Immediately following the October 4, 2023 data-submission deadline, participating hospitals and survey vendors have a seven-day opportunity, October 5-11, 2023, to access and review the HCAHPS Data Review and Correction Report.
    • The report contains a summary of the data accepted into the HCAHPS Data Warehouse for the quarter. Errors in data accepted into the warehouse by the October 4, 2023 deadline can be corrected. During this seven-day period, corrected data can be submitted to the warehouse to replace incorrect data. New data are not accepted into the warehouse during the Review and Correction Period.

Extraordinary circumstances exceptions (ece)

In the event that your hospital is unable to submit data or meet requirements due to an extraordinary circumstance, you may request an individual exception.

  • For the submission of the HCAHPS data, for the Hospital IQR Program, the ECE must be submitted within 90 calendar days from when you determined that the extraordinary event occurred. The event may occur during the measurement period through the submission or reporting deadline.
  • For events adversely impacting your HCAHPS performance, for the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) Program, the ECE must be submitted within 90 days of the date of the extraordinary circumstance. At the latest, ECEs should be submitted no later than 90 days from the last date of the quarter requested.
    • For example, the last day of Q2 2023 is June 30, 2023. The ECE should be submitted no later than 90 days after the end of Q2, which will be September 28, 2023.

Please refer to the HVBP and IQR resources on QualityNet for further information.

Hospital Contact Information: To ensure your hospital receives critical communications about meeting the requirements of the IQR Program (and other CMS quality reporting programs), including submission-deadline reminders and program updates, it is important that we have the complete contact information for the key roles at your hospital. Updates to your contact information can be submitted, if needed, using the Hospital Contact Form. This document is available on the Quality Reporting Center website (www.qualityreportingcenter.com > Inpatient > Hospital IQR Program > Resources and Tools > Forms).

HCAHPS Contact Information

  • For general questions regarding the HCAHPS Survey, contact CMS at Hospitalcahps@cms.hhs.gov.
  • For questions regarding HCAHPS Survey administration, contact the HCAHPS Project Team at (888) 884-4007 or at hcahps@hsag.com.
  • For questions regarding HCAHPS data submission information, contact the CCSQ Service Center at (866) 288-8912 or at qnetsupport@cms.hhs.gov.
  • For questions regarding information on the HCAHPS initiative, file specifications, and data-submission protocols, use the contact information on the HCAHPS website at hcahpsonline.org.
  • For questions regarding the IQR Program, use the Inpatient Questions & Answers tool at https://cmsqualitysupport.servicenowservices.com/qnet_qa?id=ask_a_question or call the Inpatient Value, Incentives, and Quality Reporting Outreach and Education Support Team at (844) 472-4477.

*The HCAHPS Survey is also known as the CAHPS® Hospital Survey. CAHPS® is a registered trademark of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a U.S. Government agency.

Hotline Informational Webinar for Community-Based Organizations

September 19, 2023

Hotline Informational Webinar for Community-Based Organizations

Join the National Maternal Mental health Hotline webinar to hear how members of the community can benefit from this 24/7, free confidential service, and what can be expected when community members are referred or connected to the Hotline.

The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides 24/7, free, confidential support before, during, and after pregnancy. The hotline offers callers:

  • Phone or text access to professional counselors
  • Real-time support and information
  • Response within a few minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • Resources
  • Referrals to local telehealth providers and support groups
  • Culturally sensitive support
  • Counselors who speak English and Spanish
  • Interpreter services in 60 languages

Register Here

Washington County’s Integrated Health Model Receives Top National Award

September 15, 2023

Missouri’s Own Washington County’s Integrated Health Model Receives Top National Award

The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) announced that the Washington County Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) Network in Potosi, Mo., was awarded the top prize of $150,000 in the nationwide program, “Building Bridges to Better Health: A Primary Health Care Challenge.” This is not only a win for the Washington County MIH Network and other networks in Missouri, but for all Missourians challenged with accessing traditional “brick and mortar” healthcare.

This challenge began in 2022, and activated and accelerated the development and testing of low-cost, scalable technical assistance solutions. Participating organizations’ solutions yielded resources that HRSA-supported health centers across the country can use or scale to improve health outcomes for their patients. A focus of the Challenge was to address key drivers of poor health and social determinants of health (SDOH) that contribute to poor health outcomes. Solutions resulting from the Challenge will support health centers to enhance access to primary care and to improve care coordination with other local providers and social service organizations to address SDOH.

Challenge winner, Washington County Mobile Integrated Healthcare Network, is the first mobile integrated care model in the country that is a primary partnership with an Emergency Medical Services agency (Washington County Ambulance District) and a federally qualified health center (Great Mines Health Center). The third partner is Community Asset Builders, a resource development and support company who strives to support systems of care. The “MIHN” model is now being replicated in several counties across Missouri and the mid-west region.

This challenge aligns with HRSA’s Advancing Health Center Excellence Framework, which aims to help advance health center performance and innovation, and specifically connects to the key domain of Population Health and Social Determinants of Health.

Key Impacts & Results of the Washington County Mobile Integrated Healthcare Network

  • Achieved a 50% reduction in costs, demonstrated through captured Medicaid and Medicare savings data by the Washington County MIH Network.
  • Improved clinical measures, including higher rates of preventive screenings and better managed blood pressure, compared to health center patients who did not participate in the MIH Network.
  • In Washington County, MO, a food distribution service provided food to 1,794 households (4,729 individuals).
  • In Washington County, Community Health Workers and Community Paramedics are now co-located at the health center and have daily huddles to improve care coordination and service delivery.
  • 100% patient satisfaction in Washington County.

For more information about the Building Bridges to Better Health: A Primary Health Care Challenge, visit Challenge.gov.

Allevant Solutions Launches Project Swing Bed on the MENDS®: A Decade of Expertise Fuels New CAH Shared Learning Collaborative

September 19, 2023

Allevant Solutions Launches Project Swing Bed on the MENDS®: A Decade of Expertise Fuels New CAH Shared Learning Collaborative

On October 1, 2023, Allevant is launching a cohort of “Project Swing Bed on the MENDS®, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Shared Learning Collaborative. Participating CAHs will have access to Allevant staff, tools and resources to maximize their Swing Bed program and begin to implement MENDS®, a wellness program for healthcare staff and post-acute patients.

Expected Outcomes

  • Improved Health Outcomes
  • Shortened post-acute length of stay
  • Low rate of post-acute patients discharged back to acute care
  • High level of post-acute patients discharged back to independent settings
  • Increased staff and community focus on wellness behaviors
  • Increased patient wellness
  • Improved long-term health
  • Expanded Capacity for Essential Health Care Services
  • Increased utilization of CAH swing beds
  • Increase in confidence and capabilities of rural health workforce to provide post-acute care services locally
  • New focus on wellness strategies for rural staff and post-acute patients
  • New processes to facilitate rural primary care practices to support continuation of patient-identified wellness strategies for newly discharged rural post-acute patients
  • Increased Financial Sustainability
  • CAH-increased census and revenue
  • Long term reduction in costs associated with increased staff wellness
  • Lower Medicare costs per patient day

What you will Receive

  • Multi Professional Training and Education
  • Learning modules
  • Available resource documents
  • Project management and collaboration with peers
  • Licensing and use of the brand
  • Clinical and workflow process reengineering
  • Referral education development and support
  • Quality database management utilizing core key indicators
  • Continued program development and support

Learn more

Upcoming Webinar – First Rural Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation Survey Results

September 15, 2023

Upcoming Webinar – First Rural Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation Survey Results

Earlier this year, Stroudwater partnered with the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) to develop a physician and advanced practice provider compensation survey for rural organizations. This survey provided much-needed insight into provider compensation by state and region.

During this webinar, Stroudwater in partnership with NRHA will share:

  • The results of the first rural-focused compensation survey
  • How being a part of a health system impacts compensation
  • How compensation competitiveness is impacted by state practice environments

The results of this survey will allow rural hospitals to use data to make more informed decisions when considering provider compensation and additional benefits.

Register Here

NRHA Webinar – Seven Steps to Highly Successful Facility Investments in Rural Health

September 8, 2023

NRHA Webinar – Seven Steps to Highly Successful Facility Investments in Rural Health

NRHA Webinar – Seven Steps to Highly Successful Facility Investments in Rural Health

Navigating the unique challenges of rural healthcare demands a specialized approach. With over 20 years of partnering with rural healthcare leaders and organizations, Brian Haapala has not only witnessed but actively shaped the landscape of rural healthcare investments. His involvement in 1.5 billion in rural capital projects has equipped him with unmatched insights – insights he will share in this presentation. Focusing on the intricacies of planning for USDA Community Facilities loans, this session is tailored to meet the pressing needs of rural healthcare executives. Here’s what you can expect:

  • Organizational Readiness: Recognize the early signs indicating your facility’s readiness for investment and streamline the path to financing.
    • Budget Creation: Unearth strategies to ensure every dollar is allocated effectively, prioritizing both immediate needs and long-term sustainability.
    • Team Building: Discover the roles crucial to your project’s success and how to assemble a team that delivers.
  • Meeting Community Needs: Learn to fine-tune your projects, ensuring they resonate with, and address, genuine community needs.
  • Environmental and Site Requirements: Navigate the often-complex terrain of site selection in rural settings, from environmental concerns to logistical challenges.
  • Business Planning: Dive deep into creating a business strategy that not only looks good on paper but stands up to real-world rural challenges.
  • USDA Requirements: Demystify the specifics of USDA loans, from collateral to appraisal, ensuring you’re always a step ahead.
  • Collateral Security: Equip yourself with the knowledge to ensure that your pledged assets adequately protect both your facility and its stakeholders.

When: Friday, September 22, 11:00 – 1:00 p.m. CST

Register Here

 

NRHA Webinar – Swing Bed Culture and Attention to Wellness Vital to Rural Healthcare, a Transitional Care Model

September 8, 2023

NRHA Webinar – Swing Bed Culture and Attention to Wellness Vital to Rural Healthcare, a Transitional Care Model

Allevant, a joint venture between Mayo Clinic and Select Medical, helps Critical Access Hospitals by developing post-acute Transitional Care programs using available Swing Beds. Focused on helping patients transition to their highest level of independence, Transitional Care is a program that involves the patient and family, makes available the full resources of the Critical Access Hospital and focuses on measured outcomes and evidence-based processes to ensure patients get the best care possible.

Allevant has supported approximately 100 Critical Access Hospitals across 22 states including both independent and part of health systems. Our clients have cared for over 12,000 patients representing more than 158,000 swing bed days.

With a strong focus on quality, outcomes, and growth, our clients saw an average growth in swing bed days of 55% by the second year. 64% of patients were categorized as complex medical or complex surgical which is a growing patient population, and only 7% of Transitional Care patients were discharged directly back to acute care during a program stay of less than 30 days. 76% of patients were discharged from Transitional Care back to independence. The average patient rating was 4.83 out of 5 when asked if patients would “recommend the program to others”.

When: Wednesday, September 20, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CST

Register Here