Month: October 2021

NEW! RHPTP Resources

Service Recovery in Health Care

In partnership with the National Rural Health Resource Center (The Center), as a part of the Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project (RHPTP), Stratis Health created a brief recorded training series designed to equip health care professionals with the knowledge and tools to support service recovery training within their facilities. Stratis Health and The Center encourage viewing the sessions in sequence, but individual sessions may be used for stand-alone training and review.

Service Recovery in Health Care Series

Session I: Why it Matters

Session II: Eight Steps to Service Recovery

Session III: Tips for De-escalation

Session IV: Embedding Service Recovery into Everyday Practice

A two-page PDF handout was also created for a quick reference in outlining the Eight Steps to Service Recovery and the Tips for De-escalation.

Eight Steps to Service Recovery

NEW! Financial Guide for Rural Health Care Leaders During COVID and Post-COVID

The Technical Assistance and Services Center (TASC), a program of the National Rural Health Resource Center (The Center), is pleased to announce the launch of the Financial Guide for the Rural Health Care Leaders During COVID and Post-COVID.

This guide was created for state Flex Program personnel, critical access hospitals (CAHs) leaders, provider-based rural health clinics (RHCs), and others that assist these providers in managing long-term financial performance. The content is designed to be as non-technical as possible and to provide guidance regarding the potential and anticipated impact the COVID Public Health Emergency (PHE) will have on top financial indicators during and after the PHE. Strategies on how to address the financial indicators have been included, as well as, action plans to guide CAH and provider-based RHC leaders as organizations navigate the challenges of the PHE and post-PHE periods.

On October 07, 2021, the TASC team held an informative webinar to launch the newly created guide. View the webinar playback here.

View the Guide Here

Substance Use Warmline

The National Clinician Consultation Center (NCCC) strives to improve patient healthcare outcomes by building the capacity of health care providers through expert clinical consultations and education. Together with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), NCCC is offering FREE and confidential clinician-to-clinician consultation on substance use evaluation and management.

This service provides teleconsultation on:

  • Assessing and treating opioid, alcohol, and other substance use disorders
  • When and how to initiate medications for opioid use disorders
  • Toxicology testing: when to use it and what it means
  • Identifying and managing withdrawal
  • Approaches to adjust opioid-based pain regimens to reduce risk of misuse and harm
  • Harm reduction and overdose prevention strategies
  • Discuss useful communication and care strategies to support patients living with, or at risk for, substance use disorders
  • Substance use in special populations (pregnancy, kidney/liver disease, HIV, and viral hepatitis, co-morbid opioid use disorder and pain)

The team at NCCC includes experts, pharmacists, and advanced practice nurses with considerable experience managing substance use disorder. No protected health information is collected during consultations.

Call for your free, confidential clinician-to-clinician consultation on substance use evaluation and management at (855) 300- 355 or submit a case online here.

Learn more about the National Clinician Consultation Center here.

RHPTP HELP Webinar Playbacks

Access Webinar Playbacks on Demand

Using Telehealth to Support Value-Based Care | Candy Hanson, BSN, PHN, LHIT-HP, Stratis Health

Resilience: Springing Back to Move Forward | Dr. Jane Pederson and Betsy Jeppesen, Stratis Health

The Role of Social Determinants of Health in Value-Based Payment Models: A Rural Perspective | Alana Knudson, NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis

NOSORH Value-Based Health Care 3-part Series

  1. First Steps and Next Steps in the Transition from Volume to Value
  2. Services to Jumpstart and Assist in the Transition from Volume to Value
  3. Building a Strong Foundation for the Transition to Value

Should my health organization accept a value-based payment opportunity? | Dr. Clint McKinney, Rural Health Value

Financial Update: Preparing for and Succeeding Under Value-Based Reimbursement Models | Ralph Llewellyn, Eide Baily

For more, visit the extensive library of previous HELP Webinar playbacks!

Rural Health Clinic Scam Warning!

The National Association of Rural Health Clinics and the Missouri Office of Rural Health and Primary Care want you to be aware of a scam targeting recipients of Rural Health Clinics (RHC) COVID-19 funding. For example, individuals are contacting RHCs posing as a government contractor informing them that they must pay a fee to maintain their SAM.gov account.

Although this particular scam is targeting a grant program, there are concerns that other individuals or organizations may create additional scams targeting other RHC COVID-19 relief funds.

Here are some things you can do to protect your organization. If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact HRSA directly.

  • If an individual claims to represent HRSA, SAM.gov, or Grants.gov, check that the email address contacting you is .gov.
  • Grants.gov and SAM.gov will never contact you requesting money for any reason, including account activation or maintenance.
  • You should always follow the official instructions related to reporting, drawing down funds, etc. on official .gov websites. These instructions or reporting requirements will not suddenly change.
  • Because certain grant awardee information is public knowledge, scammers can more easily pose as legitimate program representatives, do not automatically trust that they are.

Thank you for all that you do and for your continued vigilance on this matter.

CDC Telehealth Opportunity

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) is identifying and evaluating health systems or healthcare providers using telehealth and virtual services to deliver evidence-based interventions for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. Three health systems will be identified to undergo rigorous evaluations.

Health System Role in the Telehealth Evaluation

  • Selected health systems will collaborate with CDC for about 2 years during the evaluation and will receive an evaluation report assessing telehealth strategy implementation and sustainability.
  • Health systems will meet regularly with CDC, host CDC for a virtual site visit, and provide CDC with patient- and system level data for the evaluation.
  • Selected health systems will receive an honorarium for providing patient- and systems-level data for evaluation.

If you know of any specific health systems or healthcare providers that may be interested, please let us know as soon as possible by sending an email to Julia Jordan at JJordan1@cdc.gov. You are also welcomed to share this letter and nomination flyer with your network and partners. Please let CDC know if you have any questions.

The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, October 22.

Telehealth Services Nomination Flyer

Telehealth Services Nomination Invitation Letter

2022 CPT Changes & Evaluation & Management Documentation, Coding & Auditing Training

Date: December 14, 2021

Time: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM EDT

2022 CPT CHANGES & Evaluation & Management Training

This interactive training is intended for healthcare practitioners, medical billers, coders, auditors, office managers and IT professionals involved with authoring clinical documentation, generating E&M progress notes, auditing professional physician service claims and maintaining a healthy revenue cycle. The primary course focus will emphasis documentation guidelines set forth by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for reporting Evaluation and Management services (E&M), as defined by CPT. The curriculum will provide attendees with a strong grasp of Evaluation and Management auditing, coding and documentation techniques.

The curriculum is designed to assist in development and mastery of the necessary skill set to successfully audit Evaluation and Management (E&M) services. This education and training has been designed to promote compliance and minimize the risk mitigation associated with post-payment review and 3rd party audit exposure.

Click to view Registration

Upcoming NRHA Partner Webinars for Rural Healthcare

Diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection

Wednesday, Oct 13, 2021 2:30-3:30 pm CST

  1. Introduce Helicobacter pylori infection and associated antimicrobial resistance
  2. Familiarize attendees with testing for H. pylori infection
  3. Share information about a new PCR test for detection of H. pylori and simultaneous characterization of clarithromycin resistance, and its potential benefits in rural settings
  4. Provide an overview of proper utilization and timing of H. pylori testing using an algorithmic approach

Register

Swing Beds and the Best Way to Improve Your Outcomes: Transitional Care

Thursday, October 14, 1:00 – 2:00 pm CST

Allevant, a joint venture between Mayo Clinic and Select Medical, helps Critical Access Hospitals thrive 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. The Transitional Care Program is centered on teamwork, communication, and collaboration. Along with project management, staff training and education, a quality database, and process improvement; Allevant also provides marketing support and referral education to help Critical Access Hospitals grow their Swing Bed volume.

What you will learn:

  • Participants will be able to understand the value of developing high-quality Post-Acute Transitional Care in Critical Access Hospitals in response to a growing patient population and demands and challenges in acute care hospitals. 
  • Participants will be able to begin to quantify the opportunity, understand the key steps to initiate, implement and track progress in developing high-quality Post-Acute Transitional Care.
  • Participants will learn how Transitional Care is an effective way to incorporate population health, chronic disease management, and wellness.

Register

400 Rural Hospitals Hit by Ransomware in Last 12 Months – Learn How to Protect Your Hospital

Friday, Oct 29, 2:00-3:00 pm CST

Rural hospitals are being targeted for cyberattacks. In the last 12 months, over 400 Critical Access and Rural hospitals fell victim to a cyberattack. Join NRHA for this educational session where NRHA will share information around modern ransomware attacks, what to look out for, strategies to lessen your chances of being a victim of ransomware, and how to respond if you do fall victim to an attack. You’ll also see a demo of a ransomware attack in progress. NRHA will review tactic examples, the financial impact of a ransomware attack, defensive strategies, and threats for rural hospitals.

Register

Webinar: Digital Marketing for EMS Recruitment & Retention

Date: October 15, 2021

Time: 2:00 PM ET

Free to American Ambulance Association (AAA) Members | $250 Non-Members

Register Now

Speakers: Scott Moore, Esq. & Kathy Fredrickson

Join AAA Human Resources Consultant Scott Moore, Esq., and Kathy Fredrickson, Digital Marketing Clinic Director and Faculty from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, as they discuss the evolution of digital marketing and how it has evolved to become one of the most powerful recruitment and retention tools an employer can utilize to drive results. During this program, AAA will discuss how an employer can develop a workplace brand that will attract candidates and engage your existing workforce. AAA will review several EMS agencies’ digital marketing efforts, highlighting those elements that your organization can employ to achieve your recruitment and retention goals!

 

CMS Office of Minority Health: Flu Vaccine Resources: Information for Partners

Every year the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) takes action to protect the health and safety of our nation’s patients and providers to help keep you updated on the latest influenza (flu) vaccine resources from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against flu is to get a flu vaccine every year, especially since flu viruses are constantly changing and the flu vaccines may be updated from one season to the next. Flu is a contagious respiratory disease that can lead to serious illness, hospitalization, or even death especially for those 65 and older. CDC recommends everyone six months and older get an annual flu vaccine. This year the flu vaccination is critical due to the ongoing COVID-10 pandemic. Co-administration of the flu and COVID-19 vaccines are possible so if you have not yet received your COVID-19 vaccine, please be sure to do so.

With information coming from many different sources, CMS has summarized resources and materials to help you communicate with the people that you serve including:

You can find these and more resources on the CMS Flu Vaccine page and Flu Vaccine and Partner Toolkit page.

Please share these materials, bookmark the page, and check back often for the most up-to-date information. CMS looks forward to working with you to encourage beneficiaries and consumers –especially those with chronic conditions – to protect themselves and their loved ones from flu.

Flu vaccines are offered in many doctors’ offices and clinics. Flu vaccine is available in many other locations, including health departments, pharmacies, urgent care clinics, health centers, and travel clinics. Vaccines may also be offered at your school, college health center, or workplace. Visit: www.vaccinefinder.org at to find a flu or COVID-19 vaccination clinic near you.

Qualify for Up to $120k in Loan Repayment with NHSC S2S

The National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (NHSC S2S LRP) application is now open through November 4, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Students in their final year of school may qualify for up to $120,000 in tax-free loan repayment for your medical, nursing, or dental school student loans in exchange for a three-year service commitment in a high-need rural, tribal, or urban community.

A historic increase in funding means NHSC will be making more awards in a single year than ever before. NHSC strongly encourages all eligible students to apply! 

Start an application

Frequently Asked Questions About S2S Loan Repayment Program

Who is eligible for the S2S Loan Repayment Program? 

  • You must be:
    • US Citizen or US National
    • Enrolled as a full-time student in the last year of medical, nursing, or dental school with a graduation date during the application year
    • Pursuing an eligible discipline: MD/DO, DDS/DMD, NP, CMN, or PA
    • Eligible for federal employment

What loans are eligible for repayment? 

Qualifying educational loans are government and private student loans, which includes the applicant’s undergraduate and graduate education. When you submit your loans, you will be notified which ones are eligible or not.  

Application Help