Now Enrolling for Fall 2023 Cohort – Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program

August 11, 2023

Now Enrolling for Fall 2023 Cohort – Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program

NRHA’s Rural Hospital Certification Programs were created by rural hospital leaders for rural hospital leaders to empower them to lead their rural hospitals and communities to success. The Center for Rural Leadership has recently expanded its program offerings, with certifications now available for rural nurses, rural hospital board members, CMOs and human resources and the first cohorts in each launching this month.

Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program

Participants engaging in this program will be empowered to lead rural hospitals as CEO’s to thrive, not just survive, and to improve the quality of life in rural America by effectively leading their hospitals and communities to create a culture of wellness.

Curriculum

The building blocks that make up the course curriculum were developed by successful rural hospital CEOs by answering this question: “What do you know now that you wish you would have known then?

  • Leadership Building Bloc
    • INTRA-Personal Leadership
    • INTER-Personal Leadership
  • Operational Building Bloc
    • Regulatory Compliance
    • Data Analytics & Predictive Analytics
    • Lean Management
    • IT/Cybersecurity
    • Insurance
    • Strategic Planning & Working with your Board
  • Financial Building Bloc
    • Fee for Service
    • Population Health
    • Dashboard Items
    • Supply Chain
  • Clinical Building Bloc
    • Physician/Patient Outcomes
    • Physician/Providers
    • Quality
    • Physician Engagement

Learn more about this and other programs

Apply Now

Upcoming Webinar – The Star Struck Factor in Survey Mastery

August 9, 2023

Upcoming Webinar – The Star Struck Factor in Survey Mastery

The next webinar in the Engage series, The Star Struck Factor in Survey Mastery, with expert Brian Lee, is scheduled for September 8 at 9:30 a.m. CT.

Who Should Attend:

  • C-Suite
  • Executives
  • Leaders at every level
  • Board members
  • Quality
  • Physicians & ACPs
  • Everyone committed to improving the patient experience

You will learn how to:

  • Understand the purpose and goals of the CMS HCAHPS Inpatient Survey
  • Gain insights into the credibility of all CMS CAHPS Surveys
  • Become knowledgeable about the evolution and purpose of public social media “reputation management” rating sites and how they work
  • Interpret the impact of social media websites that empower consumers with rating transparency
  • Learn the fundamentals of reading and interpreting the patient experience survey data
  • Empower your leaders and caregivers to interpret and use patient experience survey reports for continuous improvement
  • Master the five questions leaders need to know and answer about their ongoing patient experience scores
  • Grow market share about star ratings and their market impact
  • Gain important insights about the significant financial impact of survey ratings on market growth and decline

2 Powerful Action Take-Away Tools:

  • The Patient Experience Reporting Protocol Guide
  • Seven Steps to Improve Patient Experience Response Rates

When: Friday, September 8, 9:30 a.m. CT

Cost: No charge

Register Now

 

Become a Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional

August 8, 2023

Become a Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional

The National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) is offering Directors, Clinic Administrators & other RHC leaders a unique full-spectrum course designed to teach you how to operate a successful Rural Health Clinic. Upon course completion & attainment of an 80% or higher exam score, you will earn a Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional (CRHCP) designation.

Enrollment:

This course is offered twice a calendar year. Enrollment begins approximately 10 weeks prior to the date of the Final Exam taking place online.

View upcoming dates Here

Format:

This is a self-paced online course with a proctored online Final Exam

Time Commitment:

Most people complete the course in 4 – 6 weeks

Course Curriculum:

4 modules:

  • Admin & Finance
  • Billing & Coding
  • Regulatory Compliance & Quality
  • Federal Updates

Learn More

Swing Bed Culture and Attention to Wellness Vital to Rural Healthcare

July 31, 2023

Swing Bed Culture and Attention to Wellness Vital to Rural Healthcare

Allevant, developed by Mayo clinic and Select Medical, 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 (readmission from post-acute setting)
    • High level of post-acute patients discharged back to independent settings (home or assisted living)
    • 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 – Increase census and revenue
    • Long term reduction in costs associated with increased staff wellness
    • Lower Medicare costs per patient day.

“Critical Access Hospitals can provide post-acute recovery via Transitional Care/Swing Bed better than virtually anyone else. Their competitive advantage is their culture of safety,” says Dr. Mark Lindsay, pulmonologist, Assistant Professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and Medical Director of Allevant Solution, LLC. “CAHs outperform larger hospitals in the culture of safety surveys. Handoffs and transitions are two areas with consistently low scores across healthcare, and post-acute care is all about handoffs and transitions.”

Jordan Tenenbaum, President of Allevant and NRHA Fellow, states he is, “concerned for the future viability of rural hospitals, more than 30% of which are at risk of closure. It is a tremendous benefit for larger hospitals to partner with smaller rural CAH Transitional Care programs to ensure rural patients admitted to larger hospitals for specialty care can be cared for closer to home.”

Allevant has participated in federally and state-funded grants throughout the country and will continue to identify opportunities to support rural providers with Transitional Care and MENDS® health and wellness programs.

If you have an interest in participating in the first cohort of Project Swing Bed on the MENDS®, contact Jordan Tenenbaum to learn more today.

Learn More

Upcoming Swing Bed Learning Action Network Meetings with Stroudwater

July 21, 2023

Upcoming Swing Bed Learning Action Network Meetings with Stroudwater

Stroudwater Associates is hosting two more Swing Bed Learning Action Network (LAN) meetings this summer. Below are the LAN meeting topics and links to register.

  • July 28, 12 – 1 p.m. CT – Register Here
    • This education will provide foundational best practice discharge planning processes necessary to support a successful patient discharge thereby, reducing readmissions and unnecessary emergency department visits.
  • August 25, 12 – 1 p.m. CT – Register Here
    • This education will provide interdisciplinary steps to assist your Swing Bed team in formally determining what type of patients are appropriate for your swing bed program, decreasing variability in decision-making, improving efficiency, and growing your program.

Registration is Open for the 2023 NTP Virtual Workshops

July 14, 2023

Registration is Open for the 2023 NTP Virtual Workshops

Registration for the 2023 CMS National Training Program (NTP) virtual workshops is now open.

Please click on the hyperlinked event title(s) to register for each event that you are interested in attending. You will be prompted to log into the NTP webpage. To log in, use the same email address and password you use to register for all NTP webinars. If you don’t have an account you’ll need to create on before you can complete registration.

After you register for an event, you’ll get an email confirmation which will include a calendar appointment.

Please email NTPHelp@cms.hhs.gov if you need help with your account or registration.

Sessions will start at 1:00 p.m. and conclude no later than 3:30 p.m. ET.

Sessions will be recorded for later viewing.

Training Schedule:

July 2023

This workshop will explain drug coverage under the different parts of Medicare and describe how Medicare drug coverage (Part D) works, coverage rules, eligibility, enrollment, and Extra Help.

This workshop will explain Medicare health plan options other than Original Medicare with a primary focus on Medicare Advantage (sometimes called Medicare Part C).

 

Qualifying for Medicare based on a disability is different from qualifying based on End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or age. This workshop will explore the enrollment process and unique scenarios like returning to work while getting disability benefits. We’ll also discuss programs that can help with medical costs.

August 2023

This workshop will explain different payers’ responsibilities when people have both Medicare and certain other types of health and/or prescription drug coverage.

This workshop will walk through examples of Medicare coverage scenarios in a casework format to evaluate the case, review possible resources and options, and discuss appropriate solutions.

This workshop will explain Medicare for people with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). It includes information on eligibility and enrollment, coverage and health plan options, and provides additional resources.

This workshop will explain tax-favored health programs and basic information about how those programs work with Medicare.

This workshop will demonstrate how to shop and compare Medicare plan options using Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov.

This workshop will explain CMS current priorities, initiatives, and recent programmatic updates.

NOTES:

  • Registration requests will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis until each session reaches capacity. The number of attendees from the same organization may be limited. If any session reaches capacity, we’ll work to schedule an additional offering for a later date.
  • Session materials will be available for download at the time of the events.

The NTP website has been redesigned. Even though the website may look different from when you registered, you won’t have to re-register for any of the events.

Medicare Cost Report Preparation Training

July 13, 2023

Medicare Cost Report Preparation Training

The American Institute for Healthcare Compliance (AIHC) has partnered with KraftCPAs LLC to bring you this exciting program and opportunity to certify as a cost report specialist. This training camp is designed for novice or seasoned cost report preparers who would like to enhance their skillset by obtaining a professional certification.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

  • Prerequisites: Basic Knowledge of the preparation of Medicare cost reports, with some experience either gathering information for cost reports or actively preparing cost reports for an institutional healthcare organization.
  • Advanced Preparation: A number of documents will be provide electronically, before camp begins. Each attendee is responsible for reviewing the documents prior to the first day of camp.
  • Program Level: Basic
  • Instructional Delivery Method: Group Live
  • A hard copy training manual is provided at camp. Additional training materials are provided to you electronically

Who should attend:

  • Chief Financial Officers
  • Accounting Staff
  • Revenue Cycle Professionals
  • Reimbursement Professionals
  • Employees tasked with gathering information for Medicare cost reports, at healthcare organizations

Upon registration you are given ready access to downloadable information such as:

  • COVID and Cost Reporting
  • Overview of DSH
  • FAQ
  • E-Filing requirements
  • Documentation Requirements
  • Abbreviations & Terms
  • Sample cost report
  • Cost Report and Compliance Video

This program has been approved for 18 continuing education units (CEUs) by the American Institute of Healthcare Compliance. CEUs may be applied towards the Ethics or HIPAA Category CEU Renewal Requirements for all AIHC credentials.

Participants will earn 12 CPE credits/Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge

Participants must attend both days to earn CEU/CPE certificate.

When: October 24-25, 2023

Where: Dallas, TX

Cost:

  • AIHC members pay $695
  • Non-members (public) pay $825

Download Packet w/Camp Syllabus

Click here to register

Low-Cost HIPAA Training Options

July 10, 2023

Low-Cost HIPAA Training Options

The American Institute of Healthcare Compliance (AIHC) recommends health care organizations and medical offices, at a minimum, have the following in place:

  • Train all providers and management staff in HIPAA privacy.
    • Annual staff training just isn’t sufficient.
    • You can utilize AIHC training (certifications or short courses) and free training offered by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).
  • Secure services of certified Managed Service Providers trained in HIPAA security
    • When budget permits, housing an internal IT security team
      • Utilize HIPAA for MSPs – which offers online training and AIHC provides certification (CHMSP).

HIPAA Certification Courses

  • HIPAA Privacy Online Course – AIHC Members pay $375, Non-AIHC Members pay $625
    • Train with the option to Certify Online as a HIPAA Privacy Office
      • This course is recommended for:
        • HIPAA Privacy Officers
        • Practice Administrators
        • Office Managers
        • Compliance Officers Executives
        • Administrators involved in developing and enforcing confidentiality
  • HIPAA Privacy & Security Training – AIHC Members Pay $750, Non-AIHC Members Pay $1250
    • Train with the option to Certify Online as a HIPAA Compliance Officer
    • Earn your Certified HIPAA Compliance Officer (CHSO) credential online
      • This course is recommended for:
        • Most experienced HIPAA Privacy or Security Officers
        • IT Consultants
        • Practice Administrators
        • Office Managers
        • Compliance Officers Executives
        • Administrators involved in developing and enforcing confidentiality, privacy and security
  • HIPAA Compliance Officer – Exam Only – Cost $495
    • Certify as a HIPAA Compliance Officer
      • Eligibility Requirements:
        • Currently an experienced HIPAA Privacy or Security Officer
        • IT Consultant, Practice Administrator
        • Office Manager
        • Compliance Officer
        • Healthcare Executive involved in developing and enforcing confidentiality

HIPAA Short Courses

  • Ethics & HIPAA Basics – Cost $25
    • Online, On-Demand Short Course (earn 2 CEUs)
      • Course designed for:
        • HIPAA Compliance Officers
        • Practice Managers\Medical Billing Companies
        • Consultants and others involved in the management of a HIPAA Privacy & Security Program
  • HIPAA Annual & New Hire Training – Cost $25
    • Online, On-Demand Short Course (earn 1 CEU)
    • Course addresses basic instruction for your workforce required for on-boarding and annual staff training
  • HIPAA Enforcement Basics – Cost $25
    • Online, On-Demand Short Course – Earn 2 CEUs)
      • This course designed for:
        • Business Associate and/or Covered Entity C-Suite Executives
        • Administrators
        • Management team
  • HIPAA – Introduction to Mitigating HIPAA Security Risk – Cost $45
    • Online, On-Demand WEBINAR
      • Designed for:
        • New HIPAA Security Officers
        • Privacy Officers
        • Administrators
        • Medical Billing Companies
        • Insurance Carriers
        • Practice Managers
        • Providers
  • Release of Information (ROI) & Right of Access – Cost $50
    • Online, On-Demand Short Course
      • This course designed for:
        • Business Associate and/or Covered Entity Health Information Management (HIM) Professionals
        • HIPAA Officers
        • C-Suite Executives
        • Practice Administrators

See all AIHC Short Courses

Northeast Missouri Grants 101 Workshop

July 6, 2023

Northeast Missouri Grants 101 Workshop

HRSA IEA Region 7 will host a Grants 101 workshop in Kirksville, Missouri. This workshop is offered in person only; there will not be a virtual option. Attendees will learn about the federal grant application process, where to find funding opportunities, strategies for putting together a successful application from a grant reviewer’s perspective, and resources to support their grant writing efforts.

Topics:

  • Federal Grant Application Process
  • Federal Funding Opportunities
  • Common Mistakes and Important Tips
  • Submitting a Successful Application from a Grant Reviewer’s Perspective

Who Should Attend?

  • Community and faith-based organizations
  • Health centers
  • Hospitals
  • Universities
  • Community colleges
  • Public Health Departments

Cost:

Free

When:

August 8, 2023

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT (Registration check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.)

Lunch will be from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (lunch is not provided and will be on your own)

Location:

A.T. Still University Family Medicine Gutensohn Clinic – G357

600 W. Jefferson Street

Kirksville, MO 63501

Questions?

contact MKennedy@hrsa.gov

Register Here

Business Associate Settlement to Office of Civil Rights (OCR)

July 5, 2023

Business Associate Settlement to Office of Civil Rights (OCR)

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the government’s HIPAA enforcement agency, announced today that iHealth Solutions, LLC (doing business as Advantum Health) is paying $75,000.

iHealth is a Business Associate providing coding, billing, and onsite information technology services to health care providers.

The settlement involves a data breach, where a network server containing the protected health information of 267 individuals was left unsecure on the internet.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement which includes a corrective action plan, iHealth Solutions will be monitored by OCR for two years to ensure compliance with the HIPAA Security Rule. Click Here for the press release and resolution agreement.

As a covered entity – are you working under a Business Associate Agreement with companies where your patient’s protected health information (PHI) is involved?  Learn more about HIPAA compliance and business associates through online training in HIPAA Privacy or as a HIPAA Privacy/Security Office.

Click Here for HIPAA Privacy Officer Training