Rural Spotlight

Webinar: From Legacy ERP to Lasting Security: A Smarter Archival Strategy for Hospitals, September 19

September 16, 2025

Webinar: From Legacy ERP to Lasting Security: A Smarter Archival Strategy for Hospitals, September 19

Hospitals are sunsetting outdated systems but holding onto the data – and with it, the risk.

Legacy ERP platforms often store sensitive information like W-2s, salary data and vendor contracts. Yet these systems lack modern security controls and remain vulnerable to breach. Many health systems maintain access solely for compliance or audit purposes, not realizing they’re exposing sensitive data and wasting resources in the process.

In this session, you’ll learn how hospital IT, operations and compliance teams can use data archival to reduce risk, cut costs and ensure long-term access.

Join this session to learn how to?

  • Identify hidden threats tied to legacy ERP data retention,
  • Reduce your organization’s attack surface,
  • Use archival strategies to meet compliance needs without keeping outdated systems online.

Cost: Free

When: Friday, September 19, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: Why Virtual-first is Gaining Traction in Cardiovascular Care, September 19

September 16, 2025

Webinar: Why Virtual-first is Gaining Traction in Cardiovascular Care, September 19

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S., but early detection and timely intervention remain out of reach for many – especially in rural and underserved communities.

Some health systems are rethinking how care is delivered.

Join this session to learn how virtual-first cardiovascular models are improving access, enhancing detection and driving measurable improvements in outcomes. You’ll hear from Jeff Wessler, MD – a Northwell Health cardiologist and founder and CEO of Heartbeat Health – and other leaders on how to vuild scalable virtual pathways that blend diagnostics, AI and clinician collaboration into a more connected model of care.

Key takeaways:

  • How to engage hard-to-reach populations with virtual-first care models,
  • Where AI powered diagnostics fit in clinical care pathways and population health workflows, and
  • What real-world programs are doing to improve HEDIS scores and CMS star ratings while reducing cost.

Cost: Free

When: Friday, September 19, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Research Alert: Comparing Utilization of Home Health Care Between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage by Rural-Urban Status

September 12, 2025

Research Alert: Comparing Utilization of Home Health Care Between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage by Rural-Urban Status

This report describes differences in utilization of home health care between beneficiaries enrolled in Traditional Medicare (TM) and Medicare Advantage (MA), a publicly-funded, privately managed option for Medicare beneficiaries, and by rural-urban status. Researchers examined differences in use of home health overall, provision of specific services during home health, and receipt of care from high-quality home health agencies by enrollment in TM and MA, including plan type (e.g., preferred provider organization, health maintenance organization), and by rural-urban status, including intra-rural variation.

Key Findings:

  • Beneficiaries enrolled in MA who are also living in rural communities may be underutilizing home health.
    • Compared to beneficiaries enrolled in MA, regardless of type of MA plan.
    • Utilization of home health was also significantly lower among beneficiaries living in rural versus urban communities, with progressively decreasing likelihood of home health utilization as rurality increased.
  • Beneficiaries enrolled in MA were also significantly less likely to receive care form a high-quality home health agency compared to beneficiaries enrolled in TM, regardless of MA plan type, but there was no association between receiving care from a high-quality home health agency and rural-urban status.
  • Utilization of specific services during home health varied based on enrollment in MA versus TM and rural-urban status.
    • In general, utilization of specific services was significantly lower for beneficiaries enrolled in MA compared to TM, but this pattern was not consistent for all services across all types of MA plans.
    • Beneficiaries living in rural communities generally had significantly lower utilization of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and medical social work services, but significantly higher utilization of home health aide services.

Click Here to Read Full Research Article

September is National Recovery Month

September 12, 2025

September is National Recovery Month

September is National Recovery Month observed every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery communities, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery possible.

A variety of federal resources are available to support individuals and their families:

To learn more about programs created by HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to support recovery, visit the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) on HRSA’s website. Each of the RCORP Centers of Excellence provides a clearinghouse of information and resources for prevention, treatment, and recovery that are specific to rural communities.

Click Here for SAMHSA’s National Recovery Month Toolkit

Click Here for CDC’s Stigma Reduction Guide

Click Here for NIDA’s Preferred Language for Talking About Addiction

Whitepaper: From Burnout to Better Benefits: What 4.5M Healthcare Workers Want Now

September 12, 2025

Whitepaper: From Burnout to Better Benefits: What 4.5M Healthcare Workers Want Now

Financial stress, burnout and benefit dissatisfaction are driving turnover across healthcare – but new data from 4.5 million nonprofit healthcare workers reveals a path forward for employers.

Based on survey insights from more than 1.5 million nurses and 500,000 physicians, this report highlights the disconnect between what healthcare workers need and what benefit programs currently deliver. It outlines how HR, benefits and finance leaders can better support a multigenerational workforce – while improving retention, engagement and long-term retirement readiness.

Download to learn:

  • The top 3 benefits that drive loyalty and how leading systems are delivering them,
  • What successful organizations are doing to address student debt and financial stress head-on, and
  • How to evolve your total rewards strategy to meet future workforce expectations and ROI goals.

Click Here to Download the Whitepaper

MHA Webinar: Building Your Health Care Workforce with Registered Youth Apprenticeship, October 14

September 12, 2025

MHA Webinar: Building Your Health Care Workforce with Registered Youth Apprenticeship, October 14

This virtual event will feature active Registered Youth Apprenticeship programs in health care and emphasize how to start a program, identify best practices and discuss ongoing program maintenance.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:

  • Understand how talent pipelines can be built from comprehensive high schools and CTEs by pairing related instruction with paid on-the-job training in health care occupations, and
  • Hear from health care employers about their program setup and tips for running a successful program

Audience:

  • Human resources professionals
  • COOs,
  • CNO, and clinical educators

Cost: Complimentary for all attendees

When: Tuesday, October 14, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Click Here to Learn More and Register

Register Now – Health Care Workforce Innovation Bi-State Summit, October 2-3

September 12, 2025

Register Now – Health Care Workforce Innovation Bi-State Summit, October 2-3

The Kansas Hospital Association and Missouri Hospital Association are partnering to present the Health Care Workforce Innovation Bi-State Summit, a groundbreaking event focused on strengthening the health care workforce across the region.

This summit will bring together leaders, educators, and innovators to explore actionable strategies in key areas such as building the K-12 pipeline, transforming nursing and allied health education, and enhancing workforce well-being. Attendees will hear from experts on how to empower workforce growth through upskilling, address challenges in care delivery, and use data to drive meaningful change.

Whether you’re a hospital leader, educator, or advocate for nursing and allied health, this summit offers the opportunity to collaborate and shape the future of health care in Kansas and Missouri.

Registration Fee: $75 per person

When: October 2 & 3

Where: Children’s Mercy Research Institute, 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO

Click Here to Learn More and Register

Whitepaper: Still Solving Gaps One Tool at a Time? There’s a Better Approach

September 12, 2025

Whitepaper: Still Solving Gaps One Tool at a Time? There’s a Better Approach

Digital fragmentation is stalling care coordination. Clinicians toggle between systems. Pharmacists use different drug references than physicians. Patients receive inconsistent information. And IT leaders are left stitching solutions together – with limited success.

A systemic approach to integrating clinical information across teams can help improve care delivery, team collaboration, and patient outcomes. This whitepaper introduces a systems-thinking framework to unify care delivery around trusted, evidence-based information. Backed by examples from Allina Health, St. Luke’s University Health Network, and more, it shows how integrated guidance at the point of care can reduce errors, align teams, and support patients throughout their health journeys.

For CIOs, CMIOs, and digital transformation leaders, this is more than a fix – it’s a blueprint for sustainable, team-based care.

You’ll Learn:

  • 5 strategies to build out evidence-based, interconnected teams,
  • How health systems are scaling digital tools without overloading staff, and
  • Measurable results – including fewer errors, improved clinician engagement, and increased patient trust.

Click Here to Download Whitepaper

Webinar: Price Transparency isn’t Optional – it’s the New Expectation, September 17

September 12, 2025

Webinar: Price Transparency isn’t Optional – it’s the New Expectation, September 17

Most hospitals want to deliver upfront pricing and clear care navigation, but legacy systems, siloed workflows and inconsistent data standards continue to stand in the way.

The result? Confused patients, missed expectations and compliance risks.

This discussion brings together leaders from across the healthcare ecosystem – including Prisma Health, the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs and DialCare – to unpack what patient-first price transparency looks like in practice. From on-the-ground implementation to national standards and virtual care, these experts offer a 360-degree view of how transparency is evolving and how to keep up.

Key Takeaways:

  • Strategies to integrate clear cost data into provider workflows and patient communication channels,
  • Common implementation barriers and how forward-thinking organizations are clearing them, and
  • How transparency supports interoperability, trust and better clinical outcomes.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, September 17, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Funding Opportunity: Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Recovery – NGO 2604 – Apply by October 14

September 12, 2025

Funding Opportunity: Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Recovery – NGO 2604 – Apply by October 14

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Division of Administration (Department), is issuing an NGO, Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Recovery, for the provision of establishing and/or expanding strategies that reduce barriers to accessing recovery supports and services for populations with higher rates of substance use disorders (SUDs), including those who have co-occurring substance use (SU) and mental health (MH) disorders.

  • Projects should be tailored to meet the needs of target populations utilizing data-driven, evidence-based strategies that facilitate recovery and wellness contributing to an improved quality of life for those impacted by SUDs or co-occurring SU and MH disorders.
  • This funding cycle will be Notice of Award through June 30, 2026.
  • If you are interested in submitting a competitive application to provide the needed services for the Department, you may obtain a copy of the NGO document from the Department’s website at: https://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/substance-use/index.php

The NGO 2604 document will be listed on the website https://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/substance-use/funding-opportunities.php. After downloading the entire document, it will also be necessary for you to check the website location periodically until the time of bid closing in order to obtain amendments to the NGO that may be issued later.

In the event you are unable to download the NGO document from the Internet or have questions regarding the NGO. Please contact Nathan Ridenhour at Nathan.Ridenhour@health.mo.gov or by phone at 573 751-6026.

Click Here to obtain a copy of the NGO

Click Here to Download NGO 2604 document and Apply