For this feature, we interviewed the 2012 New and Emerging Network Leader of the Year, Toniann Richard, Executive Director of the Healthcare Collaborative (HCC) of Rural Missouri. We asked her questions about her current work and impact, as well as future plans and, of course, her thoughts on being a 2012 Award recipient. In her time with HCC, Toniann has worked to grow her network significantly as well as support other networks. In addition to serving on the NCHN Board of Directors, she is involved in numerous other community initiatives. She is a mother, network director, community builder, and wellness promoter. Her energy is contagious. (On a side note, we recently spotted her (via Facebook) waking up at 3:15 AM to go to the gym.)

 

Q: What is your #1 leadership guideline?
A: Regardless of your position in the network I believe every person has an equal voice. Those collective voices, along with hard work daily, build success. Our programs are owned by the employees. They are the ones doing the work in the community and with the network partners. If they don't own it it would be difficult to grow and sustain it.

 

Q: In what ways do you see HCC tangibly affecting your region?
A: HCC has added 9 FTE jobs in the last 8 years with 7 of those being since November 2010. The economic impact of HCC in rural Missouri is powerful. We are very proud of our financial balance and plan to continue that stability.

Q: In what areas do you want to have a larger impact? Are you/HCC considering undertaking any new initiatives? If so, what are your next steps?
A: HCC has been growing over the last five years. We are now at a point that sustainable programming is the key. Determining our areas of impact took several years. Working hand in hand with our board of directors to ensure that the Network stayed within areas they could support financially and from a leadership standpoint was critical. We believe that our clinic project will be our largest area of impact from a care delivery standpoint.

Q: What are your biggest challenges and how have you overcome them?
A: There is so much work to be done in rural healthcare. Trying to figure out the balance of action on that work continues to be a challenge. Our team does our best to look at the healthcare spectrum as a whole and determine how best to address the issue through collective impact style programs. The more collaboration we have on programs the more successful they tend to be. Without our partners we would struggle to meet the needs of the community and network partners.

Q: What are HCC’s major areas of focus?
A: HCC is focused on access to care. We have recently broken our network into five key areas: Care Coordination, HIT/Telehealth, Advocacy, Workforce, and Clinic Management. The diversifying nature of the network will allow us to address access to care issues across the spectrum.

Q: What do you most look forward to at the NCHN Conference next month?
A: Seeing all my Network friends!! I am also very interested in the evaluation pre proposal session. We have been focusing on evaluation over the last few years and it is wonderful to see it all come together!

Q: Last year you were recognized as the New & Emerging Network Leader of the Year? Were you surprised? How did your staff react?
A: Yes I was very surprised!! To me, one of the highest honors is to be recognized by my peers. To know that someone took the time to nominate me was humbling! My staff were happy, they are a phenomenal team and it is because of the HCC staff and board I am able to work on growing the network. Without their leadership I would not be able to spend time building the capacity within our network.

 

To find our more about HCC of Rural Missouri, go to www.hccnetwork.org