NCHN NEWS

MEMBER BLURBS

UPCOMING EVENTS

NATIONAL NEWS

FUNDING

NCHN Headquarters is Moving

Finally!  We announced at the 2011 NCHN Annual Membership Conference in Scottsdale that the NCHN headquarters would be moving in the next few weeks.  Well, the move is finally here!  Rebecca and NCHN headquarters will be moving to Montrose, CO following the NCHN Leadership Summit in Kansas City this week.  The new physical address is:

NCHN
624 South 1st Street
Montrose, CO 81401
Email Address:  rdavis@nchn.org
Office phone number will remain the same for now– 270-925-5611
New Fax Number – 970-417-4186

The NCHN office will be open and back in business no later than Tuesday, October 11, 2112.  Rebecca will have limited access to email during this transition time, so if you need immediate assistance, please email Christy Sullenberger at csullenberger@nchn.org

NCHN's NEW Leadership Learning Program

NCHN is pleased to announce that in conjunction with the 2011 Leadership Summit, we are implementing the “NCHN Transformer Leadership Learning Community". This program is devoted to Network Leaders’ Personal Leadership and Development.  The new community will be kicked off at the “Extraordinary Leaders Transforms Networks” Summit on September 27, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. 

NCHN Transformer Leadership Learning Community was developed exclusively for Network Leaders by a former network leader and NCHN member, Dr. Mary Kay Chess. The program will be piloted during 2011-2012 with NCHN members that participate in the 2011 NCHN Leadership Summit. The face-to-face Summit meeting will continue with virtual sessions on leadership skills and a final face-to-face meeting during the 2012 NCHN Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado. 

CareerStaff Unlimited is a Silver Level Partner
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From amusingfacts.com

If EELS + MARK + BEST + WARY = EASY What does HELP + BARK + WARD + LEAD equal?

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The NCHN Transformer Leadership Learning Community will meet six (6) times over the next seven (7) months, September 2011 – April 2012, to discuss topics ranging from change and change tools to board development and accountability.  Participation for NCHN members in good standing is at no charge. Members must complete an application of interest and attend the 2011 NCHN Leadership Summit to be a participant in the program.  Attendance in all virtual meetings and the April 2012 face-to-face community meeting is required to earn a Certificate of Participation.  The time commitment to the program is approximately twelve (12) hours of direct engagement the NCHN Transformer Leadership Learning Community and individual time to complete the assigned activities in the Network Leadership Transformation Workbook.  Additional details about the new program, along with an application form will be emailed to NCHN members later today.  If you have questions about the program please email rdavis@nchn.org   

If you are unable to participate in the 2011 Leadership Summit and the NCHN Transformer Leadership Learning Community, NCHN also offers the following Learning Communities that provide opportunities for network leaders to expand their leadership learning and networking opportunities:

• Coffee/Tea Chats – held once a month as a one-hour phone conversation on the business accountabilities of network leaders. The topics are suggested by members and range from strategic planning to the design of new business lines and products. NCHN Members are free to choose their level of participation and most leaders choose to attend each month as resources and best practices are widely shared among the participants in the chats.  There is no charge for NCHN members in good standing.
• Executive Coaching Program – Training for NCHN members that are willing to donate their time and expertise is held five times a year to prepare NCHN members to support new and emerging network leaders through targeted coaching encounters.  This approach to coaching also serves as an additional leadership model and approach to managing networks. Executive Coaches are strongly encouraged to attend all five session and to provide coaching for at least one coachee. NCHN provides an assessment of the coachee’ s needs and matches these needs with appropriate leaders from the NCHN membership.  Participating in the Executive Coaching Program, as either a coach or a coachee is at no charge to NCHN members in good standing. 
• Annual Educational Conference – NCHN offers a two and half day educational conference each spring.  The agenda is developed and managed by NCHN members to ensure that the current needs and challenges of network leaders are met.  Sessions include both NCHN members sharing their expertise and leaders across the health care spectrum. Conference participants continually report that it is the best conference they have participated in in terms of meeting and networking with their peers and learning from each other.  The next conference will be held April 15 – 18, 2012 in Denver, CO.
• On-Line Discussion Forum – NCHN offers NCHN members access to a free on-line discussion forum. The forum can be used to post questions, start a discussion about a hot topic, and/or share best practices and lessons learned.

Upcoming NCHN Calls & Events

1st NCHN Leadership Summit
Tuesday, September 27
Hyatt Regency Crown Center: Kansas City, MO
» MORE INFORMATION

Executive Committee Call
Monday, October 17 @ 2:00 PM ET

Program Development Committee Call
Tuesday, October 18 @ 1:00 PM ET

Coffee/Tea Chats with Dr. Mary Kay Chess
Wednesday, October 19 @ 11:00 AM ET

Executive Coaching Training Calls
Wednesday, December 14 at 11:00 AM ET

Coffee/Tea Chats with Dr. Mary Kay Chess
Wednesday, October 19 at 11:00 AM ET
Wednesday, November 16 at 11:00 AM ET
Wednesday, December 7 at 11:00 AM ET

» VIEW THE NCHN CALENDAR

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CareerStaff Unlimited

CareerStaff Unlimited is a national, full-service recruiting company for permanent placement staffing for physicians, allied and nursing professionals, as well as locum tenens staffing for physicians. CareerStaff recruits for primary care physicians and all specialties in addition to highly sought after CRNAs, Unit Directors/Managers, Nurse Practitioners, Diagnostic Imaging professionals in all modalities, Pharmacists, Therapists and other mid-level practitioners. CareerStaff Unlimited takes pride in their work, success, ethics and integrity, and welcomes the opportunity to assist you with you recruiting needs.

Why Use CareerStaff Unlimited:

• Placement guarantee - risk-free results
• Non-exclusive agreement - freedom to choose
• Professional fees paid are transferable - no lost investments
• Extended 90-day warranty on our providers - perfect fit
• Our strategic marketing & procurement guarantees our search - national exposure
• Search up to 3 recruiting needs within the same specialty - return on investment
• Capped, flat-rate fee schedule with no hidden costs - total control of expenses
• Month-to-month agreement - cancel any time

Contract Benefits
As a member of NCHN, you are entitled to a substantial discount, an extended warranty, and CareerStaff Unlimited’s placement guarantee. Additionally, CareerStaff Unlimited will make an annual administrative and marketing fee payment based on professional fees collected from NCHN member hospitals to be distributed equally between NCHN and the participating network.

Contact
Shawn Jordan, Director-Physician Services Division
6191 N. State Hwy 161, Suite 650
Irving, TX 75038
Phone: 888-993-4599
Fax: 972-812-3215
E-mail: shawn.jordan@sunh.com
Website: www.careerstaff.com

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There is no new Member News this week. However, if you missed the September 13th issue of the Weekly Digest, go back and check it out. There have been exciting things going on with NCHN Members this month!

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ORHP Rural Health Services Outreach Program: Technical Assistance Call

RE: ORHP Funding Announcement for 2012 Rural Health Services Outreach Grant Program

There will be a technical assistance call on September 29, 2011 (Thursday) at 3:30 PM EST to assist applicants in preparing their applications.  The toll-free number to call in is 1-888-972-7810.  The Passcode is Outreach.  Please dial in 10 minutes before call is to begin.  The leader’s name is Kathryn Umali.

The purpose of the call is to go over the grant guidance, and to provide any additional or clarifying information that may be necessary regarding the application process.  There will be a Q&A session at the end of the call to answer any questions.  While the call is not required, it is highly recommended that anyone who is interested in applying for the Outreach Program plan to listen to the call.  It is most useful to the applicants when the grant guidance is easily accessible during the call and if questions are written down ahead of time for easy reference.  The Technical Assistance call will be recorded and available for playback within one hour of the end of the call and will be available until November 22, 2011 at 9:59 PM CST. To access the playback, please call: 1-800-229-6331. 

For further questions on this funding opportunity, please contact the program coordinator, Kathryn Umali, 301-443-7444, kumali@hrsa.gov

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The Rural Behavioral Health Webinar Series 2011

October 5, 2011 @ 3:00 PM ET

This webinar will examine the relevance of preparedness and the follow-up efforts to support recovery – Maryann Robinson, SAMHSA, will offer key considerations and resources that support preparedness, response and recovery. Dr. Joyce Osofsky, LRTSC, will share best practices in their work providing crisis services for underserved youth and families in rural Louisiana. The Oil Spill Distress campaign’s coordinated efforts to provide on the ground supports to children and families coping with disaster-related stress will be highlighted and will include steps rural schools and local community organizations can take to support those after a disaster.

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Hear from CEO of National Rural Health Association at 10/5 Healthcare Spotlight Series

October 5, 2011
Lexington, KY
Presented by Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman

Alan Morgan, MPA, Chief Executive Officer, National Rural Health Association
Speaking on the pressing issues for the delivery of rural health today. Topics will include:

- Workforce Delivery
- Pressure to Network with Other Organizations
- IT Requirements and Innovation and IT
- Telemedicine
- Regulatory Hurdles

» MORE INFORMATION

ICAHN's 11th Annual CAH Workshop

October 20, 2011
Springfield, IL

As the healthcare system continues its reform journey, awareness and positioning become paramount to not just surviving, but doing so in a manner to provide your rural communities the quality care and services they need and deserve. Organizational and physician alignment, affiliation, accountable care, debt refinancing/restructuring, and quality initiatives will all play a role in how you approach the future of your facility.

» MORE INFORMATION (pdf)

National Rural Health Day - SAVE THE DATE!

November 17, 2011

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) invites all rural stakeholders to join the inaugural National Rural Health Day celebration on Thursday, November 17. NOSORH partners planning to recognize this special occasion include:

• State Offices of Rural Health
• National Rural Health Association
  
• Rural Recruitment and Retention Network
  
• National Cooperative of Health Networks
  
• Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

How you celebrate is up to you — just be sure to celebrate!

» MORE INFORMATION

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NRHA submits testimony to protect Medicare payments for rural providers

September 21, 2011 (Rural Health Voices) - [On September 21, 2011] NRHA submitted testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Health about various expiring Medicare provider payments.  The extension of these provisions is vital to the rural health care safety net.

A number of Medicare provider payment policies are set to expire on or before December 31, 2011. Today’s hearing focused on the impact these provisions have on health care providers. Provisions expected to expire include Geographic Practice Cost Indices (GPCIs), mental health add-on payments and direct billing for technical component of pathology services.

NRHA’s testimony focuses on the association’s concerns for rural beneficiaries and the need to provide security to the fragile rural health care safety net.  A primary concern is payment equity and access to care in the Medicare system, where rural beneficiaries are most likely to enroll.

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Related:
NRHA testimony on expiring Medicare provider payment policies (Rural Health Voices, September 22, 2011)
Thursday Roundup: Rural Commutes (Daily Yonder, September 22, 2011)

New Research Finds EHRs Improve the Quality of Diabetes Care
by Randall D. Cebul, M.D.

September 1, 2011 (Health IT Buzz) - Two years ago in an address to Congress, President Obama declared his commitment to invest in electronic health records (EHRs), saying he thought it was perhaps the best way to quickly improve the quality of American health care. Just two years later, that hunch is proving true in Cleveland, Ohio.

New EHR Research Findings:
Today, the New England Journal of Medicine released research authored by my colleagues and me at Better Health Greater Cleveland showing that physician practices that use electronic health records had significantly higher achievement and improvement in meeting standards of care and outcomes in diabetes than practices using paper records.

Though most of us assumed EHRs would have some effect on patient care, we were delighted by what’s proving to be the reality in greater Cleveland. Just consider:

Care is better: Nearly 51% of patients in EHR practices received care that met all of the endorsed standards.

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The Specifics: How Obama Plans To Cut Health Programs By $320 Billion
by Phil Galewitz

September 19, 2011 (Kaiser Health News) - In his plan to trim the federal deficit, President Barack Obama Monday proposed $320 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, largely by changing how the federal government pays health providers, slashing payments to drug companies, and dramatically changing the way it splits the costs of Medicaid with the states, according to a fact sheet the White House released.

The biggest cut to Medicare requires pharmaceutical companies to lower their rates. The proposal would save Medicare an estimated $135 billion over 10 years starting in 2013. The change would allow the federal government to receive the same brand name and generic rebates for low-income Medicare patients as are provided to Medicaid beneficiaries.

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Reducing costs, protecting consumers: The Affordable Care Act on the one year anniversary of the Patient’s Bill of Rights

September 23, 2011 (HHS News Release) - One year after the Affordable Care Act’s Patient’s Bill of Rights took effect, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report summarizing some of the achievements of the health reform law. In the eighteen months since the president signed the Affordable Care Act into law, health reform has had a tangible effect in the lives of millions of Americans. The report discusses how the law is helping to give hardworking families the security they deserve and the reforms in the Affordable Care Act that have helped hold down insurance premiums, hold insurance companies more accountable and strengthen Medicare.   

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Related: Celebrating the First Year of the Patient’s Bill of Rights (Healthcare.gov HealthCare Blog, September 23, 2011)

Coworking to Quick-Start Rural Innovation
by Mark W. Kidd

September 19, 2011 (Daily Yonder) - In a new model for "the office," diverse groups, local business people, and drop-in workers share space, wifi and expertise. Why not in your town?

When we arrive at CoCo, a year-old coworking space in St. Paul, Minnesota, about two dozen members are occupied at desks on the second and third floors; several other folks cluster by the kitchen, where coffee is fresh. This is where "the library meets the coffee shop," a phrase common in co-working literature, because the analogy fits.

On our tour are leaders and advocates from Central Appalachia who are interested in applying the coworking model in rural areas. Also present is Carl Mitchell, President and CEO of Virginia Economic Bridge, which is adapting coworking at its new facility in Radford, Virginia, set to open fall 2011. This visit is an opportunity for Mitchell and fellow staff member Kimber Simmons to compare notes with their counterparts at CoCo.

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ORHP Funding Announcement: Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program
HRSA-12-083

The Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) is pleased to announce the release of the FY 2012 Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program (announcement number: HRSA-12-083). ORHP’s Outreach Program supports projects that demonstrate effective models of outreach and service delivery through collaboration, adoption of an evidence-based or promising practice model, demonstration of health outcomes, replicability and sustainability. Proposed projects will have an outcomes-oriented approach that will enhance and sustain the delivery of effective health care in rural communities by tracking specific health indicators that will demonstrate the impact of their project at the end of their grant period. They will be based on evidence-based or promising practice models in order to avoid “reinventing the wheel” and demonstrate health status improvement in rural communities. Proposed Outreach projects can take the framework of an evidence-based or promising practice model and tailor it to their community’s need and organization.

Applicants may propose funding for up to three (3) years from May 1, 2012 to April 30, 2015. The maximum award is up to $150,000 per year. We expect to fund approximately 80 grantees.

Closing Date: November 22, 2011

Next TA Call: September 29, 2011 @ 3:30 PM EST
The toll-free number to call in is 1-888-972-7810. The Passcode is Outreach. Please dial in 10 minutes before call is to begin.

» MORE INFORMATION

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