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August 19, 2014

NCHN Reminders

Success Stories: Submit your network's program/project/story to be published on the Rural Assistance Center website and NCHN.org (view Featured Program below for a sample)

Custom Learning Systems is offering Series 5 of the HCAHPS Breakthrough™ Webinars. Members can order the 1 year series for a one time fee and offer to all members of your network. Find out more and order here

Leadership Corner

Are You Writing Memos When You Should Be Telling Stories?
How do you connect with your community? Stories are a great way to move people to action this week Dennis Fischman of Communicate! Consulting shares his secrets to telling great stories. His tips will help you become a better storyteller. Please share this with your communities if they are trying to share their stories to help make a difference in the world.

Lisa Ladendorff, Executive Director of Northeast Oregon Network

Featured Program: Northeast Oregon Network's Community Health Worker Training Program

In 2012, the State of Oregon established Traditional Health Worker certification legislation the created a scope of work, competencies and certification pathway for Community Health Workers, Peer Mentors, Doulas, Promaturas and other traditional health worker roles. The legislation also established a pathway for community based entities to become state approved training programs. The Northeast Oregon Network was the second certified training program in the State of Oregon, and the only one to focus specifically on the training of rural and frontier individuals. Upon completion of the NEON 80 hour training program, which utilizes popular education methods to train individuals in the Community Health Worker history, role, scope and skills, an individual is eligible for certification in the state of Oregon.

CONTINUE READING for implementation notes, lessons learned, and outcomes

» SUBMIT YOUR NETWORK'S STORY

From the Executive Director: August 2014

Face Chair August. Summer vacations are coming to an end, kids are getting ready, or have already, started back to school, mornings feel cooler, afternoons are hot, and we start thinking about fall activities. Does your network have an ebb and flow cycle? Do you offer certain activities or conduct certain functions in the fall?

(Left: "Face Chair" - Story of the Face Chair Forthcoming)
I am going to start a series, Chairs of Network Leadership. I challenge you this next month, as we begin to move into fall, think about “chairs” you may have in your network...

Rebecca Davis is the Executive Director of NCHN and lives in Montrose, Colorado

NCHN Calendar

August Coffee/Tea Chat
August 22, 2014 @ 11:00 AM ET

Membership Task Force Call
August 26, 2014 @ 11:00 AM ET

Board of Directors Call
September 9, 2014 @ 4:00 PM ET

NCHN Quarterly Informational Call
September 15 @ 2:00 PM ET

Membership Task Force Call
September 23 @ 11:00 AM ET

VIEW THE NCHN CALENDAR

NCHN News

August Coffee/Tea Chat

When: Friday, August 22nd @ 11:00 AM ET; 10:00 AM CT; 9:00 AM MT; 8:00 AM PT; 7:00 AM AK

This is your last opportunity for an iced Coffee and Tea Chat this summer. On our last call, we looked at evaluation of programs through a number of lenses including the unique features of business lines throughout the United States. On this call, we will open the conversation up to any and all inquiries about vertical, horizontal and hybrid networks. We are fortunate to have leaders of very diverse networks as participants on this call. Be prepared to be intrigued, inspired and ready to continue your innovative work into this fall.

We look forward to having you join us.

Call Information was distributed via a Save the Date – if you need the number, please let Rebecca know.

Welcome to Washington Rural Health Collaborative

Please join us in welcoming NCHN's newest network member, Washington Rural Health Collaborative (WRHC). WRHC was formed in 2003 and is based in Mortion, Washington. Its mission is "to improve the health care delivery systems of our rural communities through collaboration". Its purpose is engaging health partners in the exchange of information and enhancing the quality and efficiencies of the healthcare delivery system. With 13 members throughout the state, it has programs in join contracting, benchmarking, quality improvement, shared services, and preparing for and implementing health reform.

For more information, contact:
Holly Greenwood, Executive Director
holly@washingtonruralhealth.org
www.wwrhc.org

Member News

RWHC: Eye on Health: "Review & Commentary on Health Policy Issues for a Rural Perspective," September 2014 Issue

Western Healthcare Alliance: August 2014 Newsletter

Partner News

Custom Learning Systems is offering the 5th series of the HCAHPS Breakthrough™ Webinars starting September 9th: Order for your network members for a one time fee of $295 (40% - 94%+ off of the regular fee)

Funding Announcements

White House Rural Council Announces $10 Billion Private Investment Fund to Finance Job-Creating Infrastructure Projects in Rural America
An initial $10 billion has been committed to the fund with greater investment expected to follow. Target investments will include hospitals, schools and other educational facilities, rural water and wastewater systems, energy projects, broadband expansion, local and regional food systems, and other rural infrastructure.

» MORE INFO

Scaling the Wall: 5 Ways to Get Unsolicited Proposals Heard
Philanthropy is, increasingly, a world of insiders. How many foundation websites explain in no uncertain terms that they do not accept unsolicited proposals, or even unsolicited letters of interest?
» READ

National Headlines

Rural Health Services Outreach Program: Current Grantees to Receive Supplemental Funding » READ

Rural Roads (Summer 2014): Remembering a Rural Public Health Champion » READ

Open Payments System Reopens, Extends Physician Registration and Review Period » READ

Medicaid reform could cut deep at rural hospitals » READ

Nurses’ key role in rural health » READ

Congressional study released by Klobuchar says changes needed to strengthen rural health care » READ

RAC launches Community Paramedicine resource » READ

Study: Huge Pay Increases for Nonprofit Hospital CEOs from 2011–2012 » READ

Medicaid 'Coverage Gap' Worse in Rural » READ

Rural Poverty Highlighted In New Report » READ

Hospitals continue to shut down in rural America » READ

CMS releases FY 2015 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) final rule » READ

Rural Areas See Higher HIX Premiums, Fewer Options » READ

Rural Clinicians Hear Need for Better Care for War Veterans » READ

Executive roundtable: Community hospital affiliation strategies » READ

Minnesota responds to rural doctor shortage with teams, training, telemedicine » READ

Can Walmart help to solve the U.S. healthcare-access crisis? » READ

Providing Access to Primary Care in Rural America: Family Physicians Successfully Team With Nonphysician Health Professionals » READ

ACA News

CMS Issues Final Payment Updates for FY 2015 » READ

Rural residents pay more for exchange plans than city dwellers: report » READ

CMS adds pelvic exam to list of approved stand-alone preventive services » READ

HIT News

Small hospitals may lose billions by missing EHR deadline » READ

Hackers hit healthcare network, 4.5M records stolen in data breach » READ

Congress tries to tie telehealth expansion to Medicare reimbursements » READ

Is Stage 1 more challenging than Stage 2 Meaningful Use? » READ

Health Affairs Web Firsts: Two Studies Find Mixed Results On EHR Adoption » READ

Upcoming Events

Telemedicine in Rural Communities: An Innovative Approach to Delivering Healthcare
August 19, 2014 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM CT
(AMD Global)

Building the Case for Addressing Social Determinants of Health for Children in Rural Communities
August 20, 2014 | 3:00 - 4:30 PM ET
(SAMHSA)

Telemedicine Meets Translational Science: Use of Videoconferencing to Provide Exposure Therapy for PTSD in Occupations at Risk
August 27, 2014 | 12:00 PM ET
(Opper Midwest Telehealth Resource Center)

How to Apply for the Rural Broadband Experiments
August 28, 2014 @ 1:00 PM ET
(National Rural Assembly)

Change in Profitability and Financial Distress of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) from Loss of Cost-Based Reimbursement
September 19, 2014 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
(Rural Health Research Gateway)

Cross-Currents: Art+Agriculture: Powering Rural Economies
September 3-5, 2014 | Greensboro, NC
(National Rural Assembly & Art-Force)

Alan Morgan - 2014 Mid-Year Rural Health Policy Roundup
September 17, 2014 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM MT
(Arizona Telemedicine Program)

Successful Telehealth in Rural Communities: Connecting Patients & Providers
September 18, 2014 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM CDT
(Heartland Telehealth Resource Center)

National Cooperative of Health Networks
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To learn more about membership and to join, go to http://www.nchn.org
or contact Christy Sullenberger at csullenberger@nchn.org

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