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NCHN eNews
February 14, 2012
Dear NCHN Members and Friends,

Welcome to the latest issue of the NCHN Weekly Digest. In NCHN news, registration has opened for the 18th NCHN Annual Educational Conference. You can view the schedule, sponsorship opportunities, and register online on the conference website. Details are posted below for the Coffee/Tea Chat with Dr. Chess on Wednesday.

In national news, the President's budget was released yesterday and includes cuts to Critical Access Hospitals. You can read more at NRHA's blog.

Let us know what's going on with your network
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NCHN NEWS

MEMBER BLURBS

PARTNER BLURBS

UPCOMING EVENTS

NATIONAL NEWS

FUNDING

NCHN NEWS FacebookTwitterLinkedIn

Upcoming NCHN Calls & Events

Coffee/Tea Chat with Dr. Mary Kay Chess
Wednesday, February 15 @ 11:00 AM ET

2012 Conference Planning Committee Call
Monday, February 20 @ 2:00 PM ET
Monday, March 5 @ 2:00 PM ET

Program Development Committee Call
Tuesday, February 21 @ 1:00 PM ET

Rural Health Network Resources – Consulting Group Task Force Call
Wednesday, February 22 @ 12:00 PM ET

Executive Committee Call
Monday, February 27 @ 2:00 PM ET

NCHN Transformer Leadership Learning Community Session
Friday, March 16 @ 11:00 AM ET

» VIEW THE NCHN CALENDAR

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from braingle.com


What is the next number in this series?

6, 14, 36, 98, 276, ...

 

» VIEW THE ANSWER

NCHN Conference Logo 201218th NCHN Annual Educational Conference

The 2012 National Cooperative of Health Networks Association (NCHN) Annual Educational Conference invites you to attend “Health Networks of the Future - All Together Now!”

The 18th NCHN Annual Educational Conference is being held April 15-18, 2012, in Denver, Colorado at The Curtis Hotel.

Topics include:

  • Network Boards of the Future: Best Practice Sharing: Keeping Your Board Committed (Steve Stoddard, ID)
  • Network Best Practices Panel
    Packaging the Message and Promoting the Mission: Greg Dent, GA
    Sunflower Health Network Rural Recruitment: Heather Fuller, KS
    Create your own “Mystery Shopper” Program: Dave Johnson, WI
    HIE: Yvonne Hughes, NC
    Improving Hospital Internal Communications: Jason Friesen, KS
  • Federal Update on HPSA from Rebecca Wilson (HRSA) and FLEX from Michael McNeely (HRSA)
  • Network Sustainability Workshop
  • The Future of Health Networks: A Discussion with Tim Size, Executive Director of Rural Wisconsin Hospital Cooperative
    » VIEW THE FULL SCHEDULE

Hotel Reservations
NCHN Rate: $145+tax/night (Single/Double)
Deadline: March 16, 2012 or when all rooms have sold out
» MAKE RESERVATIONS

Registration
Early Bird Registration Deadline: April 1, 2012
$525 for NCHN Members and HRSA Network Development Grantees (add $75 after April 1)
$625 for non-Members (add $75 after April 1)
» REGISTER ONLINE

Exhibitor/Sponsor/Advertiser Opportunities
Application Deadline: March 15, 2012
» VIEW OPPORTUNITIES

Links
» MAKE RESERVATIONS
» REGISTER ONLINE
» VIEW THE AGENDA
» SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Coffee/Tea Chat with Dr. Chess on Wednesday

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 15th from 11 AM - noon (ET).  This is your opportunity to participate in the second Coffee and Tea Conversation of 2012 with your fellow directors and Dr. Mary Kay Chess.  This hour we spend together is available for network updates, questions, introductions of new business tools, and celebrations!  

This month, we also want to focus on "stakeholders". Who are the network stakeholders?  What tools are you using to note and appreciate their contributions of time, money and support?  What goals should you set for ongoing recognition?

We look forward to this upcoming conversation and exploration!

Date:  Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Time:  11:00 AM– 12:00 PM (ET); 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (CT); 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (MT) 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (PT) and 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM (Alaskan Time)

NCHN members should have already received call information in their email boxes. If not, please contact Rebecca for details. 

Looking forward to hearing from you on Wednesday! 

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MEMBER BLURBS  

There is no new member news this week.

» SUBMIT YOUR NEWS

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PARTNER BLURBS  

GrantStation.com

Subscription Details
NCHN has partnered with GrantStation to offer NCHN members an additional tool to find and acquire funding. With your subscription, you receive all of the benefits of a regular GrantStation.com subscription at 8% of the regular price. Your subscription will give you unlimited access to GrantStation.com and a huge database of potential funding sources, as well as grant writing success tips. NCHN members may also offer the NCHN rate to members of their network.

Success Stories
We are looking for success stories from NCHN members and affiliates who have used GrantStation to find funding. If you have used GrantStation to find funding, tell us about it so that we can share your experience with other members.

Subscription Information
If you are interested in participating or want to share this opportunity with your members, you can download information and get start finding funding.

» MORE INFORMATION (pdf)

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UPCOMING EVENTS  

How To Improve Performance on the AHRQ Inpatient Quality and Patient Safety Indicators: Introducing a Toolkit for Hospitals
AHRQ

Webinar: Wednesday, February 15, 2012
2:30 - 4:00 PM ET

Learn about a new Toolkit designed to guide hospitals through the process of improving performance on the AHRQ Inpatient Quality Indicators (IQIs) and Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs). The Toolkit covers every step: from the first stage of self-assessment to the final stage of ongoing monitoring.

» REGISTER

HRSA Health IT & Quality Webinar

Tips for Preventing Scope Creep and Cost Over Runs When Implementing a Health IT System

Friday, February 17 @ 2:00 PM ET

» REGISTER

National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services; Notice of Meeting

February 15 - 17, 2012
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The Fairfax at Embassy Row
Washington, DC

Purpose: The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services provides counsel and recommendations to the Secretary with respect to the delivery, research, development, and administration of health and human services in rural areas.Show citation box

Agenda: Wednesday afternoon, February 15, at 2 p.m., the meeting will be called to order by the Chairperson of the Committee: The Honorable Ronnie Musgrove. This will be followed by presentations on provisions from the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Committee will be examining potential long-term impacts on the rural health care infrastructure. The day will conclude with a period of public comment at approximately 4:30 p.m.Show citation box

Thursday morning, February 16, at 9 a.m., the Committee will continue to hear panel presentations on ACA-related provisions and will then break into subcommittees on each of those topics for further discussion. The day will conclude with a period of public comment at approximately 4:30 p.m.Show citation box

Friday morning, February 17, at 9 a.m., the Committee will summarize key findings from the meeting and develop a work plan for the next quarter and the June meeting.

» MORE INFORMATION

CPHIMS Exam & HIMSS Annual Conference

Be a part of the healthcare elite with the mark of proven expertise — CPHIMS. Once again, the CPHIMS Exam will be offered during the HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition, February 20-24, Las Vegas.

And today, there’s never been a better time to distinguish yourself with the most sought after credential in healthcare IT — CPHIMS. But time…and space are running out. You must pre-register by February 7!

» MORE INFORMATION

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NATIONAL NEWS  

Cuts to Critical Access Hospitals included in President’s budget
by Erin Mahn

February 13, 2012 (Rural Health Voices: News and Opinion from the National Rural Health Association) - The President’s budget released today includes cuts to Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). According to the budget, “Medicare makes a number of special payments to account for the unique challenges of delivering medical care to beneficiaries in rural areas. These payments continue to be important; however, in specific cases, the adjustments may be greater than necessary to ensure continued access to care.”

» CONTINUE READING

Related
» Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the Proposed FY 2013 Budget (RAConline.org | News, Feb. 13, 2012)

New health care law helps expand primary care physician workforce
National Health Service Corps awards $9.1 million to place physicians in medically underserved communities

February 13, 2012 (HHS News Release) - The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) awarded $9.1 million in funding to medical students in 30 States and the District of Columbia who will serve as primary care doctors and help strengthen the health care workforce, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today at the Eisner Pediatric and Family Medical Center, a community health center in Los Angeles, Calif.

Made possible by the Affordable Care Act (the new health care law), the National Health Service Corps’ Students to Service Loan Repayment Program provides financial support to fourth year medical students who are committed to a career in primary care in exchange for their service in communities with limited access to care.

» CONTINUE READING

Success of health reform hinges on hiring 30,000 primary care doctors by 2015
by Sarah Kliff

February 11, 2012 (The Washington Post) - On a chilly afternoon at a community clinic in Southeast Washington, three young doctors are busily laying the foundation for the health-care law’s success.

Jacob Edwards flips through a manual on skin conditions, diagnosing a rash that looks like chicken pox. Jessica O’Babatunde consults her supervisor on treating an adolescent’s obesity, which is literally off-the-charts. And Julie Krueger peppers 3-year-old Daphauni with questions at her physical: How do you spell your name? What did you eat for breakfast? What’s your favorite vegetable? (Cheese.)

» CONTINUE READING

Major Telemedicine Roadblock Could Clear With Proposed Bill
by Ken Terry

February 8, 2012 (InformationWeek Healthcare) - Major Telemedicine Roadblock Could Clear With Proposed Bill

As telemedicine spreads, the regulatory barriers that restrain it are slowly crumbling--although not as fast as its proponents would like. The latest evidence of this is the news that Sen. Tom Udall (D-Utah) plans to introduce legislation that would remove the need for physicians who provide telehealth consultations across state lines to be licensed in more than one state.

» CONTINUE READING

CMS lays out how to appeal meaningful use decisions
by Pamela Lewis Dolan

February 9, 2012 (amednews.com) - Physicians who believe they were given an incorrect bonus can file for reconsideration.

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Office of Clinical Standards and Quality announced the establishment of a two-tier appeals process for physicians who were deemed ineligible for Medicare meaningful use incentive pay, or who thought their pay was too low.

» CONTINUE READING

Small-biz advocacy group pushes health insurance co-op idea in Springfield
by Meg McSherry Breslin

February 13, 2012 (Chicago Business) -As policymakers and business leaders brainstorm ideas for bringing down health care costs, the concept of a health insurance cooperative is gaining more attention. The federal health care law provides competitive grants for groups to start a so-called Consumer Oriented and Operated Plan, which would act as a corporate entity overseen by a board of directors. The goal for the federal CO-OP is to provide greater choice and higher-quality care at a reduced cost. At least one organization in Illinois, the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC)—an advocacy group for hospitals and other area health providers including Northwestern Medical Center, the Advocate Health Care Network, the University of Chicago Medical Center, Rush University Medical Center and more—has applied for a federal CO-OP grant.

» CONTINUE READING

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FUNDING  

State Implementation Grants for Systems of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN)
HRSA

Purpose: This grant program improves access to a quality, comprehensive, coordinated community-based systems of services for CYSHCN and their families that is family-centered and culturally competent. This grant program improves access to a quality, comprehensive, coordinated community-based system of services for CYSHCN and their families that is family-centered and culturally competent.

The initiative supports grants to assist State Title V Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) programs, family organizations, providers, and other partners to implement the six core outcomes of a system of services based on evidence based practices for CYSHCN.

Applications are due by March 1, 2012.

» MORE INFORMATION

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