NCHN NEWS

MEMBER BLURBS

PARTNER BLURBS

UPCOMING EVENTS

NATIONAL NEWS

FUNDING

NCHN Headquarters are now located in Montrose, Colorado

Rebecca and NCHN have made the move to Montrose, CO.  The new fax number is 970-417-4186. For the next few weeks the office number will remain the same, 270-925-5611.  Please note the new mailing address and ask your accounting departments to update in their systems: NCHN, 624 South First Street; Montrose, CO, 81401. 

The new office will be fully operational on Tuesday, October 11, 2011.  Until that time, Rebecca will be available on a limited basis, as she is busy setting up and organizing the new office.  If you need immediate assistance, please feel free to contact her by email, rdavis@nchn.org or Christy at csullenberger@nchn.org  

Upcoming NCHN Calls & Events

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

» VIEW THE NCHN CALENDAR

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from braingle.com

What does this rebus represent?

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temperamental cyan
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NCHN First Annual Leadership Summit – Huge Success

The first NCHN Leadership Summit, “Extraordinary Leadership Transforms Networks” was held on September 27 in Kansas City.  Forty-seven individuals participated in the Summit, including NCHN members, HRSA Network Planning Grantees, ORHP Staff, representatives from the State Offices of Rural Health from Missouri and Kansas and other guests. Evaluations reflected a positive experience and affirmed that the Leadership Summit achieved what the Committee intended.

Mary Kay’s lessons on leadership were/are invaluable.  She is incredible.  I would go to another event to further my leadership skills if she were presenting.
-Network Staff

The leadership workshop was great! I plan to do the workbook.
- HRSA Network Planning Grantee Partner

The leadership training was great & I loved the “handbook” of other folks’ tricks.
- HRSA Network Planning Grantee

Great information all the way around & networking was amazing. Professionals in the same areas!
-Network Director

NCHN members that participated in the Summit will now be the first class to of “NCHN Transformer Leadership Learning Community” and will work with Dr. Mary Kay Chess over the next seven (7) months to transform their leadership skills!  The program will end with a face-to-face meeting in Denver at the 2012 Annual NCHN Educational Conference.  Special thanks to the fourteen (14) NCHN members that enrolled in the NCHN Transformer Leadership Learning Community.  We look forward to working with them and Mary Kay over the next few months!   Details on the second NCHN Transformer class will be announced after the first of the year. 

As a reminder there are other opportunities through NCHN to strengthen your leadership skills as a Network Leader --- Monthly Coffee/Tea Chats; Executive Coaching opportunities; and the on-line forum for sharing information and posting questions. 

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The Healthcare Coalition of Lafayette County

HCC of Lafayette County has released its latest newsletter with exciting headlines, including:

• $900,000 HIT Grant Moves Telehealth Plans Forward
• $80,000 Planning Grant Awarded to the HCC
• HCC: A Rural Health Network (a video)

» VIEW THIS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

» SUBMIT YOUR NEWS

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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.

» REGISTER

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

CMS Rural Health Open Door Forum

October 18, 2011 @ 1:00 PM EST

Conference Leaders: Carol Blackford, John Hammarlund, Matthew Brown

Please dial in at least 15 minutes prior to call start time.

To participate by phone:
Dial: 1-800-837-1935 & Reference Conference ID: 83522688
Persons participating by phone are not required to RSVP.
TTY Communications Relay Services are available for the Hearing Impaired.  For TTY services dial 7-1-1 or 1-800-855-2880. A Relay Communications Assistant will help.

Encore: 1-855-859-2056 Conference ID# 83522688
Encore is an audio recording of this call that can be accessed by dialing 1-855-859-2056 and entering the Conference ID, beginning 4 hours after the call has ended. The recording expires after 3 business days.

» 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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HHS launches new Affordable Care Act initiative to strengthen primary care

September 28, 2011 (HHS News Release) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today launched a new initiative made possible by the Affordable Care Act to help primary care practices deliver higher quality, more coordinated and patient-centered care. Under the new initiative, Medicare will work with commercial and state health insurance plans to offer additional support to primary care doctors who better coordinate care for their patients. This collaboration, known as the Comprehensive Primary Care initiative, is modeled after innovative practices developed by large employers and leading private health insurers in the private sector.

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Community Transformation Grants Awarded by CDC

Approximately $103 million was awarded to a total of 61 states and communities throughout the US to serve approximately 120 million Americans. Awards are distributed among state and local government agencies, tribes and territories, and state and local non-profit organizations within 36 states, including seven tribes and one territory.

• 26 states and communities will work to build capacity to implement changes by laying a solid foundation for community prevention efforts to ensure long-term success. Funding amounts range from $147,000 to $500,000 depending on population size and scope of project.
• 35 states and communities will implement evidence- and practice-based programs designed to improve health and wellness. Funding amounts range from $500,000 to $10 million depending on population size and scope of project.

» MORE INFO

Providers, states act to attract primary care docs to rural areas

September 26, 2011 (Healthcare Finance News) - Geisinger Health System is among healthcare organizations and states that are taking steps to attract more primary care providers to their rural areas. Physicians entering the workforce now seek a career where they can be home for dinner, have job security, an attractive salary and live in a thriving area with opportunities.

That may make it more difficult for hospitals and practices to attract primary care providers who treat the increasing number of Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas, said Jennifer Grebenschikoff, president of the Physician Executive Leadership Center.

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Secretary Sebelius statement for 2011 National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

September 30, 2011 (HHS News Release) - For more than 25 years, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has been a time to reaffirm our commitment to fighting breast cancer and to remind ourselves of the importance of prevention and early detection. Breast cancer remains one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers among American women and despite remarkable advances in treatment and prevention, it remains the second leading cause of cancer death. This year alone, it is estimated that more than 230,000 U.S. women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and nearly 40,000 will die of the disease.

Regular mammography screening can help lower breast cancer mortality by finding breast cancer early, when the chance of successful treatment is best. If 90 percent of women 40 and older received breast cancer screening, 3,700 lives would be saved each year. Costs, even moderate co-pays, deter many patients from receiving these important screenings. Under the Affordable Care Act, women’s preventive health care – such as mammograms and screenings for cervical cancer – is covered with no co-pays or other out-of-pocket costs.

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NOSORH Job Opening

Title: Special Projects Coordinator

Description: This position will facilitate and support collaborative and technical assistance activities for SORH. Will be responsible for identifying opportunities to work with federal, state and local partners to improve rural health and may provide direct support to SORH to expand their technical assistance and partnering capacity.

This is a full time employment position with flexible work hours. Home office and ability to travel required. At the present time this position is grant funded. Continued employment beyond the first year is dependent on continuation of the funding and the success of the work.

» For more information and a complete description, contact Donna Pfaendtner at donnap@nosorh.org

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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

TA Call
A technical assistance call was held on September 29, 2011 (Thursday). The call was recorded and available for playback. To access the playback, please call: 1-800-229-6331. It will be available until November 22, 2011.

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

Need help writing your Outreach Program application?
Contact your State Of-fice of Rural Health (SORH) for grant-writing resources. Please visit: www.nosorh.org to find your SORH contact information. A webinar about evidence-based/promising practice mod-els and evaluation will be posted on www.nosorh.org starting October 7, 2011.

» MORE INFORMATION

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