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NCHN eNews
September 5, 2012
This issue's highlights:
  • NCHN News: 2012 Leadership Summit: Hotel Reservation Deadline Extended
  • NCHN News: NCHN Welcomes Northeast Missouri Mental Health Transformation Network
  • National News: Telehealth Network Grantees Announced
  • National News: CMS Final Rule Related to Hospital Inpatient Payment Prospective Payment Systems
  • National News: HHS Releases Updated List of Health Professional Shortage Areas
  • Funding: Rural Health Network Development Planning Program

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NCHN NEWS

MEMBER BLURBS

PARTNER BLURBS

UPCOMING EVENTS

NATIONAL NEWS

FUNDING

NCHN NEWS FacebookTwitterLinkedIn

2012 Leadership Summit: Hotel Reservation Deadline Extended

2012 NCHN Leadership Summit: Do Your Best and Link to the Rest
September 25-26, 2012
Kansas City, KS

The deadline to make your hotel reservations has been extended to Friday, September 7th AND more rooms have been added to the NCHN block
» RESERVE YOUR ROOM

Don't miss the Special Workshop (Wednesday morning):Strategies for Network Leaders to Partner with Foundations
Foundations are mysterious institutions to those not familiar with them. In this workshop, Steve Roling, CEO of the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and Bill Moore, Ph.D. Vice-President, Program, Policy and Evaluation of the REACH Healthcare Foundation will demystify the foundation funding mystery related to healthcare conversion foundations.

They will share what their foundations are all about, describe their staffing and management procedures, and discuss current trends in their foundation giving. The focus of the workshop is on what motivates foundations to give and how you, as a network leader, can determine why they might or might not support your organization. Learn strategies and steps to determine your organization's funding needs, finding the best prospect, what makes a winning grant proposal, how to appropriately introduce your agency to a foundation, and unique proposal submission techniques.

2012 Leadership Summit Links
» MORE INFORMATION
» REGISTER ONLINE
» RESERVE YOUR ROOM (Extended Deadline: Sept. 7)

namethisnetwork
    from Braingle.com

A lone, old, wise wolf was walking through the snow on a blistery, cold winter's night. The wolf had not eaten in several weeks, and was on the verge of starvation. He was terribly thin and hungry. He soon came upon a pasture with a herd of sheep inside. Several sheep would provide the perfect meal, plump and promising. The wolf might not get another chance to eat for days. In his thin state, the wolf could easily slip through the fence surrounding the pasture and kill as many sheep as he pleased. But when he finished eating, he would be too big to slip through the fence again and the farmer might find him stuck in the pasture with the sheep. How did the wolf manage to eat as many sheep as he liked and not be caught in the pasture by the farmer the next day?

» VIEW THE ANSWER

September Coffee/Tea Chat – September 12th at 12:00 PM ET

Welcome to a new season!  We are holding our September Coffee & Tea Chat with Dr. Mary Kay Chess on Wednesday the 12th at noon (ET).  Let's spend some focused time talking about the responsibilities of the Network Board and, the potential goals of a Network Board.  We have posted on the Coffee/Tea Chats section on the NCHN on-line forum a sample tool for tracking the progress and success toward meeting the goals.  Often, boards blur the borders of "accountability" - their accountability and the goals of the network.  This conversation allows you to talk about successful board actions, learning opportunities for boards and an adapted "balanced scorecard" as a tool to measure board progress on their own, internal strategic plan.  We look forward to hearing your perspectives during our conversation in September!

Call in details will be posted on the NCHN on-line forum, which you can access it at http://z7.invisionfree.com/NCHN

NCHN Welcomes a New Member

Please join the Board in welcoming Northeast Missouri Mental Health Transformation Network and Brian Williams, Project Administrator, as NCHN's newest member.

Northeast Missouri Mental Health Transformation Network was founded in 2011, is based in Missouri, and is comprised of 8 members. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life fand well-being of residents of Northeast Missouri through the provision of integrated mental healthcare services. Its purpose is to identify the unmet mental health needs in Northeast Missouri and to develop an integrated mental healthcare network designed to formally address the mental healthcare needs of underserved populations in rural Northeast Missouri.

» MORE INFORMATION

NCHN Weekly Digest Schedule

We usually send the NCHN Weekly Digest and e-News Monthly out at 5:00 AM ET each Tuesday. When a holiday falls on a Monday, as many do, we will be sending the newsletter out at 5:00 PM ET on Tuesday instead. This, of course, allows us to take off Mondays that are recognized holidays while still compiling the latest news after the holiday. We hope this is not an inconvenience.

Upcoming NCHN Calls & Events

Leadership Summit Committee Call
Wednesday, September 5 @ 3:00 PM ET

2013 Conference Planning Committee Call
Tuesday, September 11 @ 2:00 PM ET

NCHN Orientation Call (Registration Required)
Thursday, September 6 @ 1:00 PM ET (Register)

NCHN Quarterly Membership Call
Monday, September 10 @ 2:00 PM ET: Topic TBA

Coffee/Tea Chat with Dr. Mary Kay Chess
Wednesday, September 12 @ 12:00 PM ET

Paradigm Learning Special Call
Friday, September 14 @ 1:00 PM ET (More information)

2012 Leadership Summit
Tuesday, September 25 - 26
Reserve your room by September 7th to receive the NCHN rate
Register online
» MORE INFORMATION

Executive Committee Call
Monday, October 8 @ 2:00 PM ET

Board of Directors Call
Monday, October 15 | 2:00 - 3:30 PM ET

Business Partner Committee Call
Wednesday, October 17 @ 1:30 PM ET

» VIEW THE NCHN CALENDAR

» TOP

MEMBER NEWS  

NCHN Member News

  • RWHC's Leadership Insights August newsletter is online here (pdf)

» A NEW way to Share: LOGIN TO THE NEW SITE AND POST YOUR NEWS

» TOP

PARTNER BLURBS  

VCOM to Build Campus in Auburn Research Park

August 30, 2012 (www.vcom.vt.edu) - The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Va., will open a branch campus in the Auburn Research Park in Auburn, Ala., officials announced today.

The chairman and president of both the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, or VCOM, and the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, or ARTF, signed an agreement establishing a branch campus and collaboration on biomedical research and healthcare projects. VCOM will build a new facility featuring classrooms, small-group learning rooms, laboratories and a technology center. The first class of 150 students is proposed for fall 2015.

» CONTINUE READING

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UPCOMING EVENTS  

E-prescribing: Overcoming Barriers with Successful Implementation Techniques
AHRQ

Webinar: September 5, 2012 | 1:30 - 3:00 PM ET

To identify the challenges associated with the electronic exchange of prescription data and what factors contribute to effective electronic prescribing by physician practices and pharmacies. In addition, the projects presented will discuss two toolsets developed for health care provider organizations and independent pharmacies to support more effective e-prescribing system implementation and the challenges surrounding the adoption of e-prescribing of federally-controlled substances.

» REGISTER

Take Action: Act on What's Important
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps

Webinar: September 11, 2012 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM CDT

Once you’ve decided which policy or program will fit your community, the next step is to work on adoption and implementation. Since there are no “one size fits all” blueprints for success, communities need to build on inherent strengths, capitalize on available resources, and respond to unique needs. Learn about guidance, tools and resources for ensuring that your community’s selected policies and programs are adopted, implemented, improved, and maintained in order to achieve intended results.

» MORE INFORMATION

Webinar: Inside the ACO Movement - From National Policy to the Bedside
API Healthcare

Webinar: September 18, 2012 @ 2:00 PM ET

The Accountable Care Organization (ACO) movement is changing our world and it's changing fast. To help the Healthcare in the Know community better understand ACOs, we are honored to have Rhonda Anderson, RN, DNSc, FAAN, FACHE join us for a complimentary webinar and discussion on Tuesday, September 18 at 11:00 PT/ 2:00 ET.

During this special event you will get an insider's view into the inner workings of ACOs. You will gain insights into the experience of Banner Health over the last three years as they redesigned care to work within the "new world order". Dr. Anderson will also share with us movement on the national level and discuss implications for the frontline of care delivery.

» MORE INFORMATION

NRHA Rural Health Clinic and Critical Access Hospital Conferences

Rural Health Clinic Conference
September 25-26, 2012

Critical Access Hospital Conference
September 26-28, 2012

Kansas City, KS

Join NRHA and your colleagues for the 2012 Rural Health Clinic and Critical Access Hospital conferences. The goal of these conferences is to share effective practices, policies and information and provide insights and best practices addressing many of the access, quality and patient safety issues confronted by CAHs and RHCs.

» MORE INFORMATION

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NATIONAL NEWS  

Telehealth Network Grantees Announced

September 4, 2012 - HRSA has announced the 2012 Telehealth Network Grant Program Awards today. Click here to download the list (pdf) or use the search tool below.

» HRSA SITE SEARCH

HHS Releases Updated List of Health Professional Shortage Areas

August 28, 2012 (AACOM Information Alert email) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced its updated list of designated primary medical care, mental health, and dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) as of April 2012.  

As a substantial number of designation and withdrawal requests come from the Primary Care Office (PCO) in state health departments and are reviewed and updated as necessary annually by HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the list highlights provider shortages by demography, geography, and institution, identifying areas in which National Health Service Corps (NHSC) professionals may serve and entities that include clinical training sites in HPSAs may receive priority for HRSA residency training program grants.
Please note that HPSAs added to the designation list since April 2012 are currently excluded from the current HPSA publication, but are included on the HRSA website.

CMS Final Rule: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2013 Rates; Hospitals' Resident Caps for Graduate Medical Education Payment Purposes; Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers and for Ambulatory Surgical Centers

August 31, 2012 (The Federal Register) - We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems. Some of the changes implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively known as the Affordable Care Act) and other legislation. These changes will be applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2012, unless otherwise specified in this final rule. We also are updating the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits. The updated rate-of-increase limits will be effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2012.

» CONTINUE READING

VA, DoD to expand health information exchanges
by Nicole Blake Johnson

August 29, 2012 (Federal Times) - The Veterans Affairs and Defense departments are ready to expand 16 pilot programs and offer veterans’ health information exchanges nationwide.

The new exchanges will build on the success of the pilots, where VA and DoD physicians in Indianapolis, Richmond, Va., San Diego and other cities share veterans’ health data with each other and the private sector.

» CONTINUE READING

Doctor Shortage May Swell to 130,000 With Cap
by Alex Wayne

August 29, 2012 (BloombergBusinessweek) - With a shortage of doctors in the U.S. already and millions of new patients set to gain coverage under President Barack Obama’s health-care overhaul, American medical schools are struggling to close the gap.

One major reason: The residency programs to train new doctors are largely paid for by the federal government, and the number of students accepted into such programs has been capped at the same level for 15 years.

» CONTINUE READING

Boomers retiring to rural areas won't find doctors
by Jeff Barnard

September 1, 2012 (heraldonline.com) - Nina Musselman had no trouble finding a family doctor when she retired to rural Oregon nine years ago to be closer to her children. But then that doctor moved away, leaving her to search for another who would take Medicare. After a year of going from doctor to doctor, she finally found one who stuck. As record numbers of baby boomers go into retirement, many are thinking about moving from the places they needed to live to make a living, and going someplace warmer, quieter or prettier.

If they choose small towns like Grants Pass, 250 miles south of Portland, they could well have a hard time finding a family doctor willing to take Medicare, even supplemental plans, rather than private insurance.

» CONTINUE READING

Obama administration takes new action to improve public health

August 29, 2012 (HHS News Release) - Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the next steps in the Obama administration’s work to help doctors and hospitals use electronic health records.

“The changes we’re announcing today will lead to more coordination of patient care, reduced medical errors, elimination of duplicate screenings and tests and greater patient engagement in their own care,” Secretary Sebelius said.

Under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, doctors, health care professionals and hospitals can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments when they adopt and meaningfully use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.

» CONTINUE READING

HHS Announces Next Steps to Promote Use of Electronic Health Records

August 23, 2012 (HHS News Release) - Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the next steps in the Obama administration’s work to help doctors and hospitals use electronic health records.

“The changes we’re announcing today will lead to more coordination of patient care, reduced medical errors, elimination of duplicate screenings and tests and greater patient engagement in their own care,” Secretary Sebelius said.

Under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, doctors, health care professionals and hospitals can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments when they adopt and meaningfully use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.

» CONTINUE READING

Is the physician shortage a myth?
by Karen Cheung-Larivee

August 31, 2012 (Fierce Healthcare) - Even though medical school applications are at an all-time high, according to the Association of the American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the added doctors may not be able to meet demand in the coming years--that's according to many economists who fear health reform will be disastrous to the supply-and-demand of healthcare.

» CONTINUE READING

Indiana: Telemedicine for rural youth
by Bill Stanczykiewicz

August 31, 2012 (Indystar.com) - While many kids use technology for digital music and video games, technology also is delivering digital diagnoses and video consultations to improve health care for rural youth.

Nearly one-fourth of Hoosier children live in rural communities, and rural communities have fewer doctors and hospitals. Nationally, only 9 percent of doctors serve in rural areas and, according to the Rural Health Research and Policy Center, "Rural hospitals have less access to physicians trained in emergency medicine, in pediatrics or in pediatric emergency medicine."

» CONTINUE READING

OMG! You’re Not Using Text Messaging to Reach Constituents?
by John Hoffman

August 22, 2012 (NONPROFIT QUARTERLY) - When Jane Furuseth of the HOWA Family Center in rural Walker, Minn. was having trouble contacting the high school-age participants in her mentor program, she employed a highly unorthodox means of communicating with them: text messaging. Such a method was not unusual for the teens, who routinely text one another. Rather, it was uncommon for a small, community-based nonprofit to employ text messaging as a means of engaging program participants. But all that is changing quickly.

» CONTINUE READING

Fact Sheet: President Obama Signs Executive Order to Improve Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families

August 31, 2012 (White House Press Release) - oday, President Obama will sign an Executive Order directing key federal departments to expand suicide prevention strategies and take steps to meet the current and future demand for mental health and substance abuse treatment services for veterans, service members, and their families.

Ensuring that all veterans, Active, Guard, and Reserve service members and their families receive the support they deserve is a top priority for the Obama Administration. Since September 11, 2001, more than two million service members have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan with unprecedented duration and frequency. Long deployments and intense combat conditions require optimal support for the emotional and mental health needs of our service members and their families. The Obama Administration has consistently expanded efforts to ensure our troops, veterans and their families receive the benefits they have earned and deserve, including providing timely mental health service. The Executive Order signed today builds on these efforts.

» CONTINUE READING

HHS awards $58.7 million to bolster America’s health care workforce

August 30, 2012 (HRSA News Release) - Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced $58.7 million in grants to strengthen training for health professionals and increase the size of our health care workforce.

“These grants and the programs they support are vital to achieving a comprehensive and culturally competent health professions workforce capable of meeting future health care challenges,” Secretary Sebelius said.  

» CONTINUE READING

Rural Women Living Shorter Lives in 622 Counties
by Bill Bishop and Roberto Gallardo

August 29, 2012 (Daily Yonder) - American women were living 1.7 years longer in 2009 than they were in 1999. But that increase was realized in only a handful of rural and exurban counties.

The life expectancy of the average U.S. female increased 1.7 years from 1999 to 2009. In 1999, the average age of death for an American female was 79.6 years; by 2009, it had risen to 81.3.

But that solid gain in longevity was matched in only 168 rural or exurban counties, or 6.5 percent of all the counties outside the cities. 

» CONTINUE READING

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FUNDING  

Rural Health Network Development Planning Program
HRSA-ORHP

This announcement solicits applications for the Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program (Network Planning). The purpose of the Network Planning Program is to promote the development of integrated healthcare networks in order to: (i) achieve efficiencies; (ii) expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of essential health care services; and (iii) strengthen the rural health care system as a whole. This program brings together key parts of a rural health care delivery system, particularly those entities that may not have collaborated in the past, to work together to establish or improve local capacity and coordination of care. The grant program supports one year of planning to develop and assist health care networks in becoming operational. These networks can include a wide range of community partners including social service agencies, faith-based organizations, mental health agencies, charitable organizations, educational institutions, employers, local government agencies or other entities with an interest in a community's health care system. For purposes of this grant program, a rural health network is defined as an organizational arrangement among at least three separately owned health care providers that come together to develop strategies for improving health services delivery systems in a community. For example a critical access hospital (CAH), a community health center (CHC) and a social services organization could come together around a shared purpose, such as coordination of care, in a collaborative activity that allows them to assess the health care needs within their community, share clinical or administrative resources or ensure that local patients have access to a full continuum of care locally.   

Due Date: October 15, 2012

» MORE INFORMATION

» TOP

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