MEMBER NEWS | PARTNER NEWS | NATIONAL NEWS | LEADERSHIP | UPCOMING EVENTS

• The Best and Worst of Board Chairs (June 21, 2007 NPQ)
• 6 Simple Rituals To Reach Your Potential Every Day (Dec. 4, 2012, fastcompany.com)

• Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Grant (Rural Quality) Program (HRSA/ORHP)
  Provides funding to assist rural providers with the implementation of quality improvement strategies using health information technology (HIT).
  

• NCHN Holiday Schedule: Rebecca will be out from Wednesday, December 19, 2012 through Tuesday, January 1, 2013 and Christy will be off from Monday, December 24, 2012 through, Tuesday, January 1, 2013. NCHN offices will reopen on Wednesday, January 2, 2013.
• Save the Date: Monday, January 14, 2013 @ 2:00 PM ET  – Special Topic Call with Heman Marshall on Anti-Trust Laws and Issues Relevant to Health Networks 

RHNR Consulting Task Force Call
Thursday, Dec. 13 @ 12:00 PM ET

NCHN Executive Committee Call
Monday, Dec. 17 @ 2:00 PM ET

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

» VIEW THE NCHN CALENDAR

NCHN NEWS

2013 Conference Keynote Speaker Fundraising Program
Last week, Chris Hopkins, Chair of the 2013 Conference Planning Committee, sent an email annoucning the 2013 Annual Conference Keynote Speaker Program. This Program will be used to help NCHN in reaching a new level of potential speakers for the Conference. Special thanks to the following networks for getting the donations off to a good start with a $200 commitment from each:

• Partners in Health Network (Bob Whitler - Charleston, WV)
• Santa Cruz Adolescent Wellness Network (Cassalyn David - Nogales, Arizona)

For more information about the program, contact Christy at csullenberger@nchn.org

MEMBER NEWS

There is no new member news this week.
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PARTNER NEWS

NRHA to offer free legislative update webinars Dec. 12, 19
NRHA is conducting free grassroots advocacy webinars throughout December to prepare you for the 24th annual Rural Health Policy Institute Feb. 4-6 in D.C. The next webinars will be at noon EDT Dec. 12 and 19. Get updated on issues affecting rural health and gain advocacy tips you can take to Capitol Hill. Register today to learn more about the lame-duck Congress, the fiscal cliff and how they will affect rural providers and patients.

NATIONAL NEWS

Will Congress Save Rural Health Care? (Dec. 6, 2012, Daily Yonder)
As legislators wrestle over money, programs key to rural health care hang in the balance. Advocates can't let cuts affecting rural patients, physicians and hospitals offset other federal expenses.

Patients explain how technology improves their prescription medication use (Dec. 7, 2012, HHS News Release)
The winners of the Managing Meds Video Contest all have different ways of using health technology — like their mobile phones and the Internet — to help them remember to take their medications. The contest was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and the National Consumers League-led Script Your Future campaign.

Will High-Caliber Doctors Practice In Low-Appeal Places? (Nov. 26, 2012, zocalopublicsquare.org)
Medical professionals often avoid places like the San Joaquin Valley, but one place in Kansas might have some ideas.

Q&A: Award-winning CEO on Running a Small Hospital (Dec. 5, 2012, HealthLeaders Media)
Bleicher is the 2012 winner of the American Hospital Association's Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award, which recognizes the feats of small hospital leaders who have improved healthcare delivery in their communities.

Higher Readmissions at Safety-Net Hospitals and Potential Policy Solutions (Dec. 10, 2012, The Commonwealth Fund)
The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), established by the Affordable Care Act, ties a hospital’s payments to its readmission rates—with penalties for hospitals that exceed a national benchmark—to encourage hospitals to reduce avoidable readmissions. This new Commonwealth Fund analysis uses publicly reported 30-day hospital readmission rate data to examine whether safety-net hospitals are more likely to have higher readmission rates, compared with other hospitals.

CHNA.org Goes Live: Free Data, Mapping and Reporting Resource for Community Health Needs Assessment released today (Dec. 3, 2012, RAConline.org)
CHNA.org is designed to assist hospitals, non-profit community-based organizations, state and local health departments, financial institutions, engaged citizens, and other key stakeholders in understanding the needs and assets of their communities.

In Many Communties, Nurse Practitioners Fill An Important Void (Dec. 6, 2012, Kaiser Health News)
Most people in this rural logging area have only one choice when they need medical care: the Central Virginia Community Health Center. On most days, at least 200 people show up at the center seeking treatment for maladies ranging from sore throats to depression to cavities.

MedPAC to Congress: Repeal SGR (Dec. 6, 2012, medpagetoday.com)
Having online access to medical records and clinicians was associated with increased use of clinical services compared with group members who did not have online access.

New HCUP Database Available (Dec. 10, 2012, AHRQ)
The 2010 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS)  was released in early December. Yielding national estimates of emergency department (ED) visits, the NEDS is the largest all-payer ED databases in the United States and contains information about geographic, hospital, patient, and visit characteristics.

UPCOMING EVENTS

What Rural Hospitals Need to Know about Program Integrity Contractors (Dec. 11, 2012 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST, NRHA)

Webinar: Physical Assessments & Wellness Programs for Small Ag Businesses (Dec. 12, 2012 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM CT, Agrisafe)

Telecommunications and Internet Funding for Rural Health Care Providers: Rural Health Care Program Application Process (Dec. 12, 2012, Arizona Center for Rural Health)

Meaningfully Using Computerized Order Entry: Experience From Two Safety Net Providers (Dec. 14, 2012 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM EST, HRSA)

2013 Changes in Medicare (Dec. 19, 2012 | 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 5:00 PM PST, National HIT)