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September 16, 2014

NCHN Reminders

The NCHN Quarterly Informational Call, Tips & Tricks for Smooth Board Meetings & Organizational Operations, was held Monday, September 15th. A recording of the call is available for those who missed the call. Contact Christy for the audio.

NCHN will love youPlease share your network's story: Submit your network's program/project/story to be published on the Rural Assistance Center website and NCHN.org

Save the Date: The 2015 NCHN Leadership Summit will be January 19-20, 2015 in Clearwater Beach, Florida. More details coming in the next few days.

 

Leadership Corner

Right from the Start: What Your Nonprofit Board Needs in Three Easy Tables
by Karen Beavor
Just as important as developing a deep individual relationship with each board member, it's also important to understand what your team of individuals amounts to, and what qualities, skills, and connections it still needs to fulfill all your organization's strategic goals—that is, to become a well-rounded, fully-functional super team capable of taking on any challenge. If constructed wisely, your board can work as your organization's personal consulting team.

CONTINUE READING

Sue Deitz
Sue Dietz, Executive Director of Critical Access Hospital Network

NCHN Welcomes Critical Access Hospital Network

Please join us in welcoming NCHN's newest network member, Critical Access Hospital Network (CAHN) of Newport, Washington. Many of you will recognize CAHN's Executive Director, Sue Deitz (left), who presented an overview of CAHN's HIT project at the 2014 NCHN Annual Educational Conference in St. Louis, MO. CAHN was formed in 2002 and has 13 members. Its mission is "to enhance the quality of care and test an infrastructure designed to stabilize and strengthen the local rural health care delivery system." The CAHN contributes to the success of rural healthcare in eastern Washington by delivering on three essential categories of services: rural advocacy, patient centered medical home/care coordination, and health information technology. As a result, the CAHN organizes professional peer groups, supports aggregate data sharing, participates in quality improvement initiatives, and assists with grant opportunities. Together, these services foster a learning collaborative in which the members can share best practices and leverage resources to improve performance both individually and collectively.

For more information, contact:
Sue Deitz, Executive Director
suefox@sandpoint.net
cahnetwork.org

Chairs Chairs ChairsFrom the Executive Director (Sept. 2014)
Chairs of Network Leadership: Part II

Chairs, Chairs, Chairs – we all use them every day!  Did anyone besides Mary Ann Watson, Tennessee Rural Partners, think about the chairs in your network?  Mary Ann said that she was going to propose a “chair inventory” around their network!  I am curious to see if anyone else conducted a “chair inventory.”  Did you find any programs in need of discarding, re-branding and/or reviving, or maybe even ready to be passed off to another organization to manage?  Tell us about your chair inventory. If you didn’t see Mary Ann’s response to my article last month, you can read it here

CONTINUE READING

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

NetworkTools.nchn.orgJust Launched: Tools & Strategies for Managing Health Networks

Last week, NCHN launched a new website to promote sharing of resources among health networks. Tools & Strategies for Managing Health Networks (www.NetworkTools.nchn.org) is a collaborative web-based tool that provides templates, guides, and other information to assist network leaders in the management and development of their network. The site is organized by category and includes topics ranging from a basic overview of health networks to administrative documents, job descriptions, ROI tools, and evaluation. The site will be updated as resources are located and received.

Many thanks go to the Program Development Committee (years 2011 - 2014) for countless hours of dedication to the planning of the site and to the NCHN members and other health network experts for submitting their materials to support other networks. While we are grateful to all who submitted documents, we must extend special recognition to Toniann Richard at HCC of Rural Missouri, who submitted numerous resources and has not stopped submitting templates and example for other networks.

» VIEW THE TOOLS & STRATEGIES SITE
» SUBMIT A RESOURCE
» SUGGEST A RESOURCE

NCHN Calendar

Membership Task Force Call
September 23 @ 11:00 AM ET
October 21 @ 11:00 AM ET

Executive Committee Call
October 14 @ 4:00 PM ET

Member Orientation Calls (Rescheduled)
October 17, 2014 @ 10:00 AM ET
October 23, 2014 @ 1:00 PM ET

CalendarVIEW THE NCHN CALENDAR

 

NCHN News

NCHN Members among newly announced Network Development Grantees
Since its initial announcement (in May) of 15 awards under the Network Development Grant Program, ORHP has announced an additional 17 awards. Among the newly announced grantees are 4 NCHN members and 1, including Arizona Rural Womens Health Network, Critical Access Hospital Network (WA), HCC of Rural Missouri, Washington Rural Health Collaborative, and Valley View Hospital (on behalf of Western Healthcare Alliance) (CO).

You can search awards online here. If you have received an award notice, please let Rebecca know.

National Rural Health Day: November 20, 2014
NCHN is partnering with NOSORH for National Rural Health Day. Find out more and start planning at celebratepowerofrural.org

Member News

RWHC: RWHC Quarterly Commentary: September, 2014 - Rural Can Be Health Care’s Future

Western Healthcare Alliance: September 2014 Newsletter

HCC of Rural Missouri: HCC is hiring

Partner News

GrantStation is offering a free tour of the GrantStation website at 2:00 PM ET on September 16th. Register here. NCHN Members can subscribe to GrantStation for a significantly reduced rate. Contact Christy for more information.

 

Funding Announcements

Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program
ORHP is pleased to announce a unique three-year funding opportunity for a community-driven program targeted to improve outreach and services delivery in local and regional rural communities. The Rural Health Care Services Outreach grant program is a 3-year grant program through which eligible applicants can request up to $200,000/year for projects that expand health services in order to meet their rural community’s need. ( Deadline: November 14, 2014)

There will be a technical assistance webinar on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 from 1:00-2:30pm EDT to assist applicants in preparing their applications
» MORE INFO

Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program (HRSA Maternal and Child Health)
Federal grants of $50,000 per year for up to five years are awarded through the program to support innovative, community-based child health projects that improve the health status of mothers, infants, children, and adolescents by increasing their access to health care and promoting preventive health services.
Deadline: October 14, 2014
» MORE INFO

FCC Rural Broadband Experiments
On July 11, 2014, the Commission adopted a $100 million budget for the rural broadband experiments and established an objective methodology for selecting projects among formal applications, which will be due 90 days after release of the order (due date: October 14, 2014)

» MORE INFO
RELATED LINK: Rural Assembly FCC Broadband Webinar Recording


National Headlines

State CAH Hospital Compare Reports Posted » READ

Rural Children Increasingly Rely on Medicaid and State Child Health Insurance Programs for Health Insurance » READ

House passes bill to undo rural hospital supervision requirement » READ

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

$10.6M in safety and health grants awarded to 78 organizations across the nation by US Labor Department's OSHA » READ

Rural hospitals pressured to close as healthcare system changes » READ

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Announces Grants to Aid Boys and Young Men of Color in Rural South and Southwest » READ

HHS awards more than $295 million in Affordable Care Act funds to increase access to primary care at health centers » READ

Healthcare shortage could have far-reaching effects in rural Nebraska » READ

Coverage Gap Leaves Rural Tennessee Hospitals on Life Support » READ

1,916 square miles and no psychiatrist » READ


ACA News

Report: Rural Implications of the Blueprints for State-Based Health Insurance Marketplaces » READ
HHS awarded $60 million in navigator grants » READ

ACOs may be contributing to slower health care spending growth » READ

Rural Enrollment Presents Continuing Health Law Challenges » READ


HIT News

Statistics show telehealth’s value in rural America » READ

9th Annual National Health IT Week is September 15-19, 2014 » READ

HIMSS expresses concern about EHR certification rule » READ

Ky. telemedicine pilot connects emergency patients with mental health care » READ

ONC finalizes EHR certification rule » READ

ONC has launched the Blue Button Toolkit » VIEW

Telemedicine Fills Pharmacy Services Gap Following Rural Store Closures » READ

 

Upcoming Events

PQRS: How to Avoid 2016 Negative Payment Adjustments for CMS Medicare Quality Reporting Programs
September 17, 2014 | 1:30 - 3:00 PM ET
(CMS)

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)

CMS Rural Health Open Door Forum
September 18, 2014 | 2:00 PM ET
(CMS)

RHC TA Call: Billing for RHC and nonRHC Services
September 18, 2014 | 3:00 PM ET
Phone: 888-603-9640
Passcode: 9854323
(NARHC)

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)

Health IT Week HRSA Webinar: Data Sharing Among Safety Net Providers
September 19, 2014 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
(HRSA)

Healthier Pregnancy: Tools and Techniques to Best Provide ACA-Covered Preventive Serivces
September 23, 2014 | 9:00 - 10:30 AM ET
(OH State University)

National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting
September 24-26, 2014 | Sioux Falls, SD
(HRSA)

Data 201
September 25, 2014 | 3:00 ET
(County Health Rankings & Roadmaps)

National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting
September 24-26, 2014 | Sioux Falls, SD
(HRSA)

Hear Why Many Organizations Are Changing EHRs In Order To Remain Competitive In The New Value-Based Health Care Environment
September 30, 2014 | 3:00 ET
(Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative)

2014 13th Annual NRHA Rural Health Clinic and Critical Access Hospital Conferences
September 30 - October 3, 2014 | Kansas City, MO
(NRHA)

NCHN Logo National Cooperative of Health Networks
Contact Us | About Us | www.NCHN.org
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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