Rural Spotlight

Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in High Demand

Primary Care Physicians are in short supply and that problem isn't expected to be fixed anytime soon. So nurse practitioners and physician assistants are becoming the answer. These two groups of highly trained professionals can mean the difference between hours, days, weeks or months of waiting for patients who need care. Read more here.  

Two Hospitals Blazing a Trail in Patient Care Success

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services "Pay for Performance" project has been in place for a few years now. Two hospitals in particular are seeing great results, but not because of the money they get for improved care.  It's for the reputation boost and positive recognition. Read more here.

Iowa Hospital Gets Attention for Settlement

Waterloo, Iowa's Covenant Medical Center is out $4.5 million dollars after agreeing to pay that much to settle a controversy over the payment to five doctors. The hospital has admitted no wrong doing. It was accused of violating the Stark Act by overpaying medical specialists to work in their hospital in an effort to entice more patients. Read more here.

Evidence Based Way to See If Your Facility Stacks Up

The Community Apgar Questionnaire is a tool used to help rural communities recruit and retain family physicians. All critical access hospitals in the state of Idaho will be reviewed through the CAQ over the next few years. Other states are also looking into this unique opportunity to compare community to community and hospital to hospital to see which ones are going to be most appealing for job seeking doctors. Read more here.

Medicare Pilot Project Links Hospital Payments To Quality

New data suggests that when Medicare payments to hospitals are made based on the quality of care patients receive, the patients' health sees the biggest benefits. The Washington Post has detailed a pilot program Medicare started in 2003 within hundreds of U.S. hospitals. Details from that project will be released soon showing that infections and heart-attack deaths both declined.  Read the full article here.

With Just a Click, Determine Your Risk

Do you know if you are at risk for high blood pressure? The Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program, in partnership with the American Heart Association, is offering a free online risk assessment calculator.

The calculator uses your height, weight, blood pressure and other factors to determine your risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease. The risk calculator also estimates how lifestyle changes such as reducing your sodium and daily exercise can lower blood pressure and other health risks.

After taking the test, the risk assessment calculator generates a report that you can take to your next doctor’s appointment. The risk assessment only takes a few minutes. Click here to find it.

Stroke Assistance for Rural Health Care Facilities

Many of Missouri's small hospitals and clinics don't have access to the equipment and specialists needed to diagnose stroke cases. St. Louis University came up with a way those rural areas could have better access to such needs. Last year the school launched the MidAmerica Stroke Network. Now, just over a year later, more than thirty hospitals in Missouri and Illinois are members. Read this article to see what a positive impact the stroke network has had. 

Money for Programs that Prepare Health Care Workers

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $220 million competition to fund programs that prepare workers for careers in the health care industry. Secretary of Labor, Hilda L. Solis announced the funds saying:

"An important part of our nation's continued economic recovery is ensuring that workers have the necessary skills to enter high growth industries...Health care continues to offer workers opportunities to enter career-track jobs, earn good wages and make a positive impact on the communities in which they live and work."

Both public entities and private nonprofits will be eligible for the funds. Read more about the competition program here.

Funds are being made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Online Assistance with the Health Center Controlled Network

The Office of Health Information Technology has released a new online tool to assist interested parties in locating information about the Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN) resources. This tool is intended to help organizations that might be interested in joining an HCCN, or finding out more about a particular vendor or software product.  Networks can be searched and identified by name, state, the type of Electronic Health Record software they use, the practice management software they use, or the type of HRSA grant they have received.  Access the tool here.

ARRA Grants Available for Rural Hospital Facilities

Authorized by the American Recovery and Investment Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service will award $1.19 billion in loans and grants to build or improve hospitals and other essential facilities in low-income rural communities.  Below is more information about the grants:

1. Deadline for funding is on a rolling basis until September 30, 2010.
2. Matching funds are not required.
3. Affected Programs include: community facilities, single family housing, business & industry loans, rural business enterprise grants, water and waste loans, broadband loans and grants.
4. Preference is given to ‘quick-start’ activities where at least 50% of funds are initiated in 120 days.
5. Rural Hospitals fall under the “Community Facilities (CF) Programs”

• The CF Direct Loan and Grant Programs are designed to finance and facilitate the development of essential community facilities servicing rural areas.  These facilities include, but are not limited to, hospitals; medical clinics; elderly care facilities; fire and rescue stations … and educational facilities.  Funds under this Notice can be used to construct, enlarge or improve community facilities for health, public safety, and education.  This may include the purchase of equipment of furnishings required for a facility’s operation. 
• Funding is available as follows:
  CF Direct Loan Funds - $1,136,188,811
  Less National Office Reserve - $568,094,811
  Allocation to States - $568,094,000
  CF Grant Funds - $61,110,000
  Less Nat’l Office Reserve - $30,553,000
  Allocation to States - $30,557,000

 

Applications are accepted in the State Offices and states must submit to the National Office by local close of business on last business day of each month.

Further information can be found at: http://www.grants.gov or to apply, contact the USDA rural development office in the state where the project is located.

Terry Hill, Executive Director of the National Rural Health Resource Center, has recently been in communication with the USDA to discuss rural needs in regards to this grant program.  If you have questions about this opportunity, please feel free to contact Terry at 218-727-9390 ext 232.