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Contents: |
MONTHLY UPDATE:
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Our mission |
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HEALTH REFORM |
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Read the latest on Minnesota Health Reform from Commissioner Sanne Magnan, M.D., and stay informed on opportunities for input on the fast-moving implementation of health reform. The Minnesota Health Reform site includes descriptions of the health reform package, including the Statewide Health Improvement Program, health care homes, payment reform, insurance coverage, workgroups and more. Subscribe online. The 2007 PQRI Reporting Experience lists the most common errors responsible for unsuccessful participation. Among the most common were nonadherence to measure specifications and lack of NPI number on the line with the measure. It is not too late to participate in PQRI 2009. This year’s program includes 153 quality measures. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Web site HealthReform.gov summarizes comments from the thousands of Americans who hosted and participated in Health Care Community Discussions across the country and highlights the need for immediate action to reform health care. Comments received online by April 24 about the existing Healthy People 2010 objectives will help draft preliminary Healthy People 2020 objectives. More extensive public comment will be conducted through the Healthy People Web site at a future date. |
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HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY |
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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides funding to strengthen the delivery of health care, particularly in the area of health information technology. Approximately $31 billion was appropriated under Title XIII, as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act), to promote the adoption, implementation and effective use of health information technology. Two billion dollars in funding is directed toward strengthening federal and regional support of health information technology, promoting standards development, improving privacy, helping states promote health information technology, providing grants to states for electronic health record loans to providers, and expanding health information technology programs for clinicians and IT professionals. Approximately $29 billion of the total will be made available as incentive payments to individual health care providers and hospitals under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In addition to the HITECH provisions, the bill provides additional funding to community health centers for operations, capital and health information technology needs; adds funding to the USDA’s Rural Utilities Services for rural broadband development; and creates a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program to include health care. The Minnesota Department of Health is evaluating opportunities for Minnesota and has created a HITECH Web page containing information and resources about the Act. The page will be updated regularly. The July 2009 Great Plains Telehealth & Assistance Center Annual Conference in Bloomington has been canceled. Other educational opportunities including webinars, educational videos and regional workshops are under consideration. |
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MDH/ORHPC NEWS |
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Twenty-nine applicants received Loan Forgiveness Program awards. The Dentist Program received 10 applications and offered awards to three final year students. The Nurse Faculty Program received 10 applications and made six awards to final year students. The Nurse Program received 11 applications and made six awards to final year students. The Rural Midlevel Practitioner Program received 12 applications and made seven awards to final year students. The Rural Physician Program received 17 final year resident applications and three awards were given. Four Rural Pharmacist Program awards were made to final year students; the program received 41 applications. The next application cycle will open July 1. The latest workforce information about Minnesota dentists (2008) and dental assistants (2006-2007) is now available on the ORHPC Web site. | ||||
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ORHPC GRANTS AND LOANS |
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April 20 is the deadline for the Summer Health Care Intern Program, which brings students and health care employers together. Participating hospitals, medical clinics, nursing facilities, home health agencies, assisted living residences and physicians employ students for six to 12 weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day for at least minimum wage. Clinical Dental Innovation Grant applications will be online April 24 and due July 10. The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care is recruiting volunteers who have experience in health care and/or grant making to objectively review grant proposals. If you are interested, please contact Doug Benson at (651) 201-3842 or doug.benson@state.mn.us or Cindy LaMere at (651) 201-3852 or cindy.lamere@state.mn.us. | ||||
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OTHER GRANTS AND LOANS |
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April 6 is the deadline to apply for a scholarship through the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program. |
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SNAPSHOT |
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Active Primary Care Physicians per 100,000 Population, 2009 |
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OPPORTUNITIES |
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The State Trauma Advisory Council is seeking a rural hospital administrator and a pediatrician. The Board of Firefighter Training and Education is looking for one volunteer firefighter representing the Minnesota State Fire Department Association. The Board of Psychology is recruiting one psychologist, not necessarily licensed, who represents a master's degree training program in psychology. The Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board is seeking one public member. The Minnesota Board of Nursing needs one licensed practical nurse. The Registered Naturopathic Doctor Advisory Council has seven vacancies. The State Advisory Council on Mental Health is looking for one urban county commissioner. Complete information is in the March Open Appointments on the Secretary of State Web site. Proposals for the Community Mental Health Annual Fall Conference are due April 15. Submit proposals for a 2009 Medication Use in Rural America Conference session by April 20. April 24 is the deadline for MetLife Foundation Family Caregiver Award nominations. The awards are intended to improve the quality of life of family caregivers by recognizing the work of nonprofit community groups that work with them. | ||
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NEWS OF OUR PARTNERS |
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The Rural Health Resource Center hired Tracy Morton, Kim Nordin and Sally Trnka and promoted Nicole Clement. Cindee Quake-Rapp, Ph.D. was named director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Allied Health Programs. The center was created in 2006 to respond to allied health professional workforce shortages. The Journal of Emergency Medical Services named Gary Wingrove one of the top 10 innovators in Emergency Medical Services who drove the profession forward in 2008. Early in March the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced funding of $155 million to help 126 health centers provide care to an estimated 750,000 people with low incomes and create jobs at new health centers. Open Door Health Center in Mankato received $1.3 million under this American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 distribution. On March 27 HHS announced the release of Increased Demand for Services grants to 1,128 federally qualified health centers to create or retain approximately 6,400 jobs. Stratis Health awarded its Building Healthier Communities award to CardioVision 2020. CardioVision 2020 aims to reduce cardiovascular disease burden in Olmsted County to the lowest levels in the United States by 2020, by promoting healthy lifestyle habits, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. | ||||
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NOW READ THIS |
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In the past 10 years, there has been a marked increase in the proportion of hospitalized patients being managed by "hospitalists." St. Cloud, Minnesota was included in the hospital-referral areas with the highest percentages of hospitalist care. A Key Facts in Rural Health publication, Health Disparities: A Rural-Urban Chartbook (PDF: 280KB/1 page) expands on the National Healthcare Disparities Reports. CMS has a new internet-based enrollment system for medicare providers. The Rural Policy Research Institute examines The President's Budget FY 2010: What's In It For Rural America? Capital Investment Needs of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs): Results of the 2007 National CAH Survey (PDF:150KB/2pgs) describes CAH's needs and experiences in accessing capital. The Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center Policy Brief Implementation of Telepharmacy in Rural Hospitals: Potential for Improving Medication Safety is online (PDF:106KBB/5pgs). The Robert Graham Center: Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care, with support of the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, completed the report Specialty and Geographic Distribution of the Physician Workforce: What Influences Medical Student & Resident Choices (PDF: 588KB/102pgs). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Women's Health prepared Physical Activity and Health Eating Tools for adult women and young women, as well as editions specifically for rural women. The rate of growth of Medicare Advantage (MA) program enrollment decreased significantly in 2008. In addition, the growth rate in preferred provider organization plans in rural areas now exceeds that in private fee-for-service plans. A RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis brief (PDF: 104KB/4pgs) updates earlier findings. The House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee held a hearing to examine ways to narrow the health disparities of veterans living in rural areas. | ||||
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SAVE THE DATE |
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Nonprofits Assistance Fund is offering financial management workshops April through July. Minnesota Voices Online Unconference: Connecting rural Minnesotans with new media so every place can share its voice in the Internet age is April 3-4 in Duluth. Minnesota Rural Health Association is sponsoring a webinar 12-1 p.m. on April 8 about Together Rx Access. Register online. Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Spring Refresher is April 16-17 in Minneapolis. Minnesota Health Care Roundtable Medical Home: Anathema or Panacea is April 23 in Minneapolis. The American Telemedicine Association's 14th Annual International Meeting and Exposition is April 26-28 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The National Rural Health Association's 32nd Annual Rural Health Conference is May 5-8 in Miami Beach, Florida.
The Seventh Annual Symposium on Small Towns "Communities 2050: Building a Livable, Renewable and Responsible Future!" is June 2-3 at the University of Minnesota Morris. The Fifth International Rural Nurse Conference is June 4-5 in Boise, Idaho. The Minnesota e-Health Summit 2009 is June 25-26 in Brooklyn Park. |
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View online all previous issues of the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care publications. |
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