Contents:

 

DECEMBER 2010

 

 

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MDH & ORHPC NEWS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rural Health Advisory Committee is recruiting five new members. See November open appointments.

HEALTH REFORM
Commissioner’s Perspective: On the Road to Value

Minnesota one of eight states participating in CMS’s Multi-payer Advanced Primary Care Practice Demonstration Project to evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated medical home model with coordinated payments from Medicare, Medicaid, and private health plans.

 The 2010 Minnesota Health Care Quality Report.

CMS seeks comments on Accountable Care Organization policies and standards through December 3

HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Telehealth Coverage Increase: CMS finalizes codes

Public hearing for health information exchange service provider certification December 2. The first two applications for Certificates of Authority to Operate as HIE Service Providers will be presented and open for questions and comments.   

HIT Regional Extension Center success stories will be featured in a free webinar December 7, 2-3:30 p.m., hosted by the national eHealth Initiative, including a discussion from a physician society perspective.

Educating a Health Informatics Workforce shares ways to grow your own employees. The Minnesota Rural Health Association is offering this free webinar December 10, noon to 1 p.m. Contact Judy Neppel at 218-281-8323 or jneppel@umn.edu to register.

ONC seeks public comments on personal health records through December 10.

CCHIT launching customized EHR certification program for hospitals December 15.

On the Office of Rural Health & Primary Care Health Information Technology site:
 • Preliminary 2011 HRSA Network Development Grant Program guidance
 • Normandale's second six-month HIT training cohort starting January 4
 • CMS EHR Incentive Program Eligibility decision tool.

SNAPSHOT of Minnesota Health Care Workforce

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) include nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives. APRNs are estimated at 6 percent of the total registered nurse workforce licensed in Minnesota (4,686). Analysis of 2010 nurse licensing data shows the highest concentrations are in the Twin Cities area (49.7 percent), southeast Minnesota (15 percent) and outside Minnesota (12 percent).

Geographic distribution of APRNs based on mailing address

graph shows geographic distribution of APRNs

For more information and data on Minnesota's health workforce, visit the ORHPC Health Care Workforce Analysis Program site or contact Angie Sechler at angie.sechler@state.mn.us or 651-201-3862.

STAFF NEWS
Judy Bergh, Anne Schloegel and Amy Vallery visited Lake View Hospital in Two Harbors.

Judy Bergh, Tim Held and Mark Schoenbaum attended the Comprehensive Advanced Life Support Annual Conference.

Lorry Colaizy presented Health Careers Promotion Grant information at the Minnesota Career and Technical Education 2nd Annual Best Practices Conference.

Jill Myers presented an overview of rural health health issues to Stratis Health Consumer Advisory Committee.

Mark Schoenbaum presided at the 15th Anniversary National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health Annual Meeting.

Mark Schoenbaum presented at the Delta Dental Smile Connections Conference on dental access and workforce issues.

Amy Vallery shared loan forgiveness and repayment information with the Minnesota Association of Health Care Recruiters at St. Cloud Hospital and with students at a University of Minnesota Dental School event.
 

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ORHPC GRANTS AND LOANS

 

Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant applications are due December 15.

Electronic Health Record loan funds will be available in early 2011.
 

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OTHER GRANTS AND LOANS

Apply by February 28 for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars program for physicians.

Apply by February 28 for Indian Health Services Dental Externships.

Apply by May 26 for National Health Service Corps loan repayment.
 

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OPPORTUNITIES

Apply to Minnesota boards, committees and councils seeking members.

Shape federal policies by sharing your promising place-based community development initiatives.

Apply to Minnesota's Future Doctors.

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NEWS OF OUR PARTNERS

 

Lakewood Health System and 39 other organizations nationwide received a Studer Group® Excellence in Patient Care award.

Gary Wingrove, director of Government Relations and Strategic Affairs for Mayo Clinic Medical Transport, was elected to the board of directors of Stratis Health.

North Country Regional Hospital, Bemidji, is merging with Sanford Health, which already runs the neighboring Sanford Health Meritcare Clinic.

Essentia sets sights on rural healthcare research.

Rural moms: Fewer hospitals means more planning, driving. Describe your successful rural OB program.

Dr. Ray Christensen, a member of the Minnesota Rural Health Association, was elected to chair the National Rural Health Association Clinical Constituency Group.

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NOW READ THIS

 

Health Reform
Will ACOs work in rural areas?

Mental Health
   • Mental Health Services in Rural Jails
  • Tools For Transforming Rural Mental Health Programs Into Promising And/Or Evidence-Based Practices (webinar recording)

Workforce 
  • Primary Care Shortages in Urban Underserved Communities: What Can Be Done?
  • Community Health Workers Playing a Bigger Role in Health Care
  • As Minn. population ages, nursing schools focus on geriatric care

HIT
  • Unanswered Meaningful Use Questions: What Qualifies for the CAH Incentive?
  • A Blueprint for Telerehabilitation Guidelines (PDF: 477 KB/10 pgs)
  • The Regional Extension Center Program: Helping Physicians Meaningfully Use Health Information Technology(Subscription required for full article; abstract only)
  • Incorporating Health Information Technology into Workflow Redesign

Resources  
  • Key Environmental Health Competencies for Rural Primary Care Providers (PDF: 7 pgs/352KB)
  • Road to Health Toolkit in English and Spanish for community health works and educators who work with communities at risk for type 2 diabetes.
  • The Medicare Learning Network provides no-cost information on Medicare information, prepared by subject-specific experts.

Other
  • Childhood agricultural injury rates continue to decline (PDF: 1MB/4pgs)
  • Rural Adolescents More Likely Than Urban Ones to Abuse Prescription Drugs
  • The Unequal Distribution of Child Poverty: Highest Rates among Young Blacks and Children of Single Mothers in Rural America (PDF: 4pgs/242KB)
  • Nurse Visits to Low-Income Mothers Improve Outcomes in Both Rural and Urban Areas, Study Shows
  • CMS Announces 2011 Payment Changes for Medicare Home Health Services
  • CMS Sets 2011 Hospital Outpatient, Ambulatory Surgical Center Rates

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SAVE THE DATE

National Rural Health Association Rural Multiracial and Multicultural Health Conference is December 1-3 in Tucson, Arizona.

Meaningful Use Boot Camp is December 7 in Bloomington.

Minnesota Flex Program Advisory Committee meeting is December 8 in St. Paul.

Minnesota Rural Health Association cyber conference: Educating a Health Informatics Workforce is December 10, 12-1 p.m. Contact Judy Neppel at jneppel@umn.edu.

National Stroke Association’s first annual Virtual Health Fair is January 19.

Wipfli LLP's 1th Annual Rural Health Clinic Forum and Critical Access Hospital Workshop is February 1-3 in Bloomington.

National Medicare Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Summit is March 9-11 in Washington, D.C. or online.

 

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View online all previous issues of the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care publications.

We invite you to forward this newsletter to your colleagues. Not already a subscriber? Subscribe to receive the Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care free Monthly and Quarterly e-newsletters.

Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
P. O. Box 64882
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0882
Phone 651-201-3838
Toll free in Minnesota 800-366-5424
Fax: 651-201-3830
TDD: 651-201-5797
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/orhpc/index.html

Email Mary Ann Radigan at maryann.radigan@state.mn.us or call 651-201-3855 with comments.

Our mission
to promote access to quality health care for rural and underserved urban Minnesotans. From our unique position within state government, we work as partners with communities, providers, policymakers and other organizations. Together, we develop innovative approaches and tailor our tools and resources to the diverse populations we serve.