Contents:

 

NOVEMBER 2011

 

 

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MDH & ORHPC NEWS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HEALTH REFORM
Request for Proposal is due November 16 for the purpose of conducting a needs assessment for a health clinic or other health care needs of the Tribal Population in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, with a focus and emphasis on White Earth Nation members. A report to the Legislature documenting the results of the assessment and providing recommendation is required. The draft report is due to the Minnesota Department of Health by February 22.

Request for Proposal is due November 28 to identify a survey vendor to collect CAHPS® Clinician and Group Survey (CG-CAHPS) data for a test of equivalency between the CG-CAHPS Visit version (CG-Visit) and a modified version of the new CG-CAHPS Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Survey (CG-PCMH) that includes the core questions from the CG-Visit version.

Gov. Dayton establishes Vision for Health Care Reform in Minnesota.

Gov. Mark Dayton proclaimed November 17 National Rural Health Day in Minnesota!

Celebrate National Rural Health Day in your community

 natl rural health day logo

HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Funding is now available to support health information exchange. Minnesota e-Health Connectivity Grant Program for Health Information Exchange applications are due December 31.

Important dates for Medicare and Medicaid:
• Medicare - November 30, 2011, is the last day for Medicare eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals to register and attest to receive an incentive payment for federal fiscal year 2011.
• Medicare - February 29, 2012, is the last day for Medicare eligible professionals to register and attest to receive an incentive payment for calendar year 2011.
• Medicaid - Review the Minnesota Department of Human Services site, Minnesota's medicaid agency, to determine last day you can attest.

Minnesota certifies Emdeon as Health Data Intermediary.

HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE SNAPSHOT

RN degrees

Registered nurses (RNs) are being encouraged to strengthen their academic training in preparation for changes to traditional work roles and responsibilities occurring under health care reform. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine announced a goal of “increasing the percentage of nurses holding the BSN degree or higher to 80 percent by 2020.”

Survey estimates indicate half (50.8 percent) of Minnesota’s licensed RNs employed as nurses had a bachelor’s degree or higher as of 2008. The 2012 survey of RNs will provide another indicator of progress toward meeting this national goal.

Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, Institute of Medicine; Washington D.C.; October 2010
Source: 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses

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
ORHPC was proud to be one of the Many Faces of Community Health Conference sponsors.

ORHPC welcomed Megan Meacham, public health analyst for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Office of Rural Health Policy, to a recent staff meeting.

Chris Ballard helped with trauma designation site visits at United Hospital District (Blue Earth), Deer River HealthCare Center, Essentia Health Northern Pines (Aurora), Granite Falls Municipal Hospital, Lakewood Health System (Staples), Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont, Murray County Medical Center (Slayton), Ortonville Area Health Services, Virginia Regional Medical Center, and Windom Area Hospital. He also participated in the Southern Minnesota Regional Trauma Advisory Performance Improvement Forum and Minnesota Trauma Registry Alliance meeting. Chris is designation coordinator for the Minnesota Statewide Trauma System.

Craig Baarson, Judy Bergh, Anne Schloegel and Amy Vallery visited United Hospital District and Blue Earth Drug.

Student worker Laura Grangaard is assisting Deb Jahnke, Leslie Nordgren and Lee Schutz with several projects this fall.

Anne Schloegel and Karen Welle joined in the Regional Extension Center for Health Information Technology celebration in Glenwood recognizing Glacial Ridge Health System as a Meaningful Use Vanguard.

Ed VanCleave returned to the ORHPC Workforce Analysis staff from retirement to help analyze and report on the primary care workforce.

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ORHPC GRANTS AND LOANS

 

Minnesota's Loan Forgiveness applications are due December 1.

Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Grant applications are due December 16.

Be an ORHPC grant reviewer. Please contact Doug Benson at doug.benson@state.mn.us or 651-201-3842 or Cindy LaMere at cindy.lamere@state.mn.us or 651-201-3852 with your name, profession, place of employment and contact information.

 

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OTHER GRANTS AND LOANS

Critical Access Hospitals may qualify to apply as National Health Service Corps-approved sites by:
    • Being located within a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area
    • Providing a discount fee schedule for uninsured patients with incomes at or below 200 percent federal poverty level
    • Aligning with an outpatient setting and
    • Engaging in primary health care and related inpatient services.
For CAHs interested in being approved, information is on the National Health Service Corps site or contact Debra Jahnke at debra.jahnke@state.mn.us or 651-201-3845 or 800-366-5424.

Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program (announcement HRSA-12-083) applications are due November 22.

National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (Pilot) applications are due in December.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Careers in Nursing (Round 5) applications are due January 11.
 

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OPPORTUNITIES

State Trauma Advisory Council openings will be advertised November 7 in the Secretary of State's November press release with an application due date of November 29.

Openings in the Secretary of State's October press release include the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Advisory Council, the Council on Disability and the Minnesota Board on Aging.

Comments for the Rural Utilities Service Telecommunications Loan Program are due November 14.

Rural Palliative Care Community Development Project applications are due from rural communities December 2.

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NEWS OF OUR PARTNERS

 

Lakewood Health Center (Baudette), New Ulm Medical Center, Queen of Peace Hospital (New Prague), Riverwood Healthcare Center (Aitkin), Saint Elizabeth Medical Center (Wabasha), St. Gabriels Hospital (Little Falls), Springfield Medical Center Mayo Health, Steven Community Medical Center and United Hospital District (Blue Earth) were named in the top 100 critical access hospitals as determined by the Hospital StrengthTM Index (PDF: 368KB/5pgs)

CHIC's Health Information Exchange-Bridge goes live with the Social Security Administration.

Minnesota Rural Health Hero of 2011 Therese Zink launched a blog that includes snippets from her book, Country Doctor Revisted, with reflective questions geared toward students on rural rotations or with interest in rural health.

The National Rural Health Resource Center in Duluth received a contract from the Department of Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Integrated Service Network 23, to bridge the gap between the VA and rural community hospice and other end-of life providers.

Minnesota Rural Health Association executive director Judy Neppel discusses workforce recruitment in Rural health care seeing change and Lake Region Healthcare (Fergus Falls) CEO Larry Schulz discusses a hospitalist program in Health care systems creatively finding professionals. Both articles appear in Prairie Business.

Broadway Medical Center (Alexandria and Parkers Prairie) and Sanford Health agreed to a letter of intent, which is a non-binding first step in a potential merger.

The University of Minnesota received two U.S. Department of Health & Human Services awards: Almost $150,000 to support primary care training and 13 scholarship and loan repayment program awards.
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NOW READ THIS

 

  • Will Bundling Work in Rural America?
 • A Natural Fit: Collaborations Between Community Health Centers and Family Planning Clinics (PDF: 970KB/19pgs)   
  • The Health and Well-Being of Children in Rural Areas: A Portrait of the Nation 2007, released September 2011
  • Concise explanations of Health Insurance Exchanges, Medicare Part D Donut Hole, Medicaid Expansion, Market Reforms and Cost Sharing from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Dental
  • New providers could fill gap in rural dental care
  • Outreach dental program lauded as national model

Medical Home
  • Core Value, Community Connections: Care Coordination in the Medical Home (PDF: 4MB/132pgs)
  • Medical homes reduce out-of-pocket costs for children with special needs

Hospitals
  • Three strategies of financially successful CAHs
  • CMS offers hospitals guidance for meeting meaningful use

Health Information Technology
  • Telemedicine in Winona area schools, assisted living and a group home
  • Five ways telemedicine can boost care in rural communities

Workforce
  • Train Rural
  • The complexities of National Health Care Workforce Planning (PDF: 685KB/28pgs)
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SAVE THE DATE

A meeting of Minnesota e-Health workgroups and interested stakeholders is 1-4 p.m., November 7 at Snelling Office Park in St. Paul. To participate via teleconference, dial 1-888-742-5095 and enter the passcode 4477200226. For questions or to RSVP, email Bob Johnson at bob.b.johnson@state.mn.us.

Pediatric Trauma Simulation Training is November 12 in Owatonna, November 19 in Eveleth, April 14 in Marshall and April 28 in Thief River Falls.

Creating a Healthier Community Together Conference is November 15-16 in Minneapolis.

Policy and Progress: Border to Border Broadband Conference is November 16-17 in Duluth.

Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety & Health Forum is November 16-17 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Minnesota Rural Health Association is recognizing National Rural Health Day November 17 with a webinar 12-1 p.m. on the Status of Rural Health in Minnesota. Contact Judy Neppel at jneppel@umn.edu for information.

The 2012 Minnesota Rural Health Conference is June 25-26.
 

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

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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.