Top Three Flex Activities in 2009

1. Quality/Performance Improvement - improve the quality and safety of patient care; encourage the participation of Texas CAHs in CMS Hospital Compare to collect, report and monitor data on an ongoing basis, and encourage CAHs to benchmark against each other.
2. EMS/Trauma Team Development - to provide advanced life support education to rural healthcare providers and to establish a Comprehensive Advanced Life Support (CALS) training program and skills lab in Texas. Program outcomes include enhanced skills for the healthcare providers in these rural/frontier areas of the state by being able to anticipate and recognize life threatening emergencies and respond in a more efficient manner to trauma situations.
3. Continuing Education & Training (Development, Enhancement & Reimbursement) for all 76 CAHs, including Resource Guide and Leadership training for Board of Trustees to assist in the governance of a CAH.

Flex Program Success Story

With the support of FLEX funding, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (HealthNet) provides accredited continuing health education and training to healthcare personnel at 76 Texas CAHs. As part of this service, each CAH receives an extensive video tape/CD ROM package and unlimited on-line access to over 440 educational courses in over 20 health disciplines monthly. Based on the current utilization rate, more than 35,000 educational courses are completed each year, making this an extremely cost-effective and essential continuing health education program for the Texas CAHs.

Most Significant Achievement

Designation of 76 hospitals to Critical Access Hospital status.

Flex Program Details

Location: Texas Department of Rural Affairs
Number of CAHs: 76
Web site: www.orca.state.tx.us

Rural Assistance Center State Resources