Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility and Benefits of Participation

Application Process

Community Care Coordination

Community Champion

DRCHSD Selected Organizations

Eligibility and Benefits of Participation

What are the purpose and goals of the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program?

The purpose of the DRCHSD Program is to make in-depth health system enhancements to position the organization and community for population health.

The program's goals are as follows:

  • Improve financial and operational performance
  • Implement quality improvements
  • Address workforce needs
  • Increase use of telemedicine
  • Ensure access to emergency medical services
  • Integrate social services
  • Develop a community care coordination plan
  • Strengthen the local health care delivery system

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Who is eligible to apply?

  • Eligible applicants include critical access hospitals (CAHs), small rural hospitals, rural health clinics (RHCs), and other health care organizations located in the 252 counties and parishes served by the Delta Regional Authority (DRA). For additional information, view the DRCHSD Program's eligibility requirements.
  • All eligible organizations are considered based on their need and congruence with the program services, as well as their commitment to fully participate in all phases of the program over multiple years.

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How will my organization benefit from participation in the DRCHSD Program?

  • Comprehensive consultations and coaching with subject matter experts (SMEs) to support the health care organization in positioning for population health of the future
  • One-on-one assistance in developing a community care coordination (CCC) plan, which is crucial to managing population health in the future
  • A Community Champion (CC) is supported to assist leadership in developing the CCC plan
  • Telehealth resources available to support services development to include funding for equipment, hardware, software, training, and/or financial system development
  • Various assessments, feasibility studies and direct hands-on assistance with SME to support the implementation process

For additional details, read about the program's benefits of participation.

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What is the Delta Regional Authority (DRA)?

The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) works to improve regional economic opportunity by helping to create jobs, build communities, and improve the lives of the 10 million people who reside in the 252 counties and parishes of the eight-state Delta Region.

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Application Process

How do we apply?

Applications can be submitted using or an online application form or by completing the DRA's Notice of Intent form. The application process is open and rolling. Applications remain on file and eligible organizations are considered for future openings.

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After we apply, what are the next steps?

A review call is scheduled with the organization's CEO to obtain additional information and share more information about the DRCHSD Program's purposes, goals, and participation expectations.

 

Community Care Coordination

Why is community care coordination (CCC) important?

  • Community care coordination (CCC) is key to addressing the disproportionate health outcomes that adversely impact underserved and vulnerable populations. While health care is essential, the primary drivers of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age — also known as the social determinants of health (SDOH). Examples of SDOH include factors such as education, neighborhood and physical environment, employment, and family and social support. Through CCC, health and social service providers can leverage local resources to assist with SDOH and effectively impact an individual's long-term health and well-being; ultimately also improving community health outcomes.
  • One-on-one assistance in developing a CCC plan is crucial to managing population health in the future.

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What is the purpose of CCC?

CCC is fundamental to the DRCHSD Program and supports the goal of making in-depth health system enhancements for improved population health. Research shows that successful care coordination can no longer take the traditional route and must involve collaborating with local health and social service providers to improve patient health outcomes.

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What is the timeline for CCC activities?

Timelines for CCC activities can be found on the Community Care Coordination Activities and Timeline page.

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Community Champion

How is the Community Champion (CC) supported through the DRCHSD Program?

The DRCHSD Program provides supplemental funding for up to three years to support participating health care organizations with employing/contracting and managing a CC. Funding supports the CC position at approximately 0.6 FTE (24 hours per week), which covers a minimum of 1,250 work hours per year for program activities.

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What is the purpose of the CC?

CCs are responsible for leading CCC program activities, which include engaging community joint partners, members, and organizations, as defined by leadership. For additional information about CCs, read the Community Champion Job Requirements.

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What types of professional development opportunities are provided to CCs through the DRCHSD Program?

The DRCHSD Program will support CCs with educational training to build their capacity to assist with CCC planning. Training focus areas include, but not limited to, facilitating meetings and workshops, presenting health data, creating and implementing action plans, and maximizing stakeholder collaboration. Training modes include learning collaboratives, bootcamps, summits, networking, and ongoing coaching.  

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Are CCC planning events separate from consultations?

Yes, DRCHSD Program consultations — like the Financial and Operational Assessment, the Quality Improvement Project, and the Revenue Cycle and Physician Practice Management Assessment — are different than the CCC events and workshops.

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We have a day scheduled for interviews. Can you please clarify what my responsibilities are regarding this?

CCs do not need to worry about participating in interviews. An interview schedule has been developed by a DRCHSD Program consultant and has been shared with the CEO at participating health care organizations. The organization's team members and clinical staff have scheduled time slots for this on-site day where they will be interviewed by the consultant.

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We have a day scheduled for the "Report Presentation and Action Planning." Looking at the agenda, it appears that our CEO and your consultant oversee the session. Is there anything I need to do to prepare?

CCs should plan to listen and learn. Attending the session is part of your own education. It may be helpful to be present to take notes and learn how you can best assist your organization's leadership team in linking the action plan results to CCC efforts.

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I am required to present on the health outcomes of my community. How should I prepare for this presentation?

County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Census Bureau are reliable sources for gathering data to highlight SDOH and other measures that should be considered. This information will help set the stage for working with community joint partners toward improving health outcomes.

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Who should be included on the CCC Team from the health care organization? 

We require the CEO of participating health care organizations to attend all CCC events and workshops. We also recommend the Chief Operating Officer, Director of Nursing, social workers, Quality Director, and Marketing Director attend.

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What is the purpose of the Potential Partners Worksheet?

The Potential Partners Worksheet provides CCs with a template for identifying community joint partners for CCC activities. The worksheet highlights community partners that the hospital or clinic may not have worked with in the past.

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Once a location has been identified for the event or workshop and we have created a list of potential partners, do we send out invitations? Do we go in person and speak to each potential partner individually? If so, is this the CC's responsibility?

The answer to each of these questions is: Yes. There isn’t a "right way" to invite partners to the event. How you invite partners — by email, by phone, in person — should be based on the "personality" of the partner organization and any information you have about the specific person you are inviting. It's possible that a combination of all three invitation methods may be necessary. In our experience, a call with a follow-up email or letter should be effective. The CC is the point person for planning the event/workshop. DRCHSD Program staff will assist by providing planning tools and guidance along the way. 

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Who oversees planning for CCC events and workshops?

  • Planning the direction of CCC events is led by the health care organization's leadership team.
  • The CC will be responsible for logistics, inviting community joint partners and health care organization teams, as well as organizing and presenting information as requested by DRCHSD Program staff. Program staff will support the facilitation of events and, over time, train the CC to continue their work. 

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What exactly takes place at a CCC planning event or workshop?

The focus of CCC events and workshops varies by program year and depends on the leadership’s priority needs. General components include sessions designed to form a connection with community members and joint partners, to present on community health outcomes and health care organizations' current and emerging services, to conduct consensus-based workshops, and to identify action steps and timelines. DRCHSD Program staff will provide planning documents to help prepare for CCC events (e.g., agenda, logistics checklist) that will detail the event roles and responsibilities of the CC and CEO. 

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DRCHSD Selected Organizations

If selected to participate in the DRCHSD Program, how long do program activities last?

The DRCHSD Program requires a three-year commitment from all participants. Please visit the Program Activities page for additional details.

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What activities are part of the DRCHSD Program?

An overview of DRCHSD Program activities can be found by visiting the Program Activities page.

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Who should we contact if we have questions?

Questions about the DRCHSD Program should be sent to: drchsd-program@ruralcenter.org. Questions will be directed to the appropriate staff member, depending on the topic. A full list of National Rural Health Resource Center staff is available at our staff directory.

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What is the consultation process?

An overview of the consultation process can be found on the Consultations Overview page.

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What is an Implementation Technical Assistance (ITA) Project?

ITA requests are designed to assist health care organizations with implementing consultant best practice recommendations, value-based care strategies, and evidence-based care models referenced in reports and prioritized in action plans. ITA services must directly support action plans and be aligned with the DRCHSD Program's purpose and goals. To learn more about ITA services, visit Request for Implementation Technical Assistance (ITA) Services.

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How do we submit an ITA request?

Requests for follow-up ITA projects can be submitted on The Center's Website.

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Which organizations are currently participating in the DRCHSD Program?

To view current participating organizations, visit Participating Hospitals and Clinics.

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