RHPTP e-Newsletter | March 2023

RHPTP e-Newsletter - March 2023

This newsletter is supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) to share resources,educational events, and targeted technical assistance opportunities from the Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project (RHPTP). The goal of RHPTP is to help strengthen the foundation in key elements of value-based care for qualified small rural hospitals and certified rural health clinics.

Update: Refinement of the RHPTP Focused Technical Assistance Selection Process

The 2022 - 2023 cohort of six small rural hospitals (SRHs) and rural health clinics (RHCs) is well underway. As The Center opens the application for SRHs and RHCs interested in direct technical assistance (TA) nexty ear, we have important updates on the selection process to share. Selection for direct TA is now based on two areas: provider readiness to participate and the need for services. With the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy(FORHP) support, five applicants will be chosen each year to receive virtual and onsite TA.

Ideal small SRH and RHC applicants are those that demonstrate the highest need and strong readiness forcomprehensive TA, through financial stability, and a strong, stable leadership committed to active engagement in all phases of the project, including the application and interview process, where timeliness and responsiveness to anyrequest for additional information iscritical to the selection process. While all eligible SRH and RHCs are encouraged to apply, thisproject best supportscandidates that are notcurrently or have not recently received similar TA. In addition, RHPTP has the greatest impact on SRHs and RHCs without readily available support and access to value-based care (VBC) transition tools and resources.

RHPTP is designed to strengthen SRH and RHC foundations in the key elements of VBC, including, but not limited to quality, efficiency, patient experience, and safety. RHPTP's goal is to guide SRH and RHCs notcurrently participating in VBC, in preparing for and positioning their organizations for future participation in VBC. Direct TA also includes a financial assessment for VBC and a health equity dashboard.

For details about the application process, scoring, and selection, please access the 2023-2024 Application Interview and Process Guide.

Lawrence County Rural Health Clinic: Making Big Strides on Their Journey to Value-Based Care

The  Lawrence County Health Department (LCHD) is a public health department offering services to the residents of Lawrence County, IL, and surrounding communities. As a rural health clinic, LCHD was one of the four organizations selected to participate in the 2020 - 2021 Rural Health Provider Transition Project.

• Hired a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and continuing to expand behavioral health services in the surrounding counties
• Currently applying for a Rural Health Network Grant to purchase a new EHR software that accommodates more measurable data
• Moved into a new building that provides more space and continuity among all departments, and allows for all services to be under one roof which is helping close those gaps
• Implemented chronic care management
• Outreaching to the Medicare population to educate them on the importance of annual wellness visits
• Implemented school-based telehealth kiosks that are making a positive impact on the community and population health
• Solidified partnerships within the county
• Clinic now open on Saturdays from 8:00 AM - Noon, one to two days per month

Read about their accomplishments here.

"Everyone involved in RHPTP was very helpful! I liked the two-prong approach, with Stratis Health covering Quality Improvement starting from the bottom up, and Stroudwater Associates covering the management overview starting from the top down. LCHD board and management wish to extend our gratitude to Stratis Health, Stroudwater Associates, and the folks at the National Rural Health Resource Center for all the assistance that we received during the project. Thank you so much!"

                                                                                                         Amy Marley, Administrator

Engaging and Retaining Employees in a Competitive Environment

April 19, 2023 | 2:00 PM Central Time Speaker: Shannon Studden

In this webinar, you'll learn about the elements of the Staff Sustainability Cycle and take a deep dive into some of the key practices that foster employee engagement and retention. We'll share tools that you can use to strengthen your practices in these areas - thereby ensuring the critical services your health care organization provides to support the health of your community.

Organizational Leadership in Value

June 21, 2023 | 2:00 PM Central Time Speaker: Jennifer Lundblad, Stratis Health

This session will offer strategies and tactics for influencing and leading toward value-based care in a rural health care (VBC) organization and community as well as explore risks and unintended consequences important for you to understand when leading in VBC and payment environment.

Community Care Coordination: How to Effectively Identify, Engage, and Sustain Community Partners

July 19, 2023 | 2:00 PM Central Time Speaker: Debra Laine, The Center

This webinar will introduce tools for identifying partners and creating allies within your community by recognizing all of the social drivers of health (SDOH) being experienced. This webinar will ground you in Community Care Coordination and its role in population health, provide best practices, and teach you how to engage and sustain these partnerships. Applying these principles will strengthen the capacity of your health care delivery system to create buy-in, establish accountability and better manage the health of your population.

To view previous HELP webinar playbacks, visit our website.

Contact The RHPTP Team with Questions:

Rhonda Barcus, MS, LPC Program Manager rhptp@ruralcenter.org

Disclaimer: This project is supported by the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) of theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services(HHS) under grant numberU5ERH39345 as part of a financial assistance award totaling $800,000 (0%financed with nongovernmental sources.) The contents are those of 3/21/23, 9:16 AM RHPTP March 2023 Updates: Refinement of Direct TA Selection Process go.pardot.com/webmail/1003701/64519719/454a033174f3f73159c49198d6385a4941c84e5e273a4a2a819ef93e4473a35c 5/5 the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA/HHS, or theU.S.Government.

Update your Subscription Preferences