Swing Bed Education Webinar

When: January 20, 2010; 12:00-1:00
Topic: CST During this free webinar, presented by Wipfli, participants will understand how to develop a system for accurate billing of swing bed services, avoid costly errors and potential intermediary scrutiny, assure proper reimbursement, identify patients who could benefit from swing bed care and thoroughly understand swing bed regulations and criteria for continued stay. For more information and to register, click here.

Health Records Assistant/Coder Position Available

Immediate full time position at Lincoln Community Hospital in Hugo, Colorado. Applicant must be experienced in hospital ICD-9/CPT coding, computer entry and record completion guidelines, be self-motivated, organized, and detail oriented. Benefits with salary based on experience. For more information contact Kathy Richie at 719.743.2421, ext 3243 or send resume to krichie@lchnh.com.

CRHC Seed Grants

CRHC Seed grants up to $1,000 are available for purposes or projects whose intent matches CRHC's mission. For eligibility and application information, click here.

USDA's "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" Initiative

USDA's "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" initiative was launched in September 2009 to emphasize the need for a fundamental and critical reconnection between producers and consumers. Rural Development has loan and grant funding available through a variety of community and economic development programs. Click here for information. Additional information on USDA Rural Development programs can be found by clicking here.

The Forum 2010: Essential Perspectives for Safety Net Providers

April 19-21, 2010 at the Red Lion Hotel in Aurora
Under new ownership, all guest rooms and all meetings rooms have been completely renovated. This year's Forum is also the first annual meeting of the Association of Rural Health Clinics of Colorado. Forum educational sessions will include a variety of topics on Rural Health Clinic compliance and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) requirements for clinic adoption of health information technology. In addition, the 2010 Forum's expanded focus will also contain insightful topics and sessions for both certified Rural Health Clinics and ClinicNET affiliates. Agenda and registration information will be posted on the Colorado Rural Health Center website in January.

Rural Philanthropy Days Newsletter

Click here to view the December 2009 Southeast Colorado Rural Philanthropy Days newsletter with information about the 2010 Philanthropy Days event as well as a list of upcoming grant deadlines.

Colorado Rural Health Grant Program

The Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program is available to support the health infrastructure in Colorado's rural communities. Funds are focused on improving outpatient primary care services. For more information click here.

Practice Transformation Webinar

Webinar: The Reality of Practice Transformation: It's Coming, and You Can Do It!

When: Friday January 15, 2010 from 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M.

Topic: A key component of the national healthcare reform debate is the need for healthcare facilities to "transform" from the current model of healthcare delivery to one that is more collaborative, patient-centered, and driven by best care practices and technological advancements. Learn how Dr. Scott Hammond has transformed the way he and his staff approach patient care, and have created a culture at Westminster Medical Center where the clinic's providers, staff, and patients are working together on improved patient health outcomes and clinic viability. You will also learn about the variety of resources and tools that Dr. Hammond used along this journey, and how pertinent these resources are in today's fast changing healthcare landscape. CRHC and CCGC are pleased to present this no-cost webinar through a generous grant provided by The Colorado Health Foundation.

For registration information, click here.

CCGC Seeking Providers to Develop Childhood Obesity Guideline

The Colorado Clinical Guidelines Collaborative (CCGC) invites you to participate on a committee to develop a childhood obesity guideline aimed at primary care providers in Colorado. Guidelines are developed by a committee of experts who review existing evidence and current literature to identify key points that should be emphasized. For more information, click here. The estimated time commitment is two, 2-hour meetings per month, January-June 2010. It is possible to participate by conference call. CCGC is looking for the following expertise for this committee: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Pediatric Physicians, Nurses and PA's, Researchers, Program Directors and other interested parties. To participate, contact Sara Schwankl at sschwankl@coloradoguidelines.org or 303.962.8979 by Friday, December 31, 2009. Include your name, specialty, organization, email, and meeting time/day preference.

Senate Health Bill Filed

The long-anticipated Senate health reform bill (a bill blended from the two bills reported from the Finance Committee and Senate HELP Committees) has been filed. The bill number is HR 3589. You will find it posted on the National Rural Health Association website. NRHA is completing an analysis of the rural provisions in the bill as quickly as possible. (Upon a very quick read, however, it looks like the proposed legislation retained most of the important rural provisions that were contained in the original Senate HELP and Finance bills.) Preliminary discussions of the bill have begun on the Senate Floor--but there will be a few procedural hurdles that must be overcome before we get to the actual debate where amendments will be offered.

The bill has been scored by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) at $849 billion over ten years, or, within the target that the Democrats were shooting for. CBO indicates that the bill will actually reduce the deficit by $127 billion over ten years and $650 billion over the following ten years. The bill is also projected to insure 94% of the population.

Sliding Fee Scale

A sliding fee scale is not mandatory for Rural Health Clinics whether independent or provider-based. There are programs that RHCs can voluntarily participate in that do require a sliding fee scale, such as the National Health Service Corps scholarship, loan repayment programs and the Primary Care Fund. For more information, sliding fee scale guidelines and template contact Rich Marquez, RHC Program Coordinator at 303-577-0373 or by email at rm@coruralhealth.org.

Assn. of Rural Health Clinics of Colorado

On November 23, 2009 the Advisory Committee of the Association of Rural Health Clinics of Colorado (ARHCC) approved the Association's bylaws. The ARHCC bylaws will be formally approved by Association members at the 2010 Annual Rural Health Clinics Forum and ARHCC Annual Meeting. All certified Rural Health Clinics in Colorado are members of ARHCC. Clinic's joining the Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) automatically become voting members of ARHCC. CRHC's membership drive is currently underway. For more information contact Rich Marquez, RHC Program Coordinator and ARHCC Secretary at 303.577.0373 or by email at rm@coruralhealth.org. The ARHCC benefits package is in development and will be announced in 2010.