Safety Net Clinic Week, August 22-26-Clinic Toolkit Now Available

The second annual Safety Net Clinic Week is August 22-26, 2011.The week will be devoted to educating the public and policy makers about often overlooked providers, Community Funded Safety Net Clinics (CSNCs) and federally certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), that care for uninsured and underinsured Coloradans.
A toolkit of resources is now available for clinics that would like to participate in Safety Net Clinic Week activities. Click here for the toolkit. Please consider hosting an open house or legislative visit at your clinic during the week. Contact Alicia or Sara for more information on how you can get involved with Safety Net Clinic Week.

Waste Management for Rural Hospitals

August 2011
Prepare your facility for hospital hazardous waste inspections being conducted by the
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) in 2011 and 2012. Join
representatives from CDPHE and their partners for an introduction to hazardous and solid waste
requirements as they apply to smaller hospitals. This workshop is designed for anyone responsible
for identifying, collecting, or managing hospital waste, including personnel from pharmacy,
nursing, laboratory, and facilities maintenance.  For more information and to register click here

Rural Americans face greater lack of healthcare access: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rural Americans are more likely to suffer from chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart problems and cancer, and face greater difficulty accessing quality healthcare than urban counterparts, according to a report released on Wednesday. The challenges facing healthcare providers for rural areas could be compounded by recent healthcare legislation, according to the UnitedHealth Center for Health & Reform Modernization. "This is kind of an opportunity," UnitedHealth chair and report author Simon Stevens told Reuters. "Expanding coverage will mean that more people will have the ability to access care than before, but it's also a wake-up call." The Center projects that around 8 million more rural residents will join Medicaid, state and government-subsidized insurance plans in the national coverage expansions than would have otherwise -- a net expansion of some 5 million people. The paper found that there are only 65 primary care physicians per 100,000 rural Americans -- 40 or so less than the 105 per 100,000 urban and suburban Americans. Click here to read more.

Webinar: Sharps Safety Compliance in Non-Hospital Healthcare Settings

August 8, 2011, 2:00pm-3:00pm EST

The International Healthcare Worker Safety Center is sponsoring a free webinar on “Achieving Sharps Safety Compliance in Non-Hospital Healthcare Settings.”

Much of sharps and needlestick prevention studies and data are taken from hospitals, yet 60% of healthcare workers are employed outside of hospitals in settings that may lack the resources to be fully compliant with the ten-year-old Federal Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act and OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. Webinar topics will include:

• Update on the status of compliance and reasons why needlestick safety is still a problem
• OSHA’s requirements and enforcement in non-hospital healthcare settings
• Common myths and misconceptions
• How to implement best practices towards compliance

Click here to register, and here for event instructions

'Get social' with the Colorado Health Symposium

The Colorado Health Symposium begins tomorrow and there are many ways to participate online. The sold out event is recognized as one of the top national health policy conferences. With this year's theme, "State of Health: Seizing Opportunities, Achieving Results," the 2011 Symposium will gather leaders from the health care community, business and legislative arenas. Together, these cutting-edge thinkers will explore the most pressing issues in health and health care.


Check the agenda and tune in to any of our social networks, July 27-29, to add your voice to the conversation:

CMS Rural Health Open Door Forum

Tuesday August 23, 2011 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET
The next CMS Rural Health Open Door Forum is scheduled for August 23rd! If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935 Conference ID 68647472. The Rural Health ODF addresses RHC, CAH and FQHC issues, as well as some inclusion of other questions and concerns that occur in clinical practice pertaining to other CMS payment systems that also extend into these settings. For more information, click here.

The Payoff of Paperless Billing Webinar

Friday, July 29th at 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (EST)
This webinar will discuss the benefits of electronic billing and the impact it will have on your organization. Learn how you can improve your overall revenue cycle management and learn how you can collect more revenue, more quickly with less time and effort.

• Join this exclusive webinar in order to:
• Learn how electronic billing will optimize your revenue cycle management
• Understand why electronic billing makes sense for you and your organization

Have the opportunity to have your questions answered by industry experts

Learn how your business can generatemore revenue, more quickly. Attend this FREE informative webinar.

Click here to register.

CMS FFS Revised ABN

The revised Advanced Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131, is issued by providers (including independent laboratories), physicians, practitioners, and suppliers in situations where Medicare payment is expected to be denied. The revised ABN replaces the ABN-G (Form CMS-R-131G), ABN-L (Form CMS-R-131L), and NEMB (Form CMS-20007). The latest version of the ABN (with the release date of 3/2011 printed in the lower left hand corner) is now available for immediate use and can be accessed on the CMS website. In order for providers and suppliers to have time to transition to using the newly posted notice, mandatory use of this version begins on November 1, 2011. All ABNs with the release date of 3/2008 that are issued on or after November 1, 2011 will be considered invalid. For more information and to access the revised form, click here.

Webinar: Diagnosis and Management of Sports-Related Concussion

August 17, 2011, 2:00-3:00EST
Join the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on Wednesday, August 17, 2011, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM Eastern Time for the Author in the Room® webinar. The topic is the JAMA article: Diagnosis and Management of Sports-Related Concussion.
Concussion in youth athletes is a growing problem worldwide. During the past decade, significant progress has been made in standardization of the assessment of young athletes, and a growing appreciation of metabolic vulnerability, activity, and cognitive challenges has led to guidelines and suggestions for clinical care. Join Dr. Ross Zafonte as he discusses evaluation, prognosis, and management of sports-related concussion by clinicians. For more information, click here

USDA Rural Development Colorado – July Newsletter

The July issue of USDA Rural Development is now available.  To access the newsletter click here

Update on Federal Deficit Reduction Negotiations

The bipartisan “Gang of Six” in the U.S. Senate has put forward a plan for deficit reduction. Reports have stated that the deal, totaling $3.7 trillion over 10 years, would include 26 percent revenue increase and 74 percent spending cuts. Early information shows a possible $200 billion in cuts to health care. The released information, however, does not include the specifics of where these cuts would be made. Earlier proposals have included reducing or eliminating the Medicaid Hospital Provider Fee, $14 billion in Medicare cuts to rural providers, and reducing the federal matching rate for Medicaid to the states.
Because the details the health care cuts under consideration are still unknown, it is critical to continue communicating with our members of Congress, especially Senators Bennet and Udall. Please contact Senator Bennet, Senator Udall, and your Representative with this message: “Please protect Medicare and Medicaid as you consider changes and cuts in the federal budget. Rural communities rely on these programs and significant cuts will threaten access to care and economic growth in rural Colorado.” Feel free to personalize your message with how Medicare and Medicaid impact your community.
Thanks to all who have already contacted your elected officials.
You can contact your legislators by phone and email:
Senator Michael Bennet, 202.224.5852
Senator Mark Udall, 877.768.3255
Capitol Switchboard, 202.224.3121 (ask for your Representative's office and to speak with the staff who handles health issues)

Click here for a list of Colorado's members of Congress and email addresses for their healthcare staff. If you don't know who represents you in Congress, click here and enter your zip code.

CRHC’s Partner Program Featured in HealthLeaders Media

CRHC’s new Partner Program and first Partner-level sponsor, Centura, were featured in an article by HealthLeaders Media. Writer Alexandra Wilson Pecci noted, “If the road to economic viability, meaningful use, and accountable care organizations is a rocky one for most healthcare facilities, it’s perhaps even bumpier for rural ones. That’s why the Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) has created the “Partnership Program,” which will allow larger organizations to invest in a fund that will be used to provide free support services to small, rural health facilities.” To read the full article, click here.

Physicians with electronic health records are better able to sort patients by care needs

One of the perks of electronic health records is that they make patient information sortable. All the bits of the information entered into separate boxes on a patient chart can be categorized and filtered.
That gives physicians the power to easily and quickly create lists of patients who, for example, had an abnormal lab test or have complained of nausea after starting on a new prescription.
These patient lists, or registries, are meant to help physicians manage patients more proactively and more closely monitor their own work. They could become an important tool as state and national regulators look to hold doctors and hospitals more accountable to quality measures. To read full article please click here

Colorado Medicaid EHR Incentive Program to Roll Out Soon

Later this month, CORHIO will assist the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) as it implements the Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. The program will provide incentive payments to eligible providers as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate "meaningful use" of certified EHR technology.
Under the terms of the agreement with HCPF, CORHIO will be responsible for program coordination as well as provider education and communications, providing a central point of contact on behalf of Medicaid. CORHIO will not be responsible for issuing payments to providers, but will instead help coordinate the implementation of the registration and attestation system being provided by a third-party vendor and ensure Colorado providers are educated about the steps necessary to sign up for, qualify and receive Medicaid incentive payments. To read full article please click here

Call to Action: Take Action Today in Support of Rural Healthcare

Political leaders in Washington are discussing options for raising the nation’s debt ceiling limit by August 2nd and cutting federal spending to address the deficit. Medicare and Medicaid are targeted for significant spending and benefit cuts, with proposals being considered that would cut $14 billion in Medicare funding for rural hospitals, reduce the federal Medicaid matching rate to the states, and limit or eliminate the Medicaid hospital provider fee that supports expansion of coverage to the uninsured and the hospitals that care for the medically vulnerable.

These proposed cuts will disproportionately impact rural and underserved communities, destabilizing rural healthcare providers and facilities and severely limiting access to care in rural Colorado. CRHC has been communicating with Colorado’s members of Congress about the critical role that Medicare and Medicaid play in rural communities and we encourage you to do the same.

Please take a few minutes today and no later than Monday, July 18 to contact Senator Bennet, Senator Udall, and your Representative with this message: “Please oppose any debt ceiling plan that cuts rural hospital programs in Medicare or makes deep reductions in Medicaid payments, including the hospital provider fee. Rural communities rely on these programs and significant cuts will threaten access to care and economic growth in rural Colorado.” Feel free to personalize your message with how Medicare and Medicaid impact your community.
Please contact your legislators by phone and email:
Senator Michael Bennet, 202.224.5852 (ask for Rohini Ravindran)
Senator Mark Udall, 877.768.3255 (ask for Jake Swanton)
Capitol Switchboard, 202.224.3121 (ask for your Representative's office and to speak with the staff who handles health issues)

Click here for a list of Colorado's members of Congress and email addresses for their healthcare staff.

To learn more about how to communicate with your elected officials, the National Rural Health Association is hosting an educational webinar at 10:00 AM today Thursday, July 14. Click here to register.

JAMA Article Misses the Mark

The June 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) featured an article entitled Quality of Care and Patient Outcomes in Critical Access Rural Hospitals. Many who have had the opportunity to review the article conclude that it unfairly calls into question the quality of care in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). The article reported that when compared with non-Critical Access Hospitals, CAHs had fewer clinical capabilities, worse measured process of care, and higher mortality rates for patients with AMI, CHF or Pneumonia.

The Flex Monitoring Team has prepared a detailed analysis of the JAMA report on quality of care at CAHs. The team is funded by HRSA, and is comprised of the nation's leading experts on rural health care quality.

“The report is simply deficient when it comes to understanding the basic role of a Critical Access Hospital within a rural community,” said Alan Morgan, National Rural Health Association CEO. “The current quality measurement systems available do not adequately reflect the core work of what rural hospitals do on a daily basis.” One of the major problems with the JAMA article is the assumption that CAHs would keep the sickest patients. CRHC recognizes that the sick patients a CAH keeps are those refusing to go to a network hospital or wanting only comfort care measures.

CLICK HERE to view the Flex Team's response to the JAMA report. This study highlights the need for CAHs to create their own story. No longer is it acceptable to keep quality improvement data internally, this data must be shared externally to showcase patient safety and quality improvement outcomes. T

Another interesting response to the JAMA report, Measuring Rural Healthcare Health, by Robert Bowman M.D., is available HERE.

Last fall, CRHC kicked off a quality improvement program called iCARE (Improving Communications and Readmissions). The iCARE project focuses on improving data related to heart failure and pneumonia, reducing readmissions, and improving the communications within the hospital and with other community partners such as EMS, the clinics and urban transfer facilities. Participating hospitals have agreed to collect CMS core measure data for heart failure and pneumonia and submit that to “Hospital Compare.”

Beginning in September 2011, the Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) will kick off their focused framework for CAHs and State Offices of Rural Health. This is currently a three-year initiative to create a national database for benchmarking purposes and to inform the President as well as other federal officials on how well CAHs perform in quality improvement. With budget concerns at an all-time high, CRHC urges all CAHs to engage and commit by submitting data to Hospital Compare and by agreeing to grant ORHP access to that data. Please visit the MBQIP for a three-minute video that explains these efforts. The consent forms are available here .

CRHC recognizes and congratulates Colorado CAHs for over 10 years of work on quality improvement activities, including the Quality Network, 100,000 Lives Campaign, 5 Million Lives Campaign, Quality Health Indicators (QHi) Benchmarking, and iCARE.

Don’t miss the opportunity to offer loan repayment to your healthcare providers!

Do you have a healthcare provider at your facility who is interested in loan repayment? Let them know that the Primary Care Office has announced that the Colorado Health Service Corps (CHSC) Loan Repayment Program summer 2011 application cycle will be open until July 31st.

Up to $105,000 for a 3-year commitment is available to your primary care healthcare providers!

CHSC provides loan repayment to fully trained primary care providers in exchange for a three-year full-time service obligation in an underserved community. After completing their initial years of service, loan repayors may apply for additional years of support! Eligible providers include primary care Family Physicians, Internists, OB/GYNs, Pediatricians, Dentists, Psychiatrists, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives, Dental Hygienists and licensed mental health professionals.

Many types of health care facilities are CHSC eligible sites including Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Community Health Centers, and safety-net clinics.

To find out more about the CHSC Loan Repayment Program, please visit http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/pp/primarycare/chsc/.

Would you like to speak with someone to find out if your facility is eligible for loan repayment? Contact Colorado Provider Recruitment (CPR) at cpr@coruralhealth.org or (303) 832-7493.

Has Your Facility Joined the Partnership for Patients?

A new public-private partnership that will help improve the quality, safety, and affordability of health care for all Americans, the Partnership for Patients brings together leaders of major hospitals, employers, physicians, nurses, and patient advocates along with state and federal governments in a shared effort to make hospital care safer, more reliable, and less costly. The 2 major goals of the partnership are to: keep patients from getting injured or sicker; and help patients heal without complications. Nearly 4500 organizations – including more than 2000 hospitals – have pledged their support for the Partnership for Patients. For more information and to pledge your support, click here.

The National HIV/AIDS Strategy at One Year - New Video and Implementation Update

One year ago today (July 13, 2010) the White House released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy – our country's first roadmap to addressing the domestic epidemic.

In recognition of this important milestone, the White House has developed a video in which doctors, researchers, policy makers, community leaders, and advocates discuss the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. It has also released an implementation update to keep you informed on the latest work and provide some reflections on key first-year achievements.

Video: here   Implementation update report

Upcoming Webinar:Best Practices for Automating Policies and Procedures

Wednesday July 20th, 2011, 10am Mountain Time
This web seminar will focus on policies and procedures management in the hospital environment. Our presenters will discuss the traditional methods compared to the latest trends in the automation of policy & procedure management through web based applications. We will also review best practices for managing policies and procedures in an electronic or web format.

In addition there will be a live demonstration of the HospitalPortal.net Policy Manager. The Policy Manager is a centralized system for managing policies, procedures, and documents across departments in hospitals and other healthcare organizations.

 

The following topics will be covered:

• Policy and procedure management challenges
• Traditional methods for policy and procedure management
• Risks of improper policy and procedure management
• Best practices for P&P management tools
• Organizing, accessing, and searching policy and procedure libraries
• Monitoring read acknowledgement of end users

 Demonstration of the HospitalPortal.net platform including Policy Manager

 

Register Now!

Medical home will influence BP guidelines

The rise of the medical home, along with publication of large clinical trials, is likely to influence Joint National Committee guidelines for the management of hypertension, reports Internal Medicine News. Experts at the American Society of Hypertension said the new guidelines could address such topics as home and ambulatory monitoring of blood pressure, greater reliance on global risk assessment and specific recommendations on how to overcome therapeutic inertia.

IPA experience can inform other practices

A recent examination of independent practice associations' adoption of electronic health records, e-prescribing and other IT systems can provide useful insights for small and midsize physician practices making plans to operate health information technology. The report, "Fostering Health Information Technology in Small Physician Practices: Lessons from Independent Practice Associations," examines how health IT implementation was rolled out at five organizations. A key finding: Identifying physician leaders who can bridge the gap between technology and clinical care is a powerful way to help physicians in small practices overcome barriers to health IT adoption.

Celebrate Partnership for Patients milestone

Friday, July 8, 12pm ET/9am PT

Please join HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and CMS Administrator Dr. Donald Berwick for a conference call on Friday, July 8, at 12pm ET to celebrate the initial phase of the Partnership for Patients and offer recognition and thanks to the nearly 4,500 organizations -- including over 2,000 hospitals -- that have officially committed to improving patient safety by joining the initiative.

Secretary Sebelius will highlight the early successes from the Partnership for Patients, such as the 100 percent participation by Iowa hospitals in this important effort. Dr. Don Berwick, joined by his Senior Advisor, Joe McCannon, will discuss ways all of us can get started today on the challenging but important work of making care safer and less costly.

• WHAT: Conference Call with Secretary Sebelius and CMS Administrator Dr. Donald Berwick to celebrate the 4,500 partners, including over 2,000 hospitals, who have joined the Partnership for Patients and to discuss ways we can get started on this important work together.

Note: If you are unable to attend Friday's conference call, you can listen to a recording of the call beginning one hour after the call ends and lasting for three days. You can listen the replay by calling 866-469-7083. No passcode is necessary.

Do you have early patient safety or care transitions success stories to be highlighted on this call? Send early success stories to partnershipforpatients@hhs.gov. The Secretary will highlight several of these stories on Friday’s call.

CALL INFO: 888-790-2046; PASSCODE: Healthcare

Instruct Online Webinar: Developing a Critical Access Hospital Compliance Plan

July 14, 2011, 1:00-2:30 CST

This webinar will cover topics including: the PPACA requirements for all healthcare providers to have compliance plans; the broad spectrum of compliance areas to which hospitals, systems, physicians and clinics are subjected; the severity of current compliance issues, the auditing process, and associated penalties; issues relating to RAC, OIG and Medicare audits; the importance of written policies and procedures for coding, billing and the chargemaster; areas that are currently active and those that might become active for CAHs; the need for a systematic approach to analyze, assess and take action relative to coding, billing and reimbursement issues; and how a coding, billing and reimbursement program interfaces to the hospital corporate compliance plan. The cost to register is $225. For more information and to register, click here.

CMS Rural Health Open Door Forum

July 12, 2:00-3:00EST
The next CMS Rural Health Open Door Forum is scheduled for Tuesday, July12, 2011 from 2:00pm-3:00pmET. To participate, dial 1-800-837-1935 Conference ID 59683815. The Rural Health ODF addresses RHC, CAH and FQHC issues, as well as some inclusion of other questions and concerns that occur in clinical practice pertaining to other CMS payment systems that also extend into these settings. For more information, click here.

Infection Control and Safety Program Tools

The Tools page at OSHA Healthcare Advisor from HCPro offers sample checklists, policies, and special reports to help you train employees in various areas such as Infection Control, Bloodborne Pathogens, Hazard Communication, and Vaccination Safety. To access the resources, click here.

Delay in Implementation of New Provider Rates for FY 2011-12

FY 2011-12 provider rates will be reduced beginning July 1, 2011 to help balance the state budget. This reduction was announced in the June 2011 Provider Bulletin. Although the effective date is July 1, 2011, we need to wait for an official approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), to implement the change for all reductions, except for Home and Community Based Services. Reimbursement for services delivered on or before July 1, 2011 will be retroactively applied once approval is granted. Until approval is received, providers will be paid at the FY 2010-11 rates. For Home and Community Based Services, the rate reductions will be applied beginning July 1, 2011.We apologize for the any administrative difficulties this presents. You can be assured that we are working as quickly as possible with CMS to implement the new rates. Please refer to the July 2011 Provider Bulletin (B1100303) or contact ACS Provider Services at 1-800-237-0757 or 1-800-237-0044.

Instruct Online Webinar: Strategies of Success for Department Heads

Wednesday, July 6, 12:00-1:00 CST
To provide department heads with an understanding of the basic managerial competency skill sets necessary for success in their role as the manager/leader/change agent, cheerleader and representative for the staff and patient to senior management. Theirs is a complex role - torn between meeting the goals imposed by senior management and meeting the needs of their own staff. This Webinar will provide information ranging from the orientation of managers to key concepts for effectively managing presentations to the senior management team. The registration fee for this webinar is $160. To register, click here or email katie@instruct-online.com.

CMS Proposes Policy, Payment Rate Changes For The Physician Fee Schedule In 2012

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule on July 1 that would update payment policies and rates for physicians and nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) for services paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) in calendar year (CY) 2012. A press release outlining the provisions in the proposed rule is available on the CMS website by clicking here. CMS will accept comments on the proposed rule until Aug. 30, 2011, and will review and respond to all comments in a final rule to be issued by Nov. 1, 2011. For more information, see: http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2011-16972_PI.pdf or http://www.ofr.gov/inspection.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1. If you have any feedback you would like to share with CRHC about the impact the proposed rule would have, please contact jd@coruralhealth.org or ss@coruralhealth.org.

Colorado HCPF Medicaid Updates

The June Provider bulletin from the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing contains updates including:

• Denial of Hospital Readmission Within 48 Hours
• FY 2011-12 Rate Reductions;
• Elimination of Reimbursement for Circumcision;
• CLIA Update;
• Elimination of Reimbursement for Oral Hygiene Instruction; 
• Elimination of Reimbursement for Dental Implants;
• Facility Rate Reductions for Uncomplicated Cesarean Sections;
• New Pharmacy Prior Authorization Policies
• For more information and to access the Provider Bulletin, click here.

CMS 2012 OPPS Proposed Rule

CMS released the 2012 OPPS Proposed Rule on July 1. In response to concerns during the CY 2011 OPPS rulemaking cycle regarding appropriate levels of supervision for therapeutic outpatient services, CMS is proposing to establish an independent advisory review process for consideration of stakeholder requests for assignment of supervision levels other than direct supervision for specific outpatient hospital therapeutic services. In the CY 2012 OPPS proposed rule, CMS is proposing to refer questions about supervision of specific services to the APC Panel. CMS is also proposing to add representatives of CAHs to the Panel solely for deliberations relating to supervision levels. It also appears CMS proposes to extend its non-enforcement policy of supervision requirements to CAHs through 2012. The provisions in the proposed rule also include changes to the Medicare EHR Incentive Program that would allow eligible hospitals and CAHs to report clinical quality measures for 2012 by participating in an electronic reporting pilot. Comments on the proposed rule are due to CMS by August 30. More information is available on the CMS website by clicking here. CRHC is reviewing the proposals. If you have any feedback you would like to share, please contact jd@coruralhealth.org or ss@coruralhealth.org.

National Provider Call on “The ABCs of the Initial Preventive Physical Examination and Annual Wellness Visit”

Thursday, July 21, 1:30-3pm ET
CMS will host a national provider call on “The ABCs of the Initial Preventive Physical Examination and Annual Wellness Visit.” Subject matter experts will discuss basic information about each benefit, when to perform these services, and coding and billing requirements; a question and answer session will follow the presentations. The target audience for this call includes Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, health educators, registered dietitians, nutrition professionals, medical billers and coders, and other interested healthcare professionals. In order to receive the call-in information, you must register for the call. Registration will close at 1:30pm on Wednesday, July 20 or when available space has been filled; no exceptions will be made, so please register early. For more details, including instructions on registering for the call, please visit http://www.eventsvc.com/palmettogba/072111.

Quality of Care and Patient Outcomes in Critical Access Rural Hospitals

Critical access hospitals (CAHs) play a crucial role in the US rural safety net. Current policy efforts have focused primarily on helping these small, isolated hospitals remain financially viable to ensure access for individuals living in rural areas in the United States; however, little is known about the quality of care they provide or the outcomes their patients achieve. To view this article in full and see the results, click

 here

Updated TrailBlazer CAH Manual

TrailBlazer has updated its CAH Manual to include information about the process for CAHs wishing to terminate their participation in the optional payment method (Method II). To access the revised manual, click here.

Delay in Implementation of New Provider Rates for FY 2011-12

FY 2011-12 provider rates will be reduced beginning July 1, 2011 to help balance the state budget. This reduction was announced in the June 2011 Provider Bulletin.

Although the effective date is July 1, 2011, we need to wait for an official approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), to implement the change for all reductions, except for Home and Community Based Services. The new rates for services delivered on or after July 1 will be retroactively applied once approval is granted. Until approval is received, providers will be paid at the FY 2010-11 rates. For Home and Community Based Services, the rate reductions will be applied beginning July 1, 2011.

We apologize for any administrative difficulties this presents. You can be assured that we are working as quickly as possible with CMS to implement the new rates. Please contact Jeanine Draut at jeanine.draut@state.co.us or 303-866-5942 if you have any questions.