NEBRASKA RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION







Nebraska Rural Health Association 
June 2008

In This Issue

•    FEDERAL LEGISLATION

•    HRSA EXTENDS COMMENT PERIOD

•    MEDPAC...UPDATE

•     PATIENT SAFETY COLLABORATIVE
 
•     EMS IN NEBRASKA

  •     SENATE CAMPAIGN






Register Now!

for the 2008 Nebraska Rural Health Conference,
September 11-12, 2008 in Kearney, NE



Why did you join the Association?

I joined the Association to be a part of the collective "rural" voice for health in Nebraska.   I would like to see the Association continue on its present direction of becoming the "go to" for advocacy and answers regarding rural health concerns and opportunities.

List one goal that you would like to see NeRHA accomplish.

I would like to see NeRHA continue to diversify its membership.

What do you feel is the biggest rural health issue Nebraskans face today? 

There are so many issues facing rural health it is hard to say which one is the largest. Of workforce shortages, quality improvement, transportation, access to care,  disparity in health status, and uninsured and underinsured, I would have to say that workforce shortages is especially acute in rural areas.

What would you like other members of the Nebraska Rural Health Association to know about you? 

The biggest news in my life right now is that I just became a Grandma to an incredibly beautiful little girl, Madison Mae.  Along with being a Grandma I am a wife and mother of 3 men and have two lovely daughter in-laws.  I am passionate about the Panhandle of Nebraska and appreciate all of its strengths as well as the challenges.  I want to assure that the quality of life that rural areas offer remains through healthy living and access to quality health care.

Featured Member..................Kim Engel
Briefly describe your past and current responsibilities relating to rural health. 

As director of Panhandle Public Health District my responsibilities include coordinating, supervising and evaluating all activities and programs for the ten county public health district.  I serve as a member of the Panhandle Region Medical Response System Committee, Panhandle Partnership for Health and Human Services and Family Rescue Services Board Member.  Prior to my current role, I served as the Chief Operations Officer for the ChadronCommunity Hospital, Administrator for Legend Buttes Health Services, and program coordinator at Western Community Health Resources.
The NeRHA continues to work with the National Rural Health Association and our members of Congress to prevent Medicare cuts to rural providers that are slated to hit July 1, 2008.

To find out how you can help protect rural providers and patients by contacting your U.S. Senators, please visit the NRHA Grassroots Action Center. 
FEDERAL LEGISLATION
Medicare cuts to hit rural providers July 1 - ask your member of Congress to protect rural providers
HRSA EXTENDS COMMENT PERIOD
Comments for proposed HPSA/MUA Rule now due by June 30th
Thanks to the pressure of rural advocates and our Congressional supporters, the Health Resources and Services Administration has again decided to extend the comment period for the proposed Health Professional Shortage Area/Medically Underserved Area rule by 30 days, this time until June 30th, 2008.

If you have not already submitted comments or would like to submit an amended version of your letter, please submit them here.

The NeRHA will be submitting comments by the end of the month and the Nebraska Office of Rural Health has already commented, which are now available on their website

MEDPAC  UPDATE
George Miller appointed MedPAC commissioner
Congratulations to NRHA Past President George Miller, who has been appointed to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. Miller brings many years of experience as a hospital administrator to his appointment, and we are sure he will be a strong advocate for rural Medicare beneficiaries.

MedPAC advises Congress on payments to private health plans participating in Medicare and providers in Medicare's traditional fee-for-service program. MedPAC is also tasked with analyzing access to care, quality of care and other issues affecting Medicare. Miller will serve a three year term and joins Dr. Tom Dean as one of two members with solid rural credentials on the 17-member commission. 

Though Miller's appointment is a great success for rural health, the NRHA remains concerned that rural interests on MedPAC are underrepresented and will continue to advocate for rural representation that is proportional to the 27% of Medicare beneficiaries who live in rural America. The NRHA would also like to thank Dr. Nick Wolter, whose MedPAC term ended this past April, for his many years of service as a rural voice on the commission.

PATIENT SAFETY COLLABORATIVE
Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative-opportunity for critical access hospitals and rural health clinics
The Health Resources and Services Administration invites community-based teams of health care providers to join a quality improvement breakthrough effort called the Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative (PSPC). The mission of this collaborative, which is modeled after the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Learning Collaboratives, is to advance the delivery of world class care by spreading the integration of clinical pharmacy services and patient safety principles to improve health outcomes in safety-net populations.

HRSA invites you to form a team with other health care organizations in your community to take part in this exciting opportunity. The PSPC offers an 18-month rapid learning process that brings together inter-professional teams to make rapid and sustainable improvement in how care is delivered to patients. The first learning session will be held August 14-15.

An overview and participation information are available from HRSA. The participation request deadline is July 1. A national teleconference on May 28 from noon to 1 p.m. EST will provide an overview of the participation package and answer questions, and another national teleconference on June 4 from noon to 1 p.m. EST will discuss the PSPC learning process and pre-work that teams will begin on July 15.

Both calls can be accessed by calling 1-866-843-0890 and using access code 5541910. E-mail questions to patientsafety@hrsa.gov

EMS IN NEBRASKA
The Rural Nebraska Regional Ambulance Network is conducting  Town Hall meetings in June.
The Rural Nebraska Regional Ambulance Network is conducting  Town Hall meetings in June.
 
The dates for the RNRAN Town Hall Meetings and locations are:

Sidney - June 17th  6-9 p.m. (MT) Sidney Community Center
Bridgeport - June 18th  6-9 p.m. (MT) Bridgeport Community Center
Holdrege - June 25th  6-9 p.m. Phelps Memorial Health Center
Chadron - June 26th 6-9 p.m.  - Chadron Fire Hall
Ainsworth - TBA  in  July

For more information contract Julie Smith at jsmith@rnran.com
SENATE CAMPAIGN
Republican Senate candidate Mike Johanns has released a 14-page document detailing his position on several issues facing Nebraska
The former agriculture secretary and Nebraska governor presented the paper during a news conference Sunday in Lincoln. It contains his views on agriculture, education, health care, illegal immigration and same-sex marriage, among other things.

Johanns says he wants voters to know where he stands and what he wants to accomplish in Washington.

Johanns will face Democrat Scott Kleeb in November for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Chuck Hagel, who's not seeking a third term. Also running are Nebraska Green Party candidate Steven Larrick and Nebraska Party candidate Kelly Renee Rosberg.

Some of his health care priorities include:

I support a federal/state partnership to assist in providing healthcare coverage for the uninsured that assists in paying for private insurance premiums, co-pays and deductibles as a supplement to existing Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance pay pla
ns.
I will protect our Rural Critical Access Hospitals. They are the lifeblood of our rural healthcare system.

I will work to create incentive programs to bring doctors and medical professionals to rural Nebraska.

I will support a change in legislation to allow for an average daily census calculation instead of an absolute cap on the number of beds allowed to give our Rural Critical Access Hospitals more flexibility in managing their resources.

I will work to encourage federal investment in training and education programs for doctors and healthcare professionals.

To view a copy of the document, click here.