The Branch
A monthly update for NOSORH members and partners
March 2021
Save the Date! 2021 National Rural EMS & Care Conference
The National Rural EMS & Care Conference is right around the corner! The planning committee has put together an agenda that is full of meaningful and timely content that you won’t want to miss. Dr. Chelsea White, Director, UNM Center for Rural and Tribal EMS, has been working diligently with tribal partners on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Hear about the innovations that have been happening to better target those areas and get the vaccine to those populations. As always, there will be a State EMS Directors panel, moderated by Andy Gienapp, Manager, Office of Emergency Medical Services, Wyoming Department of Health. This is a great opportunity to not only hear from the directors, but to engage in an open discussion with directors from across the country. Also, there will be a panel discussion with states that received the Flex EMS supplemental funds. Participants will learn about those projects, their partnerships, and successes. The cost to attend will be $300 per person. More information, including the link to register and sponsorship opportunities, will be added to the conference web page as it becomes available.
Submit SORH Regional Partnership Meeting Speaker Proposals by March 8
The 2021 SORH Regional Partnership Meetings are coming up soon, and so is the deadline to submit proposals! This is a great opportunity to speak and present your work/research findings/projects and other topics to help SORH address the needs of rural communities to prepare for the future. All five of the meetings will be virtual. If you are interested in submitting a speaker proposal, please click here. The deadline to submit is March 8, 2021.
Eide Bailly to Host Virtual Critical Access Hospital Conference Next Month
For the last eight years, Eide Bailly has hosted Critical Access Hospital (CAH) providers from across the country at their annual CAH conference. While this year looks different due to COVID-19, the goal is to connect with you in a meaningful way to continue their mission of providing an educational experience that goes beyond the surface. While the event is being held virtually, you’ll still gain professional development, content created just for you and an opportunity to interact with presenters during the sessions. The event will be broken into two key sessions (April 8 & 9, April 15 & 16) focusing on the Medicare cost report and revenue cycle.
Visit the Eide Bailly website for more information and to register!
Landscape Lookout: Primary Care Committee - the View is Changing!
The NOSORH Primary Care Committee (PCC), originally called the RHC Committee, demonstrates a unique collaborative approach, blending SORH staff members and a wide variety of partners ranging from rural research centers to consultants to the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)! Working in this collaborative spirit, partners come together to work toward the common goal. NOSORH appreciates this blend of insight as we keep an eye to the rural healthcare landscape and keeping an eye out for things to come.

The PCC has a history of leaning into the tough challenges facing rural healthcare providers, learning what’s happening on the ground in RHCs and other provider types, and looking for solutions and resources that ultimately help rural communities be more well. Many challenges faced by rural primary care providers are multi-faceted, requiring multi-faceted consideration leading to multi-faceted solutions.

PCC is currently learning about the different perspectives of the “RHC Modernization Act” language that was approved in Section 130 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This legislation implemented a set of major changes in the methodology and payment rates for RHC reimbursement by CMS. Read More
Featured Community Star
Each month, NOSORH features the work of an innovative SORH or community leader who inspires collaboration, communication, education and/or innovation. The model efforts provided in these stories may be helpful to your rural community.
Illinois Telehealth Network

The Illinois Telehealth Network (ITN), nominated by the Illinois Center for Rural Health, was selected as Illinois' 2020 Community Star. A grantee of HRSA's Rural Health Network Development Program, ITN is a best practice collaboration of provider partners working together to address widespread provider shortages in rural areas. ITN has served over 22,000 patients in central and southern Illinois since its inception.

Dr. Gurpreet Mander, Executive Director of ITN and Chief Physician Executive for Hospital Sister Health System Illinois, shared, “The Illinois Center for Rural Health is a recognized network advisor to the ITN. They have been a great asset in connecting resources, advocacy and technical assistance."

March
4 & 9
(2:00 ET)
National Shortage Designation 2.0: Update Preview Auto-HPSA Portal Training
This summer, HRSA will conduct the National Shortage Designation Update (NSDU) 2.0 for all HPSAs. HRSA will begin releasing Update Previews via Auto-HPSA Portal accounts. This training will provide participants information on how to access and view Update Preview results within the Auto-HSPA Portal, how to submit a system data rescore request, and the system data rescore review processes and timelines.

Training Session I: March 4 at 2:00 pm ET
Training Session II: March 9 at 2:00 pm ET

Visit the Shortage Designation Modernization Project for more information.
March
31
(2:00 ET)
TruServe Monthly Training

April
20-22
Save the Date! Rural EMS & Care Virtual Conference

Mark your calendar and make plans to attend this year's virtual event!
#PowerofRural