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Hello everyone,
I hope you are all staying healthy and safe during this unprecedented time. As we continue to adjust and adapt to the circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, please remember that
TASC is always here to help.
As always, thank you for reading Rural Route. We encourage you to keep utilizing the Flex Forum for discussion with you peers, but if you have questions or need assistance, please reach out to me or TASC.
Best
,
Andy Naslund
Program Coordinator
Technical Assistance and Services Center (TASC)
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Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) Updates
I
find myself feeling more grateful every day for the work you are all doing to support our rural communities and hospitals, especially during these extraordinary circumstances. Please see the recent
HHS Press Release
on COVID-19 funding to support rural health efforts. FORHP
is trying to understand how rural health care providers and communities are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please share any challenges, successes, or innovative strategies taking place in rural areas to address treating or preparing to treat COVID-19 patients to the inbox RuralCOVID-19@hrsa.gov.
If you didn't catch the April Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (
MBQIP
) Virtual Knowledge Group (
VKG
) on April 16, 2020, I highly recommend you listen to the playback available on the
Flex Program Forum
. There were some great discussion questions on the topic of
MBQIP
and Flex in a COVID-19 World.
Just a reminder on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Flex Non-Competing Continuation (NCC) Progress Report. Earlier this month, I shared the
Updated NCC Instructions
which streamline the reporting requirements. Please ensure that you are using these updated instructions when completing the NCC. There is also the option to delay the submission of this report until July 15, 2020. If you wish to delay your NCC submission, detailed steps are included in the rest of the Flex Program update.
CAH Regulatory Update
- Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) regulatory changes to support COVID-19 response
- Multiple CMS proposed rules and updates
- New Funding Opportunity through Rural Telementoring Training Center
- Resources for COVID-19 Response
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This month, please help us welcome
Sarah O'Connor of Virginia and
Barbara Brendel of Missouri! Welcome to you both!
We also bid a fond farewell to
Jamie Schultz of the Montana Hospital Association. We wish you well Jamie!
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Hospital COVID-19 Data Reporting
Spac
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent
this letter to hospitals on Friday, April 10. We are sharing with rural hospital and health care stakeholders so you are aware of this plan to streamline hospital data reporting to help the public health response to COVID-19. Please share this information with rural stakeholders and rural hospital contacts in your networks.
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NOSORH Weekly COVID-19 Listening Sessions
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The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) has been hosting weekly listening sessions with all 50 SORHs to identify challenges and opportunities with the COVID-19 pandemic. A list of the minutes from those calls as well as peer-identified resources and innovative rural strategies can be found on the website.
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Coming Up:
Rural HIT Coalition Call -- Thursday, April 30, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Central Time.
Flex VKG webinar -- Monday, May 4, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Central Time.
TASC 90 Webinar -- Wednesday, May 13, 2020
from 2
:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Central Time.
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TASC Updates
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COVID-19 Resources
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The Technical Assistance and Services Center (TASC) will continue to provide useful resources to help during this time.
Below are a
a few excellent rural resources from other organizations to support your response to COVID-19.
The American Hospital Association has released a series of
rural case studies about planning and response to COVID-19. These five rural case studies include lessons learned on drive-through testing, senior resident social determinants of health, surge capacity, strategic and operational planning, and virtual care models.
The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) has compiled a
topic guide on the rural response to COVID-19. They are actively curating this list, which includes federal information, state and national initiatives and resources, including information for various professional groups or health care and community settings. A variety of
upcoming webinars are also listed.
We all are creating contingency plans that need to be nimble. Projects may need re-prioritization into those that can continue uninterrupted and what can be adjusted slightly and proceed in the near future. Some projects may be very questionable about when they can occur. And some projects may need to be cancelled or tabled. We have found a great resource from the Center for Community Investment for triaging strategy. The
Annotated Strategy Triage Tool provides guiding questions and simple directions to help you and your organization re-sort through your work plans and strategy to make sense of what to do now, in the near term, and in the distant future.
Lastly, a reminder that TASC is here to support you with your TA needs. Please reach out with your questions. We're happy to talk through new ideas, help you identify resources, and provide support while you write your Flex NCC.
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Spac
The Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) has released a new study that aimed to identify
best practices related to tasks of daily operation, forecasting, and community health outcomes, and to craft advice for other CAH CEOs. In this study, they examine the perspectives and experiences of CEOs who lead CAHs with a low risk of financial distress despite their operating environment. Participants were asked to describe their experiences with financial and quality issues, leadership roles, performance measurement, policy challenges, and community health.
- Small Rural Hospital and Clinic Finance 101 Manual -- This manual was developed for use by staff and boards of small rural hospitals and clinics as well as state Flex Programs. The content is designed to be as non-technical as possible and provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding CAH, small rural hospital, and RHC finance and financial performance.
- Best Practice Concepts in Revenue Cycle Management Guide -- This updated guide provides rural hospital executive and management teams with generally accepted best practice concepts in revenue cycle management. It is also designed to assist State Offices of Rural Health directors and Flex Program coordinators.
- CAH Blueprint for Performance Excellence -- Use the Performance Excellence Blueprint Guide to develop and execute a comprehensive strategic plan that represents a systems approach to achieving organizational excellence.
- Leadership: Board, Employee, and Community Engagement -- Here you will find a 15-minute video intended to educate leaders and board members about making the transition from payment for volume to payment for value, exceed in implementing population health strategies, as well as tools and best practices to help leaders to build a quality-focused culture, engage the Board of Directors and hospital staff and enhance community outreach efforts.
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The directory provides information on HCAHPS including the benefits and challenges to implementing a HCAHPS survey process with small rural hospitals, specifically critical access hospitals (CAHs). The directory also identifies certified HCAHPS vendors that have opted to list their services, including a description of their experience working with small rural hospitals. This particular resource is beneficial to both the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP) and the Flex Program's Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) work to support hospital HCAHPS initiatives.
In addition to the HCAHPS vendor directory, we want to share the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Health Education and Learning Program (HELP) Webinar related to HCAHPS:
Improving Patient and Family Experience: New Ideas for Engaging Patients and Motivating Staff. This webinar provides new ideas for engaging patients and their families and creating a more healing experience for them. It also provides strategies for staff accountability and helping them to remember the true intention for creating a positive patient experience.
These resources are supported by FORHP and coordinated by the TASC and SRHT, programs of the National Rural Health Resource Center.
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Updated Rural Cybersecurity Toolkit and National Rural Health Information Technology Coalition
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Ransomware and cybercrime are growing threats to all health care facilities - big or small. Protecting a facility from cyber threats can be a daunting task. However, failure to protect a facility from cyberattacks can result in fees, fines, litigation, media stories, mistrust, and decreased market capture. Check out the following updated Cybersecurity Toolkit and ongoing coalition focused on rural health information technology (HIT).
This updated toolkit from the National Rural Health Resource Center (The Center) is organized into four steps to guide rural hospitals and clinics in developing and fostering a well-rounded cybersecurity program, including awareness, assessment, implementation & remediation, and education. This toolkit includes resources from various governmental and non-profit organizations. It also includes checklists and tools that are appropriate for all audiences, including hospitals and clinics in rural settings. This resource was supported by FORHP.
The National Rural Health Information Technology (HIT) Coalition is an informal network of rural and HIT leaders from organizations at every level, working together to advance the implementation of HIT across rural America by:
- Enhancing the understanding of rural HIT issues.
- Advocating for HIT applications and solutions relevant to rural facilities.
- Helping to drive knowledge and information about rural HIT throughout the country.
The National Rural HIT Coalition meets by conference call and annually in-person. The Coalition is supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) and coordinated by TASC, a program of The Center. This group will next meet on
May 30, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Central Time
for an update on state and federal HIT legislation and regulations as well as COVID-19 HIT updates related to telehealth, the FCC Connected Care Pilot and Rural Health Care programs, and cybersecurity. For more information about getting involved with the National Rural HIT Coalition, please email
Nicole Clement.
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MBQIP Updates
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Updated Resources
Please send your MBQIP questions to
tasc@ruralcenter.org. TASC will ensure your question reaches the appropriate person.
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Rural Health Research: Profitability of Rural and Urban Hospitals
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To help policymakers, researchers, and communities understand which hospitals are likely to be less profitable, this series of three policy briefs and an infographic examines:
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Webinars, Recordings & Events
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Webinar Playbacks
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Telehealth Resources
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TASC is really looking forward to the
May 4th VKG on Telehealth. Given it is such a relevant topic right now, here are some related telehealth resources to be aware of:
- Telehealth.hss.gov -- A new telehealth website was recently launched a platform for both providers and patients. For patients, the website provides resources to learn more about accessing health care through telehealth, and for providers, the website is a resource to help them incorporate telehealth into their practices.
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The most recent interview topics are related to the COVID-19 Pandemic and its impact on rural communities.
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