Rural Coding
In collaboration with the VDH Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, Division of Primary Care and Rural Health, VRHA will be providing Coding Certification Bootcamp from the Association of Rural Health Professional Coders (ARHPC).
- January 24-26 Abingdon
- February 7-9 Staunton
- March 6-8 Danville
Registration will open soon! Contact Beth O'Connor (540-231-7923) for additional information.
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Members in the News
By WSLS10
The Alleghany Foundation announced that it has awarded $771,578 in 16 grants to 12 area organizations for projects designed to enhance the quality of life for citizens of the Alleghany Highlands.
The largest award was given to [VRHA member] Alleghany Highlands Free Clinic, which will receive three grants for a total of $325,379 to provide a physician assistant, administrative services, and pharmacy services over a two-year period. The Foundation has supported the services of the Free Clinic since its inception.
Read the full article.
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Mental Health Gaps
By Virginia Law
Virginia should close a gap in mental health services for students enrolled in community colleges, members of a state study told the General Assembly on Tuesday. University of Virginia School of Law professor Richard Bonnie, who is chair of the Virginia College Mental Health Study, reported the study's recommendations to the assembly's Joint Commission on Health Care.
Virginia's four-year colleges have counseling centers that are providing essential services that should not be cut back, Bonnie said. But the state's community colleges have invested little in mental health services.
Other study recommendations include:
- establishing brief screening and referral services for students in need of mental health intervention at community colleges, as well as threat assessment teams to evaluate those at risk;
- ensuring that all colleges have planning groups to establish and evaluate mental health awareness and prevent suicide;
- and clarifying and strengthening information-sharing between colleges and community service boards to ensure that schools know when students have received mental health services outside of the college referral system.
Read the full article.
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Virginia on NRHD
Virginia programs got some great publicity through National Rural Health Day. Seven different people/programs are featured on the Celebrate the Power of Rural website.
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Rural Teamwork
By Jeff Say - StarExponent.com
Teamwork and partnership was a theme between the Free Clinic of Culpeper and Culpeper Regional Health System. Charlie Crist, a member of the Free Clinic Board of Directors, pointed out the worth the clinic has in the community. Over the past year, 626 patients were on the clinics docket and 4,956 visits were made to the clinic.
“I know the governor has asked for cuts,” Crist said, “but free clinics are a firm investment for the government.”
Read the full article.
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Rural Health 101
The National Rural Health Association gave an overview of the importance of the rural health safety net to about 20 Senate offices during Rural Health Care 101, part of an initiative by the Senate Rural Health Caucus to educate office and committee staff.
Maggie Elehwany, NRHA government affairs vice president, explained how critical the health care safety net is to providing access to health care for rural Americans and their communities.
The rural health care safety net is fragile and needs to be protected, she said.
Other rural health organizations, including the Office of Rural Health Policy, attended the briefing.
Make sure your elected officials understand the importance of rural health. Attend the 2012 NRHA Policy Institute. Click the logo below for more information.
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A Solution to Dental Problems?
By Sarah Clune
- PBS NewsHour
We met dental health aide therapist student Jana Schuerch at the Yuut Elitnaurviat Dental Training Clinic in Bethel, Alaska. Schuerch, 28, lights up when she tells us about her fiancé, Charlie, and their three young children living in Nome -- a plane ride (or two) from Bethel.
She's one of four second year students in the Alaska Dental Health Aide Therapist Training Program. After spending their first year of training in Anchorage, the students practice at the clinic here, where children and adults come for basic and preventive dental care. Enrollment in the program requires a high school diploma and a letter of sponsorship from an Alaska Tribal Health Organization. After they complete the two year program, they'll go to small, rural villages like Toksook Bay .
The sacrifice of being away from her family is worth it, according to Schuerch. She's seen what poor oral healthcare can do to people and made a decision to do something about it. Her main focus: preventing "dental caries," also known as tooth decay or a cavities. She's also trained to perform irreversible procedures, like extracting teeth and drilling cavities, without the direct supervision of a dentist.
Read the full article.
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HHS Extends Meaningful Use Deadline
By Lindsay Corey - National Rural Health Association
The Department of Health and Human Services announced it will extend, by one year, the deadline for meeting stage 2 meaningful use requirements to providers who qualify as stage 1 meaningful users in 2011.
Under current rules for the Medicare portion of the electronic health-record system meaningful use incentive program created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, providers who qualified for incentive payments as meaningful users under stage 1 would have to meet new, stricter stage 2 standards in 2013 that many critics saw as a disincentive.
The announcement changes this by allowing providers who delayed participation in the meaningful use incentive program until 2012 to wait to meet stage 2 requirements until 2014 while still being eligible for the incentive payment.
Read the full blog.
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For more information about these and other events, visit the VRHA Calendar.
December 7: Virginia Rural Health Access Summit - Staunton
December 7-9: Virginia Rural Health Association Annual Conference - Staunton
December 7-9: NRHA Rural Multiracial and Multicultural Health Conference - Daytona Beach, FL
January 30 - February 1:
National Rural Health Association Policy Institute -
Washington, DC
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From the Medicare Learning Network:
- “Medicare Physician Guide” (ICN 005938) has been revised and is available in CD ROM format. This guide includes the following information: an introduction to the Medicare Program, becoming a Medicare provider or supplier, Medicare reimbursement, Medicare services, protecting the Medicare Trust Fund, Medicare overpayments and Fee-For-Service appeals, and provider outreach and education. To place your order, visit the “MLN Products page,” scroll to the “Related Links Inside CMS,” and select the “MLN Product Ordering Page.”
- The “Medicare Fraud & Abuse: Prevention, Detection, and Reporting” Fact Sheet (ICN 0006827) is designed to provide education on preventing, detecting and reporting Medicare fraud and abuse. It includes definitions, as well as, information on laws, partnerships with other organizations and resources for additional information.
- The new MLN Matters® Special Edition Article (#SE1135) “Guidance on Completing the CMS-855A Enrollment Form” is designed to provide education on how to complete the Medicare Enrollment Application for Institutional Providers, Form CMS-855A. It provides a brief guide that providers may use when completing the CMS-855A application. Please note, use of this guide is not mandatory and does not ensure Medicare enrollment.
- The MLN Matters® Article (#MM7177) “Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Enrollment Procedures” is designed to provide education on the accreditation requirements for providers who submit claims for advanced diagnostic imaging services, as outlined in Change Request (CR) 7177. It was revised to add a reference to MLN Matters Article #SE1122 for additional information about these requirements.
- The MLN Matters® Special Edition Article (#SE1106) “Important Reminders about HIPAA 5010 & D.0 Implementation” is designed to provide education on how to prepare for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) 5010/D.0 implementation. It includes a list of assessment questions and educational materials to help providers prepare for the implementation.
- The MLN Matters® Special Edition Article (#SE1131) “Important Update Regarding 5010 Implementation – Action Needed Now” is designed to provide education on the actions providers must take NOW to prepare for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) 5010/D.0 implementation. It includes important action steps and a list of questions that providers can use to determine whether they are at risk of not being able to meet the January 1, 2012, deadline and submit claims.
- The “Power Mobility Devices (PMDs): Complying with Documentation & Coverage Requirements” Fact Sheet (ICN 905063) is designed to provide education on common Comprehensive Error Rate Testing Program errors related to power mobility devices. It includes a checklist of the documentation needed to support a claim submitted to Medicare for PMDs.
- The “Contractor Entities At A Glance: Who May Contact You About Specific Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Activities” Educational Tool (ICN 906983) is designed to provide education on the definitions and responsibilities of entities involved in claims adjudication activities. It includes a chart that outlines each entity by type, definitions, responsibilities, and reasons for contacting providers, especially Fee-For-Service providers. To place an order for a hard copy version, go to http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts and click on “MLN Product Ordering Page” under “Related Links Inside CMS” at the bottom of the page.
- The revised “Medicare Information for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Anesthesiologist Assistants, and Physician Assistants” Booklet (ICN 901623) provides education on services furnished by advanced practice registered nurses, anesthesiologist assistants, and physician assistants. This booklet includes the following information about Medicare requirements for these provider types: required qualifications, coverage criteria, billing, and payment. To place your order, visit the MLN Products page, scroll to the “Related Links Inside CMS,” and select the “MLN Product Ordering Page.”
- A new fast fact on MLN Provider Compliance is now available. This webpage provides the latest educational products designed to help Medicare Fee-For-Service providers understand—and avoid —common billing errors and other improper activities. Please bookmark this page and check back often as a new “fast fact” is added each month.
HPSA Lists
Published lists of all geographic areas, population groups, and facilities designated as primary medical care, mental health, and dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) as of September 1, 2011.
ICD-10 Implementation Guide for Small Hospitals
Step-by step guide specifically for small hospitals regarding the transition to the ICD-10 code set.
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Rural Policy Analysis Program
Application deadline: Jan 17, 2012
Funding to support research and analysis of key policy issues affecting rural communities to inform policy makers.
Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Implementation Funds Program
Application deadline: Jan 31, 2012
Funding supports pediatricians in the initial and/or pilot stage of developing and implementing a community-based child health initiative.
Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program
Application deadline: Feb 29, 2012
Grants to provide postdoctoral training for young physicians interested in research and leadership careers in health policy and academic medicine.
Family Respite Care Grant
Application deadline: May 1, 2012
Funding to help alleviate the cost of respite care for families caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.
American Association of University Women: Community Action Grants
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation works to advance educational and professional opportunities for women in the United States. The AAUW Community Action Grants program provides funds to individuals, AAUW organizations, and local community-based nonprofit organizations throughout the country for innovative programs or non-degree research projects that promote education and equity for women and girls. Special consideration is given to projects focused on K-12 and community college girls' and women's achievements in science, technology, engineering, or math. One-year grants of up to $7,000 provide seed money for new projects; two-year grants of up to $10,000 provide start-up funds for longer-term programs that address the particular needs of the community and develop girls' sense of efficacy through leadership or advocacy opportunities. The application deadline for both types of grants is January 15, 2012.
Research Centers in Primary Care Practice Based Research and Learning
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has announced a new request for applications for "Research Centers in Primary Care Practice Based Research and Learning (P30)".
AHRQ is soliciting Center Core grant (P30) applications from organizations with a demonstrated track record of success in conducting research in primary care practice-based research networks (PBRNs). Each successful applicant will serve as a Research Center in Practice-Based Research and Learning. Each Center must have at least 120 primary care member practices and may either consist of 1) a primary organization with 3 or more affiliated regional PBRNs (including a PBRN affiliated with the primary organizations); or 2) be a national PBRN organized around shared resources and research infrastructure. It is expected that each Center will foster a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment. By leveraging common resources, it is expected that either the consortium of PBRNs or the national PBRN will demonstrate greater productivity and will develop and conduct independent research projects more quickly than they would as separate PBRNs without a central infrastructure and collaborative partners. AHRQ is particularly interested in supporting an infrastructure that would accelerate both the generation of new knowledge and a community of learning for primary care practices to improve quality, patient safety and effectiveness of care. This funding opportunity provides no funds for specific research projects. The funds to be awarded are intended to strengthen the research and dissemination infrastructure of each Center.
It is expected that as a result of this funding, Centers will be more equipped to compete for research funding from AHRQ and other funders and be better able to conduct primary care practice-based research and support quality improvement in member practices. Additionally, AHRQ intends to publish future rapid-cycle FOAs describing research projects that will be limited to funded Centers because of the cohesive infrastructure required to respond to these rapid-cycle funding opportunities.
AHRQ intends to commit up to $600,000 total costs in FY2012 to support up to 5 awards. AHRQ plans to commit up to $3,000,000 over five years. Project periods may be up to 5 years in duration. The total costs for a grant awarded will not exceed $120,000 annually.
AHRQ encourages applicants to take advantage of a technical assistance conference call sponsored by AHRQ program staff. The purpose of the conference call is to provide potential applicants with background information and respond to questions about the preparation of an application in response to this FOA. The conference call will take place on December 20, 2011 at 1:00 pm EST. To register to participate in the conference call, please send an e-mail request to Leilani.Liggins@ahrq.hhs.gov) by December 14, 2011. All registrants will be sent an e-mail reply which will contain information on the call, including call-in information, by COB December 16, 2011.
The conference call is open to any individual or organization intending to apply. Participation is not a prerequisite to applying. Participants are encouraged to submit questions via email prior to the conference call. Please submit up to five questions with your name and the name of your institution to Leilani.Liggins@ahrq.hhs.gov by December 14, 2011. Questions of a similar topic and nature may be grouped at the sole discretion of AHRQ staff. Notes from the conference call will be posted on the AHRQ web site.
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