Organization Newsletter

March 2017

In this issue...

  1. Executive Director's Message
  2. Telepsychology to Support Physicians
  3. UW Students Study Marijuana legalization issues in Adams County
  4. 2017 WRHA Awards Winners!
  5. 5 Games to Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's
  6. Rural Health Funding Opportunities
  7. Get Involved!!
  8. Upcoming Educational Events
  9. WA State Legislative & Hospital News
  10. New Board Members

~WELCOME~


Welcome to the
March 2017 issue of the Washington Rural Health Association e-Newsletter.
Inside this issue you will find news and information from the new Executive Director and board of directors, members, and community partners from across the state of Washington. 

If you would like to submit your own story, please click here.

The WRHA e-newsletter is a publication of Washington Rural Health Association, a not-for-profit association composed of individual and organization members who share a common interest in rural health. This e-newsletter seeks to disseminate news and information of interest to rural health professionals and stakeholders to help establish a state and national network of rural health care advocates.

WRHA Members

WRHA members include administrators, educators, students, researchers, government agencies and workers, physicians, hospitals, clinics, migrant and community clinics, public health departments, insurers, professional associations and educational institutions. If you are interested in joining or renewing your membership with WRHA click here.

 



EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

 

Submitted by: Beionka Moore, Executive Director
[email protected]

Hello and welcome to March’s Newsletter! 

Very interesting times in Washington, DC, to say the least!  I was honored to represent the WRHA at the National Rural Health Association's 28th Annual Rural Health Policy Institute, held in Washington, D.C. in early February.  The Rural Health Policy Institute is the largest rural advocacy event nationwide and brings together members of Congress, Administrators, Public Health Officials, and health care experts from across this country.  The Rural Health Policy Institute is a unique opportunity for advocates of rural health to call on senators and representatives to inform and educate them on the issues that are important to WRHA members.  This year’s attendance exceeded capacity and while the event energy felt tones of uncertainty, the mood was generally enthusiastic. 

As WRHA’s Executive Director, I heard about and listened to the current concerns of importance to you.  A few of those issues included the elimination of the CAH 96-hour condition of payment, sponsoring the Save Rural Hospitals Act, decreasing the flood of rural hospital closures, and providing much needed access to care in rural communities.  Each topic was addressed during Capitol Hill meetings with legislators and their staff.  I also served as the state association's rural health congress member and attended their meetings. The main role of the NRHA rural health congress is to develop and approve public policy positions and to identify and represent the health care needs of rural America, as well as for Washington State. 

Common issues seen everywhere were access to care, costs of care, and health workforce shortage.  Rural health care has taken a hit as hospitals have closed and fewer doctors seek to practice in rural areas.  According to a report presented during  this event, half of Washington rural providers operate at a loss. 

One thing is most certain. If we want to affect change in a positive way and stop rural hospital closures, we must come together.  Now more than ever before we need a unified voice to fight and save rural hospitals.  Protecting those most vulnerable, and fighting to restore funding to rural communities.  After such strong grassroots and advocacy efforts in DC, forty-one Senators sent a letter to the new Health and Human Services Secretary, Tom Price, urging him to support health care in rural communities.  WRHA and NRHA were pleased to see the valuable bipartisan show of support for rural health care.  Lawmakers are listening to the rural voice, so make your voice heard!

WRHA is committed to building a better, workable system. We will continue to work with you and for you!  For WRHA to remain an effective organization that advocates for rural health and offers commonality for legislative concerns, we need your input and support to accomplish goals and make a difference.

WRHA and you will help improve access to care in rural Washington and strengthen rural leadership. We are committed to protecting rural health. Let us know how we can best serve you!

           

(Pictured, from Left to Right): Beionka Moore WRHA Executive Director; Keith Watson President at Northwest University in Yakima (WRHA board member); Jacob Thatcher 2017 NRHA Fellow & Pacific Northwest College of Medicine, Medical Student, Yakima WA; Sarah Huling X-Ray Technician at Forks Community Hospital, 2017 NRHA Fellow.

Please feel free to contact: Beionka Moore at [email protected] to find out more information.  

Like, follow or connect to WRHA now on Facebook, Linked-In and Twitter! 

P.O. Box 882
Spokane, WA  99210

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Telepsychology to Support Physicians and Patients

Submitted by: Bobbi Meins (article written by Dr. Trevor Davis, licensed psychologist in Washington State)
[email protected]

An urgent issue in mental health care today is how to increase access to psychological services in rural areas.  Pacific has found telehealth to be an effective and affordable way of providing meaningful services to treat an array of mental and behavioral health needs.  As of January 1, 2017, the telemental health parity law in Washington mandates telemedicine coverage equal to reimbursement for in-person care under private insurance and state employee health plans. Access to telehealth services is becoming a reality.

The state of Washington has approximately 7 million people – at any given time, nearly 1 million of these people are reporting poor mental health (Washington State Department of Health, 2008).   There is also a significant shortage of mental health care providers in much of Washington.  As of January 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, only 42% of Washington’s mental health needs were being met (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2017).  Telehealth services are a solution for these issues, as needed mental health services can be extended through partnerships with patients and providers throughout the state.

Services that can be offered via telehealth include:

  • Identifying risk factors that may compromise care and impact rehabilitation or healing.
  • Providing clinical pre and post-surgical patient assessments.
  • Providing a route for quickly responding to patients in chronic or acute crisis.
  • Offering support around life transitions and emotional response to illness.
  • Offering patient support that can decrease resistance or non-compliance and speed their recovery.

Telehealth offers many advantages for the patient:

  • Flexible and tailored to the needs of individual patients and their families.
  • Effective way to support behavioral change that can improve health.
  • Practical for patients with barriers due to transportation, geographic, or physical limitations.
  • Access to licensed psychologists who understand chronic illness.

Telehealth offers many advantages for the healthcare provider:

  • Able to offer self-sustaining integrated behavioral health as a clinic service.
  • Cost effective with minimal overhead and good reimbursement for services.
  • Staff have regular contact with licensed psychologists with specialties in the treatment of chronic illness.
  • Scalable services depending on patient and clinic needs.
  • Improved treatment compliance for challenging patients.
  • Readily available technical support before, during, and after clinical services.

With the rapid changes in technology the implementation and use of telehealth has become both accessible and cost effective.   
Behavioral health services can be integrated into various clinic settings. Licensed Psychologists from
Pacific Rehabilitation Centers become collaborative team members so that patients can address issues that impede their overall health.   
For more information, call Bobbi Meins at 425.777.4003. 


 www.pacificrehabilitationcenters.com

1.877.302.7132


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UW Students study Marijuana legalization issues in Adams County

Submitted by:  Peter House, UW and Karen Potts, Adams County
[email protected]
[email protected]

Between December 4 and December 7, 2016, eight graduate students (see photo) from the University of Washington (UW) School of Public Health visited Adams County.  The students are working on master’s degrees in public health practice, and they are enrolled in the Community-Oriented Public Health Practice Program at the UW.  They completed an assignment at the Adams County Health Department as part of the county’s Community Health Improvement Plan.  They developed (and tested) a survey to identify perceptions and attitudes toward marijuana growing, sales, and use in the county.  They surveyed (and interviewed) over 160 residents in Othello and Ritzville.

Karen Potts, Personal Health Director for Adams County Health Department prepared the student assignment, which was done in coordination with the Adams County Health Alliance.  According to Ms. Potts, “The students were resourceful and skilled and they helped us jump-start our efforts to make sure we consider public perceptions and health effects as we work to develop educational programs and policies around marijuana use and sales in our county.”

The students have prepared a written report on their findings, and they have made presentations in December at the UW and in Adams County on January 23.

Peter House was the faculty facilitator from the School of Public Health.  “This project was one of a series of such projects in rural communities.” House said.  “Our students have worked on similar projects in recent years in Okanogan, Whatcom, Pacific, Mason, Grays Harbor, and Pacific Counties.  This is our attempt to make sure that our students are exposed to joys and challenges of rural public health practice in their training.”

If you are interested in talking about a student project in your community, Mr. House can be contacted at [email protected].  Karen Potts can be reached at [email protected].




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        2017 WRHA Award Winners!

Submitted by: Beionka Moore, Executive Director

Lifelong dedication to improving the health of the rural population of our region was the common thread for the annual awards presented at the Northwest Rural Health Conference.  Awards from the Washington Rural Health Association were presented by Washington’s Secretary of Health, John Wiesman, and Beionka Moore, Executive Director, Washington Rural Health Association. 

Three awards were presented this year:
Mary Selecky Friend of Rural Health: Eric H. Larson, PhD, Research Associate Professor, Director - WWAMI Rural Health Research Center - MEDEX Northwest

(Pictured: Eric Larson with wife, Mary Hausladen and daughter, Sarah Larson)

Outstanding Contribution to Rural Health: Chief Gordon Pomeroy 

(Pictured: Chief Gordon Pomeroy with Sandra Smith-Poling, MD EMS Medical Program Director – Jefferson Health)

Dr. John Anderson Memorial Award for Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner: Dr. Yong Ki Shin and Dr. Clara Chon Shin.

(Pictured: Dr. Yong Ki Shin with John McCarthy, MD and Michelle Pelt, MBA Western WA WWAMI Region University School of Medicine)

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!!!




(Pictured:  Beionka Moore, WRHA Executive Director with the 2017 winners)

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5 Games that May Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's

Submitted by:  George Mears
brainwellness.info
[email protected]

Because dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are characterized by brain health deterioration, it is important that you stimulate your brain and exercise it to prevent atrophy just as you do your muscles. One of the best ways to exercise your brain is to play games that are mentally challenging. To help you find games that may reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s, we share five suggestions below.

1. Bridge and Other Card Games

University of California, Irvine researchers determined that people who play Bridge on a regular basis reduced their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s. Bridge is a card game that especially requires mental activity such as critical thinking, strategy, and social interaction. Seniors who want to maintain healthy brain function should play for three or four hours at a time to maximize the brain benefits of playing the game.

Other card games also are known for being mentally stimulating and warding off Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. When we play cards, we often put our math skills and knowledge to work; we also use various parts of the brain to strategize, solve problems, and perform statistical analysis for certain hands. We also have to monitor which cards have been played and analyze the behavior of our fellow players, all of which requires memory.

2. Board Games

Playing board games increases cognitive performance and reduces cognitive decline in elderly players. In fact, researchers have found that playing board games is one of the most stimulating leisure activities for seniors. As a recreational activity, playing board games promotes taking initiatives, planning, and adapting to winning and losing. Board games also promote mentally-stimulating social interaction. Some of the more beneficial board games for reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s include matching games, chess, Dominoes, Monopoly, and Connect Four.

3. Jigsaw Puzzles

While maybe not a game in the traditional sense, jigsaw puzzles provide our brains with exercise and stimulation. Specifically, jigsaw puzzles prompt the brain to retain information on shapes and colors to help you determine which pieces will fit together. While you are looking for a correct piece, your brain is memorizing what each looks like and which pieces you are searching for to complete the puzzle. These activities strengthen your short-term memory.

Image result for jigsaw puzzle image

Jigsaw puzzles also engage the left and right brain. While you work on a puzzle, the left brain logically looks at parts and is stimulated by problem solving. On the other hand, the right brain considers the whole puzzle and helps you be intuitive. The brain must make connections between both sides if you are to solve the jigsaw puzzle, which enhances your ability to understand, learn, and remember. After you complete a puzzle, your brain signals the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that affects your concentration and motivation; dopamine plays a key role in your memory and motor control while significantly contributing to your pleasure/reward pathway.

4. Video Games

Video games on tablets with touchscreens can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by stimulating the brain. Apps that promote repetition, interaction, and matching can have significant positive impacts on brain health. Apps such as Talking Tom 2, My Reef 3D, and Let’s Create! Pottery have been recognized as being among those that are beneficial for people with dementia. Some apps also involve activities that prompt players to remember tasks they completed when they were younger, which stimulates long-term memory.

Researchers also found that video games that involve brain training are effective at reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s. In the study, participants who played video games two hours a week benefited from the brain boosts provided by the games.

5. Bilingual Games

It’s never too late to learn something new, and the act of learning provides powerful brain stimulation. That’s why it’s helpful to play games that teach you a new language if you want to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. People who are bilingual develop strong cognitive skills and improve their decision-making and problem-solving skills. 

There are steps you can take to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s. If you play card games, board games, video games, and bilingual games, you will exercise your brain and stave off the deterioration that accompanies dementia. Completing jigsaw puzzles is another way to do so.

Image via Pixabay by Arcaion


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 Rural Health Funding Opportunities

 
Submitted by:  Beionka Moore, Executive Director
[email protected]

American Indian/Alaska Native Health Equity Initiative
Grants to support the development and implementation of evidence-based models and/or promising practices to help address historical and generational trauma existing in AI/AN communities with the goal of increasing resiliency and protective factors within AI/AN youth.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Application Deadline: Apr 3, 2017
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health

Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program
Funding for states, tribes, and local governments to plan, implement or expand a criminal justice and mental health collaboration program.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Application Deadline: Apr 4, 2017
Sponsors: Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice

Minority Youth Violence Prevention II (MYVP II): Integrating Social Determinants of Health and Community Policing Approaches
Grants to identify innovative approaches to significantly reduce the prevalence and impact of youth violence among racial and ethnic minority and/or disadvantaged at-risk youth. MYVP II will support interventions tailored to at-risk racial and ethnic minority and/or disadvantaged youth (ages 12-18 years) and requires coordinated, multi-discipline approaches that should address public health, education, and public safety concerns; disparities in access to public health services; social determinants of health; and risk and protective factors.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Application Deadline: Apr 4, 2017
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health

Senior Corps Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
Funding to develop Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) projects that support volunteers 55 years and older in serving specific local and community needs in communities that do not currently have RSVP programs.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Letter of Intent (Optional): Mar 7, 2017
Application Deadline: Apr 4, 2017
Sponsor: Corporation for National and Community Service

Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program
Grants to city, county, and state governments to expand opioid abuse prevention and education efforts while also promoting treatment and recovery.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Application Deadline: Apr 25, 2017
Sponsors: Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice

Children's Health Grants
Offers funding to support children's behavioral health programs, including those that present solutions to health inequities and address the needs of children holistically.
Sponsor:  Cambia Health Foundation
Deadlines: 
Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Contact:  Kathleen Pitcher Tobey
801.333.5575
[email protected]

Washington J-1 Visa Waiver Program
Offers a J-1 Visa waiver to foreign physicians who commit to serving for 3 years in an underserved area of Washington, allowing them to remain in the United States.
View Program Website
Sponsor:
Washington Dept. of Health
Deadlines:
Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Contact:  [email protected]

Wells Fargo Corporate Giving Programs
Funding for nonprofit organizations in the areas of community development, education, human services, arts and culture, civic responsibility, housing, and environmental consciousness.
Geographic coverage: Available in 44 States.
View Program Website
Sponsor: Wells Fargo
Deadlines:  Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Contact:  Each state has an agency contact listed. See individual state guidelines on the program website for contact information.

Northwest Health Foundation Event Sponsorships
Provides sponsorship for events that promote health or contribute to the determinants of health in Oregon or southwest Washington.
Geographic coverage: Oregon and southwest Washington.
Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
View Program Website
Sponsor: Northwest Health Foundation
Deadlines:  Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Contact:  Shannon Duff, Grant Administrator
503.505.5702
[email protected]

May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust Grant Program
Grants for projects that aid foster youth, elder populations, veterans, and people with disabilities.
Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Sponsor: May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust
View Program Website
Deadlines:  Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Contact:  415.332.0166
[email protected]

Healthy Hearts Northwest: Improving Practice Together
Provides 15 months of technical assistance to small-to-medium-sized primary care practices in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Practices will create plans to utilize health information technology and data reporting for quality improvement, and will receive assistance in implementing external practice quality improvement related to heart health.
Geographic coverage: Washington, Oregon, and Idaho
Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Sponsor: EvidenceNOWLink
View Program Website
Deadlines:  Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Contact:  For Washington and Idaho Practices: [email protected]


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 Get Involved, Join A Committee!

 

Submitted by: Weston Davis, President
[email protected]

It takes you to make a difference!

Would you like to have a greater impact on the future of rural health and the direction of the Washington Rural Health Association?  If so, I invite you to review the following list of Standing Committees and their charges, and consider joining us.

The WRHA is seeking volunteers to join the following committees:

•    Awards Committee – selects WRHA award winners and presents awards at the 2017 NW Regional Rural Health Conference in February
•    Communications Committee – coordinates WRHA publications, enhance communication and publicity to members, contribute to the website and the newsletter. Work together with the WRHA Board, to inform, engage, and educate members and other interested parties regarding issues important to the rural community
•    Membership/Development Committee – this committee is charged with advancing new initiatives. I call it the “Idea Committee.”  This group has been brainstorming ideas and concepts to broaden our financial base, as well as pursue activities to enhance active membership
•    Legislative Committee – If you have questions or hear of legislation that we should know about, please let us know. There’s always something happening here. Mainly active during the legislative session, this committee reviews the Bill Tracking Report, compiles a list of bills to be tracked, and works for legislative event planning
•    Bylaws Committee – headed by the WRHA president, this committee meets every two years to review Association bylaws
•    Finance Committee – we are entering a time of change and current sources of funding are certainly changing. Assists the treasurer in developing an annual budget, review disbursements, makes recommendations to the Board, and manages additional revenue

To request to join or for more information about WRHA Committees, please click here!

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Upcoming Educational Events

Submitted by:  Beionka Moore, Executive Director

Below is a short list of upcoming Rural Health conferences that you may find beneficial.  Happy Training & Education!

Apr 3 - 5, 2017
2017 National Council for Behavioral Health NATCON Conference National
Seattle, WA

Apr 10 - 12, 2017
6th Annual Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center Telemedicine Conference
Seattle, WA

May 2-5, 2017
4-day Educational Series
Seattle Children's Hospital
INFO LINK

May 9, 2017 (4 separate topics)
22nd Health Equity Conference
Rural Medical Education Conference
40th Annual Rural Health Conference
Rural Hospital Innovation Summit
San Diego, CA

June 22, 2017
The Role of Primary Care in Multiple Sclerosis
Time:  Noon - 1:30 PM
EWU Spokane Campus
To register:  www.ewu.edu/cemsprimarycare
Attend in person or online via livestream
Spokane, WA

June 25- 28, 2017
WSHA and AWPHD 41st Annual Rural Hospital Leadership Conference
Campbell's Resort
Chelan, WA
Registration will open in the Spring

Community Health Series

SPOKANE, Wash. – A three-part lecture series about human development across the lifespan will be March 23 and April 13, hosted by Washington State University Extension’s child and family research unit and human development department.
INFO LINK

“Our Community, Our Health, Our Future” will feature engaging researchers discussing emerging issues facing the community in order to promote healthy development in children, adolescents and adults. Lectures will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays in the Walgreen’s Auditorium, Room 101 of the WSU Health Sciences Spokane Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Building, 205 E. Spokane Falls Blvd.

Seating is limited. Please RSVP at the links provided for each talk at http://ext100.wsu.edu/cafru/our-community-our-health-our-future/.

News media contacts:
Chris Blodgett, WSU child and family research unit, 509-358-7679, [email protected]
Caitlin Suginaka, WSU child and family research unit, 509-358-7606, [email protected]

 

Opportunities you might have missed: 

2017 Northwest Public Health Leadership Institute

APPLY NOW: A nine-month program designed to build collaborative leadership skills for professionals committed to improving health equity

April–December 2017
In-Person + Distance-Based
Application deadline: March 24
Tuition:
 $3,000
Inquire about partial scholarships, which are offered based on availability, field of work, and need. A portion of these, offered through HRSA grant T04MC26892, are available specifically for MCH professionals.

Since 2003, the Northwest Public Health Leadership Institute has helped experienced public health professionals become the next generation of leaders. Applications are now open to experienced professionals in all health and public health fields, with maternal and child health (MCH) professionals and health care providers encouraged to apply.

With faculty and guest presenters, our curriculum builds leadership competencies through varied methods, including problem-based learning. Diverse scholars meet in three-day on-site sessions in May, August, and November, with distance-based learning in between.

As part of the program, participants will:

  • Complete a leadership project, integrated with your current workplace
  • Analyze real-world public health leadership cases
  • Learn how the life course approach is connected to health equity and health reform
  • Gain skills from faculty and presenters for implementing systems change
  • Develop personalized leadership development work

LEARN MORE AND APPLY >

Practice Transformation Support Hub April Webinar: "Building Community Connections that Support Patients” 
Wednesday, April 19, 2017 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Creating community resource linkages is a key component of a care coordination system. This free webinar will describe strategies to identify and match patient needs with available community resources beyond the medical neighborhood.
Webinar Objectives:

  • Learn strategies to identify and track patient barriers and needs, including social determinants of health as part your care coordination system
  • Identify ways to apply team-based and coordinated care to link patients with the right community resources

Learn strategies to close the loop after referring patients to a community-based resource or support.  REGISTER HERE


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 Washington State Legislative & Hospital News

LEGISLATIVE NEWS!

The Top 100 Rural and Community Hospitals in the U.S. were revealed in early February at NRHA’s Rural Health Policy Institute, as determined by NRHA, iVantage Health Analytics and the Chartis Center for Rural Health. The release of the top 100 rural and community hospitals this year expands on research presented as part of the 2017 Rural Relevance Study: Vulnerability to Value from the Chartis Group. The hospitals named to this list are top performers in managing risk, achieving higher quality, securing better outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, and operating at a lower cost than their peers.

Congratulations to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles! 


Next Generation Accountable Care Organization Model Request for Applications and Open Door Forums

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Center (CMS Innovation Center) released the Request for Applications (RFA) and Letter of Intent (LOI) for organizations interested in applying to the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model for 2018. The RFA portal is now live.

The CMS Innovation Center will be holding informational open door forums to help guide applicants through the application process and provide more detailed information on the Model. A recording of the material, and the slides from the Next Generation ACO (NGACO) Model’s first two open door forums for 2018 NGACO Applicants are now available. These forums focused on an overview of the NGACO Model and information on the LOI.

As a reminder, the remaining open door forums will be held at the following times:

Cuts to clinics would put needed services at risk


Hospital-based clinics are outpatient clinics that are part of a hospital, but physically separate. They provide a variety of primary care and specialty services, including cancer care, pediatric neurology, and fetal medicine, all tied to a hospital’s coordinated care platform.

These clinics are physically separate from the hospital for multiple reasons: to reduce travel time for patients, because of zoning issues at the main hospital facility or because an already-established medical practice was going to close or stop accepting Medicaid patients unless the hospital took it over. 

The governor's budget plan, which lays out state funding of Medicaid services, proposes to cut payments to hospital-based clinics by an estimated $150 million over two years when federal matching funds are included. This cut threatens an important source of services that are not readily available to Medicaid patients elsewhere, potentially leaving these vulnerable populations without meaningful access to community-based primary and specialty care. 

Now is the time for you to contact your legislators and let them know that cutting payments to hospital outpatient clinics will seriously erode access to specialty care for Medicaid patients. 

Next steps in the budget process:

February 24 was the cutoff for the bills to be voted out of the House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means committees. All the bills that are still alive now move to their full house of origin for consideration and possible amendment, and the deadline for bills to pass through their house of origin is Wednesday, March 8.

In order to be alive after March 8, a bill that started in the House committees must pass a floor vote of the House and vice versa in the Senate. Bills that are necessary to implement the budget do not have these timelines and are alive until the legislature adjourns. (You can see the full cutoff calendar here.)

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council will release its next budget forecast on March 16, followed by budget proposals by the Senate and House.

Jefferson Healthcare eyes buying mental health clinic

Access to mental health care services in Jefferson County could be under one umbrella – Jefferson Healthcare – by the end of the year. Motivations includes the reality that patients seeking behavioral health services often have the “the greatest needs, fewest resources and softest voices,” CEO Mike Glenn said.



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NEW WRHA BOARD MEMBERS

WRHA Welcomes New Board Members!

The Washington Rural Health Association elected new Board members at the annual membership meeting held on February 28, 2017.  It’s an honor to welcome this esteemed group of individuals to the associations' Board of Directors.

The following individuals have been nominated, elected, and have accepted a three-year term:
Wayne Walker, General Manager, Lifeline Ambulance, Inc.,
Rebecca Snyders, Communications Principal, Qualis Health,
Trina A. Olson, Director Professional Outreach, Deaconess Hospital/Rockwood Health System
Teresa Gall, Controller, Tri-State Memorial Hospital, and will serve as the WRHA Treasurer.  

The complete list of Board members and officers follows:

Elected Officers:
Weston Davis - President
Executive Director - Rural Health, Inland Imaging, Spokane

Jeffrey M. Johnson – Immediate Past-President
Partner, Wipfli LLP, Spokane

Teresa Gall – Treasurer
Controller, Tri-State Memorial Hospital, Clarkston

Sandy Brecker – Secretary
Marketing Representative, Coverys, Maple Valley

Board Members:
Tim O'Connell, CFO, Lincoln Hospital, Davenport, WA
Kim Kelley, Stroke Program Coordinator, Rural Health Section, Community Health Systems, WA State Department of Health, Olympia, WA
Jon Smiley, Retired CEO & CFO, Tentative
Jeffrey Sund, Senior Account Manager, Nuvodia IT Solutions, Spokane, WA
Tonya Vallance, Director of Services, Douglas-Okanogan County Fire District #15, Brewster, WA
Keith Watson, President, Pacific Northwest University, Yakima, WA
Tom Wilbur, CEO, Newport Hospital & Health Services, Newport, WA

NRHA State Association Council Representatives:
Beionka Moore, Executive Director - Washington Rural Health Association
Jeffrey M. Johnson – Immediate Past-President - Wipfli LLP

WRHA State Office of Rural Health Representatives:
Beionka Moore, Executive Director - Washington Rural Health Association
Weston Davis, President – Inland Imaging

Northwest Rural Health Conference Planning Committee Members:
Kim Kelley, WA State Department of Health
Beionka Moore, Washington Rural Health Association

Board Terms Expired:
Renee Jensen, CEO, Summit Pacific Medical Center
Abigail Richardson, RN, Kadlec Regional Medical Center

The WRHA extends our sincerest thank you to former board members for their dedication and service through-out the years! 
We are not saying goodbye, we know you will be involved in some capacity. 

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THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THE 2017 NW RURAL CONFERENCE! 
CLICK HERE FOR THE CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS!!


  Thank you to our sponsors!

Please consider sponsoring the Association today.  Click Here.