STRIDES, a program of the Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC), is assessing community health needs in the area. After RGH Administrator and CEO Arleen Harms welcomed the attendees, Clint Cresawn, Colorado STRIDES program manager went over health, demographic and economic data for the two counties.
Cresawn was careful to accentuate the importance of healthcare to the local economy, underscoring that while there was a net loss of, jobs in Rio Grande County between 2000 and 2009, there had been a 21.3 percent increase in health care related jobs. He added that these health care related jobs tended to pay more than many other jobs. Citing an economic impact study Colorado STRIDES completed for the assessment, Cresawn noted that, during 2011, RGH directly employed 115 workers for a total payroll of approximately $1.3 million.
Referring to the 35 attendees present at the initial meeting, Clint Cresawn, Program Manager for Colorado STRIDES said, “The strong turnout shows the commitment local residents have to supporting health and healthcare access to care in these two counties!”
At the next scheduled meeting, demographic and economic data, as well as the economic impact of the hospital, will be discussed. The overall goal of this series of meetings is to forge collaboration between the hospital and the community, assuring that the hospital is responsive to the community’s needs with regard to health, healthcare, and healthy living.
Faith, who shared her experience with the non-profit group Colorado Health Story, needs help because she has chronic lung disease, and needs regular medical care. "Thank God for Medicare, because it would have been impossible to survive what we’ve been through if we had not had that medical assistance." Retirees like Faith who rely on Medicare may have a lot harder time getting a doctor’s appointment if Congress doesn’t fix how Medicare pays physicians.
Says Jan Kief, president-elect, Colorado Medical Society, "they will not accept new Medicare patients at all, it is a very big trend." Dr. Jan Kief is president-elect of the state’s biggest physicians’ organization, the Colorado Medical Society. She says doctors are reaching the breaking point in dealing with Medicare. They’re sick of the formula that puts Medicare payments to doctors on the chopping block every year. This year doctors’ fees are supposed to be cut 30 percent. Kief says that doesn’t poll well with Colorado Medical Soceity MDs.
Rural communities are wonderful places to live and work. They are also some of the best places to start a business and test one's "entrepreneurial spirit." These communities provide the country with a wealth of services and commodities. Rural doesn't necessarily mean "remote" – diverse economic, cultural and recreational opportunities abound in rural Colorado. With a strong agricultural and ranching foundation, Colorado's rural economies include small businesses and larger industries.
Rural communities face unique health care needs. We must address accessibility issues, health care provider shortages, the needs of an aging population experiencing a greater number of chronic conditions and larger percentages of uninsured and underinsured residents. Rural hospitals and clinics are essential resources to meet the health care needs in these communities.
“Connecting Centura Health’s electronic health record to CORHIO’s health information exchange allows us to improve health care value through better coordination of care,” said Dana Moore, Centura Health’s senior vice president and chief information officer. “By linking physicians, clinics, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home care services, we are ultimately touching more Coloradans and contributing collectively to sustaining the health of our state for generations to come.”
In late June, a two-year effort gave birth to the Community Paramedic program. Specially trained paramedics who are not needed to respond to emergencies are dispatched to patients’ homes upon physician orders. There, they provide medical care, such as diabetes and blood pressure checks, EKGs and surgical follow-ups, and prevention services. The program serves all of Eagle County. In western Eagle County, about 59 percent of residents are uninsured, and few area doctors accept Medicare or Medicaid.
At last week’s 20th Annual Rural Health Conference, sponsored by the Colorado Rural Health Center, ambulance district chief Chris Montera told attendees the paramedics serve as the “eyes and ears of the physician at home.” Because the paramedics see patients in their own environments, they can watch for and alert the physician to any circumstance that might be affecting the patient’s health or recovery.
“We have a lot of programs and services that we don’t have grant funding to be able to provide for no cost,” Cari Fouts, director of communication and development at CRHC, said in an interview. These services include helping rural health clinics improve their billing and coding practices, assessing and improving business practices; and helping with quality improvement and patient safety activities.
Even though CRHC provides such services throughout the state, rural facilities often can’t afford to pay for the help and CRHC hasn’t been able to provide it for free; that’s where the Partnership Program funding comes in. “This partnership is going to allow us to be able to provide those services and technical assistance out into the rural communities,” Fouts said.
A board-certified nurse practitioner, Mitchell provides primary and urgent care for new and existing patients of all ages. The non-profit clinic is located at 344 Hwy. 92 and can be reached by calling 921-5501. "We plan to use the funds to buy a building here in Crawford, provided we can find matching funds," Mitchell said. "CU Boulder students have already designed a clinic for us, using the space above our current office."
The funds were awarded through the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program, established in August 2007 and funded with $7.5 million from UnitedHealthcare. The grants are being distributed over six years. The grants can be used to support various health initiatives, including health information technology, construction and remodeling projects, equipment, and staff training.
Ford said the health department has earmarked its grant for remodeling, the purchase of new computers and software and to repair equipment. Sarah Langan and Kathleen McInnis, supervisors of the reproductive health and dental clinics, respectively, co-wrote the grant application.
The dental clinic, Southwest Smilemakers, located in The Commons building, 701 Camino del Rio, will buy a new computer, upgrade X-ray software, install television monitors and repair dental equipment, McInnis said.A previous grant from the same source allowed the dental clinic to install a second examination room and create space to ensure patient privacy when dealing with sensitive matters, McInnis said. Langan said her department will replace computers, some that are 10 years old, link electronic health records with its clinic in Pagosa Springs, create a third examination room and soundproof the reception desk to ensure patient confidentially.
Moffat County recipients were the Craig Mental Health, which received $8,000, and the Northwest Colorado Community Health Center, which received $17,000. The grant money supports various health initiatives, including health information technology, construction and remodeling projects, equipment and staff training.
“As we continue toward our goal of providing access to high quality, affordable health care to all Coloradans, it is critical that we support our rural communities,” Gov. John Hickenlooper said in a news release. “These investments will have a significant impact on care and on people’s lives from Julesburg to Durango.”
The Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program award to Eastern Plains Medical Clinic in Calhan marks the first time an El Paso County facility has received money through the 4-year-old program. The grant to the Cripple Creek-Victor Mountain Health Center is the second for a facility in Teller County. In 2008, a $50,000 grant went toward technology and facility upgrades at the Family Health Center in Divide. Both are part of Peak Vista Community Health Centers.
Many of this year’s grant recipients, including Eastern Plains, will use the money to beef up their health information technology. Specifically, Eastern Plains will put the money toward electronic medical records, which will help the clinic better communicate with laboratories and hospitals, keep track of children’s vaccination histories and manage patients’ medications.
“It’s huge,” said Penni Wilson, practice manager for Eastern Plains, which has about 3,000 patients and is the only family/primary care operation in eastern El Paso County. “We’re a rural health care facility, and 65 percent of our patients are Medicare or Medicaid, so reimbursement is lower for us. To be able to put something in place out here is wonderful.”
The grant is aimed at funding projects that support Colorado's rural health infrastructure and strengthen the capacity of rural entities to provide outpatient primary care services. Trish McClain, NCHD's director of client health services, informed members of the Northeast Colorado Board of Health during their June 22 meeting that the agency had received their full request of $46,718.52.
McClain applied for the grant this past March with the hopes of funding several physical plant improvement projects, including an upgrade to the Fort Morgan building's entrance and lighting system and the replacement of old windows in the Sterling office, as well as the purchase of six automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be housed in each of the agency's six offices. "The improvements to our office buildings will make clinic visits more accessible and more comfortable for our clients," said McClain.
“We are honored to receive this grant from Colorado Rural Health Care. It serves as a testament to the powerful work we have accomplished in our first year of service,” said Kris Marsh, President and CEO of the Aspen Valley Medical Foundation which founded and currently administers the Aspen Hope Center. “The grant will offer resources to expand our staff’s knowledge base as well as increase the number of QPR suicide prevention trainers in the community.”
The South Routt Medical Center learned two weeks ago it had been awarded $49,460 in funds from the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program, which granted more than $2 million to 54 organizations around the state this grant cycle. The grant program funds a maximum of $50,000 to rural health care entities for infrastructure needs and service expansion.
The office will use the funds to purchase the equipment needed for a dentist from the Northwest Colorado Dental Coalition to provide care at the facility. “It just helps to build our community into a self-sufficient community,” Medical Center office manager Tina Holliday said.
The analysis found however that patients are still at the clinic too long even though the ratios were good. They are continuing to do process mapping to get the total number of minutes down. Ayoub said the report provided them with a number of good ideas to help minimize times.
"Healthcare plays a significant role in local economies, providing one in six jobs in rural Colorado," says Cari Fouts, Colorado Rural Health Center's Director of Communication and Development. "Rural providers often lack the human and technical resources available to urban areas, and despite this, create innovative solutions to deliver patient-centered, high-quality care in an efficient and effective manner. A state-recognized 'Rural Health Day' is a great way to express appreciation and gratitude to the Colorado healthcare providers who dedicate their time and energy to rural communities."
The Colorado Rural Health Center, Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved, and ClinicNET will hit the road in April in search of Colorado health stories.
“The purpose of Colorado HealthStory is to create an appreciation of our shared experiences of health, one conversation at a time,” said Alicia Haywood, policy analyst with the Colorado Rural Health Center. “We invite Coloradans to tell their own health stories to begin a dialogue about access to health in our communities.”
Several county representatives expressed concern for the region’s health care. Clint Cresawn of the Colorado Rural Health Center said health care can be an asset in economic development planning. One family medical physician can bring as much as $1 million in wages, sales and benefits to a rural area, according to Cresawn.
“It’s important to show companies that are considering moving to Colorado that their employees will be well taken care of,” Cresawn said.
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