National Rural Health Association

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2007 Critical Access Hospital Conference

2007 Critical Access Hospital Conference
Held October 3-5, 2007;

Agenda and Handouts

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
The Future of Rural Health Care

Tim Size, Executive Director, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC);
Click here to download handouts for Tim Size’s portion of the presentation

Keith Mueller, Professor and Director, Nebraska Center for Rural Health Research;

George Miller, Regional President, Community Mercy Health Partners, President, NRHA

Download George Miller's Handouts Here

Moderated by Alan Morgan, CEO, National Rural Health Association (NRHA)
Hear three perspectives on what opportunities exist in rural health care and challenges of the future.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Washington Update
Maggie Elehwany, Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy, NRHA
Legislative and Regulatory Update
The Critical Access Hospital Program faces significant legislative and regulatory issues in 2007. During this time, we will look at pending legislative and regulatory changes for the CAH program, and how these changes could impact the daily business of Critical Access Hospitals in the coming year.

Download Maggie Elehwany's Handouts Here

3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
CMS Update
John Hammarlund, Regional Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
This session will provide attendees with an overview of the CAH program from the perspective of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. New regulations important to CAHs will be addressed in this presentation, as well as clarification on current regulations impacting this program.

Download John Hammarlund's Handouts for this Presentation

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Medicare Update
John Sheehan, Partner, BKD LLP, St. Louis, Missouri; and
Tim Wolters, Partner, BKD LLP, Springfield, Missouri

This discussion will explore questions and concerns regarding CAH payment issues under the Medicare program, and how Critical Access Hospitals are addressing payment and regulatory concerns from a national perspective.

Download the Handouts for this Presentation

Thursday, October 4, 2007

8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
CAH Replacement Facility National Study (Year III)

Eric K. Shell, Principal, Stroudwater Associates;
Brian Haapala, Principal, Stroudwater Associates

As a follow up to the 2006 national study, which looked at the impact of new CAH facilities on health care operations, this session will examine the progress of these facilities to date, and also explore the economic impact that an updated facility has within a rural community.

10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Swimming With the Big Fish: Survival Marketing for the CAH
Sherald Wood, Director of Marketing, Limestone Medical Center
Rural and community hospitals may not have competition in their local areas, but they do experience the impact of competition from their urban counterparts. CAHs must develop a strategic marketing plan that ensures their patient base. This presentation will introduce ways for developing these strategies and discuss how to survive in the competitive market.

Click Here to Download Sherald Wood's Handouts for this Presentation

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Toward Greater Transparency for CAHS
Maureen Mudron, legal counsel for AHA;
Walter R. Gregg, Jr. Senior Research Fellow, University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center; and
John A. Gale, Maine Rural Health Research Center

Federal policy makers, as well as the public in general, are holding health care providers to increasingly higher standards of transparency. This session will outline public expectations, the current status of CAH compliance, and ways to fill the gaps to meet community benefit standards.

Download Walter Gregg's Handouts Here

Download Maureen Mudron's Handouts Here

Download John Gale's Handouts Here

12:00 Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
CAH Final Outmigration Study

Cathy Battaglia PhD, MSHA, RN

Presentation of Case Study:
Gunnison Valley Hospital, Colorado; Goals of Outmigration Study; Definition of Outmigration; Outpatient & Inpatient Results; CEO/Board of Directors’ Perspectives

Download Cathy Battaglia's Handouts Here

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions
Select from A, B or C

Session A
Gonzales Hospital – Best Practices in Electronic Health Record Implementation
Leslie Janssen, Director of Health Information Management, Gonzales Healthcare Systems
Chris Luoma, Director of Solution Engineering, Optio Software
This session will provide a detailed overview of the status quo of EHR technology today as it pertains specifically to the small hospital and health care facility. This case study will focus on preparation, vendor selection, financial strategies for success and how to avoid common implementation pitfalls.

Click here to download handouts for Leslie Janssen’s presentation

Session B
Accreditation as a Performance Improvement Process
Darlene Christiansen, Executive Director, Accreditation and Certification Services
Accredited health hospitals improve their performance, raise the level of patient care, and demonstrate accountability in the rapidly changing health care marketplace. This session will highlight how hospitals can use accreditation to improve performance and enhance patient safety.

Download Darlene Christiansen's Handouts Here

Session C
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Michele Kelly, Director of Quality, Buena Vista Regional Medical Center, and
Kathy Duncan, Faculty, 5 Million Lives Campaign, Institute for Healthcare Improvement

This presentation will focus on the 5 Million Lives Campaign and examples of best practices in rural health care quality improvement. This campaign has been instrumental in improving quality patient care in hospitals and saving lives around the country. The number of rural hospitals participating in the campaign continues to rise as a result of the program's success.

Click here to download handouts for Michele Kelly’s presentation

Click here to download handouts for Kathy Duncan’s presentation

2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Chief Executive Officers / Chief Financial Officers / Chief Nursing Executives Discussion Groups
Back by popular demand, this interactive breakout session provides facilitated peer-to-peer interaction.

4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
The Pharmacist, a Vital Component to Medication Safety
Teresa Rubio, Director, American Society of Health System Pharmacists, Section of Inpatient Care Practitioners
This session will discuss the pharmacist’s role in medication safety. Data will be shared on the impact that pharmacists can make, and case examples of innovative pharmacists’ services.

Friday, October 5, 2007

8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Succession Planning for Rural Hospitals
David Sniff, Midwest Consultants for Rural Health
Much has been written about succession planning for larger hospitals, but often there is a perception that there is no one to succeed a rural hospital CEO, so a plan is not allowed. This session will dispel that myth by providing methods and logical steps that can be followed in a planned or unplanned departure of the CEO.

Click here to download handouts for Dave Sniff’s presentation

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Aligning Employed Physician Incentives Within a CAH
Jeffrey Johnson, Partner, Wipfli LLP
Implementing an employed physician compensation plan can easily be one of the more time-consuming, frustrating, and expensive operational issues for a health care organization. This session will demonstrate how the process of developing and revising a physician compensation plan can lead to the long-term success of a CAH.

Download Jeffrey Johnson's Handouts Here

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
CAH Financing Options
Charles A. Wells, Jr., President, Healthcare Financial Advisers, Inc.

This session provides an opportunity to hear about the various financing options when it comes to building a Critical Access Hospital facility. Valuable information on interest rates and construction costs will be provided.

Click here to download handouts for Charles Wells’ presentation

Conference Adjourns

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