Welcome!
We are pleased to announce the July issue of the Rural Hospital Education and Opportunities resource list. 

The purpose of this project is to (1) identify, (2) collect and (3) disseminate educational opporunities for rural hospitals.  These educational resources may be used by state rural health organizations, rural hospital networks, rural hospitals, and other stakeholders to provide learning and education to rural hospital staffs and boards of directors.  These modules will be rurally-relevant, easily accessible to hospital staff on site, and focused on the most crucial educational challenges. To view a list of all rural hospital educational opportunities, please visit the Rural Health Resource Center web site.

To see upcoming educational opportunities, please click on one of the following topics:

Community Engagement
EMS
Health Information Technology
Hospital Finance
Hospital Operations
Management and Leadership
Performance Improvement
Quality
Workforce

Community Engagement

July 19, 2007
Community Benefit as a Business Strategy
Sponsor: Association for Community Health Improvement
Format: Audio Conference
Sponsor Description: This session will explore the alignment between the Baldrige Criteria, community benefit reporting and organizational strategy and tactics designed to improve the health and well-being of local communities. You will learn a cross-walk and lexicon for dialogue about the strategic importance of community benefit to an organization's corporate health and well-being. Context will also be provided for assessing the impact of various tactical approaches to those who support investment in community benefit, in their efforts to speak from a business perspective to senior leaders.
Cost: $40 (ACHI and/or VHA members) and $80 (non-members)

August 16, 2007
Evaluating Impact of Community-based Programs to Build Support
Sponsor: Association for Community Health Improvement
Format: Audio Conference
Sponsor Description: Join this session to learn the importance of standardized data collection in demonstrating the outcomes and impact of a program. Techniques for cleaning, reviewing, and analyzing data to “tell your story” will be shared. Participants will learn how to use these findings to apply for funding, enhance community partnership opportunities and build leadership support. Session leaders will also discuss how to strategically implement impact-based program planning and evaluation across an organization.
Cost: $40 (ACHI and/or VHA members) and $80 (non-members)

To view ongoing educational opportunities in Community Engagement click here.

EMS

To view more ongoing educational opportunities in EMS click here.

Health Information Technology

Hospital Finance

June 1 - July 31, 2007
Enhancing Financial Reporting to Key Stakeholders
Sponsor: Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
Format: Self-Paced Online Course
Sponsor Description: This self-paced online course reviews and teaches the skills needed for medical group practice administrators or other health care professionals to improve their credibility. You will learn to assess the information important to your organization, how to analyze data, develop printed reports and enhance your presentation skills.
Cost: $595 for MGMA Members, $659 for Non-members

July 10, 2007
Medicare Advantage: An Advantage or Disadvantage?
Sponsor: Quorum Health Resources
Format: Online Course
Sponsor Description: Learn the ins and outs of new Medicare Advantage Plans. In this program, we will review and discuss contract terms, payment terms, and the use of a checklist.
Cost: QHR-affiliated organizations, $175 per program connection; Non-QHR-affiliated organizations, $239 per program connection

July 24, 2007
Reimbursement and Regulatory Updates
Sponsor: Quorum Health Resources (QHR)
Format: Online Course
Sponsor Description: Once each quarter (or more often if need arises), QHR's Health Financing Resources (HFR) staff will update you on recent developments in Medicare reimbursement. We'll discuss recent legislation, proposed rules, final rules and program memoranda.
Cost: QHR-affiliated organizations, $125 per program connection; Non-QHR-affiliated organizations, $169 per program connection

August 22, 2007
Strategic Price Setting
Sponsor: Quorum Health Resources (QHR)
Format: Online Course
Sponsor Description: The strategy in which you establish your prices in the future will be more important than it is today. Are your prices perceived to be too high in your community? Is hospital pricing relevant when most patients or their insurance companies pay something other than charges? What affect will consumerism have in purchasing hospital services in the future? This program will examine these and other strategic pricing issues. This course is intended for hospital employees in senior leadership positions who have the responsibility to establish a rational pricing strategy.
Cost: QHR-affiliated organizations, $175 per program connection; Non-QHR-affiliated organizations, $239 per program connection

Hospital Operations

July 10, 2007
Medicare Advantage: An Advantage or Disadvantage?
Sponsor: Quorum Health Resources
Format: Online Course
Sponsor Description: Learn the ins and outs of new Medicare Advantage Plans. In this program, we will review and discuss contract terms, payment terms, and the use of a checklist.
Cost: QHR-affiliated organizations, $175 per program connection; Non-QHR-affiliated organizations, $239 per program connection

July 10, 2007
Rehab Coding & Billing Best Practices
Sponsor: Audio Educator
Format: Audio Conference
Sponsor Description: Join us for this special audio conference and our expert will outline everything you need to know on the accurate use of the more common CPT codes that physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech language pathologists use every day.
Cost: $159

July 11, 2007
Consultation Coding: 6 Steps To Documentation Success
Sponsor: Audio Educator
Format: Audio Conference
Sponsor Description: 2006 CPT changes did away with confirmatory consults and inpatient follow-up consults, effectively changing the definition of a consultative service. Find out what these changes mean for your practice’s bottom line and how you can stay both compliant and profitable in the coming year in this critical, 60-minute audioconference.
Cost: $269

July 12, 2007
Saving Lives (and Practice Reimbursement): Coding for Critical Care Services
Sponsor: Audio Educator
Format: Audio Conference
Sponsor Description: Reporting your physician’s critical care services can be full of pitfalls and audit triggers because of all the special coding rules that apply. So make sure that you toe the line and don’t leave money on the table when your doctor works so hard to keep the patient alive.
Cost: $269

August 8, 2007
Transforming Your Surgical Services for Rapid Turn Around
Sponsor: American College of Healthcare Executives
Format: Audio Conference
Sponsor Description: Join Scott Schmidly of the Medical Center of Arlington and Nancy Lakier of Sullivan Lakier Group as they discuss assessment strategies, the implementation of rapid change methodology and monitoring of key measures to help you sustain your improvements.
Cost: ACHE affiliates: $175; Non affiliates: $195

To view ongoing educational opportunities in Hospital Operations click here.

Management and Leadership

May 28-July 8, 2007 (Available All Dates)
Essentials of Group Practice Management Bootcamp
Sponsor: Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
Format: Online Course
Sponsor Description: The Essentials of Group Practice Management BootCamp, introduces you to the essential concepts and skills of medical practice management. The course draws on the fundamentals of medical practice management described in the American College of Medical Practice Executives* (ACMPE) Guide to the Body of Knowledge for Medical Practice Management.
Cost: $595 for MGMA Members, $659 for Non-members

June 20 - July 24, 2007 (Available All Dates in Range)
Managing Quality to Maximize Performance
Sponsor: Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
Format: Online Course
Sponsor Description: This course covers risk assessment and risk reduction, payer requirements of practices, data needs and statistical analysis, process improvements including system integration for pay-for-performance and education and training. Collaboration with participants, useful and practical case studies and interactive Webcasts are just a few of the highlights.
Cost: $595 for MGMA Members, $659 for Non-members

June 21-September 21, 2007 (Available All Dates in Range)
Retaining Your Staff - The Must Haves Every Leader Should Know
Sponsor: StuderGroup
Format: Webinar
Sponsor Description: Learn key tactics for reducing turnover, agency and sign-on bonus and increasing employee and physician satisfaction. Find out how peer interviewing improves the quality of your new hires. Use 30 and 90 day meetings to reduce first year turnover and jump start your retention strategy.
Cost: $225 includes a 90-day webinar link and CD-ROM copy of the webinar

Performance Improvement

May 24 - August 24, 2007 (Available All Dates in Range)
Practicing Excellence, A Guide to Physician High Performance
Sponsor: StuderGroup
Format: Webinar
Sponsor Description: Learn what physicians need to know and hear to align behaviors with the goals of the organization. Use specific tactical training for physician behaviors to drive unit performance and improve patient satisfaction.
Cost: $225 includes a 90-day webinar link and CD-ROM copy of the webinar

June 20 - July 24, 2007 (Available All Dates in Range)
Managing Quality to Maximize Performance
Sponsor: Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
Format: Online Course
Sponsor Description: This course covers risk assessment and risk reduction, payer requirements of practices, data needs and statistical analysis, process improvements including system integration for pay-for-performance and education and training. Collaboration with participants, useful and practical case studies and interactive Webcasts are just a few of the highlights.
Cost: $595 for MGMA Members, $659 for Non-members

July 24 or July 26, 2007(Avilable Both Dates)
NPI 102: The Basics and Beyond
Sponsor: Healthcare IT Transition Group
Format: Webinar
Sponsor Description: Whatever your current knowledge level (there's no "NPI 101" prerequisite!), this training is designed to bring you quickly and comprehensively up to speed. Seasoned NPI veterans and newcomers alike will find its coverage of the topic remarkably valuable. It is an ideal event to bring to an entire team, and the Q&A session will allow everyone an opportunity to as direct questions of a recognized National Provider Identifier authority.
Cost: $325 if registration paid by 7/13/07

To view ongoing educational opportunities in Performance Improvement click here.

Quality

April 26 - July 26, 2007 (Available all dates throughout this timeframe)
Patient Safety
Sponsor: StuderGroup
Format: Webinar
Sponsor Description: Join Studer Group's National Speaker, Bob Murphy, RN, ESQ, as he demonstrates how leaders can integrate safety into their day to day actions and communications. Learn how to create a culture of safety in your organization with tactics proven to make your organization a better place for employee to work and physicians to practice medicine.
Cost: $225 includes a 90-day webinar link and CD-ROM copy of the webinar

June 20 - July 24, 2007
Managing Quality to Maximize Performance
Sponsor: Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
Format: Online Course
Sponsor Description: This course covers risk assessment and risk reduction, payer requirements of practices, data needs and statistical analysis, process improvements including system integration for pay-for-performance and education and training. Collaboration with participants, useful and practical case studies and interactive Webcasts are just a few of the highlights.
Cost: $595 for MGMA Members, $659 for Non-members

July 24, 2007 - July 26, 2007
NPI 102: The Basics and Beyond
Sponsor: Healthcare IT Transition Group
Format: Webinar
Sponsor Description: Whatever your current knowledge level (there's no "NPI 101" prerequisite!), this training is designed to bring you quickly and comprehensively up to speed. Seasoned NPI veterans and newcomers alike will find its coverage of the topic remarkably valuable. It is an ideal event to bring to an entire team, and the Q&A session will allow everyone an opportunity to as direct questions of a recognized National Provider Identifier authority.
Cost: $325 if registration paid by 7/13/07

To view ongoing educational opportunities in Quality click here.

Workforce

June 21 - September 21, 2007
Retaining Your Staff - The Must Haves Every Leader Should Know
Sponsor: StuderGroup
Format: Webinar
Sponsor Description: Learn key tactics for reducing turnover, agency and sign-on bonus and increasing employee and physician satisfaction. Find out how peer interviewing improves the quality of your new hires. Use 30 and 90 day meetings to reduce first year turnover and jump start your retention strategy.
Cost: $225 includes a 90-day webinar link and CD-ROM copy of the webinar

July 11, 2007
Barriers and Paths to More Satisfied and Loyal Physicians
Sponsor: American College of Healthcare Executives
Format: Audio Conference
Sponsor Description: The seminar leaders will guide you through a review of the best available knowledge on the consequences of physician dissatisfaction and the sources of physician satisfaction. Then, the leaders will review the 10 Life Practices of highly satisfied physicians, which will offer both a refreshing perspective and specific guidance for effectively engaging your physicians. Finally, the presenters will help you envision and clarify practices that you can use to increase physician satisfaction and loyalty within your organization.
Cost: ACHE affiliates: $175; Non affiliates: $195

July 11, 2007
Effective Sales Techniques for Physician Relations Representatives
Sponsor: Healthleaders
Format: Webcast
Sponsor Description: Quality time with physicians is hard to come by these days. An ever-expanding group of salespeople vying for face-time has doctors and their gatekeepers on guard. And when you do finally get in front of a referring physician, too often you spend that precious time listening to a litany of complaints-- instead of focusing on increasing or maintaining referral levels.
Cost: $249

July 13, 2007
Physician Alignment Strategies: How employment and acquisition can work for you
Sponsor: Healthleaders
Format: Webcast
Sponsor Description: Physician employment as a strategic vision for hospitals is back with a vengeance. A trend that largely failed in the 90's is resurfacing with a twist-- an opportunity align incentives between hospitals and physicians.
Cost: $379

July 26, 2007
Workforce Solutions: Academic Partnerships
Sponsor: National Assocation of County and City Health Officials
Format: Webcast
Sponsor Description: This 90-minute webinar will feature presentations from three LHDs and the Youth Health Service Corps demonstrating initiatives to educate middle, high school, and university students about the issues involved in and careers in public health and related health services.
Cost: Free

August 22, 2007
Hiring Foreign Born Doctors & Nurses Webinar
Sponsor: Nebraska Hospital Association
Format: Webinar
Sponsor Description: With shortages of nurses and U.S. born physicians, Hospitals and Health Care facilities are turning to foreign born professionals to fill the gap. Hiring these individuals comes with its own set of intricate issues that are specific to the health care industry.
Cost: $150 for NHA members and $200 for non-members

August 27, 2007
Switching Costs: A New Way of Looking at Physician Retention Webinar
Sponsor: Nebraska Hospital Association
Format: Webinar
Sponsor Description: This program will discuss the importance of retention (through the physician’s eyes as opposed to the classical employer view) as health care enters into a time of significant change.
Cost: $150 for NHA Members and Affiliate Members; $200 for non-members

To view ongoing educational opportunities in Workforce click here.

Funding for this project is provided by the Health Resources and Service Administration's Office of Rural Health Policy. The Rural Hospital Performance Improvement Education Resource List is administered by Rural Health Innovations, a wholly owned subsidiary for-profit agency under the Rural Health Resource Center. For additional information, please contact Kate Stenehjem at kstenehjem@ruralcenter.org or visit the Rural Health Resource Center web site at www.ruralcenter.org.