State Offices of Rural Health Grant Program (SORH)

The goal of the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) grant program is to assist States in strengthening rural health care delivery systems by creating a focal point for rural health within each State. The program provides an institutional framework that links small rural communities with State and Federal resources to help develop long term solutions to rural health problems. The SORH grant program features a single grantee from each of the 50 United States. The program is a Federal-State partnership that requires a State funding match of $3 for each $1 of Federal funding.
SORH Award Amount (FY06): $ 146,400

Major Accomplishments in FY 2006 (October 1, 2005 – September 30, 2006):

1. Provided or facilitated presentations on mental health, transportation barriers to accessing care, rural health and workforce access at conferences and to health profession students.
2. Co-sponsored and assisted in planning four conferences: Iowa Rural Health Association annual conference, the Iowa Center for Agricultural Safety and Health annual conference, Iowa Department of Public Health Barn Raising Conference, and the Iowa Public Health Association annual conference.
3. Managed the Volunteer Health Care Provider Program, processing 200 applications of health professionals seeking to provide indemnified free health care in certified sites.
4. Through partnership with Wellmark Foundation and two community foundations developed and co-sponsored two regional skill-building workshops.
5. Assisted 5 communities in development of grant applications and providing 2 communities technical assistance on health aspects of statewide ‘Great Places’ initiative.
6. Supported recruitment and retention of health providers through managing the PRIMECARRE loan repayment program funding 8 providers in 6 communities.
7. Utilized 3RNet to post vacancies for 45 communities.

SORH Contact Information:
Office: Office of Rural Health
Address: 321 East 12th Street
Phone: 515/281-7224
Fax: 515/242-6384
Director: Kathy Williams

2) Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant Program (Flex)

The Flex Program helps sustain access to high quality health care services in rural America. It facilitates the development and support of community-based collaborative rural delivery systems in all grantee States through conversion of hospitals to critical access status, development of rural healthcare networks and integration of EMS.
Flex Award (FY06): $575,307

Program Highlights:

• Number of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) supported: _82_
• Number of Critical Access-eligible Hospitals supported: _84_
• Number of Rural Health Networks developed: _82
• Number of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) assisted: _6__
• Number of Rural Communities assisted: _NA__

Major Accomplishments:

1. Quality Indicator Reporting Program
The purpose of this initiative was to develop a tool the Critical Access Hospitals could use to develop trends for the identified measures. This year the program was expanded so all Iowa hospitals can report. This will allow the CAHs to compare to hospitals of all sizes via the expanded state average. The program has went national. The Colorado Hospital Association is now marketing the program as a add-on component of the Databank program.

2. Patient Safety Collaborative (with Iowa Foundation for Medical Care)
This collaborative is the partnership with the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care. IFMC is required in the eighth scope of work to engage six critical access hospital on patient safety. An IFMC staffer and the FLEX coordinator attended the AHRQ sponsored training. Twenty-two hospitals were trained in root cause analysis. The training was a one-day session on the how-to of root cause analysis and a followup session 45 days later with a report out of how the hospitals utilized the process.

3. Sub-contract program (approximately 25 – 30 per year)
Critical Access Hospitals apply through a competitive process. This provides hospitals the opportunity to submit proposals that benefit the facilities and the rural communities within their service area.
a. quality
b. patient safety with hands on training
c. patient safety, building stronger community relationships, market analysis, EMS, information technology

3) Small Rural Hospital Performance Improvement Grant Program (SHIP)

The goal of SHIP is to assist small (less than 50 beds) rural hospitals pay for any or all of the following: 1) costs related to implementation of prospective payment systems, (2) compliance with provisions of HIPAA and 3) reduction of medical errors and quality improvement. State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) help eligible rural hospitals to participate in SHIP. Eligible hospitals submit an application to their SORH; the SORH prepares and submits a single grant application to HRSA on behalf of all hospital applicants in the State. There are approximately 1600 eligible hospitals nationwide and each usually receives approximately $9,000.
SHIP Award (FY06): $728,520

Program Highlights:

• Hospitals receiving funding: 78
• Hospitals in consortiums, networks or systems: 71
• Hospitals using funds for QI and /or reduction of medical errors: 71
• Hospitals using grant funds for Health Information Technology: 32

Major Accomplishments:

1. Provided technical assistance on utilization of funds, submitting vouchers and documentation on 71 contracts for 78 hospitals.
2. HIPAA related activities account for 28% of the expenditures and 72% of the funding was spent for QI/ error reduction.

Total HRSA Funding (FY06): $1,450,227