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. Convened a statewide work group focusing on creating health communities for an aging population. Resulted in published report.
2. Collected, analyzed and reported health workforce practice information on 110,000 health care professionals in eleven professional categories.
3. Published 12 Monthly Update and 4 Quarterly newsletters to disseminate up-to-date and in-depth information to 1,500+ subscribers.
4. Provided reimbursements technical assistance to rural clinics resulting in approximately $2 million in enhanced reimbursements.
5. With state rural health partners, hosted a statewide rural health conference entitled Smart Health 2006: Focus on Technology attended by approximately 250 people. Discussed developments in health information exchange; telemedicine coordination and delivery; smart principles and technology to enhance efficiency, patient access, communication, safety and quality and health professional education/ practitioner support.

SORH Contact Information:
Office: Office of Rural Health & Primary Care
Address: Minnesota Department of Health
PO Box 64882, 85 E 7th Place, Suite 220
St. Paul, MN 55164
Phone: 651-201-3838
Fax: 651-201-3830

Director: Mark Schoenbaum

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): $620,000

Program Highlights:

• Number of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) supported: 80
• Number of Critical Access-eligible Hospitals supported: 11
• Number of Rural Health Networks developed: 12
• Number of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) assisted: 42
• Number of Rural Communities assisted: 37

Major Accomplishments:

• Assisted 11 hospitals to become certified as Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) resulting in a total of 80 CAHs and provided training and technical assistance on the survey process for 25 hospitals
• Provided Flex Mini-Grant funding for 12 collaborative, replicable telehealth, quality improvement, health promotion and information technology pilot projects and supported an innovative two state network to improve information technology
• Implemented a strategic plan to ensure consistency with the Minnesota Rural Health Plan and the Institute of Medicine framework and promoted the findings of the rural mental health report to inform policy makers and accelerate the development of telemental health projects
• Convened statewide forums on Healthy Aging to identify challenges and promising practices
• Improved Emergency Medical Services by supporting Comprehensive Advanced Life Support (CALS) courses and the development of training and tools for rural Emergency Medical Services
• Collaborated with Stratis Health to expand the “Coordination of Care” education forums, expand HIT education, provide medical peer review and culture change training
• Evaluated our performance by surveying CAH directors and examining six years of Flex grants
• Sponsored a statewide Smart Health conference on quality, technology, economics and innovation; and co-sponsored a quality improvement conference with Stratis Health.

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 (FY 06): $748,250

Program Highlights:

• Hospitals receiving funding: 82
• Hospitals in consortiums, networks or systems: 16
• Hospitals using funds for QI and /or reduction of medical errors: 52
• Hospitals using grant funds for Health Information Technology: 82

Major Accomplishments:

• Providing funding to 82 hospitals
• Encouraging use of funds for HIT, resulting in all 82 hospitals using SHIP funds in part or in whole for HIT related activities
• Worked with four hospital consortia
  
  Total HRSA Funding (FY 06): $1,514,250