State Offices of Rural Health Grant Program (SORH)

The Alaska Office of Rural Health (AORH) is a pivotal center for addressing rural health issues in Alaska. AORH is part of the Health Planning and Systems Development Section in the Division of Public Health of the Department of Health and Social Services. The AORH has department-wide and statewide responsibilities for assessing and responding to rural health needs and resources in the state. AORH focuses on improving the health of Alaskans through: health care delivery, health care financing and reimbursement strategies, facility planning and workforce development. This is accomplished through health planning and data management, dissemination of information, strengthening networks, and direct technical assistance to hospitals, community health centers and other health related organizations.

Programs organizationally aligned with the AORH are the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, Small Hospital Improvement Program, Alaska Primary Care Office, Health Planning, Hospital Discharge Data Program, Telemedicine Program, and Community Health Aide Training and Supervision State Grant Program. AORH receives funding and manages through works on special projects such as the Frontier Extended Stay Clinic contracts, workforce development initiatives, and Denali Commission Health Steering Committee.

AORH partners with a number of statewide organizations, including: Alaska Family Medicine Residency, Alaska Department of Labor, Alaska Primary Care Association, Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association, Denali Commission, health professional organizations, University of Alaska/AHEC and the United States Department of Agriculture.

SORH Award Amount (FY06): $150,000

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

1. AORH had disseminated over 300 announcements representing a 58% increase in the number of grant funding opportunities and rural health information disseminated to rural health administrators/practitioners this year. Special emphasis has been focused on funding grants for: dental health (4), EMS (14), health practitioner loan repayment (4), homelessness (8), and telehealth (11). Another initiative has been in the dissemination to health care providers changes in medical protocols/training (23), and health professional shortage information (65). AORH disseminated public health/pandemic alerts and other pertinent public health information (32) to health administrators and policy makers.
2. Staffed and supported the Alaska Physician Supply Task Force in their study of state and national trends in understanding physician supply and demand. This task force developed specific goals and strategy recommendations and published their findings in a report entitled “Securing an Adequate Number of Physicians for Alaska’s Needs.”
3. Planned, coordinated logistics, and conducted a number of presentations at a variety of Conferences i.e. Alaska Health Summit, National Rural Health Association Conference, Northwest Regional CAH Conference, and the NW Regional Rural Health Conference.
4. Managed the Community Health Aide Training and Supervision Grant program resulting in the dissemination of $1.7-million in state funds to 17 organizations providing training to about 400 community health aides.
5. Provided staff to the Community Health Aide Program in assistance with their various initiatives i.e. Community Health Aide Forum, Community Health Aide Manuals.
6. Monitored the ongoing impact of the Frontier Extended Stay Clinics-CMS
demonstration project, facility licensing, and reimbursement strategies.
7. Managed the HRSA-funded State Planning Grant on Alaska’s uninsured/underinsured.

SORH Contact Information:
Office: Alaska State Office of Rural Health
Address: P.O. Box 110601, Juneau, Alaska 99811-0601
Phone: (907) 465-8618
Fax: (907) 465-6861
Director: Patricia Carr, MPH

Other Grant Programs

1. Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant Program (Flex)

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services has been the grantee for the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (AFP) in Alaska since 1999. AFP focuses on rural Alaska with an emphasis on hospitals as the health care centers of regional service areas. Resources are focused on local community-based healthcare leadership, rural health planning, performance improvement, network development, interfaces with EMS, quality of care, and collaboration with state rural development activities.The AFP works collaboratively with the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association (ASHNHA) and its subsidiary, Alaska Small Hospital Performance Improvement Network (ASHPIN). Contracts are awarded to ASHNHA/ASHPIN and EMS for targeted activities.
Award (FY06): $498,861

Program Highlights:

• Number of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) supported: 12
• Number of Critical Access – eligible Hospitals supported: 1
• Number of Rural Health Networks Developed: 2
• Number of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) assisted: 4
• Number of Rural Communities assisted: 80
  Major Accomplishments:
  
  1. Supported ASHPIN Flex and SHIP funds in their search through a request for proposal of an insurance broker (Parker, Smith & Feek) for network members to procure competitive professional liability (medical malpractice) and general liability insurance.
  2. Supported ASHNHA and ASHPIN with Flex and SHIP funds their joint efforts in procuring $4.4-million in funds to create, display and operate the Alaska Rural Telehealth Network (ARTN) in which six “Edge” sites were constructed and fully operational.
  3. Collaborated with NW states in planning the Northwest Regional CAH Conference and Northwest Region Primary Care Conference in Spokane, Washington in March.
  4. Collaborated and supported the annual Alaska Health Summit held in Anchorage.
  5. Supported through a contract with State EMS for “Code Blue” and the Trauma Registry. Results were disseminated to all hospital and community health clinics throughout Alaska.
  6. Supported the purchase of hospital discharge data for emergency room and outpatient data.
  7. Supported the Code Blue Steering Committee with their finalized Phase 7 planning that resulted in for Denali Commission funding for $637,000 for EMS equipment.
  8. Supported through a contract the Trauma System Review Committee and began work on HRSA’s Trauma System Self-Assessment Supplemental Tool.
  9. Completed a survey of Alaska hospitals as to their implementation of the American Hospital
  Association’s “Patient Friendly Billing” concept.

2. Small Rural Hospital Performance Improvement Grant Program (SHIP)

The Alaska Office of Rural Health (AORH) manages the Small Hospital Improvement Program and successfully partners with the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association (ASHNHA) in the efficient dissemination of SHIP funds. AORH contracts with ASHNHA to promote the development of the Alaska Small Hospital Performance Improvement Network (ASHPIN). ASHPIN was established 4 year ago with only 4 SHIP eligible hospitals and has grown to a membership of 10 SHIP hospitals out of a total of 17 Alaska SHIP eligible hospitals.
Award (FY 06): $151,878

Program Highlights:

• Hospitals receiving funding: 17
• Hospitals in consortiums, networks or systems: 10
• Hospitals expending funds for QI and / or reduction of medical errors: 14
• Hospitals expending grant funds for Health Information Technology: 10
  
  Major Accomplishments:

1. Contracted all SHIP funds to the ASHNHA to support ASHPIN and non-ASHPIN hospitals. Ten SHIP hospitals pooled funds in support of the consortium/network to meet their mutual PPS, HIPAA and Quality Improvement needs. ASHPIN continued the ongoing development of the Alaska Rural Telehealth Network (ARTN).
2. Each of the 17 SHIP hospitals received $8,934 each this year.
3. The 7 non-ASHPIN hospitals used their funds for: improve computer network security through the acquisition of Internet accelerator and exchange servers, coding and charge master training for financial officers and staff, and purchase of cubicles for service registration areas of the hospital,

Total HRSA Funding (FY 06): $800,739