Louisiana Rural Health Association

RURAL HEALTH CARE COORDINATION NETWORK PROGRAM

RURAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM

LA RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION TELEMEDICINE PROGRAM

DELTA RURAL INTEGRATED HEALTH NETWORK PROGRAM - THE LOUISIANA RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION (LRHA) PROPOSES TO ESTABLISH THE LOUISIANA RURAL HEALTH CLINIC NETWORK UNDER TRACK 1: CREATE A NEW NETWORK, COMBINING A STATEWIDE RURAL HEALTH CONVENER WITH HOSPITAL-BASED RURAL HEALTH CLINICS (RHCS) TO ALIGN WITH HRSA'S STATED INTEREST IN NETWORKS SPANNING BOTH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS. FOUNDING MEMBERS ARE LRHA; ALLEN PARISH RURAL HEALTH CLINIC, OPERATED BY ALLEN PARISH COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE, A RURAL HOSPITAL; AND SAVOY MEDICAL CENTER, A RURAL HOSPITAL OPERATING SEVEN AFFILIATED RHCS, SERVING ALLEN, EVANGELINE, JEFFERSON DAVIS, AND ST. LANDRY PARISHES, ALL WITHIN LOUISIANA'S DRA REGION. THE NETWORK WILL RECRUIT AT LEAST FIVE ADDITIONAL RHCS DURING THE PROJECT PERIOD. LRHA BRINGS ESTABLISHED STATEWIDE RELATIONSHIPS AND A TRACK RECORD OF HRSA-FUNDED RURAL HEALTH NETWORK PLANNING, INCLUDING A PRIOR AWARD THAT LED DIRECTLY TO IMPLEMENTATION FUNDING. LYNNE BOURGEOIS WILL SERVE AS PROJECT DIRECTOR. THE NETWORK WILL FOCUS ON ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL INTEGRATION. RHCS ARE THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF CARE FOR MANY MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED RURAL RESIDENTS BUT OFTEN OPERATE WITH LIMITED ADMINISTRATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MANAGE WORKFORCE SHORTAGES, REIMBURSEMENT COMPLEXITY, CREDENTIALING, AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. THESE CHALLENGES COMPOUND PERSISTENT COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS, INCLUDING PRIMARY CARE AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDER SHORTAGES, HIGH CHRONIC DISEASE RATES, POVERTY, FOOD INSECURITY, AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS TO CARE. THE PROJECT WILL STRENGTHEN PARTICIPATING RHCS' CAPACITY BY CREATING A FORMAL NETWORK WITH SHARED GOVERNANCE. DURING THE TWO-YEAR PERIOD, MEMBERS WILL: CONDUCT A PROVIDER NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND REGIONAL GAP ANALYSIS; INCORPORATE THE NETWORK AND ADOPT BYLAWS AND MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENTS; IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE SHARED ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES; AND DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN, SHARED SERVICES IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, AND SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. PLANNING ACTIVITIES WILL EVALUATE SHARED-SERVICE MODELS THAT REDUCE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN, INCLUDING CENTRALIZED CREDENTIALING AND PAYER ENROLLMENT, REVENUE-CYCLE MANAGEMENT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, AND GROUP PURCHASING. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO FORMALIZE COLLABORATION WITH OTHER LOCAL ESSENTIAL HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, HOSPITALS, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS, AND PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES, TO STRENGTHEN REGIONAL CARE COORDINATION. THE NETWORK WILL SUPPORT MAKING AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN (MAHA) PRIORITIES OF PRIMARY AND VALUE-BASED CARE, PREVENTIVE HEALTH, CHRONIC DISEASE REDUCTION, AND ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION SERVICES, DIRECTLY BENEFITING THE HIGH-NEED RURAL POPULATIONS THESE RHCS SERVE. BY CONSOLIDATING CREDENTIALING, PAYER ENROLLMENT, REVENUE-CYCLE MANAGEMENT, AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS INTO SHARED SERVICES, THE NETWORK ACHIEVES THE ECONOMIES OF SCALE SMALL RHCS CANNOT REACH ALONE, FREEING STAFF TIME AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO SUSTAIN AND EXPAND COMPREHENSIVE, COORDINATED CARE IN THESE PRIORITY AREAS.

RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM - ABSTRACT APPLICANT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION: NAME: LOUISIANA RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION ADDRESS: 133 HIGHWAY 402/ P.O. BOX 387, NAPOLEONVILLE, LA 70390 FACILITY TYPE: NON-PROFIT WEBSITE ADDRESS: HTTPS://LRHA27.WILDAPRICOT.ORG/ DESIGNATED PROJECT DIRECTOR INFORMATION: NAME: DENAE M. HEBERT TITLE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PHONE NUMBER: 337-366-5915 E-MAIL ADDRESS: DHEBERT@LRHA.ORG NETWORK PLANNING GRANT PROJECT: NETWORK NAME: RURAL TELEHEALTH NETWORK LEGISLATIVE AIM: AIM # 1: ACHIEVE EFFICIENCIES FOCUS AREA: TELEHEALTH, CHRONIC CARE MANAGEMENT, HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (HIT) PROPOSED SERVICE REGION RURAL PARISHES: ALLEN, AVOYELLES, BEAUREGARD, BIENVILLE, CALDWELL, CAMERON, CATAHOULA, CLAIBORNE, CONCORDIA, EAST CARROLL, EVANGELINE, FRANKLIN, JACKSON, JEFFERSON DAVIS, LA SALLE, LINCOLN, MADISON, MOREHOUSE, NATCHITOCHES, RED RIVER, RICHLAND, SABINE, ST. LANDRY, ST. MARY, TENSAS, VERNON, WASHINGTON, WEBSTER, WEST CARROLL, WINN. DESCRIPTION TARGET POPULATION: THE TARGET POPULATION OF THIS PROPOSAL IS INDIVIDUALS WHO RESIDE WITHIN THE RURAL PARISHES LISTED IN THE TABLE ABOVE. WITHIN THE SERVICE AREA, A TOTAL OF 47.66% OF THE POPULATION IDENTIFY AS LOW-INCOME, WHILE A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE, 25.75%, LIVE IN POVERTY. THOUGH LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS COMPRISE A SIZABLE PORTION OF THE SERVICE AREA TARGET POPULATION, ALL THE PARISHES IDENTIFIED FOR THIS PROPOSAL ARE HRSA-DESIGNATED RURAL AREAS. WITHIN THIS TARGET POPULATION, THE SUBPOPULATIONS SUFFERING FROM INCREASED HEALTH DISPARITIES INCLUDE LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS, THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS A RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY, THE ELDERLY, AND INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES. THESE SUBPOPULATIONS ARE HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AND REQUIRE A HIGHER LEVEL OF MEDICAL CARE DUE TO INCREASED CONDITION COMPLEXITY GENERALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THESE COMMUNITIES. NETWORK/CONSORTIUM PARTNERSHIPS: - LOUISIANA RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION- NON-PROFIT - AREA OF EXPERTISE: RURAL HEALTH PROVIDER MEMBER RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING IN TELE HEALTH AND CHRONIC CARE MANAGEMENT - LOUISIANA VIRTUAL MEDICINE ALLIANCE – LLC - AREA OF EXPERTISE: TELEMEDICINE EQUIPMENT STATEWIDE INITIATIVE - LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY – PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY - AREA OF EXPERTISE: CHRONIC CARE MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT DATABASE AND ANALYSIS. A TOTAL OF 66% OF THE NETWORK PARTNERS ARE CONSIDERED RURAL AS DEFINED BY THE RURAL HEALTH GRANTS ELIGIBILITY ANALYZER EXPERIENCE IN SERVING RURAL UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS: LRHA HAS A LONG-STANDING RECORD OF RAISING THE VOICES OF THOSE WHO LIVE WITHIN RURAL COMMUNITIES TO ENSURE ALL INDIVIDUALS HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, QUALITY, PATIENT-CENTERED CARE. THOUGH ITS HEADQUARTERS IS HOUSED WITHIN AN HRSA-DESIGNATED URBAN AREA, LRHA FOCUSES ON RURAL POPULATIONS WITHIN ITS ORGANIZATION AND PARTNERSHIPS. LRHA RECOGNIZES THAT RURAL AREAS ARE UNIQUE AND DIFFER FROM URBAN AREAS IN THEIR GEOGRAPHY, POPULATION MIX AND DENSITY, ECONOMICS, LIFESTYLE, VALUES, AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS. RURAL PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES REQUIRE PROGRAMMING AND ADVOCACY THAT RESPONDS TO THEIR UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS AND NEEDS. THROUGH DISCUSSION AND EXPLORATION, THE LRHA CREATES A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF RURAL HEALTH CARE IN LOUISIANA, ITS NEEDS, AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO MEET THESE NEEDS. IN ORDER TO ENSURE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RURAL CONTROL WITHIN THE NETWORK, THE TARGET POPULATION HAS BEEN LIMITED TO THE RURAL PARISHES LISTED IN THE TABLE ABOVE, AND THE NETWORK PARTNERS ARE HOUSED WITHIN HRSA-DESIGNATED RURAL AREAS CREATING A TWO-THIRDS RURAL MAJORITY. FUNDING PREFERENCE THE LOUISIANA RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION REQUESTS A FUNDING PREFERENCE BASED ON QUALIFICATION 2. ALL COUNTIES LISTED IN THE PROPOSAL ARE DESIGNATED AS MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY/POPULATIONS (MUC/MUPS).