HJAR Sep/Oct 2021

46 SEP / OCT 2021 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS RURAL HEALTH has met with architects, contractors and management groups and has identified a building. Currently, we are in the final stages of completing our assessment. We will re- quest funding for the startup of this business line but look to process north of 3 million pounds of laundry at a cost of less than 47 cents per pound. The cost is significantly less than our current members are paying for these necessary services. Job Board After several of our roundtable meetings, we were requested to develop a job board. This job board is unique in the fact that it lists all of our members’open jobs and is up- dated on a weekly basis. ARHP is responsible for promoting this site and helping bring visibility to available jobs in our area. Service and Program Development ARHPRoundtables and monthly leader- shipmeetings spark several ideas, andmany times they encourage ARHP leadership to develop internal programs or services. Based on roundtable information, ARHP is currently in development of a USAC reim- bursement program to help reduce IT costs. At the request of its members, ARHP has fa- cilitated and performed service line reviews for several products within the facilities similar to the one mentioned above. ARHP internal services include service line/prod- uct line review, contract negotiations, USAC program, consultation, job board, dietary, marketing/PR, laundry assessment, staff- ing assessment, community health needs assessments, etc. Quality Improvement ARHP has provided support by promot- ing the use of evidence-based quality im- provement culture to promote the delivery of cost-effective, coordinated healthcare services in primary care settings. We devel- oped theARHPRegional QI Committee that meets quarterly to discuss ongoing efforts of the primary care clinic partners to address critical quality improvement throughout rural South Arkansas. Through the Health Coaching Pilot Program, we have been able to provide post-discharge education to ap- proximately 773 individuals since August 2020. With this program, the individuals are provided with additional education on their primary hospital diagnoses and/or chronic illnesses that led to hospitalization; signs and symptoms to look for with worsening of conditions and when to seek follow-up with their primary care provider versus when to seek emergency care; education on medica- tion compliance; and assistance with DME needs, scheduling follow-up appointments and referrals to address social determinants of health needs. Through partnership with InQuiseek Consulting, the QI grant was able to fund an “everything RHC”workshop that provided high-level education to all mem- ber RHCs on the following: federal regula- tions that apply to RHCs, sub-regulatory guidance, qualifications and requirements, compliance for certification, coding, billing and reimbursement requirements, practice management and emergency preparedness requirements. Clinically Integrated Network ARHP provided funding to build the in- frastructure and development of ARHPCIN. The ARHP CIN is the formation of several of our ARHPmembers working together to create a better healthcare experience for the patient while decreasing cost to our health- care system. ARHP patient navigators assist patients post hospital stay to ensure prop- er treatment is being obtained to address chronic conditions and reduce readmissions. The CIN received about $600,000 for shared savings and after expenses, $300,000 was distributed among participating providers (for six months only in 2019). Preliminary numbers for 2020 indicate that shared sav- ings will be around $2 million. Consulting Services ARHP provides community health needs assessments, grant writing assistance, mar- keting/public relations, dietary and strategic planning services for member organizations. Billing and Coding Education IARHP has partnered with UAMS’s IDHI team to develop and provide educational webinars andmodules specifically related to mental/behavioral health and telemedicine billing and reimbursement processes for Ru- ral Health Clinics. ARHP also partnered with InQuiseek to provide an “Everything RHC” workshop to all partner RHCs with a high- level overview of the RHC coding, billing and reimbursement requirements. Behavioral Health ARHP is working with member hospitals to assist themwith strategic planning, fund- ing and staffing resources for transition/ expansion of inpatient behavioral health services to meet the needs of SouthArkan- sas residents. Recruitment and Retention ARHP is working with theArkansas State Office of Rural Health to identify and assist eligible hospital members to secure National Health Service Corp Certification allowing hospitals to participate in the student loan repayment programwhen recruiting health- care providers. n RURAL HOSPITAL AND CLINIC SUSTAINABILITY AND VITALITY CONT.