Critical Access Hospital Owned Provider-Based Rural Health Clinic Innovation Grants and Scholarships
Critical Access Hospital Owned Provider-Based Rural Health Clinic Innovation grants (PBRHC Innovation Grants) allow clinics to create or enhance innovative project work to support sustainable community-derived problem solving and collaboration. Goals are to improve service integration or expansion; address barriers to care or capacity gaps; improve or expand workforce capability; or expand/advance the use of electronic and technological health tools and resources. Projects can be entirely new or build upon existing services, but must be innovative and potentially serve as a best practice model to be shared.
Grande Ronde Hospital and Clinics: Regional Medical Clinic
ORH is pleased to announce Grande Ronde Hospitals and Clinics as the awardee of the 2020 Provider-Based Rural Health Clinic Innovation Grant. Their project includes the initiation of community health worker led smoking cessation support/education groups for the patients and employees of Grande Ronde Hospital and Clinics and for the members of the community at large. The goal is to have the smoking cessation support groups ready to begin by March 2, 2021. The groups will assist the patients, staff and community members who wish to quit smoking for any reason. This project will also support patients who need surgery and are required by insurance coverage to have 30 days smoke free prior to scheduling their surgery. This project will run through August of 2021.
ORH is pleased to announce that six RHC leaders received the Professional Development Scholarship award. Four leaders: Jenna Hendrikson, Strawberry Wilderness Community Clinic; Damon Hays, Adventist Health; Twyla Plummer, Adventist Health-Banks, Vernonia, Sheridan Clinics; and Carly Remstedt, Lake Health Clinic are new members at OMGMA. Two RHC leaders received the National Association of Rural Health Clinics membership. They are Miranda Reddokopp, Adventist Health-Tillamook and Andy George, Adventist Health-Tillamook. This dynamic group of clinic leaders plan to focus their professional development on communication, reimbursement, coding, and new legislation, along with RHC rules and regulations. They are thankful for the exceptional learning opportunity they will gain with their new OMGMA and NARHC membership.
Northwest Medical Foundation of Tillamook DBA Adventist Health Tillamook Clinic
In 2019, the Oregon Office of Rural Health awarded $4,000 to carry out an innovation project in a rural community.
This project focused on shared medical appointments which were piloted with a focus on 6 Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine, educating patients on lifestyle and behavior changes to improve one’s health. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has identified 6 Pillars that significantly impact an individual’s health. These are: 1) Nutrition; 2) Physical Activity; 3) Stress Management; 4) Quality Sleep; 5) Healthy Relationships and Support System; and 6) Avoiding Tobacco and other harmful substances. The appointments involved active learning, provided peer support and built community among participants. Presentations were made by health providers from the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) as well as health promoters from community wellness partners such as the YMCA, North County Recreation District, and Food Roots. Overall participant health metric improvements were achieved, which was the goal of this project. One of the best outcomes was the connection that developed between participants that allowed them to exchange information about successes and challenges and provide support for each other. This project is on target for ongoing success once COVID-19 considerations are mitigated.
The Oregon Office of Rural Health is happy to announce Mary Kay Gorny, Primary Clinics Operations Manager from Lincoln City Medical Center & Samaritan Coastal Clinic will receive the Professional Development Scholarship award. Mary Kay will be a new member at OMGMA. Her professional development focus will be on communication, motivational interviewing techniques and RHC rules and regulations. She is excited for this exceptional learning opportunity through new OMGMA membership and to attend the annual conference in Bend.
In 2018, the Oregon Office of Rural Health granted a total of $15,000 to the following clinics to carry out innovative projects in their communities:
Morrow County Health District Clinics: Pioneer Memorial Hospital Clinic, Ione Health Clinic and Irrigon Health Clinic.
Each clinic participated with their unique and growing patient cohorts to meet an identified need to address chronic disease management. Specifically, the clinics operated an expanded care coordination model, including pharmacy provider partners, to provide support and management of patients at-risk of developing diabetes, along with newly diagnosed diabetic patients. The goal was to more efficiently assess risk for developing diabetes, work to prevent development of the disease in high-risk patients, and to help patients with a current diagnosis to manage their diabetes at an ideal level.