Oregon Office of Rural Health

Oregon Rural Health Conference

2023 Conference Banner

The 40th Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference

Save the Date -  40th Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference in 2023, Sunriver, October 11 – 13, 2023.

Proposals will be accepted by May 30, 2023.

Partner with us!  Partner benefits

Partnership Agreement

Make sure you join our mailing list to receive communications about the next conference as well as our 7th Annual Forum on Aging in Rural Oregon, and our many programs to support rural health care providers in Oregon.


Past ORH Conferences

The 39th Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference - Thank you to the 47 speakers, 27 partners, and 275 attendees of the 39th Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference, held at Sunriver Resort from October 12 – 14, 2022. 

2022 conference agenda.

2022 Presentations

The Rural Health Landscape 

Alan Morgan, NRHA President

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Building Community Infrastructure to Address Social Determinants of Health and Equity Through Community Information Exchange (CIE) 

Jennifer Gustafson, CCM, CGAC II Manager, Compliance, AllCare Health

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Care Compare Methodology Changes & Response for Agile Improvement

Meg Linza, MSN, RN, CPHQ - Director of Quality, Risk, Clinical Education, & Employee Health, & Brett Byers, BSN, RN, CPHQ - Quality Nurse Specialist

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Increasing Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Workforce in Eastern Oregon: Outcomes, Lessons Learned & Next Steps

Meredith Lair, Executive Director at Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center (NEOAHEC) & Patricia Barfield, PhD., Assistant Professor of Nursing, OHSU School of Nursing, La Grande campus

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Achieving Quadruple Aim: Rethinking Our Organizational Operating Systems to Become More People Positive and Complexity-Conscious

Orion Falvey, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Orchid Health

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How to Move Your Practice to a More Value-Based Payment Model

Bill Roller, Orchid Health

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Project ECHO and a Rural Advisory Panel: Tools to Help Create a Community Health Infrastructure in Rural Oregon

Maggie McDonnell, MPH - Oregon ECHO Network (OEN) Director; Project Director of HEAL-OR & Kate McKenna, MD, One Community Health

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The Intersection of Oral and Behavioral Health Services at AllCare

Laura McKeane, EFDA, Director of Oral Health Services at AllCare & Kelli Beaumont, EPDH at Capitol Dental Care

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Project Firstline: Infection Control in Health Care

Judith Guzman-Cotrill, DO - Pediatric Infectious Diseases Contractor for Oregon Health Authority COVID-19 Response and HAI Program

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Building a CAH Quality Network to Enrich Peer-to-Peer Learning and Connections

Stacey Karvoski, Quality Improvement Director and Risk Manager, Wallowa Memorial Hospital; Meg Linza, Director, Quality, Clinical Education, & Employee Health, Columbia Memorial Hospital; Barbara Snyder, Quality and Risk Manager, Southern Coos Hospital; Stacie Rothwell, Field Services Program Manager, ORH 

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Rural Public Health - Challenges and Opportunities

Michael Baker, PhD. Public Health Director at Jefferson County Public Health

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Broadband in Rural Oregon

Representative Pam Marsh, Oregon State Legislature; Didgette McCracken, OSU Extension Service/Cyber Mills Nonprofit; Dr. Time Powell, CEO at Evergreen Family Medicine

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HEART: Healing Ethno-Racial Trauma: A Culturally Designed Model for Trauma Informed Care

Trevor Whitbread, MA, MS, Marriage & Family Therapy Associate, South Lane Mental Health

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Public Health, CCOs, and Providers Working Together

KC Bolton, MA, MHA, CEO, Aviva Health; Robert Dannenhoffer, MD, Public Health Officer, Douglas County, Chief Health Strategist for Douglas Public Health Network, Pediatrician, Aviva Health; Teresa Mutschler, MS, Executive Director, Douglas Public Health Network

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Healing After Disaster - Guide with Support

Lucy Zammarelli, MA - Supervisor, Lane County HHS and Human Services Liaison for the McKenzie Valley Wildfire Response

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Crisis de Nuestro Bienestar: Latino Mental Health Barriers & Recommendations in Oregon

Commissioner Irma Linda Castillo, MS; Commissioner Melina Moran, FNP; Commissioner Josefina Riggs

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Pathways for Diversifying and Increasing the Number of Health Professional Learners in Oregon

Dr. Eric Wiser, Interim Director, Oregon AHEC; Meredith Lair, Executive Director, at Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center (NEOAHEC); Shellene Dougherty, BS, M.Ed., Samaritan Health Services; Stephanie Leapaldt, BS, MAT, St. Charles Health System; Hailey Hulse, BS, NEOAHEC

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A Comprehensive Plan for Aging - Making Oregon an Age Friendly State

Keren Brown Wilson PhD. CEO Age+; Stephanie Hooper, President, Age+

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Community Collaborations: Reaching Vulnerable Populations Through Partnerships

Rylie Tiffin, Region 2 Testing Coordinator, Santiam Hospital & Clinics SCoPE Lab

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The Role of Rural Facilities in Educating the Workforce

Dr. Eric Wiser, Interim Director Oregon AHEC; Dr. Joyce Hollander-Rodriguez, Program Director, Cascades East; Dr. Lesley Ogden, CEO Samaritan North Lincoln & Pacific Communities Hospital

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Rural Health Clinic Workshop 2022

RHC Workshop Agenda

PRESENTATIONS

Washington Update

Nathan Baugh, BA, Executive Director, National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARC)

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Preparing for Your RHC Survey

Janis McDowell, RN, BSN, MA, Patient Safety Surveyor, Oregon Health Authority

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Tools: Medical Record Review, Personnel Record Review, RHC Entrance Needs ListRHC Walk Through Check ListRural Health Clinic Survey Worksheet

Understanding Commingling in an RHC

Charles A. James, Jr., President and CEO, North American HMS

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Value-Based Care in the RHC

Charles A. James, Jr., President and CEO, North American HMS

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Getting Back to Normal: What to Expect After the PHE Ends

Jeff Harper, inQuiseek, LLC Consulting

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Strategizing with New RHC Payment Regulations

Katie Jo Raebel, CPA, Partner-Health Care Practice, Wipfli LLP

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RHC Medicare Billing Update

Patty Harper, RHIA, CHTS-IM, CHT-PW, CHC, CEO inQuiseek, LLC Consulting

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Rural Health care Workforce:

Recruitment for Retention: Top Strategies

Michelle Varcho, Director of Operations and Education Outreach, 3RNET

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Provider Incentive Programs and How They Can Help with Recruitment and Retention

Bill Pfunder, Program Manager, Incentive Programs, ORH
Stacee Reed, Program Manager, Recruitment & Retention, ORH

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Rural Health Clinic Workshop

Exploring New RHC Scheduling Models to Improve Patient Access

Patty Harper, RHIA, CHTS-IM, CHT-PW, CEO, InQuiseek, LLC

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Intro to Workforce at the Oregon Office of Rural Health

Bill Pfunder, Program Manager, Incentive Programs, ORH
Stacee Reed, Program Manager, Recruitment & Retention, ORH

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A Prescription for Your Clinic: What’s the Best Option?

Katie Jo Raebel, CPA, Partner-Health Care Practice, Wipfli LLP

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Washington Update

Nathan Baugh, Director of Government Affairs for the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC)

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Community Health Workers (CHW): Roles and Partnerships in Rural Healthcare

Liberty Avila, MS, Executive Director, Northeast Oregon Network (NEON)
Shannon Cleveland, CHW, Grande Ronde Hospital
Jim Sheely, MSW, LCSW, Grande Ronde Hospital

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Advanced RHC Billing 2021

Charles James, Jr., President and CEO, North American HMS

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Understanding the RHC Program Evaluation

Charles James, Jr., President and CEO, North American HMS

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Is Your RHC Survey Ready?

Janis McDowell, BNS, MA, RN, Patient Safety Surveyor, OHA

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ORH Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF) Project

Anne Mitchell, Sky High Consulting
Rachel Weinstein, Sky High Consulting

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Oregon Health Authority RHC Billing and Coding

Jennifer Smith, MPA, Safety Net Clinics Program Manager, OHA

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