Oregon Office of Rural Health

Rural Health Clinic Webinars

Oregon mountains with wildflowers in the foreground

ORH offers many different RHC webinars for our rural health clinics across Oregon.

RHC Advanced Coding and Billing

May 8, 2025

What You Will Learn:

This informative webinar goes beyond RHC coding and billing basics to explore more advanced billing topics, such as preventative services, care management services, hospice services, and medical and mental health telemedicine. This is an opportunity to enhance your knowledge and sharpen your coding and billing skills in these critical areas.

Presenter: Patty Harper, Principal, InQuiseek Consulting

Recorded presentation

Slides

RHC Coding and Billing Fundamentals

March 4, 2025

What You Will Learn:

Join Patty Harper in an engaging webinar where she will dive into the essential principles of coding and billing specific to rural health clinics. Whether you are an experienced billing professional looking to brush up on your skills or a newcomer eager to learn the ropes, this curriculum has got you covered. Participants can expect a comprehensive overview of the foundational aspects of RHC Medicare coding, including practical examples and insights that will enhance their understanding of the billing process. 

Presenter: Patty Harper, Principal, InQuiseek Consulting

Recorded presentation

Slides


Oregon RHC Financial Benchmarking and Analysis Training

August 5 & 6, 2025

What You Will Learn:

Presenting and discussing the 2025 update to the 2024 RHC Financial Benchmarking and Analysis Report.

This report includes the previous year's data with the current year's updates for the newly completed and released Medicare Cost Reports. The first session discusses the purpose of the report, the background of the data source and the development of Oregon-specific RHC benchmarks. The remainder of the first session and most of the second moves into a discussion of various cost, payor mix, visit volume, provider mix, provider cost and charge statistics and benchmarks. Reporting is broken down between freestanding and provider-based RHCs. In addition, there are comparisons to the previous year's reporting. In each area, we present the results of the statistical analysis as well as share best practices deployed by higher-performing providers in Oregon and the rest of the United States.

The final portion of this two-part series focuses on cost report updates and strategies to assist in ensuring compliance with reporting requirements and improving overall reimbursement. 

Presenter: Ralph Llewellyn, is a Partner with Eide Bailly LLP and serves as their Partner in Charge of Critical Access Hospitals. He began his career as a rural hospital CFO. For the past 27 years, he has been with Eide Bailly, where he conducts operational assessments and assists providers in enhancing financial and operational performance. He also assists providers in developing strategies for maintaining compliance with Medicare and other regulations in rural settings. Ralph is a frequent speaker at state, regional and national events.

Part 1 Recorded presentation

Part 2 Recorded presentation


RHC Financial Health Winter Learning Series

This winter, the Office of Rural Health will host a series of online financial sessions led by industry expert Patty Harper. These sessions are designed to enhance accuracy, improve compliance, and increase confidence in revenue cycle practices. Catering to both seasoned professionals and newcomers to the field, this series will provide practical tools, real-world case studies, and timely updates to ensure participants remain proficient in the continually evolving healthcare landscape.

Register for each session below:
 
RHC Fee Schedule Maintenance and Methodologies
Nov. 4  | Recording | Slides
 
Join Patty for a discussion of basic strategies for fee-setting methodologies while considering the unique aspects of RHC cost-sharing and reimbursement. She will also discuss how to maintain a fee schedule and how to know when a national update has been made that requires fee schedule maintenance. 
 
2026 RHC Coding and Billing Update: Navigating Critical Changes
Dec. 2 | Recording | Slides

This session covers RHC coding and billing basics as well as any relevant changes from the recently finalized 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule. Expect changes to care management, telehealth, vaccine administration, and medical economic index factors. 
 
Mastering RHC Advanced Billing
Jan. 6 | RecordingSlides
 
Start the new year with us as we dive into the details of RHC advanced billing.  We will discuss those pesky negative remittance advice and tips for 2026. This webinar will also offer more detailed guidance on the 2026 MPFS final rule and other advanced billing topics. 
 
Telehealth Tune-Up for RHCs
Feb. 3 | Recording | Slides
 
Telehealth: will it be the death of us, or will it be our answer to expanded access to care? Join us for this session to find out the latest and greatest information on RHC telehealth. We will discuss telehealth terminology and provide billing examples for originating telehealth, distant site medical telehealth, and distant site mental health telehealth services.  

Strategies for Implementing and Enhancing Integrated Behavioral Health Services
March 3 | RecordingSlides
 
Adding behavioral health in the RHC can be challenging, especially with so many soundbites on the topic. What is integrated behavioral health (IBH)?  How are RHCs paid for IBH, considering the changes to RHC care management coding? Join us for a discussion on how to provide these much-needed services while optimizing best practices clinically and financially. 
 
Presenter:
 Patty Harper
Patty Harper is a principal of InQuiseek Consulting. She has 28 years of health care experience in the areas of health care finance & reimbursement, health information management, compliance, and practice management. She actively consults with rural health clinics, CAHs and rural hospitals across the country in the areas of reimbursement, revenue cycle improvement and regulatory compliance. Patty holds a B.S. from Louisiana Tech University. She is credentialed through AHIMA as a RHIA, CHTS-IM, and CHTS-PW. She is also Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC®). Patty is a frequent speaker and content contributor for national, state, and regional organizations on these and other rural health topics. Patty served on the NARHC Board from 2018 through 2023.


Unlocking the Full Potential of Your RHC with Chronic Care Management

This four-part education series, hosted by North Dakota Rural Health Clinic Network (ND Flex) and the Oregon Office of Rural Health, empowers Rural Health Clinic (RHC) staff to develop and implement a successful Chronic Care Management (CCM) program. Learn how to qualify and enroll patients, deliver high-quality CCM services, and master compliant documentation and billing practices to increase revenue and improve patient outcomes.

By completing this series, you will gain practical knowledge and confidence to deliver coordinated, comprehensive care, ultimately improving the health of your patients and the financial health of your practice.


Session One - From Idea to Impact: The Essential Building Blocks of a Successful CCM Program | Oct. 28  

Chronic Care Management (CCM) is one of the most underutilized opportunities for RHCs to improve patient outcomes and drive new revenue. In this session, we’ll break down the fundamentals of CCM — who qualifies, what CMS requires, and the essential staffing and technology components. Attendees will leave with a clear roadmap of what it takes to get started and how CCM can benefit both patients and the clinic. Recording | Slides

Session Two - Design for Success: How to Construct a Compliant and Sustainable CCM Program
Dec 9 

Once you understand the building blocks, the next step is constructing a program that works in the real world. This session covers how to develop workflows, engage staff, enroll patients, and ensure compliance with CMS documentation and billing requirements. We’ll share sample tools, policies, and processes to help you design a program that fits seamlessly into your clinic operations and sets you up for long-term success. Recording | Slides

Session Three - Making It Work: Proven Strategies to Implement and Operationalize CCM in Your RHC 
Feb 18
 
Even the best-designed program won’t succeed without careful implementation. This session provides practical strategies to launch and operationalize your CCM program, including training staff, integrating CCM into daily workflows, and engaging patients effectively. We’ll also tackle common barriers such as time management, staffing constraints, and patient resistance — and show you proven solutions RHCs have used to overcome them. Recording | Slides
 

Session Four - Measure What Matters: Proving Value and Scaling Your CCM Program for Growth
May 5| 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PT or 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CT | Register here
 
After implementation comes the critical step of measuring impact. This session will show you how to evaluate your CCM program’s success through both financial ROI and patient outcomes. Learn how to use dashboards and scorecards, make data-driven improvements, and communicate value to stakeholders. We’ll also explore opportunities to expand into related services, such as Transitional Care Management (TCM), Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), and Behavioral Health Integration (BHI), which will help your RHC scale its impact and sustainability.

Presenter:
 Nicole Thorell, RN, MSN, FNP-C

Nicole Thorell has spent more than a decade working in rural health care, a place where her heart truly lies. As a Family Nurse Practitioner with a background in nursing administration, she’s worn many hats - serving as a Chief Nursing Officer, Director of Risk and Quality, and provider in both a Critical Access Hospital and Rural Health Clinic in Nebraska.

What’s mattered most to Nicole throughout her career is making a difference in the lives of patients and the teams who care for them. She’s led efforts to reduce hospital readmissions, strengthen patient safety, and create positive, supportive work environments. Along the way, she’s leaned on her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training to approach challenges with curiosity, problem-solving, and a drive for continuous improvement.

Today, Nicole works as a consultant, partnering with hospitals and clinics to help them run more smoothly and deliver the best possible care to their communities. Her focus is on making everyday operations easier for providers and staff, so that rural patients can receive high-quality healthcare close to home.


FAQ Webinar: Behavioral Health in the RHC

April 21, 2025 

What You Will Learn:

Patty Harper of InQuiseek Consulting will host a series of webinars this spring focused on RHCs. The first in this webinar series will cover how to effectively integrate behavioral health into an RHC. She will address frequently asked questions, including:

  • Which behavioral health professionals are qualified RHC providers?
  • What about a medical and mental health visit on the same day?
  • Are there challenges to providing these services in an RHC?

Join this session to discover these answers, ask other questions or share your successes.

Presenter: Patty Harper, Principal, InQuiseek Consulting

Recorded presentation

Slides

RHC National Legislative and Regulatory Policy Update

What You Will Learn:

Insights into current RHC legislative and regulatory policy issues nationally.

NARHC’s policy and advocacy efforts enhance RHCs' ability to deliver cost-effective, quality health care to patients in rural, underserved communities. The NARHC government affairs team, based in Washington, D.C., is the primary resource to Congress, federal agencies, and the Administration on federal Rural Health Clinic issues.

Presenter: Sarah Hohman, NARHC Director of Government Affairs. Sarah leads regulatory and legislative federal policy efforts for the organization and provides direct technical assistance and education to RHCs nationwide. She advocates for reimbursement policies that incentivize and support rural primary care and other health services. Before joining NARHC, Sarah worked for the Pennsylvania State Office of Rural Health. She earned her BS in Health Policy and Administration from Penn State University and her Master of Public Health from the Penn State College of Medicine. Sarah resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

February 18, 2026 | Recorded presentation

August 21, 2025 | Recorded presentation | Slides

 


 

Working in an RHC

What You Will Learn:

This recording will offer Rural Health Clinic (RHC) staff a comprehensive overview of the unique aspects of working in an RHC and examine the influence of the program on daily operations. It will clearly define the specific responsibilities of each team member, promoting a better understanding of how teamwork can improve patient care and maintain regulatory standards. After watching this recording, staff will be more equipped to contribute to the ongoing success and enhancement of the RHC.

Presenter: Tressa Sacrey, Health Services Associates

Recorded presentation

A Manager's Introduction to the RHC

What You Will Learn:

This recording is designed to equip a manager with an understanding of the various complexities involved in effectively managing a Rural Health Clinic (RHC). It will analyze essential strategies and workflows to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations while highlighting practical resources and tools for managing a Rural Health Clinic (RHC).

Presenter: Tressa Sacrey, Health Services Associates

Recorded presentation


Getting Strategic with Your Rural Health Clinic

Jan. 8, 2025

What You Will Learn:

Many rural health clinics understand the Medicare regulations, but how familiar are you with Oregon Medicaid's specific RHC rules, and how might you optimize your RHC’s reimbursement from a Medicaid perspective? This session will cover strategies relating to the RHC prospective payment system (PPS) rate, a change in scope of services request, wrap reporting and places of service where RHC encounters could be provided. Come with your questions and be ready to take some valuable ideas back to your team!

Presenter: Katie Jo Raebel, CPA, partner at Wipfli

Recorded presentation | Slides

2026 RHC Quality 101 Cohort

RHC Quality 101 Cohort, session 1 | Video | Slides

RHC Quality 101 Cohort, session 2 | Video | Slides

RHC Quality 101 Cohort, session 3 | Video | Slides

2026 Virtual Quality 101 Resource List


Archive

2025 RHC Quality 101 Cohort

2025 Virtual Quality 101 Resource List

Session One

Recording | Slides

Session Two

Recording | Slides | Resource document

Session Three

Recording | Slides

Session Four

Recording | Slides

Session Five

Recording | Slides


Patient Experience Education

For the RHC Patient Engagement Series with Angie Charlet visit this link.

RHC Regulatory Compliance Cohort

Session 1: An Introduction to the Oregon RHC Cohort, Rondyann Gerst, ORH | Sept. 3, 2025 | Recording

Session 2: RHC Regulatory Compliance, Kate Hill, The Compliance Team | Sept. 17, 2025 | Recording

Session 3: How to Create an Internal Compliance Program, Tressa Sacrey, HSA | Oct. 29, 2025 | Recording

Session 4: The Importance of Improvement, Tressa Sacrey, HSA | Oct. 30, 2025 | Recording

Session 5: RHC Medicare Cost Report Preparation for Managers, Katie Jo Raebel, Wipfli | Nov. 12, 2025 | Recording

Session 6: RHC Coding for Managers, Patty Harper, InQuiseek | Nov. 19, 2025 | Recording

Session 7: Environmental Considerations, Tressa Sacrey, HSA | Dec. 10, 2025 | Recording | Resources: FAQ | Infection Control Basics

Session 8: RHC Administrative Tasks, Tressa Sacrey, HSA | Jan. 7, 2026

Session 9: Before, During, and After the Survey: A discussion with the state surveyor, Janis McDowell | Feb. 2, 2026

Session 10: RHC Procedures, Lab Requirements, and the Emergency Kit, Patty Harper, InQuiseek | Feb. 4, 2026

Session 11: Biennial Program Evaluation, Patty Harper, inQuiseek | March 4, 2026

Session 11: Biennial Program Evaluation, Patty Harper, inQuiseek | March 4, 2026

Session 12: Emergency Preparedness: Rules and Regulations, Patty Harper, InQuiseek | April 8, 2026

Session 13: Manager’s Survival Guide: Putting It All Together,” Tressa Sacrey, HSA | May 6, 2026

In-person Session 14: RHC Compliance Cohort Wrap-Up and Reflections: End-of-year in-person networking meeting | June 9, 2026


Before, During and After a Survey

February 24, 2025 | Presenter: Janis McDowell | Recorded presentation