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Access to primary care providers in rural AZ is a problem. Our National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program and the State Loan Repayment Program are part of the solution- recruiting primary care workforce resources in those areas. Still, there’s not enough providers in rural Arizona- and 150 rural communities in Arizona need access to primary care providers.

To help alleviate this problem and support recruitment of providers in rural areas, our Bureau of Health Systems Development recently developed a partnership with the Center for Rural Health and the Arizona Alliance of Community Health Centers to support the National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network (3RNet) Program. It’s kinda like a Match.com for linking health care professionals and jobs in rural and underserved areas.

The 3RNet Program is made up of members from state agencies and non-profit organizations that work together to help many health care professionals find jobs in rural and underserved areas. They also work collaboratively to provide technical assistance to clinics about this free recruitment tool. This provides clinics with no cost marketing including tools allowing them to post online photos, detailed descriptions, maps, and other materials to attract health care professionals.

For questions about the 3RNet Program, please email the representatives from each individual agency: Ana Roscetti at Ana.lyn.Roscetti@azdhs.gov, Joyce Hospodar at hospodar@email.arizona.edu, or Lourdes Paez at lourdesp@aachc.org. If you’re an employer or clinic, register to become a 3Rnet user here.

Jan 5, 2015 -- Describes efforts to increase Native American and Alaskan Native enrollment in the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace, including creating culturally appropriate brochures, using bi-lingual outreach workers, and having mobile technologies available in the field to process sign-ups instantly.

(November 20, 2014—Parker, Arizona) Today, on National Rural Health Day, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that LaPaz Regional Hospital has received a Telemedicine Grant for $316,800 through the USDA Rural Development’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program.

La Paz Regional Hospital plans to use the funding to serve their main hospital in Parker, Arizona and four clinical outreach sites in Quartzsite, Salome, Bouse and Parker. The hospital is the only public access hospital in the county—a county with over 4,000 square miles…and yet only 25,000 residents. The grant funds will be used to expand videoconferencing connections to this large, sparsely populated area to provide more direct contact with physicians in the participating communities.

The project is located in the Colorado River Indian Tribe’s jurisdictional area and will benefit this underserved tribal area.

The Secretary also highlighted initiatives created by the Affordable Care Act that specifically address critical health needs in rural communities.

“Delivering these programs to rural communities that often do not have access to quality, affordable medical services has tremendous economic and social benefits,” Vilsack said. “They also mean that people who live and work in rural areas will not have to travel long distances for specialized health care services.”

In addition to today’s announcements, Secretary Vilsack encouraged rural Americans to take advantage of the Health Insurance Marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act and discussed the health care reform law’s specific benefits for rural communities.

“Rural residents have higher rates of chronic conditions. This can be exacerbated by a lack of doctors or clinics in rural communities,” Secretary Vilsack continued. “The Affordable Care Act is improving the health of rural communities and giving all families the security they deserve. No one should go without healthcare because of where they live, or be forced to leave the communities they love to get the coverage they need.”

Rural Americans suffer from higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. The Affordable Care Act has taken steps to address the unique challenges rural communities face when it comes to getting the health care they need.

One in five uninsured Americans lives in a rural area, and yet on average only 10 percent of the nation’s physicians practice in these communities. The Affordable Care Act has significantly increased the size of the National Health Service Corps, which offers scholarships and loan repayment to health practitioners in return for practicing in rural communities and other underserved areas. More than 3,500 Corps members now serve in rural areas, and an average of 86 percent of them will remain in their communities even after completing their service.

The Affordable Care Act also invests significantly in expanding services at community health centers, where 7.5 million rural Americans get access to primary and preventive care. That comes on top of the more than $3 billion USDA has invested since 2009 to strengthen health infrastructure in rural areas, building rural hospitals and health clinics and expanding access to health care in remote rural areas through telemedicine.

Not only can a lack of health insurance coverage help lead to high rates of chronic conditions, it threatens rural families’ economic health as well. Before the Affordable Care Act passed, the average rural family paid nearly 50% of all health costs out of pocket. One in five farmers is in debt because of medical bills. Uninsured individuals living in rural areas are able to use the Marketplaces to compare qualified health plan insurance options based on price, benefits, quality, and other factors with a clear picture of premiums and cost-sharing amounts to help them choose the qualified health insurance plan that best fits their needs.

Open Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace began Nov. 15, 2014, and runs through Feb. 15, 2015. Those who have plans can continue them without re-enrolling. However, consumers are encouraged to visit HealthCare.gov to review and compare health plan options and find out if they are eligible for financial assistance, which can help pay monthly premiums and reduce out-of-pocket costs when receiving services. In order to have coverage effective on Jan. 1, 2015, consumers must enroll or update their coverage by December 15.

Consumers can find local help at: Localhelp.healthcare.gov or call the Federally-facilitated Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. TTY users should call 1-855-889-4325. Translation services are available. The call is free.

To preview plans in your area, visit: www.healthcare.gov/see-plans/

For more information about Health Insurance Marketplaces, visit: www.healthcare.gov/marketplace

WMRMC is the First Critical Access Hospital to Receive Pediatric Emergency Certification
White Mountain Regional Medical Center (WMRMC) recently became the first critical access hospital to have their emergency department certified by the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AzAAP)  as a Pediatric Prepared Emergency Care Emergency Department. The certification means WMRMC meets specific criteria and is ready to provide emergency care resources and capabilities for pediatric patients. If necessary, the hospital can stabilize a child for transfer to a facility that offers more specialized pediatric care. “White Mountain Regional Medical Center is deeply committed to providing excellent emergency care to pediatric patients in Round Valley and the communities we serve. This distinction is quite an honor and is due to the hard work and dedication of our staff,” said Gregory Was, WMRMC’s chief executive officer.
Arizona is among five states to implement a pediatric emergency care system. Certification is voluntary and is a quality improvement process that includes matching hospital capabilities and capacity to established guidelines through a self-assessment process and a site visit by a team of peer professionals. Pediatric Prepared Emergency Care is a private/public partnership among hospitals, healthcare professionals, emergency personnel and state agencies throughout Arizona, committed to an effective regionalized pediatric emergency care system. Since 2008, the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Office of Injury Prevention has spearheaded the effort to launch the pediatric emergency department certification/regionalized system. In 2010, AzAAP established the certification, and currently conducts certification reviews and offers continuing pediatric emergency education. (mregan@azhha.org)
 

https://news.azpm.org/p/local-news/2014/4/14/32698-copper-queen-hospital-in-bisbee-expands-emergency-care/

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