Partnerships for a Healthy Future

April 10 and 11, 2003  

Horseshoe Hotel and Casino - Bossier City, Louisiana

Thursday, April 10, 2003

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.           Registration

                                      Outside the Orleans Room

10:15 a.m.                      Welcoming Remarks

                                      Donna Newchurch, LRHA Executive Director

10:15 a.m.                      A National Perspective – Rural Health Care 2003

                                       Eli Briggs, NRHA

The appropriation of adequate federal funds for rural health care is a constant battle both on the state and national level.  Hear from the staff of the National Rural Health Association about what is expected for rural health care policy and appropriation in the 2003 session.  Additionally, ??? from Louisiana will provide insight into the ongoing Louisiana Legislative Session.

11:15 a.m.                      DHH From Planning to Action:  Your State Office of Rural Health

                                      Kristy Nichols, Director, DHH State Office of Rural Health and Primary Care; Jonathan Chapman, Information Specialists, DHH State Office of Rural Health and Primary Care

Attendees will receive an update on activities from the State Office of Rural Health.  Additionally, Jonathan Chapman will present the IMPLAN software available through DHH that identifies and formulates the direct financial impact rural health care has on a community.  This financial impact information is invaluable in educating community leaders and elected officials.  Information on current HPSA designations, the J-1 Visa and Conrad State 30 program will also be presented as will the new Practice Management Opportunities and the Recruitment Professionals available through the State Office of Rural Health.

12:15 p.m.                     Lunch - Village Square Buffet

sponsored by gachassin law firm

1:30 p.m.                       HIPAA Update:  Ready Or Not Compliance Is Here!

                                      Greg Frost, Attorney, Adams and Reese, Baton Rouge

One speaker was quoted in a recent meeting in referring to HIPAA compliance as saying, “Y2K was a walk in the park compared to HIPAA!” Where are you in preparing for HIPAA compliance? Where should you be right now and if you are not where you should be, what do you need to do?

2:30 p.m.                        Community Network Development:  An Integral Step to Accessing Federal Dollars

Speaker: Eric Baumgartner

As the health care dollar is ever tightening, it becomes incumbent upon rural health care providers to develop strategies to address the continuing shortfall.  Community network development allows for development of strategies that cross-traditional community lines.  Strategies for developing community networks will be presented, as will successful models of networks that are drawing down federal funds and positively impacting health care in rural communities.

3:30 p.m.                                 Break

3:45 p.m.    Improving Delivery of Care Through

Non-traditional Partnerships

Daryl Doise, LA Healthcare Group;  Chris Kohlenberg, CPA, Langlinais and 

Broussard

This panel discussion will focus on opportunities and pitfalls specific to rural facilities working with non traditional partners to provide services. Concepts of successful ancillary services, psychiatric units within facilities, joint ventures, and management agreements will be presented by this panel.  Additionally, Critical Access Hospitals and those facilities considering CAH designation will have an opportunity to gain insight into the potential impact non-traditional partnerships would have on that designation.

Friday, April 11, 2003

9:00 a.m.                        Funding Opportunity and Availability Update

Valerie Florance, PhD, National Library of Medicine, Eric Baumgartner, MD,

Outreach and Network Grant applications, Community Access Program Grants, Internet Connectivity Grants, USDA Opportunities – the programs exist and are positively impacting health care is many small, rural communities.  Familiarize yourself with these opportunities as representatives from the National Library of Medicine, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, The Community Access Program, and USDA present program specific data on the opportunities as well as provide insight on application preparation.

9:00 a.m.                        National Library of Medicine Opportunities

                                      Valerie Florance, PhD, National Library of Medicine

9:45 a.m.                        USDA Opportunities

                                      Rural Utilities Service Program Director

                                                Louisiana USDA                                            

The USDA Rural Development Community Facility Program provides financial assistance to rural communities for health care and other essential community facilities.  Cormier will present details on completing these applications successfully.

10:30 a.m.                      Office of Rural Health Policy

Outreach, Network, and Network Planning Applications

11:15 a.m.                            Community Access Program

Eric Baumgartner, MD, former director Community Access Program

11:45 a.m.                      Closing Remarks and Adjourn

12 noon                         LRHA Board Meeting

                                      Open to all LRHA Members