The Membership Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
Registration is now open for the 2019 NOSORH Grant Writing Institute (GWI)! GWI features a series of nine online learning sessions covering every aspect of grant writing with a unique rural health focus. The series is intended for beginners seeking to gain the skills to research and draft winning proposals from various agencies.
Class size is limited, so register soon! Group discounts are available.
Registration Deadline: July 9, 2019
Please contact Beth Kolf at bethk@nosorh.org for more information
The NOSORH RHC Committee recently revised and released Module #1 – An Introduction to the Rural Health Clinic Program. This educational resource is an overview of the Rural Health Clinic Program and related requirements. The Committee will continue updating each module in the series of educational resources found on the RHC Resources page of the NOSORH website. Stay tuned for a webinar in late July to reintroduce both Module #1 and Module #2.
Finally, it’s that time again- RHC Technical Assistance Survey time!! The purpose of this survey is to gain an understanding of the technical assistance needs your SORH may have for assisting primary care providers in your state and to help shape the work of the RHC Committee. The results of the survey will be compiled and shared. Please complete the survey by June 17, 2019. Your participation is greatly appreciated!
Thank you to the RHC Committee and partner members for providing your time and expertise to these valuable resources.
If you have interest in learning more or engaging with the RHC Committee, please reach out to Crystal Barter (barthcry@msu.edu), Committee Chairperson or Tammy Norville (tammyn@nosorh.org).
NOSORH is excited to announce the relaunch of the NOSORH Mentoring Program and the newly designed Peer-Driven Resources webpage! The Mentoring Program builds upon the mentoring philosophy of Jim Bernstein, providing an opportunity for SORH Directors and equivalents to be paired with veteran SORH Directors or equivalents. The Mentoring Program requires that the Mentor and Mentee meet via phone at least two hours per month and is expected to last about 6 months. Mentees are also required to participate in a “NOSORH 101” webinar and attend the FORHP New SORH Orientation at FORHP offices. The Educational Exchange Scholarship may also be used in conjunction with the Mentoring Program to support a site visit between the Mentor and Mentee as pairs see fit.
With this launch, the NOSORH webpage for the Educational Exchange scholarships has been moved to a single Peer-Driven Resources page. This new comprehensive webpage features information on the Jim Bernstein mentoring philosophy, along with documents, applications and resources for the Mentoring and Educational Exchange scholarship programs. These guides and resources help ensure the mentoring experience is beneficial for all parties involved. If you’re looking for other opportunities for professional development, be sure to check out the Rural Health Leadership Institute and the SORH Proficiencies framework.
For more information or with questions, contact Chris Salyers, Education and Services Director, at chris.salyers@nosorh.org.
Your connection to NOSORH partnership opportunities awaits in the 2019 NOSORH Partnership Invitation. As you’ll see, NOSORH is exploring new ways to build collaborative partnerships to improve the future of rural health. Each level of support offers many ways to “plug in” to the Power of Rural and NOSORH’s mission, increasing your reach and visibility on the rural stage. In addition to recognition at the NOSORH Annual Meeting, you will become a valued partner in National Rural Health Day on November 21 and gain recognition through the Power of Rural campaign.
All NOSORH partners are encouraged to submit a speaker proposal for the 2019 NOSORH Annual Meeting! The meeting will take place October 16-17 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with all 50 State Offices of Rural Health in attendance. To submit a proposal, simply fill out this speaker form and click “submit” at the end. Proposals are due by Friday, June 7, 2019 at 5:00 pm ET.
Thank you in advance for your interest in supporting NOSORH’s mission. Contact Ashley Muninger at ashleym@nosorh.org for more information.
The 2018 NOSORH Rural Health Data Institute (RHDI) wrapped up on February 20, 2019 with great reviews from SORH and non-SORH alike. Nearly half of the participants represented a SORH, while others worked in academic institutions, hospital networks and community coalitions working on population health initiatives.
The participants gave the Institute high marks with a majoring of “excellent” or “great” ratings and willingness to recommend the Institute to others. Some students remarked:
Congratulations to the 2018 Data Institute Graduates!
Fourteen students from across the country completed all the requirements of the Institute to earn a Certificate of Completion.
Examples of final projects from this and previous RHDI graduating classes can be found on the NOSORH website at https://nosorh.org/data-institute-fact-sheets/.
“We’re proud of the Data Institute and all of the projects the students shared. We know that the participants are learning to use data in a way that is meaningful to their organizations.” said Chris Salyers, NOSORH Educational and Services Director.
NOSORH would like to thank all of our partners who helped make the institute a success. We particularly appreciate our excellent presenters and technical experts Penny Black (WI SORH), Lara Brooks (OK SORH), and Bryna Koch (AZ SORH) for ensuring engaging and informative sessions.
The RHDI is an 8-session online course, over approximately 16 weeks, with live and recorded learning sessions. Each session of the institute builds the basic necessary skills to identify, collect, analyze and communicate data in an effective way – known as the data use process. This institute is open to SORH and their rural health partners, including clinical partners interested in expanding population health analytics in their practice. Be on the lookout for registration to the 2019 Rural Health Data Institute that will be even more focused on the needs of future rural leaders.
Believe it or not, NOSORH is already planning the 2019 Annual Meeting! The Annual Meeting will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on October 16-17 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Albuquerque. This year’s goal is to provide a more diverse meeting than ever before. NOSORH staff is looking to develop educational strategies that offer a variety of session types to be delivered in a new and exciting way. More information regarding the meeting will be provided via email and posted to the NOSORH website as it becomes available.
Discounted rooms are available to meeting participants at the rate of $114 per night plus taxes until September 24, 2019. Use the code “Group Guest NOSORH” to reserve a room online or by phone, Click here or call 800-445-8667. We look forward to seeing you in Albuquerque! If you have questions, please contact Matt Strycker or Trevor Brown.
The following update was provided by Hall Render, NOSORH Policy Liaison:
Thanks to the efforts of many, President Trump signed into law the State Offices of Rural Health Reauthorization Act of 2018 in the final hours of the 115th Congress. The bill signing was a culmination of two years of hard work by State Offices of Rural Health, their partners and Hall Render in educating members of Congress and Congressional Committees on the importance of SORHs to our nation’s rural health care. Special acknowledgement to Senator Roberts (KS) for introducing the bill, Representative Mullin (OK) and Representative Schrader (OR) and their staff for supporting SORH.
The bill (S. 2278), which is now public law, reauthorizes the SORH grant program for the first time since its creation in the early 1990s. It also authorizes $12.5 million in federal funding for the SORH grant program between fiscal years 2018 and 2022.
The bill passed the House on December 19 by a roll call vote of 357-4 and was sent to the President on December 27. The New Year’s Eve bill signing was one of the final Presidential actions of 2018.
NOSORH’s Grant Writing Institute—Beyond the Basics is now on-demand! This course is designed for individuals looking for education beyond the introductory or beginning level. This is the only grant education of its kind focused on rural health grant writers. Topics will include learning communication strategies to connect with funders, using work plans to meet basic grant reporting, understanding how to create meaningful evaluation tools, and how to use data. Past participation in NOSORH’s Grant Writing Institute is not required.
To view the brochure, please click here.
To register, click here.
For more information, contact Tammy Norville at tammyn@nosorh.org.
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health has partnered with Lilypad, LLC to implement the Practice Operations National Database (POND™) program, a web-based data collection, reporting and benchmarking application for rural primary care providers. POND is a unique benchmarking program which focuses on rural-relevant financial, operational, productivity and compensation measures. POND provides a vehicle for rural practices to selectively share blinded operational and productivity data and to use peer benchmark information to guide improvements in performance and inform recruitment/retention and hospital-physician alignment activities.
POND will benefit SORHs wishing to:
POND provides an easy, consistent approach to engage RHCs and other primary care providers. It can also be used to promote community between rural primary care providers through data-based discussions and can establish the SORH as a source of relevant and unique resources.
Getting Started with POND is an easy, step-by-step implementation guide. A sample POND report is available to help you see what data will be available.
Annual fees for SORHs are $2500 for states with fewer than 90 RHCs and $3500 for states with more than 90 RHCs. This annual fee enables all rural primary care practices in your state to participate in POND.
If you have any additional questions, contact Kassie Clarke.