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National Priorities Partnership Sets Action Agenda to Improve Health Care

(11/21/08) 

This diverse group of national organizations representing those who receive, pay for, deliver and evaluate health care work together to transform quality, safety of health care in 2009 and beyond.  [Read article]

Specialized Stroke Care Improves Outcomes

(11/21/08) 

Stroke patients treated at community hospitals with specialized stroke care and telemedicine support from major stroke centers are more likely to survive and live independently than patients treated at hospitals without stroke units.  [Read article]

Final Rule Issued for Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs)

(11/21/08) 

The rule becomes effective on Jan. 19, 2009. It provides final requirements and procedures for PSOs, new entities, with which clinicians and health care providers can work to collect, aggregate and analyze data - within a legally secure environment of privilege and confidentiality protections - to identify and reduce patient care risks
and hazards.  [Read article]

The Value of Personal Health Records

(11/21/08) 

In this report, the Center for Information Technology Leadership (CITL) examines the value of PHR systems, primarily with respect to their direct financial costs and benefits.  [Read article]

Outreach Sourcebook: Rural Health Demonstration Project

(11/21/08) 

The ORHP Vol. 13 sourcebook has detailed descriptions of 29 rural health outreach grant projects funded for 2005-2008 period. It includes project description and contact information and an index of health topics addressed by each project.  [Read article]

The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the United States

(11/21/08) 

This Kaiser Family Foundation policy fact sheet provides an overview of key trends and the impact that the epidemic has on the U.S.  [Read article]

Delivering Care Anytime, Anywhere: Telehealth Alters the Medical Ecosystem

(11/21/08) 

The purpose of this research was to depict the current state of telehealth adoption and also to identify emerging uses with the potential to increase access to care, reduce costs, and improve outcomes.  [Read article]

‘Hospital of the Future’ Report Urges Major Changes

(11/21/08) 

Health Care at the Crossroads: Guiding Principles for the Development of the Hospital of the Future a report released from The Joint Commission offers guiding principles and actions for the hospital of the future to meet the daunting challenges of older and sicker patients, patient safety and quality of care, economics and the work force. As these challenges escalate, hospitals can lead the effort to meet these demands.  [Read article]
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Syndicate content State News

Outreach Sourcebook: Rural Health Demonstration Project

(11/21/08) 

The ORHP Vol. 13 sourcebook has detailed descriptions of 29 rural health outreach grant projects funded for 2005-2008 period. It includes project description and contact information, index of health topics addressed by each project and also reviews two Wisconsin projects.  [Read article]

Ho-Chunk to Open First Shelter for Abuse Victims

(11/21/08) 

Members of the Ho-Chunk Nation will take a big step forward in helping domestic abuse victims with their first shelter in the state thanks in part to a $335,000 federal grant.  This will be the sixth shelter in the state available for American Indians through Wisconsin’s 11 tribes.  [Read article]

Wisconsin County Health Rankings 2008

(11/20/08) 

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute report is the sixth annual “health check-up” of the 72 counties and the City of Milwaukee.  The report revealed significant differences between the healthiest places and the least healthy places.  [Website]

Diabetes Persists as Major Health Concern in Wisconsin

(11/20/08) 

According to the Department Health Services 2008 Burden of Diabetes in Wisconsin report, adult prevalence of diabetes increased more than 27 percent from 329,460 to 419,870 during the past five years.  [Read article]

Community Foundations

(11/20/08) 

Community Foundations are nonprofit, tax-exempt, publicly-supported grantmaking organizations. These foundations are public charities, since they develop broad support from many unrelated donors with a wide range of charitable interests in a specific community.  In addition to making grants, these foundations often play a leadership role in their communities, serve as a resource for grant information and broker training and technical assistance for local nonprofits.  [Website]

Federal Loan Repayment Application Changes

(11/20/08) 
  • NHSC Loan Repayment applications will be due January 31, 2009.  In previous years, these were due the end of March.  The Bulletin for this year (2009 cycle) will be posted to the NHSC web site in mid-November:  http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/applications/lrp/
  • Sites with clinicians who plan to apply for Loan Repayment this year, must also submit their NHSC Recruitment and Retention (site) applications by January 31:  http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/applications/rraa.asp
  • Loan Repayment requirement about completing training is more flexible.  Physicians in the last year of their residency program and dental students in their last year of dental school can apply for loan repayment, but will need to submit a letter of good standing from their program (see Loan Repayment Bulletin).  In previous years, they had to complete their training program before applying for Loan Repayment.  http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/applications/lrp/
  • Loan Repayment requirement for professional licensure is more flexible.  Clinicians applying for NHSC loan repayment must be licensed in the state where they plan to work by August 15 (see Bulletin for more detail).  In previous years, clinicians had to be licensed at the time their Loan Repayment application was submitted.
  • NHSC Job Opportunities list (true vacancies).  NHSC has re-established their searchable database of approved vacancies for placement of loan repayers or scholars (this replaces the Excel spreadsheet):  http://nhscjobs.hrsa.gov/

BadgerCare Plus Promotional PowerPoint Presentation

(11/20/08) 

Covering Kids & Families has put together a short BadgerCare Plus (BC+) presentation which is tailored to the county in which is shown.  It provides basic information about BC+ such as who is eligible and what benefits may be included, and lists contact information of people in the community that can help families enroll.  Contact Karen Odegaard for more information.

Co-op Health Insurance Working for Farmers

(11/19/08) 

In a recent customer survey of the Farmers' Health Cooperative of Wisconsin, members say the health insurance purchasing cooperative program has had a positive impact on both the cost and quality of health insurance coverage offered.  The cooperative will be adding dental care as a benefit available to members in 2009.  [Read article]
Earlier articles
Syndicate content Funding Opportunities

Bremer Emergency Fund - Otto Bremer Foundation

Application Deadline: 12/15/2008 

To help community agencies provide this financial assistance to residents of Bremer communities, the Bremer Emergency Fund will provide grants of up to $100,000 to nonprofit organizations with the capacity to identify community members who can benefit from financial assistance, provide timely disbursements, and offer appropriate follow-up and referral services.  [Funding]

Technology Grants for Rural Schools - Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative

Application Deadline: 09/14/2009 

The grants strive to help public schools in rural areas bring modern computers to every classroom, connect schools to the information superhighway and make sure that effective and engaging software and online resources are an integral part of the school curriculum.  [Funding]

Service Area Competitions - Bureau of Primary Health Care

Application Deadline: 12/22/2008 

This funding opportunity is a request for financial assistance to provide comprehensive primary health care services to an underserved area or population.  [Funding]

Enhanced Training and Services to End Violence and Abuse of Women Later in Life Program - Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

Application Deadline: 01/28/2009 

OVW plans to fund projects that will support a comprehensive approach to addressing elder abuse in communities. The projects will provide training to criminal justice professionals, governmental agency staff and victim assistants to enhance their ability to address elder abuse, neglect and exploitation in their communities; provide cross training opportunities to professionals working with older victims; develop or enhance a community coordinated response to elder abuse; and provide or enhance services for victims who are 50 years of age or older.  [Funding]

Part C EIS: Categorical Grant Program to Provide Outpatient Early Intervention Services with Respect to HIV Disease – HRSA

Application Deadline: 01/23/2009 

The purpose of this funding is to provide, on an ongoing outpatient basis, high quality early intervention services/primary care to individuals with HIV infection.  [Funding]

Project Orange Thumb – Fiskar’s

Application Deadline: 02/17/2009 

Funding is available for gardens and/or gardening projects geared toward community involvement, neighborhood beautification, sustainable agriculture, and/or horticultural education.  [Funding]

Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy (R21) - National Institutes of Health

Application Deadline: 12/31/2020 

The ultimate goal of this program is to encourage empirical research on health literacy concepts, theory and interventions.  [Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis]  [Funding]

Health Careers Foundation Scholarships and Loans

Application Deadline: 04/01/2009 

HCF's program strives to alleviate shortages of trained healthcare professionals by encouraging education. Through scholarships and low-interest loans, HCF fills the funding gap created by a decrease in available educational dollars. [Scholarship/loan program runs January 1 to April 1 of each year.]  [Funding]
Earlier articles
Syndicate content WORH Updates

Dentist Placement Program

It was a busy summer for the Dentist Placement Program!  I visited community health care clinics at Lakewood in Oconto County, Park Falls in Price County, and Cashton in Monroe County - three different regions - each with a distinct Wisconsin beauty.  It was good to see the dentists I referred at work in their new clinics.  Since the recruitment process can take up to 9 months, it is gratifying to see the end result - more dentists to help take care of the many patients that waiting for care.  [Read article]

Rural Communities Initiatives

Read New Community Development Blog   [Read articles prior to November 2008]

Physician Placement Program

Since starting a new recruitment “year” on July 1, the Physician Recruitment Program has recruited five physicians thus far to Wisconsin communities. These physicians will be practicing in the communities of Oshkosh (2), Milwaukee, Shawano and Mount Horeb. The Milwaukee position is with a community health center-type facility.  [Read article]

Rural Hospital Initiatives

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself.  My name is Kathryn Miller.  I started here at the Office of Rural Health on September 29th, as the Rural Hospitals & Clinics Program Manager.  I will be primarily responsible for managing the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, or “FLEX” (a federal grant that supports rural communities in preserving access to primary and emergency health care services).  [Read article]