News and Views - Winter 2019

​CARHC Board Officers and Committees
President – Karen Paolinelli, Madera Community Hospital
Vice President – Cheryl Duncan, Cheryl Duncan Consulting
Secretary/Treasurer – Greta Elliott, Canby Family Practice         
Webmaster – Alex Giloff, Western Sierra Medical Center 

New Website
CARHC.org has been refreshed.  Check us out and tell us what you would like us to add: www.carhc.org
 
2018 Conference Presentations:
Needing to review or discover what you missed in 2018?  Some of our favorite presentations are posted at:
 www.carhc.org/2019conference
 
Could wage index reform buoy rural hospitals?
CMS uses wage index data to set hospital payments and they are looking at revamping how this is done.
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20181127/NEWS/181129960
 
Healthcare - Associated Infection Report
CDPH reported in the 2017 Annual HAI Report, California hospitals had 2,602 fewer healthcare-associated infections than in 2016 and statewide incidences for all reportable infection types are now lower than the 2015 baseline. 
Click the link for more info:
 https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHCQ/HAI/Pages/AnnualHAIReports.aspx?_
 
Rural Health Clinic Payment Limit Increase
The RHC payment limit per visit for CY 2019 is $84.70 effective January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. 
https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network MLN/MLNMattersArticles/Downloads/MM10989.pdf
 
Nominations Sought
CARHC members are invited to submit nominations for a worthy recipient of the California Rural Health Champion Award. This award recognizes and honors an outstanding leader of rural health clinics. Please nominate an individual that has dedicated their time and efforts to advance the health and wellbeing of others through their RHC program. You must be a CARHC member to make a nomination but nominees do not need to be CARHC members. 
 
Click the link below to submit your nomination:
https://www.carhc.org/2019-california-rural-health-conference.html 
 
Poster Presentations   * 2019 CARHC Conference *
CARCH Members are the  true experts in Rural Health.  The 2019 California Rural Health Conference Planning Committee invites you to  share a  best practice and/or innovation, worthy of adoption by other RHC’s. Best practice and innovations in Rural Health will be featured as a poster presentations during the 2019 California Rural Health Conference. Guidelines will be announced soon.
 
Donations to Our Nonprofit Association Would Be VERY Appreciated
Donations to CARHC are tax-deductible and go toward development and maintenance of our website, education programs (CEUs, annual conference) and support of the rural health clinics in California.  The financial support of our members and conference sponsors are greatly appreciated.