2017-18 Rural Hospital Learning Opportunities Program Dashboard
The Rural Hospital Learning Opportunities Program (RHLOP) will exist to support 
Iowa’s CAHs in activities that will improve their financial and operational outcomes and the quality and patient safety due to policy implementation. It will also include Population Health programs.
View the Program Kickoff Information and Recording, here: https://hthu.net/iowaflex18/.
Flex CAH Financial & Operational Improvement Program & Cohorts
The Rural Hospital Learning Opportunities Program (RHLOP) exists to support Iowa’s CAHs in activities that will improve their financial and operational outcomes. Three areas of need have been identified to assist CAHs in improvement for 2017-2018:
- Personnel Expense (Cost Measure)
- Days Cash on Hand (Liquidity Measure), and
- Days in Net Patient AR (Liquidity Measure)
There will be webinar education throughout the FLEX year, titled “A Journey in Financial Improvement.”
Topics will include a discussion on the measures above, and are intended to help in preparation for new payment models and for strengthening stability in CAHs.
- December 20, 2017 – “Using Performance Improvement Strategies to Improve Financial Indicators (recording)” / Handouts 12 20/ CAH Calculator – 0.1 IACET CEU/1 credit hour
- January 17, 2018 – “Developing An Efficient Revenue Cycle Committee” – Handouts – 0.1 IACET CEU/1 credit hour
- February 21, 2018 – “Understanding The Roadblocks To Clean Claim Processing” – Handouts – 0.1 IACET CEU/1 credit hour
- March 21, 2018 – “Preparing for the Volume to Value Payment Transitions” – Handouts – 0.1 IACET CEU/1 credit hour
- April 18, 2018 – “Denial Management and the Impact on Financial Stability” – Handout One; Handout Two – 0.1 IACET CEU/1 credit hour
- May 16, 2018 – “Financial & Operational Improvement “Best Practices” / Webinar Handouts – 0.1 IACET CEU/1 credit hour
- August 29, 2018 – Final Closing Webinar – Register Here
In addition, mark your calendar for several options for a live workshop that will be offered throughout the year at various regional locations titled “A Team Approach: Profitability in the Revenue Cycle.” It is intended to provide “train the trainer” education and resources for implementation at your hospital.
- March 14, 2018 in Ankeny: Primary Meeting in conjunction with the Annual Small Hospital Improvement Conference on March 15th.
- July 24, 2018 – Financial Improvement Virtual Meeting (for those who could not attend at live meeting): Recording; Handouts
- August 2, 2018 in Okoboji: Additional Live Meeting Option; Financial and Quality Cohort one-on-one meetings
Iowa Rural and Critical Access Hospital Conference
March 14 & 15, 2018 * Courtyard by Marriott – Des Moines/Ankeny
Conference Agenda
Day One Flex Handouts
August 2, 2018 *Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center – Okoboji
Workshop Agenda
- Upfront Collections: Developing Your Program Handouts
- Best Practice Discussion and Case Study: Henry County Health Center Handouts
July 24, 2018 Financial Improvement Virtual Conference
Virtual Conference Link
Monthly “Strategic Intervention” Newsletters
- December: “RHLOP Financial Welcome Email”
- January 2018: “Minor Errors lead to Major Losses”; Strategic Interventions Printable Poster #1
- February 2018: “A Strategy to Ensure Timely Payments”; Strategic Interventions Printable Poster #2
- March 2018: “Value-Based Care”; Strategic Interventions Printable Poster #3
- April 2018: “Is Your Data Working For You?”; Strategic Interventions Printable Poster #4
- May 2018: “Financial Improvement: Strategies for Success”; Strategic Interventions Printable Poster #5
- June 2018: “It Takes a Village”; Strategic Interventions Printable Poster #6
- July 2018: “Is the OIG looking at you?”; Strategic Interventions Printable Poster #7
- August 2018: “The Root Cause”; Strategic Interventions Printable Poster #8
In addition, hospitals were invited to participate in the Financial COHORT, who will be provided additional individual and small group assistance in monitoring and improving these areas within their hospital, or asked to share best practices and improvement projects in these areas. If your hospital indicated that you wanted to participate in the Cohort, please expect your first phone call from Sandy Sage, Hospital Revenue Analyst and RHLOP Financial Improvement Program Trainer in December. Follow up phone calls will occur on a quarterly basis, but you can contact Sandy Sage at any time for assistance.
Flex Quality Improvement Program, Cohort, and Population Health Forum
The goal of the Quality Improvement group is to help improve patient safety and health outcomes in CAHs by conducting staff and health provider education, training, workshops and, meetings specific for Iowa’s CAHs including integration of community health needs assessment to improve health disparities by the hospital, and professional development in decision making/leadership training.
All hospitals are invited to participate in General education on the Quality side.
Quality Program Welcome Email: December 2017
This will include three online support courses, on the following topics:
–Advanced Critical Thinking Skills – 0.1 IACET CEUs/1 credit hour
–Advanced Data Driven Decision Making – 0.1 IACET CEU/1 credit hour
–Integration of Community and Health Care Assessment Results into Decision Making – 0.1 IACET CEU/1 credit hour
As courses become available, the link will be posted here on the Program Dashboard.
The program also includes Live Meeting Training for Quality Leaders, with goal of networking opportunities and training for decreased staff turnover. These will be held at various regional locations throughout the year. The training, titled “The Day in the Life of a Quality Director and How to Prevent Burnout.” will be led by the team at ICAHN. In addition, an Population Health Forum will be offered to include training and moderation of a forum that encourage participants to share ideas and views on population health in their region with other leaders.
- March 14, 2018 in Ankeny: Primary Meeting in conjunction with the Annual Small Hospital Improvement Conference on March 15th
- August 2, 2018 in Okoboji- Additional live workshop option for those who were unable to attend in March; Financial and Quality Cohort one-on-one meetings
- August 23, 2018 – Quality Improvement Virtual Meeting for those unable to attend one of the live options
Closing Webinar:
- August 29, 2018 – Final Closing Webinar – Register Here
Live Meeting Materials
Des Moines/Ankeny – March 2018 Conference FLEX DAY ONE Agenda
Okoboji – August 2018 Workshop Agenda
August 23, 2018: Quality Improvement Virtual Conference
Presentations & Handouts:
- 2018 A Day in the Life…. Quality slides – Intro and Information- HomeTown Health
- RHLOP “A Day in the Life of a Quality Director” Slides – ICAHN- 8.2.18
- Preventing Burnout Presentation – Okoboji 8.2.2018
- Pop Health Forum: CHNA Presentation- ICAHN – 8.2.18
Resources:
- ICAHN’s A Basic Field Guide to Healthcare Quality
- Monthly Reporting
- Reporting Grid
- Annual Report Template
- Blank Quality Review , Annual Review Guidelines
- QAPI Scorecard Example
- ICAHN’s Basic Field Guide To Health Care Compliance electronic
- Team Handout: Burnout Signs
Hospitals were also invited to participate in the Quality Improvement COHORT, who will be provided additional individual and small group assistance in monitoring and improving quality measures or assisting your Quality Directors. If your hospital indicated that you wanted to participate in the Cohort, please expect your first phone call from Angie Charlet, Hospital Quality Improvement Program Trainer in December. Follow up phone calls will occur on a quarterly basis, but you can contact Angie Charlet at any time for assistance.
Dr. Angie Charlet, Director of Quality, ICAHN
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 815-875-2999
For Technical Support, contact [email protected]
Grant Questions? Contact Lisa Carhuff at [email protected]
The 2017-2018 Rural Hospital Learning Opportunities Program is offered through grant funding from the
Medicare FLEX Grant Program through the Iowa Department of Public Health, contract #: 5888CA04.