2010 Annual Conference

The Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, along with the Alabama Rural Health Association and the Office of EMS and Trauma, hosted the Alabama Rural Health Conference March 24-25, 2010, at the Montgomery Marriott Prattville Hotel and Conference Center at Capitol Hill.

The conference provided the latest news on health care reform and how it will impacts rural providers. Trends in Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) and what it means to rural healthcare delivery were discussed. Presenters covered HIT plans in Alabama and information on the new regional extension center, disclosed emergency medical service updates of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machines (CPAP), Capnography, and ResQPOD, and discussed Rural Health Clinic (RHC) information concerning how to establish a RHC and what the issues are with reimbursement.

Rural Health Clinic Presentations

How to Establish a Rural Health ClinicMarsha Marze, CPC
Director, Rural Health Clinic Programs, South Carolina Office of Rural Health

CMS Cost Reporting: Maximizing Your RHC Costs (1 MB)
Cindy Moore, CPA
Chief Financial Officer, South Carolina Office of Rural Health

I Am an RHC! Now What? (1 MB)
Alice Makela, CPC
Billing Manager, South Carolina Office of Rural Health

An Overview of Cahaba Government Benefit Administrators, LLC, Resources (2 MB)
Karen McGrath
Provider Outreach and Education Consultant, Cahaba Government Benefit Administrators, LLC

RHC 101: Rules, Regulations, and Rumors
Marsha Marze, CPC
Director, Rural Health Clinic Programs, South Carolina Office of Rural Health

Health Information Technology Presentations 

Gearing Up for Change in RHC
Dianne Mandernach
Chief Executive Officer, SISU Medical Solutions, LLC

An Overview of HIT and Meaningful Use From a Federal Perspective
Michael McNeely, MBA, MPH, Public Health Analyst
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Rural Health Policy

State HIT Update
Kim Davis-Allen
Director, Transformation Initiatives Division, Alabama Medicaid Agency

Trends in HIT, and What It Means for Rural Healthcare Delivery (1 MB)
John Hoyt, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
Dianne Mandernach, SISU Medical Solutions, LLC
Michael McNeely, Office of Rural Health Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Implementing HIT in a Rural Healthcare Setting
Dianne Mandernach, Chief Executive Officer, SISU Medical Solutions, LLC
John Hoyt, Vice President, HIMSS

A Rural Hospital's Approach to EMR Implementation (3.5 MB)
Robert Humphrey, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Administrator, Evergreen Medical Center
Mary Black, Director, Evergreen Medical Center
Tommy Shehan, Director, Materials Management, Evergreen Medical Center

Emergency Medical Services Presentations 

EMS Update on the Alabama Trauma System
Dr. John Campbell, State EMS Medical Director

ResQPOD (2.5 MB)
Katie Talk, Emergency Medical Technical - Paramedic
Clinical Educator, Advanced Circulatory Systems, Inc.

Capnography for Paramedics (2.5 MB)
Troy Smith, Lieutenant and Paramedic, Oridion Capnography

In-Depth Discussion of the Alabama Trauma System
Dr. John Campbell, State EMS Director

In-Depth Demonstration of ResQPOD Components (3 MB)
Katie Talk, Advanced Circulatory Systems, Inc.