RCH in position for major rural health investment
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by Jeff Snyder
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — Ringgold County Hospital is poised to receive a substantial cash infusion via a newly approved Rural Health Transformation Program sponsored by the federal government.
Iowa was recently informed that the state’s share of this $50 billion federal program will be $209 million dollars.
In order to receive benefits from this program each individual hospital in Iowa must first apply for grants based upon a variety of sub-programs outlined in the governor’s “Healthy Hometowns” initiative being managed by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
The initiative is intended to bolster the care available to rural Iowa hospitals in hopes that the care gaps in the system can be addressed through careful distribution of funds to hospitals with the greatest needs.
Among the plans for the funding is a more advanced “telehealth” program enabling rural customers a more effective way to directly communicate with a qualified healthcare provider. These programs are not intended to replace face-to-face treatment opportunities, rather they are a way to ward off potentially less serious conditions that may be well treated in a clinic or stand alone physician setting.
In some cases this method could help reduce or eliminate the need for extensive travel and subsequently added patient pressure on the receiving hospital.
Additional programs are intended to provide the funding necessary for rural hospitals to recruit and retain outside provider professionals which is a constant challenge for rural hospitals.
Ringgold County Hospital has applied for three specific grants that were filed by Monday’s deadline. Two of the three grants are related to the aforementioned professional recruitment’s and the third is a “medical equipment” grant targeting new equipment needs in addition to a number of equipment replacements for worn or outdated equipment.
Ringgold County Hospital CFO Clint Reynolds, said that the decisions on awards was due out by January 27 of this year.
“A remarkable turnaround time,” he said.
Those that have been chosen by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services can expect to be funded operationally as early as mid February.
Governor Kim Reynolds’ office released a statement about “Healthy Hometowns” further describing the details.
“Healthy Hometowns is Iowa’s plan to strengthen health care in rural communities by making care more accessible, connected, and patient focused, Governor Reynolds said in the release. “This initiative is about more than health care. It’s about helping Iowans live healthier lives, closer to home.”
Healthy Hometowns includes five key initiatives:
◦ Hometown Connections: Builds partnerships to expand health care options in rural areas.
◦ Combat Cancer: A statewide effort to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes.
◦ Communities of Care: Supports projects that bring different types of providers together under one roof.
◦ Health Information Exchange: Makes health records accessible across Iowa so patients can get care wherever they are.
◦ Community Care Mobile: Invests in telehealth and mobile health care programs, including high-risk maternal transport.
Although the results of the grant applications are still forthcoming, Ringgold County Hospital is planning for positive results from their grant application and are gearing up for these enhancements now.
