NYSARH submits testimony to the NYS Assembly Health Committee Public Hearing on Rural Health.
Below is the testimony submitted to the Assembly Health Committee Public Hearing on Rural Health Care Services on May 31st. The New York State Association for Rural Health (NYSARH) is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization working to preserve and improve the health of the citizens in rural New York State. NYSARH was founded in July 2001. The organization is affiliated with the National Rural Health Association. The mission of NYSARH is to improve the health and well-being of rural New Yorkers and their communities. NYSARH is a membership organization. NYSARH membership includes representatives of all facets of the rural health care industry, as well as individuals and students. NYSARH serves individuals, consumers, non-profit organizations, government agencies and offici...
NYSARH Administration Services RFP
The New York State Association for Rural Health (NYSARH) Executive Committee is seeking an administrative contractor to support NYSARH. The Committee is looking to receive a full proposal to provide administrative services to the NYSARH Board of Directors. The Board has identified the Association’s immediate developmental pathway to include three components: 1) Operations 2) Capacity Development 3) Strategic Priorities. NYSARH seeks an Administration Support partner to work closely with the Board of Directors to devise and execute a comprehensive and detailed plan for delivering on each of the below priority areas. The Committee is looking to receive a full proposal to provide administrative services to the NYSARH Board of Directors. Proposals are due no later than May 28, 2019 at 5:00PM E...
Supporting Health Care and Community-Based Organization Partnerships to Address Social Determinants of Health
Increasingly, health systems, providers, and payers recognize the significant influence that social factors such as housing, food insecurity, employment status, and transportation have on well-being and health care spending. These social determinants of health (SDOH), in addition to health behaviors, influence 80 percent of health outcomes in the United States, and disproportionately affect low-income populations (Hood et. al. 2016). As reimbursement models transition away from fee-for-service to value-based payment, there has been a greater focus on innovative models of care that integrate medical and nonmedical services to improve health outcomes. Such demonstration projects include: Accountable Health Communities (an effort by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test whet...
Community Based Organization Planning Grant Underway for Upstate New York
The New York State Department of Health Community Based Organization (CBO) Planning Grant for Rest of State is finally underway and upstate CBOs are organizing to be a stronger voice in the next stages of the New York State DSRIP Program. Through the grant, the newly formed Upstate Community Based Organization (CBO) Consortium is assessing the needs of CBO members and working as a collective to prepare nonprofit organizations that address critical health and human services to be valued partners in an integrated healthcare delivery system. Healthy Community Alliance, Inc., a rural health network and the project’s lead agency, has been conducting thought leader forums with members and stakeholders across the state to help shape the Consortium’s short term goals and longer term strategies tha...
Measurement Project to Strengthen Rural CBOs’ Case for Participation In Value-Based Payment.
Healthcare’s traditional payment structures are rapidly shifting from fee-for-service models, in which providers are paid for delivering separate episodes of care, to value-based payment (VBP) models, in which providers are incentivized to move the needle on key health outcomes for their patients. With this new expectation comes increased attention to addressing patients’ non-medical needs such as food, transportation, financial stability, and housing. These health-related social needs, also referred to as Social Determinants of Health, broadly impact the wellbeing of individuals and communities. In this emerging payment environment, community- based organizations (CBOs) addressing social determinants have new opportunities to access healthcare dollars – if they can demonstrate the financi...
NYSARH in Action: NRHA’s Rural Health Policy Institute in Washington
The NYSARH delegation joined over 450 fellow rural health stakeholders from across the United States in Washington, D.C. for NRHA’s 30th Rural Health Policy Institute Information about the impact of federal legislation on rural communities is available HERE. The NYSARH team met with Representatives Brindisi, Collins, Delgado, and Katko in person and with staff representing Representatives Higgins, Maloney, Morelle, Reed, Stefanik, and Tonko, and with staff representing Senators Schumer and Gillibrand. We shared packets with staff from Representatives Lowey, Ocasio-Cortez, and Rose. If you use Twitter, please follow @NRHA_Advocacy and NRHA on Twitter and include #RuralHealth in all your tweets to keep the issues NRHA fights for at the forefront of the national conversation with colleagues...
NYSARH in Action: Rural Health Advocacy in Albany
The NYSARH Policy Committee organized Advocacy Day earlier in the season than we have in previous years. Volunteers met with 19 Committee Chairs and leadership staff including Speaker Heastie, Minority Leader Kolb, Chair of Senate Health Gustavo Rivera, and Chair of Assembly Health Dick Gottfried. We appreciate the warm welcome we received from Senators Rachel May, Chair, and Pamela Helming, Ranking Member, Legislative Commission on Rural Resources. Thanks to our panel of speakers who presented the morning briefing: Jill Kasow, Legislative Commission of Rural Resources Karen Roach & Jim Clancy, Healthcare Association of NYS Lacey Clarke, Community Health Care Association of NYS Glenn Liebman, Mental Health Association of NYS Harvey Rosenthal, NY Association Psychiatric Rehabilitation ...
Rural Networks Making a Difference in the Opioid Epidemic
We didn’t want to miss sharing this webinar, recorded on National Rural Health Day, which features Karen Madden of the New York State Office of Rural Health, Rebecca Evansky, AHI, and Charlotte Crawford, Lake Plains Community Care Network. The recording showcases how small rural networks are innovating and collaborating with their communities to address the opioid crisis. Hit play to watch it below or click here for direct access.
NYSARH Research Project: Impact of NYS Funding
Casey Edwards conducted an important research project for NYSARH designed to inform and educate decision-makers regarding NYS funding to public health programs which have a direct and significant impact on: Health of people in rural communities Economic health of those communities Social determinants of health Edwards focus during her research was tri-fold–1.) identify and understand the purpose of key New York State health-related funding streams within selected rural communities, 2.) understand and identify the discrete categories of direct, indirect, and induced economic impact of outside funding by looking at selected health and social entities, and 3.) identify and discuss the economic impact of cuts in funding on rural infrastructure and communities, through the use of IMPLAN w...
NRHA’s Rural Health Policy Institute
Join NRHA and rural health advocates from across the nation for the largest, and arguably the most important, rural advocacy event in the country, NRHA’s Rural Health Policy Institute, February 5th-7th in D.C. You’ll have the chance to: Hear from top members of the Trump Administration and leading members of Congress on their plans to make health care work in rural America; Speak directly with your Congressional delegation on Capitol Hill to tell them of the challenges in your rural community. Register for the conference here.