KING 5’s Amity Addrisi reports.

Source: Telepsychiatry brings help to rural areas

 

National Rural Health Association: The Problem: Rural hospitals are closing where patient populations are most vulnerable; rural patients and rural economies suffer.

NRHA: Click to Read More

Talk to almost any primary care physician these days and what you’ll hear should frighten you. Many PCPs are actively looking for ways to get out of primary care, and there’s no one to replace them because medical students don’t want to go into primary care. One well-known reason for this is that PCPs are being forced to spend more time dealing with the administrative burdens of dysfunctional EHRs, measurement programs, and health plan rules than taking care of patients.

But there’s another reason that nobody is talking about, and it may be an even bigger threat to the future of primary care.

The Hidden Flaw in “Value-Based Payment” Programs ….. (click to read entire article)

Improving Healthcare Quality and Reforming Healthcare Payment Systems

It’s unlikely that the state of Washington intended to put its skilled nursing facilities on the brink of disaster when it overhauled its Medicaid system in 2016, but leaders of both LeadingAge Washington and the Washington Health Care Association (WHCA) said that’s exactly what has occurred as providers across the state try to keep their Read More

Source: Low Medicaid Rates Cause Skilled Nursing Crisis in Washington State – Skilled Nursing News

Much of Dayton General Hospital’s structure remains the same from when it was constructed in the 1960s, but the interior is vastly different, thanks to a $5.5 million renovation project

Source: Daily highlight: Dayton General Hospital renovation

DAYTON — Shane McGuire is CEO of Columbia County Health System, which serves residents here and in Waitsburg, but he’s also an ambassador for rural health care across and outside

Source: A hospital’s heart: Rural struggles a common thread

DAYTON — Senior centers around the country are grappling with stagnant or slipping attendance, but staff and volunteers at the Columbia County Senior Center are doing what they can to

Source: Senior Center a community hub in Columbia County

The Columbia County Health System remodeled 24,000 square feet of the 48,000-square-foot hospital. It was a publicly-funded project.

Source: Dayton General Hospital completes remodel – Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Rural hospitals in Washington state are shaking things up as they face an increasingly difficult financial environment

Source: Pinched for Resources

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health is the membership association of the nation’s 50 State Offices of Rural Health. State Offices of Rural Health are anchors of information and support for rural communities, health professionals, hospitals and clinics across the nation. They are dedicated to collaboration, education, communication and innovation to improve health in small towns around the country. On the third Thursday of November every year, the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health leads National Rural Health Day, an annual day of recognition for those who serve the vital health needs of over 60 million people residing in America’s rural communities, estimated to be 1 in 5 Americans.

We are grateful for the nomination and selection as a “Community Star”. This type of achievement would not be possible without the support of our amazing communities, a board that enables us to be innovative, and the best team of people one could ever hope to work with. This is truly the power of rural healthcare: Our communities pulling together to support the health and well being of their neighbors, friends, and families. #Powerofrural

Click for more: Live in the country? That doesn’t mean you’re too far from medical specialists.