Delta health systems implementation program - delta health system implementation program wcmh chronic care management and remote patient monitoring program washington county memorial hospital (wcmh)…

Washington County Memorial Hospital (WCMH) received a $700,000 Project Grant award from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy under the Rural Healthcare Services Programs (CFDA 93.912) to implement Chronic Care Management (CCM) and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) programs across its rural health clinics in Missouri. The award, effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2027, funds the deployment of integrated care management services targeting patients with complex chronic conditions in Washington County, which ranks among the unhealthiest counties in Missouri. In partnership with a third-party vendor, WCMH will establish care management protocols, conduct staff training on clinical processes and billing practices, and provide patient education. The program will enroll 100 patients in Year One, expanding to 250 by Year Two, with the vendor managing clinical care management while WCMH administers patient enrollment and billing operations.

The initiative addresses critical health disparities in the region, including elevated rates of obesity (41%), diabetes (11%), smoking (28%), and physical inactivity (30%), combined with limited primary care access and higher emergency department utilization. By implementing evidence-based CCM and RPM services, WCMH aims to improve population health quality measures, reduce preventable hospital stays and ED utilization, and establish sustainable billing and coding practices that will enable continuation of these services beyond the grant period. The project directly responds to technical assistance recommendations from the Delta Regional Community Health Systems Development Program.

Delta health systems implementation program - delta health system implementation program wcmh chronic care management and remote patient monitoring program washington county memorial hospital (wcmh) requests delta health systems implementation program funding to implement chronic care management (CCM) and remote patient monitoring (RPM) programs at our rural health clinics. This initiative directly responds to technical assistance recommendations from the delta regional community health systems development program, addressing population health management, patient experience, emergency department utilization, and care quality. Need: washington county, missouri ranks among the unhealthiest counties in the state (107/115) with significant challenges: - higher chronic condition rates (41% obesity, 11% diabetes) - higher emergency department utilization and preventable hospital stays - limited primary care access (3,120:1 patient-to-provider ratio VS. 1,420:1 statewide) - poor health behaviors (28% smoking, 30% physical inactivity) - lower life expectancy (73.8 years VS. 77.3 statewide) - rural geography (80.5% rural population) - socioeconomic challenges (15% uninsured rate) these factors contribute to residents living an average of 7.3 years less than peers elsewhere in the U.S. Project goals: 1. Deploy chronic care management services at wcmh rural health clinics 2. Implement remote patient monitoring for patients with complex conditions 3. Improve population health quality measures 4. Ensure sustainability through new billing and coding practices approach: wcmh will partner with a third-party vendor to establish CCM and RPM programs at all rural health clinics. The vendor will handle clinical care management while wcmh manages patient enrollment and billing. The program will start with 100 patients in year one and expand to 250 by year two, including: - development of care management protocols - staff training on processes and billing - patient education - quality metrics tracking expected outcomes: short-term: enrollment of 100 patients with 90% receiving monthly CCM contacts. Long-term: - 250 enrolled patients - 10% reduction in ED visits - 15% reduction in readmissions - improved clinical measures - 20% increase in patient satisfaction - sustainable revenue stream population served: washington county, missouri residents with chronic conditions, focusing on medicare beneficiaries and those with complex health needs requiring ongoing care management, particularly underserved rural residents. Sustainability: by establishing billable CCM and RPM service lines with proper coding and billing procedures, wcmh will create a sustainable model with program revenue expected to exceed costs by at least 15% by the end of the performance period. This project aligns with dsip objectives by implementing evidence-based practices that will improve healthcare delivery, financial sustainability, and patient outcomes in rural washington county, directly addressing recommendations from technical assistance consultations.