RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM - APPLICANT ORGANIZATION: THE AROOSTOOK AGENCY ON AGING APPLICANT ADDRESS: 260 MAIN STREET, PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE 04769 FACILITY TYPE: AGENCY ON AGING, SOCIAL SUPPORT AGENCY WEBSITE: HTTPS://AROOSTOOKAGING.ORG PROJECT DIRECTOR: KATHRYN HARNISH, MANAGER OF SPECIAL PROJECTS (207-764-3396; KATHRYN.HARNISH@AROOSTOOKAGING.ORG) NETWORK PLANNING PROJECT: AROOSTOOK COUNTY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP (ACHIP) LEGISLATIVE AIM: THE ACHIP PROJECT WILL ADDRESS LEGISLATIVE AIMS #1-3: ACHIEVE EFFICIENCIES; EXPAND ACCESS TO, COORDINATE, AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF BASIC HEALTH CARE SERVICES; STRENGTHEN THE RURAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. FOCUS AREA: ACHIP'S FOCUS AREA WILL BE ON EXPANDING ACCESS TO CARE FOR OLDER AND DISABLED ADULTS IN AROOSTOOK COUNTY, MAINE. PROPOSED SERVICE REGION: THE PROPOSED SERVICE AREA FOR THE ACHIP PROJECT IS AROOSTOOK COUNTY, MAINE. AROOSTOOK COUNTY IS A FULLY RURAL COUNTY IN NORTHERNMOST MAINE. THE AROOSTOOK AGENCY ON AGING (THE AGENCY) IS ONE OF FIVE AREA AGENCIES ON AGING IN MAINE OVERSEEN BY THE STATE OF MAINE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE OF AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES. IN 2023, THE AGENCY, WORKING THROUGH THE MAINE RURAL COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP (R-CHIP), CONVENED STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT AROOSTOOK COUNTY, MAINE TO BEGIN DISCUSSIONS ON DEFINING AND IMPLEMENTING TRANSFORMATIVE APPROACHES TO WHOLE-PERSON CARE. THE AGENCY CREATED THE AROOSTOOK COUNTY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP (ACHIP) AND BROUGHT TOGETHER MORE THAN TWENTY PARTNERS IN THE HEALTH CARE, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND SOCIAL SERVICES SECTORS TO COMPLETE A YEAR-LONG PLANNING PROCESS AND SUBSEQUENT READINESS ASSESSMENT. THAT ASSESSMENT IDENTIFIED THE INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN TRANSPORTATION, SOCIAL CONNECTION/COMMUNITY BELONGING, AND HEALTH CARE ACCESS AS CRITICAL, YET UNADDRESSED, HEALTH-RELATED SOCIAL NEEDS. THROUGH THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION'S (HRSA) GRANTS.GOV NOTIFICATION OF THE "RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROG RAM", ACHIP PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A NETWORK TO LINK RURAL HEALTH CARE STRATEGIC PARTNERS TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF TRANSPORTATION, SOCIAL CONNECTION/COMMUNITY BELONGING, AND ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE. ACHIP BELIEVES THIS WORK WILL HELP RURAL STAKEHOLDERS ACHIEVE GREATER CAPACITY TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES RELATED TO SERVING THE NEEDS OF A RURAL POPULATION FOR WHICH GEOGRAPHICAL DIVERSITY AND ECONOMIES OF SCALE LIMIT SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF TRANSFORMATIVE HEALTH CARE. THE STAKEHOLDER PARTNERS FOR THIS PROJECT (NORTHERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER, CARY MEDICAL CENTER, NORTHERN LIGHT AR GOULD HOSPITAL, HOULTON REGIONAL HOSPITAL, THE AROOSTOOK MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, THE AROOSTOOK TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, AROOSTOOK EMS, AROOSTOOK PARTNERSHIP, AND THE AROOSTOOK AGENCY ON AGING) ARE ALL EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS AND ARE WELL-POSITIONED TO MOVE ACHIP FROM ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUES TO CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF WORK PLANS THAT WILL IMPROVE TRANSPORTATION TO SERVICES, ENGAGEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AND CONSISTENT ACCESS TO ONE'S PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER. THE OVERALL GOAL OF ACHIP'S PARTICIPATION IN THE RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROGRAM IS TO ENSURE THAT THE CITIZENS OF AROOSTOOK COUNTY ARE MORE FULLY ARE MORE FULLY ENGAGED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES OF CHOICE THROUGH IMPROVED CONTINUITY OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES, MORE RESPONSIVE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, AND AN INCREASED ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES THAT IMPACT THEIR WELL-BEING. AS A COMMUNITY LEADER IN COLLABORATION, THE AGENCY, THROUGH ACHIP, WILL AIM TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN THIS TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESS, CONTRIBUTING POSITIVELY TO THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF OLDER ADULTS LIVING IN AROOSTOOK COUNTY.