Project Grant TR145904

RURAL PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE TRAINING NETWORK PROGRAM - ORGANIZATION NAME: AVERA HEALTH, HEALTHCARE SYSTEM ADDRESS: 3900 W AVERA DRIVE, SIOUX FALLS, SD 57117 WEBSITE: WWW.AVERA.ORG PROJECT DIRECTOR: MEGAN BIEGLER, PROJECT SPECIALIST CONTACT PHONE: (605)622-2842 E-MAIL: MEGAN.BIEGLER@AVERA.ORG PROJECT TITLE: RURAL HEALTH WORKFORCE NEXT: NETWORK CROSS TRAINING (NEXT) FOR FUTURE TELEHEALTH AND HEALTH IT CAREERS IN THE RURAL UPPER MIDWEST PROPOSED TRAINING TRACK: TRACK #2, TELEHEALTH AND HEALTH IT RURAL HEALTH WORKFORCE NEXT: NETWORK CROSS TRAINING (NEXT) FOR FUTURE TELEHEALTH AND HEALTH IT CAREERS IN THE RURAL UPPER MIDWEST WILL PREPARE THE RURAL PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE OF TODAY AND TOMORROW BY PROVIDING CROSS-TRAINED SKILLS IN TELEHEALTH, HEALTH IT, AND SKILL OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS TELEMETRY MONITORING AND VIRTUAL NURSING. FOLLOWING THE NATIONAL TREND, SOUTH DAKOTA'S MOST ACUTE HEALTH WORKFORCE NEED IS CERTAINLY ITS NURSING STAFF RATIOS IN RURAL AREAS. RESPONDING TO THIS CRISIS REQUIRES TIME, INNOVATION, AND COLLABORATION ACROSS SEVERAL SECTORS. THE RURAL PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE TRAINING GRANT OFFERS AVERA AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT NURSING STAFF, NOT SIMPLY BY HIRING MORE RN'S (WHICH IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION IN THE SHORT-TERM) BUT BY LEVERAGING THE CAPACITY OF ITS HEALTH IT WORKFORCE TO INTERVENE IN NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS. IN RESPONSE TO THE HISTORIC NURSING SHORTAGE, PROJECT NEXT PROVIDES AN INNOVATIVE, ALTERNATIVE, STAFFING SOLUTION (ONE THAT CAN BE REPLICATED BY OTHER HEALTH SYSTEMS) BY ADDING SUPPORT STAFF AROUND RN'S TO ALLOW THEM TO PRACTICE AT THE TOP OF THEIR LICENSURE. ADDITIONALLY, PROJECT NEXT WILL PREPARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE RURAL PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE BY PROVIDING HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND OUTREACH ON TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN HEALTH CARE CAREERS. PROGRAM GOALS INCLUDE 1) ESTABLISHING AND STRENGTHENING OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR FUTURE HEALTH WORKFORCE MEMBERS FOR EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CURRENT STUDENTS; 2) CREATE HANDS ON LEARNING AND INTERNSHIPS IN TELEHEALTH AN D HEALTH IT ROLES; 3) ESTABLISH SITE COORDINATORS FOR TELEHEALTH; 4) TRAIN TELEMETRY TECHNICIANS; AND 5) ESTABLISH A VIRTUAL NURSING PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM WILL SERVE AN EXPANDING REGION, INCLUDING RURAL SOUTH DAKOTA COUNTIES IN Y1: AURORA, BEADLE, BON HOMME, BROOKINGS, BROWN, BRULE, BUFFALO, CAMPBELL, CHARLES MIX, CLARK, CLAY, CORSON, DAVISON, DAY, DEUEL, DEWEY, DOUGLAS, EDMUNDS, FAULK, GRANT, HAND, HANSON, HUGHES, HUTCHINSON, HYDE, JERAULD, JONES, KINGSBURY, KINSBURY, LAKE, LYMAN, MARSHALL, MCCOOK, MCPHERSON, MELLETTE, MINER, MOODY, POTTER, ROBERTS, SANDBORN, SPINK, STANLEY, SULLY, TODD, TRIP, TURNER, WALWORTH, YANKTON. PROJECT NEXT IS REQUESTING $1,545,000 OVER A THREE-YEAR PERFORMANCE PERIOD. WITHIN THE PROPOSED CONSORTIUM, ALL CLINICAL AND PATIENT ORIENTED MEMBERS ARE LOCATED IN RURAL, UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. AVERA, THE LEAD APPLICANT, IS THE PARENT ORGANIZATION FOR A VERTICALLY INTEGRATED HEALTH SYSTEM. THE NETWORK PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE RURAL: AVERA ST LUKE'S HOSPITAL AVERA ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY LANDMANN JUNGMAN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER PLATTE HEALTH CENTER RURAL HEALTH CARE INC AVERA HAS EXPERIENCE TO PROVIDE TRAINING IN HEALTH IT AND TELEHEALTH. IN 1993, AVERA WAS THE FIRST AREA HOSPITAL TO DEVELOP A FORMAL TELEHEALTH PROGRAM. AVERA HAS AN EXTENSIVE COLLABORATION WITH NETWORK PARTNERS, INCLUDING RURAL HEALTH CARE, INC IN ESTABLISHING ACCESS HEALTH - MITCHELL AND ACCESS HEALTH - BROOKINGS IN 2020. AVERA RECENTLY PARTNERED WITH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY TO CREATE STAFF TRAININGS RELATED TO CYBERSECURITY. AVERA HEALTH IS REQUESTING A FUNDING PREFERENCE BASED ON QUALIFICATION 1 AND 2 AS ATTACHMENT 10. HUGHES COUNTY IS A DESIGNATED HPSA. YANKTON COUNTY IS A MUC/MUP. AVERA HEALTH IS REQUESTING SPECIAL CONSIDERATION BASED ON INCLUDING A SIGNED MOU FROM ALL NETWORK PARTNERS AS IN ATTACHMENT 11.